Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; JOHN 15:9-17 I used to own a rock tumbler, a machine that takes ordinary rocks and transforms them into polished, gemlike stones. The process would last for days, and the tumbler was so loud I had to keep it in the garage! After I put rocks and grit into the barrel with some water, the machine would spin everything around so the rocks scraped against each other, slowly g...

READ: MATTHEW 11:25–12:14; 18:1-17; JAMES 3:1-2 I’m a big rule-follower, but I was more so when I was younger. I really didn’t want to make waves or question anyone who was in charge. It’s something I’m still not really comfortable with to this day. But sometimes the rules we’re asked to follow do not align with our beliefs. And this is where life can get complicated. The same thing happened to Je...

READ: 1 JOHN 2:1-29 Recently, I was buying some pizzas, and when I handed the cashier my money she did something that made me freeze: she held up the dollar bills to the light, examining them closely. She was trying to see if they were authentic. At that moment, I thought to myself, Oh great. Did I get stuck with a counterfeit bill? Fortunately they were not counterfeits, and I got my pizza and we...

READ: PSALM 63; JOHN 14:1-6; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9 A lot of people think money is what makes you rich, but let’s take a closer look at the concept of riches. No matter how much money a person has, it never feels like enough. Just ask any wealthy person! Money won’t bring true satisfaction—and it doesn’t last. We can’t take wealth or status with us when we die. The reality is, what makes us rich—is lov...

READ: ISAIAH 33:5-6; MATTHEW 6:19-34; 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19 Kellen knew that asteroid mining was a risky business. There were hazardous pockets of gas and metals too tough for the drill. For Kellen, though, the money to be made was worth the work. The material in this asteroid alone would fuel his entire home planet for a year. His share would be enough to buy his own mining gear, then he could really...

READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13-18 I’m one of those people who likes to make a big deal out of birthdays. Whenever it’s someone else’s birthday, I try to at least send a happy birthday text, or get a gift, or even throw a party. When it comes to my own birthday, I always try to have a fun day planned. I never understood why people would hide or brush off their birthdays. Your birthday is the day...

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16; ROMANS 8:35-39 Picture this. The room is dark, and you blink as your eyes adjust to the light created by the glowing candles on top of a birthday cake. “Okay, make a wish and blow the candles out,” your friend says. You nod, close your eyes, and blow out the candles. But when you reach for the cake knife, you notice something strange. Every candle on your cake has started bu...

READ: JOHN 4:1-42 When God amazes us, sharing our story with others can make a real difference. In John 4, we see how Jesus spent time with a Samaritan woman at the well near Samaria. He talked to her about God and also about her life, her husbands, the choices she had made…and about who He was. This woman was surprised at all Jesus knew about her, and when He said He was the Messiah they’d all be...

READ: PSALM 139 Have you ever had a moment when you realized that someone really knows you? I had a moment like this with my housemate recently, and it made me feel so loved. I had been feeling overwhelmed and depressed for a few days. My husband took our kids to run some errands so I could get some time to finish up my work for the week and do something restful. I sat on my bed, trying to figure...

READ: PSALMS 27:7-14; 33:20-22 I keep calling out, God Even though I am tired Even though I don’t see You working yet Even though this life seems to be killing me I keep calling out, God Because You are my only hope Because You can bring me peace Because You can move into action at any time I keep calling out, God And my body is tired And my throat doesn’t want to call out And I feel ready to just...

READ: ISAIAH 41:10-14; 49:14-16; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11 I saw a young child get off a school bus today— and go right into the waiting embrace of his mom. As she straightened up, he wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his head against her shoulder. I wondered if something had happened at school today, or if maybe he was just tired from being gone from home for several hours. It made me think of...

READ: ISAIAH 61:8; JEREMIAH 22:3; MATTHEW 23:23 It’s discouraging to see so much evil in the world. Evil and sin have been a part of the world for a long time, but as I get older, I notice it more than when I was a kid. I hear news about corruption, poverty, or health crises…and it can really get me down. It can be easy to see all this evil and either choose not to believe there’s a God, or to thi...

READ: MATTHEW 11:25-30; MARK 12:29-31; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58; GALATIANS 6:9 I walked with determination down the hallway. Maybe this time will be different, I thought, knocking on the classroom door. At the beginning of the year, I’d volunteered to mentor a second grader through a program helping youth with behavioral concerns. Once a week, I arrived at the school during my lunch break to spend time...

READ: GENESIS 1:27; 1 JOHN 4:7-19 You probably already know that snowflakes are remarkably unique from one another. And the reason each snowflake has a one-of-a-kind crystal structure is because every developing flake experiences slightly different atmospheric conditions as it falls from the sky to the ground. But have you ever thought about what they have in common? Even with all their difference...

READ: PSALM 4:8; MATTHEW 11:28-30; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 The sound of white noise as we lay down to sleep can give us comfort and cover up distracting sounds that might keep us awake. A fan going while we rest can help us feel comfortable and breathe easier. Some of us have a particular pillow we need to sleep, and some of us can only sleep in our own beds. There are things we gather and routines we g...

READ: PSALM 145:8-16; MATTHEW 6:25-33; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 One year as summer approached, I needed to buy some shorts. With my budget in mind, I browsed at a second-hand shop and found two pairs in the right size. Including a discount, I could pay for the clothes using a gift card I’d received. It would cover the entire cost…except for eleven cents. But I only had one penny in my wallet. So, what d...

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-22; 1 PETER 5:6-11 We are faced with countless decisions every day. What do I want for dinner? Should I read or play video games after work? Where do I go to college? Should I even go to college? Some life decisions are bigger than others, and they require more thought too. I can usually decide what I want for dinner by the end of the night, but larger decisions take mor...

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 There are times in life when our need for others becomes clear. If you try to take on a big project, you may quickly realize that you need to ask for help. When trying to learn something new, you probably know that you need to ask an expert for advice if you want to do it right. We can think about following Jesus in a similar way. Like accomplishing a big project or learn...

READ: EZEKIEL 40:1-19; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16-17 Chapters 40-42 of the book of Ezekiel may not seem very interesting at first glance. All three chapters are a tour of a future temple. An angel led Ezekiel through this temple in a vision. There are many, many specific measurements included—enough that you may get bored. There is a measurement for everything in the temple, each room and each doorway. Th...

READ: HEBREWS 13:5-8; 1 JOHN 4:15 This world changes, But You, my Lord, never change The Lord who created the world The Lord who told Noah to build an ark You are the same Lord who lives in me today The Lord who led the Israelites out of slavery The Lord who gave us the commandments You are the same Lord who lives in me today The Lord who cares for the poor The Lord who healed thousands You are th...

READ: JOHN 10:11, 27-30; HEBREWS 11:1-6; 1 PETER 1:8-13 Did you know kittens are born blind? They have to rely on their mother to care for them since they can’t do anything on their own, but how do they know she’ll be there for them if they can’t see her? They use their other senses. Specifically, kittens rely on their sense of smell to let them know their mother is near. As Christians, we live in...

READ: JEREMIAH 17:14; 30:16-18; PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11 I’d been eating the cashews for several days before I stopped to ask why they seemed so small. Then I noticed the label on the canister: halves and pieces. I thought I’d bought the same kind of cashews I usually did—roasted and sprinkled with sea salt—but I hadn’t paid attention to the entire label. Cashews are one of my favorite snacks, and I lik...

READ: MATTHEW 22:37-40; LUKE 6:43-45 What comes out when you squeeze a ketchup bottle? Ketchup, of course. And what comes out if you squeeze a mustard bottle? Mustard! Whatever is inside comes out. And it’s the same with us. How we react in a situation says a lot about what’s going on in our hearts. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, “The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” What we say—and ho...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; EPHESIANS 2:1-22 “How does God see my generation?” It’s a good question, and one we don’t often think to ask. We hear a lot of talk about the different generations: what they’re like, what their strengths and weaknesses are, how they’re different from other generations, and on and on. The concept of generations is interesting. In our time, people generally separate us into d...

READ: JEREMIAH 18:1-6; EZEKIEL 36:26; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 Tamora’s orange eyes were wide with excitement. Today, Grandmother would teach her how to weave a sala basket, a rite of passage in her village on a planet in the Cloudina Galaxy. Tamora watched Grandmother’s wrinkled purple hands lift a bucket filled with water and colorful qasab reeds out of the wash basin. “Watch carefully now,” said Gran...