Daily Devotional for January 11, 2019
Fox and Geese
Zoe and Karl and a few of their friends shuffled their feet through the snow to make a huge pie-shaped design. When it was finished, it looked like a giant wheel with eight spokes running through it. “All right!” said Karl. “Now we can play Fox and Geese. I’ll be the first fox, but I’ll catch one of you geese before you get to the safety spot in the center. Then you’ll have to be the fox.”
There was a lot of shouting and giggling as the kids romped in the snow. They used the escape spokes to get to the spot in the center, where they were safe until they dared to venture out again.
“You seemed to be having a good time out there,” Mom said when Karl and Zoe came in for lunch, “but every time I looked out, Bryan was the fox. Why didn’t you take turns?”
Karl laughed. “That was his own fault. Bryan always got caught because he tried to get as close to the fox as possible before running away.”
“And he never used any of the escape routes until it was too late,” added Zoe.
“That wasn’t too smart of him,” said Mom. “Though I think a lot of us do the same thing in life.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Karl.
“We all face temptations, but Jesus has given us escape routes. We can run to Him for safety, but sometimes we get too close to sin instead of running away. Then we get caught.”
“Like the time I walked home from school with the older kids even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea,” Zoe said, remembering the trouble she had gotten into a week earlier.
Mom nodded. “You could have escaped by walking with some of your other friends.”
“And the time I listened to people say mean things about another kid instead of walking away,” said Karl. “I laughed along with them and said some mean things myself.”
“You’ve got the right idea,” Mom said. “Jesus freed us from sin, and He always provides a way for us to escape temptation. And even when we do give in, we can always ask Him for forgiveness and stop doing it. We don’t have to get caught.” – Jan L. Hansen
How about you?
Do you run away from sin? Do you use the escape routes God provides? Jesus promises to always provide a way for you to escape temptation. His way never includes joining others in sin. Depend on Him to show you the way of escape. And when you do give in to temptation, confess your sin to Him and trust Him to forgive you and help you stop doing it.
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?