Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

On many a Sunday morning, I find myself getting ready for church. I gaze at my closet, filled with casual clothes for school, but nothing seems right forchurch. I quickly grab a simple blouse and hurry downstairs. At church, everyone seems well-dressed, happy, and eager to greet us at the door. Somehow, I don’t feel comforted by their greetings. Instead, I feel like they’re trying to deceive us wi...

I should’ve stayed with my unit. Bright flashes of color told me the oxygen in my suit was running low, not that it would’ve mattered. My cracked ribs kept me from inhaling too deeply, even though I knew I should. Short, staccato breaths were all I could manage as I glanced for the thousandth time at the flashing light on my communicator. I didn’t answer it. . This was my own fault. The Commander...

Have you ever been told that you were too young to do something? That your heart was in the right place, but you were too young to do what you felt God had called you to do? The truth is, God invites all of us to follow Him, no matter what age we are. . Mary was likely a young teenager, maybe only fourteen years old, when she gave birth to the Son of God, which resulted in many people glorifying a...

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 is my favorite passage in the Bible because it gives me hope beyond the grave. It reminds me that my loved ones who have died and were believers in Jesus Christ are not lost. We will be reunited one dayI will meet them after death or at Jesus’s return when He will make all things new, free from sin and death. . In Acts 17, after preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in T...

Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was a Christian painter and the founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. His work is a testament to God’s sacred touch in nature. . When I paint the sky, I make it blue with a yellow sun. . When Thomas Cole painted the sky, he made it endless with breezy clouds melting in the distance and dancing, sparkling, playful sun rays streaking and warming the balmy...

God’s grace is amazing. He gives us favor even though none of us deserve it. God’s love is beautiful. None of us are worthy of His great love, but He loves you so much that He became human to live and die for you. . God is the Creator of the universe and all the things in it (Psalm 24:1). He made the stars and moon in the sky. He created each planet and everything on this Earth. He made animals an...

Have you had times in your life when things were so difficult that it felt like you were going into a battle each day? Are you going through something that feels like that right now? If so, did you know that God is ready to go to battle for you? You don’t have to face anything in your life on your own. Even if you feel unprepared for what is to come, you don’t have to be afraid. God wants to be th...

What will give us peace and satisfaction? We might think relationships will, a good job will, a good home, family, marriage, children, work, skill, talent, gifts, etc. All these things and many more might make us feel contented and satisfied, but only temporarily. . There is no one who can satisfy, nothing that can give us peace, other than Jesus Christ. Dear beloved children of God, Jesus is givi...

Heavy footsteps sounded from behind Skyla, and she turned to see Captain Solenar approaching. He gave her a nod, his jaw set in a grim line. . All of our work Skyla’s voice cracked as she looked out over the landscape in front of her. It had taken the group of extraterrestrial experts years to develop the beautiful Crimson Iris, but even before that, the captain had spent decades researching. It w...

Practically every year, when spring weather rolls around I feel a burst of energy. Living in an area that gets long, cold winters for more than half the year, I always feel a sense of happiness when spring comes. And almost every spring, I love to enjoy the beautiful fresh air and new life by going jogging outside. After a couple times of running, however, I tend to have the same problem every yea...

When I became a mental health counselor, I had no idea what to expect. What unfolded was difficult to accept but forever changed the way I viewed others. I learned firsthand that some people who might appear happy in their everyday life are actually experiencing mistreatment from those they trust most. . From the outside, we might never dream that others in our lives are undergoing such strife. I...

Sometimes, It feels like I’m swimming In a river Of my own thoughts. . Sometimes, It seems like I’m overwhelmed In a sea That crushes me. . Sometimes, It feels like I’m not swimming I’m sinking To the bottom. . Sometimes, I remember That I have hope That saves; Hope in Jesus. . And every time, Hope dives Into the ocean And draws me Out of my distress. Rereloluwa Bajomo . What kinds of things make...

When the snow begins to melt away and the cold disappears from the air, we know that a new season is here. Springtime comes with bright green buds on the trees, blossoming flowers, and so many more signs of life. . The birds seem to chirp the loudest in the springtime, and the air smells crisp and fresh. Everything that seemed dead in the winter comes to life again in beautiful and vibrant colors....

How terrible does it feel when you try to reach out but no one is available or willing to listen to you? When you call up one friend and then another but none of them answer? How lonely do you feel when you try to speak up when you’re with your family or friends, but no one listens to you? . How good does it feel when you make a connection? When you call someone and they pick up right away, or whe...

Sometimes I forget to pray. And sometimes I forget to pray for a while. Life gets busy, or I don’t find myself with quiet alone time and talking to God gets pushed aside. But praying is so important, especially during the busy times. It’s good to talk to God about what’s on my mind and be reminded of the relationship I have with Him. . It can be hard to remember to pray, but Jesus gave us an examp...

I read an interesting Bible verse the other day: The end of a matter is better than its beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV). Another Bible translation phrases it this way: Finishing is better than starting (NLT). I’m no ancient-language scholar, so I can’t go into the meaning of the original words and sentence structures, but this phrase captured my imagination . As I was sitting eating a snack and...

Crawling into bed, I snuggled under the blankets as clouds filled my mind. “Another day I’ve messed up,” I thought, tears filling my eyes. “When will I ever get it right?” Despair filled my mind, making sleep impossible. I wanted to pray, but I was too scared to do it. Why would God want to listen to me after I had failed Him for the umpteenth time? I could just picture Him shaking His head with a...

Markus stumbled through the dense overgrowth, his breathing growing heavy. The weight of the illness inside him grew heavier with each step, but he knew he had to keep trekking his life depended on it. . Every person alive had been born with the same illness Markus had. Some didn’t mind the dense feeling it left inside their bodies, but Markus had been looking for a cure for as long as he could re...

For a long time, people thought that Earth was the center of our solar systemuntil the late 1500s and early 1600s, when scientific advancements like the telescope proved that the sun is actually the center of our solar system. . It must have been strange to be living in that time, to grapple with the new knowledge proving that our Earth isn’t the center of everything. Could you imagine being alive...

God is infinitely wise. Romans 11:33 says, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! The riches of God’s wisdom are so deep. He sees the end from the beginning, and His purposes will never be shaken (Isaiah 46:10). . I got a glimpse of God’s wisdom recently when I reflected on how He has guided my career path....

A few years ago, I visited Windsor Castle in England. It’s an old castle that looks like a palace inside, with grand staircases, enormous chandeliers, and antique furniture. The weekend I was there, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were at the castle, and I got close to where he was. . The elevator for public tours exits onto a hallway that leads directly to the family quarters of the castle. As...

God is everywhere. When you’re sitting by a creek bubbling in between rocks along the way. When you wake up on an ordinary day. When the sun is shining through your window at work or play. When you are up on the mountain or in the valley below. . Words of wisdom to remember God knows and goes where you go. God is in the sunshine and even in the rain. God is with you all the way. . When nothing is...

Not worrying is easier said than done. . I know that I can leave it all to God and that He is ultimately in control of everything going on in my life, but I still want to control it. I still want to feel that I have some power over any situation that I am in. But then, I just get stressed. I worry. I fear over all that is going on and all that could happen. This is a daily struggle. A moment-by-mo...

Saying goodbye is my least favorite thing. And my honorary niece agrees with me. . Last year, my husband and I bought a house with our dear friends from collegethe parents of our aforementioned niece. We wanted to live in community and save money, and it has been such a joy for our two families to live together. . While we were in the process of buying the house, we were still living in separate a...

If I were to tell you a secret, I think you would see that you shared in my secret. What if I were to tell you that I secretly struggle with having faith in God’s plans when things go awry? It’s true. As I go through this fun adventure we call life, I have my good moments when I raise my hand and proclaim, God is so good! But I also have my moments when the worry of life becomes too much, and I wo...