Read: James 1:13-16

Mitchell sniffed the air as he walked into the house. “Mmm, cookies! Can I have one, Mom?”

“Not right now,” said Mom. “They need to cool, and we’re going to be having dinner soon. You can have one for dessert after we eat.”

“Okay,” said Mitchell, but he looked longingly at the cookies as they cooled on the counter. They smelled so good, and he knew they tasted even better. He was still standing there, looking at them, when his mother took another cookie sheet from the oven. “The more I smell these cookies, the more I want one,” he said. “Can’t I just have a small one?”

Mom shook her head. “It would be easier to wait if you went somewhere else instead of standing there where you can see them and smell them,” she said. “Remember the Bible verse you learned last week?”

“You mean the one about God always providing a way to escape temptation so we don’t have to give in to it?” asked Mitchell.

“That’s the one,” said Mom. “And I think the way to escape this temptation is to go outside and play.”

“But cookies aren’t bad,” said Mitchell. “It’s not a sin to eat a cookie.”

“True,” said Mom, “but if you stay around the cookies long enough, you might give in to the temptation to eat one. And then you’d be disobeying me, which is a sin.”

Mitchell sighed. “Okay, I’ll go outside.” He left the kitchen and went out the door to the garage.

He was shooting baskets in the driveway when his mother called him to come in for dinner. “You were right, Mom,” he said as he sat down at the table. “The cookies quit bothering me after I got away from them. When I got busy doing something else, I forgot all about them.”

Mom nodded. “As Christians, we can always say no when we’re tempted to sin because Jesus freed us from sin, and it has no power over us anymore. But it’s still a good idea to get away from things that we know will tempt us. Sometimes that’s the best way to avoid giving in!”

–Pamela J. Kuhn

How about you? Is it hard for you to say no to sin? When you’re tempted to do something wrong, remember that if you trust in Jesus, He has freed you from sin, and you don’t ever have to give in to it. But it’s still a good idea to avoid putting yourself in situations where you know you’ll be tempted. Ask God for guidance in knowing when to stay away from something. When you do find yourself in a tempting situation, trust Him to show you a way out.

Today’s key verse: But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ERV)

Today’s key thought: Avoid temptation

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 11:33-36

“I think we’re going in circles,” Troy said as he and his dad and sister tried to make their way out of a corn maze. “I think we’ve been down this path before.”

“How can you tell?” Elinor asked. She looked up at cornstalks that were twice as tall as she was.

“Everything looks the same. Do you know the way out, Dad?”

Dad laughed. “At the moment, I’m not quite sure.”

“Hey, look!” shouted Troy. “There’s a platform-thing. We can climb up there and see where we are!” Sure enough, in the middle of the path was a high platform.

Troy and Elinor ran up the steps, and Dad followed them. Standing above the stalks, they could see the whole field. Elinor pointed. “There’s the orange flag at the end of the maze. We gotta go that way!”

“And look how far we’ve come,” said Troy. “With this a-maze-ing view, we can see we’re not going in circles after all.” They laughed at Troy’s joke.

When they had found their way out of the maze, Dad bought warm cinnamon doughnuts and hot apple cider. They settled down on hay bales to enjoy their snack. “Dad,” Troy said, “why do you think God is having us move to another state for your job? I like it here!”

“Yeah,” said Elinor after a sip of cider. “We have so many friends here—and we like our church so much! Why would God want us to move?”

“I don’t know,” Dad replied. “We don’t always understand the way He leads, but you know what? Our lives are something like a corn maze. Remember when we stood on that platform? We saw the whole maze—where we’d been and where we needed to go. That’s how God sees us—He has an a-maze-ing view too! He sees our lives from beginning to end. The way God leads us may not make sense to us, but He has a different view.”

“I guess that’s why He tells us to trust Him,” said Troy.

“Exactly,” said Dad. “We don’t see all that will happen, but God does. And He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us so we could have eternal life with Him. We can trust Him and accept this move as part of His plan for our family.”

–Jennifer Quackenbush

How about you? Is there something in your life that doesn’t make sense to you right now? Do you feel all alone? Turn to God for comfort and peace. You may not understand the things that are happening, but He does. He sees things more clearly than you do, and He’s working in your life. He loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you, and He will be with you no matter what. You can trust Him.

Today’s key verse: Trust in the Lord with all your heart…In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Trust God with your life

Read: Lamentations 3:25-26; Romans 5:1-5

Hudson cast his line into the water. The bait landed with a small plop. On the other end of the boat, his grandfather quietly held his fishing pole. All was silent except for the sound of crickets chirping.

Suddenly, a loud squawk split the misty air. The sound came again, and Grandpa pointed across the bayou to an owl perched on the top branch of a tall tree. A large crow circled him, squawking.

“What’s that crow’s problem?” asked Hudson.

Grandpa shrugged. “The owl might be sitting too close to the crow’s nest. Or maybe the crow is just pestering the owl and keeping him from sleeping. Crows do that kind of thing sometimes.”

Hudson watched as the black bird swooped again and again, its harsh cries filling the swamp. Only the owl’s head moved as it turned to watch the crow. “I wish that crow would go away,” he said. “Can it hurt the owl?”

Grandpa shook his head. “Not likely. God gave owls what they need to protect themselves—strong wings and sharp talons. If the crow gets too close, he’ll be in trouble, and he knows it. See how he stays at a safe distance?”

“Yeah, but if I were the owl, I’d fight or fly away,” said Hudson.

Grandpa chuckled. “Maybe the owl knows the crow will get tired and go away after a while.” He pulled up his line and cast it out again. “You know, we could learn a lesson from that owl. Instead of getting flustered and upset when things happen that trouble us, we can quietly look to Jesus and trust Him. We can ask Him to show us if there’s something we should do to change the situation or if we just need to patiently wait for Him to work things out.”

“Because Jesus promises to work everything out for good, right?” said Hudson.

Grandpa nodded. “He died and rose again to save us, and that means we can trust Him. Even when our problems don’t go away, He’s still with us, and He promises to come again one day and end all our troubles forever.”

Hudson turned his attention back to his fishing line. A little later, he realized it was quiet again. “Hey, Grandpa,” he said with a smile, “the crow is gone!”

–Debra W. Smith

How about you? Are you troubled by something happening in your life or in the world? Life can be scary and hard at times, but you can rest knowing that God is in control of every situation. Trust Jesus to help you act wisely and show others His love in times of trouble. Remember that He is with you even in the hardest situations and trust Him to give you peace.

Today’s key verse: Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Be patient and trust Jesus