Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 102:24-27; JOHN 10:10-18, 27-30; REVELATION 1:4-7

In the United States, a presidential election comes every four years. Whether we love and support the president who is in office or we’re ready to see their term come to an end, we have to deal with the uncertainty that comes with another election on a regular basis. It seems like a president barely has time to settle in for their first term before they have to start campaigning for their second. While they have an important job, it’s not one that lasts.

Recently, I was reading about how God is eternal, and it made me realize how different He is from what we’re used to. No matter what country we live in, our leaders don’t stay in control forever; they’re constantly changing. Even if a nation has no laws in place requiring power to regularly pass from an old leader to a new one, people in positions of authority still leave—they age, they pass away, they choose to retire, or they do things that make them lose the respect of the public. They don’t last.

Though we live in a changing world, we serve a God who is eternal. He has always been in control, and He always will be in control. And that’s good news, because He is a good leader. He loves us so much that, through Jesus, He died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him forever. No other leader has ever done that for their people. Jesus is the good shepherd and the true king. And we don’t have to worry about His time as leader ending, so we don’t have to worry about adjusting to following someone new. We can rest, knowing that He who was God when we were born will still be God when we pass away.

How great it is to have a permanent, perfect leader we can always trust to be there and be the same. Day after day, God is there for us. He loves us, and He never changes. Knowing that brings me peace. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time leadership changes made you feel anxious or unsteady? We all feel like that sometimes. Thankfully, as Christians, we can look to Jesus and remember that we get to submit to His perfect leadership first and foremost. He cares for us, and He wants us to bring all our worries and needs to Him. Consider spending some time in prayer, bringing any fears or frustrations about earthly leaders to Jesus and thanking Him for His perfect, loving, steady leadership.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:1-18; ROMANS 5:6-11; PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

How well do you think you would be able to communicate with other people if you weren’t allowed to talk, write, or use sign language for a day? It would probably be pretty difficult. Words are central to human communication.

In John 1:14, Jesus is introduced as, “the Word.” This title points to a profound truth: Jesus is the ultimate means by which God has chosen to communicate with us.

Jesus took on flesh, meaning He became a human like you and me. Notice how John 1:14 describes Jesus being born and living on earth: He “made his dwelling among us.” The Greek verb here is eskēnōsen, and it literally means “to pitch a tent.” This points back to the Old Testament, when God told His people to make a Tabernacle—a large, ornate tent—for His presence to dwell among His people.

So, why did the Word take on flesh and live among us? John tells us in verse 18. Jesus took on flesh and “pitched his tent” among us so we could know God. God loves us so much that He came in Jesus to show us who He is, ultimately dying on the cross and rising from the grave so we could live with Him forever.

By placing our faith in Jesus, trusting Him to forgive our sins and make us new, we can have a relationship with the God of the universe. Though we were once His enemies, we can now become His children and have a growing and thriving relationship with Him—all because Jesus is God made known. • Jonathon Fuller

• Why is it important to know that Jesus is “the Word [who] became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14)? How does this reveal who He is and what He came to do?

• What questions do you have about the incarnation (God the Son becoming human)? Who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you dig into Scripture and find out more?

• For more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John 1:18 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 40:11; MATTHEW 18:10-14; 1 TIMOTHY 4:12

In a perfect world, childhood should be filled with play, exploration, and the love of family. However, that has not always been the case. For example, child marriage used to be common in India. The first laws in 1891 set twelve as the youngest age a girl could marry. Often, a young girl would have to marry a much older man. And, if her husband died, she was likely to be verbally assaulted, blamed, forcibly shaved, starved, and, in extreme cases, burned alive on her husband’s funeral pyre.

But God did not forget these child widows. No, He called Pandita Ramabai—a native Indian, former Hindu woman—to bring healing and restoration to them. Born in 1858, Pandita Ramabai was a scholar who spoke seven languages. Orphaned and widowed, she became a Christian in 1883. Jesus’s love compelled her to help these child widows, so she opened schools, built homes, established a printing press, and purchased a farm (which saved thousands during years of famine). She also translated the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek into their language, Marathi. Her mission was to allow child widows to live as a family, saying:

“They come from homes where they have been treated as outcasts, where no love has been bestowed upon them and no comfort provided for them. I wish them to see the contrast in all things where love rules. I wish them to become acquainted with as many good people as possible, to learn what the outside world is about from pictures and books and to enjoy the wonderful work of God as they ramble in the garden, study with the microscope and view the heavens from the little veranda on the roof.”

For this cause, Pandita Ramabai gave her life, her energy, and her ceaseless prayers, relying on God all the way. She said, “Depending altogether on our Father God, we have nothing to fear, nothing to lose, and nothing to regret. The Lord is our Inexhaustible Treasure!” • Abigail Aswegen

• Pandita Ramabai once wrote, “People must not only hear about the Kingdom of God, but must see it in actual operation, on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration nevertheless.” Where have you seen the Kingdom of God in actual operation? If you can’t think of any examples, consider asking God to help you notice His kingdom coming in your life.

• Where might God be inviting you to use your gifts in His kingdom?

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

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)