Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 147:3-5; ISAIAH 53:5-6; JEREMIAH 17:14

Something isn’t right, Aaliyah thought as the front door creaked open. Instead of the usual bustling energy of her home, her family, and their dog Dudley, silence greeted her.

“Mom?” she called, but there was no answer. Trembling, she walked into what should have been the living room—it was bare now, with only three large mirrors inside it.

Don’t be afraid, whispered a voice. Look at each mirror.

Approaching the first one, Aaliyah gasped. Her reflection stared back, covered in scars, inflamed and red. Mesmerized by the horror, she couldn’t turn away. Nausea burned up inside.

This is your pain, said the voice. These scars are the bullying, the disappointments, the let downs from friends who didn’t want to listen. It’s the hurt inside you building up. But you don’t have to cling to the wounds of the past. Instead, you can entrust those scars to your Creator. Take heart, Jesus is the one who can heal you.

Kneeling down on the floor, Aaliyah bowed her head. Sparkling tears fell down.

He provides tears for your healing, the voice said softly. He will comfort your soul.

Aaliyah felt her sadness beginning to wash away. After the tears subsided, Aaliyah picked herself up off the floor and walked over to the second mirror.

This is who you are in Christ. On the cross, He was scarred so that your scars could be healed.

The mirror gleamed, and Aaliyah saw golden oil being poured over her reflection. You are healed and anointed, because you belong to the risen King.

The third mirror showed a path.

Now, it is time for you to walk in light of who you are in Christ. And as you journey toward complete healing, He will walk with you, always.

Suddenly Aaliyah found herself back outside her house. When she opened the door, Mom called her name and Dudley barked loudly.

The living room was normal once more—no trace of any mirrors. Everything was as it had been before, and now it was time to start living again. • Cindy Lee

• What sticks out to you in today’s allegorical story? Have you ever brought your scars to God? He invites us to do this often so we can receive His care for us. Consider taking a moment to tell Him about any hurts that come to mind—whether physical, emotional, or otherwise. He always listens.

• Sometimes it can feel like God is far away from our pain. But that simply isn’t true. We live in a world that has been broken by sin, yet God has not abandoned His creation. He came and lived among us in Jesus. He experienced the same hurts we do, and ultimately, He let Himself be put to death on a cross—all because He loves us so much. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for us to be healed. And He promises that, when Jesus returns to renew the heavens and the earth, all our pain and sorrow will be over and we will be fully healed. As we wait for this glorious day, how could it be helpful to remember that our scars don’t define us, that our pain is temporary, and that the love and favor Jesus has poured out on us is eternal? (2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 21:1-5)

• We are not...

READ: 1 PETER 1:13–2:3

When I was little, I spent countless afternoons with my brother and cousins raking leaves into enormous piles—and then leaping through them! We always had a blast together—until somebody found the ever-dreaded “prize.” We’d be rolling around, tackling each other, diving in and out, getting lost under the colorful crispy blanket. Then everything would stop when one of us yelled, “OH, MAN!” And everyone knew. Someone had found a dog turd, and not just with their eyes. That pile of leaves was immediately abandoned and labeled “ready for pick up.”

Those memories can shed some light on 1 Peter 1:13-25, which reminds us of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. God made a very good world, full of things He invites us to enjoy with Him, like leaf piles! But humans brought sin into the world, and that sin is nastier than dog poop. God saw all our sin, yet instead of throwing His creation away, He kept loving us, and He came in Jesus to make the way for us to be cleaned up. Through dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus provided forgiveness for our sins. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He calls us to live like the new, forgiven people we are—to live holy. And because He has set us free from our “old ways of living” (verse 14), we can!

What does it mean to live holy? Think back to my leaf pile story. The piles we raked were contaminated not only with dog poop, but with sticks, rocks, and other things that would hurt us when we jumped in. Similarly, sometimes when we forget that Jesus has made us new and His holiness lives in us, we rake sinful things into our lives that might not be visible at first. But remember: What we let into our lives might affect us and others later. Thankfully, God calls us to bring our sins to Him so He can get rid of them. Living holy means remembering the hope we have in Christ, relying on Him to forgive us and help us live according to His Word. After all, He is the only One who can purify us from sin and fill our lives with holiness. • Dathan Tenter

• According to 1 Peter 2:1, what are some of the rocks and sticks we rake into our lives? How can these harm us and other people?

• According to 1 Peter 1:22, what kind of life does Jesus call and equip us to live?

• It can be tempting to try to live a holy life by relying on our own strength, but this always fails. Why is Jesus the only one who can produce holiness in us? And why is it important to remember that we’ll continue to struggle with sin until He returns? (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6)

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:15 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 30:1-22; EPHESIANS 2:8-9; 1 JOHN 1:1–2:2

When you find an area in your life that needs change, is your default reaction to try harder and do better? I’ve often been one to make resolutions—and then suffer from guilt or disappointment when I fall short. As Christians, we even have a tendency to look at the gospel this way. How have we taken something so simple and turned it into a to-do list? Into “Jesus plus this?” Into “I don’t see how God can really forgive me and love me when I keep doing blank?”

In Isaiah 30, God’s children were rushing around “without consulting” God (verse 2). They were making plans to ask for Egypt’s protection in a time of crisis—instead of turning to God and crying out to Him for help. In verse 15, the Lord reminded them: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

The children of Israel were doing what we so often do: trying to worship God by following rules and saying the right things, instead of turning away from sin and back toward Him in true repentance—and finding rest in His love (Isaiah 29:13).

Generations later, Jesus confronted this same faulty thinking in Matthew 15:1-20. The Pharisees were upset, saying to Jesus, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” (verse 2). Jesus showed them their hypocrisy by reminding them of what Isaiah said: merely following rules is not a mark of true repentance (Matthew 15:7-9). True repentance is turning to Jesus, the only one who wipes out our sin by His blood, the only one who gives us true rest (Matthew 11:28; Acts 3:19). • Savannah Coleman

• Why do you think we sometimes view the Bible as, “Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that” (Isaiah 28:12-13)?

• Throughout our lives, we’re all tempted to trust in our good works instead of in the blood of Jesus. When you start to wander into this, who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of the gospel—that Jesus’s work on the cross has already finished everything needed to save and redeem you?

• How does it make you feel to know salvation is free from rules and regulations? What might it look like for you to live into this freedom today, simply turning to and trusting in Jesus moment-by moment?

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 55:22; MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 1:19-20; 1 PETER 5:7

Monique was always considered the “responsible one.” The kind of friend who always checked in on everybody. At home, she was the one who kept the peace among siblings. And at school, she was that student who tried to get everything right. But lately, all that responsibility was starting to take its toll on her mental and emotional strength.

One day at the school cafeteria, her best friend joked, “Monique, you are basically everyone’s emotional support system—you’re our go-to person.” Though they laughed over it, the comment stung deeply—because it put words to something true. Monique truly cared about everything and everybody. And, somehow, she felt like others’ well-being was her responsibility.

That evening, as she read her Bible, she came to 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Although she’d read this verse many times, today one specific word caught her attention: all. Not just concerns about others’ welfare. Not just pressure about peace at home. Not just worries about her grades or the kinds of stress she was willing to admit to others. All of it.

She realized she had been trying to carry burdens Jesus never asked her to shoulder. Obviously, caring for others was a Christ-like thing to do—but trying to be their healer, fixer, or savior? Definitely not. That was a huge role, and it already belonged to someone way stronger. Monique exhaled. Thank you, Jesus.

Then she prayed an intense prayer—naming every fear, every pressure, every item on her “I’ll deal with it later” list that she’d shoved into her emotional and mental backpack. As she prayed, something began to lighten inside her: a sense of relief. • Sammy Mwatha

• Can you relate to today’s fictional story? Even if you’re not considered the “responsible one” who always tries to do everything right, chances are you still have responsibilities and anxieties weighing you down because, well, you’re human. Jesus cares for you deeply, and He doesn’t call you to handle everything on your own. Instead, He calls you to trust Him. And He will help you let go of whatever is not yours to carry. The truth is, you’re allowed to take a backseat, to rest, to breathe…because you are allowed to cast your cares on the Lord. Consider taking some time to name whatever is in your emotional and mental backpack to Jesus, thanking Him for carrying these burdens so you don’t have to.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 23; JOHN 13:35; EPHESIANS 3:14-21; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-10

From the moment I sat down across from the young woman on the train, I felt overwhelming waves of sorrow rolling off her. She was perhaps in her late twenties or early thirties, with large blue eyes and blonde hair half-heartedly swept up. Her significant other held her hand tenderly, speaking softly to her in German. I couldn’t understand a word they said, but my soul was weighed down by their collective sorrow.

Perhaps she had lost a much-longed-for baby, or another loved one. Whatever her grief, it was profound. I began praying for her in my heart, lifting this sweet young woman before God’s throne. I prayed for comfort. I prayed Psalm 23 over her. I prayed that God would wrap His arms around her and convey to her aching heart how wide, long, high, and deep His love is for her.

Tears began spilling from her eyes, and then mine. Language is a barrier, but not for grief. I shared in her sorrow and wept with her. She took her glasses off to wipe the tracks of tears from her cheeks, and I could bear it no longer. I reached for her hand across the small train table. I motioned that I was compelled to pray for her—hoping that palms pressed together might be understood as a symbol of prayer.

I prayed aloud to my Jesus on her behalf, this beautiful young woman who seemed to be in desperate need. Jesus, you know her name and the depths of her misery. You can fill the empty spaces in her heart and bring the comfort she needs. Be with her now; be her peace. Surround her with your loving arms; carry her through this grief.

When I left my seat across from the young woman on the train, I placed my hand on top of hers. I looked into her tear-filled eyes and simply smiled. I hope that she felt what I couldn’t say: Love. • Savannah Coleman

• When we’re hurting, Jesus weeps with us (John 11:35). Likewise, He calls us to enter into one another’s sorrow and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). Can you think of a time someone shared in your sorrow? Or you shared in someone else’s? What was that like?

• Consider taking a moment to pray for someone who is hurting. Even if you don’t know the particulars of their situation, God does, and He wants to show His love to them (Romans 8:26-27).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (WEB)