Read: Romans 5:8-15

Christmas was over, and Malachi and Nevaeh helped their parents remove the ornaments, lights, and strands of silver and purple garland from the Christmas tree branches. Soon the shimmering and festive tree looked bare except for the colorful tree skirt surrounding the tree stand.

“Hey,” Malachi called out. “Look at that!” He pointed to a small box wrapped in green and red paper peeking out from under a fold in the tree skirt.

“Where did that come from?” Mom asked as she bent down to pick up the box. “We must have missed this when we opened our gifts.” She held the box in her hands and looked for a name. “It’s for me! From Aunt Maddi,” she said in surprise. “I didn’t think she had sent anything this year, and here it was under the tree the whole time.”

Mom opened the gift and found a necklace and matching earrings. “They’re so pretty!” Nevaeh said as Mom held them up for everybody to see.

“Just think—Aunt Maddi’s gift was here all this time, but Mom couldn’t receive it because she didn’t know it was there,” Dad said. “It reminds me of another gift—God’s gift of salvation. It’s available to everyone, but many people don’t even know it’s there.”

Mom nodded. “It stays hidden until someone shows it to them—like you showed the package to me, Malachi.”

Nevaeh and Malachi thought about that. “So we need to show people God’s gift by telling them about Jesus,” Nevaeh said.

“And tell them that if they receive it, Jesus will forgive their sins and give them eternal life,” added Malachi.

“That’s right,” said Dad. “It’s an amazing gift! But they can’t receive it if they don’t know it’s there. That’s why we need to share it with others.” Dad motioned to the boxes of decorations. “Let’s see if each of us can come up with a person we can tell about God’s amazing gift by the time we finish putting this stuff away.”

–Richard S. Maffeo

How about you? Have you received God’s gift of salvation? (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) It’s wonderful to know all the wrong things you’ve done have been forgiven and you have eternal life with Jesus. But many people don’t know this amazing gift exists. Think of someone you know who may not know about Jesus and the eternal life He offers. Then tell them about it! God may use you to help someone receive Jesus, the best gift of all.

Today's Key Verse: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Tell others about God’s gift

Read: Psalm 103:8-12

With her sidewalk chalk, India colored in the flowers she had drawn along the edge of the driveway. Then she stood back and frowned.

Dad came out of the house and smiled at India. “What lovely flowers!” he said. “And I won’t even have to water them.”

“No, but I’m going to,” said India. “I want them a different color.” Taking the garden hose, she aimed the stream of water at her artwork. WHOOSH! All traces of chalk soon disappeared down the driveway.

India grinned at Dad. “Now I can start all over. Cool, huh?”

“That is pretty cool,” said Dad. “That’s a picture of what Jesus does for us. He gives us a chance to start over when we confess our sin to Him.”

“Oh, great,” India said, rolling her eyes. “I can already see my chalk flowers are going to be used in a sermon!”

Dad laughed. “Well, that’s what happens when you have a pastor for a dad!” He nodded toward the wet spot on the driveway. “Where are the flowers you drew?”

“They’re gone,” India replied. “And I know what you’re going to say—that when we confess our sins, they’re gone too.”

“That’s right,” said Dad. “Now bring those flowers back for a minute.”

“I can’t!” India said. “They’re washed down the drain, and they don’t exist anymore.”

Dad smiled. “They’re gone, never to be seen again. That’s what happens to our sins when we confess them to Jesus and turn away from them. He forgives and forgets them. The Bible says He removes them from us as far as the east is from the west!”

“But sometimes I still go over them in my mind—even after I tell Jesus I’m sorry,” India said.

Dad nodded. “Sometimes it’s hard for us to forget the bad things we’ve done, and even after confessing them, we wonder how God can forgive and forget them. When that happens, ask Jesus to help you remember His promise to always forgive your sins and remove them.”

“And thank Him for letting me start over,” added India. “Just like I’m going to do with these flowers!” Chalk in hand, she began drawing again on a dry section of the driveway.

–Hazel W. Marett

How about you? Have you done something wrong? If you trust in Jesus, He’s already taken the punishment for all your sins and promises to forgive any sin and remove it from your life. When you do something wrong, tell Him and ask Him to forgive you. Even if you think of the bad thing you did again, He won’t—it’s gone forever! Then you can start over, depending on Him to help you do what’s right.

Today's Key Verse: I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Jeremiah 31:34 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: God forgives and removes sin

Read: Romans 8:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8

“Why does Grandpa have to hurt so much?” Bentley asked his dad as they left the nursing home one afternoon.

“I don’t know, Bentley. It’s hard to see Grandpa the way he is now, isn’t it?” They were silent as they walked out to the car and got in. “How about a hike up Piestewa Peak tomorrow?” Dad asked.

Bentley’s eyes lit up. “Okay! I’ve been wanting to do that.”

Less than halfway up the mountain the next day, Bentley began to struggle to keep up with Dad. Whatever made me think it would be fun to climb Piestewa Peak? he wondered. When he heard Dad say, “Time for a break,” Bentley sighed in relief.

“Ready to go again?” Dad asked after the break. Bentley hesitated, trying to decide if he should suggest going back down. Dad ruffled Bentley’s hair. “You’re not going to quit on me now, are ya, buddy? When we get to the top, you’ll see the hard climb was totally worth it.” Bentley wasn’t so sure about that, but he nodded and trudged up the mountain with his dad.

When they finally reached the top, they could see the whole city below, surrounded by hills and desert. A sense of wonder came over Bentley. “You were right!” he said. “This is awesome!”

Soon they found a nice spot to spread out their picnic lunch. “Being up here is totally worth the hard climb, just like you said,” Bentley mused.

Dad took a bite of his sandwich and nodded. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Our climb up here was hard, but it had a good ending. What’s happening to Grandpa is something like climbing this mountain.”

“How?” asked Bentley.

“Our world is cursed by sin—it’s what causes hard things like death and Grandpa’s illness. But when Jesus returns, He’s going to make all things new. Christians will have perfect bodies, and we’ll live with Jesus in a new, beautiful world where there won’t be any sin, death, or suffering. Our lives now are hard—just like climbing this mountain was hard. But Jesus is with us every step of the way, and like the view after the hike, we know the ending will be worth it.”

–Esther M. Bailey

How about you? Have you struggled with having a friend or family member die? Do you wonder why people have to suffer through sickness and pain? People go through many different kinds of struggles in life, and it’s hard to understand why. But Jesus promises to be with us in our pain and struggles on earth, and one day He will come back and make everything new. Then we’ll be free from sin, pain, and death and will live with Him forever!

Today's Key Verse: Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus will end suffering