Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ESTHER 2:5–4:17

If she did not act, they would all perish. You are uninvited. The threat tormented her, stealing her breath—and her confidence with it. To go before the king uninvited is a death sentence.

Esther reached the ornate doors of the throne room and stopped. One more step would bring her before her husband, the king of Persia, and if he did not welcome her in with a wave of his scepter, she would die. “Why me?” she breathed. She was a young Jewish woman, not a queen. Yet the sparkling crown on her head declared otherwise. Why did he choose me?

The words of her cousin, Mordecai, the man who had raised her from childhood, now rang in her mind: Perhaps it is for such a time as this that you have been chosen.

Such a time as this. A time when the king was deceived by his secon-in-command, Haman, who hated the Jews. The deceived king had sealed a proclamation to eradicate every Jew in Persia on the charge of treason. Did the king know he had just sentenced his own queen to death?

Esther stared at the closed doors. Someone must unveil the lies that had borne an impending massacre. You will die if you go, her mind taunted. Esther tilted her chin in defiance. I will die if I stay. Even now, the king’s men waited to be unleashed upon the kingdom and not one living Jew would be left in their wake.

The young queen straightened her shoulders and nodded to the guards. The massive doors swung open. Lord, give me courage, she pleaded. Her eyes met the king’s across the royal throne room. If I perish, I perish. • Anita Seavey

• Today’s story is how one author imagines Esther 2:5–4:17. Consider taking some time to read what happens next in Esther 7–8. How did God intervene in Esther’s situation?

• Esther’s courage, risking her life to save her people from genocide, foreshadows Jesus’s courage to face death on a cross to save us from sin. And once we know Jesus, His Spirit fills us with that same courage, so we can do whatever He calls us to do. Are there any ways you feel God may be calling you to take a risk—perhaps by telling others about Jesus, showing kindness to your enemies, or helping someone who’s in trouble? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about this—people who can help you discern God’s guidance and next steps?

[Mordecai said to Esther,] “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:20-32

We deal with anger for a number of different reasons. We get angry at ourselves when we fail. We get angry when we see others being treated in an unjust way. We get angry when the people in our lives hurt us.

The Bible doesn’t call the feeling of anger a sin, but it does say we shouldn’t sin because of our anger (Ephesians 4:26). It’s okay to feel angry at times. After all, God gets angry, and we’re made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 30:5). It’s actually good for us to be angry at what makes God angry— things like lies, injustice, and death. Unfortunately, because our world has been broken by sin, we don’t feel anger perfectly. Sometimes we get angry because of something silly or selfish. Sometimes anger causes deep, hurtful divisions in families, friendships, and the church.

So what does God want us to do with our anger? How do we know when we should just punch a pillow, and when we need to get out there and do something about the anger we’re feeling? We look to Jesus. He invites us to come to Him with all our feelings, including anger. He understands how we’re feeling because He experienced the pain and brokenness of this world firsthand, and He wants to help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). Here are some helpful questions to talk to Him about:

• Have I been hurt by someone, or am I upset that things aren’t working out my way?

• Did someone intentionally harm me, or did an accident cause me pain?

• Can I take the anger I’m feeling over an injustice and use it to go out and help those who are being wronged? Am I ready to do that well, or do I need to wait and calm down?

• Is my anger causing me to do things that are wrong?

• Am I hurting others because of my anger?

We’re all going to feel angry at times, but it’s how we respond to our anger that really matters. Thankfully, Jesus knows how we feel, and He’s there to help us figure it out. • Emily Acker

• What kinds of things make you angry? One day, Jesus will return to put an end to sin and heal all the brokenness sin has caused, so anger will be gone because there will be nothing left to be angry about. How could these truths help us process our anger in healthy ways?

• Who is a trusted Christian in your life who can help you prayerfully process your anger?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26–2:15; 3:17-19; EPHESIANS 2:10; 4:28

In a certain season of my life, I felt bored. I had mundane chores to perform each day. But simply being “busy” didn’t feel satisfying. I wanted something significant.

I shared my longings with my mom; then she shared her idea. Over the years, our family had saved up multiple boxes of photographs from all kinds of events. Mama asked if I wanted to organize them and place them in photo albums. It seemed like a daunting task. It also seemed like one that would give meaning to otherwise empty moments.

As I secured photos in albums, I saved a few for my siblings. I wrote up memories to accompany the pictures. Then I gave those to my brothers and sister. This project provided purpose for me and for my family.

Though I didn’t realize it, I had craved work. We often complain about work, but God Himself works (John 5:17), and He established work as His good design for us. When God created Adam and Eve, they shared perfect connection with Him, and their work flowed from that relationship. Then they sinned. Ever since then, humanity’s relationship with God has been corrupted by sin, which is why Jesus came. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing that His death and resurrection paid for our sins, that means we have received forgiveness—and we have been reunited with God!

Even before Adam and Eve disrupted their relationship with God, He gave them work in caring for the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). After they sinned, Adam and Eve faced “painful toil” in their work (3:17), but God didn’t form work as punishment.

Sometimes we grumble about schoolwork, part-time jobs, chores, or yard work. Yet God lovingly ordained work for His people. And He often chooses to accomplish His work through us! We get to work together with the King of the Universe. So, whether we’re doing work that enables us to earn money, share with those in need, or enjoy satisfaction in creative pursuits, we can experience God’s presence and purpose as we engage faithfully in work. • Allison Wilson Lee

• God delighted in His work when He created the world. What work do you delight in doing?

• How might viewing work as something ordained by God, something He wants to do with us, affect the way we feel about it?

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139

Have you ever wondered why your life has taken the twists and turns it has? Sometimes our circumstances and disappointments leave us feeling frustrated, and it can feel like the people around us don’t really get what we’re going through.

Feeling misunderstood, lost, and alone are all terrible parts of living in a broken world—but, as Christians, we are not without hope! Even though we may feel isolated in our struggles, we have an incredibly caring God who knows every detail of our lives, and He understands how we feel.

In Psalm 139, David describes God’s intimate knowledge of our lives—and His tender care for us. This passage goes into great detail about how we can never escape God’s loving presence (verses 7-12). It tells us God knows our thoughts before we have them and our words before we speak them (verses 2, 4). That’s both comforting and convicting. Convicting because we can’t lie to God or trick Him when we sin, but comforting because God understands us completely and loves us fully.

How powerful to know God understands our weaknesses and our struggles! More than that, Paul tells us in Romans 8:26-27 that God searches our hearts and His Holy Spirit prays for us when we don’t know what to pray for ourselves. And in Hebrews 4:14-16, we find that Jesus doesn’t just understand us, He even empathizes with us in our weaknesses because He is God in flesh, and He knows firsthand what it’s like to suffer as a human in a broken world.

What’s more, it’s because Jesus suffered for us that we can have hope in any circumstance. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for our sins to be forgiven so we could be with God—forever!

So whenever we feel alone, misunderstood, or anxious about what’s happening in our lives, we can look to Jesus, our Lord who knows us completely and loves us fully. • Phil Cox

• Can you think of a time you felt misunderstood? Jesus sees your pain, and He cares. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever hard things you’ve been going through and receive His tender compassion.

• Consider reading Psalm 139 slowly, one verse at a time, savoring the words. What catches your attention? If you were to choose one verse to memorize from this psalm, which one would it be?

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. Psalm 139:1 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 1:3-14

We see the word blessed thrown around on the internet and t-shirts, but what does it really mean to be blessed?

By definition, bless is a verb. It’s an action someone takes to give something to someone else. I could just brag about my awesome family, my best friends, or my new shoes, but saying I’m “blessed” implies that someone, somehow, has given me these things.

So what do I expect to be true if I’m “blessed” by God? He has all the power in the universe, and He’s the true Owner of everything. As His kid, I know that He cares for me. Does that mean I’ll have wealth? Health? Loads of amazing friends? Success in my grades and test scores? Early acceptance into my dream school?

Not necessarily.

In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us that everyone who knows Jesus has been blessed beyond measure! But Paul also describes that these blessings are spiritual— and as it turns out, these are the best kinds of blessings (verse 3). Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He has made it possible for us to be united with Him through Jesus’s death on the cross; it gave Him great pleasure to purchase our freedom and adopt us into His family, pouring out His grace, kindness, wisdom, and understanding on us in abundance (verse 5-7).

And God has promised that—no matter what we face in life and no matter what happens in this world—a time will come when “he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ” (verse 10). And even now, He has blessed us with the Holy Spirit—His very own presence living inside us and guaranteeing His promise: that we will be resurrected, just like Jesus was, and we will live with Him forever in renewed creation (verses 13-14).

In the meantime, because I’m surrounded by ads and influencers, each promising me their own version of the American dream, it’s hard to see that what I already have in Jesus surpasses it all. But Jesus is eager to remind me of His goodness and turn my attention to the blessings I already have in Him— especially the greatest blessing, Himself. • Mandy Desilets

• Can you think of a time you felt like other people were more blessed than you? It’s easy to begin comparing our blessings to other people’s. Consider taking a moment to bring these feelings to Jesus, asking Him to remind you of the blessings He has given you.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)