Daily Devotional for September 21, 2022
The Right Bait (Part 1)
Natalie dropped her backpack on the floor with a loud thud. “I can’t believe Dominick!” she exclaimed. “You remember how I told you I couldn’t find my calculator yesterday?” she asked her mom. “Well, it turns out Dominick stole it! Miss Patel saw it sticking out of his backpack, and he admitted he took it off my desk when I wasn’t looking.” Natalie sat down heavily on a kitchen chair, making it squeak. “What’s wrong with him? He says he’s a Christian, but he sure doesn’t act like it sometimes!”
“I’m sorry to hear he stole your calculator,” Mom said. “Did you talk to him about it?”
“Yeah, and he said he was sorry,” Natalie replied. “But he’s done things like this before. I just don’t understand why he would want to steal something that doesn’t belong to him.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re not tempted to steal other people’s things,” Mom said. “But remember, the things that tempt you probably don’t tempt him.”
“What do you mean?” Natalie asked.
“Remember when Dad went fishing for bluegills last week?” asked Mom. “Do you remember what kind of bait he used?”
Natalie made a face. “Yeah—it was those gross red worms. Dad says bluegills like them, but if I were a bluegill, I’m sure I’d rather have a nice little minnow. I’d rather eat a fish than a worm any day!”
Mom laughed. “But the bluegills wouldn’t, and that’s my point exactly. Different fish are attracted to different bait. A good fisherman knows the right bait to use.” She paused. “In that sense, Satan is a good fisherman, because people are like that too. Something that tempts one person may not tempt another, but we’re all tempted by something. We need to be aware of what Satan might use as bait to get us to sin. Dominick seems to be tempted to steal, which doesn’t appeal to you, but you sometimes say very unkind things to your brother when he does something that bothers you.”
Natalie blushed. “You’re right. I guess I’m tempted by different bait than Dominick is.”
“We’re all tempted by different things,” Mom said. “But Jesus promises to forgive all our sins and help us resist temptation. And we need to forgive and help each other too.”
-Hazel W. Marett
How about you?
What temptations do you struggle with? Cheating? Gossiping? Disobeying your parents? We might not all go after the same bait, but we all struggle with sin in some way and do things that are wrong. If you know Jesus, He forgives your sin and gives you the power to resist temptation. Trust Him to help you do that, and show the same grace to those whose struggles are different from yours.
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?