20th April Devotions
Psalm 115:11
Why does a warrior need a shield in battle? Warriors hold up their shields to protect them from the enemy as they run out on the battlefield.
When you think about God and why you can trust in Him, think about a shield. God wants good things for you. He made you and He loves you and He always knows what’s best. When you choose to follow God, you will be protected from making unwise choices that can hurt you later on.
Ask your mom or dad for a piece of cardboard from a box you have lying around (even a shoebox lid will work). Draw the outline of a shield on the cardboard and cut it out. Write the words of today’s verse on the back and cover the front of your shield with foil. Ask an adult to help you add another small piece of cardboard to the back as a handle.
Hold up your shield and ask God to help you trust in Him this week.
Read Isaiah 26:3
Have you ever felt stressed out? Maybe . . .
You got a bad report card
Your gerbil is missing
Your big school project is due tomorrow and you’re only halfway finished
You just found out you have to share a room with your brother
In these moments of pressure and stress, there is something you can do. Well, a few things actually.
First, find a trusted adult. Read this verse together to remind yourself that God can give you peace, perfect peace. Take some deep breaths and talk about the steps you can take to walk through the situation. God wants you to feel His peace instead of stress. He is faithful and ready to help when you place your trust in Him.
Ask God to help you remember that He is with you. When you find yourself stressed out or under pressure, ask Him to replace those feelings with His perfect peace.
Read Proverbs 16:20
Answer the questions below.2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = ______
What day comes after Sunday? _____________
When you mix yellow and blue, you get ____________
Great job! Somewhere along the way someone taught you 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 and yellow and blue make green. Every day at school or at home, you are learning new things that help you grow.
Our relationship with God should be like that too. When you read your Bible, when you pray or talk about your faith in your small group, you learn more about how God wants you to live When we apply the things we learn about God to our lives each day, we will succeed. But it all starts with trust. We need to trust and believe that God’s way is the best way.
So what do you need help with this week? Do you need to say you’re sorry? Do you need to tell the truth? Are you having trouble making the wise choice? Ask God to help you trust Him and follow Him this week.
Read Psalm 31:24
When Joseph stood in front of Pharaoh, he was under a lot of pressure. But Joseph wasn’t standing alone. God was with him. And because of his trust and obedience, God gave Joseph the wisdom to interpret Pharaoh’s crazy dreams. Like Joseph, you can put your hope in the Lord. He will never let you down. When the pressure is on, you can trust that God is with you.
Decode the verse using the key below.
Ask God to help you stand strong, remembering that He is with you.