Daily Devotional for October 11, 2017
By the Book
This isn’t working!” said Alec. “Josiah is really good at math, and today he showed me how to do these math problems, but I still can’t figure them out.”
Mom walked to the table where Alec was doing his homework. “Doesn’t your textbook tell you how to do them?” she asked. “Let’s take a look at it to make sure Josiah gave you the right information.”
“Okay,” said Alec. He opened the book and found the chapter they were studying.
“All right,” said Mom. “Now try it one more time, Alec. Follow these directions step by step.” She pointed to the instructions listed in the textbook.
Alec started again. “Now it’s working!” he said a little later. “Josiah left out a step when he told me how to do these. Thanks for helping me, Mom.”
That evening, Dad asked Alec to read their family devotional out loud. “Read the Bible passage first,” he said, “and then the story.”
“But some of the words in the Bible are too hard for me, and I don’t know what a lot of the verses mean anyway,” said Alec. “Can’t I just read the story?”
“The stories help us understand the Bible passage,” said Dad, “but they’re not God’s Word. We need to read the Bible to learn about Jesus and know His truth and direction for our lives. Mom and I will help you with any hard words.”
Mom nodded. “Alec, think about what happened when you were doing your homework today,” she said. “You couldn’t get the correct answer going by Josiah’s directions, could you? They were missing a step, right?”
“Right,” replied Alec, “but when I followed the instructions in the book, I got it.”
“Exactly,” said Mom. “I’m sure Josiah meant to teach you how to do it the right way, but people make mistakes. That’s an example of the importance of reading God’s Word.”
“That’s right,” said Dad. “It’s important to listen to others who can help us understand what the Bible says, but we also need to read it ourselves to know what they say is true. God speaks to us through His Word, and He doesn’t make mistakes.”
Alec flipped through the Bible’s pages. “Okay. I found the verses for tonight, and I’m ready to read.” – Shelley L. Russwurm
How about you?
Do you find the Bible hard to read? Are some of the words difficult for you to understand? Keep on reading anyway! As you get older, it will become easier for you to read and understand. You can ask parents, teachers, and pastors to help explain what some of the verses mean. And be sure to ask God to help you understand the truth of His Word.
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?