Daily Devotional for April 12, 2019
Butterfly Transformation
David trudged into the room where his teenage sister, Rachel, sat pinning a beetle into her insect collection display.
Rachel twirled around in her wheelchair and immediately noticed her brother’s frustrated expression.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked
David groaned. “Today was terrible! I got a D on my math test. I’m just so mad. I studied and everything! I mean, really—what’s the point of having to learn fractions?”
“Hmm . . . I think I might be able to help,” Rachel said. “Come look at my insect collection. Which ones do you think look the best?”
“Well, I guess the butterflies look the coolest. They’re really big and colorful,” David answered.
“I agree,” Rachel said. “But they didn’t start out that way, did they? You know that butterflies start out as caterpillars and have to spend time in a cocoon in order to be transformed. Our lives are the same way. Sometimes we have to go through dark times, but God uses those hardships to make us more like Jesus.”
“How can stinking at math possibly be something God uses to make me more like Jesus?” David asked skeptically.
“Well, sometimes it’s hard to see, but God can use everything that happens in our lives—even bad things—to make us more like Jesus. Take me, for example. Sometimes it’s really hard to feel so different from everyone else and not be able to walk, but I know God is using this wheelchair to teach me to be more patient and compassionate and to help me trust Him through anything. Sometimes being in a wheelchair makes me feel like I’m in a dark cocoon, but I know God is using it to make me more like Him. So what about you? How can struggling with fractions help you be more like Jesus?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I guess I’m learning to persevere even when things are hard,” David answered. “And I’m learning to be patient even when it takes a long time for math to click and more willing to help others when I finally understand it.”
“Good thinking,” Rachel said. “God uses everything we face to form us into the image of His Son—even wheelchairs and . . .”
“A D on a math test,” David said with a smile.
How about you?
When you face hardships, do you look for ways God might be using those difficulties to make you more like Jesus? God often uses the things that happen in our lives to shape us to be more like Jesus so we can grow in our relationship with Him and show others His love. When you face a difficult situation, trust Jesus to help you through it and to use it to make you more like Him.
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