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

Read: Psalm 46:1-7 “I miss our old house,” said Tomás. He sighed as he thought about why they had moved into a trailer on Grandpa’s farm. First his little brother, Felix, was seriously injured in a car accident. Then the company Dad worked for went bankrupt, and it had taken him quite a while to find a new job. Tomás knew living in the trailer on the farm saved a lot of money. “But it’s kinda nice...

Read: Job 12:7-10; Psalm 96:11-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21 “Why are we lying on the trampoline?” Penny asked her dad as she looked up at the sky. “All I see is a couple clouds. And it’s so creepy and quiet.” “There are clouds, you’ve got that part right. But I don’t think the silence is creepy. Let’s listen for a few moments and see what specific sounds you can hear.” Dad shifted on the trampoline as he s...

Read: Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 Hailey knew she should ask for help before trying out her new manicure set, but she couldn’t wait. She needed something to take her mind off the bad day she’d had. She spilled the glittery nails onto her desk, and without bothering to read the directions, she grabbed the glue and unscrewed it. “What’s wrong with this glue?” she muttered as the watery liquid squirted ou...

Read: Luke 11:37-39 “Sean, the family shelter downtown needs donations. I’ve collected some items. How about donating some of your toys?” Sean knelt in front of his toy box. “I don’t have any toys I want to give away, Mom.” “What about this car?” Mom asked. “I haven’t seen you playing with it in a while, and I’m sure any little boy would love to have it.” Sean looked at the remote control race car...

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 A delicious aroma drifted through the door as Audrey walked into the house. She inhaled deeply, wondering for a minute what it was. I know—apple pie! Maybe Mom will let me have a piece before supper. Her stomach growled as she went into the kitchen. No Mom. No apple pies either. Audrey found her mother in the living room. “I was just reading an email from your teacher,”...

Read: Psalm 34:1-3; Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Hey, Joel!” shouted Micah from the other side of the parking lot at school. “What’s up?” Joel asked as the two of them began to walk toward the school building together. “I was wondering if you’d like to come to my house after school,” Micah said. “I got a new bike for my birthday, so maybe you could bring yours.” “Sure, I’ll come over,” said Joel. “My dad bou...

Read: 1 Peter 1:23-25 “I can’t believe Grandma gave me a Bible for my birthday!” Ethan said as he and his older brother Sam walked home from the library. “What am I gonna do with that?” “Well, you could read it,” Sam said. Ethan laughed. “How could an old book written thousands of years ago have anything to say to us today? Dad is always saying the Bible is old-fashioned and outdated. Maybe he’ll...

Read: Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23; 1 John 5:9-12 After enjoying a picnic lunch, Uncle Don pointed toward the paths around the picnic area. “Do you remember which path we took to get here?” “It was the one by the swings,” Kennedy said. Elliot disagreed. “It was the one by that flowering bush over there.” “Nuh-uh! I remember seeing the swings right away,” Kennedy insisted. “But I remember seeing a bird’s...

Read: John 14:6; Acts 17:10-12 “It’s so pretty here!” Kennedy told her aunt and uncle as she gazed around the picnic area. She turned to her brother. “Don’t you wish we could live in the Rockies, Elliot?” “It sure is nice,” Elliot said. “Look—I guess everybody likes this spot. There are paths coming here from all directions. It’s just like the city of Rome.” “How is this like Rome?” Aunt Sue asked...

Read: 1 Corinthians 13 “Keira, let me help you with that.” Alexis reached for a pile of laundry needing to be folded. “It will earn me points for my youth group contest. I want to get the most points so I can win!” One of the ways kids in the youth group could earn points was by helping the members of their family. Keira frowned and batted her sister’s hands away. “I’m not signing any paper saying...

Read: Psalm 23 Owen looked at the frail man on the bed. Grandpa’s getting so weak , he thought. I know he’s going to die soon . “Are you afraid, Grandpa?” he asked. “No, Owen.” Grandpa smiled as he reached for Owen’s hand. “I’m not afraid to die. Jesus is with me. I’m going home to be with Him.” Owen nodded, but he thought he’d be afraid anyway. After all, he couldn’t see Jesus! Later that afterno...

Read: Romans 12:1-2 “Whoa!” Vivian exclaimed when she saw the pile of things her mother had laid out on the table. “Is Gracie getting all of that for her birthday?” Mom nodded. “Grandma brought some of it over. She found a lot of things on sale, so your little niece is probably getting more than she needs. I offered to wrap Grandma’s gifts for her.” Vivian sat down beside her mom. “Can I help?” “Y...

Read: Matthew 5:14-16 The evening was cool and clear. The earthy smell of the forest filled the air, and stars shone brightly through the trees. A group of boys and their teacher lingered around the dying campfire at their youth group retreat. “Wow!” Joshua said, craning his head back. “The stars are really bright tonight.” Enoch looked up toward the sky. “They just look brighter because there are...

Read: 1 Peter 5:5-11 Whiskers, Lincoln’s kitten, leaped into the air and batted the shoestring Lincoln was swinging back and forth. “I don’t care how nice Todd is, no one can ever take Dad’s place,” Lincoln told Uncle Shawn. “I don’t want a stepfather.” He sighed. His dad had died a few years before, and now his mom was getting remarried. “Todd isn’t trying to take your dad’s place, Lincoln,” said...

Read: Matthew 5:43-44; Galatians 6:9-10 Nora let the door bang shut just as her brother reached it. “Well, thanks ,” Lloyd said sarcastically. “You never hold the door open for me,” said Nora. “You never hold the door open for me,” echoed Lloyd. Nora scowled. “Don’t copy me.” “Don’t copy me.” “Stop it, Lloyd!” yelled Nora. “Stop it, Lloyd!” came the echo. Nora ran to her room and slammed the door....

Read: Psalm 145:17-20; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 On Friday, Noah had an invitation to a birthday party and another to a sleepover—and he couldn’t go to both. It was hard choosing between his friends, and he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Then on Sunday, Noah tried contacting his friends to see if anyone wanted to hang out, but they were all busy. “You look bored,” his grandpa said when he came o...

Read: Deuteronomy 8:2-5; 29:2-6 “Where are we going, Grandma?” Daisy asked. Grandma opened the gate separating her backyard from the woods behind it. “A place you’ll enjoy,” she replied with a smile. As they walked through the woods, Daisy noticed little chipmunks scurrying up tree trunks, making her giggle. When the wind whistled through the piney limbs, Daisy clung closer to Grandma. “Are you su...

Read: Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19 Dad closed the trunk of the car. “Okay, everything’s packed. Let’s go!” “Wait!” Mom called. “Aria and Nolan, please empty the trash in the bedrooms and kitchen before we leave.” “I’ll get the bedrooms,” Aria said. Nolan went to the kitchen and glanced at the trash bag. It wasn’t even full. I’ll empty it when we get back, he thought, and ran to claim his spot in the c...

Read: Romans 12:9-13 Hannah gave herself a quick look in the mirror while Faith twirled around in her new skirt. “Girls!” Mom called. “Our company is almost here!” The sisters giggled and raced down the hall. A few minutes later, Mrs. Kelly arrived with her daughter Brittany, who was about the girls’ age, and Brittany’s little sister, Samantha. The girls brought Brittany to their room to play, and...

Read: Mark 2:13-15; John 3:36 Reagan peered out the window, wearing her soccer uniform and munching on a sandwich. Dad’s car pulled up and honked. It was Dad’s week to watch her. “Bye, Mom!” Reagan hollered. She slung her bag over her shoulder and ran outside. “Dad! I learned something so cool!” Reagan said, plopping her bag at her feet. She balanced her sandwich on one knee while she buckled up....

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 “Tell me, kids—if something good happened to you, would you keep it to yourself?” Mr. Miller asked his class at church. “No!” came the answer as all the kids shook their heads. “We like to share our good news with our friends, don’t we?” Mr. Miller continued. “Yet when it comes to the greatest news of all—Jesus saving us by dying for our sins and coming back to life—we of...

Read: Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-17 “What a summer this has turned out to be!” said Leah. “When we moved to the country, I thought I’d be riding horses and wading in the creek. But lately it seems like all I’ve been doing is snapping beans, husking corn, shelling peas, and now peeling peaches for canning and freezing.” Mom smiled. “I think you’ve found plenty of time for fun things too, and...

Read: Psalm 103:11-12; Malachi 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 “Look, Bianca!” Mom was sitting on the couch with a big book on her lap. “Here’s a lock of your hair from when you were three months old—and look at your footprint from when you were born.” Bianca grinned. “Wow! It’s really tiny! That’s my baby book, isn’t it? It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at it.” “I wrote all these entries in...

Read: Genesis 50:15-21; Romans 8:28, 38-39 Kate squeezed sand between her toes as she watched a young mother swing her daughter around and catapult her into the water. The girl giggled and called out for more. Kate looked at her mom and remembered when she was strong and healthy enough to do the same thing with her. Now if Mom wanted to get in the water at the beach, she had to crawl through the s...

Read: 1 Peter 1:18-21 “Yum!” Hazel said as her mom set a bowl of bright red strawberries on the table. They had just gotten home from the Fourth of July parade and were enjoying a snack on the patio. “Can we go see the fireworks tonight?” Ollie asked as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. “And can Zane come with us?” “As a matter of fact, we’ve asked Zane’s family to join us for a picnic before...