Daily Devotional for April 8, 2020
The Ketchup Bottle
“I still don’t see why we had to move,” Gwen complained to her brother as they walked home from school.
“Well, it’s not so bad here,” Liam replied. “The kids at our new school are pretty nice.”
Gwen scowled. “I don’t think so. Some kid bumped into me during lunch and spilled milk on my shirt. It left a spot. I told him what I thought of him!”
As they rounded a corner, Liam stepped in a puddle, splashing her.
“Hey! Look what you just did!” Gwen yelled, pointing to a few small spatters of mud on her pants.
“I’m sorry,” said Liam. “I didn’t even notice the puddle.”
“I don’t believe you, you liar!” Gwen said angrily before hurrying on ahead of him.
Gwen’s bad mood continued through dinner. She complained about the mud and the milk episodes. Then she looked down at her plate. “Oh, yuck! I put ketchup on my ham. I meant to use mustard.” Gwen sighed. “This will taste about as bad as the stuff they fed us in the cafeteria today. Meals at our old school were much better.”
“We’ve heard enough complaints, Gwen,” said Mom. “This move hasn’t been easy for any of us, but you’re the only one who continually grumbles about it.”
“Gwen, what comes out when you squeeze the ketchup bottle?” asked Dad as he held it up.
“Ketchup, of course,” said Gwen.
“And what comes out if you squeeze the mustard bottle?” asked Dad.
Gwen rolled her eyes. “Mustard, Dad!”
Dad nodded and set the mustard and ketchup bottles down in front of his plate. “Whatever is inside comes out. Our whole family was squeezed in this move. How we react says a lot about our relationship with Jesus and how we trust Him in difficult situations. The Bible says, ‘The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.’ Our words and attitude show what’s inside our hearts—whether it’s patience and kindness or anger and bitterness.”
Gwen stared at her plate, thinking about her dad’s words.
“Tomorrow is another day,” said Mom. “Let’s all remember that Jesus promises to always be with us and use everything in our lives for good, then trust Him to help us through this difficult move.” HOLLY F. CEPEDA
How about you?
What comes out of your mouth if you’re squeezed by something you don’t like? What you say shows what’s in your heart. Is your heart filled with love for God and others? Or is it overflowing with selfishness or bitterness? Talk to Jesus about it. Seek His help. Ask Him to change your heart and attitude so good things come from your mouth.
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