Daily Devotional for November 8, 2021
The Great Comforter
Grace held her golden retriever’s head in her lap and scratched behind her silky ears. But Blondie didn’t look up at her with big brown eyes like she usually did. Instead, she lay still, barely breathing.
“Why doesn’t God hear my prayers?” Tears flowed down Grace’s cheeks.
“He hears them,” said Mom. “But God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want Him to.” She stroked Blondie’s soft fur. They were waiting for the veterinarian to come to the house and put Blondie out of pain.
“Why is He letting Blondie die?” sobbed Grace.
Mom handed Grace a tissue. “Unfortunately, Gracie, this is a broken world, and brokenness leads to death. Until Jesus returns, there will always be death and sadness.”
“Then why bother praying?” Grace asked.
“Because we trust in Jesus, who came into our broken world and died on the cross to save us. He understands our pain, and even though He sometimes allows sad things to happen, He will send us peace and comfort to help us through it.”
Days after Blondie was buried, Gracie’s eyes were still red from crying. She wouldn’t play with her friends, and she didn’t want her favorite food, spaghetti.
That Saturday, Gracie was in her bedroom when she heard the doorbell.
“Gracie,” called her mom. “Come here!”
When Grace got to the front hall, she saw a man at the door holding a very dirty puppy.
“I’ve asked all around the neighborhood,” the man said. “But nobody recognizes him. No tags to identify his owner either.”
Mom looked closely at the dog. “Doesn’t seem like he’s been taken care of.”
“Guess I’ll take him to the animal shelter,” offered the man.
Grace looked at her mom. “Let’s keep him. Please?”
Mom raised her eyebrows, then smiled and nodded.
After they took the puppy to the vet for a checkup, Grace spent the afternoon bathing and playing with the little black dog. “We should call him Wiggles,” she said. “His back end hasn’t stopped wiggling!” She laughed as the puppy licked her hand, then she looked at her mom. “I still miss Blondie so much, but I’m so glad God brought Wiggles to us. Is that a weird thing to say?”
“No,” said Mom. “I understand—and so does Jesus. He shares in our joys as well as our sorrows.”
-Bonnie Carr
How about you?
Have you had something sad happen in your life? Did you pray about it and wonder if God heard you? He did, but that doesn’t mean He always answers in the way you want Him to. Because we live in a broken world, bad things sometimes happen. Jesus understands our pain and helps us through it. Trust Him to be with you in hard times—and to rejoice with you in happy times too.
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?