Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Hating my father hurt. I had stomach-aches that doubled me over at times. But I tried to hide the pain. Mom shouldn’t have to worry about me, on top of everything else.

My dad left us and moved in wi…

Are you hungry for justice? Do you thirst for light in a dark world? Are you desperate for a purpose to go on?

Are you searching for meaning in life? Do you wish to be understood? Are you longing to …

I held the paper in my hand, reading the message in surprise. A telegram! I didn’t know anybody who sent (or received) telegrams, yet there I stood with one of my own.

I’d competed at a local level …

“Ugh,” my daughter said in disgust. Whole peppercorns covered Eloise’s broccoli alfredo and looked like mini meatballs floating on a sea of white sauce. The culprit: a broken pepper grinder. Lately,…

When you read Psalm 136, you might see why I’ve called it a psalm of thanksgiving. The first three verses say, “Give thanks.” This Psalm was written to be a group song of thanks, meaning that one pe…

There have been times in my life when I would hear hurtful words, especially when I made a mistake. But there were also moments when I would speak harshly and hurt others. I would be inconsiderate of…

Military conflict breaks out. A tsunami hits. Justice is not accomplished. Christians are martyred. Violence escalates. At times, it seems there are unanswered ills that God is (at best) ignoring or …

We often feel like we have to be a certain way or reach a certain goal because that’s what will make the people around us respect us. I have struggled with this. I feel like I need to be at a certain…

Jesus had the power to heal sickness. He had the power to forgive sins. He still does. You can trust Him with everything because He is great and powerful.

Jesus has compassion for the hurting, and He…

When life is busy, our minds are constantly full of things we have to do, places we have to go, and people we have to see. It’s very easy to find ourselves becoming a little self-centered. We never i…

Do you ever think about eternity? As a little kid, I used to lie awake at night, thinking about what it would be like to live forever and ever and ever—with no end. An eternal life with God! There wa…

Why is this happening, God? When will it stop?” Tears fell as I poured out my heart and journaled to the Lord. I had prayed for a particular person in my life for years, but the grueling situation c…

READ: PSALM 73:26; LAMENTATIONS 3:21-23; MATTHEW 11:28-30

When my alarm clock first went off, I did not want to rise; I laid within my bed awhile; It held me like a vice.

A blackened cloud hung…

We all have them: thoughts or desires that pop into our heads—some uninvited, others invited. There have been many times when, after such a thought, I was relieved that it was only in my mind and not…

Ready for Bible trivia? What is the longest chapter in the Bible? The answer: Psalm 119, with a whopping 176 verses! Though it’s long, this psalm is all about the importance of God’s Word and how muc…

Glistening gold, embedded with rubies, topaz, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and pearls—the throne beckoned for something, or someone, to sit upon it. What would suffice? What could fill the desires…

If only they took the time to really know me….

If only they took the time to ask how I’m doing…

If only they understood my interests and what I want my life to be about…

Do you sometimes feel like no…

There are things in my life that I had once that I don’t have anymore. There are relationships that were once a big deal to me that were taken from me and are gone now. There are times when the pain …

Have you ever witnessed an incredible storm? These amazing forces of nature can be mind-blowing—and dangerous. One of Jesus’s well-known miracles happened in this context. Because of the hills surrou…

Injustice is everywhere; just look outside. It’s hard not to see injustice. Why does God allow it? Humans have been wondering this for a long time. Psalm 73 was written by Asaph and records his strug…