Daily Devotional for July 15, 2021
A Deeper Love
Tears ran down Dedra’s cheeks as her father drove off. Today was the worst day of her life. Earlier that morning, her parents had sat on opposite ends of the couch and calmly spoke the words that tore her world apart. “We both love you, Dedra. We just can’t live together anymore.”
“You’ll spend weekends with Dad and weekdays with me,” said Mom.
Dad nodded. “We’ll go see different things in the city every weekend. We’ll have fun—you’ll see.”
After watching her dad drive away, Dedra went to her room and collapsed on her bed. She could no longer cry; she felt empty.
As the weeks went by, Dedra’s life fell into a new pattern. After school on weekdays, she and her mom spent the evenings together. On Fridays, her dad picked her up from school and took her to his apartment for the weekend. They did fun things in the city, but it just wasn’t the same as having him home.
One Friday, Dad called to say he couldn’t come. After that, Dedra only saw her dad one or two weekends a month. A few months later, when Dedra found out she was going to have a new family—her dad was getting married, and she would have two stepbrothers—she wasn’t quite sure where she fit in.
One day, Dedra accepted a neighbor’s invitation to go with her to church. Dedra listened as the teacher in her class talked about the love of God. Love comes and goes, thought Dedra. One day you’re a family, and the next day you can be lost somewhere in the middle. Tears began to well up, and she stayed in her seat after the other kids left.
“Can I help?” asked Mrs. Mason as she knelt beside Dedra.
“Love’s not like you said,” murmured Dedra. “My dad doesn’t love me like that.”
“Our heavenly Father’s love is not like human love,” said Mrs. Mason gently. “People often fail to love each other well, but God’s love is perfect. He loves us so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us so we could be His children, and He promises to always be with us.”
It would be great to have someone love me like that, Dedra thought, and she listened as Mrs. Mason told her more about Jesus. -Suzanne Eller
How about you?
Have you ever been let down by the people you love? Have family members or friends left you feeling hurt and alone? Your heavenly Father will never fail you. He loves you more deeply than anyone else does—even your parents. He loves you so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you so you could be part of His family. Nothing can ever get in the way of His perfect love for you. Trust in Jesus today!
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?