Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: JOHN 10:27-30; 14:16-17, 26; 15:4-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:17

Have you ever wanted to go skydiving? The thrill! The exhilaration! The absolute terror?!

If you’re not quite daring enough to jump from a plane with nothing but a parachute, you could try tandem skydiving instead. This much safer option means you’re connected to a harness, which is attached to a highly experienced tandem instructor. The instructor guides you through each and every step prior to, during, and after the jump. You’re secured to this expert skydiver the whole time. From exiting the plane to landing safely on the ground, they’re responsible for and in control of everything that’s happening. Your part is to rest in their control and enjoy!

The tandem’s connection means placing all your trust in the instructor’s abilities and knowledge. For all practical purposes, you’re placing your life in their hands. It wouldn’t be good to fight against their movements or try to go in a different direction from where they’re leading. No matter what happens on the journey, you can trust the safety of the harness and the person you’re attached to.

• What if we thought about our Christian journey as being on a tandem flight with the Lord? When we come to faith in Jesus, we aren’t just attached to Him, we are united with Him. We are inseparable—connected together forever. The Holy Spirit is our highly qualified instructor, there from the beginning. As our traveling partner, the Spirit of Christ guides us along our journey till we safely reach our final destination of eternity with Jesus (Ephesians 4:30). So, as Christians, we never have to be afraid of freefalling alone. We can rest and abide in the one who holds us securely, now and forever. • Deborah del Villar

• Can you think of a time your life felt like a freefall? Maybe you felt disoriented or just unable to handle the things you were going through. Consider taking a moment to imagine Jesus right there with you—you could even picture Him strapped to your back like a tandem skydiving instructor. How does this image make you feel? Is there anything you want to say to Jesus?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 11:1-44; 14:16-18; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5

Do you know the shortest verse in the Bible? It’s John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” It has only two words, and yet it’s so profound.

A few years ago, my brother died suddenly. It was a big blow to me and my family. I asked God many questions. Why did He not save my brother? Why did He allow it to happen? Does He care?

When I was reading the book of John, God spoke to me through the story of Lazarus. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were siblings, and they were close friends of Jesus. When Lazarus died, Martha and Mary were very sad. They were grieving over his death and wished Jesus had come earlier to save their brother. Both sisters said the same thing to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). What they said echoed the words that I had bottled up in my heart.

Jesus understands the pain of losing our loved ones. He grieves with us. In John 11:35, it was written that “Jesus wept.” Even though Jesus is God, He is human as well. He felt the pain of losing his close friend. When Jesus wept, the Jews who had gathered to mourn said, “See how he loved him!” (verse 36). Jesus was there when Martha and Mary were grieving the loss of their brother. He showed compassion and comforted them. These two words, “Jesus wept,” meant so much to me. They made me realize that even though I could not see Jesus, He was there with me when my brother died. The Holy Spirit was with me. God cares!

And Jesus Himself assures us that He will comfort us. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” We are not alone. God gives us family, friends, and His very own presence to comfort us in our loss.

In the story of Lazarus, Jesus performed a miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead. And Jesus assures us that our loved ones who are believers will be resurrected one day, and we will live together in renewed creation—forever. Yet He also feels our sadness as we wait for that day. So whenever we feel the pain of losing our loved ones, we can remember that Jesus is weeping with us too. • Kelly Choy

• When we experience loss, how could it be comforting to remember Jesus wept with Martha and Mary, and He also weeps with us, holding us close in our grief?

Jesus wept. John 11:35 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 103:12; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:1; 3:1-2

Sometimes I hate myself. I look at the people around me and wonder how they look so put together, so beautiful, so confident. My jeans don’t fit right, and my jacket is warm instead of trendy. I feel unremarkable and worthless. I want to disappear into the wall.

But sometimes I love myself. My hair looks great today, and that shirt I found at the thrift shop works perfectly with this outfit. I even made a grumpy person smile. I feel awesome.

Sometimes I hate myself. Once again, I sinned in the same way that always comes back to tempt me. I should be able to resist it by now, and yet, when the temptation came knocking in the same sweet way I know so well, I gave in. I feel like a total failure.

But sometimes I love myself. My friend says, “You are so good at using your spiritual gifts! We love your ministry at church.” Pride fills me up like a tall glass of lemonade, and pride is what splashes out when I move. I feel fantastic.

Then I stop. Is it true that I am a wonderful child of God, created in His image and indwelt by His Holy Spirit? Yes. Is it also true that I am full of sin and failure? Yes! I puzzle for a while: How am I supposed to think of myself? Am I good or bad? Wonderful or disgusting?

I remember. There is someone far more beautiful, completely without sin, who loves me more than words can say. He is eternal, omnipotent, infinitely creative, and never gives up. In His love for me, He died on the cross for my sins, and He is making me like Him—free from sin. No matter what I do or how I feel, my identity and worth are found in Jesus. • Amy Glendinning

• Humans seesaw so quickly between pride and shame. But Jesus reveals who we truly are. We were created in God’s image, and we were created good. Yet ever since the first humans sinned, we’re all born sinful, so we all sin daily. In the words of Paul, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25). Though we were sinners, God still loved us! And through Jesus, He made the way for us to be forgiven, made new, and adopted into His family. Today, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we live in the “already-and-not-yet” of His transforming work. We’ll struggle with sin until Jesus returns and finishes the work He started (Philippians 1:6), yet we’re already blameless in God’s sight. How can this affect the way we think about ourselves?

We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1 John 3:2 (NLT)

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)