Daily Devotional for October 26, 2022
Flying Words
“Hey, Steve! Check out the progress I’ve made on my coloring book!”
Miffed by his little sister’s insistent nudge, Steve barked a quick-tempered, “Not now, Lily! Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep?”
“Guys, please try to get along,” Mom chimed in. “We’ll be at our next stop in just a few hours.”
“A few hours? You mean, for all that time, I have a choice between staring at cows or having to comment on coloring technique?”
Just as Steve let out a big sigh, a large dump truck pulled in front of his family’s van. He could just make out the words on the back, which read, “Driver not responsible for flying debris. Stay back.”
“What?” Steve exclaimed. “Did you see that sign? How can a truck launch a rock or whatever out the back of it and be completely inculpable?”
Dad, using an over-the-shoulder lane check to make brief eye contact with his son, said, “First of all, I can tell you’ve been working on those vocab words, so well done.”
Steve cracked a grin. He’d recently learned that inculpable was another word for innocent or blameless.
“And I’m glad you caught those words on that truck, because they remind me of something that happened just a few moments ago when you snapped at your sister,” Dad continued. “I know you’re tired. We’re all tired and cranky right now, but you chose to throw gentleness out the window because of that. If you think about it, it’s not much different from a truck not being responsible for what flies out of it at any moment, right?”
Steve was completely caught off guard. “I…I guess.”
Dad smiled in the rearview mirror. “That truck may not claim responsibility for what comes flying out of it, but we’re responsible for our words and attitudes toward others. And, because we trust in Jesus, we can control them. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, who helps us speak kind, loving words—even when we’re cranky.”
Pulling his gaze off a sea of bovines—another vocab word that meant cows—Steve shifted toward his sister. “Lily, I blew it. I let my words fly at you. I’m bored and tired, but that’s no excuse for how I spoke to you just now. Will you forgive me?”
“Course!” Lily grinned. “Want a gummy bear?”
-Sara Woodard
How about you?
Have you ever hurled unkind words at someone? Like rocks blown off a truck, flying words can cause serious damage and hurt people. But if you know Jesus, He gives you the power to control your words. Trust Him to help you speak to others with love and kindness—even when you feel tired and cranky.
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?