Kids Bible Devotional for February 15, 2024
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Focus Verse
II Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (KJV)
Jump Start
Give me one more pushup! You can do it!
Have you ever had that gym teacher or trainer that made you do that one extra exercise when your body screamed to quit? I have, and let me tell you it was not easy. But I felt good for having done it. That was until the next day when I couldn’t walk.
There’s a lot in life that can test the strength of our faith. We can feel like giving up. In those times, we have to remember to push past it and keep our eyes on Jesus. Sometimes, just not letting those things wear us down makes us stronger. Jesus gives us the strength we need.
Today's Devotion
“Whatcha doin’ there, son?” Jacob’s father caught him flexing his arm muscles in front of the bathroom mirror.
Jacob jumped; his face turned bright red. “I’m, uh, just checking to see if I gained any muscles. Coach has us doing a lot of push-ups in P.E. today.”
“Let’s see,” Dad said. “Flex them again.” Jacob curled his arm and tried with all his might to make a small bump appear on his bicep. Dad pinched his arm. “Hmm. Looks like there’s something poking up underneath that skin.”
Jacob dropped his arm. “You’re just trying to make me feel better. Let’s face it, I’ll always be a skinny runt. I’ll never be as big as you.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Your body has to catch up to your ambitions. But you’re doing all the right things to stay healthy. Tell you what, I’ll change my gym schedule, and we’ll go together after school. I’ll teach you the basics like good form. As you get a little older, we’ll increase the weights and change up your diet. You’ll see results, I promise.”
“I would really like that, Dad,” Jacob said happily. “Maybe we can start next week.”
Dad chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do. But you know what? You can start making your inner man strong right now. Having a strong spiritual life is much more important than having a perfect physique.”
“How do I do that?” Jacob asked.
“It all comes down to your relationship with God. You feed your inner man on God’s Word, the bread of life. You strengthen your relationship with God through prayer. When you do those things, you get stronger spiritually. You’ll need some spiritual muscles in your life when you face the weight of trials and temptations.”
“Sounds like I got a plan to get strong inside and out,” Jacob said.
Wrap Up
Paul often compared living for God to that of an athlete. Paul mentioned in II Timothy 2 that a worthy athlete has to follow the rules to obtain a crown. The same applies to our walk with God, too. With prayer and reading our Bible, Paul adds these rules that we need to keep in mind to become stronger Christians:
Don’t let tough times beat you down.
Keep your focus on Jesus.
Avoid temptations.
Respect others.
What can you do to build up your spiritual muscles?
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