Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: GENESIS 2:7; 1 KINGS 19:11-13; JOHN 3:8; ACTS 2:1-4

 

The Wind is a song that echoes free

Bringing my Savior close to me.

In my soul I hear Him say,

“I AM here, not far away.”

 

The Wind is a song that echoes true

Singing, Christ, my Lord, of You.

The living breath is breathed above

Defying death and sending love.

 

The Wind is a call

of brightening hope

Though I search in thought

...

READ: JONAH 1-3; LUKE 15:1-7

Picture this: God asks me to go to a new school. You know, the one all the way across town. I’ve never visited. I have no friends there. A new kid, let alone a quiet kid like me, could be turned into creamed cauliflower before lunch. And, as if changing schools isn’t enough, God wants me to talk to the people I meet— and tell them about Jesus. I’m a goner.

...

READ: MATTHEW 7:3-5; LUKE 6:27-49; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7-12

Once when I was driving home, I spotted a new sign in someone’s yard. The huge letters read: “I found your nose. It was in my business again.” The sign stayed for several years until it was taken down. Recently, my family and I noticed it was back again! Of course, we found this pretty hilarious. But it also reminded me about h...

READ: EXODUS 3:1-15; 4:10-17; GALATIANS 5:22-23

Inadequate. Unworthy. Unequipped. As I spent my first few days counseling at a local Christian camp, these words were never far from the edge of my thoughts. It was as though the devil were whispering discouragement into my ear. Who are you to be here, trying to speak the truth into the lives of these children? You always have trouble tr...

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-13

As we approach the first day of school, there can be lots of anxiety. You might have been bullied last year, and you’re scared to have to go back to your nightmare. Or you might be going to a new school, and you’re worried about having to meet new people and start over. Or maybe you’re just nervous about the stress of your schoolwork.

In my...

READ: PSALM 147; ISAIAH 40:10-12, 25-31; MATTHEW 10:26-31

Stargazing is one of my favorite things to do with my sister. We try to identify the planets and look for the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and Orion, but our favorite stars to look at are the small V-shaped group. In it are two stars that look close together. We refer to them as our “bestie stars.”

Standing in the night,...

READ: PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11

Today’s poem is rooted in some of the names of God we find in Scripture. These names point to both His eternal greatness and His servant-like humility. I just can’t get over these “opposite but not” attributes of our unfathomable God! The more I dwell on them, the more I am astounded at the depth of His love. Only a great and immortal God could love so sacrificia...

READ: EPHESIANS 4:25-32; HEBREWS 12:14-15

Apart from watching my brothers play baseball and basketball, I wasn’t much of a sports fan as a kid. Then at 19, I decided to try something new. I applied to join the group of girls who supported the baseball team at my college. I hadn’t developed a new interest in baseball; I simply wanted to find a fun activity.

Surprisingly, I passed th...

READ: JOHN 3:16; 15:13; ROMANS 5:6-11; 10:9-10

Have you ever known somebody who was really sick and needed a new kidney? We are born with two kidneys, like how we’re born with two lungs, but if we don’t have at least one healthy kidney, our bodies can’t clean up all the toxins that collect in our blood. Thankfully, some people who have kidney disease can go into a doctor’s office regu...

READ: PSALM 56:8; ISAIAH 25:8-9; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5

A single tear falls with a splat onto the hard floor. You think it’s insignificant—until you remember that He cares.

God sees each tear that you cry. He will one day wipe every tear from your eyes.

The tears you cried on your pillow at night when you were too sad and lonely to do anything else. He saw those tears.

The tears...

READ: ISAIAH 9:2; 42:6, 16; 2 CORINTHIANS 4

In Israel in 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd was bored while tending his goats. To amuse himself he picked up a stone and threw it into a cave. To his amazement the sound of something breaking echoed about him. He investigated and stumbled upon clay jars with scrolls in them. He had discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the most ancient co...

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 20:1-30; PSALM 149

Sweat stung my eyes as I practiced the intricate steps of my deadly dance. For the final step, I had always had trouble remembering not to hold my breath, so I imagined myself blowing a dandelion and scattering the seeds as I leapt into the air, swinging my sword in a wide arch.

“You are ready,” Uyanga bowed her head in approval before turning ...

READ: PSALMS 3:5; 4:8; 127:2; ISAIAH 26:3-9

The darkness of night is a reminder to be still and quiet. When I am in bed, there is nothing I can do to change my life or situation. When worries come up, I cannot fix them. That is not the time to consider all that is bothering me or all that I need to do.

When night comes, it is time to ask God to take my worries and fears and help me...

READ: EXODUS 35:30–36:3; ROMANS 12:4-8; EPHESIANS 2:10

Do you ever feel unimportant, maybe a little invisible? Like you can’t make a difference? These feelings come from our enemy, Satan. If we feel small, he is doing his job well. But God encourages us to be led by what He says about us, not by how we feel. Our feelings aren’t always based on the truth, but His Word is truth. And, li...

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:9-10; 1 JOHN 3:16; 4:19

For my birthday one year, I expressed a desire for a chia pet. I’m not sure what appealed to me about these plant “pets.” They consisted of a clay flowerpot, usually shaped like an animal, that you filled with water. The water soaked through to the exterior of the flowerpot where it would nourish chia seeds spread in...

READ: PSALM 139:13-18; JEREMIAH 31:3; LUKE 15:3-7

The sun is setting, and as the long grass sways back and forth in motion with the wind, a young woman is walking down a dirt road after having left her newborn baby by a tree in the woods. She hopes someone will soon find her. Tears run down her cheeks as she wishes she could provide for her baby, but she knows she can’t. Her life in A...

READ: RUTH 1:1-5, 15-22; 4:1-15

When I’m anxious or overwhelmed or I feel like everything is going from bad to worse, I tend to look for the nearest exit door. I want out, and I want it now. Maybe you do the same. When life gets tough, maybe you escape by scrolling, snacking, sleeping in, shopping, or skipping school.

In the book of Ruth, life got tough for a man named Elimelek, hi...

READ: JOSHUA 9; JAMES 1:5

In Joshua 9, a group of deceptive people come to the Israelites. They bring moldy bread and wear old clothes, saying that they have traveled far and that the bread was fresh and warm when they left home. The Israelites examine their provisions, and then they accept the lies. Instead of going to God and asking Him what to do, they believe their visitors. Only ...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; HEBREWS 4:9-10

 

Too tired to think,

Too tired to pray.

Where is life leading?

Too tired to say…

 

Perhaps at times you’re weary,

And your strength is near its end.

Remember then that He is there,

Your closest companion, most loving friend.

 

He’s there to give you all you need

And lovingly touch your heart with strength.

To smooth the rough edges of your thoughts

...