I n t r o d u c t o r yE d i t i o n
INTRODUCTION
One day Jesus’ disciples asked Him how they should pray. Jesus taught them a prayer that has become famous all over the world. It’s often called “The Lord’s Prayer.” This is how Jesus prayed:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” MATTHEW 6:9–13 NIV
Did you notice those three words, “our daily bread”? What do they mean? Throughout the Bible God shows that He loves people by taking care of their needs every day. One of our biggest needs is food—actual bread for our bodies and spiritual “bread” for our souls. God fed His chosen people, the Israelites, by sending bread called manna to their campsites every morning. In the New Testament, Jesus calls himself our “bread of life.”
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This book is all about our spiritual food. The readings in Our Daily Bread for Kids will help you get inside the Bible every day. They were written to explain Bible stories and ideas, and they will always point you to what God says in Scripture. Every day you can read one of these devotionals and your Bible. If Scripture is the bread that feeds our souls, this book is like the plate that serves the bread. Keep it right next to your Bible! This is not a Bible storybook, so the 365 readings do not follow the order of Scripture. Some readings are about Jesus or other people in the New Testament, some are about stories from the Old Testament, and some are about Bible verses that might have a special meaning for you. If you come across words you don’t understand, look them up in the glossary at the back. If you want to read about a certain topic, check out the index of topics. If you come across anything you don’t understand, just keep reading. Don’t give up! The more you read and study the Bible, the more you will understand the big story God has for us.
You can read this book by yourself, or have your parents or grandparents read it with you. You might want to use this book at mealtime or at bedtime. However you use Our Daily Bread for Kids, we hope you like it. But more importantly, we hope you learn that Jesus loves you so much that He’s given you a chance to become a part of God’s family. As you use this book, we pray you will have many meaningful moments with God. Crystal and Teri
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He will cover you with his wings. Under the feathers of his wings you will find safety. He is faithful. He will keep you safe like a shield or a tower. PSALM 91:4 NIRV
Wings of Safety
A mother hen is very protective of her chicks. She begins to care for her babies when they are just eggs. She pays close attention to the eggs’ temperature. She pecks at other birds or animals that come near the nest. When the chicks finally break out of their eggshells, the mother hen continues to watch them carefully. Any time the hen senses danger, she makes a clucking noise and spreads her wings. The babies run underneath her wings to hide. There the chicks are safe and warm. They can even walk around underneath the shelter of their mother’s wings.
er. dang n i m I can run to God when I a Psalm 91 says that God protects you like a mother hen protects her chicks. When you think of God guarding you, imagine a hen spreading her wings. When you are afraid, God wants you to run to Him for safety. You can always depend on Him to be your shelter. But how do we run to God? We can run to Him anytime by praying to Him and asking Him to help us.
A hen’s wings stretch twenty to thirty inches (fifty-one to seventy-six centimeters). That means about twelve chicks can fit under her wings at one time.
Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, you can stay close to God. When you are close to Him, God covers you with His wings of safety. —T.M.
R EAD MORE Read Psalm 17:8. Use this as a prayer asking God to keep you safe.
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How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well. . . . God, your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. PSALM 139:14, 17 NIRV
Amazing and Wonderful
Did you know that no two snowflakes are exactly alike? Each snowflake has its own special pattern and design. The same is true for people—not even identical twins are alike in every way.
Every person God creates is unique. That means there is no one else exactly like you. From your laugh to your freckles to the color of your hair—God made you, and He knows all about you. Think about the things you like to do and the things you’re really good at. Not only does God know your interests and talents, He’s the one who gave them to you. He thought about you before you were even born. He planned your smile and the color of your eyes. He knew what would make you laugh and what subjects you would like in school. He gave you your own voice and your own personality.
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Every part of God’s creation—including you—is amazing and wonderful! In the book of Psalms, King David thanks God for making him in such an amazing and wonderful way. He praises God for thinking about him so much. David says that God’s thoughts about him are priceless. God’s thoughts about you are priceless too. You have great value because God made you amazing and wonderful. —T.M.
Your fingerprints are unique to you. They are on your fingers when you’re born, and stay the same throughout your whole life.
R EAD MORE Read Psalm 139:1–6. What does God know about you?
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Best Buddies
Having a best friend is special. It’s more fun to play hide-and-seek with someone you like. It’s nice to have a friend to build a fort with. Eating ice cream is even sweeter when you can share it with a friend. God gives friendship as a gift. And He can use it to do great things!
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Jonathan and David became close friends. Jonathan loved David just as he loved himself. 1 SAMUEL 18:1 NIRV
The Bible tells us about two best friends. Their names were David and Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul liked Jonathan’s friend David for a while, but then he became jealous. Saul knew that David was going to be the next king—and he wasn’t happy about that. Saul tried to keep David from becoming king and even tried to hurt David.
od. G Friendsh m o ip is a gift fr But no matter what, Jonathan was loyal to David. Even though Jonathan could have been the next king, he never became jealous of David. Jonathan talked honestly with David and helped him escape when Saul wanted to hurt him. The Bible says Jonathan “loved David just as he loved himself.” That means he did what was best for David, even when it was hard. Jonathan is a great example of a good friend, just like Jesus is a good example for us. A good friend helps out and puts his friends’ feelings ahead of his own. At church, at school, and in your neighborhood, you can show God’s love by being a good friend! —T.M.
R EAD MORE Read 1 Samuel 19:4. What did Jonathan tell King Saul to do?
The name David means “loved.” David was loved by his friend Jonathan.
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He who watches over you won’t get tired . . . or go to sleep. PSALM 121:3–4 NIRV
Up All Night
Have you ever stayed up late? Maybe your mom
or dad let you stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. Or maybe you had a friend spend the night, and you told stories and giggled way past your bedtime. But no matter how late you stayed up, eventually you did go to sleep. We all have to sleep at some point. We can’t skip our sleep because our bodies need rest. Sleep helps us to have strength and energy for the next day. It isn’t like that with God, though. The Bible tells us that God never sleeps. He never even gets tired! It’s hard to imagine having never-ending strength and energy—but God does. That’s another example of His greatness. Every second of the day and night, God is watching over all His creation. He’s always taking care of everything. And that includes you. Did you ever wake up at night and notice your parents were still awake? Somehow, the house feels safer when you know someone is still up. But even after your parents go to sleep, you can still feel that safe because God stays up all night watching over you. Daytime or nighttime, God is awake—and He is taking care of you. —T.M.
e. er m v o ing God is always watch
In 1964, a seventeen-yearold named Randy Gardner stayed awake for eleven days and twenty-four minutes. Many believe that’s a world record!
R EAD MORE Read Exodus 12:31–42 to learn about an important event that happened during the night.
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Heavy Loads
Have you ever tried to carry something very heavy? Maybe you moved a stack of books to the closet to help your teacher. Or maybe you had a big suitcase to lug around when you traveled. If you’ve tried to carry a heavy load, you know it can be exhausting. After a while, you just want to set it down and take a break. Our bodies aren’t meant to carry heavy things all day.
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“Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” MATTHEW 11:28 GW
Since he was a carpenter, Jesus probably carried heavy pieces of wood. And He used the idea of carrying heavy stuff to help us understand something very important. Sometimes we “carry” things on the inside, and they make us tired. When you have problems at school or in your family, it almost feels like you’re holding a heavy weight. Struggles can wear us down, just like a heavy backpack would.
ries. r o Jesu s gives me rest from my w But Jesus says we can bring our heavy loads to Him. We can talk to Him about the things that weigh us down. And do you know what happens when we do that? He will give us rest! When we talk to Jesus about the hard things in our lives, it’s like setting down a heavy stack of books. Jesus gives rest to our souls. That means He’ll give us peace and a feeling of comfort inside. It’s almost like our body says “ahh” from the inside out. Jesus can handle all of our problems and worries. Nothing is too heavy for Him to hold! —T.M.
R EAD MORE Read Isaiah 40:29–31 to find out how you can have strength instead of feeling tired.
A shekel was a measure of weight used during biblical times. One pound equals forty shekels.
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Beautiful Music
An orchestra is made up of many different
instruments. The violin, cello, and bass are some of the stringed instruments. The woodwinds include the flute, clarinet, and oboe. The brass family has trumpets, French horns, and tubas. The percussion family has a long list of instruments including drums, chimes, and xylophones. Each instrument makes its own special sound, but when they all play together, there is beautiful music.
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In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. ROMANS 12:6 NLT
People are sort of like those different instruments. God created us to have our own special talents and abilities. He wants us to work together and help each other out. Because we’re all different, we need each other. Together, we’re better than we can be all by ourselves.
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If you sing or play the piano, you can use your talents to help others praise God. If you are good at math, you can help a friend with her homework. If you have an eye for design, you can use your skills to create posters for school. If you are good at sports, you can help others practice so they can get better. Or maybe your talent is being kind to someone who just needs a friend. Whatever gift or ability you have, God gave it to you to use. And when we all use our talents together, it’s like a beautiful symphony. —C.B.
R EAD MORE Read 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 to find out where our gifts and talents come from.
A boy named Curtis Elton, from London, England, began playing the piano when he was three. By the time he was nine years old, he was the youngest person to earn a collegelevel music diploma.
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Choose Your Words
Here’s an old saying you may have heard: “Sticks
and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Even though people say that a lot, it isn’t really true. Words have power and they can hurt. Unkind words stick with a person long after they were said. Sometimes people say things that they later wish they hadn’t said. But words can’t be taken back. That’s like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube after you’ve squeezed it out! But our words can affect people in a good way, too. Kind words stick with people. Kind words encourage others and build them up. Kind words have the power to help others.
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Don’t say anything that would hurt another person. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. EPHESIANS 4:29 GW
Timothy was a young man who studied under the apostle Paul. Timothy was often encouraged by the kind words Paul wrote in his letters. In one letter, Paul told Timothy, “I always remember you in my prayers, and I thank God for you. I want to see you so I can be filled with joy.” In another letter Paul said, “Timothy, you are like a son to me. Be strong in the grace we have in Christ!” Can you imagine how happy and excited Timothy must have been to read those words?
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Your words can be helpful too. You can spread happiness to others by speaking the words God gives you. The book of Proverbs says that the right words spoken at the right time are as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl. Those words will never hurt anyone. —T.M.
R EAD MORE What does Proverbs 16:23–24 say about the words we speak?
Most seven-year-old children know between five thousand and ten thousand words. That gives kids a lot of chances to speak kindly!
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Marching Ants
Ants are amazing little insects. Sometimes you hardly notice them because they are so tiny. But they are very strong. Ants can carry things that weigh ten or twenty times more than they do! Ants are also very hardworking. They work well together. Ants divide themselves into groups of workers, soldiers, and queens. By splitting up their work, they are able to keep their nests—called “colonies”—going strong. Many kinds of ants store food in their nests. They go back and forth between the nest and the food source, building up a supply of food that will last them through cold weather.
29 Ants have no ruler, no boss, and no leader. But in the summer, ants gather all of their food and save it. So when winter comes, there is plenty to eat. PROVERBS 6:7–8 ERV
When King Solomon wrote the verses in Proverbs 6, he told us to remember the ants. They have different groups of workers, but there’s no one boss in charge of the colony. The ants do their work and take care of themselves without being told. They prepare for the future instead of being lazy. They stay busy and use their time wisely.
. hard I hono k r o r God when I w It’s good for us to work hard too. We can figure out the things we’re good at, and do them with all our might. We can work together with our families and friends, like ants do. When we work hard at everything we do, we make the most of the life God has given us. God wants us to enjoy the life He’s given us. You can show God you’re grateful for your life by doing your very best. —T.M.
R EAD MORE Read John 6:27–29. What is the most important work God wants us to do?
Scientists guess that there are about twenty-two thousand different kinds of ants!
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A Story of Forgiveness
Peter had a question about forgiving people. So Jesus told him a parable. In Jesus’ story, a king wanted to collect the money that his servants owed him. One servant owed him a huge amount of money. The servant had no way to pay it back. The king decided that the servant and his family and everything they owned should be sold. Then at least the king would get some of his money back. But the servant begged the king to be kind. He said, “Be patient with me. I will pay you everything I owe.” The king felt sorry for the man and let him go free.
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Peter came to Jesus. He asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.” MATTHEW 18:21–22 NIRV
Later, though, the same servant found someone who owed him a tiny bit of money. He grabbed the man and said, “Pay me the money you owe me!” The man fell on his knees and said, “Be patient with me. I will pay you everything I owe.” But the forgiven servant wouldn’t forgive someone else. He told a judge to throw the man into prison.
e. es m I ca v i g r n fo d fo rgive ot hers because Go When the king heard about that, he was angry. He called his servant in and said, “You begged me to forgive your debt, and I said you didn’t have to pay anything. You should have given that other man the same forgiveness I gave you!” Then the king put the servant in jail until he could pay his debt. Jesus told this story to help us understand how important it is to forgive. The king is like God. When we ask God to forgive us, He does. It doesn’t matter how big our sins are. We are like the king’s servant. When people ask us to forgive them, we should. We should forgive like God forgives us. —T.M.
R EAD MORE Read Luke 17:3–4. How many times should we forgive someone in a day?
The English word forgive comes from two Greek words that mean “grace” and “to send away.” Because of God’s grace, He sends our sins away!
Our Daily Bread Ministries No: 67/4, New No: 36, Spur Tank Rd, Chetpet Chennai 600 031, Tamil Nadu, India P. [91] 44 2836 3435 | M. [91] 95000 37162 [91] 99626 03519 | WhatsApp: 950003 7162 Email: india@odb.org Website: www.OurDailyBread.org Online Store: www.DHDIndia.in Follow us on facebook at facebook.com/ourdailybreadindia To read our devotions online, visit odb.org or tamil-odb.org or hindi-odb.org To download our free mobile app, visit www.ourdailybread.org/mobileapp