Daily Devotional for November 4, 2021
Both Glad and Sad
“I’ll say this week’s Bible verse first,” said Carlyn when her family gathered for devotions. “Psalm 119:72—‘The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.’”
“Very good,” Dad said. “Your turn, Hazel.”
“The law from your…um…from your words…” Hazel sighed. “Why do we have to learn a verse every week?”
“It’s important, Hazel, because it’s the Word of God.” Dad smiled. “When I was a kid, my mom made me memorize Bible verses. I must admit I felt the same way you do.”
“Then why do you make us do it?” Hazel demanded.
“Because I’m older and wiser now,” Dad replied. “My mother used to tell me a little story to show me the importance of learning Bible verses.”
“Tell it to us!” said Carlyn.
Dad cleared his throat and began. “A young man walking down a country road met a strange-looking old man. After they exchanged greetings, the old man pointed to the stones beside the road. ‘If you pick up some of those stones and put them in your pocket,’ he said, ‘you will be both glad and sad tomorrow.’ Curious as to how that could be, the young man picked up a few stones and put them in his pocket. He didn’t take many because stones are heavy and he didn’t want to carry the extra weight. Then he bid the old man goodbye.
“When the young man reached into his pocket the next day, he discovered that the stones had turned into precious jewels. There were diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. And so the young man was both glad and sad—glad for the jewels he had but sad that he had not picked up more stones.”
Hazel grinned. “Cool story, Dad, but what does it have to do with us learning verses?”
“Memorizing them may seem like an unnecessary weight to you now, Hazel, but the verses you learn will become like precious jewels to you someday,” Dad explained. “They’ll remind you that you belong to Jesus and that you can trust Him in every situation. You’ll be glad you learned them.”
Hazel nodded. “Okay,” she said, closing her eyes to help her focus. “Let me try to say this week’s verse one more time.”
-Barbara J. Westberg
How about you?
Do you memorize Bible verses? Whenever you learn a verse, you’re gaining something very valuable. The Bible is God’s Word, and by learning verses, you’re storing His words in your heart. They’ll always be there to remind you that Jesus loves you and will always be with you, no matter what troubles you face. Start collecting jewels from God’s Word. You can begin today by memorizing the Key Verse.
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?