Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: EXODUS 14:14; JUDGES 5:21-22; PSALM 20:7

O soul, march on in strength
Fear not the pounding steeds
Behold the King of Glory
The fulfills your needs.

O soul march on in strength
Though in horses some do trust
Though chariots are mighty,
The Lord will fight for us.

I love horses, and I wrote these stanzas based on Judges 5:21-22 and Psalm 20:7. They both talk about horses, and they both talk about how God is mightier than anything on earth we put our trust in. At the time these verses were written, a horse and chariot were among the most powerful and intimidating war weapons. They struck fear into the enemy, and the army commander trusted in them to win the battle. But sooner or later, the horses failed. And sooner or later, everything we trust in will let us down. Everything, that is, except for God. He will never let you down, He will never fail, He will always be there for you. He is in the battle with you. Jesus is the mighty warrior who came to fight for us—ultimately saving us through His death and resurrection. We can trust Him with our lives because He is faithful and trustworthy. • Macy Walts

• Is there anything in your life right now that you might be trusting too much in? Whenever we look to a created thing (or being) to be what only the Creator can be, we get into trouble (Romans 1:25). This is called idolatry, and it’s something all Christians struggle with, even those who’ve been following Jesus for many years. Thankfully, God is patient and kind as He draws us to daily lay down our idols and trust in Him above all else (Romans 2:4). Consider taking a moment to confess any idols that come to mind and lay them at His feet. What are you hoping these created things will provide? How might God be wanting to provide for you instead?

• Trusting in Jesus, the one who loves us unconditionally, is what brings true peace and hope to our lives. Everything and everyone else will let us down, but Jesus will never break our trust, never falter, never fail (Psalm 147:10-11; Isaiah 40:28; Zephaniah 3:17). He did what no one else could do—He lived a sinless life and died for our sins so that we could live. If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus, and what it means to belong to Him, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

READ: 1 KINGS 19; MATTHEW 11:28-30

Elijah is arguably one of the fiercest, most epic prophets of the Old Testament. God worked through him in so many ways. Called fire out of the sky? Yep. Raised the dead? Yep. Repeatedly matched wits with the evilest king in the historical nation of Israel? You know it.

But after a particularly public—and victorious—confrontation with idolatry, when he was directly threatened with death, Elijah got spooked. He took off, curled up, and wanted to die. He was convinced he was all alone, and that the weight of God’s call was just too much to carry.

While there are so many great elements to this story (including an angel reminding him to sleep and eat—which is terrific advice when we feel empty), I want to point out what else he did: he ran to the mountain of God and hid in a cave. Natural disasters raged outside, and for a time, he didn’t engage. He stayed hidden in God, knowing he had nothing in his own strength to give, that he was empty, facing his own internal disaster. He waited, until God called him out in a whisper.

As believers, there will be times when we face battles God has called us to— when we experience God working tremendous victories, even—and we’ll feel absolutely depleted and exhausted by them. There will be times when we’ll need reminders to sleep and eat and take care of our bodies—because we just don’t have the energy. Times when we need to hide out in God and trust that not every disaster or crisis is our responsibility to fix. That’s not apathy; it’s discernment.

Remember, only Jesus can be the Savior—and He’s already done everything that was needed through His death and resurrection. He will teach you to be wise in overwhelming seasons—to draw near to God and wait for the chaos in your soul to still, so you can hear Him whisper truth for what comes next. He has not abandoned you. • Abigail Aswegen

• When have you felt the most empty and depleted? It’s normal to feel this way, especially after intense trials or even intense victories. Feeling exhausted after serving the Lord doesn’t mean you failed, and it doesn’t mean you didn’t do it right. In these moments, Jesus invites us to come to Him and rest. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us, always ready to give us comfort and strength. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever is weighing on you today.

• When the problems of the world or the people around you feel too big, who is a trusted Christian in your life who can help you discern when it’s time to act in faith and when it’s time to rest?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-10; 1 PETER 3:15

How do we speak the truth of the gospel when the world doesn’t always value truth? When I consider the changes my country has made in the name of tolerance toward various beliefs and ideas, fear casts a shadow over my heart. Can you be both truthful and tolerant at the same time? How do you show love, yet also stand for what you know to be truth? Is there a different time and place to speak up and to remain silent? These questions keep percolating in my brain, and you might have had similar thoughts.

Here’s what we can always return to: What does the Word of God say? As children of God, our final authority on everything should be the Bible because it’s God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If something doesn’t line up with the Word, it isn’t true. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul talks about not twisting the words of the Bible but instead presenting “the truth plainly” (verse 2).

So then what does sharing the good news of Jesus look like? You might have heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” When talking to someone who may not share the same beliefs as you, remember to listen to them. Jesus is the best at being a good listener. He asks questions, even though He already knows the answers. It’s so good to read the Gospels—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and see how Jesus speaks to and treats the lost. Remember, we’re all lost without Jesus.

Colossians 4:5-6 advises us: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Through us, Jesus invites outsiders to become insiders. If we need wisdom, we can ask God, who is eager to give it (James 1:5). “Speaking the truth in love” means loving the person in front of us, no matter their beliefs (Ephesians 4:15).

As you love others through both words and actions, perhaps they will desire to know Jesus, the source of true freedom and the one who loves you both (John 8:32; 14:6; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:18). • Savannah Coleman

• Sometimes Christians talk about the tension between grace and truth. Jesus is full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). But, as Christians, many of us tend to find one easier than the other. Do you struggle more with being truthful or being gracious? Why do you think that is?

God our Savior...wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)

READ: NAHUM 1:7; ROMANS 8:28-39; JAMES 1:17

“God is good. All the time.” Have you ever heard Christians say this phrase to each other? Sometimes one person will say, “God is good.” And the other will respond, “All the time.” But what do these words really mean?

God’s goodness means He is both generous and merciful. The problem is, we don’t always feel like He is being good to us. Problem after problem chips away at us until we are exhausted. School, friends, family, jobs—they all demand pieces from us until we feel we have nothing left to give. Personally, I’ve been struggling with fear about finding a job after college. I’ve come across a lot of closed doors, and it’s a time of uncertainty. But, God is good. All the time.

The amazing thing about God’s goodness? It’s unchanging. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be good to us. The Almighty Creator wants to be generous and merciful toward us. That’s why He came to earth to save us. Jesus suffered the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could live with Him forever. Today, Jesus is with His people through everything we face, and He is working to restore all that is broken.

We even see God’s generosity and mercy in passages that warn of God’s just judgment. For example, Nahum 1 is all about God’s anger toward Nineveh, a city steeped in sin. But nestled in this passage is a short but powerful reminder of God’s goodness. Nahum 1:7 says, “The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”

So, even when we are experiencing the brokenness of this world, we can rest in Jesus’s promise to be with us. God is good and remains good—eternally. • Naomi Zylstra

• Throughout our lives, we all experience times when God does not seem good. Can you think of a time you felt this way?

• We live in a world that has been broken by sin, but God is not aloof to our suffering. He loves us, and He came as a human, Jesus, to be with us. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way to defeat sin and death and heal all that is broken (John 1:14; 3:16-18). As we wait for Jesus to return and right every wrong, it helps to remember that He knows how badly suffering hurts, because He experienced it firsthand. So we can come to Him with anything we’re facing (Hebrews 4:14-16). Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about whatever struggles you’re going through.

The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 13:1-6; 46:1-11

Have you ever felt stuck between two phases of life? I know I have. The “in-between times,” as I like to call them, can be really difficult to navigate.

Maybe you’re moving from middle to high school. Maybe your parents are splitting up, and you have to live in two households. Maybe you’re moving between schools, churches, cities, or states. No matter what, times of transition are difficult and filled with many unknowns that can easily cause some anxiety.

In the middle of in-between times, I often catch myself trying to hurry into the next fun stage of life. It’s easy for me to get too focused on the future to see what God is showing me in the present. Instead of pausing to dig into God’s Word and talk to Jesus about what I’m going through, I attempt to take control—forgetting that I’m not ultimately in control of the life God has given me.

Every day, I have to remind myself to “be still” and look for what God wants me to see in the in-between times (Psalm 46:10). It’s definitely a process! But Jesus is with me. I know He is working all things together for my good, and He will finish the work He started. But when I forget to rest in Jesus and His promises, the Lord reminds me to give myself the grace He has already given me.

As we wait, let’s remember: the next stage is coming…but all in His perfect timing. • Abigail Rose

• Can you think of a time you felt stuck in an “in-between time”? What was that like?

• Can you think of something you’ve learned about God, yourself, or the world during in-between times? Or any ways you grew in your faith? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this.

• As Christians, we’re all in an in-between time as we wait for Jesus to come back and make all things new. What promises from God can we rest in while we wait? (Hint: read Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Revelation 21:1-5)

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (WEB)