Being My Best for God E-Book

Kent Garborg

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Seitenzahl: 320

Beschreibung

"Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way…growing in the knowledge of God." —Colossians 1:10 NLT This 365-day devotional communicates the truths of God's Word in a language your child will understand. Each reading contains a Scripture with a brief meditation and a prayer to help your child apply these and other profound truths to his or her life: - I may not know what I'm good at yet, but I know I'm wonderfully made. - How do I let God be my friend? I talk over absolutely everything with Him. - The more I get to know Jesus, the clearer my picture of God will be. - The most important thing is not getting my own way, but letting God have his way. Help the special child in your life start and end each day with God!

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

BEING MY BEST FOR GOD

Copyright © 2017 Kent Garborg

Written by Kent Garborg with Debra Klingsporn

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5456-0 (blue faux leather)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5457-7 (pink faux leather)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5396-9 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the New Living Translation. © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the English Standard Version. © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version®. © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNB are taken from the Good News Bible. © 1994 by the Bible Societies/ HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., UK, and © 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com.

Typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at theDESKonline.com.

Printed in China

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Contents

A Note to Parents

January

January 1 The Most Important Thing

January 2 What’s Next?

January 3 Stumped?

January 4 God’s Answers

January 5 I’m Growing

January 6 I’m Handmade!

January 7 A True Friend

January 8 God First

January 9 God Knows Best

January 10 Best Friends Forever

January 11 Making God Happy

January 12 Talking and Listening

January 13 Making Things Clear

January 14 I’m Listening

January 15 Dying to Live

January 16 Hearing the Right Voice

January 17 Unwrapping My Gift

January 18 Being Happy

January 19 Being Different

January 20 Who Lives Inside?

January 21 Someone’s Always Watching

January 22 God, Help!

January 23 What Do I See?

January 24 First Place

January 25 Ever Wonder Why?

January 26 I’m in God’s Hands

January 27 Pulling Weeds

January 28 Fill Me Up

January 29 God’s Way Is the Best Way

January 30 Two Ears, One Mouth

January 31 Mission Accomplished

February

February 1 It’s Not a Secret

February 2 The Front of the Line

February 3 Everybody Should Know

February 4 Willing to Give It All

February 5 Follow the Leader

February 6 100 Percent

February 7 Getting to Know God

February 8 WWJD?

February 9 Tools

February 10 Seeing with Different Eyes

February 11 A Big God

February 12 God Cares

February 13 Good Thinking!

February 14 Keep on Trusting

February 15 Famous Last Words

February 16 Power

February 17 Shine, Jesus, Shine

February 18 Being Sorry

February 19 Doing Little Things

February 20 Why Pray?

February 21 Pleasing God

February 22 God’s in Control

February 23 Opinions

February 24 Love Lives Inside

February 25 Love Serves

February 26 Can I Trust Myself?

February 27 God Always Answers

February 28 Loving Jesus

February 29 Tell God

March

March 1 Say, “yes!”

March 2 #1

March 3 Real Love

March 4 I’m Not Too Young

March 5 Best Friends

March 6 Feelings

March 7 Nothing like God’s Love

March 8 Give Everything

March 9 No Turning Back

March 10 I’m God’s Child

March 11 Wait

March 12 Something Better

March 13 Being My Best

March 14 Perfect Way to Start the Day

March 15 It’s Not Always Easy

March 16 Confess Quickly

March 17 Winners and Losers

March 18 Washing Up

March 19 Have Faith

March 20 Good for Me

March 21 My Way? No Way!

March 22 One Thing Never Changes

March 23 Turn on the Light

March 24 Tough Stuff

March 25 Holy Means Happy

March 26 A Clear View

March 27 Walk Before Running

March 28 Knowing God Better

March 29 Give Thanks

March 30 God Knows

March 31 Pray for Others

April

April 1 Why Worry?

April 2 What’s God Like?

April 3 Back to the Future

April 4 Lord of All

April 5 One Way

April 6 So Much More

April 7 Someone to Teach Me

April 8 Born Twice

April 9 Knowing Jesus Personally

April 10 Say “no” to Sin!

April 11 Father and Child

April 12 Eternal Means Forever

April 13 Jesus Is Here to Help

April 14 What, Me Worry?

April 15 Never Forget to Exercise

April 16 Count on God

April 17 Just Do It!

April 18 No Job Too Small

April 19 Staying Close to My Friend

April 20 With God I Can

April 21 Questions?

April 22 Looking Up

April 23 I’ll Give It My All

April 24 Gotta Tell Somebody

April 25 Jesus, My Best Friend

April 26 Hard times Are Good Times

April 27 Learning to Ask

April 28 I’ll Always Trust God

April 29 Surprise!

April 30 God Gives Me Love

May

May 1 Ears to Hear God

May 2 It’s worth Waiting

May 3 What Does God Think?

May 4 Teach Me to Trust

May 5 Power to Obey

May 6 The Holy Spirit Speaks

May 7 A Wise Way to Pray

May 8 Holy Love

May 9 Think about It!

May 10 Make Right Turns

May 11 Others Need Love

May 12 Making Hard Things Easier

May 13 A Very Special Voice

May 14 Testing, Testing

May 15 Do It God’s Way

May 16 See Things from God’s View

May 17 Heaven Is My Home

May 19 With Me in Everything!

May 20 I’ll Never Give Up

May 21 First Things First

May 22 The Best Plan

May 23 God Cares

May 24 No Fear

May 25 How Will I Choose?

May 26 I Can Pray Anytime

May 27 Fill Me Up!

May 28 Q & A

May 29 Answered Prayer

May 30 Obey God Quickly

May 31 My Heart, God’s Home

June

June 1 God Changes Hearts

June 2 God Keeps Me Safe

June 3 Wanting What God Wants

June 4 I Can Hear God

June 5 Free from Fear

June 6 Walking with God

June 7 Jesus Is Lord

June 8 No Holding Back

June 9 God’s Life Makes Me Rich

June 10 The Right Reasons

June 11 Letting Go

June 12 Give Thanks

June 13 Living Water

June 14 Close to Jesus

June 15 New Life, New Habits

June 16 Living for Jesus

June 17 I’ll Be Careful What I Say

June 18 God Will Get Me Through

June 19 A Real Friend

June 20 Others Need My Prayer

June 21 Others Need My Care

June 22 Others Need My Forgiveness

June 23 God in, Sin Out

June 24 Sin Is Dangerous

June 25 Thankful for Trials

June 26 God Is Enough

June 27 God Doesn’t Make Mistakes

June 28 God Has a Plan

June 29 Making God Smile

June 30 A Good Night’s Sleep

July

July 1 No Excuses

July 2 Deep Love for Jesus

July 3 God’s Spotlight

July 4 What Really Matters

July 5 What to Do with Worry

July 6 My Life Is in God’s Hands

July 7 Saying “no,” Saying “yes”

July 8 Following God’s Footsteps

July 9 I’m Never Too Young

July 10 Give It Away

July 11 I Have a Gift

July 12 Gifts Are for Others

July 13 All for God, All the Time

July 14 Treat People like Jesus Did

July 15 Caring Is Giving

July 16 God Knows All about It

July 17 What Do Others See in Me?

July 18 Real Power

July 19 The Way to Live

July 20 “wait” Doesn’t Mean “late”

July 21 More than a Teacher

July 22 God More, Things Less

July 23 The Holy Spirit Lives in Me

July 24 The Holy Spirit Works in Me

July 25 Holy Spirit, Love in Me

July 26 The Holy Spirit Changes Me

July 27 Obey First

July 28 Today Is Important

July 29 Questions, Questions

July 30 Only God Is Perfect

July 31 Like a Tree, Straight and Tall

August

August 1 A Time to Pray

August 2 Why Do I Have Trials?

August 3 A Reason for Everything

August 4 God Can Keep Me Full

August 5 My Purpose in Life

August 6 Letting God Answer His Way

August 7 I Talk to My Best Friend

August 8 I Talk to My Father

August 9 God Likes to Visit

August 10 Praying in Troubled Times

August 11 Growing up with God

August 12 Strongin God’s Strength

August 13 God’s Quiet Voice

August 14 God Disciplines in Love

August 15 Signs of a True Disciple

August 16 Knowing Jesus Personally

August 17 What’s Best Isn’t Always Easy

August 18 I’ll Stick with It

August 19 Be Honest, Be Open

August 20 Leave Others up to God

August 21 The Strange Secret

August 22 God’s Power in Me

August 23 A Time and Place to Pray

August 24 Confess, Then Pray

August 25 Deep Love

August 26 Deep Peace

August 27 Walk Where There Is Light

August 28 Prayer Is like Food

August 29 Making Weak Faith Strong

August 30 God Will Use Me

August 31 Deep Joy

September

September 1 Clean Inside

September 2 Jesus Inside

September 3 Make Me a Blessing

September 4 I’m God’s Property

September 5 I’ll Be a Good Listener

September 6 A River of Blessing

September 7 More and More of Jesus

September 8 God’s Way Is Always Best

September 9 Good Habits

September 10 God Sees Everything

September 11 Simple Things, Right Attitudes

September 12 I Can Pray Anytime

September 13 Say “no!” to Being Selfish

September 14 Don’t Be Confused

September 15 Follow God, Not Others

September 16 Find a Special Place to Pray

September 17 Say “no!” to Temptation

September 18 Satan Is a Tempter

September 19 Satan Is a Liar

September 20 Living a Life That Wins

September 21 Enjoying God Every Day

September 22 Jesus Sees My Heart

September 23 Jesus, My Master

September 24 God’s Searchlight

September 25 The Impossible Is Possible

September 26 Who Do I Need to See?

September 27 I’ll Be Loyal

September 28 Who’s Most Important?

September 29 I’ll Tell the Good News

September 30 Everything’s Good

October

October 1 God Is Closer

October 2 I’m Walking by Faith

October 3 I Know God and He Knows Me

October 4 God Knows Me Inside & Out

October 5 I Choose Life

October 6 Jesus Helps Me Live

October 7 Turning from Wrong to Right

October 8 Prayer Starts Each Day

October 9 God Forgives

October 10 I Learn by Obeying

October 11 God Hears My Prayers

October 12 Is Anyone Looking?

October 13 God’s Work, God’s Way

October 14 I Am a Disciple

October 15 I Am a Missionary

October 16 I Love the Good News

October 17 Pray Then Tell

October 18 Because I Love

October 19 Spreading the Good News

October 20 Your Love Is Amazing!

October 21 Who’s in Control?

October 22 Alive in Your Spirit

October 23 Inside Out

October 24 Life in the Spirit

October 25 God, Remake Me

October 26 God Calling

October 27 Power to Change

October 28 It Is Finished

October 29 Jesus Makes Me Clean

October 30 Believing What I Can’t See

October 31 Faith Fights

November

November 1 I Belong to God

November 2 A Life of Love

November 3 The Cross in My Life

November 4 Doing What I Know to Do

November 5 No Shortcuts

November 6 What It Means to Believe

November 7 It’s under Control

November 8 I Am a Temple

November 9 Spirit and Word

November 10 Listening to God

November 11 Obey, Don’t Delay

November 12 Everything New in You

November 13 Worship Starts in the Heart

November 14 He’s by My Side

November 15 Keeping Jesus in View

November 16 Being Great or Being Famous

November 17 God Is the Best

November 18 How to Be Free

November 19 The Miracle of Forgiveness

November 20 Forgiveness Means Love

November 21 The Cost of Forgiveness

November 22 Enjoying God

November 23 Distractions

November 24 I’m Staying Focused

November 25 The Cross Means Forgiven

November 26 The Cross, God’s Power

November 27 The Cross and the World

November 28 Free Means Free

November 29 More than Just an Example

November 30 The Impossible Is Possible

December

December 1 The Law Is a Light

December 2 Helping Others Want God

December 3 God’s Kingdom: Unshakeable

December 4 Staying Spiritually Healthy

December 5 Keeping My Temple Clean

December 6 Everything I Need

December 7 All Sin Is Against God

December 8 God’s Blessings Are a Gift

December 9 I Hate Sin

December 10 A Living Sacrifice

December 11 Wanting God’s Way

December 12 Agreeing with God

December 13 A Deep Way to Pray

December 14 Obedience Brings Peace

December 15 God’s Word in My Heart

December 16 Word, Spirit, and Prayer

December 17 Waking up Others

December 18 Pray and See

December 19 God’s Tender Heart

December 20 The Only Hope

December 21 The Unseen World

December 22 God Can’t Choose for Me

December 23 Close Friends

December 24 Live Secure, Avoid Danger

December 25 From Outside to Inside

December 26 Light Is My Friend

December 27 God, Take Control

December 28 Childlike Faith

December 29 Between Me and God

December 30 The Real Superman

December 31 Living for God Toda

About the Author

To Hudson Trygve Gorrie, our first grandchild.

It was our love for each other that fanned the spark of this idea into a flame.

A NOTE TO PARENTS

These daily readings were inspired by the classic Christian devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.* If I could only have one other book besides the Bible, it would be My Utmost. If you don’t have a copy of the original devotional, I urge you to get ahold of one and begin reading it daily.

Several years ago, while wondering how to get my own children and grandchildren exposed to the deeper truths of the Christian gospel, the idea for this book came to mind. I spent four months reading and re-reading the words of Chambers. Then I began writing down thoughts that were sparked by each selection. In some cases these thoughts paralleled Chambers’ ideas, only in a language I hoped would be easier for children to grasp.

In other cases, ideas were sparked in my mind that were not directly aligned with the teaching of My Utmost. They moved in a different yet complementary direction. In some cases, my writings may not even seem to agree completely with the theology expressed in My Utmost for His Highest. I’m not a theologian, and so that was not intentional.

When the project was complete, I asked my friend Debra Klingsporn to write a prayer or activity for each daily selection. She did a marvelous job. Her prayers added an element I felt necessary to assist readers in applying the daily message to their lives. I think you’ll agree.

Two final comments: First, some of these selections will stretch young readers. They may struggle to understand the truths presented. All I can say is that Chambers’ original work still stretches me as an adult. I read his devotionals over and over, year after year, and they continue to challenge me. I hope your kids will do the same.

Second, I encourage you to be reading My Utmost as your child is reading Being My Best for God. I believe this practice will lead to profound discussions of some very deep issues that may enlighten both you and your child. Furthermore, if you are processing the daily readings by Chambers, you will be better able to assist your child in coming to a deeper understanding of God’s ways.

May God bless you and bless your child as you take this journey together.

—Kent Garborg

*If you do not know who Oswald Chambers is or are unfamiliar with his work, pick up a copy of Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God: The Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest, by David McCasland (Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI).

JANUARY

JANUARY 1

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD.

Psalm 19:14

Knowing God and finding out how he wants me to live is the most important thing in life.

Because God is God, being my best to please him is what life is all about. I may want to please my friends, my teachers, or my parents, and that’s okay. I just don’t want to worry more about what others think of me than what my heavenly Father thinks. He is the most important.

If I want to be my best for God, I will not always demand what I want when I want it. He will give me the patience to wait for his perfect will and timing. And if I will learn to be patient, he will put his desires in my heart. That means he’ll help me want what he wants for me. Then it will be easy to please him. I’ll want what he wants, and he’ll give me the patience to wait for his best.

God, I’m not really sure I know what “knowing you” means. It would be so much easier if you were right here in front of me. Help me learn what being my best to please you really means. I want to know you, God. Amen.

JANUARY 2

WHAT’S NEXT?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5–6

The secret to trusting God is believing the truth about him and about me. The truth about God is that he is completely loving and dependable. He will never fail me. The truth about me is that I am created to totally depend on this loving and totally dependable God.

If I really believe God is who he says he is—all loving, wise, and powerful—I never need to worry. I may not always know what is going to happen or what I am supposed to do next, but God knows what is coming. He knows everything! He can do anything! I can trust him completely and forever!

God, I don’t always know what’s coming next. Sometimes I’m scared about many different things, but I’m going to trust you. The Bible tells me to trust you even when I’m not sure what you are doing in my life, so today, I’m going to trust in your love, knowing I can count on that no matter what. Amen.

JANUARY 3

STUMPED?

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Sometimes life is hard to figure out. I may go through a confusing experience. I might feel like I’m in the dark, and I don’t know where to turn or what to think. God wants to use those times to show me how great he is and how much he loves me. He wants to prove to me that he can be trusted.

God is God! I will never completely figure him out. That’s why he sent Jesus, a human being just like me. Jesus is God’s picture of himself. The more I get to know Jesus, the clearer my picture of God will be. If my picture of God is clear, I will still trust him even when I am confused about life. In time he will give me all the understanding I need.

God, I want to know you, but sometimes when I pray it feels like nobody is listening. Sometimes the Bible has a lot of confusing words and weird phrases that don’t make much sense to me. Does faith mean trusting you with everything I don’t know and believing that one day all my confusion will be gone? I hope so, God, because I know you love me and you’re with me. And that’s enough for today. Amen.

JANUARY 4

GOD’S ANSWERS

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:4–5, 7

God doesn’t always answer my prayers right away. That doesn’t mean the answer is “No.”

It might mean God wants me to learn patience.

Learning to be patient means knowing God is always right on time. God never answers too early or too late. Whenever God says, “Wait,” it is usually because he wants to do something in me, to teach me something. That is more important than immediately giving me what I want.

Whenever I get impatient and try to run ahead of God, I stumble. I want to learn to wait. I want to learn that what God is doing inside of me—in my character—is more important than what is happening outside of me and in my circumstances. I want to kick back and relax in the knowledge that God is always right on time.

God, if answers to my prayers don’t come quickly, help me be patient and wait. I know you will give me the desires of my heart, but not necessarily now and not necessarily all at once. Amen.

JANUARY 5

I’M GROWING

So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way … growing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:10

To God, growing up isn’t just getting bigger, stronger, smarter, and more able to take care of myself. Nor is it just not having to depend on my parents or teachers. Being grown up doesn’t mean, “I can do it myself” or “I don’t need anybody else.”

Real growing up means knowing God better and understanding how dependent I am on him.

God’s son, Jesus Christ, is the picture of a real grownup. Jesus gives me an example of how to live completely depending on God. Real growing up means I am learning to be more and more dependent on my heavenly Father. If Jesus is God’s example of what a real grown-up is like, then I want to learn how to live the same way he did.

God, I know I’m just a kid. There’s a lot I don’t know, but I do know growing up, both physically and spiritually, takes time, and that’s okay. Today, I trust in you, and I trust that in time I’ll understand you better. Amen.

JANUARY 6

I’M HANDMADE!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

Every talent or ability that I have is a gift from God. Sometimes I may compare myself to others and think, “I’m not very good at anything.” When I do that, I’m forgetting one very important thing: God made me just the way I am. I may not know what I’m good at yet, but I know I’m wonderfully made.

As I learn to trust God more, I begin to realize he made me unique—not like anyone else. Since he made me the way I am, I don’t need to compare myself with anyone else. I can just say, “Thanks for making me just the way I am!”

Dear God, sometimes I think my friends are smarter, more talented, or better at sports. But other times I think I’m better than other kids. I know comparing myself to other kids doesn’t do me any good, but I still do it. Forgive me when I do that. Help me remember to be who you created me to be. Thank you, God, for making me me! Amen.

JANUARY 7

A TRUE FRIEND

“I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15

Not only does God want me to know him as my Father, but he also wants me to know him so well that we can call each other friends. What do friends do? They hang out together and talk about things. Real friends can talk about anything. They have no secrets.

How do I let God be my friend? I can start by talking about absolutely everything with him. When I try to keep things hidden from God, it makes me uncomfortable around him. Telling God about everything is called “living in the light.”

The Bible says, “God is Light.” When I “live in the light,” I’m living where God is. Then we are close, like friends. He knows everything about me anyway, so I never need to be embarrassed about being totally honest with him.

Thank you, God, for loving me. Even though sometimes you seem too big to understand, thank you for sending Jesus to be my friend and for caring about little stuff (like a loose tooth) and big stuff (like being afraid of the dark). Amen.

JANUARY 8

GOD FIRST

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:27

God wants our relationship to be more important than any other relationship. If there is anything in my life more important to me than God, it will keep me from enjoying the best friend I could ever have.

For example, I may have friends who try to keep me from being my best for God. Or I can put other things ahead of God. Slowly, I may notice that I don’t want to spend as much time with God or that I don’t feel I need to be honest with him about what I am thinking and doing.

If this begins to happen I will want to stop and take the time to be totally honest with my most important friend. I want to put my relationship with him first. God wants to be my best friend.

Dear God, I’m not sure I know what it means to put you first. I’m almost afraid to ask you this, God, but does it mean you’re supposed to be more important than anything? God, I don’t think I can honestly say you really are more important to me than anything else. Help me know what it means to put you first—I don’t think I’ve got that part down yet. Amen.

JANUARY 9

GOD KNOWS BEST

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Philippians 2:13

The God who is my friend is the God who made everything—the early mornings, the late nights, the mountains, oceans, and sky, and every creature in them. God knows me better than I know myself because he made me too.

The reason I can surrender everything to him is because this incredibly great big God is my Father and my friend. He made me so that I would only be the happiest when I am the closest to him.

The deepest joy I can imagine is the joy of knowing him and being his friend. It’s hard to imagine, but this Creator-God wants to hang out with me. Like a true best friend, he will show me how to live for him because that is why he created me.

Dear God, thank you for making big things like elephants, waterfalls, and trees. Thank you for little things like ladybugs, sparrows, blooming flowers, and falling snow. Thank you, God, that you are at work in everything I see and feel and smell and hear. Forgive me when I’m grouchy and when I whine about little stuff. I forget that compared to your big world, I really am pretty small. And yet you love me. Your love is bigger than anything I can imagine. Amen.

JANUARY 10

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:5

When best friends keep secrets from each other, it hurts their relationship. The surest way I can protect my friendship with God is to tell him about everything, good or bad. Telling God everything is called “confession.” Confession is just being truthful about everything I have said or thought or done.

Whenever I am sorry for my behavior and confess my failures to God, he forgives me. Being forgiven is like getting a gift. All I have to do is accept it and say, “Thank you.”

It’s a great feeling to be honest and to know there are no more secrets keeping me from enjoying my best friend’s company.

God, forgiveness seems too easy. Is it really true that when I do something bad or when I hurt someone’s feelings all I have to do is tell you and you’ll forgive me? And there’s another thing I don’t understand about forgiveness. Why do I still feel bad even after I say I’m sorry or ask for forgiveness? Maybe what’s hard isn’t being forgiven but accepting forgiveness—and learning to forgive myself. Help me, God, learn to forgive myself. Amen.

JANUARY 11

MAKING GOD HAPPY

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

John 8:29

Every day the most important thing is to do what pleases God. When I understand that God is my best friend, doing what pleases him will not be difficult. I would want my best friend to be pleased with what I do. It is easy to want to please someone you love. But sometimes if I put God first, it might upset other people.

Some of my friends might not understand my friendship with God. They may not think friendship with God is important. They might not even want to be God’s friend. Even though I may be misunderstood, I want to keep God first.

I pray that all my friends want to know him too. I always want to do what pleases my heavenly Father, even though it might cost me an earthly friendship.

God, wanting to please you sounds so simple, but it seems so hard sometimes. At school I hardly remember to think of you. At home there’s usually so much stuff going on. When I’m in bed I usually remember to pray, but a lot of times I don’t know what to pray for. I really do want to do what you want me to do. Today, God, help me just remember to be grateful. Amen.

JANUARY 12

TALKING AND LISTENING

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.

Psalm 63:1

If God and I are truly best friends, we will want to spend time talking and listening to each other. The best way for this to happen is to set aside time to be alone with God each day. I will want to talk with him about whatever is on my heart and mind. But, I will also want to learn to listen.

Friendship with God is a two-way conversation. To hear what God has to say, I will need to be very quiet. Sometimes he will speak to me through his words in the Bible. Other times, I may hear him with “the ears of my heart.” That means I won’t hear God speaking out loud, but I will get a strong inner feeling or impression about something I need to do or something he wants me to know.

True friends are good listeners. I will learn to listen to God.

God, I know some things take time. I can’t rush a butterfly out of its cocoon or make wet paint dry faster. I’m guessing that learning to know you is one of those things that can’t be rushed. But, God, sometimes I wish it could. Sometimes I wish I could hear your voice. But for now, here I am. Be with me. Help me learn what it means to listen for your voice. Amen.

JANUARY 13

MAKING THINGS CLEAR

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

The longer I have a friendship with God, the better I will get to know him. The more I get to know him, the more time I will want to spend with him. The more time I spend with him, the more I will be able to hear his voice and learn how to live. And, yet, I will need to be patient with myself because it will take God some time to shape me into the person he created me to be.

Sometimes he will use unpleasant experiences, disappointments, sadness, and even sickness to teach me. He will also help me learn to listen. Even when I think I know God well, some things will still be confusing or painful. At those times, I will want to take the time to be alone with him.

I can ask for understanding or ask God to help me trust him, whether I understand or not.

God, when I try to listen quietly, I still hear a lot of noise—everything from the refrigerator humming to the stereo or TV in another part of the house. If the only way I can learn to know you is by learning to be quiet, then I think I’m in trouble! God, the truth is, when I try to be quiet and pray, I’m antsy and restless and distracted by everything! I’m willing to be patient, but I could use a little help. Will you show me how to be still and know that you are God? Amen.

JANUARY 14

I’M LISTENING

Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying,

“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

God will never force me to do anything. He never raises his voice to make me obey. He speaks softly. Whether or not I hear God speaking depends mainly on whether or not I am listening carefully. But it also depends on whether or not I am willing to obey him if he did speak to me. Do I really want to hear him? If I hear God speak, am I willing to obey him?

The people God chooses to do his work are those friends who are listening for his voice. His true friends have decided ahead of time, in their hearts, that they will do whatever he asks.

God is always calling me. Whether I hear him or not depends on whether my heart is saying, “Here I am!” The more willing I am to obey God, the more clearly I will hear his voice.

God, are you “calling” me to do something today? Moses or David or even Mary could have said no instead of yes. I may not know what you want me to do with my life yet, but I know I want my response to be a big “Yes!” Create in me, O God, a willing heart. Amen.

JANUARY 15

DYING TO LIVE

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Sometimes I will want to have or do things I know would not please God. That is normal.

Yet just like Jesus died and rose again, God wants me to die to any desires that are not pleasing to him. If I am willing to do that, I will come alive to a different way of life—his way of wanting and thinking and doing.

Am I willing to let God’s way be the only way? If I am, he will show me a new way of thinking and acting that is pleasing to him, even though it may seem uncomfortable to me at first. If I let him help me, obeying him will become as natural to me as breathing.

One of the greatest Christian teachers in the last hundred years, Oswald Chambers, said that being “new” in Christ was like having a “funeral” in our own honor. That means something like this: When a caterpillar spins a chrysalis, spinning the chrysalis is like having a funeral for the worm that he is. Asking Jesus to live in our hearts is like spinning a spiritual cocoon—we are asking Jesus to change us from the inside out. Then we can become the beautiful person God created us to be, just like a butterfly! Jesus, make me who you created me to be. Amen.

JANUARY 16

HEARING THE RIGHT VOICE

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1–2

God has a special purpose or “call” for my life. I can easily miss God’s call because there are so many other voices calling me—so many other things that pull my attention away from God.

The only way I will know God’s call or purpose for my life is by paying close attention, so I will hear God’s gentle, loving guidance.

Do I want to find the purpose for which God created me? Or will I risk missing God’s call because of the other things I want to do instead?

Dear God, it isn’t always easy to tell when I’m choosing to do things my way or your way. But I do know the choices I make matter: now, today, wherever I am, and whomever I’m with. They all matter to you. Help me know the difference between godly choices (those that please you) and selfish choices (those that might make you sad). Amen.

JANUARY 17

UNWRAPPING MY GIFT

Every good and perfect gift is from above.

James 1:17

When God made me, he created me with special talents and abilities, even before I was born. His plan for my life is to use the gifts he put in me. When I think about what I want to be when I grow up, I also want to know what those special gifts are. I can ask my parents and my teachers what they think my gifts are.

When I use those gifts in ways that help others, I am doing God’s will. I can enjoy serving and obeying God because I always get to use the gifts he has given me. Because God loves me, he always gives good gifts, and that makes my love for him grow.