Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ISAIAH 53:1-5; MATTHEW 2:13-18; JOHN 13:2-5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ISAIAH%2053%3A1-5%3B%20MATTHEW%202%3A13-18%3B%20JOHN%2013%3A2-5%20&version=NLT]   Son of Man You chose to get Your hands dirty, to get knee deep in human suffering. To cry with us and bear our pain. You refused to turn away when we shouted with angry voices. Clashing swords while You were being born. You chose humility, while we searched for mighty kings. You ripped apart the fabric of our reality when You decided to come and live in the midst of humanity’s broken dream. • Catherine Valentine   • We live in a world that has been broken by sin, and we all experience hardships, like sickness, injuries, the pain of loss,and thesuffering of loneliness. What kinds of suffering and pain have you experienced lately? • Sometimes, it’s easy to think that God is far removed from us and our lives. But that’s not true! In Jesus, God came to be with us. In fact, one of the names for Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). It can be hard to picture the almighty, perfectly holy God being present here, in the midst of our messy lives. But the truth is, God is not afraid of our mess. He loves us so much that Jesus came and died and rose again to be with us—mess and all. He paid the price for our sins with His life, then He ascended into heaven so that His Holy Spirit could live in us. That means, once we know Jesus, we never have to go through the mess of life alone. And Jesus promises to return one day to get rid of all the mess, sin, and brokenness forever. Hallelujah! Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to remind you of how He is with you right here, right now, in the middle of your mess. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38 (NLT)

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34; 1 TIMOTHY 4:1 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20CHRONICLES%2034%3B%201%20TIMOTHY%204%3A1&version=CSB] Six teenagers recently decided to run for governor of Kansas. With no age limit on gubernatorial candidates in that state, these teens debated and did interviews. They had opinions about abortion, health insurance, and education. But they weren’t the first young people involved in government leadership. In 2 Chronicles 34, eight-year-old Josiah was crowned king of Judah. At age 16, “Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David” (verse 3). And he soon rid the country of the previous evil regime. He tore down the places where people worshiped idols, and he repaired the temple of God. Because of this young king’s leadership, the people of Judah followed the Lord as long as Josiah lived. Even at 16, he was a good leader because he sought after God, who was the source of his wisdom and strength. And yet, even Josiah could not cleanse the people of their sins. His reign only looked forward to the coming kingdom of Jesus. You probably won’t be king any time soon (and you probably won’t be governor of Kansas either because the state Legislature quickly set a minimum age requirement of 25 for gubernatorial candidates). But you can be a leader. You might be thinking, “Not at this point in my life. Other people are leading me. My parents, my teachers, my boss, and even my youth pastor.” True. But think about it—even adults are under the authority of others. Yet you can be a leader among your friends, in your school, in your family, and even in your church. How? By following 16-year-old Josiah’s example of seeking God and earnestly doing what He says is right and good. And even when you fail, you can rely on the love and forgiveness of Jesus, pointing others to the only one who could ever follow God’s law perfectly, the only one who could cleanse us of sin. • Linda Weddle • If you had the opportunity to beagovernment leader, what is the first thing you would do? • Jesus is God—the King of kings—yet He humbled Himself, becoming human and living among us (Philippians 2:1-18). He is the only person who never sinned, so He was able to take all our sin upon Himself on the cross. Then He rose from the dead, making the way for all who trust in Him to live with Him forever! What does Jesus’s ministry show us about leadership in God’s kingdom? • Consider taking a moment to pray and ask God to help you notice where you have opportunities to lead others, and also ask Him for wisdom in these situations. • If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 21–23; 2 Chronicles 35. He did what was right in the LORD’s sight and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or the left. 2 Chronicles 34:2 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 30:20-21; 61:1-3; ROMANS 8:18, 38-39 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ISAIAH%2030%3A20-21%3B%2061%3A1-3%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A18%2C%2038-39&version=NIV] Throughout my life, God has been faithful to provide me with wonderful women to disciple me in my walk with Christ. One of these women was Kathryn, a wife and mom in her thirties who championed the communications ministry at my home church. Kathryn was a spiritual firecracker. She shared the hope of the gospel wherever she went, prayed fervently for those who did not yet know Jesus, and poured herself out for Christ and His church. And she intentionally poured into me from the time I was in middle school. Several months ago, Kathryn was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. The news rocked my world, along with those of Kathryn’s husband, children, and others at our church. Yet, it was no surprise to see the tremendous strength Kathryn displayed through the journey as she shared the gospel with medics and continued to faithfully testify of God’s goodness to her. Within two months, the cancer took Kathryn’s bodily life. When this unexpected period of suffering came about, I clung to the sovereignty of our God, but I wondered how He would bring beauty out of this circumstance. Though I knew Kathryn was with Jesus, it was the most painful loss I had ever experienced. A few days after Kathryn’s death, I was evangelizing on the streets of New York City, and I encountered a number of people that day who were wrestling with deaths in their own lives. God used the hardship I was going through to directly share His message of hope with others who were grappling with grief. He used the physical death of one of His children to birth spiritual life in people who had not yet believed in Him. Friends, I encourage you: our God redeems the darkest circumstances and uses them for His glory. If you are suffering right now, ask Him to show you His heart, and watch Him bring beauty out of your pain. • Chelsea Leigh • In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus said He had come to fulfill the words of Isaiah 61. He promises to trade our ashes of despair for beautiful joy. Through dying on the cross and rising from the grave, He made the way for us to be with God—and when He returns, all His people will live together in renewed creation, free of suffering forever! Until that day, He grieves our pain with us and reminds us that He is always at work. How can we draw near to God in times of suffering? And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 3:5-6; MATTHEW 6:25-34; EPHESIANS 2:10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PROVERBS%203%3A5-6%3B%20MATTHEW%206%3A25-34%3B%20EPHESIANS%202%3A10&version=NLT] During our teen years, it can feel like the pressure is on. Whether it’s making a career decision, choosing a college, or getting ready to stand on your own two feet, the approaching adult life can be terrifying. There is so much to think about and so many people telling us we need to decide. I’ve struggled with all three of those decisions and more. Here’s the secret though—God knows exactly what He has planned for me, and He’s going to guide my feet along paths that will lead to my good and His glory (Psalm 23:1-3; Romans 8:28-29). Every moment I spend overthinking the future is wasted, because ultimately, I want to be where God wants me to be— both in the future and the present. Jesus made it pretty clear that we don’t need to worry about what tomorrow will bring—much less years down the road. Instead, we are called to live in the moment. We’re called to make the most of where God has placed us by pressing in to relationship with Jesus and ministering to those around us (Ephesians 5:15-20). Contentment won’t come in the far-off future, when everything is perfect and settled. Spoiler alert—it never will be. Instead, we have the perfect opportunity to learn contentment in the present, because Jesus is with us right here, right now (Philippians 4:11-13). Worrying about the future distracts us from the good things God has for us in this stage of life. The future is important, but it isn’t ours to worry about— God will guide our feet and light our paths as we seek Him (Psalm 119:105). Let’s entrust our futures to God’s care, and let’s walk in the good deeds He has for us to do right here, right now. • Hannah Ruth Johnson • Are there any future decisions that feel particularly daunting to you right now? Consider taking a moment to pray, entrusting these to the Lord and asking Him to help you know what to do in His perfect timing. • It’s not wrong to make plans for the future, but we get into trouble when we’re so focused on the future that we forget to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives today. How might God be inviting you to do His kingdom work right here, right now? In what ways might He be giving you opportunities to shine His light in your everyday life? (Matthew 5:14-16) You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-15; 15:58; GALATIANS 6:9-10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20CORINTHIANS%203%3A11-15%3B%2015%3A58%3B%20GALATIANS%206%3A9-10&version=NIV] The Cave of Echoes looked like any other cave, but people in the town nearby knew it was special. Like all caves, it was mysterious and beautiful, with dark, twisty corners whispering promises of secrets to those who dared to enter. But those familiar with its echoes ventured into its depths not for thrill or adventure, but something more. Those who were new in town often scoffed at the stories they heard. Tall tales, they’d think, stories that have been circulating so long they mess with people’s minds. Some of those entering the cave for the first time would come out shaking their heads, their faces wielding satisfied smirks. “Didn’t hear a thing,” they’d say with a shrug. But others would come out with wonder dancing in their eyes. They’d look around at the people sitting on the beach or loading cars in the parking lot as though they were gazing at immortals wrapped in light from another world. “Everything matters,” they’d say. “It really matters.” Then their eyes would narrow and they’d hurry over to help an overloaded mother heap beach toys into the back of her van. What was it they heard in the cave, you wonder? Their own voices—echoes of the past. Prayers prayed; songs sung in worship; words of kindness, encouragement, and forgiveness spoken to others. Only their good moments reverberated off the cave’s walls, because the wrongs of those covered in the Blood had been silenced forever. But words and deeds rooted in love and faith would echo for all eternity. • Courtney Lasater • Do you ever wonder if what you do in life really matters? It does. Today’s allegorical story illustrates how God does not remember the sins of those who trust in Jesus (Hebrews 10:17), but He won’t forget the good we do out of love for Him (Hebrews 6:10). If you’re a Christian, it’s the good things you do by the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that will be remembered for eternity, not your mistakes and failures. How might knowing that God remembers the good and forgets the bad give you comfort and hope, and maybe even change your perspective on the struggles you’re dealing with now? • Though our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God, they can still produce negative effects in our lives now. Is there a sin in your life that you need to confess and let go of so you can replace it with something that will have lasting eternal value? For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)