Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; HEBREWS 4:14-16; JAMES 1:12-18

Do you ever just feel overwhelmed by temptation? Our world is packed with opportunities to sin. Temptation seems to be around every corner. Each day, when we look at our phones or go to school or even just spend time alone with our thoughts, we can be faced with jealousy, greed, lust, and so many other enticements to sin—to doubt God’s goodness and go our own way instead. James 1:12-18 talks about the struggle we all have with temptation and trusting God. James says there are two possible responses to temptation in our lives.

First, we can respond by blaming God (verse 13). It’s easy to become frustrated when we’re tempted because sin lies to our hearts and seems so good. Even if we know that a particular sin is not right, it’s easy to doubt God’s goodness in those moments.

That’s why James points out a second, better way to respond: rather than doubting God’s goodness and blaming Him for the temptations we face, we can respond by trusting in the character of God. James says, “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters” (verse 16). In other words, don’t let your sinful desires lie to you. Instead, James points out two important truths about God’s goodness: (A) all the good things in our lives are really gifts from God (verse 17) and (B) God is never the cause of our temptation (verses 13-14).

God is good, and His character is unchanging. We have a God who cares for us and made a way for us to know Him through Jesus. A God who loves us so much that He is always working for our good, even through the messiest of situations (Romans 8:28-39; James 1:2-4, 16-18). A God who knows how difficult temptation is, who empathizes with us, and who resisted every temptation on our behalf so He could die in our place and rise again, making the way for us to be forgiven.

Whenever we face temptation, James reminds us not to give in and blame God. Because no matter the temptations or trials we face, God is good, and we can always turn to Him for hope and “receive mercy and find grace to help us” (Hebrews 4:16). • Phil Cox

• When we’re tempted to sin, how could it be helpful to remember that God loves us, He is good to us, and He has already provided forgiveness and made us new through Jesus?

• We’re not meant to struggle alone. Jesus invites us to come to Him with everything we’re facing, and He also calls us to share our struggles with each other. Who are trusted Christians you can be honest with about temptations and sins in your life?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 46; EPHESIANS 5:19

Music is one of the best parts of life. People have been making music since all the way back in Genesis, and every culture since then has created new rhythms and melodies. We memorize our favorite lyrics, get songs stuck in our heads, and sometimes even make playlists to be the soundtracks of our lives.

The book of Psalms is actually a collection of songs, and it’s also the longest book in the Bible. But, even though it’s long, it’s a great book to start reading because it’s already broken up into small individual pieces. It consists of 150 psalms (or songs), and you might recognize some of the words because lots of worship songs in churches today take lyrics right out of the psalms.

Some psalms are structured more like hymns. Some are written more like wise sayings, such as Psalm 1. Some read like a prayer journal, crying out to God for comfort, rescue, or forgiveness. You can find psalms that praise God for who He is (Psalm 145), look in wonder at His works and creation (Psalm 19), pour out heart-cries to Him in unfiltered lament (Psalm 13), and thank Him for victories and blessings (Psalm 46). The psalms cover every aspect of life—the good and the bad—pointing to God as our hope in all of it.

One amazing thing about the psalms is that they were written hundreds of years before Jesus came and lived among us, but they foreshadow Jesus (Psalm 22, for example).

So, consider opening up your Bible and flipping to the psalms. Read one, and fill yourself with the lyrics. You could even try making up a melody and singing a verse or two. Who knows? It might just become the soundtrack of your day. • Abby Ciona

• What is your favorite type of music? Do you have any songs stuck in your head right now?

• Music was God’s idea! Why do you think God included songs in the Bible? How can music help us understand His heart, fill ourselves with His Word, and express our honest emotions to Him?

• Consider taking some time to read one of the psalms mentioned above and consider: What is the psalmist saying about God? How might this psalm point to the hope we have in Jesus, who is God?

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:6-13, 25-34; ROMANS 8:18-39

I have recently experienced the joy of having prayer after prayer answered with a “yes.” It feels wonderful to know God is listening as I cry out to Him—and He cares enough to give me the things I ask for. But what about those times when we pray and pray and never get the response we’re hoping for?

When I see God’s “yes” to my prayers, I feel so close to Him. I smile as I look toward the sky, imagining Him looking down at me. But when I pray and things don’t work out the way I want them to, it’s easy for me to feel alone. Sometimes I feel like I have to figure things out by myself, like no one is going to help me. It can be hard to remember God is with me always—in the good times and the not-so-good times.

So, I turn to His Word. God knows that we need reminders of His love, and He tells us over and over again that He will never leave us. Just because He doesn’t seem to be intervening in the ways we want Him to, that doesn’t mean He’s ignoring us or He doesn’t care. The truth is, He loves us so much that He laid down His life to save us, and He is always working for our good—even when we don’t see it (John 5:17; Romans 8:28).

It can be hard to pray and then have things work out differently than we wanted them to, but Jesus is eager to remind us that He is still with us, and He is still working. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time you saw God answer a prayer with a “yes”? What happened? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this!

• Sometimes God’s answer to a prayer is “no” or “wait,” and we may never know why. But we do know He loves us and cares about us so much that He came to rescue us from sin and death, even though it cost Him His own life. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He demonstrated the fullness of God’s unfailing love, and He made the way for all our hurts to be healed and all our needs to be fulfilled. When Jesus returns, all God’s people and all of creation will be made new and whole, finally free from sin and its effects! Until that day, we can see glimpses of this wholeness as we pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Consider taking some time to pray about whatever is on your heart today. God invites us to be totally honest with Him about what we want Him to do, and He promises to act for our good, in His perfect timing.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 8:1-17, 32-39; HEBREWS 4:14-16

I attend a Bible study with women who are older (and wiser) than I am. Sometimes their stories surprise me. One of these women, who I’ll call Larissa, recently shared a memory from years ago. While at university, she needed a white dress to wear for a ceremony. Since she didn’t have one, she decided to sew one herself, borrowing a sewing machine from a friend who lived in her dorm. But the finished product turned out badly. Larissa took the dress home on her next visit to recruit help from her mom. After taking apart the dress and remaking it entirely, Larissa’s mom begged her not to try sewing ever again.

Although we laughed at the story, Larissa told our group she’d never improved her sewing skills because her mother didn’t give her a second chance. In fact, Larissa had never even attempted to sew another project. I began to wonder, What if God responded the way Larissa’s mother had when we make mistakes? What if He didn’t provide mercy and extend another opportunity when we fail? What if God never gave second chances—or third or fourth or…?

The good news is, God has provided mercy through Jesus Christ. Once we’ve put our trust in Christ to forgive our sins, we no longer face condemnation—ever. We receive the righteousness of Jesus in exchange for our unrighteousness. As Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We have been delivered from the death sentence our sin deserved. And now, as God’s forgiven children, we get to enjoy freedom!

Since Christ gave Himself as the “sin offering” (Romans 8:3), we don’t have to be afraid that we will exhaust opportunities to join God in His work. We can step out in faith, knowing that if we fall flat, God will pick us up and help us try again— because we can never wear out God’s grace! He helps us grow in our walk with Jesus by giving second (and more) chances to His children. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Have you ever felt like you messed up so badly that God wouldn’t give you any more chances? God knows that we aren’t perfect and that growing in Christ is a lifelong process—one that will only be completed when Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). How could remembering that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ” help us accept ourselves where we are today?

• How does keeping our eyes on Jesus, instead of our shortcomings, make it possible for us to keep running the race He has marked out for us? (Hebrews 12:1-3)

• Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice where He is giving you another chance.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-8; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

After months of training, I was ready to run my first 5K. I invited someone I’ll call Flora to race too. She liked to run and agreed to join me. I looked forward to challenging myself and spending time with Flora. Back then, I mentored young women in their faith in Christ. Flora had joined my Bible study, and I wanted to get to know her better. This could be a good opportunity for that.

Before the race, Flora mentioned a comment that her boyfriend, who I’ll call Eric, had made about her. She tried to laugh it off, but it sounded hurtful. In fact, Eric seemed to make discouraging comments to Flora often. I wondered if their relationship was unhealthy.

“Flora, do you feel secure in your relationship?” I asked on our way to the race.

“Hmm…I’ll have to think about that,” she answered.

We didn’t discuss this again for a while. But later she surprised me. “Remember you asked if I felt secure in my relationship?” Flora said. “I thought about that and realized I didn’t. I broke up with Eric.”

I hadn’t aimed to break them up. I just wanted the best for Flora. And now, I felt relieved to see her more at peace and more content.

Flora had put her trust in Jesus to forgive her sins and give her a new life with God. I wanted the best for her as she grew in her faith, but—even more—God wanted His best for Flora too. When we enter a relationship with God, He becomes our Father. He desires the best for His children, and that extends to our relationships with others. Sometimes God brings good into our lives by giving us joyful, loving relationships. Other times, He grants us wisdom through His Spirit to leave relationships that cause harm. Through it all, we can trust His unfailing love for us. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Which relationships in your life build you up? Consider taking a moment to thank God for these.

• Can you think of any relationships that tear you down? What steps might God be inviting you to take to love with “knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9)? Do you need to have some honest conversations to address the problems? Is there someone you need to take a step away from, at least for a time? Consider taking a moment to ask God for guidance; He wants to lead you. Additionally, who are trusted Christians in your life you can share your concerns with—people who’ll listen with compassion and help you discern God’s direction?

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment. Philippians 1:9 (WEB)