Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Ready for a Visit

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 PETER 1:22 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MATTHEW%2011%3A28-30%3B%202%20CORINTHIANS%201%3A3-7%3B%20HEBREWS%204%3A14-16%3B%201%20PETER%201%3A22&version=NIV] When I was growing up, my grandma was always ready for visitors. She’d often have homemade cookies that she would plate up for us, along with a glass of cold milk. Or if she didn’t have any baked, then she would get out a package of cookies and serve them up. She welcomed us warmly, and our visits always ended with a hug. Those were some special times, and looking back now, I think she gave us a good example of pure love, like God offers us. God is always ready for a visit. He always welcomes us. He is always prepared for us to sit and talk for a while. God meets us with comfort and love. You never have to feel like it’s a bad time to go to God. You never have to worry that He won’t be prepared for your prayers. Just like a loving grandparent, God is always there for you. He will always hear you. He will always love you. If you ever begin to doubt God’s love for you, then consider the most loving person in your life—and know that He loves you even more than they do. He wanted so badly to become your Father that He went all the way to the cross and grave for you! Jesus died and rose again so you could be forgiven and adopted into God’s family. That means, if you’ve put your trust in Jesus, God is your heavenly Father. So remember, you are His priceless creation, and you are infinitely special to Him. He always wants to hear from you. • Bethany Acker • Do you have someone in your life who is always welcoming and ready to visit? This is the kind of love God has for you! He is always eager for you to “visit” by drawing near to Him. Can you picture God this way? Consider taking some time to draw near to Him in prayer, and receive His warmth in whatever way you need it today—whether it be sharing in your joy, comforting you in your pain, listening compassionately as you process frustration, giving wisdom and direction in your confusion, covering you with forgiveness as you confess your sins, or something else. [Jesus said,] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Disco Ball Reality

READ: PSALM 34:18; MATTHEW 11:28-30; HEBREWS 4:12-16 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2034%3A18%3B%20MATTHEW%2011%3A28-30%3B%20HEBREWS%204%3A12-16&version=NLT] Sometimes, I feel like a disco ball. Everyone thinks I’m the life of the party, that I’m always happy, having fun. If they looked a little closer, though, they’d discover the truth: I’m mostly broken, spinning in the dark, reflecting so many chaotic emotions that I feel like I just might crash. If that resonates with you, know you are not alone. God’s Word warns us that big, glittering smiles could hide a great deal of pain—sometimes our own. While we may be able to fool the people around us—and even ourselves on occasion—God is not deceived. He knows the griefs we carry. He knows each one of our broken pieces. And while He can shine light that brings joy, whimsy, and laughter into even the darkest of places, He is not interested in us spinning through the dark, putting on a show. He wants to heal us, to make us new, to give us purpose even when we are in pain. He wants our lives to rotate to the rhythm of His grace. And that grace is revealed in Jesus. God loves us so much that He took all our pain, sin, and brokenness on Himself on the cross. Then He rose from the grave, making the way for us to be with Him forever. When Jesus returns, all the chaos will be over, and we will be completely healed, whole, and restored. In the meantime, He’s with us in our pain—bringing hope and help. People around us may not be able to see a difference between spinning in chaotic brokenness and having faith in Christ’s redemption of the brokenness. They may only see us as the cheerful life of the party they’ve always seen, simply because they’re not privileged to deeply know us. But God notices all the deepest truths of you, and He sees how you’re coping. You can bring all your brokenness and chaos to Him, trusting Him to redeem it somehow, to heal it. You don’t have to carry the burden of making everyone else happy, especially when you’re struggling. You can release your burdens to Jesus, and rest in His love. • Abigail Aswegen • Do you ever pressure yourself to be happy for everyone else? Because of Jesus, we can slowly let down our guard, be honest about our brokenness, and rely on Him to bring healing. • When you feel the chaos inside of you ramping up—whether it’s anxiety, emotions, or pressure—how can you step back, slow down, and recenter on Christ? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can come alongside you and help you do this? Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. Proverbs 14:13 (NLT)

The True Story of St. Patrick

READ: ACTS 1:8; 8:4-8, 26-40 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ACTS%201%3A8%3B%208%3A4-8%2C%2026-40&version=NIV] The first time I visited Ireland, I toured Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. I saw a museum exhibit of an ancient stone slab with a cross on it. The slab was from a nearby well that Patrick may have used to baptize people who converted to Christianity in the fifth century. The reason we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is to remember Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was captured by foreign raiders, carried off to Ireland, and sold as a slave. Patrick was enslaved for six years until God brought him back to his home country in Britain. Patrick recognized that God’s presence was with him at all times, and we can see this through the prayer of Saint Patrick, part of which says: “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” What amazes me is that, after Patrick escaped home to Britain, God called him back to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick knew there were dangers if he returned, but he still obeyed what God was calling him to. He shared the hope of Jesus with the Irish people, in spite of opposition from the church in Britain. He shared the message of the gospel—the good news that Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us from sin and make the way for us to have eternal life with Him. God worked powerfully through Patrick’s ministry, and pagans who formerly worshiped nature came to put their trust in the one true God. God loves to draw people to Himself, and we get to be part of that work! If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with people from around the world, like Patrick did with the people of Ireland. • Brooke Morris • Similar to how Patrick went to the place that formerly enslaved him, Jesus came to be with us—people who were God’s enemies (John 1:1-18; Romans 5:6-11). And, like Patrick, Jesus came with a mission to love and save the people who hated Him. Jesus even died for us! Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf so we could have eternal life with Him. What good news! To learn more about the gospel, and how to share it, check out our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page. • Can you think of a time someone shared the gospel with you? Maybe it was a pastor, family member, youth leader, or friend. What did they say that stuck with you? • Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice any people in your life He is inviting you to share the gospel with. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

The Lost Archives

READ: 2 KINGS 22:8-11; 23:1-3; MATTHEW 1:1; 24:35 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20KINGS%2022%3A8-11%3B%2023%3A1-3%3B%20MATTHEW%201%3A1%3B%2024%3A35&version=WEB] The following story is an allegory based on 2 Kings 22-23, which tells the true account of King Josiah and the rediscovery of the book of the law.  The lieutenant of the fourth galactic league rushed into General Lazlo’s office: “General, my platoon was searching old Lymerian archives. We found something you should see.” The lieutenant pulled up a document on his hologram pad and passed it over. The general gasped. “Is that Earthen religious law? Weren’t all Earthen religious laws catalogued already?” Tears began to form in the general’s eyes. How could we have lost something so precious? She started to read the text, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” She paused. “Lieutenant, I need you to contact the old earth religious order. I must speak to a representative at once.” As the lieutenant made contact with the order, the general paged through the document. She saw messages proclaiming fathomless love and a God who reached down to rescue the world He created—and over and over, the name “Jesus.” It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d heard the name. “General,” said the lieutenant, “I have a leader of the old earth religious order.” The general spoke with the leader, who said the rediscovered book was Christian Scripture—a text thought to have been lost over four hundred years ago. When the leader ended the communication, the general was left staring at a blank screen. She reflected on her own life. She was a hard worker and good at her job, but she often felt unfulfilled, even in success. She wondered if this rediscovered book had answers. She also thought of the chaos in her colony and wondered if the book contained the path to true peace. General Lazlo pressed the emergency broadcast button and began to address the entire colony: “Dear citizens, something vital was rediscovered today, and I have the privilege of reading it to you.” • Naomi Zylstra • How is today’s story similar to 2 Kings 22–23? How is it different? • The Bible is about Jesus, the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (John 20:31; Acts 10:43). That’s why it’s such an important book. How does thisaffect the way westudyand understand it? • But he [Jesus] said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11:28 (WEB)

A Song of Praise

READ: PSALMS 13:5-6; 149:1-5; ISAIAH 42:10-12; EPHESIANS 5:19 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALMS%2013%3A5-6%3B%20149%3A1-5%3B%20ISAIAH%2042%3A10-12%3B%20EPHESIANS%205%3A19&version=NLT] Sometimes I find myself in an empty house, and I can’t stop myself from singing at the top of my lungs. I tend to belt numbers from The Sound of Music, especially “Climb Every Mountain.” There’s something about hitting those high notes, with the sound filling the space around me, that brings me great joy. Our voices, lifted in songs of praise, bring glory to God. Not just in church during worship, but all the time. In the car, singing along to your favorite worship playlist…softly humming a hymn to yourself…or, my favorite, when you’re all alone and can sing out with your entire being. God doesn’t care if you can carry a tune or if your voice sounds even halfway decent. It’s your heart that counts. When you take the time out of your day to glorify Him, it’s music to His ears. We don’t worship to sound good or because it’s a good Christian thing to do. Our worship is supposed to be an outpouring of the gratitude we feel for what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others, what He is doing in the present, and what He promises to do in the future. We rejoice that God delights in us—though we were messed up, broken people, He loved us and made us blameless in His sight (Psalm 149:4; Colossians 1:22). We praise Him for His majesty (Psalm 8:1), and because He is always right (Psalm 119:172). We sing because He is powerful, faithful, and full of unfailing love (Psalm 59:16). Finally, we sing to point the world to the hope we have in Christ—the one who died and rose again to save us from sin and death (Psalm 66:2). Worship brings glory to God, and it takes our focus off ourselves. When we’re praising, our eyes are open to the ways God is moving and working, and we are reminded of how good He’s been to us. Incredible things happen when we choose to worship, even when it doesn’t make sense. Think of Paul and Silas in prison—as they prayed and sang through the night, God sent an earthquake that freed all the prisoners, and ultimately, this miracle led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (Acts 16:22-34). So let’s rejoice—because God is so faithful and good to us! Sing a song of praise to the Lord! • Hannah Ruth Johnson • When does it come naturally for you to worship God? When do you find it harder to offerasong of praise? • What are some of God’s qualities we can rejoice in? (Hint: read Psalm 103:8) I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me. Psalm 13:6 (NLT)