Daily Devotional for August 9, 2017
Hidden Fruit
The sun was just poking its head over the tops of the trees when Tess and her mother left for a walk in the woods near their new home. “I didn’t understand what Dad read in the Bible this morning,” Tess said. “Why can’t we just skip the parts of the Bible that don’t seem to say anything important?”
Mom thought about that. She was about to reply when Tess spotted some interesting bushes along the path. “Look, Mom,” she said. “Those are some kind of berry bushes, aren’t they?”
Mom stopped and peered at the bushes. “I think they might be, but I don’t see any fruit on them.”
Tess reached out and lifted some of the leaves. “Here! Underneath the leaves.”
“You’re right!” said Mom. “Those are wild blackberries! They’d taste great on our cereal—or just by themselves as a snack. How about running back to the house and getting a bucket so we can pick some of them?”
“Sure,” said Tess, and she ran back to the house.
Soon Tess returned with a pail, and she and Mom began to gather the ripe, luscious fruit. “I’m glad your sharp eyes noticed these,” said Mom. “I saw the green leaves, but I didn’t see what was hidden underneath them.” She dumped a handful of berries into the bucket. “Maybe that’s the answer to the question you asked a while ago.”
“You mean about skipping parts of the Bible?” asked Tess.
Mom nodded. “When we read the Bible, we don’t always see the important truths in a passage—just like I didn’t spot those berries. But when we take time to think about what it says, we often find some truth or bit of wisdom that helps us or teaches us something about Jesus. That’s why we read all the parts of the Bible. Does that make sense to you?”
“I think so,” Tess replied. “When we get back home, maybe I should read that Bible passage from this morning again.”
“Why don’t we read it together?” suggested Mom. “We can eat fruit from this bucket while we look for spiritual fruit in the Bible!” – Judith K. Boogaart
How about you?
Do you read all parts of the Bible? For daily reading, you may want to choose books or verses that are easy to understand. But remember that every part of God’s Word is important. When you read or hear more difficult verses, think about what they say and ask God to show you something you can learn from them. You can also ask for help from your parents, Sunday school teachers, and pastor.
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?