READ: PSALMS 32; 51; ISAIAH 1:16-18; 1 PETER 2:23-25

I don’t know about you, but I love wearing freshly washed clothes. Especially when it’s cold outside and the clothes are still warm right after they come out of the dryer! Having clean clothes just makes me feel more comfortable and confident.

But imagine this: you wear your favorite shirt to a restaurant, and then you accidentally spill a bit of food on it. You should wash it as soon as you get home, right? But imagine that instead of doing that, you decide to pretend the spill isn’t there, and you put off washing it. Instead, you keep wearing it. Day after day goes by, and the shirt just keeps getting filthier and filthier. Before you know it, the shirt is a total mess!

It can be the same way with sin. We all sin many times a day in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We can either bring our sin to God, or we can try to cover it up or pretend it’s not there. If we ignore our sin day after day and keep making choices that go against God and His good ways, then before you know it, we’ve created quite a mess.

I don’t know why we often feel the need to hide from God. He already knows our every thought, our every motive, and our every desire. And no matter how badly we mess up, He still loves us and cares for us. We don’t ever have to be afraid to admit our sins to God because He has already made the way for us to be forgiven. Confessing our sins is like letting God clean our clothes. Because Jesus took all our sin upon Himself on the cross, we can be clothed in His forgiveness. • Elizabeth Blanton

• Have you ever tried to hide anything from God? In Psalm 32, David felt terrible when he kept silent about his sin. But when he confessed it to God, he experienced the joy of forgiveness. Have you ever experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness? What was that like?

• When Jesus died on the cross, He took all our sin upon Himself. And when He rose from the grave, He defeated sin and death. So now, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are totally righteous and pure in God’s sight. And when Jesus returns, we won’t struggle with sin anymore. But until that day, God calls us to confess our sin to Him often. While it’s impossible to confess every single sin, it’s good to take time to remember Jesus’s sacrifice for us and the power He gives us to turn away from sin and back toward Him (Psalm 19:12-14). Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind and thank God for His grace.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 9:9-10; 27:8-14; MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 10:10

Come to me.

Come out of darkness.

Don’t look at the shifting shadows.

Don’t listen

to the slithering snake.

Look at the dawn,

light breaking through.

There is hope and joy.

How I delight in you!

You beat yourself all black and blue—

it grieves My heart.

Let Me lead and I will heal.

I will show You things

that will bring life.

I am gentle and lowly,

come and talk with Me,

do not fight, My child. • Catherine Valentine

• Can you think of a time you felt reluctant to speak to God? Maybe you’re feeling that way right now. It happens to all of us sometimes. Satan loves to feed us lies to try to keep us from interacting with God, convincing us that He doesn’t love us or He isn’t good or He doesn’t want to hear from us until we’ve cleaned up the messy parts of our lives. Do any of these lies resonate with you? Do other lies come to mind? Who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you sort through the lies and bring them into the light of God’s wonderful truth and love? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future. (James 1:17)

• In the Bible, serpents are often associated with the lies of the enemy (Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9). Satan wants to deceive us and tempt us to try to do things on our own—and then trap us in despair and self-hatred when we fail or when things don’t turn out like we expected. But Jesus is always breaking through with hope. He is infinitely more powerful than the enemy, and He came to set us free. How have you experienced Jesus’s hope in your life? In what ways has He brought you joy or shown you His love?

[Jesus said,] “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 (NIV)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 3:17; TITUS 2:1-8; HEBREWS 10:24-25

I’m so thankful for the people God has placed in my life. He has this incredible way of working everything out to give us just what we need. He knows when I need support from someone. He knows when I can’t do it on my own. He knows exactly who to put in my path and when to bring them into my life.

There have been many times on my journey when God has brought godly people into my life—people who were older than me, farther along life’s journey than me. They could speak into the things I was going through with love, care, and truth.

We are not meant to walk this life alone. There is so much wisdom to be gained from people who have gone before us. They can provide a listening ear and share how God has shown up in their lives so we can look for Him in similar ways. They can warn us of the ways we should avoid and tell us what happens when we walk down a bad path. And even when we mess up, they can remind us of Jesus’s faithful love and forgiveness, and they can help us get back on the path of following Him.

I’m thankful for each one of these people who have mentored me. I also know that God has equipped me to mentor others—and He has equipped you too. Even as a teenager, you can be an example to someone who is younger than you. You may not realize it, but kids look up to you, and they’re already learning from watching you. You can pour into their lives by sharing experiences you’ve had and being someone they can turn to when things are difficult.

God can, and will, work through you to be a blessing in the lives of people who are younger than you, and He will also provide older mentors who can walk with you as you navigate unfamiliar territory. • Tynea Lewis

• As Christians, we know that Jesus is always with us, mentoring us. But how does it feel when you know there’s also someone else who will listen to you and help you when things are tough?

• Do you have any Christian adults in your life you look up to as mentors? If not, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

• Who is someone you could intentionally pour into? Maybe it’s a younger teen from church, or a kid you babysit, or someone in your neighborhood? Consider taking a moment to pray for this person, and ask God to help you notice ways you could listen to them and encourage them.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)