Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

At a young age, I was afraid of God. I grew up being taught that God is perfect and would be angry at me when I commit a sin or break His commandments. I had learned that God, in His anger toward me …

When life starts to get crazy, sometimes we dart between one task and the next. When you get toward the end of the school year and there is a lot you need to accomplish, or when you’re at work and yo…

If you’ve been dating someone for a while and you really like them, you may start asking yourself, “Is this love? How do I know?” The Bible has tons to say about loves of all kinds, including romant…

What does it mean when Jesus called Himself the vine? He gave His disciples this picture on the night before He went to the cross, saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). Jesus as…

God knows why things are happening the way they are in our lives and in this world. We can look at everything going on around us and wonder how it’s all going to make sense in the end. We can see bad…

To be in the shadow of God is everything. This world is a scary place; there are so many rules, expectations, and dangers waiting for us around every bend. It’s more than scary—it’s paralyzing. Like …

I like to feed hummingbirds. As I was researching how to feed them well, I found that many websites say to watch for stragglers at the end of the warm season. This year, we’ve had a couple stragglers…

God created the changing seasons Colored leaves, sunny skies So much autumn beauty I look at it and wonder, “how small am I?” But God sees me in the beauty I’m not too small for Him He created each …

I’m in my forties, and one thing I wish I’d known when I was a teenager is that it really is true when people say God loves us just as we are. We don’t have to earn His approval. In the book of Isaia…

READ: JOHN 10:10; ROMANS 15:13; 1 JOHN 5:19

I’m twenty-six years old, and I wish I had known sooner that God wasn’t the maker of my depression.

When ninth grade rolled around, I faced depressio…

If you ever feel left out or mistreated, if people talk about you instead of talking to you, you are not alone. It can be hard to deal with the pain of rejection or getting less than what is fair, bu…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stained glass windows. When sunbeams reach through colored glass and paint the room with rainbows, something inside me stirs. These mosaics of color awaken m…

One of the most enduring tales of all time is the story of a wish granted. Whether it’s the three wishes of a genie’s lamp in “Aladdin,” the ironic twists of “The Monkey’s Paw,” or just a discussion …

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to make an important decision, but you weren’t sure how to go about it? Do you sometimes fear that taking a wrong path would cost you—maybe jeopardi…

They were beautiful, but wild and seemingly untamable. These horses of mine galloped across the white sands, surging at times into the foaming sea. A jet black mane and a tail that looked like wispy …

In James 3, we are given metaphors for what our “tongue” (or the words we say) is like. James says our words have inherent power, and that power can be used either for good or evil.

He explains the p…

Have you ever heard such wonderful phrases as these?

“You are precious to me.”

“I love you.”

“I am with you.”

“Do not fear.”

Do you know anyone who would speak so tenderly to you? This is how the Go…

Not everyone has great parents. Not everyone has a family history they are proud of. If that’s you, know this: God loves you no matter who your parents are. They might be criminals. They might be peo…

Horatio G. Spafford was a lawyer, an investor, and a follower of Christ who suffered many tragedies in his life. Spafford’s son (also named Horatio) died of scarlet fever at age four. And in October …

I can’t. But God can. I am weak. But God is strong. I am afraid. But He can make me brave. I can’t do it alone. But I don’t have to be alone. In my darkness, God is my light. In my pain, He gives hea…