Kids Bible Devotional for July 30, 2024
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Focus Verse
James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (NKJV)
Jump Start
Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill”? Do you know what it means?
The first recorded use of this phrase was made by Nicolas Udall in 1548 in his translation of The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the newe testamente. It means don’t blow things out of proportion.
When compared to a mountain, a molehill is quite small. Molehills can get as high as nine inches tall. By comparison, Mount Everest is over 29,000 feet – or 348,000 inches. In a spiritual sense, we can make mountains out of molehills with offenses. In Matthew 18, Jesus gives a parable about an unforgiving servant. This servant owed the king 10,000 talents. In today’s money, that’s around $3 million. The king wiped the debt clean. After he did, the servant found a man who owed him 100 denarii, which is about $6,000 in today’s money. The man begged the servant for patience, but the servant threw him in prison. Word got back to the king, and he got very angry. Not only did he revoke his debt forgiveness but threw the unforgiving servant into prison until his debt could be paid.
What does this all mean? God has forgiven us of so much. How can we not forgive others for their offenses? When compared the price Jesus paid at Calvary, our offenses are molehills.
Today's Devotion
Aiden escorted his friend Ethan to the door. “Thanks for coming to play video games with me today,” he said.
Ethan stepped onto the front porch. “Yeah, no problem. I needed to get out of the house for a while anyway. See you at school.” He then turned to leave. When Aiden shut the door, his mother called out to him from the living room.
She looked up from her book as he walked into the room. “I heard the front door,” she said. “Was that Ethan leaving?”
“Yes ma’am,” he answered. “Thanks for letting him come over. His mom and dad fight a lot. He said they’re splitting up, and he just needed a break from it all.”
“Oh that’s terrible,” Mom said. “I’ll be sure to pray for them.”
“He’s pretty mad at his dad. He blames him for his parents’ problems. He said he doesn’t want to have anything to do with him.” Aiden dropped to the couch and let out a sigh. “I feel bad for him. I told him that he should forgive his dad. There’s no point in being mad.”
“That’s good advice,” Mom said. “Supper should be ready soon. Go get cleaned up.”
After dinner, while Mom cleaned up the kitchen, Aiden began to prepare his lunch for the following school day. He dug around in the refrigerator for the last cup of pudding he stashed for his lunch. “Hey, where’s the pudding? I can’t find it.”
“I think your brother had it for a snack this afternoon.”
Aiden slammed the fridge door shut. “Why did you let him do that? You bought those for my lunch.”
“I bought them for everyone. I’ll buy more when I got to the store in the morning.”
“I’m so tired of people touching my stuff,” Aiden bellowed.
“Now wait a minute!” his mother scolded. “No one had any idea you were saving that for your lunch. Have you already forgotten the advice you gave Ethan today about forgiveness?”
“Mom, that’s different. We’re talking about his dad, not a cup of pudding.”
“Yet you have turned the pudding into a major event. Ethan is upset about his parents break up, yet you are losing your cool over a dessert? Think about that for a minute.”
Aiden scratched his head. “Now that you put it that way, I guess I am blowing things out of proportion.” He reached back into the fridge and pulled open the produce drawer. “I can take an apple instead.”
Wrap Up
Jesus said in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Jesus gave His life that we might be saved. Because He has shown such mercy, He expects the same of us in return toward others.
Today’s theme verses remind us that God’s wisdom calls for us to have a gentle spirit and a forgiving heart. Pray that God helps you to show others a love that is greater than your feelings. We need His help to love others despite what they do.
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