Read: Hebrews 11:8-9

“Guess what?” Isla said when her mom got home from work. “Miss Collins is moving, and she doesn’t want to take her fish tank with her. She gave me her three Oscar fish.”

“Aren’t Oscars really big?” Mom asked.

“In an open lake they are, but if they grow up in a fish tank, they stay small. Miss Collins says they always grow in proportion to their surroundings.”

“That’s interesting.” Mom went over to Isla’s fish tank and peered at the newcomers. “Your fish might be an interesting topic for you to talk about on show-and-tell night at your youth group next week. In some ways, we’re like those fish.”

“We are?” Isla frowned. “Mom, about youth group…after this year, kids my age are supposed to move up to the older group, and we don’t want to. We just want to keep our same small group.”

“You’re worrying about that a little early, aren’t you? Your group will stay the same for quite a while yet.” Mom looked at Isla’s fish. “What if Miss Collins had set those Oscars free in the lake instead of giving them to you, Isla? What would happen?”

“I guess they would have grown much bigger,” Isla replied.

“Right,” said Mom. “Now, do you think God would want you kids to be like little fish in a tiny cramped tank, never growing very much? Or do you think He’d want you to stretch and grow spiritually as Christians?”

“I guess He’d want us to grow.” Isla thought of her older cousin Chris, who was a missionary overseas. “Chris probably had to grow a lot before he was ready to leave his family and tell people in another country about Jesus. I bet he never thought he’d be doing that when he was my age!”

Mom nodded. “He had to learn to depend on Jesus and follow wherever He led—even if it was somewhere he wasn’t totally comfortable at first.”

Isla sighed. “Okay, I’ll use my fish for an illustration on show-and-tell night. Maybe the other kids will agree that it will be good to move up so we can stretch out and grow.”

–Heather Tekavec

How about you? Do you have a place where you can go to grow spiritually? Do you have Christian friends who help you? Going to church, learning about the Bible with others, taking part in service projects that show people the love of Jesus—all these things help you grow as a Christian. It may be scary at first, but take advantage of new opportunities that help you learn more about Jesus and share His love with others.

Today's Key Verse: But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Go where you’ll grow

Read: Matthew 6:5-8

Callum heard someone calling his name. “Amen,” he said quickly, then opened his closet door to find his dad standing in the middle of his room.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” Dad said, “but I’m curious. Why were you praying in your closet?”

“Well, I always pray beside my bed, but our lesson at church this week was about prayer, and my teacher read a verse that said to go into your closet and shut the door when you pray. So tonight I prayed in my closet.”

Dad chuckled. “I think the closet in that verse means something a little different from the closets where we keep our clothes. In fact, most Bible scholars agree that the word closet in that verse could also be translated room. That’s the word many Bible translators use.”

“Really?” said Callum. “Well, that’s good! Then I can go back to praying beside my bed again. It was really stuffy in the closet!”

Dad smiled. “I think the main thing Jesus is saying in that verse is that we should pray in order to talk with Him and worship Him—not to show off in front of other people. That’s why it’s good to get away by ourselves—like in a separate room—and shut the door.” Dad paused. “Of course, we can pray anytime, anywhere. Then we just need to shut the door of our hearts and minds.”

“How do we do that?” asked Callum.

“That just means find a way to eliminate distractions,” Dad explained. “One way to do that is to close your eyes when you pray. But even if you’re doing something where you can’t close your eyes, you can focus your mind and shut out thoughts about other things.”

“Like making a prayer room inside my head.” Callum grinned. “And I’ll have it with me all the time, so I can pray anywhere.”

“Right!” said Dad. “It’s great to be able to pray at home, at school, when you’re playing—or anywhere else. But also having a special prayer time alone with God is a wonderful way to get to know Him better. He sent Jesus to save us so we could have a relationship with Him, and He wants us to spend time with Him in prayer.”

–Harry C. Trover

How about you? Do you spend time alone with God? Do you talk to Him when you’re afraid, thankful, happy, or in need? You can talk to Him anywhere, but it’s also good to talk with Him regularly in a quiet place by yourself. Tell Him what you’re struggling with, pray for the needs of others, and thank Him for His love and what He’s done for you.

Today's Key Verse: When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father. Matthew 6:6 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Spend time in prayer

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:1-3

Austin watched as his uncle put a treat right in front of Trixie. “No, Trixie! No!” Uncle Josh told the puppy. “Look at me!” Trixie looked straight at her master’s face, then glanced down at the treat she wanted so much. “Trixie, no! Look at me!” The dog raised her eyes and gazed at her master again, ignoring the treat.

“Why does Trixie have to look at you?” asked Austin.

“If she looks at me instead of at the treat, she’s more likely to obey.”

Uncle Josh had Trixie sit and lie down, then picked up the treat and gave it to her. “Trixie just showed us how we should act when we’re tempted to do something wrong,” he said, patting Trixie on the head. “If we’re focused on whatever it is that’s tempting us, it’s easier to give in. But if we keep our eyes on our Master—Jesus—we’re far more likely to obey Him.”

“How do we keep our eyes on Jesus?” asked Austin. “We can’t really see Him.”

“You played in a tennis competition last summer,” said Uncle Josh. “You worked so hard to be in shape. Why did you do that?”

“I wanted to win the trophy,” said Austin. “And I did!”

“So you understand what I mean if I say you had your eyes on the prize?”

“Yeah,” Austin said. “I couldn’t really see the trophy, but I kept thinking about it and what I had to do to win it.”

Uncle Josh nodded. “We can do what God wants us to do by keeping our eyes on the prize—Jesus! But unlike your tennis competition, Jesus has already won the trophy for us. He saved us by dying for our sin, and He’s given us the Holy Spirit so that we have the power to do what’s right.”

“And that’s why we need to keep our eyes on Him,” said Austin.

“Right. When we’re tempted to do something we know is wrong, we need to remember that Jesus has already won the battle against sin and that we belong to Him. That’s how we resist temptation—by looking to Him and what He’s done for us.”

–Caroline E. Yost

How about you? Do you keep your eyes on Jesus? When you’re tempted to do something wrong, remember that He has saved you from sin and given you the reward of eternal life with Him. Sin doesn’t define you anymore, and you have the power to obey Jesus instead. Keep your eyes and heart focused on Him, and trust Him to give you strength to fight every temptation.

Today's Key Verse: Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! Psalm 105:4 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Look to Jesus