Daily Devotional for November 13, 2020
No Fish Food
“Beans! What are you doing?” Samantha’s cat was doing his best to open a bottle
of fish food on the counter. “You’re naughty,” Samantha said, scooping up the chubby cat. “Why do you want that so bad anyway? It’s not for you.”
As she put Beans down, Samantha caught sight of her soccer cleats lying near the door. She let out a long sigh, but she was distracted by Beans jumping right back onto the counter. He chewed at the bottle’s lid.
“What a leap!” Samantha’s older sister, Alexis, had just walked into the room. “We should call him Jumping Beans.”
Samantha picked up Beans and sighed again.
“Well, I thought it was funny,” Alexis said, walking over to scratch Beans’s ears. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I got cut from the soccer team,” Samantha muttered.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Alexis said, squeezing Samantha’s shoulder. “I know you really wanted to play this year.”
Samantha felt tears coming. “I practiced so much. And I prayed so hard that God would help me. Why would He let me get cut?”
“I don’t know,” said Alexis. Samantha wiped her eyes. “Why don’t you let Beans eat the fish food?” Alexis asked.
Samantha stared. “Because it’s for fish, not cats! He has to eat the food we give him.”
“But he really wants it.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know it’s wrong for him. Do you, silly cat?”
Alexis smiled as Beans purred. “Maybe you’re in a similar situation.” She walked over and shut the fish food into a cabinet over the aquarium. “Sometimes I think God has to take things we want away from us because He knows we need something else.”
Samantha set Beans on the empty counter. He looked around, meowing.
“Beans doesn’t understand why he can’t have what he wants,” Alexis continued. “And you might never know why you got cut. But even though you’re disappointed, remember that God knows what’s best for you, just like we know what Beans needs. He loves you and promises to work out everything for good. Trust Him, even when you’re disappointed.”
Alexis grabbed a bag of cat treats and shook it. Samantha couldn’t help but smile as Beans rushed to Alexis’s side. • Katelyn Van Kooten
How about you?
Do you wonder why things don’t go the way you plan, even when you pray about it? The Bible says that God is your good Father. He knows what’s best for you—even better than you do. He’s the one who made you, saved you, and promises to work out everything in your life for good. When sad and disappointing things happen, you can still trust Him.
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