Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Fear shows its face in a lot of ugly ways. It distorts the way we view the future and the past. It creates worst-case scenarios in our minds and builds walls around our hearts. Fear is a tool of the enemy. But God reminds us again and again that we have no reason to buy into fear’s lies. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet warns Israel that their rebellion has consequences. Yet, hope is woven throu...

“Go inside the art gallery.” The thought arises from nowhere. My body resists at the suggestion. It’s been months since I sketched and studied the great artists. “Go inside.” No one’s there. The watercolors and the oil paintings on the wall are breathtaking: scenes of waterfalls that I expect to hear water gushing from. There are portraits from long ago, people dressed in their finest clothes, and...

Have you ever thought, I just want to be free? What are you struggling to free yourself from? Maybe it’s guilt, shame, fear, hatred, or addiction. Are you struggling to be free from the negative thoughts about yourself? How about struggling to be free from the worries that mess with your mind? Did you know God offers you freedom through Jesus? If you put your trust in Jesus You are free from sin (...

During some periods of time when the world seems particularly chaotic, I make myself turn off the news. Spring 2020 is a great example. I deleted social media from my phone and stopped scrolling through article after article of politically polarized perspectives of world events. The natural disasters, the pandemic, the divisiveness it was just too much. Our world is broken. But God is sovereign. H...

One spring night I woke up very early4:00 a.m. to be exactto booming thunder, flashes of lightning, and a downpour of rain. It was completely dark outside in the raging storm, but I heard something strange: the sound of a bird, a robin, singing. “How can that crazy robin be singing at four in the morning in the middle of a thunderstorm?” I wondered, wide awake in the dark. “Is the robin not worrie...

When Habakkuk observed what was going on around him in Israel, he saw a lot of people taking advantage of others and getting away with it. He wondered why God didn’t seem to take notice of this or do anything to stop it. God replied to Habakkuk’s prayer with the assurance that He had seen and would send the Chaldeans (also called Babylonians), a mighty enemy nation that worshipped other gods, to d...

The unexpectedly cool summer weather was perfect for an evening bike ride. But, only one block from home, things became not so perfect. A lady on the sidewalk was yelling at her Chihuahua to come out of the street just as I passed by. Instead of obeying, the little dog ran after me, barking ferociously. I panicked and began pedaling as fast as I could to get away from the tiny white menace, drifti...

A cup of coffee in one hand and her Bible in the other, Kalpana padded out onto the porch in her slippers to watch the sunrise. She sat down and took a noisy slurp of coffee, then leaned back and listened as a light breeze rustled through the trees. It was still dark, but a purple glow was beginning to form just above the horizon. She looked up at the night sky that would soon be lost to the risin...

King Nebuchadnezzar had no interest in God. As the greatest king of the world’s largest empire at that time (Babylon), he considered himself greater than the deity of the tiny nation he had conquered so easily (Judah). In fact, he was so convinced of his own divinity that he constructed a giant statue of himself and ordered all his subjects to bow to it; anyone who refused was thrown into a superh...

***This is a letter written in the style of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. In this fictional book, Screwtape, an experienced demon, teaches his nephew how to tempt a human into following the path of Satan instead of following Jesus.*** Greetings, fellow demon. I read in your last letter about how you have been trying to prevent your subject from attending church. While it is true that churc...

Echoes of my mistakes, In the silence reverberate Words, images haunting Memories, clinging taunting. Drifting in unexpectedly, Fears suffocate me, I cry out your name, Jesus, free me from shame. You take my fears, my fight, Dark echoes, flooded with light, My burdens you hold in your hand You know, you understand. Your love heals my tears, Your strength, carries my fears, Your mercy, reaches out...

Imagine your mind as one of your most precious treasures. When you possess something valuable, you want to guard and protect it from harm. This treasure that is your mind should be a safe place where your thoughts promote growth and healing, strength and wisdom. Our minds are the epicenter where we process new information, experience emotions, and make decisionsall things that contribute to our ov...

What if I told you that you have the power to change and inspire the world? God gave us all unique gifts to glorify Him in our own way. He made you the way you are for a reason, and if you allow Him to mold you, He can bring forth something truly wonderful from your life. You’re never too young to inspire others either; personally, I was just fourteen when I discovered I loved to write, and I’ve b...

The Corinthians passage above is a pretty common one that you might be familiar with. You may have heard it read at weddings or seen it printed above the fireplace at your aunt’s house. But I want you to focus on a few key words in the text: love is kind. Kindness can look differently in different situations. Maybe your friend who you haven’t spoken to in a while needs encouragement; then kindness...

READ: ACTS 16:16-34; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:11-6:10 "On the outside, we may waste away, but in our hearts and minds, the King renews us. These troubles that we face are but a whisper compared to eternity.” Jamar’s eyes shone with conviction as he spoke, and the Chosen around him let the words of truth wash the weariness from their hearts. “One day, all of these hardships will be dispelled in the light of...

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4; HEBREWS 11:32-12:3 Bella reached shakily for another gem glinting beneath the dim lights of the mine. How long had they been down here? Jamar placed his hand on his sister’s shoulder and discreetly passed her a small cup of water. Bella smiled gratefully and quickly swallowed, looking out for the cruel eyes of the Inflictors. The Inflictors pressed them, working the Chosen t...

I have no reason to be ashamed For my perfect God bore my sin to save me I have no reason to live in fear When the Lord over all holds my hand I have no reason to doubt When I’ve seen God work in every area of my life I have no reason to worry Because the God of Peace is always by my side I have no reason to feel alone When the Creator of the world calls me friend I have no reason to feel worthles...

A soft answer turns away wrath. Pride goes before a fall. A cheerful heart is good medicine. You may have heard these sayings before, but did you know they (and countless others) originated from the Bible? They all came from the book of Proverbs, specifically Proverbs 15:1, 16:18, and 17:22. We hear the word often, but what exactly is a proverb? Well, a proverb is a generalized statement that appl...

When I was about eleven years old, I broke my arm. It was a nasty and complex fracture. Rehab afterwards was the worst part though. I remember during every physical therapy session, I would scream stuff like, Why me, God? Why? I really was asking God what I had done to deserve such pain. I don’t know about you, but sometimes life still feels dark and silent to me, as if God has forgotten about me...

Lupita collapsed on the ship’s deck with a shuddering gasp. The expansive crack in her helmet’s visor stood stark across her flickering navigation screen. She was just barely coming to terms with how much damage that last wave of attacks had done when she saw the blackened underside of the control panel. All the repairs she’d managed to make in that short time had been undone in a matter of second...

God cares deeply about our bodies. They are an important part of His good creation. Unfortunately, sin warps our view of the body. The enemy convinces us that we are only valuable if our bodies are thin enough, whispering lies about our identity in Christ. Food, which God designed as a source of joy and nutrition, becomes either an enemy or an idol, or both. This brokenness can lead to something c...

Patience is one of the greatest qualities a person can exemplify. It’s actually a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The patience of a person is admirable. God is very patient, and if you follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowers you to be patient too. Here are a few areas of life where you can practice patience. First, be patient with yourself. As you grow in your relationship with Christ and...

Disease. War. Famine. Disaster. Sickness. Poverty. Injustice. Discrimination. Open a newspaper, turn on the TV, or do an Internet search for current events, and at any given time, the world can turn into a depressing and hopeless place. When Jesus entered our broken world, He gave us an example of what it looks like to truly help others in love. When we were slaves to sin, far from Him, He saved u...

What’s a raider doing here? A tall recruit balled his fists, looking past the captain at the burly lizard-like figure in the bunkroom’s doorway. Stand down, Nash, barked the captain. He’s got an official pardon from the Throne. Anyway, we need everyone we can get. He looked back at the figure and pointed to an empty bunk. Settle in, Denzen. Training starts tomorrow. As the captain left, Denzen pla...

Are you a fast learner? Some people are able to learn new things without much effort. They are sometimes called gifted, and they seem to quickly achieve their goals. I am not one of those students. My steps toward a personal target are always slowa laborious journey based on faith, determination, and hope. At first, I believed I was unlucky and secretly envied those who were fast-paced go-getters,...