Genesis 18:22

Can you imagine what it would be like to be so close to God you were called “God’s friend”? That’s what Abraham was called. When God said to Abraham, “Take your family and leave the land of Ur,” Abraham gathered everybody up and started off to … well, he didn’t really know where. When he got to the land we now call Israel, he stopped and built an altar (which was often just a pile of rocks) to his Friend, God. God spoke to him and said, “I’m going to give you this land.” Then Abraham went on to other places and built more altars to his Friend.

Sometimes Abraham had a hard time trusting God, such as when God told him he’d become a dad at 100 years old. But Abraham’s faith grew until he trusted God completely. By the time God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac—the one God had promised him for such a long time—Abraham did not doubt God. He prepared to sacrifice his only son. Of course, God was only testing Abraham. The angel of God stopped Abraham from hurting his son.

Abraham was God’s friend. Would you like to be God’s friend? Friends of God can do mighty things for him. Friends of God can pray for others and see their lives changed. Friends of God trust him completely. Are you a friend of God?

Dear Lord, I’d like to be your friend. I know I will never be perfect, but I’d like to know you a lot better and I want my faith to grow. Teach me how. Amen.

A Wild Dream

Genesis 41:4, 7

Pharaoh had a really bad dream. He saw skinny, ugly cows gobble up fat, healthy cows. Shortly afterward, he had a second dream of seven heads of thin, sickly grain swallowing up seven healthy heads of grain. When he called Joseph to come tell him what the awful dreams meant, he probably did not expect what Joseph told him. Joseph said that there would be seven years with good harvests, but right after that there would be seven years of famine, hard times, and hungry people—unless they prepared. God was good to the Egyptian king and all the people who lived in his land when he gave them an opportunity to get ready for the hard times that were coming.

God tells us that we will have hard times, but we can be prepared by staying close to God and his love. He will care for us in tough times.

Dear Lord, I know that tough times happen in everyone’s life. Help me to be ready by staying very close to you every day. Amen.

Hebrews 11:1

Mark was a young boy whose grandmother told him he could ask for one thing for his birthday from a catalogue. Mark spent the next few days pouring over the catalogue, looking at all the different things he could ask for. Should he ask for a new ski coat or new running shoes? Should he ask for a new book or a DVD? Should he ask for new swimming gear for the summer or a video game?

It took a long time, but Mark finally decided. He wrote a letter to his grandmother telling her that he wanted a brand new swim suit that he could use at her cottage on the lake that summer. He went to the mailbox to mail his letter, but instead of letting it go he held onto the end of it. He stood there for quite a while, thinking, Did I really ask for what I wanted most? Should I think some more about what to ask for? Maybe I want a red swim suit instead of the green one. Did my grandmother really mean it when she told me to ask for a present?

Finally, Mark pulled the letter out of the box and put it in his pocket and went home to worry about it some more. Guess what? He didn’t get a gift from his grandmother until he finally made up his mind to let the letter go. Then soon there was a package from her with his gift inside.

Having faith in God is something like that. If we trust God completely, we tell him what we need then we let it go. We go on about our business and see what he will do for us. That is what it means to be certain about what we do not see.

Dear Lord, I’m going to ask for something I really need. Then I’m going to let go and wait to see what you will do. Amen.

Psalm 37:5

“Stop struggling,” the lifeguard yelled at the drowning victim. “I can’t help you if you try to save yourself. Relax!” The young boy finally relaxed, and in a minute the lifeguard had him ashore and to safety. There are some situations where struggling and trying to fix things ourselves only gets us in deeper trouble. God knows that, so he says, “Give me your troubles and your struggles.” That means that when we tell Jesus about our problems, we can relax and let him carry them. We don’t have to worry about them anymore. Most struggles we have in life will pass after a while, so there’s no point worrying about them. We might just as well give them to Jesus.

It might take a while to see God doing anything about what we’ve given to him. He takes time to answer our prayers in just the right way. And even when we can’t see God doing anything, he is. So if you feel like you are drowning in trouble and questions and sadness, call for the lifeguard—Jesus—to see how he comes to your rescue.

Dear Lord, Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in problems and sorrows. Come rescue me, and I will let you carry me and my troubles to a safe place. Amen.

Luke 4:1–2

Have you ever noticed that after you’ve had a “high” day like a birthday or passing a test or a vacation, sometimes you have a “low” day? On high days everything seems to be going great and you are happy. On low days nothing seems to go right. You are grumpy and sad and you may not even know why.

Everyone has high days and low days. Jesus had a wonderful day when he was baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan River. The Bible says he was full of the Holy Spirit, and being full of the Holy Spirit makes you feel great. But immediately, the same Holy Spirit led him out into the desert, and there the Devil came to visit him and to tempt him. It was an awful time for Jesus. So how did he get through it? He responded to every temptation by quoting God’s Word, and the Devil finally gave up and left him.

So when a high day comes your way, don’t be surprised if a low day follows. And when the low day comes, believe that it will go away in time. Hide God’s Word in your heart for those low days, and use it to help you resist the temptations that you face.

Dear Lord, I love high days, and I wish they could stay all the time. I hate low days, but help me to realize they won’t last forever. Help me to hide your Word in my heart for those low days. Amen

Matthew 14:24

This wasn’t the first storm the disciples had been in. Jesus had stopped the wind and the waves before with just his word. But this time Jesus wasn’t with them. The disciples were struggling alone.

And then Jesus came. Walking on water he said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

He says the same thing to us today when we are struggling during emotional storms of life. Jesus isn’t our security against the storms, commanding every cloud to go away. He is our security in them. It is when we are struggling that his comfort is the sweetest.

When Jesus climbed in the boat, the wind died down. He came alongside his disciples and they worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for your sweet comfort in hard times. Thank you for the security of Jesus. Come close. Amen.

Joshua 3:13

The Jordan River was at flood stage. So did his people worry when God said, “Have the priests pick up the Ark of the Covenant and walk into the water”? Did the priests wonder if they could hold onto the Ark in the swirling water? Did they think they would be swept away and lose their lives? No matter, God told them what would happen when they did what he said. They had to have enough faith to put their feet in the water. And that’s when the miracle happened. Somewhere way up stream the waters were cut off and piled up. Even more miraculous, the ground in the river bed was dry. The priests walked to the middle of the river and stood there until all the people crossed over into the Promised Land.

When God is the architect, we are the workers, using our hands, our feet, our faith to help our heavenly Father. God directed the priests. Because they had bold faith, they followed directions. And God’s people passed safely, understanding his faithfulness and power.

As you carry your load, remember you have the living God with you. You are working for him. So be bold in your faith. Who knows what he will accomplish with it!

Dear Lord, I’m not sure what you can accomplish with me. But you are the master planner. Help me have enough faith to work for you through troubles. Amen.

Hebrews 11:6

When we are facing a tough, extreme, or tragic situation, our faith is either strengthened or destroyed. Consider the intensity of a fire. Most things can’t withstand its heat, as it can consume entire forests and neighborhoods in a matter of days. But the same fire doesn’t burn up gold. Instead, it purifies it.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the furnace, they confirmed they would praise only the living God. It was a death sentence. They could have decided to save themselves by doing what the king wanted, but their faith would have been unreliable—burned up in the midst of danger. Instead they went against the king by keeping their loyalty to the Lord. Their faith was purified. Whether God saved them or decided not to, their faith didn’t waver because the holy object of their faith never wavers. (And God did save them in the most dramatic way: after they were thrown into the fire, they walked out unharmed!)

In an impossible situation, faith recognizes that the only hope is in God. If you are facing a desperate time, remember that your faith is being purified. If you don’t know all the answers, your faith is being developed. You may be overwhelmed by uncertainty and doubt, but your faith is being strengthened.

Dear Lord, Because you are trustworthy, I have faith in you. When I am desperate, I will turn to you. Amen.

Acts 7:30, 32, 34

Does time seem to pass slower when you’re at school? You’re watching the clock, waiting for recess or the end of the school day, and the hands don’t seem to be moving at all. It can be hard to pay attention in school when you’re focused on getting out of class as quickly as possible. But remember: this is your learning time. Fill it up with everything you can possibly learn. Then you will be ready for whatever God calls you to do.

Jesus was thirty years old before he started his ministry. Before that, he was learning. Before Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, he spent forty years in the desert herding sheep—and learning. Your days may seem hard. Or maybe school seems long and boring. But don’t be fooled—these are important times of learning. God has a plan for you, and you want to be ready. Learn everything you can in school so that you will be prepared to work in God’s kingdom.

Dear Lord, Help me to use well this time while I’m growing up. Help me to get ready for whatever you ask me to do. Amen.