Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

For Christians, Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But some people have fuzzy or unclear ideas about what that really means. They might see the resurrection as a symbol for new beginnings and second chances. Some churches even teach that the resurrection means the spirit of Jesus lives on in His people. They don’t proclaim the actual, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus. Does...

When Jesus died, He did what no one else could do. From the prophets of old to the priests in the temple, none of their deaths could have accomplished what Jesus’s death was able to. Although God worked mightily through many people throughout the generations, none of these people could do what was required for humanity to be saved. All four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) describe how...

After all Jesus went through at the hands of His accusers, they proceeded to have Him crucified on a cross. This was a form of execution developed by the Roman Empire. It was a long, painful, shameful way to die. And according to the traditions of Israel, it was one of the worst penalties given to a criminal, as Deuteronomy 21:23 says, Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. They treated Jesus...

Have you ever heard of hyssop? Hyssop is a plant with long, hairy leaves that grew in ancient Israel. And it shows up several times in the Bible. First, in Exodus 12:21-22, God tells the Israelites to dip hyssop branches in lamb’s blood and spread it on their doorframes during the first Passover. This happened while the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and God sent ten plagues to convince Pharao...

I sense myself struck dumb with the overwhelming horror, walking without strengthdrawn by the crowddrawn to be with you, my Lord, no matter where this ends I had hoped I had thought But my dirty legs carry me amidst this angry and rollicking crowdtheir shouts and laughter a muddy din to my ears. Tears form but do not flow. My throat is dry and stuckI cannot swallow. My heart, too exhausted to hurt...

Out of all the animals mentioned in the Bible (and there are over one hundred), sheep are the stars. They are found in the book of Genesis on through to Revelation. They are led by shepherds who go ahead of the sheep, calling them to follow. Their babies are lambs. In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice lambs for the sins of the people. A lamb, with its soft nose and fluf...

The Bible is full of celebrations! Moses, together with the Israelites, celebrated their escape from slavery in Egypt after God brought them through the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15). Later, the Israelites celebrated the victory of David and his warriors. God also gave His people several festivals that are described in the Bibletime set apart to thank God, rest from work, and enjoy His gifts (Leviticus 2...

Christians around the world celebrate the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus Christ as we remember Jesus riding on a donkey into the city of Jerusalem. This is popularly known as Palm Sunday, because the people went out to meet Him with palm branches, and it is exactly one week before we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection on Easter. Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday? Why is it important to our lives, an...

Every hurt that Spills from your eye, Slips down your cheek, And falls from your chin, Is caught. Is treasured in a bottle. By a loving Father Who values His children’s tears, Knows why they cry them, And draws them close. Yes, the hands marked with nail scars, Are drawing you, Broken as you are, Closer to His heart, Into a heavenly embrace. Eliana Canfield What hurts have you experienced lately?...

Aurelia looked at the tattered map in her hand, then up at the mountain. This was it. The place she had been searching for all her life, ever since she had heard the tales of the lost treasure of Cordoro as a little girl. According to the legend, the inhabitants of Cordoro had traveled far and wide in search of priceless treasures and hidden them deep inside this mountain. Then some unknown traged...

Late evening sunlight filtered through the tree leaves as I walked the wooded path, breathing deeply. Looking down, I saw pieces of a broken bird’s egg, shards of sky blue scattered in the dirt. My heart sank, and for a moment I felt tears surge. This egg was once filled with hopethe promise of a new lifeand here it was, dashed to pieces. Hope shattered. As I continued down the trail, I thought ab...

We have friends who have prayed for a miracle for years. But they haven’t yet received their miracle. They haven’t heard an answer from God. Why do some people get miracles, while others seem to spend their lives waiting? It’s easy to feel like God answers some prayers and ignores others. But what if our Creator has a different way of moving mountains? What if there is a reason for the waiting? On...

Have you ever been mad at the church? I know I have. And sometimes, that’s okay. Now, when I say the church, I mean all of God’s people around the world and throughout history. And I absolutely LOVE the church. Walking alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ as we live into our new God-given identities is one of the greatest blessings I can imagine. Without the church, I would not be who I am...

I examined the scroll. The instructions were clear, but sometimes hard to interpret. I nodded my head confidently as I rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into my satchel. I would need to make my way through the Whispering Forest, cross Chelsey’s Chasm on the second bridge, then travel through the Ash Trenches. Simple enough, but not easy. Still, my steps had a joyful bounce. I was glad the Son of...

In high school, I became a vegetarian and avoided eating meat for a number of years. I often skipped school lunches since they usually featured a main dish that included meat. And I only took the time to pack a lunch once in a while. By the end of most school days, I’d feel famished, sometimes having eaten nothing since breakfast. On the afternoons when marching band practice followed a full schoo...

Sometimes, I wonder how God loves me so much. Me. A normal person. A messed-up person. A person who sins. What have I done to deserve what He gives me? How can I show Him how much His love means to me? The Bible talks about God quieting us with His love (Zephaniah 3:17). When the world is crazy and we can’t find peace, His love is there. Jesus gives us His peace (John 14:27). When we are tired but...

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t pray? You are not alone. Why does this happen, and what can we do? Living in a world that has been broken by sin means that problems often arise, and we experience moments of crisis and times of suffering. Worry, anxiety, and grief can be destructive, leaving an emptiness. Sometimes, praying feels impossible. If you are ill and aching, your hear...

Do you wake up at night worried sick about the future? You are not alone. Fear and anxiety are rife. Stress has become a natural ingredient in peoples’ lives, regardless of their age. News from around the world provides a daily diet of issues to worry about. Communities and families all bring different problems. Concerns about school and decisions about next steps can cause unease. Family issues s...

Growing up, church attendance, youth group, and church camp were all regular parts of my life. However, I never really read my Bible or talked about my faith outside of church stuff. I probably would’ve told you that I believed in God if you asked, but I wouldn’t bring it up and I definitely didn’t live like it. After my junior year of high school, I got a job at my summer camp as a maintenance as...

“There’s no time, the voice on the radio says. You must come now. I look around the cockpit of the spaceshipmy spaceship. The control station, the thick, curved glass of the windows, the sleek engines quietly humming in the hull belowall of it is my design. I spent years building this spacecraft, painstakingly attending to each detail so it could do what no other ship has done. I put my heart and...

At the beginning of every spring, I get stressed. The long, harsh winter is finally coming to a close. I know the flowers will start blooming soon, and I worry that I’ll miss it. That I’ll miss seeing the crocuses peek up through the grass before they’re mown over. That I’ll miss seeing the flowering trees full with blossoms before the next windy or rainy day strips off the petals. I find myself a...

In the book of Genesis, Joseph was the favorite son of Israel, also known as Jacob. And his brothers hated him because of it. One day, they did an evil thing to Joseph and threw him into a cistern. Joseph pleaded for his life (Genesis 42:21), but they cruelly sold him as a slave to some Midianite traders. Joseph was then sold to an Egyptian official named Potiphar, and God gave Joseph success as h...

Life is full of ups and downs. When everything seems to be going wellwhen we have friends and are at peace with those around us, when we have all the material things we need and are in good healthwe feel good and acceptable. But when these things are lacking or we think we don’t have enough of them, we feel forsaken or abandoned, even by God Himself. In Psalm 37, we have the testimony of an old ma...

What is it I see going o’er the fields? Some shadow, beast, or ghost? Swooping down low. Ensnaring its prey. My escape from it I cannot boast. It has armies no, legions! They will try to get you to follow. To listen to its lies and in your anger, fear, and shame to wallow. It captures you, draws you in. Tells you, Everything is alright. Its traps are hidden, its temptations are strong. But truly I...

Jehu Jones Jr. was born enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1786. His father, Jehu Jones Sr., was trained as a tailor, and he was so skilled that the elite class in Charleston requested his exacting work. He was allowed to charge his customers a fee. He asked his slave holder if he could purchase his own manumission (freedom). The slave holder agreed, and Jehu Jones Sr. and his family becam...