Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-8, 15-16

As Marco walked home from school, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Turning, he saw his Sunday school teacher. “Hi, Mr. Yoon!” exclaimed Marco, running to meet him. “What are you doing on this street?”

“I just came from Jack Myers’ house. He and his parents visited our church last week, and I offered to look at a problem they’re having with their garage door.”

“They just moved here,” said Marco. “Jack seems like a nice guy, but I felt pretty bad for him at school today. It was track and field day, and he was last in almost everything. He didn’t seem to be very upset about it though. He kept cheering everyone else on.”

“It looks like you did all right.” Mr. Yoon motioned toward the red ribbon and three blue ribbons pinned to Marco’s shirt.

“Yeah, I do okay in a lot of the events.”

“That’s great,” said Mr. Yoon. “You must have worked hard to train yourself to do those things. Did you know that the apostle Paul mentioned physical training in a letter he wrote to Timothy?”

“He did?” said Marco. “What did he say?”

“He said that physical training has value, but it’s more important to train yourself to be godly by learning and practicing the things that help you grow as a Christian.”

Marco thought about that. “So you don’t think Paul would be very impressed with my ribbons?”

“Paul wasn’t putting down physical training. He just wanted Timothy to be even more concerned about growing in his relationship with Jesus and living out his faith.” Mr. Yoon smiled. “You deserve to be congratulated on those ribbons, Marco. But if you hadn’t gotten any ribbons, that would’ve been okay. Godly character is what’s really important. It’s far more important to be like Jesus than to be good in sports.”

Marco nodded thoughtfully. “You know what? I think Jack has that. Godly character, I mean.” He paused to look down at the ribbons on his chest. “I think I’ll stop by his house on my way home. I want him to know that even though he didn’t get any ribbons today, I can tell he’s been training in what’s really important.”

–Rosalie J. Currier

How about you? Do you put a lot of value on physical ability and training? It’s good to train your body, but having a heart like Jesus is much more important. So go ahead—train in the sports you enjoy and do your best in them. But more importantly, train yourself to be godly by growing in your relationship with Jesus and depending on Him to help you follow His example of love in all you do.

Today's Key Verse: Train yourself to be godly. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Godly character is of great value

Read: Isaiah 41:8-16

“Mom, this game is impossible,” Heidi complained as she glared at the computer screen.

Mom looked over, then laughed. “I played that when I was younger, and you’re right, it’s very hard. That’s how life was for the people who took the Oregon Trail out west over a hundred years ago.”

Heidi frowned. “Really? They had to leave food behind and kept getting holes in their wagon? And they got sick every day?”

“I’m not sure how often they got sick, but they didn’t have doctors like we do, and they didn’t always have anything to help with sickness or injuries. Wagons weren’t the best protection from the weather, and I’m sure their wagons got holes sometimes. That was the way of life.”

Heidi looked incredulously at the computer. “I like being here, where life is normal. Bad stuff doesn’t happen every day.”

“It doesn’t? I thought you said you had a classmate who lost their grandma yesterday. And the day before that you told me there was a kid on the playground whose parents are getting divorced. Aren’t those bad things?”

Heidi was quiet. “I guess…but it doesn’t seem the same.”

Mom walked over to a shelf and pulled down a photo. She handed it to Heidi. “I was only eight—your age—when my mom died. It was a very, very bad thing that still makes me feel sad sometimes. And you broke your arm last year; wasn’t that hard? It wasn’t life-threatening, but you couldn’t write and had a hard time doing normal things like eating and brushing your teeth.”

“Oh yeah. I guess that was really bad when I had the cast.”

“There will always be bad things happening in our sinful world, but there’s someone who will be with us through each one of them,” Mom reminded Heidi.

Heidi’s eyes lit up. “Jesus! When I believed that He died and rose again to save me and trusted Him as my Savior, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in my heart. I did that right after I broke my arm.”

“Exactly,” said Mom. “God is with you no matter what things happen, bad or good. He loves you and promises to be with you always.”

–Kimberly Brokish

How about you? Have you had bad things happen to you? We live in a sinful world where bad things happen, but we don’t have to go through them alone. Jesus loves us so much He died for us, and He promises to be with us all the time, through both bad things and good. One day He’ll get rid of sin forever and bad things won’t happen anymore; until then, trust Him to help you through life’s difficulties and be with you always.

Today's Key Verse: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God is with us always

Read: Psalm 119:9-16

Dad’s voice drifted around the corner of the house. “Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty! Ready or not, here I come!”

Alexei scrunched sideways into the small opening under the porch and pulled his knees up to his chest. “No!” he said as his little sister tried to wriggle in with him. “Go away! There’s not enough room here, and if Dad sees you, he’ll find me too. Go find your own place.” But it was too late.

“Gotcha!” Dad swooped down and swung Nadia off the ground.

Alexei slowly crawled out of his hiding place. “No fair! Nadia gave me away.”

“You could have let her hide with you instead of pushing her out where I could see her,” Dad said.

“There wasn’t enough room,” said Alexei. “That space is so small that if I’m in it, there’s no room for Nadia, and if she’s in it, there’s no room for me. It’s like what we learned in science class—two things can’t be in the exact same space at the exact same time.”

Dad smiled. “You know what? That’s kind of like the Bible verse you learned in church last week.”

“It is?” Alexei tilted his head, trying to remember the verse. “‘Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.’”

Dad nodded. “Let’s think about the space under the porch as being a heart, and you as being God’s Word. And you, Nadia—sorry, honey, but can we let you stand for sin for a moment?” Nadia nodded, and Dad continued. “If God’s Word—that’s you, Alexei—is really hidden in the heart”—Dad motioned toward the small space under the porch—“there won’t be room for sin.” He motioned toward Nadia.

“Is that why we memorize verses?” said Alexei.

“Yes,” Dad replied. “When we memorize verses, we’re spending time learning about God and how He’s saved us and changed us through His Son, Jesus. Because of our relationship with Him, the verses don’t just stay in our heart. They flow into how we live in every area of our lives through the Holy Spirit’s power. When we trust in Jesus, He gives us the power to obey Him instead of giving in to sin—and memorizing God’s Word is a good way to remember that.”

–Jean A. Burns

How about you? Do you have Bible verses you call to mind when you’re tempted to sin? If you’re a Christian, Jesus gives you the power to do what’s right and show His love to others—and putting God’s Word in your heart by reading and memorizing it helps you remember that. Take time to put God’s Word in your heart today, and remember that He is always with you and gives you the power to resist sin.

Today's Key Verse: Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Learn what God says and obey