Daily Devotional for July 22, 2017
All Things Are Pawsible
“Mom,” said Noah, “Rexy had an accident on the welcome mat again.”
Mom made her way to the front door and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know what to do with that dog. He chews up everything in the house. He barks at the garbage truck. He digs under the fence. He’s out of control. I don’t think anyone can tame that tiny Chihuahua. Would one of you boys please take Rexy for a walk?”
“It’s Noah’s turn.” Micah tossed the leash to his brother.
“My turn? I just gave him a bath last night!”
“That wasn’t a bath. You just sprayed some of Dad’s cologne on him!”
“Well, you should use some of that cologne because you smell worse than the dog!”
Mom sighed. “Don’t you boys ever get tired of arguing? I think Rexy acts so crazy because he’s watching how you two act.”
“Oh, come on, Mom. We don’t bark at the mailman,” Noah said.
“But you bark at each other,” said Mom. “The way you talk to each other is just as out of control as Rexy. The Bible says people are able to tame all kinds of animals, but no one can tame the tongue.”
“So if the Bible is saying we have a better chance of taming Rexy than controlling what we say, why even try?”
“Because taming our tongues is important,” said Mom. “They may be small things, but they can cause huge destruction.”
Micah laughed. “That sounds a lot like Rexy!”
“The Bible also says that the words we speak come from our hearts,” Mom continued. “If we need to change our words, it means we need to change our hearts. And we can’t do that on our own.”
Noah thought about that. “You mean Jesus has to help us, right?”
“Right,” said Mom. “Only He can change your heart. Taming the tongue is only possible with Him.” Mom walked over to the puddle on the welcome mat and sighed. “And at this point, I think God’s the only one who can change Rexy as well.”
Micah smiled. “Well, the Bible does say that with God, all things are pawsible!” – Jared Hottenstein
How about you?
Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? Have you ever hurt someone by what you said to them? Words are powerful things, and Jesus wants you to use them to build others up, not tear them down. The next time you want to say something hurtful, remember how much Jesus loves that person and ask Him to help you love them too and keep your tongue under control.
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?