Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families

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On Track Jun 07, 2025

Show notes

Hudson was working on his electric train set when Dad joined him in the basement. “How’s the train project coming along?” he asked.

“Good!” said Hudson. “It’s almost ready to run.”

"All right!” said Dad. “And how was school today?”

Hudson frowned. “I got in trouble for coming in late from recess again, and Miss Cooley gave me extra math homework because I didn’t do the homework she assigned yesterday.” He sighed. “Everyone’s always on my case—I wish I could just do whatever I wanted, like you and Mom.”

“Hmm,” said Dad. “Well, Hudson, let’s see how your train runs.” He reached over and pressed the start button, and the train began moving.

“Wait! What are you doing? I don’t have all the tracks down yet!” exclaimed Hudson. “It’s gonna crash!” As he spoke, the train rounded the turn and rolled off the track, falling on its side. Hudson sighed. “I knew that would happen.”

“So the train needs the tracks,” said Dad. “Otherwise it doesn’t get where it’s supposed to go, right?”

Hudson nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, God’s path for your life is like those tracks,” said Dad. “He sent Jesus to die for you so you could have a relationship with Him for all eternity, and He is patiently building your character and shaping you to be more like Jesus so others can see His love in you. He does that for each one of His children, but when we insist on doing things our own way and disobey the people He puts in our lives to help us learn, we get off track. When that happens, we need to ask Him to forgive us and set us right again.”

Dad picked up the train and set it back on the track. “It may seem like Mom and I can do whatever we want because we’re adults, but that’s not true. We’re just farther down our life track than you are and have already learned many of the things God is still teaching you—like responsibility. But we still need His guidance and forgiveness just as much as you do.”

“Okay, Dad,” Hudson said as he put another piece of the track in place. “I’ll trust God to help me stay on track.”

–Michael R. Chapman

How about you? Do you get tired of people telling you what to do? Do you ever wish you could do whatever you wanted? Remember that God has placed people in your life to teach you what He wants you to learn. As you get older, you’ll have more freedom in making choices, but you’ll have more responsibilities too. That’s why you need to depend on God to help you stay on track. Trust Him to lead you along life’s path in the way He wants you to go.

Today's Key Verse: That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10

Today's Key Thought: Trust God's path for your life

The Suitcase Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Read: Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34

"Get in there!” said Finley, shoving her beach blanket into her suitcase.

“Are you still packing?” asked her older brother, Ian. “We’re leaving in ten minutes! Here, let me help you.” He jumped on the lid of the suitcase, holding it in place while Finley moved the zipper around the edges.

Dad appeared at the door. “I’ll take your suitcase to the car,” he said, picking it up. “Wow! Why is it so heavy?”

“Because she’s taking half the things in her room!” said Ian.

“Well, they’re important,” Finley said. “I need my hat, my beach blanket, and three swimsuits in case I can’t decide which one to wear. I need my sailboat to play with in the ocean, and I can’t build sand castles without my pail and shovel. If it rains, I’ll have my raincoat, my boots, and my umbrella. I also packed a puzzle, some games, and bedtime books. And my teddy bear in case I can’t fall asleep.”

“I think you should leave some things behind,” said Dad.

“But what if I need something and don’t have it?”

“Finley, I think something else might be weighing your suitcase down,” said Dad. “Just like you packed too many things in your suitcase, you can also pack too many worries in your head—and they can make life very heavy.”

“I thought I was just planning ahead for a good vacation,” said Finley.

“It’s good to be prepared, but there’s a difference between planning ahead and trying to control anything that could happen. That’s what worrying really is—being afraid of something you can’t control. If you unpack your worries, your suitcase will probably be lighter too.”

“But how do I unpack my worries?” asked Finley.

“By surrendering them to Jesus. He loves you so much He died for you, and He promises to take care of you. Instead of worrying about what might happen, you can have peace knowing He’s in control. Let Him carry the weight of your worries.” Dad unzipped Finley’s suitcase. “Why don’t we take a moment to pray about some of your worries now? Then we can lighten up that suitcase and start our vacation!”

–Elena Dee

How about you? Do you feel heavy with worry? Are you afraid of things in your life you can’t control? Worries can weigh you down like a heavy suitcase, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus wants to carry your worries for you. He died and rose again to save you, and He promises to provide you with everything you need. Pray about what’s worrying you, and trust Him to take care of you and give you peace.

Today's Key Verse: Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you. (ERV) 1 Peter 5:7

Today's Key Thought: Give your worries to Jesus

The Ocean Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Read: Psalms 8; 104:24-28

Carson loved visiting the aquarium. There was so much to see there, and he not only liked seeing the bigger fish but also the smaller ones and the other creatures that lived in the ocean. He could spend hours watching the tanks and all the different creatures that lived in them.

“Having fun?” Carson’s uncle Brett asked.

Carson’s younger cousins were running back and forth, shouting out the names of everything they saw, but Carson had chosen to stand and quietly observe the tank in front of him. Carson nodded. “This is awesome.”

“It is. Just think about God’s creativity with all of this,” Uncle Brett said. “He could have made all the fish look alike, but instead they are different colors, shapes, and sizes.”

“Yet they all live together in the ocean.” Carson shook his head. “It’s amazing.”

They continued on in the aquarium for a while before taking a break for lunch. Carson was disappointed to leave. “There’s just so much to see. I want to make sure we get to all of it,” he said with a sigh as he followed his family away from the tanks.

“We’ll see more of it after lunch,” Uncle Brett said. “And since you’re so interested, maybe we’ll have to come back again. Or better yet, maybe you and I could go snorkeling one day.”

Carson’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Uncle Brett nodded. “I always love seeing more of God’s creation. The ocean is filled with even more amazing creatures than we can find here.”

“That would be so cool,” Carson said.

Uncle Brett nudged his shoulder. “The ocean and all that’s in it is pretty amazing, but one of God’s most special creations is right here.” “Huh?” Carson glanced at him. “You!” Uncle Brett said. “God created you and your cousins and me and all people with just as much care as He did all the creatures in the ocean. But He made us in His own image, and when we were separated from Him because of sin, Jesus died and rose again to save us and give us eternal life. I think that makes us pretty special, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Carson smiled. “But I’d still love to go snorkeling in the ocean.”

–Bethany Acker

How about you? When you look at the ocean and all the creatures that live in it, does it amaze you? How does it feel to know God made all that and that He made you too? People are God’s most special creation, and He loves us so much He sent Jesus to die for us so we could live with Him forever. When you look at God’s amazing creation, remember how special you are to Him.

Today's Key Verse: There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. (NIV) Psalm 104:25

Today's Key Thought: God created the oceans and you

Shaped Like Clay Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Read: Isaiah 55:10-11; Jeremiah 18:6

Tiago held a headless clay animal in his hand. “Mom!” he wailed. “I forgot to put my animal back in the container, and the clay got all hard and dry before I could finish, so now it doesn’t have a head!”

“I’m sorry, Tiago,” said Mom. “But it’s too late to do anything about it now. It’s time for bed.”

“But my animal project is due tomorrow, and now all this work was for nothing!” Tiago groaned as he dropped the animal onto his dresser and crawled into bed.

Mom glanced at the Bible on Tiago’s dresser. “Aren’t you going to read a few verses before you go to sleep?” she asked. “I thought you did that every night.”

Tiago shrugged. “I’ve been busy lately, and I don’t understand it very well anyway.” He pulled the covers up to his chin. “I think it’d be better to wait until I’m older so I can understand it.”

Mom picked up the animal Tiago had made. “Did you know that we’re a lot like clay?”

“We are?” asked Tiago.

Mom nodded. “The Bible compares us to clay that God shapes. When you shaped this, it took time, didn’t it? You kept working with it until it looked good. God does that with us. One way He does that is through His Word—the Bible. Even though you don’t understand everything, it helps you learn more about Jesus and what He did to save you. As you read and listen to God’s truth in the Bible, He works in your heart and helps you learn to trust and obey Him so He can shape your life into something beautiful.”

Tiago looked at the hardened clay his mom was holding. “He’ll probably do a better job shaping me than I did with that animal, huh?”

“Yes,” said Mom. “You can trust Him to shape you to be more like Jesus—and reading your Bible will help you understand more about what that looks like.” Mom set down the animal and picked up Tiago’s Bible. “So do you want to read a few verses now? You can let me know if you need help understanding them.”

“Okay,” said Tiago. “But don’t go far away. I’ll probably need help!”

–A.J. Schut

How about you? Does the Bible seem too hard for you to understand? Even though you don’t understand everything, it helps you learn more about who God is and what He’s done for you. So spend time reading it each day, and ask other Christians—like parents, teachers, or pastors—to explain some of the things you find difficult. God will use it to shape you into the person He wants you to be.

Today's Key Verse: My word…will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire. (NKJV) Isaiah 55:11

Today's Key Thought: God shapes you through His Word

New Creation Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Read: Romans 8:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Trey was excited because today Grandma was finally going to teach him how to make her famous molasses bread. As Dad dropped him off and waved goodbye, Trey could already taste the rich, fluffy bread and the salty crunch of toasted oats on top.

Grandma welcomed Trey with a hug and led him into the kitchen. They used sign language to communicate because Trey was deaf. Grandma signed “flour,” “molasses,” “yeast,” and “spoon.” Trey scurried around the kitchen to find the ingredients while Grandma started mixing.

As they added more and more ingredients, a dark and gooey dough formed. Grandma placed a towel over the dough bowl before gently setting it in a sunny part of the kitchen.

“Why doesn’t the dough look like bread yet?” Trey signed.

Grandma smiled. “The dough must rise before it goes in the oven.”

That made sense to Trey. After an hour and a half, they checked the dough. It was double the size and very poofy. Grandma punched down the dough before laying it on the pan and putting it in the oven.

Trey frowned. The dough still didn’t look like bread. It didn’t look tasty at all. Did Grandma forget something?

He asked her this, and she replied, “Just you wait and see.”

When Grandma took the tray out of the oven, Trey was nervous. But the bread looked perfect, smelled perfect, and tasted even better than perfect.

As they ate, Grandma said, “You know, making bread reminds me of what it’s like to become God’s new creation.”

Trey shrugged, confused. Grandma continued. “Before we put our trust in Jesus, we are like raw, scattered ingredients—we don’t have a purpose. We are controlled by our wrong desires and deserve death because of our sin. But Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead so we could have new life and live with Him forever. Jesus gives us a purpose—to love Him and others and become more like Him. Just like the dough needs the oven to become bread, we need Jesus to be saved from sin and be made new.”

Trey nodded eagerly and took Grandma’s hand to pray. Somehow this seemed even better than Grandma’s famous molasses bread.

–Hannah Chung

How about you? Have you ever baked something and wondered, “How do these random ingredients make something so delicious?” Without the oven, the dough would be raw and inedible. Similarly, we can only have true life by trusting in Jesus. When you trust Him to save you, God immediately makes you new! Trust in Jesus today and experience a new life of purpose. (To learn more, go to https://keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today's Key Verse: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 5:17

Today's Key Thought: Christ alone makes us new

Mango Messes Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Read: Romans 8:35-37; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Peter 4:12–14

Alisha ran inside the house. “There’s a butterfly outside!” she exclaimed. “I got a picture on my phone. Do you want to see it?” she asked Devin, her older sister.

“Sure.” Devin inspected the photo. “That butterfly is beautiful,” she said as she cut into a mango.

Alisha frowned as juice hit her phone. “That mango juice is getting everywhere.”

Devin shrugged as a piece of mango flew across the kitchen. “I’m trying to keep it from splashing all over the place, but mangos are messy.”

Alisha sat down at the counter and watched her sister. “Why eat mangos then? If they’re messy, you could just not buy them.”

Devin popped a piece of mango into her mouth. “Because they taste really good, and I think it’s worth it.” She gave Alisha a smile. “It’s kind of like your school problem.”

Alisha blinked. “Your mango is like people being mean to me at school because I believe in Jesus?” she asked doubtfully.

“Kind of. Being a follower of Jesus can be messy. The Bible even tells us that—it says others might make fun of us or try to make life harder for us, like the kids at school who are mean to you. But you haven’t stopped trusting in Jesus, have you?”

Alisha looked shocked. “Why would I do that? He died for my sins so He could be with me all the time, and someday I’ll be able to spend forever in heaven with Him.”

Devin smiled. “See? Knowing Jesus is worth it. Just like the mangos.” She cut into a second mango.

Alisha ducked so no juice would hit her. “I don’t care how messy following Jesus is! Just like you don’t care how messy your mango is.” She thought about that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. Kids at school make fun of me, but I know that Jesus loves me and died to save me, and that’s worth whatever mean stuff people say.” Alisha shrieked as a piece of mango hit her arm. “But those mangos are not worth it at all. I’m getting out of here!”

–Kimberly Brokish

How about you? Has anyone ever been mean to you because you believe in Jesus?* Maybe they’ve called you names or said Jesus isn’t real. The Bible tells us that being Christians doesn’t protect us from all hardships—in fact, sometimes we will experience difficulties because we follow Jesus. But the Bible does tell us that Jesus will always love us and be with us. Take comfort in knowing that Jesus will be with you no matter what happens. He is worth any difficulties that come with following Him.

Today's Key Verse: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 12:10

Today's Key Thought: Hardships come when we follow Christ

*If someone is being mean to you, talk to a trusted adult so they can help

Have Jesus, Will Travel Jun 01, 2025

Show notes

Read: Joshua 1:1-9

The sick feeling in Micah’s stomach got worse as the plane lifted off the ground and lurched into the air. Everything below him was the size of ants. Not only did he feel sick to his stomach, his chest felt tight too. Dad sat next to him and tried to smile encouragingly. It didn’t help.

Since his parents’ divorce he’d had to spend most of his time with Mom and went to visit Dad in the summer and over Christmas. Every time he left Mom, Micah felt scared. He wasn’t afraid of his dad—he loved him—just scared of change. Of traveling to new places. Airports. Big cities. The sadness he felt from his parent’s divorce was bad enough, but the fear that came with it made him feel like his life was out of control.

The plane leveled off, and Micah began to breathe a little easier. Dad reached over and gave him a hug. “Change is hard, isn’t it? New things and places can be uncomfortable. But I know something that might help you.” Dad pulled out his Bible. “This morning I read about Joshua leading the children of Israel into their new land. There were bad guys to fight, he’d never led anyone into battle before, and change was all around him. But God was with him and brought him through it all.”

Dad squeezed Micah’s arm. “I know your mom’s and my divorce has been very difficult for you and how many changes you’ve had to go through. But I also know that because you trust in Jesus, God is with you and will never leave you. Wherever you go, He goes. God was with Joshua just like He promised, and He promises to be with you too. You don’t have to be afraid.” After Micah listened to Dad read some verses from his Bible, he thought about it for a while. He liked the idea of never being alone. Someone would always be with him when new things happened or new people came into his life. And not just anyone, but someone who loved and cared about him. A trusted Friend— Jesus. Micah relaxed back into his seat and smiled. “You know, Dad, I think this is gonna be our best visit ever!”

–S.K. Fry

How about you? Have you ever been afraid of change? Of being alone? God promises in His Word that He will always be with His children. Jesus gave His life to save you from sin and make you God’s child, and He will be with you in hard times and give you strength and guidance. No matter what happens or where you go, He will always be with you.

Today's Key Verse: Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV) Joshua 1:9

Today's Key Thought: God is with you

What's Inside May 31, 2025

Show notes

Read: Psalm 51:6-10; Luke 11:37-41

"Mom, can we go home now? I’m sooo bored!” Stella slumped against the seat of the car.

“Stella, we’re almost done—kids, look! A whole block sale!” Mom pulled the car over to the side of the road.

Hayden excitedly pressed his nose against the window. “I love yard sailing!”

The family got out of the car. Hayden ran straight to a model airplane. Stella stuck close to her mom as they looked at different mugs. Mom picked up one with a lid just as Hayden came running back. He and Stella both saw it at the same time, and the siblings gasped in unison.

“That is the prettiest mug I’ve ever seen!” Stella exclaimed.

“Mom, you have to get it!” Hayden said.

“All right, fine.” Mom laughed and brought the mug to the cashier.

When the family arrived home, Stella asked, “Mom, can I please have the mug?”

Mom smiled. “No, but if you clean it, you can be the first to drink out of it!”

Stella’s eyes sparkled. “Deal!” She ran excitedly to the sink. She opened the lid of the mug and immediately shut it. “Eww, it’s all gross on the inside!”

Mom came over and peered at the mug. “Kids, this is a perfect example of what I read during my devotions today! In the book of Matthew, Jesus told the Pharisees to first clean the inside of the cup, and then the outside will also be clean. What do you think that verse actually means?”

Stella wrinkled her nose in thought. “Oh, I know! God wants what we look like on the inside to matter more to us than our outward appearance.”

Hayden’s eyes widened. “God wants us to clean our insides?”

Stella smirked. “No, silly. God sees our hearts, and that’s what matters to Him.”

“Oh, I get it now!” said Hayden. “We need to let Jesus make us clean.”

“You got it,” said Mom. “When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He cleans our sin away and pours His love into our hearts. Then our outward actions will make His love visible to others.” She smiled. “Now, who wants some hot chocolate to go in that mug?”

–Summer Coleman

How about you? Are you more concerned with your outward appearance and how others see you than with God and how He sees your heart? What’s on the inside matters more because when we truly have a clean heart, it shows in the way we act and speak. How do you get a clean heart? By trusting in Jesus. (To learn more, go to https://new.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) When you have His love in your heart, others will see it in how you treat them.

Today's Key Verse: First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean. (NKJV) Matthew 23:26

Today's Key Verse: What’s inside is most important

Rainy Day Blues May 30, 2025

Show notes

Read: Psalm 42:1-4

"It’s still raining,” said Hayley. “Isn’t the sun ever going to shine again?”

“We need rain to make the garden grow,” said Mom. She smiled at her daughter. “This might be a good time for you to pray and read your Bible. You haven’t done that yet today, have you?”

“No—but I have some other things I want to do first.” Hayley quickly headed for the stairs. “Seems like all we do in this family is go to church and read the Bible and pray,” she mumbled to herself. She blushed when she saw Mom glance her way. Oops! I hope Mom didn’t hear that, she thought. A little while later, Hayley came back downstairs and glanced out the window. “Good!” she said. “The rain stopped. We’ve had enough.”

“Come with me to the garden,” said Mom. “I want to show you something.”

Outside, Mom plunged a shovel into the dirt and turned it over. The ground was quite wet on top, but a little way down, the dirt was dry.

“I thought it’d be muddy a mile below the surface!” said Hayley. “I guess we do need more rain.” Mom nodded. “The ground needs a lot of regular rain or it will dry out,” she said. “It reminds me of us—if we don’t regularly pray, read the Bible, and go to church, we can dry out spiritually.”

Hayley sighed. “You heard what I said earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did,” said Mom. “And I know it can be hard to do those things sometimes, but the Bible compares our need for Jesus to thirst. Even after we’ve put our faith in Him, we still need to spend time with Him so He can remind us that He has saved us and help us feel His love and presence in our lives. If we don’t pray, read His Word, and worship Him with other Christians regularly, we can lose sight of how much we need Him and become spiritually dry—just like this ground without rain.”

Hayley was silent as they headed back to the house. “I think I’ll go have my quiet time now,” she said once they were inside. “I’m feeling thirsty for God’s Word.”

–Cindy Huff

How about you? Are you eager to spend time with Jesus and get to know Him better? As a Christian, your soul thirsts for Jesus, and that thirst can only be quenched by spending time in His presence so He can remind you of His love and that you are His. Don’t be a dry Christian. Spend quality time reading God’s Word, talking to Jesus, and learning all you can about Him.

Today's Key Verse: I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. (NLT) Psalm 143:6

Today's Key Thought: Don’t be a dry Christian

Walking the Beam May 29, 2025

Show notes

Read: Proverbs 4:20-27; Matthew 14:22-32

Mara climbed up onto the beam Dad had built for her. She was determined to make the school gymnastics team, but after taking a few steps, she wobbled and nearly slipped off. “Focus your eyes on that picture you put up,” Mom said.

While staring at the picture on the wall across the room, Mara slowly lifted her foot. But when she glanced back at her mother, she tilted to the left and then swayed to the right. She tried to regain her balance, but had to hop down to keep from toppling off the beam. She climbed back up. “I’m gonna get this,” she said. “I just have to focus.”

After dinner that evening, Dad opened his Bible and handed it to Mara. “Why don’t you read a few verses from Proverbs for us?”

“Okay.” Mara took the Bible and began to read. When she finished, she looked up. “Proverbs 4:25 sounds like good advice for gymnastics. I need to look straight ahead and keep my eyes from wandering. Every time I lose my focus, I lose my balance.”

Mom nodded. “I have trouble with that too.”

“You do?” Mara grinned. “Do you get up on the beam and practice when I’m not around?”

Mom laughed. “No, but I have trouble in another area. As Christians, we need to keep our focus on Jesus so we don’t get distracted by things in this world and lose our balance in life.” Mara thought about that. “When I practice for gymnastics, I stare at that picture on the wall. But how do we focus on Jesus?”

“Good question,” said Dad. “The passage you just read listed some ways to do that. Do you remember what it said we should do?”

“I know!” said Mara’s little brother. “It said we should pay attention to what God says.”

“And keep it in our hearts and not let it out of our sight,” added Mara.

Dad nodded. “Right. That means putting our faith in Jesus and looking to His Word for guidance in our lives. It also means confessing our sins to Jesus and trusting Him for the power to obey Him and show His love to others. Focusing our lives on Him will keep us in perfect balance.”

–Nance E. Keyes

How about you? Do you focus on Jesus as you go about each day? Do you remember all He’s done for you and the love and forgiveness you have in Him? Do you trust Him to help you turn from sin and treat others with kindness? There are lots of things that need our daily attention, but don’t let them draw you away from what’s really important. Stay focused on Jesus and depend on Him to help you in every area of life.

Today's Key Verse: Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. (NIV) Proverbs 4:25

Today's Key Thought: Focus on Jesus

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