Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Our Refuge

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Emily stood on third base, nervously waiting for the final pitch. The softball game score was tied, and this was her last chance to get a run for her team. Crack! The ball sailed past her. Her heartbeat doubled, and she ran for home plate as fast as she could. The outfielders were yelling at each other, but Emily did not listen. They would throw the ball to home any second, but Emily did not look behind her to see how close they were to getting her. Faster, faster! she thought. She ran harder than she had ever run before.

Emily was not thinking about being tagged on her way to home plate. She was not thinking about the catcher getting the ball before she got there. She was thinking only about one thing: getting to home plate as soon as possible. The catcher held her arms out for the ball, waiting. Emily dove, sliding through the dust and over the plate. Thump! The ball hit the catcher’s mitt. Emily paused and listened. “Safe!” yelled the umpire. Emily stood and smiled. Safe.

Emily must have felt a little like the man who wrote Psalm 46. His country was at war, and he was surrounded by danger and death. But he was not afraid. He knew that no matter what happened around him, he was safe with God. He calls God his “refuge.” A refuge is a place of safety in danger, a place that you can run to for help and comfort. The author of Psalm 46 did not waste time being scared. Instead, he remembered that God is always there to give help in times of trouble.

God is still a refuge for Christians today. Sometimes life seems scary, but we know that God is our “refuge and strength.” Like the author of Psalm 46, we need to remember that God will protect us if we trust Him. Then, like Emily, we need to run to Him in prayer.

God keeps you safe in times of trouble.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is the Giver of All Life

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Timothy 6:11-14)

Jesse looked at his brand new little sister through the hospital’s nursery window. He could not believe that he was a big brother now. A nurse had taken a picture of him with the baby and Mom and Dad. Jesse thought Zoey was a great name, and easy to spell. She had not cried when they put her in his arms, and he held very still so she would not get upset. She was very quiet, light, and fragile – like a China doll. And she was so tiny. Her little foot could fit into the palm of his hand!

Jesse’s mom and dad had told him their reasons for choosing the name “Zoey.” They told him that God is the One Who gives life, and “Zoey” is like the Greek word for “life.” They had prayed a long time for a daughter (Jesse had been praying for a sister, too); and, since God had given her life, they wanted to name her “Zoey.”

The word “quicken” means “to give life,” or “to bring to life.” God was the One Who created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and He still gives life today. The Bible teaches that our “times” are in His hands, and that He can give or take away life. What a great God we must have! Humans do not have that kind of power. Jesse could not have snapped his fingers and gotten a little sister – he had to pray for her and wait for God to give life. God is the One Who gives all physical life.

God is the Giver of all eternal life, too. No normal human being has ever been able to raise himself from the dead like Jesus Christ did. Jesus could do that because Jesus is God. No normal human being has the power to take people to heaven, but Jesus Christ did. He even described Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He said that nobody could come to God the Father except through Jesus Himself, God the Son.

In I Timothy 6:11-14, the apostle Paul is writing to Timothy about what kind of Christian man he should be. He tells Timothy to run away from wickedness and temptation. He tells Timothy to try to be righteous, godly, faithful, loving, patient, and meek. In other words, Paul is encouraging Timothy to “lay hold on eternal life” and to live this earthly life in a right way. He gives Timothy a “charge” (command) to do these things in God’s sight, and reminds him that God is the One Who brings all things to life.

Maybe Timothy wondered how it could be possible for any human being to live such a holy life as Paul was charging him to live. But he knew that God is the Giver of all life, not just his physical life, but his eternal life. God is a great God, and we can ask Him to help us when we need physical or spiritual help. Are you having trouble believing that you can live rightly? Are you having trouble waiting for God to take care of something you need? Keep praying, like Jesse and his family prayed for Zoey. Keep trusting in the God of the Bible. He is the same God Who gives life to a little baby. And He is the same God Who cared enough to give a way for human sinners to live with Him forever. If He is able to give all life and take care of all living things, then He is worthy of your trust and obedience.

God is the Giver of all life, so it makes sense to trust and obey Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

The LORD Disciplines His Loved Ones

"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:5b-7)

Melody was playing an old vinyl record, listening to the story of the Three Little Pigs. She laughed at the part where the older, smarter brother-pig (the one who built his house out of bricks) was punishing his younger, silly brothers for their foolishness. They had made their houses out of straw and sticks, mostly so they would have more time left in the day to goof around. They mocked their brother for working all day.

The voice of the older-brother-pig was a gruff, matter-of-fact voice. Melody decided it was a great voice for that character. If she had not heard the beginning of the story, she would have thought he was being awfully mean to his little brothers. But now that she knew how silly they were, she began to wonder if he might be going too easy on them! He was always having to help them get out of trouble with the Big Bad Wolf!

How foolish the little pigs were! They thought their brother was boring and old-fashioned. They just wanted him to relax and play all day with them. They laughed at their brother for always worrying about danger and the Big Bad Wolf. All they could see was how he worked all day building a house that was safe, and he never wanted them to have any fun. They did not understand that he loved them and did not want the Big Bad Wolf to get them.

Do you take it seriously when God disciplines you? Do you understand what it means when He allows you to get in trouble for sins you wanted to hide? We should all be careful to respond rightly to our heavenly Father’s correction. He corrects us because He loves us.

No father who really loves his son will let him get away with doing foolish or dangerous things. Even when parents seem to worry too much, it is because they care. If they did not care, they would not spend the time to help us understand why other choices are better. If they did not care, they would not waste their energy talking to us or punishing us.

God is the best “Father” ever, because He is perfect. He knows what He is doing when He corrects us.

We need to respond rightly to God’s discipline, knowing that He corrects the ones He loves.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Cannot Lie

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)

Has anyone ever lied to you? When someone lies, it becomes harder for us to trust him. If he lied to us once, he might lie again. How can we ever be sure he is telling the truth?

God never lies. In fact, the Bible says in Titus 1:2 that He cannot lie. It goes against His perfect, holy nature to lie. He is absolutely truthful.

What are some things God tells us in His Word?

He says...

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions" (Isaiah 44:22).

"I have loved thee with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3).

"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

"I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3).

Do you believe these things? Remember, the God who says these things to you cannot lie.

Everything God tells us in His Word is true, because God cannot lie.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Comforts Us

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3)

“Strike three; you’re out!” The umpire shouted the dreaded words. The small crowd of parents and siblings was silent as Gabe shuffled back to the bench, tossing his bat in the dirt.

Gabe sat down on the far end of the bench and sighed. He was sure that last pitch had been a ball – that’s why he hadn’t swung. He could not believe he had struck out for the second time in one game. Why could he not come through when all his team needed was a simple base hit?

As Gabe felt more and more discouraged, his teammate Jackson walked over and sat down beside him. “Hey Gabe, don’t worry about it. You did your best. Remember last week when we had guys on second and third and two outs, and I was up? I smacked the ball right into the pitcher’s glove. Three outs; game over. I was so bummed. I was ashamed that I messed up and let everybody down.”

Gabe looked over at Jackson, one of the team’s best players. Jackson had felt ashamed? “But that night, I was reading my Bible,” Jackson said. “And I read this verse that said, if we look to God, we won’t be weighed down, and our faces won’t be ashamed (see Psalm 34:5). I thought it was great how the verse talked about exactly what I was feeling that day.”

Jackson understood how Gabe felt because Jackson had been there himself. And when he had felt discouraged, God comforted him through His Word. Now he could share that comfort with Gabe.

One of the reasons God lets us go through hard times is so that He can show us His strength by the way He comforts us. Sometimes He does that not by taking the hard times away, but by giving us strength to face them. Then when our Christian friends are facing similar hard times, we can share with them how God strengthened us – and how He will strengthen them, too.

God comforts us in our hard times so we can comfort others in their hard times.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is the Only Perfect Hero

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

They call him the Man of Steel. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman is the ultimate strong and powerful guy. As long as there’s none of that nasty green Kryptonite nearby to suck away his stunning strength, Superman can do whatever it takes to rescue people in any kind of danger. And not only does he fly and have incredible muscles, but he also actually seems to care about using his powers not to make himself look good, but to help people.

We love Superman because we know we need a hero: someone who knows when we need help, is powerful enough to be able to help us, and cares enough to want to help. In the movies and on TV, Superman does all of those things. But he does not do any of them perfectly. For example, he knows when people need help – but only because he hears about it from someone else. He is powerful enough to help people – but only in one place at a time. If a child were being kidnapped on one side of Metropolis at the exact same moment that a woman’s car was being stolen on the other side of the city, he would have to choose to help either the child or the woman. He could not do both, even if he wanted to.

Superman is a good hero, but he is only a man – and not even a real man, just a pretend character on TV and in movies. He is only an imitation of the one Hero we all need: a God Who knows everything, Who can do anything He wants to, and who loves His children perfectly. That God is our refuge: we can run to Him for shelter when we’re facing something scary or painful. He is our strength: we can call on Him when we are weak. He is always near when we are in trouble: He doesn’t have to fly to where we are, because He is already there. We can count on Him to be our ultimate Hero.

God, my Refuge and Strength, is better than any make-believe hero.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Good to All

“The LORD is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:9)

Trisha watched her friend Jillian Blair run to her mother’s car and jump inside. Through the window she could see Jillian’s mother holding up the bird mobile Jillian had made in art class, smiling and exclaiming over it. Mrs. Blair gave Jillian a hug before starting the car and pulling out of the school parking lot.

God is so good to some people, thought Trisha. Jillian has everything. She’s pretty, she has nice clothes, she has lots of friends, she’s good in art, and she has a mother who can come pick her up after school. Trisha thought of her own mother, who had worked a full-time job for as long as Trisha could remember. Trisha had to go to late-stay every day after school and wait two hours for her mom to get off work.

Trisha turned away from the window of the late-stay room and noticed another friend, Heidi, sitting at a desk with her Bible open. “What are you doing?” Trisha asked Heidi.

“Learning my Bible club verse. Can I say it to you? It’s Psalm 145:9.” Heidi handed Trisha the Bible and recited, The LORD is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

“That was perfect,” said Trisha. “Good job.”

Heidi smiled. “It’s true too,” she said. “God has been so good to our family, especially since my mom died. My grandma has been able to stay with us and help us out, and my Dad was able to finish paying all Mom’s medical bills. My little brother has even gotten over having nightmares!”

Trisha gave Heidi’s Bible back. She stood up slowly and walked back to the window, realizing how wrong her thoughts had been a few minutes ago. Heidi did not even have a mom anymore. Yet Heidi was not doubting God’s goodness. She was praising Him for all the ways He had been good to her family.

“Thank You, God for my mom,” Trisha prayed. “Thank You that she has a good job. Thank You for my friends. And thank You for forgiving me for my wrong thoughts. You really are good to me – better than I deserve.”

God is good to all.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Opens Hearts

“And a certain woman named Lydia...heard us: whose heart the Lord opened.” (Acts 16:14)

When Paul received a call from God to go to Macedonia and preach the gospel, he and his missionary companions immediately set sail. One of the first major cities they came to was Philippi. After spending some time in the city, they decided one day to go out into the country to tell people about Christ. They found a group of women meeting beside a river, so they sat down with them to tell them the good news about the true God.

One of these women was named Lydia. Lydia lived in the city of Thyatira, and she made her living by selling purple cloth. The Bible tells us that Lydia “worshiped God.” She was interested in the Jewish God and tried to worship Him in her own way, but she had not yet become a believer in Christ. Acts 16:14 says that Lydia heard Paul’s preaching because the Lord had opened her heart. Lydia’s heart was not hard and cold, nor was it doubtful and questioning. She had a heart that was open and ready to receive God’s Word because of a work that He had done inside of her. After hearing Paul’s preaching, she and her entire household were willing to show the world publicly, through baptism, that they were believers in Christ.

Is there someone that you would like to share the gospel with? Pray for that person, asking God to open his heart. Maybe you have a neighbor that you have tried several times to witness to, but she has never been willing to listen. Ask God to open her heart. Perhaps you have a family member that is not saved, but you feel a little fearful to talk to him about the Lord. God can open his heart too!

God wants us to share the gospel with the unsaved people around us, but salvation is His work, not ours. The story of Lydia reminds us that God is the one who makes people ready and willing to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. Each time you hand someone a tract, write someone a letter explaining how to be saved, or talk to an unsaved person about the gospel, remember to ask for help from the God who opens hearts.

In salvation, God does a special work of opening hearts and making people ready to accept Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus Wants True Disciples

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31)

When Jesus was on Earth, He called people to come and follow after Him. You’ve probably heard the stories of how He called different men to be His followers, or disciples. He called Peter, Andrew, James, and John while they were fishing. He called Matthew, who was a tax collector. He even picked Judas, a man who would betray Him, to be His disciple. Twelve men were Jesus’ special followers who traveled with Him throughout His ministry on this Earth.

Women and children followed Jesus, too. Often there were crowds of people around Him wherever He went. But was everyone who followed after Jesus really His true disciple?

The word disciple means “a learner,” or someone who follows the teachings of another. Here are some things Jesus said about His true disciples. First, His disciples have to be people who have believed on Him (John 8:31). His disciples love Him more than anyone or anything else – even themselves (Luke 14:26). His disciples love each other (John 13:35). His disciples keep His Word – not just when they feel like it, but all the time (John 8:31). And His disciples bear fruit (John 15:. In other words, people can look at them and see that God is changing their lives in good ways. He is making them like Jesus.

Jesus still wants true disciples today. Does it sound hard to be His true disciple? Jesus didn’t say that His true disciples would be perfect people. He did not say they would never fail in their love and obedience to Him. The word disciple means someone who is learning to love, obey, and bear fruit. Even disciples need the Holy Spirit’s help to make good changes in their lives. A disciple is someone who wants more than anything else to become like the perfect Teacher, Jesus Christ.

Jesus wants true disciples who are learning more and more to love and obey Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Secures Your Steps

“He…set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:2)

Have you ever watched a young child learning how to walk? The child totters and staggers around around while proud parents offer squeals of praise to encourage their little one to take more steps. The cameras flash, video recorders roll, and phone calls are made. The parents quickly clear toys and furniture out of the way to keep the child from getting hurt. Usually the child will fall many times in this process, but eventually get up and try again. Parents are there when the child falls and can help the child get back up. Would good parents knock their child down, or poke or push to make the baby fall? Of course not!

You are not a baby any more, but you still have to learn to walk. Yes; you may already know how to walk on two feet, but there is another kind of “walk” we all need to work on, for the rest of our lives. In the New Testament, Paul compares the Christian’s life to walking. As you probably know by now, becoming more and more like Christ is not an easy walk. We get tempted to sin against God. We face hard things like losing loved ones or moving to a new city. Walking God's way is hard.

But Christians have a heavenly Father who helps them learn to walk the Christian life. He is beside you with every step. Does that mean that you will never fall down? No! David says in Psalm 40 that he was having difficulties in the Christian walk. But just like a little child learning to walk, you have a wonderful Father beside you to help you up: God. David asked the Lord for help (and you can, too, if you are God’s child), and God responded by helping David. The way David described God's help was as though He put David's feet on a solid rock to keep him from slipping. If you are looking for help for the Christian walk, you cannot get anymore security and strength than the kind that God gives!

God is the kind of Father Who will strengthen our steps in the Christian walk.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is the One We Should Please

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:6-9)

"Say 'Mama,' Stella. 'Mama!'"

"No, Stella. You can say 'Daddy,' better, can't you! Say 'Daddy'!"

Jimmy laughed at the expression on his baby sister's face as she looked back and forth from her mom to her dad. "You guys are going to confuse her!" Jimmy said to his parents. "Stella's going to come out with something like 'Dama' or 'Maddy' if you both keep saying your names!"

Dad laughed, too. "You're right, Jimmy. We probably ought to give her little brain a little break. We don't want to make her dizzy just trying to make one of us happy."

"True," said Mom. "Besides, she doesn't really have to say our names to please us. Both of us will love her whether she says our names or not!" Then Mom grinned. "But she's going to say 'Mama' first!"

Do you ever get the feeling that there are too many people to please? Your siblings want you to share with them. Your friends want you to play with them. Your parents expect you to behave a certain way. Your teachers assign you projects and want you to listen in class. You might have chores to do and family to visit and pets to take care of. Have you ever thought about how many "rules" there are just for good manners? Saying "please," saying "thank you," holding a certain fork a certain way, chewing with your mouth closed, and the list goes on! Sometimes keeping track of all you have to do and say can become very overwhelming!

Colossians 2:6-9 says that if our trust is in Christ Jesus the Lord, we ought to walk in a way that pleases Him. It says that all kinds of people have all kinds of opinions, and you might meet people who will try to spoil (ruin) you with their godless opinions and worthless ideas. But we ought to be rooted in Christ, living to please Him. This passage says that Christ is the fulness of the Godhead bodily, which means that Christ is God! He is the Creator. He is the Redeemer. He is the highest Authority, and all other authorities (like your parents and teachers) were put in their positions by Him! Christ is God. If your goal in life is to please God above everyone else, then you will be obeying His Word. You can be sure that you will be doing what you ought to be doing!

Did you ever think about how God is really the only One we have to think about pleasing? Yes – of course – it is good to practice good manners and be concerned about other people. But ultimately, if we are growing in the knowledge of God's Son and walking worthy of Christ – then we can trust that we are living in a way that pleases Him. And God is the most important One to please. If we please God, we will usually make our parents and other people happy automatically.

God is the main One we have to be concerned about pleasing.

[Soldier4Christ]

Only the LORD Can Promise Safety

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:

Devon woke up with a start and sat up straight in his bed. His room was pitch black. In his mind, he could still see the dark forest and the mean-looking dogs that had been chasing him in his nightmare. He looked across the room toward the window. Were they out there, outside in the back yard? What if there really were mean, wild dogs out there waiting for him under his bedroom window?

He thought about calling for his mom to come in and sit with him. Or maybe he could catch Grandpa in the kitchen again, munching on a midnight snack. Maybe Grandpa would make him a jam sandwich and tell him stories about the Navy. Devon looked at the crack under the door. It was dark in the hallway, and he really did not want to go out there by himself. Deep down, Devon also knew that Mom needed to get up early for work in the morning. It would probably be better not to bother her. He lay back down and glanced toward the window again. Was that a twig snapping outside? Was something moving around in the bushes out there? Oh! What could he do?

Then Devon remembered that his Sunday school teacher had talked about different kinds of fear. Mr. Rooks was tall and had huge muscles, but even he admitted that sometimes he felt afraid of things. He shared with them a verse, something about trusting in God in the times he was afraid. It was hard for Devon to imagine someone as big and strong as Mr. Rooks being afraid of anything! But if Mr. Rooks found comfort and courage in trusting God, Devon thought, surely he could, too.

A light came on in the hallway, just then, and Devon could hear Grandpa's heavy footsteps on the stairwell. "Hmm. I think maybe I'll just talk to God about this nightmare tonight," he said to himself. And so he did.

Has your mind ever been so busy with worries and heavy thoughts that you cannot get to sleep at night? Have you ever been so afraid that you do not know what to do? Have you ever wondered if any fellow human being could really help you not be afraid? Devon had that problem, and you probably have felt that way, too. The Bible teaches that we can go to God when we are fearful. In fact, it teaches us that God is really the only One Who truly can help us deal with fear.

Psalm 4:8 says that the LORD is the only One Who can give true safety and protection. The LORD is the only all-powerful, all-knowing Being – and He loves His children! More than anyone else you know, God is worthy of your trust when you feel frightened. Talk to Him about your fears. Trust Him for comfort and courage.

God is the greatest Protector, worthy of trust when we feel afraid.

[Soldier4Christ]

Salvation Comes from God

"Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou has smitten all mine enemies.... Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah." (Psalm 3:7-8)

Have you ever looked up at a magnificent sunset and thought about the God Who painted all those colors across the sky? Have you ever wondered what a skilled artist God must be? He created the whole universe, all by Himself! He is the One Who invented color! He chose the designs and patterns that we see in all the many kinds of animals, all the types of trees and flowers, all the unique faces in the crowds of people in every city. Not only that, but God has passed along some of His amazing creativity to human beings. Just think of all the talented musicians and artists and writers and craftsmen and engineers and architects and teachers who do their work with such skill and imagination. They all do different things and have different gifts, but God thought up all of them. God gave all of them what they have. What an amazing Creator we have!

We can look at Creation and believe by faith that it comes from God. We can look around us, or look up at that magnificent sunset, and say, "That is God's handiwork. God did it!" But do you ever think about what God is still doing, or what other gifts come from Him? For example, we have to look at the Gospel of Christ and say, "That's God's work! God did this." Only Someone as creative and all-powerful as God could think up the plan of redemption and carry it out.

Only God could come in human form, live a perfect life, die to save sinners, and rise again after spending three days dead in a tomb! Only God can give us the understanding and the faith we need to believe what His Word says about salvation. What a wonderful, creative God we have – He created us, and only He can save us!

In Psalm 3, King David is giving a testimony in song about how he called upon the LORD and realized that only the LORD could save him when he was in trouble. Once he realized that, David said (in verse 6 of Psalm 3) that he would not be afraid even of thousands and thousands of people – because he trusted God. God is the kind of God Who saves. He is the Source, the beginning, of all salvation. Are you trusting God's salvation today?

God is the One Who saves.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Everywhere We Go

"Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139:3-7)

"This is the conductor, Brittany. His name is Mr. Ben. He'll take care of you during your train ride, honey." Brittany's dad handed her suitcase to the man with the blue uniform and scruffy mustache. Slowly, she reached up to shake Mr. Ben's hand, but he was already turning to lead her up the little staircase and into the coach car of the train.

Her dad hugged her good-bye and held onto her shoulders for a second. "Remember what we talked about. Mom and Grandpa and them will be waiting for you at the station. If you need anything during the trip, ask Mr. Ben. He knows where the restrooms and the dining car are."

Brittany nodded her head.

"You OK?"

She nodded her head again. She was feeling like there might be some kind of crazy hamster wheel twirling in her stomach.

"I'm sorry you're having to go on by yourself. But Mr. Ben will take good care of you on the train, and I'll be able to join the rest of the family when I get off work on Friday night. All right?"

She nodded again.

"OK, then. I love you, Britt. See you soon!"

Brittany climbed the staircase and sat down in a seat. She got the whole seat to herself, and she was right by a window. Mr. Ben handed her a carton of chocolate milk. The twirling-hamster-wheel feeling in her stomach was starting to go away. This wasn't so bad, after all. From where he stood on the platform outside, her dad was waving to her, and she smiled as she waved back.

Have you ever had to try something new for the first time? Have you ever been in a situation that made you nervous because you were all by yourself? Like Brittany's experience with a train trip all alone, sometimes we get stuck in uncomfortable places or circumstances that we have to go through. We cannot always pick or choose ways to make things be the way we want them to be. And Brittany had the promise of Mr. Ben taking care of her, but sometimes we really cannot turn to anyone. Sometimes we cannot count on a human being to help us through a new or difficult experience.

If you are a believer in the God of the Bible, though, you can remember that God is everywhere at all times. He is God. He is always there for us to talk to, always there for us to call on for help, and always there when we need to know we are not alone. He is always there – even though we cannot see Him.

How often do you think about the fact that God is everywhere, all the time? The word for that is "omnipresent," which means "present everywhere." If God's children reminded themselves more often that He is omnipresent, they would probably feel more safe, more brave, and more willing to trust in Him. His people are never truly alone when they go through hard things in their lives. Whether it is on a train, in a hospital, around a campfire, near a grave, in front of a crowd, or up a tree, God is there. He is truly everywhere we could go.

God is everywhere at all times.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Lord Loves Cheerful Givers

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

It was Thursday morning, and Tonia and Ruben had gotten up early so they could go with Uncle Dirk to the market. They loved the Thursday markets because there were so many interesting things and all kinds of people to see. Each of them had saved a little money since last Thursday, and they jingled the coins in their hands as they walked with Uncle Dirk from the train station to the marketplace.

But today wasn't just any Thursday. Today was their mother's 40th birthday! They knew that even today – even on her own special day – she was at home doing things for them. Right about now, she was probably preparing their lunch – slicing up bread, setting out dishes, washing vegetables for some soup. That was just how their mother was. Always doing, doing, doing – but never doing things for herself. Just yesterday, she had fixed Ruben's bicycle chain and added a bell to the handlebars. Last week, she had mended Tonia's favorite scarf.

"Look here, Uncle Dirk!" cried Ruben. "Don't you think Mother would love these soaps? There are all kinds of scents and colors to choose from! I'm sure I could find one she would love."

"What about these bouquets of flowers?" Tonia asked, pointing toward a nearby cart that was loaded down with flowers. "She loves flowers – especially tulips and poppies!"

"We could give her this carved frame to put a picture of Father in."

"We could buy her that embroidered tablecloth."

"How about these skeins of yarn? Or, instead of yarn, maybe this sweater!"

"What did you think about those bracelets we saw a few booths back?"

"Wait, children!" Uncle Dirk was laughing. "I cannot keep track of all your ideas! You are so enthusiastic about choosing a wonderful gift for your mother!"

"That's why it must be a wonderful gift!" said Ruben. "Because we have such a wonderful mother!"

"Well, she will be happy to know that her children have such a wonderful spirit," said Uncle Dirk, still smiling. "You could never afford to buy her all of these gifts, but you are sure to please her with the cheerfulness of your gift-giving!"

When you have an opportunity to give to God and to others, do you have a spirit as eager and grateful as Ruben's and Tonia's? They loved their mother, and they wanted to pick out a special present for her, out of love to her. What if Ruben had said, "I want to use my money to buy new tires for my bicycle!"? Or, what if Tonia had said, "I am sure Mother would want us to save up our money for more important things than birthday presents!"? What would comments like that reveal about their attitudes toward their mother? Would their attitudes show their love for her?

What about your gift-giving spirit? When it comes time to take up an offering in a church worship service, many Christians get a little grumpy. They would rather keep as much of their money as they can for themselves. They tell themselves that saving money for "more important things" is best. And they just would rather not offer anything toward the offering. The Bible plainly teaches that we should be cheerful givers! And if we are having a hard time being cheerful, we can ask God for help. He is able to give us the grace we need to do anything that pleases Him!

If we are right with God, we will want to give cheerfully to Him and to others. We will feel grateful for all He has done for us. We will be enthusiastic about offering gifts that would please Him most. Ruben and Tonia were excited to choose a wonderful gift for their mother, because they believe her to be the most wonderful mother in the world. When we are excited to give to our Heavenly Father, we show that we love Him and honor Him – more than we love and honor ourselves! Be a cheerful gift-giver.

The Lord is pleased when we give with a cheerful spirit.