Daily Devotional for January 20, 2019
Stay Away
Evan’s mother was shaking him gently, and he struggled to wake up. He sat up and opened his eyes wide. “I had to run!” he said in a shaky voice.
“I heard you yell,” Mom said. “What were you running from?”
Evan took a deep breath. “I must have been dreaming, and…and soldiers were shooting at me!”
“What did you watch at Carter’s last night?” Mom asked. Evan told her the name of the movie, and she frowned. “Didn’t I tell you not to watch that one?”
Evan lowered his eyes. “Yeah, but everyone else did, so what else could I do?”
Mom looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you remember hearing Grandpa talk about how he stopped drinking? Once he realized he was an alcoholic and got help, he knew just one drink could set him back a long way. So, whenever he had to go near a bar or liquor store, do you remember what he did?”
Evan thought for a moment. “He’d cross the street to avoid it.”
“Right,” said Mom. “Grandpa depended on Jesus to help him quit drinking, but he knew it would be difficult to resist temptation if he went anywhere there was alcohol.”
“I guess being around alcohol would make it a lot harder not to drink,” said Evan.
“Yes, and Grandpa never went into a bar again as far as I know,” Mom said. “He stayed sober for the rest of his life. Now, how does that apply to you?”
Evan frowned. “Are you saying I shouldn’t go to Carter’s house anymore?”
Mom shrugged. “Well, think about it. There have been several times when you’ve watched movies at Carter’s that you knew you shouldn’t be watching. Don’t you think it might be a good idea not to go there unless you have definite plans to do something other than watch TV?”
Evan was quiet for a moment. “Would it be okay to invite Carter over here more often?” he asked.
“That’s a great idea.” Mom tucked the blankets around Evan. “If you let Him, Jesus will help you make the right choices. But you need to do your part by not putting yourself in the way of temptation.” – Karen R. Locklear
How about you?
Are there places where you find it hard to do what is right? Situations where you feel pressured to lie, cheat, gossip, look at bad internet sites, or do something else that’s wrong? The Apostle Paul told Timothy to flee from things like that, and that’s good advice for you too. Stay away from situations where you know you’ll be tempted, and trust Jesus to give you the strength to do what is right.
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?