Psalm Stories

Book Four of the Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series

by

Sheila Deeth

Real World

Real People

Real God

Copyright © 2010 and 2012 by Sheila Deeth

Published by Cape Arago Press North Bend, OR

Psalm Stories is a work of fiction. Events, characters, and incidents in this book are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except for short phrases used in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™  Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Cover:

DEDICATION

With thanks to my Mum, my family and my friends for their prayers and encouragement;

to Ed Lewis for his wise advice and support; and with praise and thanks to God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Besides The Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series, Sheila Deeth is the author of several other novels and novellas including Divide by Zero, Black Widow, Refracted and Flower Child, and of the What IF…S Inspired by Faith and Science books. With a background in the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Free Evangelical, Presbyterian and Christian Reformed churches, and a master’s degree in mathematics from Cambridge University England, she calls herself a Mongrel Christian Mathematician. Now living with her husband in the Pacific Northwest she enjoys reading, writing, running Coffee Break Bible Studies and the Writers’ Mill writing group, and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Other Titles by Sheila Deeth for the Amazon Kindle

The Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series

GENESIS PEOPLE Book One —

EXODUS TALES Book Two —

J0SHUA’S JOURNEYS Book Three —

PSALM STORIES Book Four —

100 words a day Bible calendars

Christmas! Genesis to Revelation in 100 words a day: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKSL35S/

Bible Picture Books

A Bible Book of Colors: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R0YD7Q/

A Bible Book of Laws: www.amazon.com/dp/B008R2UNWS/

A Bible Book of Laws: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R35V7Y

Contemporary Fiction

Divide By Zero: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090NFH56

Spiritual Speculative Fiction

Black Widow: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UN5TO0

Refracted: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00433TBTQ

Flower Child: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005PGMT4O

Visit Sheila’s Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sheila-Deeth/e/B002CAU8VM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1: AUTUMN LEAVES

2: THE WOODSMAN’S FATHER

3: THE NEW SCHOOL

4: THE ANGRY BOY

5: THE NEST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW

6: GRANDMA’S KNITTING

7: PROTECTING THE HENHOUSE

8: QUESTIONS

9: OZYMANDIAS

10: THE BULLY IN THE PLAYGROUND

11: THE ISLAND

12: DESIGNING A CASTLE

13: HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING?

14: NO ONE IS WATCHING

15: NOBODY’S PERFECT

16: RESCUED BY THE PALACE GUARD

17: THE MOTHER QUAIL

18: CAMPING

19: THE RULES OF THE GAME

20: THE BIG JUMP

21: THE THRONE ROOM

22: THE SHEPHERD KING

23: THE LOST LAMB

24: OFF TO BE A SOLDIER

25: THE NAUGHTY BOYS

26: EXAMS

27: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

28: PHONING GRANDMA

29: WAITING FOR THE MASTER

30: DANCING IN THE DARK

31: THE MONSTER

32: ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

33: KING CANUTE

34: ELISHA

35: SEEING IS BELIEVING

36: DADDY LOVES ME SO-O-O MUCH

37: HOW TO GROW FLOWERS

38: THE MAN WITH THE HEAVY BURDEN

39: THE DOG AND THE SQUIRREL

40: TEDDY BEAR SAVER

41: BLESS YOU

42: THE CHRISTMAS DEER

43: THE THIEF AND THE KING

44: LITTLE BOY LOST

45: THE ROYAL WEDDING

46: SLEEPING THROUGH THE VOLCANO

47: HAPPY CLAPPY BABY

48: SEARCHING FOR THE KING

49: ON ILKLEY MOOR

50: LAWS ABOUT WEARING RED

51: WHITE SHIRTS AND SCHOOL UNIFORMS

52: THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO DANCE

53: THE FOOL AND HIS HOMEWORK

54: WHO IS YOUR MASTER?

55: THE WINGS OF A HOMING PIGEON

56: THE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

57: TOY SOLDIERS

58: ST. PATRICK’S DAY RULES

59: THE KING ALWAYS WINS

60: FAIR SHARES

61: THE ROCK ON THE BEACH

62: TRAINING TO BE KING

63: MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET

64: HUNTING THE YETI

65: GROWING TOMATOES IN A DESERT

66: THE BEST ARMY IN THE WORLD

67: THE FIELD OF POPPIES

68: THE VERY GOOD MAN

69: LEARNING TO SWIM

70: THE FATHER’S BRIDGE

71: MAKING JELL-O WITH GRANDMA

72: THE KING AND THE BEGGAR

73: PEAS AND CARROTS

74: THE ANGRY BROTHER

75: WILL YOU TELL HER OFF NOW?

AUTHOR’S NOTES—DID YOU KNOW?

~ 1 ~

AUTUMN LEAVES

Psalm 1:3 “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”

The psalm says that God watches over the way of the righteous. The people we love watch over us and help us. And, in this story, a family is watching over a boy in hospital.

Once there was a little girl called Katie whose brother was in hospital. One day Katie visited her brother with her mother and father. She sat on her brother’s bed and listened while everyone talked. Her mother said how beautiful the autumn leaves were that year, and her brother said how much he wished he could see them. Katie thought it would be nice to bring a leaf with her next time they visited, so she could show her brother how beautiful it was.

As soon as Katie got home she ran into the garden. She picked out the biggest and brightest colored leaf she could find and took it to her room. Katie put the leaf in a special place on her bookshelf. But, when it was time to visit her brother again, she found the leaf was all dry and shriveled up. She tried to pick it up but it crumbled into sharp bits of dust and made a prickly mess on the carpet.

Katie decided to try again and found another big leaf. She remembered how her mother put flowers in water to make them last longer, so she took a cup of water to her room and put the leaf in it. Then she left it on her windowsill. But next time they got ready to visit her brother, Katie found the leaf had rotted away. It was all soft and soggy and slimy. All its bright colors had turned to yucky brown. She couldn’t bear to touch the leaf anymore so she carried it outside in the cup and threw it away.

Katie tried putting a leaf in the fridge next time to keep it fresh. But her mother said she didn’t want leaves in her fridge, and she threw it out. Then Katie decided she needed to ask for help. “Please Mom,” she asked, “how can I get a leaf out of the garden and make it stay nice?” Her mother asked why Katie wanted a leaf but Katie just said, “It’s a secret.” Then her mother told her to find two big heavy books and press the leaf between them until it was dry.

Katie looked for the biggest and heaviest books in her room. She found a Bible and a book of children’s prayers. Then she found another big bright leaf under the oak tree in the garden. She put the leaf between the two books so they could press it flat. Every day she checked to see if the leaf had dried. And finally she took it with her to the hospital, so her brother could enjoy seeing a beautiful autumn leaf.

Sometimes our ideas are a bit like Katie’s leaves. They look great when we first think of them, but then they go wrong, like leaves crumbling to dust or sliding away between our fingers. God says in the Bible that his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. Perhaps if we would stay closer to God, and learn more about him, then we might learn to follow his plans, and our ideas might work better. Let us pray.

Lord God, we want to make plans that don’t wither.

We want to have ideas that bear good fruit in the world.

Please help us stay close to you.

Please remind us to read your words in the Bible and to pray

then we might follow your good plans.

~ 2 ~

THE WOODSMAN’S FATHER

Psalm 2:7 “… He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’”

Why do the nations rage? Why do people plot? Why do bad things happen to good people, all over the world? Do you think God is really going to do anything about it?

A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, there was a rich woodsman. He lived in a huge log cabin with lots of rooms, and lots and lots of servants. He had woodcutters who cut down trees and carved them into logs and table legs. He had ecologists who took care of all his forests and animals. He had cooks and maidservants and menservants who helped his wife and his children. And everyone was happy.

One day the people in the neighboring kingdoms got jealous. They began to invade across the border. They stole the woodsman’s land and trees until the rich woodsman wasn’t rich any more. His servants left him and moved away. And, in the end, the woodsman had to leave the forest too. He took his wife and children and as many of their precious belongings as they could carry, all on a big wooden cart, pulled by a very large horse.

The woodsman drove his horse and cart through lots of little villages. Lots of people were moving away, just like him, because their neighbors were stealing their land too. Then the woodsman drove through empty towns where the people had already left. But, as he got close to the capital city, the woodsman found the roads well-kept and the fields full of workers singing songs. Everyone was happy. Everyone was busy. Everyone was working for the king. And no one was fighting or stealing anything.

The woodsman drove to the gates of the great king’s castle and waited to go in. A young man who he recognized came to open the gate. “Weren’t you one of my servants?” the woodsman asked and the young man said yes. “Are you the king’s servant now?” asked the woodsman.

“No,” said the servant. “I’m his son.”

Then the woodsman and his family walked into the king’s castle. A maidservant who looked very like the woodsman’s old cook gave them some cocoa to drink. The woodsman asked her, “Are you the king’s cook now?” But the maidservant said no; she was the king’s daughter.

Just then, the king himself walked into the kitchen. He told the woodsman, “I’ve been waiting for you. I’m so sorry you’ve lost your cabin. Would you like to live in my palace instead?”

The woodsman didn’t know how to answer. How could he possibly live in the palace? He was only a woodsman. But the king put his arms around him and said, “You’re my son, and I’m your father now. My house is your house, and your children will inherit everything.”

So that’s how the woodsman became a prince. He exchanged his log cabin for a perfect apartment in the king’s palace, and he started to work for the king instead of for himself.

It would be strange if kings and presidents and world leaders really invited everyone to live at their palaces and ranches and summer homes. But that’s what God has done for us. He’s given us the kingdom of heaven. Let’s pray.

Lord God,

you rule all the world’s kings and leaders and presidents

and you’ve chosen to make us all your sons and daughters.

When we’re afraid, please remind us to trust you.

Thank you for being our Father. Thank you for saving us.

~ 3 ~

THE NEW SCHOOL

Psalm 3:3 “… you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”

Sometimes it seems like everyone’s against us… like on the first day of school when we don’t know anyone and don’t know what we’re meant to do… like this little boy.

Once there was a little boy called David who was always getting into trouble. If the teachers wanted him to play with water, he’d mix up sand and paint instead. If they told him to sit down, he’d run around the room shouting. And if they asked the children to line up for recess, David would try to rush out the door on his own. David said his teachers didn’t like him. David’s teachers said David was willful and undisciplined. And David’s mother said David was a naughty little boy.

One summer, David’s family moved house, so David had to go to a new school. He had no friends and he didn’t know any of the teachers. On the first day David’s mother walked all the way into school with him. He hid behind her legs while she talked to the principal. David’s mother walked all the way into the classroom with him too, and he hid behind his her legs while she talked to his new teacher. Then he hid behind her legs while they walked all the way to David’s new desk. David’s mother sat down on a tiny little chair and David sat next to her. He saw that lots of children had their mothers sitting with them too. He smiled at his mother and started to feel a bit better.

The teacher was telling the class about liquids and solids. She asked if someone could say what would happen if she mixed sand with water. David looked around the room. Some of the children sucked their thumbs and some chewed their fingers. Nobody seemed to know the answer. So David whispered to his mother. His mother nodded and showed him how to put up his hand. Then David told the teacher, “If you put a bit of sand in water nothing happens. If you put more in it goes to the bottom and you make a fish tank. If you put more in again it gets gooey and you can make patterns. And then if you put in lots and lots of sand it goes solid and you can make a sandcastle.” The teacher said that was a very good answer and David was very observant.

Later the teacher wanted to tell a story. David didn’t want to sit still for a story, but the teacher said she needed some children to stand up and act as characters. David looked at his mother and his mother smiled at him. So then David put up his hand and volunteered. During the story he made noises like different farm animals, and he acted like a duck that was learning to fly. The teacher said David was very imaginative.

When it was time for the children to line up for recess, the teacher asked for someone to help her count. David didn’t want to line up so put his hand up again. “I’ll help,” he said, “except I’m not very good at counting”.

“That’s all right,” said the teacher. “I’ll help you to count. It’s nice to have someone so ready to learn in my class.”

And that’s how David changed from being willful and undisciplined to being observant and imaginative and ready to learn. And his mother didn’t call him a naughty little boy anymore.

When David was scared, his mother stayed with him and helped him out. God will stay with us too if we let him. He can help us change our ways and become the sort of people we’re meant to be. Let’s pray.

Dear God, you’re our shield

and we really can hide and feel safe behind your legs.

We won’t be afraid if we remember to look up at you.

~ 4 ~

THE ANGRY BOY

Psalm 4:4 “In your anger do not sin…”

Do you ever get angry? Do you ever scream and shout, really, really loud? This is a story about a little boy who screamed and shouted a lot, and about a time when it was good that he had such a loud voice.

Once there was a boy called Kevin who used to get really, really angry. When he was angry he would scream and shout at the top of his very loud voice. All the people who lived on his street would say, “Oh dear. Kevin’s upset about something again.”

If Kevin’s sister tried to play with his cars, Kevin would shout very loudly that they belonged to him and no one else must touch them. Then he would make his sister cry. He was very good at that. Next, Kevin would gather up all his cars and go play in a different room—usually the dining room. He’d spread the cars out all over the floor, and when his Mommy came in she’d fall over them. Then Kevin would get angry because his Mommy nearly broke his cars. He would shout very loudly and take his cars away to his bedroom, except for the ones he’d forgotten under the table. After Kevin had spread out all the cars on his bed, he would realize some were missing. Then he’d scream and yell and shout some more, until his Mommy found them for him. Then Kevin would shout that Mommy must have been hiding his cars and it wasn’t fair. Kevin really was a pain.

One day, Kevin and his sister were walking home from school together. They weren’t really together because they didn’t like to walk with each other. But they were walking on the same path at the same time, with Kevin half a street behind his sister.

Kevin saw a red car drive past. The car slowed down next to Kevin’s sister, and he saw the driver open his window to talk to her. Maybe the driver was lost Kevin thought. Then Kevin saw the driver open his door and reach out to grab his sister’s arm. Suddenly Kevin realized that something was wrong. He shouted, “Get off my sister. You’re not allowed to make her cry.” After all, only Kevin was allowed to make his sister cry. Then he shouted, as loudly as he possibly could, which was incredibly loud and even noisier than usual, “Help! There’s a bad man in a car.”

At first nobody noticed Kevin shouting. They just thought, “Oh dear. Kevin’s upset about something again.” But then they heard what he was saying and they came out of their houses. The bad man let go of Kevin’s sister and drove away as fast as he could. Then the people phoned the police and told them what they’d seen.

Afterward the policemen told Kevin he was a really good boy to rescue his sister like that. They said it was a really good thing that Kevin had such a very loud voice to shout with when he was angry. Kevin was a hero instead of a pain. And sometimes being angry can be good.

There really are good times to be angry, like when Kevin rescued his sister. And there are bad times, like when Kevin wouldn’t share his toys. In the Bible we read that Jesus was really angry once, when he chased all the moneychangers out of the temple. Let’s pray…

Please God, help us to be good.

Help us know when it’s the right time to shout and be angry,

and when it’s the right time to smile and be happy instead.

And please God,

when we’re angry, help us not to sin.

~ 5 ~

THE NEST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW

Psalm 5:3 “… in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

What do you do in the morning? Rush around; get dressed; eat breakfast? Do you find yourself arguing with everyone who gets in the way? Or do you just end up waiting forever for your turn in the bathroom like this little girl?

Once there was a little girl called Amy whose mother always got her up too early in the morning. Amy was always ready for the bathroom long before her brothers came out. She always ended up waiting her turn outside the bathroom door. But Amy’s mother never understood and still kept getting her up at the same time as everyone else, even though Amy said it was way too early.

One morning Amy was looking out the window while she waited at the bathroom door. She noticed a bird flying back and forth to a branch of a tree. The bird was carrying bits of twig in its mouth. Soon Amy realized the bird was building a nest. Another morning Amy saw the bird putting feathers in the nest to make it soft. Soon there were eggs in the nest as well. Then the eggs hatched. Every morning as Amy stood waiting outside the bathroom, she would hear the baby birds in the nest squeaking and squawking for their mother. If she watched long enough she might see the mother bring food to the nest and feed the babies. Then the baby birds would squawk for more and the mother bird would fly off to find more food.

One morning the baby birds were making even more noise than usual. Amy stared out the window to see what was going on. The mother bird was standing on a branch near the nest, but she kept dropping food on the branch instead of feeding the babies. Amy wondered what was wrong and went to ask her mother.

“I’m watching the birds,” said Amy. “Come and see. Their mommy’s not feeding them.”

“That’s very strange,” said Amy’s mother and came to look out the window with her daughter.

One of the little birds began creeping slowly along the branch toward the food while its mother watched. “Perhaps the mommy bird’s teaching them to be brave,” said Amy’s mother. “Perhaps she’s telling them it’s time to fly, just like I’m telling you to fly into the bathroom and get ready or we’ll be late for school.”

“Can’t I watch a bit longer, please,” Amy asked. But her mother said no. So Amy hurried into the bathroom and quickly washed her face and cleaned her teeth. When Amy came out, there were baby birds flying all around the nest outside the window. Amy’s mother must have been right, Amy thought, and the mother bird must have managed to teach her children.

Next morning the baby birds were asking their mommy for food as usual. Then a cat started climbing their tree and they all flew higher and higher until they were safe. It was good that the mommy bird had taught them to fly. It was good that she hadn’t just put food in their mouths every morning when they asked for it.

Sometimes God gives us what we ask for straight away. And sometimes he makes us wait, like those baby birds had to wait, so we can learn something we need to know. Let’s pray.

Dear God, we know you hear us when we pray.

Morning by morning we ask you for your help.

Evening by evening we thank you for caring for us.

Day by day, please keep us listening to you.

Please make us brave enough to learn

the things you’re teaching us.

~ 6 ~

GRANDMA’S KNITTING

Psalm 6:3 “My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?”

Nobody likes having to wait do they? The psalmist didn’t, and this little boy didn’t either.

Once there was a little boy called Morgan who was learning how to knit. Morgan wasn’t just learning to knit a square or a blanket. He was learning to knit a teddy bear. His teacher had given all the children a pattern and shown them how to get started. But afterward the teacher only helped those students who said they needed help. Morgan didn’t say he needed help. He didn’t say anything at all. Instead he sat in a corner and wondered why the wool kept ending up on the wrong side of the needles or not on them at all. And he wondered why it was so hard to count and knit both at once, because he always seemed to have the wrong number of stitches on his needle.

Morgan stuffed his knitting into his backpack after the lesson. When he got home he saw his Grandma sitting by the fire so he asked her, “Grandma, can you knit?” Grandma had her own knitting sitting in her lap so, of course, she said yes. Then Morgan asked, “Well Grandma, can you knit a teddy bear?”  Grandma said yes again. “Then Grandma, can you help me knit one please?” said Morgan. He put his tangled mess of needles and wool down on Grandma’s lap, on top of Grandma’s knitting, and waited.

“Yes, I’ll help you,” said Grandma. But all she did was move Morgan’s needles and wool out of her way. Then she carried on knitting a fancy blue sweater.

“When will you help me?” Morgan asked.

Grandma said, “In a minute. I have to finish this sleeve first.” She finished her row and put her knitting and her needles away carefully. Then she made herself a cup of coffee and sat down in her chair to drink it.

“Grandma, when will you help me?” Morgan asked and Grandma said, “In a minute. I have to finish my coffee first.” But when she’d finished her coffee she picked up all the knitting, Morgan’s bear and her blue sweater, and set off upstairs.

“Grandma, when will you help me?” Morgan asked and Grandma said, “In a minute.” Then she went to her room. Morgan waited again. And he waited and he waited. After he’d waited pretty close to forever, Morgan went upstairs to Grandma’s room. There was Grandma, sitting on her bed, with Morgan’s knitting pattern and his wool and needles laid out next to her.

“What are you doing, Grandma?” Morgan asked.

“I’m helping you,” said Grandma.

“But how can you help me when I’m not here?” asked Morgan.

Grandma said Morgan’s knitting had got tangled up in his bag so she was straightening it out. “Once it’s tidy we can knit some more,” she said. Then she showed Morgan the legs of his teddy bear hanging neatly from the needles. “Let’s go downstairs now,” Grandma said, “and I’ll help you knit the body and arms as well.”

“And the head,” said Morgan, “and the ears and the nose.” And Grandma said yes.

Morgan thought he had to wait a very long time for his Grandma to help him. Sometimes we think God makes us wait a long time too. But when we look back, we see how God’s been helping us all along. Let’s pray.

Lord God, help us be patient.

Help us remember you’re always listening

and always helping us, even before we ask.

Please help us trust you and not keep asking “When?”

Please help us remember to thank you too.

~ 7 ~

PROTECTING THE HENHOUSE

Psalm 7:15 “He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.”

The psalmist asks God to protect and save him. But the farmer in this story tries to do all the work by himself.

Once upon a time there was a farmer who was scared that a fox might steal his hens. The farmer heard noises from the henhouse one night. When he ran to investigate he saw his dog chasing something. The farmer guessed the dog might be chasing a fox. So the farmer decided to build a ditch around the henhouse, to catch that pesky fox if it ever came back.

Next day, the farmer dug his ditch. It was a very big ditch so it took him a very long time. But when he finished he was sure his hens would be safe.

That night, the farmer heard noises from the henhouse and ran to investigate. He inspected the ditch but there was no fox. So he decided to check inside the henhouse. But the farmer forgot about the ditch and he fell in. It was a very deep ditch and the sides were very steep. The farmer couldn’t get out until his wife came to help him in the morning.

Next day, the farmer set traps around the henhouse to catch that pesky fox. He needed lots of traps and it took him a very long time. But when he finished he was sure his hens would be safe.

That night, the farmer heard noises from the henhouse and ran to investigate. He inspected the ditch but there was no fox. He inspected the traps but there was no fox. So he decided to check inside the henhouse. He jumped over the ditch but forgot about the traps, and he ended up swinging by one leg and dangling from a tree. The farmer was trapped so high in the air he couldn’t get down. He had to wait until his wife came to help him in the morning.

Next day, the farmer decided to take electronic measures against this fox. He asked his wife to build a burglar alarm, so she did. She was clever that way. Afterward the farmer’s wife got on with cooking and cleaning and looking after all the animals while the farmer sat back, feeling confident that now his hens would be safe.

That night, the farmer heard noises from the henhouse and ran to investigate. He saw his dog chasing another animal, so he set off to follow them. He chased them onto his neighbor’s farm. He chased them through the fields and forest. He chased onto another neighbor’s farm, and another’s, and another’s. And when he’d chased them through all the farms, he found himself back home. The sun was up and the farmer could see his dog wasn’t chasing after a fox after all. It was chasing another dog.

The two dogs ran into the barn and the farmer followed them. He found his wife giving the dogs a nice warm breakfast. “What are you doing?” asked the farmer. “And why do we have two dogs?”

“Had you forgotten?” said the farmer’s wife. “This is our neighbor’s dog. These dogs patrol the neighborhood every night to make sure no foxes get in. They do a wonderful job and nobody’s lost any hens all winter long.” Then the farmer felt very silly for building ditches and setting traps and asking his wife to make a burglar alarm. He went to the henhouse to check on the hens. And then he felt even sillier because he fell into the ditch again.

The farmer was so busy doing things his way, he forgot to talk to his wife. Sometimes we’re so busy trying to do things our way, we forget to talk to God too. Let us pray…

Lord God, please help us remember to ask you for help.

Help us to trust you and thank you, and remember your way is best.

~ 8 ~

QUESTIONS

Psalm 8:3-4 “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers… what is man that you are mindful of him…?”

The psalm says God has ordained praise from the mouths of children, but most of what comes from this little girl’s mouth is questions.

Once there was a little girl called Mary. Mary’s mother and father were going out to dinner one evening. They asked an older girl called Elizabeth to look after Mary. They told Elizabeth that Mary could sometimes be difficult, but Elizabeth said that was fine and she wouldn’t have a problem.

When her parents had left, Mary asked Elizabeth, “Why won’t you have a problem if I’m difficult?”

“Because I’m a very good baby-sitter,” Elizabeth said.

“Why are you good?” asked Mary.

“Because I like children and I like earning money.”

“Why do you like earning money?” asked Mary.

“Because I need to buy gas,” said Elizabeth.

“Why do you need gas?”

“Because my car won’t run without it.”

“Why won’t it run without gas?”

“Because it gets hungry, just like me,” said Elizabeth. “Let’s get some food.”

So Elizabeth and Mary went into the kitchen and made some pizza. Then they sat down in front of the TV. “What shall we watch?” asked Mary.

“We’ll watch the Discovery channel,” said Elizabeth.

“Why?” asked Mary.

“Because it’s got lots of answers to lots of questions,” said Elizabeth.

First, they watched a program about an artist and saw lots of paintings. An art professor explained how you can look at paintings and find out lots of things about the artist. You can find out what was important to him, what he cared about, and what made him happy or sad. Next they watched a science program. An astronomer showed them pictures of stars and galaxies. He said if you studied the light from the stars, you could find out what they were made from and how they were formed and what might happen to them later. Then they watched a program about careers. Mary asked Elizabeth what job she wanted to have when she grew up.

“I’m going to be a teacher,” said Elizabeth.

“Why?” asked Mary.

“Because I like explaining things and I like children,” said Elizabeth. “What do you want to be?”

“I want to be an artist, and an astronomer, and a teacher,” said Mary.

“Why?” asked Elizabeth.

“Because I want to look at all God’s pictures and find out all about God and then tell everyone.”

There are lots of God’s pictures all around us; plants and trees; birds and animals; mountains and streams; even the moon and the stars. God is the artist who made them all, and he made them all for us. Let’s pray.

O Lord, open our eyes,

so we can see the wonders of your creation.

Open our minds,

so we can learn about you from the things you’ve made.

Open our hearts, so we can delight in your gifts.

And open our mouths, so we can shout out your praise.

~ 9 ~

OZYMANDIAS

Psalm 9:7 “The LORD reigns forever…”

There are lots of kings and rulers in this world. But I wonder which one is the greatest? This little boy’s going to do his best to find out.

One day a little boy called Peter had to do a project about a king. He asked his Mom to tell him who was the greatest king in the whole wide world.

“Henry the Eighth,” said Peter’s Mom.

“Why? What did he do?”

“Well, he was very famous, and he had six wives.”

Peter thought that sounded a bit soppy. He didn’t want to talk to his class about a king with lots of wives, so he decided to try his Dad. Peter’s Dad said King Arthur was the greatest king ever.

“What did he do?” asked Peter.

“Well, he killed dragons and he had a round table and he looked for the Holy Grail,” said Peter’s Dad.

Peter wasn’t sure that anyone would believe the bit about dragons. And Holy Grails sounded a bit too much like church. So Peter decided to ask his Grandma.

“Oh Elvis, definitely Elvis,” said Peter’s Grandma.

“What did Elvis do?” asked Peter.

“Elvis Presley!” said Grandma. “You must know Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll.”

“Uh oh” thought Peter, who really didn’t like old-fashioned music. So he went to ask someone else. Peter’s sister was sitting at the computer doing her English homework. Peter’s sister was much older than Peter, so he thought she might be old enough to have a good answer. “Mary,” said Peter. “Who do you think is the greatest king there ever was?”

Mary laughed and started to read something off her computer screen. “‘My name is Ozymandias,” she said, “king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’”

“You what?” asked Peter.

“Ozymandias,” said Mary.

“Ozzy who?”

Then Mary explained. “It’s just a poem, Peter. I’ve got to do it for English, and it’s about this Egyptian king who thought he was the greatest. Only now all that’s left of him is a statue of his feet.” Mary brought up a picture on her computer screen. “Look,” she said. “There are his feet stuck in the middle of all that rubble.”

“Can I read the poem?” said Peter. So Mary printed a copy, and a copy of the picture. And that’s what Peter took into school for his project on a really great king.

All our greatest leaders will be history one day. Instead of being so terribly important they’ll just be names in a history textbook, homework for some poor child who’d rather be doing something else. There’s one king who will live forever though, and he rules forever in our hearts. He’ll never forget us and he’ll never be forgotten. Let’s pray.

O Lord, all the leaders of this world

and all  their laws will soon be forgotten.

Their statues will crumble to dust.

But you reign forever.

Thank you for choosing us to be your people.

~ 10 ~

THE BULLY IN THE PLAYGROUND

Psalm 10:11 “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.’”

Have you ever felt like no one is watching when things go wrong? Like no one’s ever going to make things right again? That’s what some children in this story thought.

Once upon a time there was a little country village with a little country church and a little country school and a playground set on a hill. All the village children loved their little playground. They brought their pennies to buy candy from the little village shop. They sat on little picnic benches and ate their lunches at little picnic tables under the trees. Afterward they’d throw all their rubbish away very carefully. Then they’d swing on the swings, and slide on the slides, and build castles and mountains and forts in the big sand pit.

One day a big bad boy called Simon moved to the village. Simon got some older children together and they decided to take over the little village playground. Simon pushed the swings so they hit the little children and made them cry. He climbed up the slides and made them all muddy, and he wouldn’t let the little ones slide down. He buried candy wrappers and rubbish and twigs and leaves in the sand. And his big friends joined in.

All the little children were very sad and asked the big children to go away.

“What will you pay us?” asked Simon.

“What do you want?” the little children said.

“We want all your candy,” said Simon. So the little children had to give all their candy to those big bullies every time they came to the playground.

One little boy called Peter decided that, when he got big, he would like to get his own back on Simon. After a while, as often happens with children, little Peter did get big, even bigger than Simon. Then Peter took the children’s candy back from Simon and his friends. But Peter didn’t give the candy to the little children. Instead he ate it all himself. Then Simon and his friends made Peter their new leader, and started messing up the playground again.

“Please stop,” said the little children. “Please stop.”

“What will you pay us?” said Peter. He made the little children pay with all their candy, and all their money, and all the best cookies and cakes from their lunch boxes.

A little boy called Rocky said, “That’s not fair.”

“I don’t care,” said Peter. “Nobody’s watching.”

“I don’t care either,” said Simon. “No one can see.”

But Rocky was a sensible little boy. He told his mommy and daddy about the bullies in the playground. Rocky’s parents told everyone else’s parents, and they told the policemen and the pastors and the teachers. And suddenly Simon and Peter were in big trouble, because there was someone watching the playground after all.

Afterward the grownups put a big climbing frame in the playground for the big children to play on. Then Simon and Peter and Rocky became friends, and when anyone tried to mess up their playground they told them, “This playground’s protected. This playground’s being watched. And if you do something bad, then someone will see.”

God’s world is our playground, and no matter how much it seems like the bullies are winning, we know that this world’s protected. It’s protected by God. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for promising you’ll never forget us.

You’re always ready to help when things go wrong.

You never hide your face from us.

And even if we can’t see you, you’re always there.

~ 11 ~

THE ISLAND

Psalm 11:1 “In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain…’?”

Who do you go to when something goes wrong? When you can’t see any way out of trouble, where do you go for help?

Once there was a beautiful island with fields of grass, green forests, and wide rolling hills, all set in the middle of an ocean. Birds and animals lived together in peace on the island. The sun always shone and the weather was always nice.

One day some evil pirates found the island. They were hungry and they were bad. They decided to set fire to one end of the island, near the green grassy meadows. Their captain would wait on the hill at the other end. When the animals started running to escape the fire, the captain would fire lots of arrows down on them. Then the pirates would collect the dead animals and birds and cook them in the flames for their dinner.

The pirate captain and his officers stood on the hill and waited. The pirate crew sailed the ship to other end of the island and shot their burning arrows into the meadows. And the fire began to spread.

All the animals and birds fled screaming from the flames. Lions and tigers and elephants and bears and deer and antelope and moose—they all stampeded toward the forest that lay in the middle of the island. Tiny rabbits and mice raced after them, and snakes slithered through the grass. Toucans and pelicans and sparrows and swifts flew overhead, screeching a warning to the animals that hadn’t seen what was coming. Monkeys and squirrels joined the flight as trees burst into flames.

Finally they came to the hill and the pirate captain. The animals were trapped—raging fire behind them and flying arrows in front. There was nothing they could do.

The birds flew around and around in circles, trying to find a way out but there wasn’t one. The animals clustered together for comfort, elephants stomping to slow down the fire, lions and tigers roaring to push back the flames, squirrels chattering to keep the rabbit’s minds off the stomping elephants and roaring lions and tigers and crackling fire.

Suddenly a fierce wind rose up. It blew over the sea, lifting the waves up high into the sky. A huge tidal wave rushed toward the island and crushed the pirate ship. Water poured over the flaming meadow and put out all the fires. Waves splashed against the hill, toppling the pirate captain and his officers and drowning them. And then the water slipped quietly away, down the hill, back through the tree trunks, back across the meadows, until the island was safe again. And not a single drop of water landed on the animals.

Afterward all the animals trotted back home. They went back to their quiet happy lives on their island in the sun, and no pirates ever bothered them again.

If we run from our problems, they’ll follow us like the flames that followed those animals on the island. Or else we’ll find new problems ahead, like the animals did when the arrows rained down on them. But if we run to God, God will save us, like water washing the island clean. Let’s pray.

Dear God, we can always take refuge in you.

You are our safe mountain and we can flee toward you.

You have a plan to save each of us,

and your plan starts right here, right now.

Thank you God, because your plan can be trusted.

~ 12 ~

DESIGNING A CASTLE

Psalm 12:2 “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.”

Do you know what a “yes-man” is? It’s someone who agrees with someone else just so they can sound like a friend. But sometimes you have to disagree to give good advice.

Once upon a time there was a rich young man who wanted to build a castle. The young man spent a lot of time dreaming about his castle. He drew up plans of how it should be built. Then he took the plans to show some friends because he wanted their advice.

First the rich young man showed his plans to an artist. The artist thought how famous he would be if the rich young man would buy his pictures. He praised the proportions and design of the rooms, and the placing of the windows. He admired how the central keep balanced the shape of the castle towers. And the rich young man was happy.

Then the rich young man showed his plans to an architect. The architect thought how easy it would be to get a job designing houses near such a castle when it was built. He admired the bricks and stone the rich young man had chosen, and the balance of lines in the design, the weight of the walls and the lightness of the central keep. And the rich young man was happy.

Then the rich young man showed his plans to a soldier. The soldier thought how powerful he would become if the rich young man would choose him to lead his army. He praised the defensive position of the castle, and the aggressive lines of the entrance. He admired the walkways and connecting paths and tunnels. And the rich young man was happy.

Then the rich young man showed his plans to a builder. The builder thought how rich he would be if he got the contract for building the castle. He admired the young man’s grasp of building requirements and regulations. And the rich young man was even happier.

Then the rich young man showed his plans to his father.

“So where are you going to build this castle?” his father asked.

“In the north,” said the son.

“It rains there,” said the father. “The roof will leak.”

“Then I’ll build it in the south,” said the son.

“There’s not enough flat ground there,” said the father. “It would fall over.”

“In the east then,” said the son.

“Those windows will never stand the wind.”

“Okay, in the west.”

“You’ll never get the materials there.”

The rich young man felt very frustrated by now. “Where should I build my castle then, Dad?” he asked. And his father told him to choose a good place first, then let his father and his father’s friends advise him on design and materials and builders to use. So that’s what the rich young man did.

The rich young man’s friends just told him what he wanted to hear, and not what he needed to know. But God will never flatter us. God will always tell us the truth, and lead us to the truth. Let’s pray.

O Lord, you will never try to deceive us.

You always tell us what we need to know

even when it’s not what we want to hear.

You can always be trusted.

Thank you God.

~ 13 ~

HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING?

Psalm 13:1 “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?”

Do you ever get tired of waiting for something? Do you keep asking how long you’ll have to wait? Do you complain a lot? This girl did.

Once there was a little girl called Lisa who used to stay with her Grandpa while her mother went to work. In the afternoons, Lisa would always ask her Grandpa how long it would be until her mother came home. “I don’t know,” Grandpa would say, and Lisa would get sad.

One day, when Lisa asked how long it would be, her Grandpa gave her a piece of string. “I don’t know how long it is until your mommy comes home,” Grandpa said. “But you tell me, how long is a piece of string?”

Lisa held up the string and answered, “It’s this long!”

“Well, well,” said Grandpa, “we’d better measure that.” So he measured the string against Lisa’s hand. It was longer than one hand but not quite as long as two. Then he started to pull the string apart.

“What are you doing Grandpa?” Lisa asked.

“I’m just playing with your piece of string,” said Grandpa. He pulled and twisted, until suddenly he was able to pull the string into two separate pieces. Then he tied the pieces together at the end with a very tiny knot.

“I wonder,” said Grandpa. “How long did we say a piece of string was, Lisa?”

“Longer than one hand and not as long as two,” said Lisa, who had a very good memory.

“Well, let’s measure it again,” said Grandpa. But now the piece of string was as long as three of Lisa’s hands—she used the first hand twice.

“That’s cheating,” said Lisa.

“No it’s not,” said Grandpa. “It’s still the same piece of string.” He started to pull the string apart again and tie it together to make it even longer. Eventually the string was as thin as a thread of cotton, and Lisa was sure her Grandpa couldn’t make it longer anymore. They measured it again, and it was as long as five of Lisa’s hands. Then Grandpa started tying lots of extra knots into the string.

“What are you doing now Grandpa?” asked Lisa.

“I’m playing with your piece of string,” said Grandpa. After a while the string was much, much shorter. It looked a bit like the plaits in Lisa’s hair. It was only one hand long, but Lisa still said Grandpa was cheating.

“No I’m not,” said Grandpa. He told Lisa to hold one end of the string for him. Grandpa held onto the other end and pulled. Then all the knots came undone, all at once, and the string grew long and thin again.

“That’s magic,” said Lisa, and Grandpa smiled.

“No it’s not,” he said under his breath. “It’s knots.”

Lisa’s string could be as long or as short as her Grandpa chose to make it, but it was always the same string. And it’s still the same God who answers our prayers, no matter how long, or how short, the time we have to wait. Let’s pray.

O Lord, we know you won’t forget us forever.

We know you won’t forget to answer our prayers.

However long we wait for your answers to prayer

we always know it’s exactly the right length of time.

~ 14 ~

NO ONE IS WATCHING

Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’…”

If nobody sees you do something wrong, do you really think nobody knows? The little boy in this story did.

Once there was a new boy called Daniel who started at a little village school. On his first day Daniel sat next to a boy called David. When the children were drawing pictures, Daniel took some of David’s pencils and broke them. David was angry and said he would tell the teacher, but then he noticed that Daniel didn’t have any colored pencils of his own. David thought, “Hmm. Perhaps I should be willing to share.” So he didn’t complain. He just sharpened both halves of the broken pencils, so Daniel could use one half while he used the other.

When the children went out to recess, Daniel took some candy from David’s friend Alice. Alice was angry and said she would tell the teacher. Then she thought, “Hmm. Maybe Daniel hasn’t got any candy of his own.” So she took a chocolate bar out of her pocket and gave that to him as well.

After school, Daniel walked home with a boy called Dennis. Dennis had lots of books in his backpack, and Daniel stole one of them. Dennis told Daniel to give it back but Daniel said no. Dennis said he would tell the teacher. Then he thought, “Hmm. Maybe Daniel just wants something to read,” and so he offered to lend him another book when he’d finished that one.

Just then a girl called Abigail went past. She had a pretty bracelet on her wrist and Daniel grabbed at it. The bracelet scratched poor Abigail’s hand as Daniel pulled it off. Abigail began to cry. She said she was going tell the teacher, but Daniel didn’t think she would, because nobody else had done. Daniel just laughed.

“I’ll tell the principal then,” said Abigail and Daniel laughed some more.

“Your principal’s not a real principal,” Daniel said. “He’s just another teacher and he won’t care. Nobody cares about you and your stupid bracelet.”

Just then Daniel felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and there was the principal, looking very stern. The principal led Daniel to his office. He told Daniel to sit down. Then the principal told Daniel he’d been watching him all day and he wasn’t pleased. “You can’t do anything about it though can you?” said Daniel, but the principal said they’d just wait until after the meeting.

“What meeting?” asked Daniel.

“The one I’ve arranged,” said the principal. “The meeting with you and David and Alice and Dennis and Abigail, and all your parents and your teacher.”

Everybody was very disappointed with Daniel at the meeting, and they told him just what they thought of him. Daniel said he didn’t care, and the principal said that was all right. “You don’t have to care,” the principal said. “You just have to know I’ll be watching you. And if you misbehave, you’ll get caught.” Afterward the principal did watch Daniel, and did catch him lots of times. Eventually Daniel learned to be good. And he learned that it was foolish to imagine that no one would be watching.

The principal was watching what happened in the little village school. And God is always watching what happens here on earth. Let us pray.

Dear God, please help us not to be fools.

Please help us to see how you are always watching

and always helping us.

Please help us to trust you, and not to disappoint you.

~ 15 ~

NOBODY’S PERFECT

Psalm 15:1 “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? ...”

Have you ever had one of those days when you try so hard to be good, but you end up getting in trouble just the same? How good do you think you have to be, to be sure that God will love you?

Once there was a little boy called Nathan who cried because he’d broken his grandma’s vase. Nathan’s grandma wasn’t angry with him. She helped him clear up the pieces. Then she hugged him and told him it was okay. But Nathan just kept crying, “I’m so naughty and stupid and careless. I’m no good.” Grandma said maybe Nathan was just a little bit careless sometimes but, after all, he was only a little boy, and nobody’s perfect.

“Grandma,” Nathan asked, “are you perfect?” Grandma smiled and said she didn’t think so.

“Why not?” asked Nathan.

“Well,” said Grandma. “I do forget things sometimes, and sometimes I even break things.”

“Is Grandpa perfect then?” asked Nathan and Grandma said certainly not. “Why not?” asked Nathan.

“Well, look at him,” said Grandma. “He’s so lost in his newspaper he’s not heard a thing that’s going on. Of course he’s not perfect.”

“What about Mommy?” asked Nathan.

Grandma said Mommy was nearly perfect, but not quite. Then she said, “My turn,” and asked Nathan if he thought his daddy was perfect.

“No, Grandma,” said Nathan. “Daddy’s not perfect. Daddy leaves his washing all over the floor and Mommy tells him off.”

Grandma asked about the rest of Nathan’s family. Nathan’s big brother was just like his daddy. Nathan’s big sister was always arguing. And little baby Simon cried too much. So Nathan said none of them was perfect either.

“Well,” said Grandma. “That seems to be everyone. I guess nobody’s perfect.”

But Nathan still wasn’t happy. He told Grandma how he’d heard in church that Jesus told us to be perfect, and only perfect people can get into heaven.

“Oh that’s all right,” said Grandma. “When we get to heaven God only looks at Jesus standing next to us. God sees that Jesus is perfect and so we’re okay.”

“So God lets us in anyway?” asked Nathan.

“Yes,” said Grandma, “because we look like Jesus and God has to let Jesus in.”

Then Nathan was happy, and Grandma was happy, and being perfect didn’t seem like such a big problem anymore.

We can try to be perfect but none of us can succeed. We always make mistakes, and mess up somewhere, somehow, just like Nathan and all his family. But Nathan’s grandma was right. If we belong to Jesus, then God doesn’t see our mistakes when he looks at us. He sees Jesus, and Jesus really is perfectly perfect. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for letting us dwell in your sanctuary.

Thank you for Jesus who makes us look perfect in your sight.

Thank you for forgiving all our sins

and for promising we’ll be welcome in heaven one day.

~ 16 ~

RESCUED BY THE PALACE GUARD

Psalm 16:10 “…you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”

Sometimes God doesn’t seem to give us what we want. And sometimes that’s okay, like in this story about two soldiers.

Once there were two soldiers called David and Jonathan who grew up in the same village, went to the same schools, and joined the King’s army on the same day as each other. Now they were both squadron leaders, each riding a shining white horse at the head of a line of soldiers. Their job was to protect the kingdom from the monsters who lived in the deep dark woods.

In the center of the kingdom was the castle where the king and his children lived with the palace guard. Outside the castle were villages where all the people lived, and fields where they worked and grew food. All around the outside of the kingdom, beyond the villages and fields, was the forest where the monsters lived. Every morning the palace guard would fly from the king’s castle on their winged horses. They would fly everywhere until they spotted what the monsters were doing. Then they would call down to soldiers like David and Jonathan to tell them where to fight.

David and Jonathan were busy every day, riding out to protect villagers from monsters. Jonathan was the best of all the king’s soldiers and David was proud to be his friend. Whenever Jonathan’s squadron rode over a hill, the monsters would run away. No villagers were ever hurt in the villages Jonathan protected.

One day David heard there was a huge army of monsters approaching. As he rode over the top of a hill, he saw them coming out from the forest. It looked as if the trees had grown legs and were crawling across the fields.

Overhead, a cloud of horrid winged monsters began to hide the sun. David could hear the screams of all the villagers running away, protected by Jonathan’s soldiers. But he couldn’t see Jonathan.

Then David saw one brave soldier ride out from the village all on his own. It was Jonathan. The monsters followed him instead of chasing the villagers, and soon everyone except Jonathan had escaped. But eventually Jonathan’s horse couldn’t move any further. It was surrounded. Jonathan fell down and disappeared under the crowd of evil monsters.

David looked up saw a palace guardsman flying on a shiny silver horse. The monsters ran away from the guardsman’s light. Then the guardsman picked up Jonathan’s body from the ground and flew back to the king’s castle.

David was sure that Jonathan must be dead, yet he saw him turn on the back of the flying horse to wave down to him. Then David knew his friend Jonathan must be all right. He rode home as fast as ever he could, but he couldn’t find Jonathan anywhere. “Jonathan lives in the castle now,” said the guard to David, “and you can’t go there yet.”

David missed his friend terribly. But he was glad Jonathan was safe. Then David worked as hard as he could for the king, protecting the people and keeping their villages safe. One day, David knew, the palace guard would have to rescue him too. Then he would go to live in the castle with the king and all the king’s children and Jonathan.

We know God will never leave us all on our own. God’s angels will rescue us, just like the palace guard rescued Jonathan. And we will dwell in the house of our Lord forever, just like Jonathan living in the castle of his king. Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for your angels guarding us,

your Holy Spirit guiding us, and your Son who died for us.

~ 17 ~

THE MOTHER QUAIL

Psalm 17:8 “…hide me in the shadow of your wings”

The psalmist decided not to sin by not saying the wrong things, not being violent, and not being disobedient. The dog in this story tries hard to be good too.

Once there was a little dog called Timmy who lived with a nice lady called Megan. One day Timmy was wandering around his yard when he heard a noise from under a bush. Just as he went to investigate, Megan told him to sit still. Timmy really wanted to be a good and obedient dog, so he sat down and watched while Megan went toward the bush on her own. Megan made little Ooohing and Aaahing noises, then she told Timmy he was a very good dog and gave him a dog biscuit.

The next day Timmy thought he should check up on the bush to make sure it was still safe. But Megan told him to sit still again and gave him another dog biscuit. Pretty soon Timmy understood that, whatever was hiding in the bush, it was not dangerous and, as long as he didn’t disturb it, he would get dog biscuits.

One day Timmy was watching the bush when two big birds and lots of baby birds stepped out. They were quail but Timmy didn’t know that. They walked around and around on the path. Then they went back into the bush and disappeared. Timmy was a very good dog and he sat still and waited for his biscuit.

Another day all the birds jumped off the path and down onto the grass. Timmy really wanted to play with them but he wanted to be a good dog too. So he just sat still and waited for his biscuit. The baby birds almost disappeared in the long grass, but the mother and father birds always seemed to know exactly where they were.

When the mother and father birds jumped back onto the path, the babies started making lots of noise. Timmy could see them trying to jump, but they couldn’t get high enough. Timmy thought maybe he should pick them up in his mouth and help them, but Megan told him to sit still again. Then Megan found some broken bricks and made a ramp for the baby birds between the grass and the path. Timmy thought Megan was quite clever and kind, especially when she gave him another dog biscuit.

One day Timmy heard a noise at the gate. A big dog with big paws and very big teeth came into his yard. Timmy knew the big dog might hurt the quail and Megan wouldn’t like that. So this time Timmy didn’t sit still. He jumped up and barked to tell the big dog, “Go away.” Then he ran to get Megan to help because the big dog was chasing the father quail under a bush.

Afterward, Timmy stopped barking and sat in his usual spot. He couldn’t see the mother and baby quail anywhere, just a big feathery football lying in the grass. Then Timmy saw the football move and stand up on spindly legs. He realized it wasn’t a football after all. It was the mother quail with all her little babies under her wings, where she’d kept them safe. Megan stood next to Timmy and watched the quail. Then she gave Timmy three whole dog biscuits at once, so he knew she was pleased.

Megan couldn’t protect the baby quail that time. And Timmy couldn’t protect the baby quail either. But their mother protected them by hiding them under her wings.

Timmy did a good job of being good, and Megan did a good job of being good too. But when the baby birds were in danger they knew exactly where to run. And we know we should always run to Jesus when we need help. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for hiding us in the shadow of your wings.

Thank you for protecting us from everything that scares us.

~ 18 ~

CAMPING

Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock…”

Is it better to build a house on sand or on rock when there’s a storm coming? Some little boys find out the answer in this story.

One day a boy called Austin went camping at the seaside with his family. The campsite was on a ledge of sandy ground, high up above the sea. On one side was a steep path down to the beach. On the other side were trees and high rocky cliffs. Austin’s family pitched their tent on a sandy patch of ground next to the path.

There was a swimming pool at the camp site, and a playground too. Austin soon made friends with a boy called Paul. Paul’s family had a little boat that they carried down the path to the sea, and Paul’s father taught Austin how to row in the waves.

One day Austin and Paul heard a loud screeching noise. They looked up and saw a bird flying to the cliffs. The bird settled on a ledge halfway up the cliff. Paul ran to his tent to get some binoculars. Then the boys lay in the sandy grass and tried to spot the bird. They found a nest halfway up the cliff. When they looked really carefully, they thought they could see the bird feeding its babies in the nest.

That evening Austin’s father told him there was a storm brewing. Before they went to bed, Austin and his father checked all the ropes and pegs for the tent, to make sure everything was firm. Soon the wind was blowing and the tent walls were billowing in. Then the rain started. They had to keep everything away from the sides of the tent so the rain wouldn’t come through. Austin helped his mother pile things in the middle to keep them dry.

The rain grew harder and the wind grew stronger. They heard thunder and saw flashes of lightening outside. Austin couldn’t get to sleep. Austin’s mother told him the roaring sound was just the waves on the beach, though it sounded like a monster.

Austin saw a lamp outside the tent and heard footsteps. It was the campsite manager, telling everyone to move into their cars. Austin helped his father carry everything to the car. Then his mother shouted that the tent floor was moving and going to blow away. Austin’s father grabbed one part of the tent while Austin grabbed another. They tugged and pulled and squeezed until the whole tent was squashed into the back of the car. Then Austin and his parents climbed into their seats and hugged their wet sleeping bags. Lightening still flashed across the sky and the car still rocked in the wind, but they ate cookies and drank juice from a box and felt better for a while.

In the morning people on the campsite began to crawl out of their cars. Austin’s family was lucky. They’d saved their tent but some people had lost everything. All the adults were busy rushing around to help each other, so Austin and Paul took the binoculars and some books and lay in the wet grass to keep out of the way. They heard a noise overheard and saw the bird flying to its nest again. When they looked at the cliff through the binoculars, they found the nest and the little baby birds. “At least they’re all okay,” said Paul. “It looks like the rocks were a safer place to live than the sand.”

Jesus tells a story about a man who built his house on sand and another who built on rock. The house on sand fell down in a storm, just like the tents that blew away. But the house on rock stayed safe, just like the bird’s nest on the cliff. Let’s pray.

Dear God, please remind us to build our lives on you, for you are our rock.

Please remind us to read your words in the Bible

and make decisions based on your law,

so we will be safe.

~ 19 ~

THE RULES OF THE GAME

Psalm 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect…”

Do you know the Ten Commandments? Do you know the golden rule? Do you know why God gives us so many laws, or do you just think it’s a pain having to obey them all the time? One of the boys in this story thinks rules are just made to be broken, but what do you think?

Once there was a little boy called Simon who loved to play chess. He spent lots of time learning the rules and reading chess books and practicing with his dad. Simon had played in real chess tournaments and won lots of trophies. He’d even had his picture in the paper.

Simon liked to play chess during recess at school. He liked rainy days because then he was allowed to stay in and all his friends could play chess with him. Some of Simon’s friends didn’t know how to play, but Simon was a good teacher.

One day a new boy called Joseph joined Simon’s class. “I’m a really good chess-player,” said Joseph. “I’ll beat you easily.” But the trouble was Joseph didn’t know how to play chess.

When Simon told Joseph that pawns can’t jump, Joseph said he was silly. “Everyone knows you catch pieces by jumping over them,” Joseph said.

“Not in chess,” said Simon.

“Says who?”

When Simon explained that pawns only move forward, Joseph said he knew they could move backward too. When Simon described how knights and bishops move, Joseph said Simon was wrong. And when Simon explained about checking the king, Joseph said check was for babies; you had to catch the king to win.

Simon was getting really cross with Joseph. It was no fun playing if Joseph wouldn’t play by the rules. But Joseph got angry if Simon wouldn’t play. “Simon’s a sore loser,” he would say and, “Simon’s a scaredy cat. He knows I’ll win.”

One day the two boys got into a big argument, and all the other children joined in. The noise grew so loud the teacher had to come back from the faculty room.

“What on earth is going on?” asked the teacher. “I thought chess was a quiet game.”

She told the children to sit at their desks and do work. And she made Simon put the chess sets away. Next recess the teacher wouldn’t let anyone play. Simon was sad. But the next day the teacher announced that they were starting a new club at the school. They were going to have a real chess club, and Simon’s dad would be in charge. Simon’s dad would teach all the children how to play chess properly.

Lots of children decided to join the chess club. They learned the rules and they read chess books and they practiced with Simon’s dad. They even played in tournaments and won trophies, just like Simon. Joseph wanted to win trophies too, so in the end he had to let Simon’s dad teach him the real rules of chess. Then Simon and Joseph became friends and played properly together.

Sometimes we need rules to make things work. And sometimes we need to work to learn the rules. Let’s pray.

Dear Father, thank you for your perfect rules,

given to us in the Bible.

Thank you for your perfect son, Jesus,

who showed us how we should live by your perfect rules.

And thank you for your Holy Spirit,

who guides us every day.

~ 20 ~

THE BIG JUMP

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Who do we turn to when we’re really afraid? How do we cope when we know there’s something scary we’ve got to do? Who can we always ask to help us?

Once there was a little girl called Sara who liked to follow around after her big brother and his friends. Sara was 4 years old and her brother Tom was 9. Tom and his friends didn’t mind if Sara followed them, as long as she didn’t get in the way, or talk, or cry.

One day Tom and his friends were playing on top of the rocks next to a path. Their mothers and fathers were walking along the path. But up on the rocks the big boys ran around pretending to be spacemen on an alien planet, shooting monsters and rescuing each other from alien soldiers. Sara trotted along behind, shooting her own monsters and enjoying the fun.

Suddenly the children reached the end of the rocks and had to jump down. They were quite high up and it was a bit scary.

“I’m okay,” said Tom. “I’m tall and strong.” He jumped and pretended it was easy.

Neal, the clever one, reminded everyone, “Don’t forget to bend your knees.”

Paul and Simon shouted, “Wheee!” and followed Tom and Neal, and nearly fell over.

“Cross my fingers,” yelled Frank.

“Cross my toes,” shouted Terry.

Luke, who was wearing one red sock and one yellow one, said his lucky socks would help.

And, “I’ve got my rabbit’s foot key chain,” said Rob before he jumped.

When all the boys had jumped down safely, poor Sara was left alone on top of the rocks. The boys ignored her and ran off along the path. Sara wondered if she should go back to find an easy way down, but she didn’t know the way. Then she saw her father standing below her.

“Need a hand Sara?” said Dad, and Sara said she was stuck. “I’ll catch you,” said Dad. “Just jump.” But Sara wasn’t sure she dared to jump. She didn’t dare walk back on her own either. So she started to cry.

“Sara,” said her father. “Look at me. Just look at me and jump.” Then Sara stared hard into her father’s eyes. The boys had trusted themselves, or their lucky socks, or their rabbits’ feet, but the boys were bigger than Sara and it wasn’t so scary for them. Now Sara trusted her father instead. She jumped and she was safe.

Sara’s father wouldn’t let her fall. And God won’t let us fall either. When we don’t know what to do, or which way to go, we can be sure God will catch us if we place our trust in him.  Let’s pray.

O Lord, please remind us to trust in you,

not in chariots and horses,

not in books and computers and exams,

not in the wisdom of friends and neighbors,

and not in luck either.

Thank you for always holding out your arms to catch us.

~ 21 ~

THE THRONE ROOM

Psalm 21:6 “Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.”

What would you rather do—visit a king, or visit a king’s castle? And if you got to do both, which one would you think was more important?

A long time ago there was a king who lived in a beautiful castle. The king would often invite people into his throne room to meet with him. One day he invited a little girl, and this is what she saw.

The little girl thought the king’s castle was the biggest, most splendid building she’d ever looked at. She thought the guards were the tallest, most frightening people she’d ever met. She thought the corridor they led her down was the longest, most echoing hallway in the whole wide world. And when she reached the throne room and the guards pushed open the big golden doors, the little girl thought the king’s grand chamber was the noisiest, most crowded place she’d ever been.

A long red carpet led from the doorway to the throne. There were crowds of people to either side of the carpet. The people were dressed in their finest clothes, everyone admiring everyone else’s taste—“such exquisite colors,” “such flowing lines.” Some women were admiring each other’s hair—“How much do you pay your hairdresser?” Some were showing off the jewels in their rings. Others were listening to the musicians and displaying their musical knowledge—“a little faster maybe,” “the overtones, they’re so amazing”. And others, they were admiring the furnishings, the curtains, the carpets, the lamps—“antique, surely”—and the jeweled throne.

The little girl felt terribly out of place. She was just wearing her everyday school clothes. She had no jewels and no musical talent. She really didn’t know which lamp was antique and which came from a warehouse sale. And the carpets and curtains just felt nice to her fingers—she’d no idea what they were made of.

Just then, the trumpets sounded. The great golden doors opened again and the king walked in. A choir appeared on the balcony and began to sing as the king strode to his throne. All the people stood to attention next to the red carpet and bowed their heads. And under their breath they continued to talk. “Look at that material in his cloak. It’s the same as your best jacket isn’t it?” “Isn’t that the same type of jewel as your daughter was wearing?” “Is your son in the choir?”

The little girl could hardly see through the crowd. She could hardly hear the choir for the chatter. But then she got close to the king sitting on his throne and she ran up the steps to greet him. He smiled at her and she smiled at him. The king lifted the little girl up to sit on the throne beside him. Nobody noticed. The other people were all so busy admiring the king’s possessions, but the little girl was the happiest person in the room because she was sitting in the presence of the king.

The people invited to honor the king missed out. And the little girl was the only one blessed by his presence. Sometimes we need to be careful we don’t miss out on God’s blessings too. We have to remember to enjoy God, not just the music and the youth group and the chance to talk with friends.  Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, you bless us with your presence

every time we come to church

and every time we pray to you.

Please remind us to thank you and worship you

and not get distracted from you.

Then we really will rejoice and be glad.

~ 22 ~

THE SHEPHERD KING

Psalm 22:31 “They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it.”

Did you know David wrote this psalm, and Jesus quoted from it on the cross? I wonder how David knew what to write.

A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, there was a shepherd boy called David. A holy man came to David’s house one day and picked him out from all his older brothers. The holy man said David would be king of their country one day, which sounded very strange. The shepherd boy didn’t really understand, but he knew it must be true because the holy man was a prophet.

A lot of things happened to that shepherd boy before he became king. He helped his brothers win a battle. He killed a really fierce enemy, just like he used to kill the fierce wild animals that threatened the sheep. He lived in the great king’s house. And he played music for the king, just like he used to play in the hills to calm the sheep at night. The shepherd boy made friends with the king’s son. Then he ran away from the king’s house when the king tried to kill him.

Young David was grown up by now and had an army of friends to defend him. The king chased David and his army into another kingdom where they stayed for a while. Then David returned and they hid in caves in the hills. David’s followers wanted David to fight the old king, but David said no. Sometimes David even fought on the same side as the old king and protected the kingdom, even though the old king hated him. Then the king would praise David for a while, until he decided he wanted to kill him again.

Sometimes David could hardly believe what the holy man had said when he was a boy. He wrote prayers and sang them to God, and that made him feel a bit better, because it reminded him God really was still working on his plan.

One day David began to write, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In his head, he heard someone else praying the same words—someone begging God, “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” David wrote more. He wrote about the lions that prowled outside his cave, ready to eat him. And the other voice in his head cried out, “My bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.” “Yes,” thought David, and wrote those words in his psalm too. “They divide my garments among them.” David could almost see it—a young man, dying, while soldiers stole everything he owned, and gambled for his robe.

“But you, O Lord, be not far off,” David wrote. It seemed like God was listening. David saw how the God of his little country would be known to the whole world one day. All the nations would bow down before God. People yet unborn would praise David’s God. They would worship God because of someone who would cry out in a dark place, “My God, my God.” The earth would tremble and the afternoon sun turn to night, and the curtain in the temple would tear in two.

David finished his psalm, sure again now that God would keep his promise and make him king. Maybe David wondered, just a little, about that voice that told him what to write, about that dying young man, and about the people yet unborn who would praise God one day. We are those people.

Maybe it really happened like this. Maybe not. But Jesus’ bones really were out of joint on the cross, and soldiers did divide his garments and cast lots for his clothes. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for all those years preparing a people and a place,

so your son could be born and live and die to save us.

~ 23 ~

THE LOST LAMB

Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd”

If the Lord is my shepherd, does that make me a sheep? This story’s about a sheep, and about the shepherd who looks after him when he gets lost, just like God looks after us.

Once upon a time there was a little lamb who was the youngest in his flock. The other lambs were bigger and had longer stronger legs. The other lambs were louder and had clearer deeper voices. The other lambs were smarter and had thicker warmer wool. And the other lambs had bigger adventures. The littlest lamb really wanted to go on adventures with all his friends, but his mother was always telling him he was too small. It wasn’t fair.

One day the little lamb ran away and followed his friends. After all, sheep are good at following. The little lamb followed his friends along the valley. He followed them across the stream, through the tall grass, and out onto the hills. The rocks were sharp and hurt his little feet, but he kept following. The slopes were steep and made his legs get tired, but he kept following. The gap between him and the other lambs grew really big, but he kept following. Soon he struggled just to lift one leg and put it in front of another, but he kept following.

And then he slipped. The little lamb scrabbled with all four feet to keep his balance. But he slid backward, back down the hill, back over rocks and stones and back through the sharp rough grass until he landed on a narrow ledge. There he lay, bleating sadly in a voice that grew quieter and quieter as he realized no one was listening.

The little lamb lay on the ledge while the sounds of the other lambs disappeared. He heard the shepherd calling and rounding them up. He heard their feet in the grass. But then all was quiet and the poor little lamb was alone.

As darkness fell the little lamb grew scared. There were new noises now—the rushing sound of wind blowing over the hill, grass rustling, a snake slithering nearby, squeaks of tiny animals and squawks of birds of prey, roars and growls… The little lamb wasn’t bleating any more. He was afraid to make a sound, so he lay so still, and oh how wished he’d listened to his mother.

After a while the little lamb heard a new noise. He wasn’t sure what it was so he listened very carefully. He thought he could hear footsteps. Then a voice said, “This way maybe.” The little lamb recognized that voice. It was his shepherd. So the little lamb bleated as loudly as he possibly could. It was such a small, cracked, feeble sound, but the shepherd heard him anyway. “I’m coming. Wait there,” he called. And the little lamb waited.

Soon the shepherd climbed down to find the little lamb. Soon the little lamb felt the shepherd’s arms lifting him high on his shoulders. He heard the shepherd’s voice talking all the time. “It’s all right now, little lamb. It’s all, all right.” Then the shepherd carried the little lamb back to his flock and his mother, and the little lamb never, ever ran away again.

In the Bible, Jesus says he’s the good shepherd. He says his sheep know the sound of his voice. He knows his sheep and they know him. But sometimes it’s hard to hear Jesus’ voice, just like it was hard for the little lamb to hear the voice of his shepherd. Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, thank you for being our shepherd.

You search for us and carry us.

You comfort us and protect us.

Even when we run away from you,

you come running to save us.

Thank you God.

~ 24 ~

OFF TO BE A SOLDIER

Psalm 24:3 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?”

Have you got clean hands? Have you got a pure heart? Do you think you’re good enough to stand up in front of God?

Once upon a time there was a young man who wanted to be a soldier. He left his parents and his village and set off to find the king’s castle. The young man carried his best clothes in his backpack, his father’s sword at his side, and some food in his purse. The road to the king’s castle was long and the directions were not very clear. So the young man lost his way. He asked someone in the village, “Which way do I go for the king’s castle?”

“You should take the low road by the river until you reach the lake,” the villager said. “Then turn east and go around the forest and through the hills.”

The young man came to a soldier on the road, and decided to check his directions. “You should take the middle road straight through the forest,” the soldier said. “It’ll lead you right to the castle.” So the young man turned onto the middle road at the next junction.

Next the young man saw a merchant and asked his advice too. “Take the high road,” said the merchant. “Up over the foothills.” So the young man changed roads again.

The young man trudged slowly up to the high road. A nobleman walked past and asked where he was going. “I’m going to serve the king,” panted the young man. But the nobleman laughed and said the young man’s clothes were too ragged. So the young man hid behind a bush and changed into his best clothes instead.

The young man thought he looked quite good in his fine clothes, and he continued to walk. Then a guardsman walked past and asked where he was going. “I’m going to serve the king,” said the young man. The guardsman laughed and said his sword was too blunt. So the young man sat down at the roadside and sharpened his sword.

As the young man marched on, he grew hungry and decided to eat some of his food. A rich cook walked past. “You’ll get sick,” said the cook. “That food’s probably long past its sell-by date.” So the young man left his food behind and marched on, still dressed in his best clothes which were getting rather worn out, and still carrying his father’s sword which was getting thin and bent from too much sharpening.

By the time the young man came to the king’s castle, he was weak and hungry and ragged and his father’s sword was broken. “Let me in,” he called to the guards in a feeble voice. “I want to serve the king.” But the guards just laughed and closed the gates on him.

Just then the young man felt himself lifted up into somebody’s arms. A stranger carried him through the castle gates and the guards all shouted out, “The king, the king!”

The young man asked, “Where is the king?” and the stranger smiled at him.

“I’m the king,” said the stranger. “That’s why I’m carrying you, because I care for my people.”

The young man tried so hard to do everything right, but there was no perfect way to go, no perfect food, no perfect clothes, no perfectly sharp sword. And there are no perfect homes or families, jobs, schools, churches, or governments in this world. But there is a perfect God who is waiting to carry us up his holy mountain. Let us pray…

Dear Lord, our hands are dirty and are hearts are never pure.

We don’t know where to go, or what to wear,

or how to do the right thing.

But you’ve forgiven us all our mistakes.

You invite us into your presence just the same,

King of Glory, Lord our God.

~ 25 ~

THE NAUGHTY BOYS

Psalm 25:7 “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways”

First you get in trouble. Then you get punished. Then everyone knows you’re a troublemaker. Do you suppose that’s the way it always works, or can you become good again?

Two boys called Joey and Alan once found themselves sitting outside the principal’s office at school. The boys were in trouble. In fact, they were always in trouble. The secretary said they were the naughtiest boys in school. She was sitting watching them and frowning at them both when Joey started to giggle.

“What?” whispered Alan and Joey said, “D’you remember the time we put glue on the teacher’s chair, and she got stuck?” Alan started to laugh too, and the secretary frowned and told them to be quiet.

Then Alan started to giggle. “What?” asked Joey and Alan said, “D’you remember when we took the leg off Katie’s chair and it fell apart when she sat down.” Joey giggled too and the secretary frowned again.

Then Joey asked, “D’you remember when we tied Julie and Amy’s hair together.” “And Julie got up and thought Amy was pulling her hair.” “And Amy thought Julie was pulling her hair.” “And they both fell over.” No wonder the secretary thought they were the naughtiest boys in school. But after they ran out of things to remember, the secretary was still frowning, and the boys were still in trouble, still waiting to see the principal.

“What d’you suppose he’s going to do to us?” asked Joey nervously.

“He’ll probably call our parents,” said Alan.

“Again,” said Joey.

“They’ll take away our recess forever.”

“They’ll make us do homework forever.”

“They’ll make us go to bed without dinner forever.”

“They’ll make us stay back after school forever.”

Finally the principal opened his door and asked the boys to come in. “So, what have you two been up to?” he asked, and his secretary began to list all the things the two boys had ever done. “You know these two,” she said. “They never learn. They’re always in trouble.”

“Ah,” said the principal. “I’ve forgotten all those things. What have they done today?” But what they’d done that day wasn’t really so bad. The boys only got into a little bit of trouble, and the principal didn’t need to call their parents. “I’m sure you’re not really the naughtiest boys in school are you?” he asked when he’d finished telling them off.

“No sir, not really,” said Joey.

“Then I expect you’ll not be back here for a very long time,” said the principal.

“No sir, I mean yes sir, I mean….”

“We’re lucky he didn’t remember anything aren’t we?” said Alan after they left.

“But the secretary remembered,” said Joey. “I think we’d better try to be good for a bit.”

When Jesus died for our sins, God forgave all our sins. And every time God forgives us, he forgets our sins and gives us a chance to start over. Let’s pray.

Thank you, Dear Father, for not remembering our sins.

Thank you, Dear Jesus, for paying for our sins.

Thank you, Dear Holy Spirit, for helping us not to keep sinning.

~ 26 ~

EXAMS

Psalm 26:2 “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind”

The psalmist asks God to test him. I wonder if we’d pass if God set a test for us.

One day, two boys called Peter and Paul were doing their homework together. They were getting ready for school exams and they had their study books all over the floor.

Peter stared at his French book. “What’s this word?” he asked.

“It’s ‘aveugle,’” said Paul. (avurgler)

“Sounds like a burglar,” said Peter, “but it says he couldn’t see. Why couldn’t a burglar see?”

“It’s not a burglar. It’s a-vur-gler. It means a blind man.”

“Oh.”

Paul stared at his science book. “What’s a na-no-me-ter?” he asked.

“It’s a unit, like measuring things,” said Peter. “Nano and meter,” he explained.

“So it’s like ninety meters or something?” asked Paul. “But that would be huge.”

“No, it’s tiny.”

“Oh.”

Peter stared at his English book. “It says the king’s an arch-e-type,” he said.

Paul said “So?”

“Well, why would the king be a bishop?” asked Peter.

“I don’t know. Who’s talking about bishops?” said Paul.

“Well, isn’t an arch-e-type a type of bishop, like an archbishop?” asked Peter.

“No,” said Paul. “It’s like someone in a story.”

And Peter said, “Oh.”

Paul picked up his math book. “I hate imaginary numbers,” he said.

“Why?” asked Peter.

“’Cause I can’t imagine them,” said Paul.

After a while the boys’ parents knocked on their door.

“Are you guys finished getting ready for exams?” they asked.

The boys said, “Yes.”

“And are you going to get A’s?” asked their parents.

The boys said yes again.

“You’ll get A’s in French and English,” said Peter. “I’ll get A’s in math and science.”

“I wish we could do each other’s exams, and get A’s in everything,” said Paul.

“I wish we were twins. Then we could.”

But they weren’t twins, and Peter was right. Peter got A’s in math and science, and C’s in French and English. Paul got A’s in French and English and C’s in math and science. But their parents were very pleased with them anyway, because they’d worked so hard to pass their tests. They took them out to dinner together to celebrate.

It would be nice, sometimes, to get someone else to take our tests for us. But Jesus has already taken the biggest test of all just for us, and he passed. Let’s pray.

Dear God, however good we are,

we can never be good enough for you.

However wise we are, we can never be wise enough.

However clever we are, we can never be clever enough.

But Jesus has taken the test for us, and paid the price for us.

Thank you God.

~ 27 ~

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”

The psalmist asks God to lead him on the right path. Sometimes taking the wrong path can be dangerous, like in this story.

Once upon a time, a little girl in a bright red cloak was walking through the deep dark woods. She was carrying a basket of goodies to her grandmother’s house. Her mother had told her to stay on the path and always keep an eye out for dangerous wolves. So the little girl promised to be careful.

Some daisies grew quite near the path, and the little girl thought maybe she’d pick a few. She stepped just a tiny bit off the path. Then she saw bluebells, just a little further off. She went to pick them too. When the little girl looked around, the path had disappeared. Somehow she’d stepped a little bit too far and didn’t know the way back. There were dark trees and shadows all around, but no sign of the path she’d been on. And there were noises, rustles in the grass, footsteps and heavy breathing and scary growls.

It began to go dark and the little girl shivered. She was scared. But then a row of lights lit up alongside the path and showed her the way. The little girl raced back toward the lights and soon was safe on the stony path again.

The little girl walked on until she approached a big dark house. It was about where her grandmother’s house should be, so she stepped off the path and hurried through the gate. The little girl knocked on the door. No one answered, but it wasn’t locked so she pushed it open. “Grandmother, I’m here!” the little girl shouted. Just then the moon came out and she saw a figure lying in a bed. “Grandmother,” said the little girl. “Are you all right?”

“Yes dear,” said the figure, gruffly. “Come closer, my dear.”

So the little girl crept closer. She saw the moonlight shine in the figure’s huge eyes. “Why grandmother,” she said, “what big eyes you’ve got.”

“All the better to see you with, my dear. Come closer.”

The little girl crept closer. She saw huge ears peeping out under the figure’s wide hat. “Why grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you’ve got.”

“All the better to hear you with, my dear. Come closer.”

The little girl crept closer. She saw the moonlight shine off the figure’s huge teeth. “Why grandmother,” she said, “what big teeth you’ve got.”

“All the better to eat you with, my dear,” said the figure, and leapt out of bed at the girl.

The little girl screamed and ran to the door, back through the gate, back through the yard, back to the well-lit path. Then she followed the lights until she saw the lamps of a bright shiny house. The little girl ran, gasping, to the door of the house. “Why, whatever’s the matter, my dear,” said her grandmother, coming to hug the little girl. Then they both looked around behind her. There was nothing there, except for the footprints of a big bad wolf in the grass. He had followed the girl all the way through the deep dark woods, but he hadn’t dared step on the path. It’s a really good thing wolves are afraid of bright lights.

Sometimes we need a light to show us the way. And sometimes we need a light to show us where danger is. Jesus tells us that he is the light of the world. Let’s pray.

O Lord, you’re our light. Please help us follow you.

O Lord, you’re our salvation. Please help us obey you.

O Lord, you’re our protection. Please help us trust in you.

~ 28 ~

PHONING GRANDMA

Psalm 28:1 “To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me.”

Do you think God hears us when we call to him? Perhaps we need a better God-phone, or maybe we just need to pray a bit harder.

Once there was a little boy called Stevie who wanted to thank his grandma for his birthday present. Stevie’s mother said he should phone Grandma. She sat at the table with the telephone to help him. Stevie’s mother set the phone on speakerphone so they could talk and listen both together. Then she told Stevie what the phone number was so he could punch it in. Stevie heard the phone ringing at his grandma’s house, but it sounded rather like when his little sister was banging the piano keys. Then there was a rattly sound. “She’s picking it up,” said Mom. And then there was a crashing sort of sound, kind of like when Stevie’s little sister fell off the piano stool.

“Hello Grandma,” shouted Stevie. The phone made the piano stool crashing sort of sound again.

“Mother, are you there?” said Stevie’s mom. “Can you hear me, Mother?” And there were more piano stool sounds until Mom said, “I think we have a bad line. Let’s try again.”

Stevie punched in the numbers again and listened as the phone began to ring. It still didn’t sound right, more like hiccups than ringing. Then there was the rattle of Grandma picking up. And then there was a voice. It sounded a bit like Grandma had hiccups too.

“Eh, oh, oo, eh?” said the voice at the end of the phone, and Stevie said “Hello.”

“Eh, oh, ee, ey,” said the voice, and Stevie’s mom asked, “Mother, can you hear me?”

“I, eh, ey, oo.” Stevie’s mom gave up and said they’d better try again, again.

Just then, Stevie’s dad came into the room. “Are you still trying to ring Grandma?” he asked.

“Yes” said Stevie. “But it’s not working.”

Dad dangled the car keys in front of Mom. “Why not just take him to Grandma’s house instead?”

So Stevie and his mom and dad drove around to Grandma’s house. “Grandma, Grandma,” said Stevie when his grandma answered the door. “We were trying to phone you but we couldn’t hear you.”

“I know,” said Grandma. “But I could hear you. There must be something wrong with the line.”

Then Grandma invited them in. Stevie thanked her for his birthday present, and Grandma got out his favorite cookies and milk and made a cup of tea for everyone else.

“Thanks Grandma,” said Stevie, as he munched his cookies. “This is much better than phoning anyway.”

Stevie’s grandma could hear him all the time, but Stevie couldn’t hear her. God hears us all the time when we pray as well. But sometimes we don’t hear his answer. Let’s pray.

Dear God, you never turn a deaf ear to us.

You’re never not able to hear.

Thank you for listening to all our prayers.

Please help us to come closer to you

so we can listen to you.

Please help us listen more closely so we’ll hear

when you answer us.

~ 29 ~

WAITING FOR THE MASTER

Psalm 29:3 “The voice of the LORD…”

Sometimes we try to ignore the voices of people in charge of us. Sometimes we pretend and say, “I can’t hear you.” But a sheep will listen for the shepherd to call, and a dog will wait to hear his master’s voice.

Once upon a time there were two dogs. One was so small he would almost fit in the palm of his master’s hand. The other dog was so big he could put his paws on his master’s shoulders and dance around with him. Their master had an important job in the city. Every morning he would feed the dogs before he went out to work. Then he would tell them to be good, and leave them on their own. The little dog would burrow into a cushion on the sofa and lie down, with just his eyes and his little nose peeping out. Pretty soon the little dog’s eyes would close and he would be fast asleep. Meanwhile the big dog would climb onto the other end of the sofa and stretch with his great huge paws dangling over the edge and his floppy head resting on the arm.

All was quiet until the fridge began to make ice. There was a rattle and a hiss, and the big dog leapt up and ran around and around the kitchen, panting and gasping. The little dog stayed fast asleep on the cushion.

After a while the big dog lay down to rest again. Outside, birds began to chatter and sing. Suddenly a whole flock of birds flew up from the yard where the master had left some seed for them. The big dog ran to the window, barking furiously, but the little dog didn’t move at all.

The big dog fell asleep again and then it started to rain. Raindrops pattered on the window and thunder roared over the roof. The big dog ran around and around the house, but he couldn’t make the noise stop. The poor dog got so frightened he buried his face under the little dog’s cushion and whimpered. The little dog opened half an eye and licked the big dog’s nose, and went back to sleep.

When a truck drove past, the big dog ran to the door. When some children chattered loudly in the street, the big dog barked at them. When a car stopped outside, the big dog went crazy, but it was only the mailman. Meanwhile the little dog took no notice at all and stayed curled up on his cushion.

Finally another car stopped near the house and both dogs ran to the door. Their master climbed out the car and walked up the drive. Both dogs were leaping and yelping as they listened to his footsteps. Their master unlocked the door and walked in. “Hello pests,” he said, and tried to put down his briefcase and take off his coat. It was a bit hard because the little dog was scampering around his feet and the big dog had his paws on his shoulders and was trying to lick his face. They were both so very, very happy to hear their master’s voice.

Sometimes the Bible says God’s voice is like thunder. Sometimes it says he speaks in a “still small voice” that you can hardly hear. The question is, whatever way God’s speaking, are we listening? Let’s pray.

Dear God, we’re distracted by so many things.

Please help us remember to listen for your voice.

We shout out ideas and make plans

and chase after every new fashion or rule.

Please help us follow your plans instead.

Please help us follow you.

~ 30 ~

DANCING IN THE DARK

Psalm 30:1 “I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths…”

The psalmist said God had turned his wailing into dancing. But sometimes dancing can turn into wailing too, like in this story.

One evening, two little girls called Linda and Kerry went dancing in the dark when they were supposed to be in bed. But they were on vacation in a lovely old house in the countryside, and they couldn’t sleep. Mom and Dad were watching a movie on TV. The little girls had crept downstairs to look through a crack in the living room doorway. There were dancers in the movie who looked just like the two little girls in their nightdresses. Linda suggested that they could be dancers too and Kerry agreed. They danced around the kitchen and, when they found the kitchen door was unlocked, they danced outside as well.

It wasn’t completely dark outside, just nearly dark. Linda could see Kerry, and Kerry could see Linda. And they could both see the picnic table and chairs, and the barbecue, and the trees by the gate. The two girls hummed a dancing tune and whirled and swirled happily. Then, suddenly, Linda vanished. One moment she was there. Then she wasn’t.

At first Kerry thought Linda was playing hide and seek. “Where are you?” she called. “Where did you go?” But all she heard was a wailing sound that seemed to come from nowhere. Kerry ran inside and opened the living room door. “Help, Help!” she shouted. “The ghosts have got Linda.”

The girls’ father looked at their mother and smiled. “D’you want to go sort them out or shall I?” he asked. Then he set off as if he were going upstairs, but Kerry said, “No, we’re not upstairs. The ghosts are outside.”

“Whatever were you doing outside?” asked Dad. Kerry said they were dancing.

“But why were you dancing outside?” asked Mom, and Kerry said, “Just because.”

Everyone stood outside in the dark kitchen garden. They could hear the wailing sound that Kerry thought was ghosts. But Dad didn’t think it was a ghost. “Stop crying Linda,” he shouted. “Where are you?” Then the dog ran past him out of the kitchen. And the dog… disappeared.

Dad followed the dog and saw that it had jumped down a hole in the ground. At the bottom of the hole was Linda. She’d stopped crying now and was cuddling the dog. It wasn’t a very deep hole, so Dad reached down easily to pull Linda out. The dog jumped out behind her. Then Dad carried Linda upstairs to bed, while Mom carried Kerry.

“We’ll investigate that hole in the morning,” said Dad, “and fill it in.”

“Yes,” said Mom, “but, for now, let’s get these dancers to sleep.”

Linda’s dancing certainly turned into wailing that day, until the dog and her father managed to find her. But God can always find us. God can always turn our wailing to dancing. And God can always lift us out of the depths of misery. Let’s pray.

Dear God, you always lift us up.

You lift us out of the depths of sorrow and shame.

There’s no hole too deep for you to reach down to us.

And there’s no wailing that you can’t turn into dancing.

Thank you God.

~ 31 ~

THE MONSTER

Psalm 31:11 “…those who see me on the street flee from me.”

Strangers and friends may let us down sometimes, and we find ourselves all on our own. But God will always lift us up again if we let him.

A long time ago, in a far-away kingdom, there was a fierce-looking monster. The monster’s head was covered with sharp, pointy horns. Its eyes were red and its teeth were yellow. Its hands had vicious claws, and its feet had huge heavy hooves. The monster was always dressed in smelly, dirty rags.

In winter the monster would come down from its cave in the hills. Chickens and eggs would disappear, and the farmers would sometimes say they’d even seen the monster kill a horse or a buffalo. They’d ask the king to send soldiers to protect them, and the soldiers would come to chase the monster away.

One winter the whole land was covered in snow and ice. The farmers ran out of food for their horses and buffalo. The chickens froze in the henhouses. Then the king sent soldiers to help everyone move closer to town so he could provide food for the people and animals. But the monster came closer too.

First the farmers complained they’d seen the monster raiding their eggs. Next the children said they’d seen the monster watching them in the playgrounds. Then people began to be afraid. They imagined the monster must be hiding in every shadow. They wouldn’t let their children out to play. They went shopping in twos and threes just in case the monster was there. And they begged the soldiers to stay out on the streets and protect them.

The poor monster couldn’t get food from the farmers because they were too well protected. It couldn’t get any of the food the king provided because the soldiers chased it away. So it just got hungrier and hungrier, and sadder and sadder, until eventually it decided to ask the king for help.

The monster marched down the street toward the king’s castle. All the people screamed. The soldiers pointed their guns and farmers waved their pitchforks. Then the king came out from his castle to see what all the fuss was about.

The king held out his hand very gently to the monster, and the monster shook hands. It was careful not to hurt the king with its sharp, vicious claws. Then the king put his arm around the monster’s shoulder and led it into his castle.

The king called for a dentist, an optician, a manicurist, a cobbler, a hairstylist, and a dressmaker. The dentist cleaned the monster’s teeth and straightened them. The optician put drops into the monsters eyes so they weren’t so red and sore. The manicurist cut and cleaned its nails. The cobbler fitted it with new shoes. The hairstylist washed and styled its hair. And the dressmaker made a beautiful gown. Then the king led his monster out onto the balcony of the castle. She was a beautiful woman, not a monster anymore. And he chose her to be his bride.

Everyone came to praise the monster then, and no one ran away.

That monster was never really a monster—just a woman who lived all alone. And even though we sometimes behave like monsters, God will always see the best in us. Just like that king, he’ll never run away or turn us away. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for not treating us like monsters.

Thank you for seeing the best in us,

for bringing out the best in us,

and for doing your best with us.

~ 32 ~

ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

What do we do when we’re lost? This family’s lost and they try all sorts of ways to get to where they’re going.

Once there was a family that was going on vacation. Dad drove the car. Mom sat next to him with the maps, the food and drink, the spare sweatshirts and the bag full of candy all piled up around her. The kids in the back of the car kept asking, “Are we nearly there yet?” every five miles.

Dad stopped on a parking lot and they went to a restaurant for lunch. When they set off again, Dad tried to follow the road signs out of town but it didn’t work. The road signs told him to turn left where there was no left turn, then go straight where the road was blocked, then turn around until he was back on the parking lot again.

Mom looked for the right page on the map. Then Dad made sure Mom understood which way to go, and they tried again. Mom told Dad when to turn. Dad said he couldn’t go that way. Mom found another road. Dad turned the wrong way. Mom tried again. Dad saw a sign, and they were back on the parking lot again.

Dad was convinced they should try again, but Mom was convinced they needed to ask for directions. She saw a lady walking past and called out for help.

“No problem,” said the lady. “Turn left out of here, straight on at the stop sign, right at the light, pass the road closed barriers, then take the next left, next left again, and right onto the main road. You can’t miss it.”

Mom had a really good memory. She remembered all the directions and told Dad exactly what to do. But the road was blocked, the detour went the wrong way, and before they knew it they were back where they started, on the parking lot again.

By now the kids were convinced they would never be nearly there, and Dad was saying how much he hated this town. Mom saw a man getting into a car nearby and she asked if he could help.

“Sure,” he said. “But you’d better follow me. They’ve messed up all the roads so it’s really easy to get lost.”

Dad couldn’t disagree with that. He waited for the other driver to set off, then followed him around lots of side streets, across narrow junctions, around a building site, and out to a spot where they could see the main road straight ahead. Then the stranger stopped his car and waved them past. They all shouted, “Thank you” out of their windows, even the kids who hardly ever remembered to thank anyone. And they were on their way again.

“Are we nearly there yet?” asked the kids, and Mom and Dad just laughed.

Dad followed the signs and used a map, and Mom asked directions from someone who knew the way. But what they really needed was a nice kind person to show them the way. And that’s what God does for us. Let’s pray.

Thank you Father for your instructions in the Bible

that tell us which way to go.

Thank you Jesus for living among us

and teaching the right way to live.

Thank you Holy Spirit for living inside us

and guiding us in God’s way.

~ 33 ~

KING CANUTE

Psalm 33: 7 “He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.”

I didn’t make my car, and I don’t know how it works, so I need a mechanic to help me when it breaks. God did make the world though, so d’you suppose we might need God when we think the world’s not working right.

A long time ago there was a king called Canute who ruled over a kingdom by the sea. The people in his kingdom were mostly fishermen and farmers and craftsmen, except for the king’s servants and advisers who lived in the king’s house. Most of the people thought Canute was quite a good king, and they were happy to be ruled by him.

Canute’s kingdom was peaceful most of the time. Sometimes a neighboring tribe would try to invade. Then Canute would order his fishermen and farmers and craftsmen to chase the invaders away. Sometimes invaders would come from over the sea, but Canute’s people would chase them back to their ships. They were very good fighters, as well as being good fishermen and farmers and craftsmen. They always won.

One year, there’d been so many invaders in Canute’s kingdom that the people had to fight nearly all the time. The fishermen complained that they had no time to fish. The farmers complained that the crops were dying. And the craftsmen complained that the army would soon run out of swords and shields if they didn’t get time to make more. Poor King Canute didn’t know what to do.

King Canute’s favorite adviser made a suggestion. He said Canute should order the waves to stay away from the shore, so the invaders’ ships would have to stay away too. “And how would I do that?” asked King Canute. “Why would the waves obey me?”

“Why not?” said his adviser. “If you order the cooks to make food, they obey you. If you order the fishermen to fight, they obey. If you call to your pony, it comes to you. If you send it away, it goes. If the people and animals all obey you, why shouldn’t the wind and the waves?”

Canute thought this was a sensible argument. So he stood on a high cliff over the water, with all his people watching, and called out, “Waves of the sea, I, Canute, command you. Let there be no tide and no ships on the tide this day.” But the waves continued to roll ashore, and the invading ships drew closer.

Then King Canute shouted to the wind, “Wind over the sea, I, Canute, command you. Blow away the waves and the tide and the enemy’s ships.” But the waves continued to roll ashore, and the invading ships drew closer.

Then King Canute shouted to the beach, “Sands by the sea, I, Canute, command you. Don’t let the wind and the waves and the tide and the ships land here.” But the waves continued to roll ashore, and soon the invading ships had landed and the fishermen and farmers and craftsmen had to fight as soldiers again.

Canute fired his adviser after this, but the people never forgot what had happened. Even though Canute succeeded in many things, the people of that little kingdom by the sea have always remembered Canute as the king who failed to command the sea.

There is a king who can command the wind and waves. When Jesus ordered a storm to be still, everything was suddenly peaceful. Let’s pray.

Dear God, you created everything

and you know how everything works

and you make everything work.

Thank you God for all that you’ve made for us and done for us,

and for teaching us how to make our lives work right.

~ 34 ~

ELISHA

Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

The psalmist tells us to praise God, even when everything goes wrong. It can be quite hard to do, as this man’s servant learned.

A long time ago there was a wise and holy man who was a trusted adviser to the king. An army was attacking the king’s lands and everyone thought the enemies would win. But whenever the enemy army attacked, the king’s army was ready and fought them off. It they sent a small army, the king sent one just a bit bigger. If they sent a big army, the king sent a bigger one still. If they attacked in the north, the king’s army was there to defend the north. If they attacked in the east, they found the king’s army there too.

The leader of the enemy began to get frustrated. He thought there must be a spy in his camp, so he called together his most trusted officers and made a plan. Each officer told his men a different place for the next attack. Then they watched to see which way the king’s army went, so he’d know which camp the spy lived in. But the king didn’t send out any armies at all, so that didn’t help.

The enemy leader tried a new plan instead. He ordered his officers to take as many prisoners as possible from the king’s army. Then they asked the prisoners, “How does the king know where we’re going to attack?” They all answered the same thing. “God tells the king’s adviser, and the adviser tells the king.”

“Right. We’d better catch the king’s adviser,” the enemy leader declared. He sent an army to the town where the king’s adviser lived. There were no soldiers in that town. It was such a small place, only a village really, nestling in the space between some hills. There was nobody there to protect the king’s adviser.

The enemy soldiers stood at the top of a hill and looked down. They could see king’s adviser pottering around his garden with his servant.

The servant pointed up at the enemies. “Oh what shall we do? They’re going to catch us,” he sobbed, but the king’s adviser wasn’t worried.

“Don’t be afraid,” said the king’s adviser. “Those who are with us are more than those with them.”

“Yeah, great” thought the servant, who was standing all on his own in a cabbage patch with his master. “But there’s nobody with us.” Then he heard his master pray. When the servant looked up at the hills again, he saw lines of horses and chariots of fire rushing fiercely toward the enemy. “Where did they come from?” the servant wondered.

The enemy soldiers saw the chariots and horses too and tried to run away. It seemed the king’s adviser had won again. Just a few enemies were brave enough to ride into battle, but they went blind and were captured and sent as prisoners to the king. The king didn’t hurt them though. He just gave them dinner, cured them of their blindness, and sent them home to the enemy. When they told what had happened, the leader of the enemy decided to stop attacking this kingdom, because it was too well defended by God and his angels.

The king’s adviser was called Elisha and he was God’s prophet. God promised that angels would protect his people, so maybe those horses and fiery chariots really were an angel army, protecting Elisha. Let’s pray.

O Lord, when things seem impossible,

when too much has gone wrong for it ever to go right,

and there’s no hope at all,

please remind us, as Elisha reminded his servant,

to open our eyes, and see angels.

~ 35 ~

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Psalm 35:21 “They gape at me and say, ‘Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.’”

Do you get fed up when things go wrong, and everyone’s angry with you? Do you wonder, then, if anything will ever go right again? Is it hard to praise God when you’re in such a mess?

Once there was a boy called Martin who found some quarters on the ground. Martin took the quarters into school to give his teacher. But he tripped up over somebody’s shoes on the way and fell flat on his face. The quarters slipped out of his hand and rolled across the floor.

“Thief, thief!” shouted a girl called Sara. “I thought I’d lost those quarters but you stole them.”

“No I didn’t,” said Martin. “I found them on the ground.”

“Hah! That’s what they all say,” said the other children.

Martin gave the quarters to Sara but all the other children still said he was a thief. They wouldn’t forgive him. Then one day Martin noticed a shiny necklace on the ground with tiny colored jewels that made the name Amy. Martin knew where Amy’s desk was, so he went to the classroom to put the necklace there. But, just as he was holding the desk lid open, another boy walked in.

“Thief, thief!” shouted the boy. “You’re stealing stuff from our desks!”

“No I’m not,” said Martin. “I’m putting Amy’s necklace there for her.” But nobody believed him.

One day Martin saw a ten-dollar bill on the ground, but he wouldn’t pick it up. He didn’t want to get into trouble again. The school principal asked Martin why he didn’t take the money to the office. “Because they’d call me a thief,” said Martin. So the principal asked what was wrong, and Martin told him everything—all about Sara’s quarters and Amy’s necklace. The principal walked back to Martin’s classroom and asked the teacher to let him use her whiteboard.

The principal drew a picture on the whiteboard and asked the children what it was. Half the children said it was a pretty young lady. The others said it was an ugly old woman. “Dear me,” said the principal. “It can’t be both. Make up your minds.” Of course, the children had already made up their minds. They just didn’t agree with each other.

The principal moved his hands over the lines on the board. He showed the children how the picture made a pretty young lady if they looked at it one way. Then he showed them which lines to follow to see an old woman there instead. “It all depends on how you look at it,” said the principal. “Just like when you see a nice boy holding a desk lid open, with a necklace in his hand. He might be taking the necklace out, or he might be putting it in. I wonder how you decide which one is true.”

The children knew the principal was talking about Martin. They began to look a bit embarrassed. “Well,” said the Principal. “That’s all I wanted to show you. But I did want to thank Martin for being so honest and helpful out on the playground today. I’m sure if I saw him next to an open desk, he’d be putting something back in, not taking it out.” And so, at last, the children stopped calling Martin a thief.

They say seeing is believing, but it doesn’t always work that way. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe.” Let’s pray.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.

You’ve always been good to us and you always will be.

Please help us remember the times you’ve saved us

and remember to always trust you.

~ 36 ~

DADDY LOVES ME SO-O-O MUCH

Psalm 36:5 “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

How much do you think God loves you? How can you tell?

Once there was a little boy called Sammy who heard some boys in the playground talk about their daddies.

“My daddy climbs mountains,” said one boy.

“My daddy climbs bigger mountains,” said another.

“Well, my daddy climbed Mount Everest, and that’s the biggest mountain in the world.”

Sammy thought, “I bet he didn’t,” but he didn’t say anything.

“My daddy sailed across a big lake,” said one boy, “in a storm.”

“My daddy sailed across the sea in a thunderstorm,” said another.

“Well, my daddy sailed all around the world and there were gales and hurricanes.”

Sammy thought, “I bet he didn’t,” but he didn’t say anything.

“My daddy lifts weights,” said one boy.

“My daddy lifts airplanes.”

“My daddy gave me a bike.”

“My daddy gave me an SUV.”

“My daddy lets me stay up really late.”

“My daddy lets me stay up all night.”

“My daddy loves me more than your daddy.”

“No he doesn’t.”

“Yes he does.” Then the school bell rang.

When Sam went home he started to ask his daddy some questions. “How high is Mount Everest?” Sam asked, and his daddy looked it up in an encyclopedia. “And how far is it around the world?” Daddy looked that up too. “And how heavy is an airplane?” Daddy’s encyclopedia was very good. He found the answer to that one too.

Then Sammy looked at his daddy, like he had another question to ask. “What is it, Son?” said his daddy. So Sammy said he was just wondering, how much did his daddy love him. Sammy’s daddy stretched out his arms as far as they would possibly go. “I love you so-o-o much,” he said, “and then some more.”

“Is that bigger than a mountain?” asked Sammy. His daddy nodded. “Is that wider than the sea?” Daddy nodded again. “Is that higher than the sky?” Yes. “Is it longer than forever?” Yes again.

Sammy smiled then, and decided his daddy was the best daddy in the whole world, because his daddy loved him more than anything. Which made Sammy very happy.

God’s love reaches to the heavens, and his faithfulness reaches to the skies. When we see the cross of Jesus, maybe we can see that Jesus loves us so-o-o much as well, which is more than anything. Let’s pray.

Thank you God for your wonderful love

that reaches to the sky,

that stretches around the earth,

that is wider than the oceans

and deeper than the seas,

taller than the mountains

and longer lasting than forever.

Thank you God.

~ 37 ~

HOW TO GROW FLOWERS

Psalm 37:2 “… like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”

The Bible says that the bad guys lose in the end. We just have to wait. But waiting can be pretty hard can’t it?

A little girl called Julie decided she wanted to make a flower garden. She found a patch outside her house where only weeds were growing, so she pulled out all the weeds in a little square. Then Julie asked her mother if she could have something nice to plant there.

“Yes of course,” said Julie’s mother, and gave her one of the seedlings that she was working with. Julie took the seedling and carefully planted it in her little square garden. It looked very pretty there with its shiny green leaves against the dry brown soil. But the next day, when Julie went to look at her seedling, it had died. Julie asked her mother what could have happened.

“I don’t know,” said her mother. “Did you water it?”

“No,” said Julie. So her mother explained that plants need water. She gave Julie another seedling. This time Julie planted it carefully and watered it carefully too. The next day, when she looked at her little garden, the seedling was growing healthily with extra bright green leaves. The next day it still looked healthy. But the next day it was brown and dead just like the first one had been. Julie asked her mother why she thought the new seedling had died.

“When did you last water it?” Julie’s mother asked.

“When I planted it,” said Julie. So her mother explained that plants need water all the time, especially in a place where it doesn’t rain enough. She gave Julie another seedling that Julie planted carefully and watered carefully. Each day, Julie looked at her tiny plant and gave it another drop of water to keep it fresh.

This time Julie’s seedling grew well. New shoots appeared, and there were even some tiny flower buds. But gradually the new shoots withered and the flower buds died away.

“Mommy,” said Julie. “Why is my plant dying again?” Julie’s mother came to look and said maybe the soil was poor and not providing enough food for the plant.

“The weeds don’t mind,” said Julie. “They’re not dying. They get enough food.”

It was true. The weeds around Julie’s little garden looked very healthy and strong. But, “Just you wait,” her mother said. “The weeds will die soon too.”

Julie’s mother gave Julie some good brown earth to add to the earth in her garden. Then Julie planted another seedling and watered it every day. Soon the seedling had new shoots and buds. And soon the buds began to blossom into flowers. By summer, Julie’s little square garden was filled with beautiful colors. And her mother was right. The weeds that had stood so tall around the little garden all died away. They didn’t get enough food and water, so Julie pulled out the withered stems and threw them all away.

Weeds seem to grow without any help, but they wither and die in the end. Meanwhile Julie’s seedling grew into a beautiful plant because she looked after it. And we can grow into all that God made us to be because God looks after us. Let’s pray.

O Lord, without you we would wither and die like the weeds.

Please keep us safe in your garden.

Help us grow where you’ve planted us.

And help us truly become all you made us to be.

~ 38 ~

THE MAN WITH THE HEAVY BURDEN

Psalm 38:4 “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”

The psalmist says the things he’s done wrong are like a heavy burden that he has to carry around. But Jesus says we should cast our burdens on him. What do you think that means?

Once upon a time an old man was walking along a road. He carried a very heavy sack over one shoulder. It made him walk with a stoop, leaning over to one side. As he was walking, the old man met a young woman. The young woman said it was clear from the old man’s posture that he was not thinking positively about his burden. “If you think happy thoughts,” she said, “you’ll find a smile on your face and a spring in your step, and your sack will seem so much lighter for you to carry.”

The old man thanked her and tried hard to think happy thoughts. But thoughts about his aching back kept coming into mind, so his smile didn’t last very long. Soon the old man met a young man who was jogging. “Hi,” said the young man. “A word of advice. You should never carry a heavy load on one shoulder. It’s bad for the back. Let me help you.” The young man tied two knots in the top of the sack, and told the old man to hold onto it with both hands, so he’d distribute the weight over both his shoulders. “There, that should help,” said the young man, and jogged off into the distance.

Well, the knots did help a bit, but the load was still too heavy, and the old man was still bent nearly to the ground. A smart looking lady in an expensive suit walked past. “Let me give you my card,” she said and slipped a business card into the old man’s pocket. The old man put down his load for a moment to read the card. It advertised a business that transported heavy loads. But the nearest office was many miles away so the old man staggered on.

After a while, the old man met a scruffy looking tramp. The tramp offered to carry the load for him, but the old man wasn’t sure he really trusted him. “Well,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind if you’d carry a bit of it for me.”

“That won’t help you,” said the tramp. “The bit you don’t give me to carry will soon be just as heavy.” But he took a few things from the old man’s sack anyway and walked along beside him.

Sure enough, the old man’s load grew heavier again with every step. He gave a little more to the tramp, but the load grew heavier again. “You’ll have to give me the whole sack-load if you want me to really help,” the tramp said sadly. But the old man thought he could manage.

Eventually the old man was thoroughly overwhelmed. He sat down sadly at the roadside and couldn’t go on.

“Give me your burden,” said the tramp once again, and this time the old man did hand over his sack. Then he saw that under his ragged clothes, the tramp was dressed as a king. And the king carried the old man’s load all the way to the end of the road.

We carry heavy burdens of guilt for things we’ve done wrong, and burdens of worry for things we haven’t done yet, and burdens of sadness for the things that have been done to us. But Jesus tells us to give all our burdens to him. Let’s pray.

Dear God, please help us trust you to carry our burdens.

Help us trust you to forgive us when we’re guilty,

to guide us when we’re confused,

to heal us when we’re hurt,

and to set us free from sin.

~ 39 ~

THE DOG AND THE SQUIRREL

Psalm 39:6 “…he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.”

If we lose something really important, we look for it, don’t we? But what if we lose the most important thing? How hard will we look for that?

One winter, a very forgetful gray squirrel began to collect acorns and nuts. He buried his treasure store under a tree, and told himself he could remember exactly where it was, because there was a big yellow truck parked by the tree. But, when the squirrel looked next day, the yellow truck had gone. The little gray squirrel’s treasure store was lost.

The forgetful gray squirrel gathered more nuts and acorns and buried them under a bush at the end of a garden. He was quite sure he’d know where to look for them next day. But when some workmen dug up all the bushes to widen the road, the forgetful gray squirrel had lost his supplies again.

Next time the little gray squirrel hid his acorns under a rowan tree near a big house. But the little girl who lived in the house collected all the acorns for a school science project and took them away.

Then the little squirrel hid some nuts under a shiny red rose. But a little boy found them and dug them up to play with in the sand.

Finally the little gray squirrel found a deep hole in the corner of a yard. It looked like a really good secret place. The squirrel could live in a tree near the hole and keep a good lookout. So he gathered as many nuts and acorns as he could to make his new treasure store.

A dog came out to play in the yard. The dog wasn’t looking for nuts and acorns, and the dog couldn’t climb trees, so the squirrel ignored it. Then a boy came out and threw a yellow tennis ball for the dog. This boy was too big to play at burying treasure in the sand, so the little gray squirrel ignored him too. And finally the boy’s mother came out and called the boy in for dinner.

The little gray squirrel must have slept in the tree for a while. When he woke up, the little dog was sniffing at the squirrel’s treasure hole and barking. The squirrel chattered angrily at the dog. Then the squirrel looked down into the hole and saw the dog’s yellow tennis ball on top of his acorns and nuts. The squirrel hurried down his tree and pulled out the tennis ball so the dog could run off and play with it. Then the squirrel gathered more nuts and acorns to bury in the hole. And the dog put the ball on top when it was dinnertime.

The dog and squirrel became good friends that winter. When it snowed, the squirrel could never remember where to dig for his hole. But the little dog always knew where his tennis ball was hidden. The dog would search for his tennis ball and wag his tail and bark. Then the squirrel would rescue the ball and eat some acorns and nuts. They both had a very happy winter, and enjoyed their separate treasures.

The Bible says we should lay up treasure in heaven, where no moths will eat our clothes, and no rust will dull our tools and jewelry. Clothes and tools and jewelry and toys are fun, but eternal life is treasure that lasts forever. Let’s pray.

Dear God, our greatest treasure is you.

The banks might protect our money

but they’ll never be able to save us.

The things we own might make us happy

but only for a while.

Only you give treasure that lasts forever

for you are our hope and our salvation.

~ 40 ~

TEDDY BEAR SAVER

Psalm 40:10 “…I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.”

If someone does something really great for you, you want to tell everyone all about it don’t you? That’s what this little boy wanted to do when someone did something wonderful for him.

One day a little boy called Timothy was walking by a river with his teddy bear. Timothy’s mother was holding his hand on the path. She wouldn’t let him go down the riverbank. She said the water was too high and it was too dangerous. Timothy didn’t think the water was high—it was just wet. And Timothy’s teddy really wanted a closer look but his mother said, “No.” Then Timothy’s mother let go of his hand, just for a moment and he ran. “Timothy, come back at once!” shouted his mother, but Timothy laughed.

“The water’s not high Mommy,” Timothy said. “It’s not dangerous.”

Timothy’s mother stepped carefully onto the wet grass and slid down toward her son. “You come and hold my hand,” she said, “and get back on that path at once.”

“It’s okay, Mommy. I won’t get wet,” said Timothy, and he started to walk upstream. “Teddy won’t get wet either.” But Timothy’s foot slipped on a wet stone and he sat down hard. It hurt. And he dropped his teddy.

Timothy’s teddy was caught in some rough grass at the edge of the water. Timothy leaned out to grab him but he couldn’t stretch far enough. Then Teddy rocked to and fro in the current, until he came free and started spinning downstream. Around and around and around he went, drifting further out into the water. “Teddy!” shouted Timothy. “Teddy, no!”

Timothy’s mother turned to look at the bear. “Stay back, Timothy,” she said. She didn’t want Timothy to go out into the water. She didn’t want him to get hurt.

Then a young man stepped out onto a rock. The young man grabbed the teddy bear as it floated past. He walked up the bank and handed the bear to Timothy. “I think you’ll need to use the hair-dryer on him,” said the young man, but Timothy wasn’t listening. He was cuddling his soggy wet bear to his chest. His shirt got soaked, but at least he was happy again.

“Thank you so much,” said Timothy’s mother to the young man.

“No problem,” said the young man, and began to walk away. But Timothy chased after him, shouting loudly, “Teddy bear saver! He saved my teddy bear! This man’s a teddy bear saver. Look everyone…”

The young man smiled at Timothy, then stepped into a shop, and Timothy’s mommy wouldn’t let him follow. “Let’s go home,” she said. “Let’s get the hair dryer out.”

Perhaps the young man felt embarrassed when Timothy was shouting after him. I wonder if God ever feels embarrassed when we tell people all about him. Or perhaps God just feels sad because we don’t tell people anything. Let’s pray.

You’ve rescued us and saved us O Lord,

but sometimes we find it easier to keep quiet.

Please teach us how to show your love

by the way that we love others.

Please help us tell the world your truth

by speaking it in kindness

and listening to you.

~ 41 ~

BLESS YOU

Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is he…”

Have you ever wondered what blessed means? I’m not sure if the boy in this story understood it.

One day, a little boy called Eric sneezed. His grandma said, “Bless you.”

“What’s ‘Bless you’?” Eric asked.

“It’s a prayer,” said Grandma. “I’m asking God to bless you and keep you healthy.”

“Is that ’cause you don’t want me to catch cold?” asked Eric and his grandma said yes.

Eric followed his grandma into the kitchen. She was baking cakes and Eric was going to help. First Grandma told him to wash his hands because he’d been sneezing. Then she asked him to help get out the ingredients.

Eric was still thinking about Grandma saying “Bless you.” He asked her suddenly, “Grandma, is ‘Bless you’ like the Blessed Atchoos?” Grandma looked puzzled. She weighed out the flour and asked him what he meant.

“Like Blessed Atchoos, like we were doing in Sunday school, when Jesus said about people that were blessed.”

“You mean the Beatitudes?” Grandma asked.

“Yes, Blessed Atchoos.”

“Well, yes. I suppose it is.”

Eric watched his grandma measure the rest of the ingredients. He helped her mix them together in the bowl. But he was still thinking about the Blessed Atchoos.

“Grandma,” Eric asked. “Are we poor?”

“Not really,” said Grandma, adding the eggs and milk and mixing some more. “Why?”

“’Cause Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the poor.’”

“Well,” said Grandma, “I think God has blessed us with enough money so we’re not poor. But we have to use the money to help the poor, or it won’t be a blessing after all.”

“How d’you mean?” asked Eric.

“Let’s see. Think of all those really rich people your daddy says got into trouble because they cheated. Their money wasn’t a blessing to them at all.” Eric thought about them and frowned. Then Grandma asked him to get the cake tins out.

Soon Grandma’s cakes were ready for the oven. Eric held the door then asked another question. “Are we sick, Grandma?” Grandma said she hoped not.

“But Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the sick.’ Does that mean we’re not blessed?” and Grandma said that they were blessed with good health.

The kitchen filled up with delicious cakey smells. Eric helped Grandma wash the bowls. Then he said, “Grandma. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the hungry.’ And I’m hungry.”

“Would you like to eat some cake?” said Grandma.

“Yes please, Grandma.”

“Well, let’s just wait until it’s ready, then we’ll all be blessed with food.”

God has blessed us in so many ways, with people who care for us, with food to eat, with places to live and work and play. He’s blessed our families, our communities, our church, our country and our world. And most of all, God has blessed us with forgiveness of sins, so we can be called his children. Let’s pray.

Blessed are those who know they need you Lord.

Blessed are those who know they need your forgiveness.

Blessed are those who know they need your love.

Blessed are those who know they need your comfort.

Blessed are those who know they need your strength.

And blessed are we, because you have chosen to bless us.

~ 42 ~

THE CHRISTMAS DEER

Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”

We have so many good things, but there are always things we don’t have that we long for. The little boy in this story was probably hoping for lots of Christmas presents.

One Christmas Eve a little boy called Sam was sitting at the window in his living room.

“What are you looking at Sam?” asked his sister, Emily.

“I can’t see any lights outside,” said Sam mournfully.

“’Course you can’t,” said his sister. “It’s snowing.”

“But how will Santa’s reindeer know the way?”

“By magic of course. How did you think?”

Sam continued to look out of the window, even when his mother called him to the table for supper.

“Sam, what are you doing?” his mother asked.

“I’m looking for Santa’s reindeer,” said Sam.

“You’ll not see them yet,” said Mom.

“I know, but I’m worried they might get lost.”

“They won’t get lost,” said Sam’s mom. “But if you’re really worried, you should try thinking some really big thoughts. Then they’ll hear you by telepathy.”

Sam said, “Tele-what?” Emily said Sam was too little to think big thoughts. But Mom just said that Sam and Emily should both sit down and eat.

After supper, Sam’s family went to church. Sam sat in the back of the car, looking out at the snow and thinking his very big thoughts. All through church he thought big thoughts, except when he had to pray. And all the way home he kept thinking, “Reindeer, reindeer, this way, this way…” as big-ly as he could.

When they got home, Sam ran back to the window. “Mom, Mom,” he shouted. His mother came to see. “Look Mom. It’s Santa’s reindeer. They heard my big thoughts.”

Out on the grass, with their long necks bent over the stream that ran through the garden, were three tall deer with shiny coats and glowing eyes. Little puffs of steam drifted away from their three reindeer mouths, and Sam smiled happily. “They’re thinking big thoughts back at me,” said Sam. “They’re saying thank you for the drink.”

As the deer wandered away from the stream and disappeared into the snow, Mom told Sam and Emily that it was time for bed. They had to be asleep before Santa came she said, and Santa’s reindeer had already found the way.

Three beautiful deer had found their way to water anyway.

Sometimes we take water for granted. We think it just comes out of the faucet. And sometimes we take God for granted too. But the deer had to search for water in the snow, and sometimes we need to spend some time praying and longing for God. Let’s pray.

As the deer longs for water, O Lord, let us long for you.

As a child longs for Christmas, O Lord, let us long for you.

Let us know that we will never lose you.

Let us know that you will always be there.

Let yours be the last name on our lips at night

and the first name in the morning.

~ 43 ~

THE THIEF AND THE KING

Psalm 43:1 “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause…”

How good are you? Are you as good as Jesus? Do you think you are good enough for God? The young man in this story really wasn’t good at all, but he was good enough to be saved.

Once upon a time, a young man sneaked into a king’s castle. The king was fast asleep and the king’s guards were watching TV. The young man crept along the corridors. He watched the security cameras and kept to the shadows whenever they pointed his way. He opened the door to the king’s throne room with his credit card. Then he slipped inside as fast as he could, before the alarm could go off. Next the young man stepped over the infrared beams and crept across the room to where the wall-safe was hidden. He pulled aside the curtain, leaned his ear against the safe, and turned the dial, listening carefully for the all little clicks so he could learn the combination.

The safe door swung open and the young man reached inside. He took out the king’s crown and put it on his head. Then he stepped back over the infrared beams and headed for the door. But the young man had forgotten one thing. There was a time switch on the safe and he’d left the door open. Bells rang. Klaxons sounded. All the doors in the castle slammed shut. And the throne room filled with sleeping gas so the young man fell asleep. When the gas was gone, the guards carried the young man to the dungeons.

A few days later it was time for the young man’s trial. The king had turned his throne room into a court. He sat on the throne with his crown back on his head, and everybody called him, “Your Highness, your Judginess, your Majesty.”

The young man was brought in and the charges read out against him. “He broke into the castle and stole the king’s crown,” said the lawyer.

“How do you know it was him?” asked the king.

“We found him in your throne room wearing your crown, and no one else was there,” said the chief guard.

The verdict was unanimous. The young man was guilty. The prosecution lawyer looked up the rules in his book and said, “Your Highness, your Judginess, your Majesty: It says here that stealing your crown is treason, and the penalty for treason is death.” Then the defense lawyer looked in his book and said, “But if someone is sentenced to death, and they pay a ransom in three days, they can go free.”

“What’s the ransom?” asked the young man.

“Three hundred million dollars,” said the lawyer, and the young man looked sad.

Now the king stood up to speak. “Young man,” he said, “I sentence you to death, unless you can come up with three hundred million dollars in the next three days.”

The poor young man and his parents began to cry. But then the king took off his crown, walked to the prisoner, and took his checkbook out. The king wrote a check for three hundred million dollars and gave it to the prisoner. “Pay with this,” he said. Then he smiled, and left the room.

God is our king and our judge, and we’re all guilty because we’re all sinners. But God came down from his throne, and became one of us. Jesus paid the ransom that we couldn’t pay, so we’re vindicated. Let’s pray.

Lord God we confess our sins

and we know we should stand condemned.

Thank you Jesus for taking our place.

Thank you for making us blameless, for vindicating us.

~ 44 ~

LITTLE BOY LOST

Psalm 44:1 “We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.”

Do you remember a time when someone did something nice for you? Do you trust that person to do more nice things for you in the future? Maybe remembering helps us to trust.

There was once a little boy called Simon who was very good at getting lost. He’d be walking home with his friends, and suddenly he’d find himself standing outside the wrong house. Or else he’d go on a school trip and end up following the wrong class. Or he’d be in the shopping mall with his mother and take hold of the wrong lady’s hand.

One day Simon was shopping with his mom and dad and his baby brother Malcolm. Malcolm was in the buggy with his mom pushing it. Simon was holding the handle of the buggy, like his mom had told him to. Then suddenly Simon was standing at the foot of the escalator in a great big store, and his mom and dad and Malcolm were nowhere to be seen. Simon looked around to find where they’d gone, but all he could see were strangers’ feet and legs and shopping bags. People kept bumping their bags into Simon as they walked past. Poor Simon felt like he was going to fall over and get walked on.

Simon remembered his mom had told him to go to the checkout if he got lost in a store. But he couldn’t see any checkouts. He thought he could see the entrance to the store, but that was just another huge department, so he began to cry. Then a lady in a blue uniform walked up and asked if he was lost.

“I think I am,” said Simon. So the lady got out a little radio and called the store manager. Then she asked Simon what his name was, and was he waiting for his parents. While she was talking, some other people in blue uniforms with badges came and joined her.

“Have you been lost before?” one of them asked.

“Yes, lots of times,” sobbed Simon.

“And do your mommy and daddy always find you?”

“Yes, every time,” said Simon.

“Then they’ll find you again today won’t they?” said the lady. “They’ll find you soon.”

Meanwhile Simon’s mom and dad were rushing all around the shopping mall, checking inside every store and staring at all the people. “I’m sure he couldn’t be in a clothes store,” said Mom, but Dad said they should look there anyway. Then, as they entered the store, they saw people in blue uniforms looking after a little lost boy.

“Simon!” shouted Simon’s dad.

“Daddy!” shouted Simon, and stopped crying.

“There you are,” said the nice lady, smiling. “I told you they’d find you again soon.”

Simon’s parents had always found him before, so he knew they’d be looking for him. And God has always helped us out before, so we know he’s looking out for us. A prophet called Habakkuk wrote in the Bible about how we remember what God’s done for us. Let’s use some of his words in our prayer.

O Lord, we have heard of your name.

We stand in awe of your deeds.

We ask you to do, in our day and our time,

the wonderful things you’ve done in times before.

Then all the world will remember

we can always trust in you.

~ 45 ~

THE ROYAL WEDDING

Psalm 45:13-14 “All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king…”

This psalm was written to be sung at a king’s wedding. Royal weddings can be quite spectacular, like this one was in England between Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Not so very long ago, a handsome young prince decided to get married. A little girl called Sara was watching TV at school and saw pictures of the prince and of the lady he was going to marry. Sara and all her friends got very excited because the lady had been their kindergarten teacher. Her name was Diana.

Sara’s new teacher decided the children should make congratulations cards for the prince and his lady. She told them to draw a wedding and she gave each child some nice smooth paper and new crayons to work with. Sara drew a picture of Lady Diana dressed as a princess. But she didn’t think it looked much like Lady Diana, so she threw the picture away. Then she drew Lady Diana dressed as a teacher, but that didn’t look much like her either, so she threw that one away too. Next she tried to draw Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Then she drew a castle for them to live in, and a coach for them to ride in, but nothing seemed to work.

Sara’s teacher came to look at what she was doing.

“Why do you keep throwing your pictures away?” the teacher asked.

“’Cause they’re no good,” said Sara, sulking.

“Why do you say that?” asked the teacher. “I think this one is really good.”

“No it’s not,” said Sara. “Lady Diana’s much prettier than that.”

“Well, this castle is wonderful,” said the teacher.

“No it’s not. It’s stupid.”

The teacher offered to help Sara with her next picture. They worked together during recess and made a new picture of the castle. They added horses pulling the coach, and two little figures waving, and lots of people standing at the sides of the road. Then the teacher straightened out the castle towers, so they didn’t look so much like they were falling down, and Sara added curtains at the windows.

“There now, how’s that?” said the teacher when they’d finished.

“It’s still not right,” said Sara.

“Well, nothing’s ever perfectly right,” said the teacher. “But I’m sure Lady Diana will love it.” So Sara agreed to let her teacher send the picture with all the others.

The teacher sent all the pictures and cards to Lady Diana. Then she reminded the children to watch the wedding on TV when they were at home in summer. Lady Diana looked like a fairytale princess in her wedding dress. Afterward she became Princess Di and rode in a golden coach with Prince Charles, and everyone waved and cheered.

When the children went back to school after the summer, there was a letter from the Prince and Princess of Wales, thanking them for all their beautiful pictures, including Sara’s.

Sara wanted to make a perfect card. And everyone wanted Charles and Diana to have a perfect marriage. But only God is perfect, and our lives will only be made perfect in heaven. Let’s pray.

Dear God, please bless our marriages and our families.

Please bless us when things go well and when they go badly.

And please help us to be patient with each other’s imperfections,

because only you are perfect.

~ 46 ~

SLEEPING THROUGH THE VOLCANO

Psalm 46:2 “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…”

Some people can sleep through anything can’t they? And other people lie awake all night worrying. The young man in this story was a sleeper, not a worrier.

Once there was a young man who wasn’t very good at waking up. Sometimes this was a good thing. The young man was in the air force, and it was good that the sound of planes coming back and landing at midnight didn’t wake him. Sometimes it was a bad thing too, because when the bugle called in the morning the young man often wouldn’t hear it. Then he had to rely on friends to wake him up so he wouldn’t be late for roll call.

The young man was posted to a base on a tropical island. It was a very pretty island, with a mountain, forests, beaches, and a small town. The mountain was a volcano but it had been safe for a very long time. Nobody really listened when some scientists said it was going to go off. The planes kept flying and the people went on with their lives.

The young man slept peacefully and didn’t listen to rumors. He didn’t listen to the volcano when it went off either. He didn’t hear the mountain roar. He didn’t hear the people shout. He didn’t hear the thunder or see the lightening. He didn’t notice the buildings rocking and shaking when the earth began to quake. He just lay peacefully snoring in his bed.

When the young man’s friends woke him up next morning he was very surprised. There was so much work to do. They had to clear ash from the runways, and mend cracks in the pavement. They had to repair broken windows in the buildings, and clean up broken cups and plates that had fallen off shelves. And they had to go into town and help the townspeople recover.

Luckily, no one was hurt when the volcano went off. It had only been a little volcanic eruption. But now, when the young man’s friends said that he would sleep through anything, he knew they weren’t joking. They really meant that he could sleep through an earthquake and a volcano. And they were right.

God doesn’t stop volcanoes and he doesn’t stop earthquakes. He doesn’t stop tidal waves. He doesn’t stop wars and famines. And he doesn’t stop people from getting hurt or getting sick. But God does stay near to his people, and he does give us strength and courage. He gives us patience to endure whatever happens. And he gives us hope and the promise of life in heaven. Let’s pray.

O Lord, please help us not to fear.

When we can’t sleep,

when jobs are lost, when friends are gone,

when people we care for get hurt,

please help us not to fear.

When the earth gives way and mountains fall into the sea,

please help us not to fear.

When the whole word seems to be against us,

please help us not to fear

because you are at our side

and you are always on our side.

~ 47 ~

HAPPY CLAPPY BABY

Psalm 47:1 “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy!”

Do you clap your hands when you wake up on a Sunday morning? This story’s about a baby who loved to clap his hands.

Once there was a very contented baby boy with an incredible dimpled smile. This little baby loved to laugh and giggle and clap his hands. His family and friends all called him Happy Clappy because he was such a happy clappy little boy. And everyone always smiled whenever they saw him.

On Monday it was Happy Clappy’s birthday. He had a party with jelly and scones and a lovely birthday cake with a big fat candle. And he had lots of one-year-old friends who came to play with him. Their moms and dads all came along to share the fun and sing happy birthday. When Happy Clappy saw his cake he laughed and clapped. He blew and spluttered and giggled as he blew out his candle. Everyone cheered and laughed and clapped with him.

On Tuesday Happy Clappy went to the park. He sat on a swing and everyone smiled and said how cute he was. Even the teenagers smiled as they walked past. The teenage girls smiled at the baby, and the teenage boys smiled at the girls. Even the ducks made a laughing sort of quack when they waddled past and heard Happy Clappy laugh at them.

On Wednesday Happy Clappy went swimming. He bobbed up and down in the water. And he laughed and clapped and splashed and clapped and laughed. The other people in the pool all laughed and clapped with him.

On Thursday Happy Clappy went shopping. All the local moms met for coffee and talked. Happy Clappy laughed and clapped and played with the other little children, and smiled and shared their food.

On Friday Happy Clappy went to a children’s concert. Everyone cheered for the announcer, and clapped for the speakers and the singers. Everyone listened to everything with huge happy smiles on their faces. Then they cheered and clapped again. And Happy Clappy laughed and clapped loudest and had a wonderful time.

On Saturday Happy Clappy went to a ball game. Everyone cheered loudly for their team. Happy Clappy laughed and clapped when things went right. And when things went wrong and everyone was shouting, Happy Clappy laughed and clapped to help them along.

Then on Sunday Happy Clappy went to church. They dressed him in his itchiest scratchiest clothes, and stuck a pacifier in his mouth. They said “Amen” with long bored faces, turned pages in books and stared at the writing on the walls. They clapped when they children finished singing but it wasn’t a happy concert clapping. They said “Alleluia” once in a while but they didn’t really smile. They laughed at a joke in the sermon then went back to sleep. Afterward they all went out. Happy Clappy couldn’t wait to see some sunshine and get that nasty plastic thing out of his mouth.

Sunday probably wasn’t that little baby’s favorite day. But it should be the most exciting and best day of the week, because we come to church to spend time with God. Let’s pray.

Father God, please remind us of your awesome power,

and fill our minds with wonder.

Lord Jesus, please remind us how you died for our sins,

and fill our hearts with thanks.

Holy Spirit, please remind us how you live in our lives,

and fill our mouths with praise.

Then we will laugh and clap our hands

and sing with shouts of joy.

~ 48 ~

SEARCHING FOR THE KING

Psalm 48:1-2 “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful…”

The men in this story went looking for a king in a palace, and found a baby in a stable. That must have been quite a surprise.

A long time ago, a group of men were searching for a king. They traveled a long way across many lands until they came to a beautiful town, with bright clean streets, small stone houses, and a wonderful mansion in the center of a decorated square. The travelers hurried to the door of the mansion and knocked.

“Are you guests of the master?” asked the white-robed servant at the door. The travelers said they’d come to see the king. “There’s no king here,” said the servant. “Only the master who rules this town.” So the travelers asked where they might find the king. The servant answered, “He lives in his fortress in the capital. Follow the western road. It leads straight there.”

The travelers left the beautiful town and marched toward the setting sun. At last they saw a big dark city, surrounded big high walls. But when they reached the city gates the guards said, “No. You can’t come in.”

“We’re here to see the king,” said the leader of the travelers.

“Oh yeah,” said the guard. “And the king invited you did he?”

“No,” said the travelers, “but we’ve brought gifts.” So the guards let them through.

The travelers walked through the dirty streets of the city until they came to the fortress. Then the king’s own guards led them into his throne room. The travelers bowed down in front of the king and he asked them for their gifts.

“Can’t we see the baby first,” said the travelers.

“What baby?” asked the king.

“The baby king,” said the travelers but the king said there was no baby there.

The king called his advisers to help and they brought all their books with them. Eventually they worked out that the travelers had got it wrong. “It’s not a king’s son they’re looking for,” they said. “It’s a baby who’s going to become a king, or a savior, or a messiah.”

“A baby messiah,” said the king. “Hmm. Well. We’ll see about that.”

The king’s advisers worked out where the baby would be born and sent the travelers there. They came to a little village with animals and children running around the streets. The villagers told them, “Yeah, we remember that baby. There were some shepherds came looking for a messiah a little while back. Cute little kid. Lives down that street.”

The travelers wandered down the street to a tiny house with a dingy stable attached. And there they found a mother and father and the baby they were looking for. He was a messiah, and a savior, and a king. The travelers could tell, so they gave him all their gifts.

God is the greatest king of all, and heaven is the greatest kingdom. But if we look for human riches and human power and human leaders, we’ll miss out on what really matters. Let’s pray.

Dear God, please help us look for you

in places where you can be found.

Please help us see you

in the poor and the weak and the suffering.

Then you will welcome us to your beautiful city,

and your holy heavenly palace.

~ 49 ~

ON ILKLEY MOOR

Psalm 49:20 “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”

The psalmist says he’s going to speak words of wisdom. Do you know anyone really wise? Maybe someone like the old man in this story?

Once there was a young man who lived on a farm with his grandfather. The grandfather worried about his grandson and tried to teach him to be careful. But the young man didn’t like to listen to advice.

One day the young man went out to walk on the moor. Grandpa looked all around the house before he realized the young man was missing. Then Grandpa looked in the coat closet and realized the young man had gone out without his hat. He was out on Ilkley Moor without his hat! (Grandpa had a thing about hats.)

“Where’ve you been since I saw you?” Grandpa asked when the young man came back.

“On Ilkley Moor,” said the young man.

“On Ilkley Moor ’baht ’at,” said Grandpa, because that’s how he talked. “You’ve been out on the moor without your hat. And now you’ll catch your death of cold.” The young man just ignored his grandfather and began to take off his coat and boots.

“We’ll have to bury you,” said Grandpa, “when you’ve caught your death of cold out on the moor without a hat.” The young man walked into the kitchen, where he could smell the dinner cooking.

“The worms’ll eat you,” said Grandpa, stirring the dinner. “The worms’ll eat you after we’ve buried you, after you’ve caught your death of cold, after you’ve been out on Ilkley Moor without your hat.” The young man laid the table.

“The ducks’ll eat the worms,” said Grandpa. “They’ll eat the worms that have eaten you, after we’ve buried you, after you’ve caught your death of cold, after you’ve been out on Ilkley Moor without your hat.” The young man started to serve dinner.

“We eat duck you know,” said Grandpa slowly. “We buy ’em in the store, or hunt for them. We eat duck. And ducks’ll eat the worms that have eaten you, after we’ve buried you, after you’ve caught your death of cold, after you’ve been out on Ilkley Moor without your hat.” The young man carried the plates to the table.

“And then we’ll have eaten you, young man,” said his grandfather. “We’ll have eaten you when we’ve eaten the duck that ate the worms that have eaten you, after we’ve buried you, after you’ve caught your death of cold, after you’ve been out on Ilkley Moor without your hat.”

Then Grandpa put the hat on the table, and the young man looked at the dinner. It was duck soup.

The young man didn’t really catch his death of cold. And the grandfather didn’t really know all the things that would happen next. It’s just an old song. But none of us, rich or poor, young or old, wise or foolish, really knows what’s in the future. Only God knows and, in the end, we just have to trust him. Let’s pray.

Lord God, please give us understanding.

We make our plans, but you know our future.

We dream our dreams, but you see what’s coming.

We hope for the best,

but you’ve promised better than the best we can imagine.

Please give us the understanding to follow you.

~ 50 ~

LAWS ABOUT WEARING RED

Psalm 50:16 “… ‘What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?’”

Obeying the law is important isn’t it? But how do we know which laws are the most important?

A long time ago, a very good king ruled over a happy kingdom. He gave his people two simple laws: Number one—love the king. And number two—love each other.

When the kingdom got bigger, the people asked the king how they could show they loved each other. The king explained about obeying those in charge, sharing things, being kind, being polite and even cooking food safely.

When the kingdom got really big, the people thought the king might need some help. So they elected leaders. The leaders tried to make sure the people never upset the king. They studied his laws very carefully and wrote them in books. Then they wrote down all the things the king had explained, and made them into laws too. The king’s two simple laws become books and books and books full of complicated laws.

One day somebody asked one of the leaders, “Which is the most important color?” The leader thought about it for a while. He knew that people are important. And life is important to people. And blood is important to life. And blood is red. So the leader decided that red was the most important color. Then they made a new law. Nobody must ever do anything disrespectful with the color red.

Later somebody asked one of the leaders if it was disrespectful to wear red clothes. The leader knew that the king was the most important person, and that red was the most important color, so he decided that the only person allowed to wear red was the king. And so another new law was created: Nobody in this kingdom could ever wear red.

One day a little boy cut his finger and it bled. The little boy’s mother wrapped her skirt around his hand and held him in her arms. When an official came to find out why the boy was crying, he saw that the mother had a big red handprint on her skirt. “Oh no,” said the official. “You’re wearing red!”

“No I’m not,” said the mother. “That’s just some blood from my son’s finger.”

“But it’s red,” said the official. “I shall have to put you in jail for wearing red.”

The little boy cried even louder when he saw his mother going to go to jail. But suddenly a little old man appeared, dressed in dark brown rags. “Why are you making the boy cry?” asked the old man. “Don’t you love him?”

“What do you mean?” said the official. “I’m just taking this lady to jail for wearing red.”

“You’re making the little boy cry,” said the old man.

“Well, I have to obey the law,” said the official.

Then the old man threw off his rags. Underneath he was wearing bright red robes and carrying a crown. “I wrote the only laws that matter,” said the old man. “I am the king, and the king’s law says you should love me and love my people.” So the official had to let the woman go and the little boy was happy.

There are lots of commandments, but Jesus said the most important is to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Let’s pray.

O Lord, what right do we have to recite your laws

if we don’t love our neighbors?

What right do we have to tell people they’ve sinned

if we don’t care for them first?

Lord, you have taught us and told us to love.

Please help us to obey.

~ 51 ~

WHITE SHIRTS AND SCHOOL UNIFORMS

Psalm 51:7 “…wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

God doesn’t want us all to be alike, but he does want us all to be like him. Jesus told a story about a king inviting people to a feast and giving them robes to wear. Maybe the robes were kind of a party uniform, like the school uniform in this story.

The people in charge of an elementary school decided all the children should wear school uniform. The uniform committee, which didn’t have any mothers on it, decided the best uniform would include bright white shirts. On the first day of school all the children arrived in their bright white shirts. The committee was very pleased because the children looked so smart. But, by the end of the day, half the children had rather dirty white shirts and didn’t look very smart at all. So the committee made it a rule—school uniform had to be properly washed every night.

The next day half the children had perfectly clean bright white shirts. Half the rest had almost white shirts, with just a few stains on them that wouldn’t come out. And the remainder had slightly gray shirts that wouldn’t come white anymore. The uniform committee was not pleased. A few stains might be okay, but gray shirts were clearly not white. So they found a washing powder manufacturer and asked for help. The washing powder manufacturer said his new powder would “keep your whites white, and keep your colors bright.” He gave free samples to all the mothers. Some of the gray shirts did get a little whiter then but, after a few more days, lots of the children’s shirts were gray again.

The uniform committee was not pleased. They contacted a washing machine manufacturer and asked for help. The washing machine manufacturer said that her new machines could “wash out stains that other machines don’t touch, without damaging the fabric.” She invited the mothers to borrow her machines to wash their children’s shirts. But half the shirts still came out looking gray, and half the mothers couldn’t afford new washing machines anyway. So that didn’t help.

A man who owned a stain removal company said soaking the shirts in his patented solution would turn them white, but that didn’t work. Someone else from a stain protection company provided new shirts with a special protective coating. But the new shirts still turned gray after a few days. A fabric manufacturer provided shirts made from new super-wonderful stain-resistant fabric. But even those went gray after a while. And, in the end, all the company bosses got together. They sent a letter to the school. “We don’t think you need new machines, new powder, new protection or new shirts. We think you need new children.”

“No we don’t,” said the mothers. “We need a new school uniform committee.” So they formed a new committee and picked a new school uniform where the shirts were meant to be gray instead of white.

There’s a uniform in heaven too. If we want to stand before God in heaven, we have to be clean and sinless, which is pretty hard. But luckily God’s provided a way. He dresses us all up like Jesus and then we look just right. Let’s pray.

Lord, if you wash us we’ll be whiter than snow.

If you clean our sins, we’ll be pure and spotless as Jesus.

If you place your Holy Spirit in us

then we will be your people

ready to be welcomed into your presence.

~ 52 ~

THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO DANCE

Psalm 52:3-4 “You love… lying more than speaking the truth… O deceitful tongue!”

Have you ever noticed how, when you tell one lie, you end up telling another, and another and another just to cover up for the first one? That’s what this little girl found out.

Once there was a girl called Celia who wanted to be a dancer. She wished she could take dancing lessons but her family was too poor. Still, she watched all the dance programs on TV and did her best to learn. Celia had a big mirror in her bedroom. Sometimes she would hum a tune to herself and dance in front of the mirror. She had an old push-along dog with broken wheels. Its handle was just the right height for a dance bar. And she had an old dancing dress that once belonged to her mother’s life-sized doll—it almost fit on her.

If someone left music playing in the living room, Celia would check that no one was watching, then dance around the furniture. If the radio was playing when Celia was coming downstairs, she would dance and pirouette on every step. Of course, it sometimes took Celia a very long time to come down to dinner from her bedroom if she was busy dancing.

When Celia went into a new class at school, the teacher asked if any of the girls could dance. Celia didn’t give herself time to think—her tongue seemed to answer on its own. “Please, Miss, I can dance,” she said. The teacher said that was very good because she needed a dancer for the class play.

One of Celia’s friends asked in the playground, “Didn’t you say dance classes are too expensive for your family? How did you learn?” Celia realized everyone thought she must have been taking classes. She didn’t dare say she’d taught herself or they’d think she couldn’t really dance. So Celia lied and said her mom had found some cheap classes.

“How?” asked another girl. Celia said she thought the dance teacher knew her mom.

“How did she know your mom?”

“Well, Mom was a dancer once,” Celia lied again. “She was good too.”

Soon she was telling more and more lies. She said her mother had danced on TV, but then she’d hurt herself and couldn’t dance anymore. And that was why the family was so poor. Celia’s friends wanted to know how her mother got hurt, so Celia made up a story about a lion that tried to eat the dancers at a show. Her friends wanted to know what happened to the lion, so Celia said it lived in the zoo and she felt sorry for it and always went to see it whenever she had chance.

“I thought you didn’t have enough money to go to the zoo,” said another friend. Poor Celia wished her tongue would stop inventing things to say. She was very glad when the teacher changed her mind and decided to do a play without any dancers. Then Celia hoped her friends would forget the silly stories she’d made up.

It says in the Bible that the tongue can cause a lot of trouble, like a tiny spark that can start a forest fire. Let’s pray.

O Lord, our tongues are deceitful.

We say something false and start a forest fire

of harmful lies.

We say something cruel and start a forest fire

of unkindness and hurting.

Please teach us to use our tongues to praise you

and keep us from saying such harmful words.

~ 53 ~

THE FOOL AND HIS HOMEWORK

Psalm 53:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ …”

Are you a fool? Probably not, but have you ever done anything foolish? I guess this little boy did.

Once there was a little boy called Jason who didn’t like studying. When he came home from school each day his mother would ask, “Jason, have you got any homework?” Jason would pretend not to hear. Then his mother would tell him to sit at the kitchen table. She wouldn’t let him go until he’d shown her everything in his schoolbag.

One day Jason had to do a painting for his homework. He got out his water paints and his mother gave him some water and some paper. Then Jason asked, “Mom, what color is the sky?”

“Blue,” said his mother, so Jason painted it yellow.

Jason asked his mom what color are flowers. “I don’t know,” said Mom. “Red tulips and yellow daffodils I suppose.” So Jason painted blue tulips and purple daffodils.

“What color’s grass?” Jason asked, and Mom said green so he painted orange grass. “And what color are people?”

“All sorts of colors.” So he added green and red and turquoise figures to his picture.

When Jason handed in his picture, his teacher looked a bit surprised. But she did give him a good mark and said he was very imaginative. Then she gave him some math homework.

“Mom, what’s two plus two?” asked Jason as he sat at the kitchen table the next afternoon.

“Four,” said Mom, so Jason wrote down three.

“Mom, what’s multiplication?”

“It’s like adding things lots of times,” said Mom.

“So what’s three multiplied by two?”

“Just add together three lots of two and you get six.” Jason wrote sixty six down as his answer.

“Mom,” said Jason.

“Yes,” said Mom.

“If an apple costs ten cents, what do two apples cost?”

“Twenty cents,” said Mom, so Jason wrote two dollars.

When Jason handed in his math homework his teacher looked surprised again. This time she didn’t give him a good mark. She didn’t say his answers were imaginative—just that they were wrong. Jason’s mother thought they were all wrong too when she came to talk to the teacher. Then Jason’s mother and his teacher agreed that Jason had better stay late after school to do his math homework properly next time.

Some answers really are just wrong, and some things just can’t be true. But one true thing is that there is a God. There’s a God who created us, who loves us, and who cares for us enough to send his son to die for us. Let’s pray.

O Lord, imagination’s fun and we thank you for our imaginations.

We thank you too for the truth that you are God.

You’re always here,

always loving and protecting us,

and your rules are made to save us.

Help us know the difference between imagination and truth.

~ 54 ~

WHO IS YOUR MASTER?

Psalm 54:3 “For insolent men have risen against me, ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before them.”

When everything is going wrong, and his world is falling apart, the psalmist still remembers to praise God. We should do the same, like the messenger in this story.

A royal messenger was travelling on an errand for his king when he was attacked by strangers. The strangers pulled the messenger off his horse. They stole his jeweled cloak and shared the jewels out amongst themselves. They tore his royal shirt and made headbands from strips of the cloth. They took his belt and his boots and his knife and they cut the buttons off his tunic.

As the messenger lay on the dusty ground, the strangers began to question him. They asked him who his master was and he said, “My master’s the Great King.” Then the strangers laughed.

One of strangers pretended to offer the messenger some water. “I can give you a drink, or I can leave you thirsty,” said the stranger, tipping the water onto the ground. “Doesn’t that make me your master now?”

“My master is the Great King,” said the messenger, and his captors laughed again.

One of the strangers offered the messenger some bread, then threw it in the dirt. “I can give you food or leave you hungry,” he said. “So I’m your master now.”

“No,” said the messenger. “My master is the Great King.”

One of the strangers gave the messenger a blanket, then took it away again. “I can make you warm or cold, so I must be your master.” But the messenger still said no. Then one of the strangers hit him. “I must be your master because I can hurt you,” he said. But all the messenger would say was that his only master was the Great King.

Just then thunder sounded in the sky and it started to rain. The messenger drank the rainwater as it dripped onto his tongue. A flock of birds flew overhead dropping crumbs and berries all around the messenger, so he could eat them and not be hungry. An antelope wandered out of the forest and lay down beside the messenger to keep him warm. And a lion came roaring up the road to scare the strangers away.

The messenger closed his eyes and fell asleep. When he awoke he was safe and warm and comfortable, back in the Great King’s palace.

Do you suppose the Great King sent the rain and the birds and the antelope and the lion to look after his messenger? God did something like that once in the Bible. There was a prophet who wanted to lie down and die, because he thought God wouldn’t save him. But God sent ravens to feed the prophet and a tree to give him shade. God always helps us, at the perfect time. Until then we have to wait and trust in Him. Let’s pray.

When strangers attack us

and things go wrong

and people don’t believe what we say,

please help us remember you, O Lord.

Please keep us praising your name.

And please remind us to place our trust in you.

~ 55 ~

THE WINGS OF A HOMING PIGEON

Psalm 55:6-8 “…‘O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; …I would haste to find me a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.’”

Sometimes we all need a safe place to stop and rest don’t we? This little pigeon did too.

There was a once a little white racing pigeon with shiny dark eyes and a bright intelligent stare. His master called him Little Winner because he’d won so many races. Right from the egg, this little pigeon seemed cleverer than the rest of the flock. He took his first flight earlier than the others and he found his way straight home. Then he progressed to longer and longer flights. He was always the first to ring the bell in his turret when the race was done.

This little pigeon just loved to race. He loved the excitement as his master chose him from the pen. He loved to clutch the prickly floor of the basket between his claws. He liked to coo to his friends about how lucky they were. The journey to the start of the race was always fun in his master’s car, the wobbling bumps, rumble of tarmac, corners where the basket swayed from side to side, and the quiet voice of his master as he drove. Most of all, the little racing pigeon loved that moment when the basket was lifted from car, when he waited for the flaps to open. Then he’d be off. Wings would flutter, feathers so close but never touching, the breath of air between them drawing the birds up and apart, and that sudden certain feeling—here’s the way home.

But one day Little Winner got lost. It didn’t seem possible. One moment he was flying in bright sunshine with the path so clear in his mind. Then suddenly the sky was dark and heavy. Little Winner’s tiny muscles were tense with electricity in the air. Nothing felt right. Even the clouds tasted wrong. Little Winner didn’t know it was a thunderstorm. He’d never been out in one before.

Soon the air filled with water drops that beat on Little Winner’s back and he had to land. He thought he might wait in a forest for a while, but some boys shouted and threw stones at him so he flew away again. Next he came down on the roof of a henhouse, but the hens were frightened and a fox was coming near so he flew away again. He landed on a bridge, but the water rose almost to his toes. Nowhere was safe.

Poor Little Winner was running out of ideas. He flew to a farmhouse and sheltered under the porch, looking sadly at a light that shone inside. A little girl peeped out, and her father told her to go to bed. No one else came near, so Little Winner rested.

In the morning the sun came out and the sky felt clean again. Little Winner could see the way home quite clearly in his mind. He flapped his wings and flew up from the porch, over the farmhouse, over forest and hills, back to his master. He was tired when he finally crawled into his turret and rang his bell, but his master came at once to greet him and pet him and offer him food. The master seemed so happy to have him back. “You poor little thing,” he said, “out in that storm. I thought I’d lost you. Welcome home.”

The psalmist said if he had wings like a dove he would fly away. Little Winner flew away from all his problems in the storm, until he found a safe place. But the safest place of all was at home with his master. Our safest place is with our Master too. Let’s pray.

“Let not your hearts be troubled,” Jesus said.

But we’re often dismayed when we look at the world.

We’re afraid for the future. Lord, give us rest.

On wings of eagles or doves or homing pigeons

let us fly to find our shelter in God’s presence.

~ 56 ~

THE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

Psalm 56:11 “[I]n God I trust…”

The psalmist trusted God to give him what he needed, even though he was afraid. In this story a little boy is afraid to go to a party because he’d need to take a present and he can’t afford one.

Once there was a little boy called Robbie whose family didn’t have much money. Robbie had a friend called Michael, who invited Robbie to his birthday party. But Robbie wasn’t sure he wanted to go. He didn’t have nice party clothes. And he didn’t have money for a present. Michael’s mother said Robbie really had to come, and it really didn’t matter about a present. She even said she would bring him in her car.

On the day of the party, Robbie’s mother dressed him in his clean shirt and shorts and told him to wash his hands and comb his hair. Michael’s mother drove Robbie and some other children in her car. The other boys had fun shirts with cartoon characters. The girls had pretty party dresses and smelled of fancy soap. But Robbie was just wearing his plain blue shirt—the only one without holes—and he smelled of ordinary soap.

Everyone had presents for Michael—everyone except Robbie. And all the presents were wrapped in fancy paper. Michael opened everything all at once and scattered paper everywhere. Then everyone sat down to eat and scattered food crumbs too. Then they began to play.

First they played with Michael’s new building set. They wanted to build a castle using the blue rug as a moat. But they really needed a drawbridge to go across the moat. No one had any good pieces to make a drawbridge from, but Robbie folded some spare wrapping paper into just the right size. He twisted the ends so they fit into the building blocks. And he found some bits of string in his pocket that he used to make the chains. Then Robbie fastened the drawbridge in place and everyone was very impressed.

Now Michael started to build his new car. It was fun fitting the pieces together, but when Michael tried to wind up the engine the elastic broke. Michael was upset, but Robbie said not to worry. He had a spare elastic band in his pocket. Robbie’s elastic band worked fine and didn’t break.

Next Michael got out his coloring set. Everyone started to draw and paint and everyone needed the black crayon. They all argued until Robbie got some bits of old black crayon out of his pocket to share with them.

When they needed a paper clip, Robbie had one. When they needed to punch eyeholes in their masks, Robbie had some plastic that was just the right shape. When their models wouldn’t stand up, Robbie had modeling clay to make them stay in place. And when they ran out of sticky tape, he had some of that too in his pockets.

When Robbie’s Mom came to collect him she asked, “Did you have a good time?” Robbie said yes. Then Robbie’s Mom asked Michael’s Mom what she should do about a present.

“That’s no problem,” said Michael’s mother. “I rather think Robbie’s pockets and his imagination were the best gift of all.”

Robbie’s pockets were filled with good things, and God’s filled our lives with good things too. If we bring our lives to God, we’ll find everything fits perfectly and everything has a purpose, even old elastic bands and bits of modeling clay. Let’s pray.

Lord God, we trust in you.

You’ve given us all that we need, and more.

You’ve given us gifts that we haven’t even begun

to recognize yet.

And you’ve given us yourself as our helper,

our savior and our friend.

~ 57 ~

TOY SOLDIERS

Psalm 57:8 “Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!”

When there’s a disaster, it really doesn’t matter whose fault it is. The important thing is to get through it. The psalmist knew God would get him through anything. But, of course, we have to listen to God if we want God to help us.

There was once a little boy called Cory who didn’t like tidying up. Cory’s favorite game was to set up his toy soldiers all around the living room, with a fort under the table. His tanks would drive across the chairs and his helicopters would fly over the floor. Then Cory’s mother would tell him to get ready for dinner, and all the toys would land in a heap in the corner. Cory’s mother warned him, if he didn’t tidy up, the toys might get swept into the vacuum cleaner one day. But Cory was sure she wouldn’t really vacuum them up.

One night Cory had a very strange dream. He could hear the vacuum cleaner running and he wondered why his mother was working so late at night. Then he opened his eyes and imagined he’d overslept. He rushed downstairs in his pajamas and found the vacuum running all on its own in the living room. Cory’s toy soldiers were marching up and down in front of it. The tank and the jeep chased each other across a cushion. And the helicopter landed an infantry squadron under the table. Toy officers shouted at toy troops, and the soldiers all shouted at each other. But over it all was the sound of the vacuum cleaner.

It was as if the soldiers were asleep, not Cory—as if they thought the vacuum cleaner was a dream and they could ignore it.

Cory shouted a warning to his soldiers as the vacuum cleaner approached them. He could see the dust rushing into the pipe. Soldiers began to fall over as the machine drew closer. They tumbled backward toward the pipe’s black hole. They struggled to stand but the wind was too strong. They hung onto the table leg and tried to climb away, and Cory couldn’t help. Even the tank was beginning to slide across the carpet.

Then Cory had an idea. He pulled the cord out of his dressing gown and swung it in front of the soldiers. “Hold this,” Cory said. “I’ll pull you out.” Some of the soldiers grabbed the cord but others just stared and waved at Cory and ignored the dressing gown cord. Some faced the wrong way and didn’t see the danger. And some pointed their guns to shoot the vacuum cleaner as if that would help.

Cory struggled all night to save his soldiers until he woke up in the morning, still in bed. His dressing gown was hanging on the door, with the cord still fastened through its loops, so it must have been a dream. When Cory rushed downstairs to the living room, he found his soldiers still piled up safely in the corner, and no vacuum cleaner in sight. He was so relieved. Meanwhile Cory’s mother couldn’t understand why he suddenly chose to tidy up, even before getting dressed and having breakfast.

Cory wanted to wake up his soldiers and make them see the danger. Sometimes God wants to wake us up too, and make us see what’s wrong so he can help us. Let’s pray.

Have mercy on us O Lord. We cry out to you.

Wake us up.

Make us see.

And help us hold tightly to Jesus

so you can rescue us and we can be free.

~ 58 ~

ST. PATRICK’S DAY RULES

Psalm 58:1 “Do you indeed decree what is right… Do you judge the sons of men uprightly?”

God wants the people in charge to be fair, but that’s not always the way it works.

There was once a little girl called Meg who started at a new school after moving house. On Meg’s first day, she wore her favorite blue dress and her red shoes, and she carried her neat yellow backpack with her pencils and crayons. The school was big and the playground was big, and there were lots of other children rushing around and playing together.

The first people Meg met were some boys near the gate.

“Hi. Who are you?” they asked.

“I’m Meg. I’m new here.”

“You’re wearing blue.”

“I like blue,” said Meg.

“You should be wearing green.”

“Why?” asked Meg. But the boys just started pulling her hair and pinching her, so she ran away.

A little girl came up to Meg and said, “Hi,” so Meg said hi back. This girl was called Liz.

“Do you want to be my friend?” Liz asked, and Meg said yes please.

Liz introduced Meg to some other girls. “You’re not wearing green,” they said.

“Neither are you,” said Meg, but they were. One had a green strap on her watch. Another had a green hair clip. And another had drawn spots of green ink on her fingernails.

“Why have you all got green on you?” Meg asked.

“’Cause it’s Saint Patrick’s Day. You have to wear green.”

“Why?” asked Meg.

“Because everyone does.”

“Because the boys’ll tease us if we don’t. They’re bigger than us and they think they’re in charge.”

Meg looked around. Some teachers were standing at the school door, but they were too far away to see everything. So maybe the big boys really were in charge. Meg borrowed her new friend’s green marker and put some green ink on her fingernails too.

When Meg went home she told her dad what had happened. Meg’s dad was Irish so he knew all about Saint Patrick. He knew Saint Patrick was someone who cared about people and protected them, not someone who pulled little girls’ hair. Meg’s teacher asked Meg’s dad to come to school and tell the class about Ireland. He told the children how important it is to take care of each other. He told them how people end up getting hurt when you make up silly rules. And he told them he had no intention of wearing green on Saint Patrick’s Day because the color didn’t suit him.

Sometimes we make up rules to decide who’s good, or who’s worth knowing. And sometimes we use our rules to hurt people. God has rules too—they’re written in the Bible. But luckily, God seems to think we’re all worth knowing, even though none of us manages to keep all his rules. Let’s pray.

Lord, please help us speak justly.

Help us judge rightly.

Help us not reject people just because they’re different.

Please help our leaders speak justly, judge rightly, and make good laws as well

so we might be a blessing in your world.

~ 59 ~

THE KING ALWAYS WINS

Psalm 59:14-15 “Each evening they come back, howling like dogs… and growl if they do not get their fill.”

Sometimes it’s only when things start going wrong that we realize how much we need God. And, in this story, it wasn’t until things got bad that people realized they needed their king.

A long time ago there was a beautiful city, with wide jeweled streets, shining archways, and a wonderful castle. Lots of people lived in neat little houses safe inside the city walls. A boy called Jared lived with his brother and his mother and father. Jared was laughing in bed one night because his little brother kept sneaking downstairs. Jared’s daddy kept bringing the little brother back and telling him, “If you don’t behave, we’ll ask the Bad Monsters to come and get you.” Then Jared’s little brother would giggle happily.

The Bad Monsters were the creatures that people said lived outside the city walls. Parents told their children the Bad Monsters would get them if they were naughty. But no one really believed in Bad Monsters. Jared had certainly never met anyone who’d seen a real Bad Monster.

Jared’s brother sneaked out of bed again and his daddy said watch out. Then they heard a strange noise outside, a bit like a big dog howling or growling, or maybe a lion’s roar, or an ape beating its chest. Then there was a scrabbling sound like sharp claws, or sliding rocks. Jared and his brother hid under the bed while Jared’s daddy rushed to get his uniform and sound the alarm, because he was a member of the border guard.

Jared and his brother crept to the window to see what was happening. Guards stood all along the city walls. Strange shapes leapt up at them from outside and the guards would hit them on the head and knock them down again. Guards at the bottom of the walls banged the heads of more strange things that crawled out of holes in the ground. These must be the Bad Monsters, Jared thought, but he couldn’t quite work out what they looked like.

Suddenly he heard a really loud noise. A whole crowd of Bad Monsters streamed out of a hole just outside Jared’s house. They were too fast for the guards to knock them down. People started to scream.

Then a white light shone outside, so bright Jared couldn’t look at it. Everything went quiet. Jared hugged his brother and put his hand over his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, there were no more strange things on the walls, and no more creatures coming out of holes in the ground. The guards were picking up their weapons and filling in the holes, and the battle was over. Down the street, a man in white clothes walked quietly away.

“Who’s that man?” asked Jared’s brother, but Jared didn’t know. They had to wait to ask their daddy when he came back.

“That was the king,” said Jared’s daddy

“What was he doing?” asked Jared.

“He was winning the battle for us. The king always wins.”

We have a king who always wins too. Sometimes, like Jared and his brother, we don’t know what’s going on and we’re afraid. Sometimes, like Jared’s father, we know what we have to do, but it doesn’t seem to work. But in the end God always joins the battle. God’s in charge, and God wins. Lets pray.

O Lord, we don’t need to be afraid of monsters,

even if they growl and howl

even if they scare us or threaten us.

We’re not afraid because you are our king and you will always defend us

and always win.

~ 60 ~

FAIR SHARES

Psalm 60:6 “…‘With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.’”

The psalmist says God is going to share out the land. Are you good at sharing things?

One day two brothers called Andrew and Sam were playing together. Their mother gave them some candy. Andrew was the big brother, so he started to share out the candy. “Here you go,” he said. “One for me, and one for you. Two for me and two for you. Three for me and three for you. Four for me…”

Sam started crying. “That’s not fair!” he said.

“Of course it’s fair,” said Andrew. “You saw me counting them.” But Sam still kept crying until his mother came back to see what was wrong. Sam’s pile was much, much smaller than Andrew’s, so Mom told Andrew if he couldn’t share properly he wouldn’t get any candies at all. Then Andrew scooped all the candy together and started counting again.

“One for me and one for you. Is that all right?” said Andrew, putting one candy down in front of each of them. Sam said yes. “Two for me and two for you. Okay?” Andrew added two more candies to his pile, and counted two candies on Sam’s. It looked like Andrew’s pile was bigger than Sam’s now, but Sam just nodded anyway. “Three for me.” Andrew put three more candies on his pile. “And three for you.” But he only put one more candy on the pile in front of Sam.

“That’s not right,” said Sam.

“Yes it is,” said Andrew. He counted the candy in Sam’s pile. “One, two, three. Just like I said.”

“You’ve got more than three,” said Sam.

“You just can’t count,” said Andrew.

Sam started shouting for his mother again, and Andrew scooped the candies together quickly. He didn’t want his mother to see that he’d been cheating again. This time their mother said maybe Sam should share, or she’d take away the candy. Andrew wasn’t happy at all, but he wanted candy so he had to agree.

When their mother went away Sam started to share out the candy. He put one candy in front of each of them and said, “One for me, and one for you.” Then he put two candies on his pile and said, “Two for me and two for you.” But he only put one candy on Andrew’s pile. When Sam said, “Three for me and three for you,” he put three candies on his pile and still only one on Andrew’s pile.

“You’re cheating,” said Andrew.

“I’m sharing,” said Sam.

“I taught you to cheat,” said Andrew.

“You taught me a trick,” said Sam. Then they started to laugh and ate all the candies together.

God tells us that everything we have comes from him. Sometimes we think we can share with God, and still keep some things just for ourselves. But God wants our whole lives, all our hopes and dreams, all the things we love, and all the people we love. It’s only when we know everything belongs to God that we can stop being afraid of losing things. Let’s pray.

Lord God, you’ve shared the whole world with us.

Please help us share it with each other.

Lord God, you’ve given every good thing to us.

Please help us give good things to our neighbors.

Lord God, you gave your Son’s life to save us.

Please help us give our lives to you.

~ 61 ~

THE ROCK ON THE BEACH

Psalm 61:2 “…Lead thou me to the rock that is higher than I.”

They say sometimes that “Help!” is the shortest prayer, and that God always answers it. The boys in this story certainly needed some help.

There were once some big boys who thought they knew everything and never obeyed anyone. They went to the seaside and walked along the wide concrete path, high up near the beach. There was a wall between the path and the beach and lots of gaps in the wall led to steps down. But there were chains across the gaps with signs on the chains. The signs said, “Danger: Do not go down to beach when chains are in place.” The boys stood next to the steps and read the sign.

“It’s a free country,” said one boy. “They can’t stop us walking on the sand.”

“It’s public property,” said another. “We have a right to go there if we want.”

“Nobody’s going to tell me what to do,” said a third. “Let’s go.”

So the boys climbed over the chain and the sign and set off down the steps. The sand at the bottom of the steps was sticky and wet so they took off their shoes and felt the mud squelch between their toes. Further out the sand got dryer and the boys played catch with their shoes. The tide was a long way away from them, just a line of white far in the distance.

As the boys were playing, they heard someone shouting at them. An old man stood at the top of the steps waving his arms. They laughed and ignored him.

After a while, the boys noticed the tide getting closer. “Maybe we should get back,” they said. So they set off toward the steps. The sand got squelchier and muddier. Soon the boys realized the sea had got around behind them. A big wide band of water stretched between them and the steps. One of the boys tried to walk through the water, but it got deep really quickly and the current was too strong. “Maybe we can get to some other steps,” he said, so they set off to look.

Then they heard the old man shouting at them again. He stood at the top of the next set of steps, and pointed to where some rocks stuck up out of the sand. The sea hadn’t reached the rocks yet. The old man kept waving and pointing and shouting. “Climb on the rocks!” he said. “Get on the rocks or you’ll drown! Climb on the rocks!”

The waves were already splashing at the base of the rocks when the boys got there. The boys started to climb. The waves climbed too. The boys climbed higher and so did the waves. Splashing, roaring waves chased those boys all the way to the top. And, when the boys lay panting and gasping as high as they could possibly get, the waves were still rising behind them.

Then the boys heard a rescue helicopter approaching and they were saved. They got into lots of trouble for ignoring the signs, but being in trouble was better than being drowned. And they never did find out who the old man was who led them to the rocks and saved their lives.

God has written lots of warning signs for us in the Bible but we don’t always obey. Then he leads us to his Son, our rock and our salvation. Let’s pray.

Lord, help us read your Bible and understand your rules.

Lord, help us listen to your Spirit and accept your guidance.

Lord, lead us to your rock, so we can be saved by your Son.

~ 62 ~

TRAINING TO BE KING

Psalm 62:9 “Men of low estate are but a breath, men of high estate are a delusion...”

The psalmist says God is strong and loving. The king in this story tries to teach his son to be strong and loving too.

Once upon a time, there was a king who had so many sons he couldn’t count them. But one of his sons was his favorite one, and the king decided his favorite son really ought to be king after him. So he asked his officials to prepare the young man to be king.

The courtiers taught the young prince how to dress smartly, and how to choose clothes that looked really well together. The young prince didn’t like learning all this. He didn’t think kings should waste their time on clothes.

The jewelers taught the young prince the secret meanings of jewels, and how to send private messages through the jewelry you wear. The young prince didn’t like learning all this. He thought a jewel was just something nice to look at.

The soldiers taught the young prince how to fight well, and how to kill with a sword. The young prince didn’t like learning all this. He thought kings should be peaceful rather than fighting all the time.

The teachers taught the young prince how to speak lots of languages, and understand lots of accents. The young prince didn’t like learning all this. He thought kings only needed to make speeches in their own language.

The spies taught the young prince how to watch people, and how to guess what they were doing. The young prince didn’t like learning all this. He thought a king should be looked at by other people, and not have to watch people himself.

The king began to worry that his favorite son might not be a good king after all. So he took away the young prince’s rich clothes and dressed him up in rags. Then he sent the young prince out into the poorest part of town. The beggars taught the prince how to be hungry, how to be sick, and how to be poor. The lonely people taught him how important it is to have friends, and how to be kind, and how to listen when people talk to you. The sick people talk him how to take care of strangers, so the strangers would take care of you when you were sick.

When the young prince went back to his father, he brought the beggars and the lonely and the sick people with him to the palace. The young prince made the jewelers and soldiers and teachers and spies teach the beggars as well as teaching him. He made the cooks feed them fine food, and told the courtiers to dress them in the finest robes. Then the young prince and his friends learned everything that everyone taught them. When the old king retired, the young prince became a very good king. All his friends became very good courtiers and cooks and jewelers and soldiers and spies.

God doesn’t care if we’re rich or poor. God doesn’t care if we’re fat or thin, or if we’re kings or beggars. But God cares if we’re kind. And God cares if we’re wise. And God is kind and wise. Let’s pray.

Lord God, if you weighed us in the balance,

we’d weigh nothing at all

compared to the world that you’ve made.

Lord God, if you measured the length of our lives,

it would seem like no time at all.

If you added together our good deeds from end to end

we’d still be sinners,

and yet you’ve chosen to love us.

Thank you, O Lord.

~ 63 ~

MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET

Psalm 63:6 “…I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night.”

Have you noticed that things always seem scarier at night? But sometimes things can be scary in the daytime too.

Once there was a little girl called Chelsea who was afraid of monsters. When she went to bed at night, she’d put her toy box in front of her closet door, so the monster in her closet couldn’t get out. Then she’d lie very still, so the monster under her bed wouldn’t know she was there.

Chelsea had never seen any monsters but she knew for sure they were real. She heard them groaning and growling in the night. Sometimes she heard their heavy breathing and their scrabbly footsteps. Her mother gave her a nightlight but that didn’t help. It just meant Chelsea had to shut her eyes really tight so the monsters wouldn’t see her when they got close.

Chelsea’s brother was the one who told her monsters can’t see you when your eyes are closed. He was the one who told her closet monsters hide behind your clothes during the day. He taught Chelsea to walk backward away from her closet, so the closet monster couldn’t jump out behind her. He taught her to jump over her rug and land on the bed as well, so the monster under the bed couldn’t reach out and grab her. Chelsea’s mother said Chelsea would break the bed, but mothers don’t understand. Chelsea’s brother told her grownups never do understand about monsters.

One day Chelsea was very excited. She was going to be a bridesmaid at a wedding. Her mother had hung a beautiful bridesmaid dress in Chelsea’s closet. In the morning Chelsea leaped out of bed, jumped across the rug to avoid the monster, and pulled the toy box away from the closet door. She climbed into her beautiful dress, then leaped backward away from the closet, bumped her foot on the toy box, and fell over. And… the dress ripped.

Chelsea’s mother heard the crash and came running. “Chelsea, whatever’s the matter?”

“I fell in the toy box,” sobbed Chelsea, “and now my beautiful bridesmaid dress is ruined.”

Chelsea’s mother helped her climb out of the box. “How on earth did you fall?” she asked.

“I was trying not to let the monster get me.”

“What monster?”

“The one in my closet that’s behind all my clothes.”

Chelsea’s mother pulled all the clothes along their rails and couldn’t find any monster. But Chelsea was still sure a monster lived in there. Then Chelsea’s mother told her to dress in some older clothes for breakfast. “You can change into your bridesmaid dress later on,” she said.

“But it’s torn” said Chelsea.

“That’s alright. I’m good at mending things,” said Mom, and she really was.

Soon Chelsea was dressed in her beautiful dress and her family was ready to leave. Chelsea’s mother asked her father to get the wedding present from under the stairs. She looked really worried. “Why don’t you get it?” her father asked. “Are you scared of the monsters?”

“Yes I am,” said Mom. “The eight-legged ones.” Then Chelsea laughed.

God can protect us from every monster, morning noon and night. If we think of him, we’ll know that we’re okay. Let’s pray.

On our beds, Lord, let us remember you.

Let us think of you through the watches of the night,

because you are our help.

Let us stay close to you, every day and night,

upheld by your right hand

because you are stronger than every kind of monster.

~ 64 ~

HUNTING THE YETI

Psalm 64:6 “…We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot...”

Do you ever feel like the bad guys are out to get you? These hunters were out to get their prey, and they thought they had the perfect plan, but they didn’t.

Once upon a time some hunters were hunting a yeti. No one has ever seen a yeti, but the hunters knew where they could find one. They chased it through mountains and meadows and forests until they came to a nature reserve. There they saw a sign which said, “Animal sanctuary. No hunters allowed.”

“That’s alright,” said the hunters. “We’re scientists, not hunters. We’re tracking a scientific curiosity.” So they drove on.

After a while the hunters came to a sign which said, “No motor vehicles beyond this point.”

“That’s alright,” said the hunters. “We’re not driving a motor vehicle. We’re using a piece of scientific equipment on wheels.” So they drove on.

After a while they came to a thick forest and the car couldn’t go any further. They got out to walk and a sign in front of them said, “No trespassing.”

“That’s alright,” said the hunters. “We’re not trespassing. We’re scientifically investigating.” So they walked into the forest.

The hunters followed the yeti’s footsteps through the forest to a lovely green meadow. A sign in the meadow said, “Be kind to the wildlife. No running.”

“That’s alright,” said the hunters. “We’re not running. We’re moving very fast in the cause of science.” And they hurried on.

At last they came to the entrance to a cave. “That must be where the yeti lives,” said the hunters. So they hid their snares around the entrance and planned how they would take turns watching them until the yeti came out.

Suddenly the hunters heard something behind them. They turned around. It was big. It was white. It was beautiful. But, before they could tell it was the yeti, they all stepped backward in surprise onto their own clever snares. Thick ropes tightened around their feet. Tree branches sprang free. And suddenly the hunters were hanging upside down outside the entrance to the cave. They felt very silly.

The hunters dangled upside down for a day and a night. Then a forest ranger came by. He looked at them and said, “What have we here? Hunters, in an animal sanctuary?”

“No, no,” said the hunters. “We’re not hunters. We’re scientists.”

“Oh, all right then,” said the ranger. “I’ll leave you to finish your cunning scientific experiments.” And he left them dangling there.

The hunters cheated and broke all the rules and thought they were being so clever. But God wants us to be truly wise. God wants us to obey all his rules, so we can come to him. Let’s pray.

Lord God, you were searching for us all along

while we thought we were searching for you.

And though we make silly mistakes and plot foolish plans

you’ve already forgiven us

and welcomed us as your children.

Thank you Lord God.

~ 65 ~

GROWING TOMATOES IN A DESERT

Psalm 65:11 “Thou crownest the year with thy bounty...”

God planned the world. He created it. He cares for it and fills it with good things. But sometimes it takes us quite a while to realize just how well everything God made for us fits together.

Once there were two little girls called Tina and Pam. Tina was born in the desert in Africa. Tina’s people wandered from place to place, growing crops and keeping animals. They slept in the open and sheltered in tents when it rained. Pam was born in America, but she lived in Africa too, in a little brick house. Her family had moved to the desert to research how to grow lettuce and tomatoes. When Tina’s people came to see the silver tent where the lettuce and tomatoes were growing, they decided to stay awhile.

Pam and Tina played together in the desert, and in Pam’s little brick house. Tina showed Pam how to make a football from grass and rags. She showed her how to find growing things in the sand, and how to find water. She took her to watch ants building nests and marching out for food. Then Pam showed Tina how to dress tiny dolls in tiny clothes. She took her inside the silver tent to see lettuce and tomatoes. She showed her how water collected on the walls and made the tent look silver. Then Pam showed Tina the water trickling down strings to the bottom of each plant.

“Why don’t you just grow things outside like we do?” asked Tina.

“Because lettuce and tomatoes would die outside.”

“You could grow grain instead,” said Tina.

“But we don’t like grain,” said Pam.

After a while Tina’s people said it was time to move on. Pam and Tina were sad. They went to watch the ants one last time and saw they were carrying little bits of red and green plants in their pincers. Suddenly the two girls realized what was happening. The ants were carrying bits of lettuce and tomatoes! Pam and Tina followed the ants, around rocks and shrubs, along a crack in the ground, all the way to the silver tent. Then they walked carefully around the tent, and found another line of ants going straight to the little brick houses. When Pam and Tina reached Pam’s house, the ants were already munching on her front door. Pam’s mother rushed out the kitchen and screamed because she hated ants. Pam’s father rushed out from the silver tent and screamed as well. Then Pam smiled at Tina. “You don’t hate ants do you?” she asked, and Tina said no. “Then neither do I.”

Tina’s people moved their tents to another place. Pretty soon Pam’s people moved on too, because the ants kept eating their food and their doors and their lettuce and tomatoes. The two friends never saw each other again, but they never forgot each other. Pam thought of Tina whenever she saw ants. And Tina thought of Pam whenever she saw people eating strange colored plants.

Maybe tomatoes just aren’t meant to grow in a desert. Sometimes we try to improve on God’s plans for the world. Then we find our own plans don’t work. Perhaps we need to spend a bit more time understanding how cleverly God designed it all. Let’s pray.

You crown the year with bounty O Lord

and fill the fields with abundance.

You make deserts bloom

and clothe mountains with gladness.

You fill the meadows with flocks and the valleys with grain.

You send showers and the morning dew.

And unless you help and bless us, O Lord,

we’ll turn it all to dust.

Please teach us to be good stewards of all you have made.

~ 66 ~

THE BEST ARMY IN THE WORLD

Psalm 66:3 “…So great is thy power that thy enemies cringe before thee.”

The psalmist praises God because he is great and his deeds are awesome. God is powerful, and God is in charge, and God always wins.

A long time ago a boy called Stuart wanted to be a soldier. Stuart told his father he wanted to join the best army in the world. So, when he grew up, Stuart borrowed a shield from his father and a sword from his uncle, and joined the village army.

One day Stuart saw some soldiers riding past his village. They had bright red armor and feathers on their helmets. They looked very proud and very smart. “Are you the best army in the world?” Stuart asked and they said yes. So Stuart said goodbye to his family and the little village army. Then he rode off with the bright red army.

One day the red army rode into battle and was conquered by an army of soldiers dressed all in black. “Are you the best army in the world?” Stuart asked the captain of the black army and the captain said yes. So Stuart traded his bright red armor for shiny black armor instead. “Now I belong to the best army in the world,” he told himself and he was happy.

Stuart fought in the dark army for many years. He rode across their dark, dark land. He kept their villagers in order and forced them to pay their taxes even when they were starving. He took prisoners and locked them in deep dark dungeons. He won all his battles and conquered more and more land, until one day he found himself collecting taxes from his own father in his own old village. Stuart felt very proud of himself and was glad he was in the best army in the world, not in the little village army any more.

One day Stuart’s army rode to a place where the sun shone very brightly. The grass was green and the grain was golden yellow. Sheep roamed the hillsides and grapes grew in bunches as big as a strong man’s muscles. It was a beautiful land filled with happy people.

“Shall we conquer this land?” Stuart asked his captain but the captain said no. “Why not?” asked Stuart but the captain just said they couldn’t fight the king of this bright land. Then Stuart was angry. How could the best army in the world run away from a battle? Stuart decided he didn’t want to be in the dark army any more. So he asked the people of the bright country where he should go to the join their army.

“You’ll need to accept our king as your king,” they said. “Then you’ll be part of our army.” Then Stuart went looking for their king but he found his father instead.

“How did you get here?” Stuart asked.

“The bright king rescued me,” said his father. “I’m part of his army now.”

“I want to be part of that army too,” said Stuart.

Stuart’s father gave him a plough instead of a sword. “If you accept our king, and work for our king, then you’ll be part of his army,” he said. So Stuart ploughed the fields with his father, and wore the bright king’s armor. And finally he really was part of the best army in the world.

God is our king and we are his army, and because God rules and fights and wins for us, we are the best army in the world. Let’s pray.

Lord God, let us make a joyful noise.

Let us shout your praise to the nations.

You rule forever and your power never fails.

Praise be to God!

~ 67 ~

THE FIELD OF POPPIES

Psalm 67:1 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us”

Have you ever wondered what God looks like, or what heaven might look like? Do you think God’s face really shines?

There was once a little girl whose grandfather had served in the First World War. One day the little girl asked her grandfather, “Why do we wear poppies on Remembrance Sunday?”

“To remind us of the people who died in the wars,” said her grandfather.

“But why poppies?” asked the little girl.

“Because they’re red,” said her grandfather.

“Like blood?” said the little girl. “But Grandpa, aren’t red berries more like blood?”

The little girl’s grandfather told her about the fields of France, where soldiers died just trying to move from one hole in the ground to another, and where the muddy soil turned red with their blood. “I went back,” Grandpa said, “long after the war. And d’you know what’s in those fields now? Poppies,” he said. “Hundreds of poppies. The fields are red with poppy flowers instead of blood, and that’s why we wear poppies.”

One day the little girl’s Grandpa died and she put red poppies on his grave. Then she went to the field behind the church and lay down and cried. She could smell fresh grass all around her, and above her the sky was blue. Slowly she fell asleep and began to dream.

The little girl dreamed that the sky turned black, with lightning flashes and thunder rumbling and roaring. Everywhere was so dark she couldn’t see the church or any of the buildings. The clean grass smell had disappeared because the grass in her dream had all dried up and died.

Then the girl saw a door opening in the clouds. A clean white light shone through the open doorway. Behind the door the sky was blue and birds were singing.

The door seemed to grow until it stretched all the way to the ground, with a crosspiece near the top. Bright light shone through the cross-shaped door onto the dry brown earth, turning the grass fresh and green wherever it touched it. Poppies grew in the shape of a cross, where the light from the door hit the grass. The little girl sat in the light, in the field of bright red poppies. People began to stream out of the darkness toward the cross-shaped door. Many stopped and sat amongst the poppies. Others went through the door. And all of them were singing.

One man turned as he reached the open door. He looked back at the little girl. It was her Grandpa, but he wasn’t old or ill anymore. He looked happy, and he waved as he walked through the door into the shining new world.

And then the little girl woke up. She still had some poppies clasped in her hand, and she was still sad because her Grandpa had died. But she was a happy too, because she knew her Grandpa was alive and happy with the sunshine and the poppies in heaven.

The Bible tells us there’ll always be wars, until the end of time. And when Jesus promised to give us peace, he said it wasn’t the sort of peace we understand. But the Bible says God’s in control, and it promises God has a plan, even though we might not understand it. Let’s pray.

May the peoples praise you O God,

and may your face shine on us and bless us.

You rule justly and guide the nations and watch over history.

And you’ve opened the door of heaven to let us in

through the death of your son.

~ 68 ~

THE VERY GOOD MAN

Psalm 68:34 “Ascribe power to God…”

The psalmist talks about a procession of people singing God’s praises. Do we want to be part of that procession? The man in this story didn’t.

There was once a very good man who did very many good things. The good man was loved by almost everyone he met. One day he died and went to the gates of heaven. The angel who was guarding the gates looked up the man’s name in God’s book, but couldn’t find it. He asked the man if he was sure he belonged in heaven. “Of course I do,” said the good man. “Ask anyone. I’ve always been a very good man.”

The angel sent messages all around heaven, to see if anyone knew the very good man. Lots of people came to the gates and said what a fine man he was. Then the angel said he would check with his boss, and God it was okay. So the angel let the good man into heaven, even though his name wasn’t written in the book.

Heaven was a very beautiful place. The streets were clean and paved with gold and jewels. The buildings were bright and sparkling. And the people were all very friendly.

When the good man went for a drink in a coffeehouse, the man behind the counter wouldn’t let him pay. “Oh no,” said the coffee man. “God has already paid for you.” The good man wasn’t in the habit of accepting charity, but when he looked in his pockets, he didn’t have any money. He thought he’d better try to earn some quick.

The good man went to look for a job but couldn’t find anything advertised anywhere. “How do people find jobs?” he asked the street sweeper.

“Oh, God makes sure that everything gets done,” said the little old man. “We just help because we want to.”

“Doesn’t God pay you?”

“No,” said the street sweeper. “God’s already paid for everything. Why would we need anything more?”

The good man began to listen to people on the street but their conversation seemed a bit boring. “Isn’t God wonderful?” they said. “Praise God.” And, “Isn’t it great the way God saved us all?” The very good man didn’t like this conversation very much. After all, he was pretty wonderful himself, and he’d never needed God to give him any help. He wished someone would talk about other things.

Eventually the good man met a woman who’d been his servant once. Here at last was someone who might praise the good man instead of praising God.

“Hello there,” said the good man.

“Praise God,” said the servant.

Oh really, thought the good man. This was too much. And so the good man went back to the pearly gates and asked the angel to please, please let him out.

This is only a story of course. Maybe if a really good man really saw heaven, he would realize straightaway how much he needed God.  Or maybe not. Let’s pray.

Lord, help us not to wait until we get to heaven

to praise your name.

Help us praise you here on earth.

Help us tell our friends about you here on earth.

Help us proclaim your power here on earth

and help us mean it.

~ 69 ~

LEARNING TO SWIM

Psalm 69:1-2 “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire…”

The psalmist asks God to rescue him when he’s drowning in a sea of problems. But if we really want God to save us, we’ll have to trust Him first, and sometimes that’s hard.

Once there was a little boy called Paul who was trying to learn how to swim. Paul’s teacher said he was a very good student. He did everything she told him to do. He wasn’t even afraid of getting water in his eyes. Soon Paul could swim the whole length of the pool with only one float to help him. But there was a problem. Paul’s teacher said she knew that Paul could swim. But Paul said that he knew that he couldn’t. And every time Paul’s teacher took that one float away, Paul sank.

Paul’s teacher tried very hard to help Paul swim without a float. She took away his big float and gave him the smallest one in the cupboard. Paul swam the whole length of the pool just holding the little float. Then the teacher told Paul she was really sorry, but the little float was lost so he should try to swim without it. But Paul promptly sank to the bottom instead of swimming, just like he knew he would.

Next, Paul’s teacher tried getting into the pool with Paul to help him. She held his head very gently above the water, and watched him swim his arms and legs beautifully. Then, ever so slowly, she began to let go. But, just as soon as her hand moved away, Paul started to struggle and splash and began to sink, just like he knew he would.

Paul’s teacher told all the children to swim from one side of the pool to the other. It wasn’t very far and she wouldn’t let anyone use floats. Paul’s friends all tried their best. Some did just a few short strokes. Others swam the whole way. And Paul looked sort of like he was swimming, but he was very slow. It was hard because he was keeping one foot on the bottom all the time, which really isn’t the same as swimming at all.

Gradually Paul’s teacher moved the children to a deeper part of the pool. It got harder and harder for Paul to keep his foot on the bottom but he managed it, just. He watched his friends get better and better at swimming and he felt sad. Sometimes his friends would laugh at him. But Paul’s teacher and his mom and dad didn’t laugh. They just kept saying they knew he could swim, even if Paul didn’t believe it. It was very annoying.

Eventually Paul got really cross with his teacher and with his mom and dad. If they really wanted to drown him, he thought, maybe he should just let them. Then they’d be sorry.

The next time the teacher made him swim across the pool, Paul deliberately didn’t keep his foot on the bottom. He knew he would sink, and he knew he would drown, and then nobody would laugh at him or tell him he was wrong anymore.

Except, Paul didn’t sink at all, and he found out they were right. Paul could swim after all.

Paul needed to learn to trust the water instead of trusting the float. And we need to learn to trust God. When we keep trying to do things our own way, it can get just as hard for us as it was for Paul keeping his foot on the bottom of the pool.  Let’s pray.

O Lord, save us.

We’ll sink to the depths of our problems if you don’t help.

And we know that we can’t help ourselves.

Lord, save us, then we’ll truly be safe.

~ 70 ~

THE FATHER’S BRIDGE

Psalm 70:1 “Be pleased, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!”

The psalmist says he’s poor and helpless, and he needs God to come and save him. We all need God, just like the little boy in this story needed his dad.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was very angry with his father. He was so angry he stamped and stamped his feet. And he stamped so hard, and so fiercely, and so long, that a huge great chasm opened up in the ground between the boy and his father. The boy stood on one side of the chasm, and the father stood on the other. Meanwhile the gap between them widened like the Grand Canyon until there was no way either of them could cross. Then the little boy turned somersaults and said, “Hey Dad. You can’t get me now!” And his father cried.

For a while, the little boy was very happy on his side of the chasm. He found water to drink and fruit to eat, though he really wasn’t all that keen on apples. There was no one to tell him to wash and clean his teeth, and no one to tell him when to get up and when to go to bed. Of course, there was no one to make him feel better when he caught a cold, and no one to mend his clothes when they had too many holes to keep out the wind. And there was no one to cook him dinners when he got bored with apples, and no one to make him feel safe when the wild animals growled in the night, so…

After a while, the little boy decided he’d really quite like to go home. He practiced jumping as far as he could, and used stones to mark how far he’d got. But no matter how much he practiced, or how hard he tried, the little boy couldn’t jump anywhere near far enough to cross the chasm.

The little boy practiced climbing as high as he could, to see if he could go down one side of the chasm and up the other. But he could hardly climb up a tree and the side of the chasm would be much further and much harder.

Then the boy thought that maybe he could fly if he could make a big enough kite. But the biggest kite the boy could make wouldn’t lift him even as high as the smallest bush. So the little boy gave up and tried to see what his father was doing.

The little boy’s father had begun to build a bridge across the chasm. The bridge was big and strong and wide, and it slowly grew closer and closer to the little boy’s side. The boy watched his father build each day. At night the boy curled up in the tallest tree because he was getting really scared of all the wild animals. “Please hurry,” he shouted to his father. “Please hurry and save me.”

One day when the little boy woke up, there was a lion under his tree. The little boy screamed, and the lion ran away. Then the little boy ran as fast as he could to where his father was building the bridge. The bridge still didn’t reach his side, and the lion was coming back. But the little boy’s father ran to the end of the bridge and lay down. He stretched out as far as he possibly could, until his hands just touched the boy’s side of the chasm. Then the little boy ran over his father’s arms and over his back, and onto the bridge. The boy and his father crossed safely to the other side, while the lion stood and roared and couldn’t reach them.

Our sins have built a chasm between us and God that we can’t cross. But Jesus’ sacrifice has built a bridge that leads us back to our Father. Let’s pray.

O God, you have hastened to save us.

You have come quickly to help us.

You’ve rescued us from the kingdom of evil,

and Jesus is our bridge to freedom.

Thank you God.

~ 71 ~

MAKING JELL-O WITH GRANDMA

Psalm 71:9 “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.”

Do you know anyone who is old or weak? And does God still listen to them and answer their prayers?

Once there were two friends called Amy and Rebecca. Rebecca invited Amy to visit her grandma after school. They walked together to Grandma’s house. Amy thought the house looked very nice. It had bright shiny railings by the path, little bricks edging the grass, and flowers growing in neat lines. The front door was painted yellow, and inside everything was tidy and clean. All the ornaments stood in rows on the shelves. The dining chairs were carefully arranged. Bright comfortable chairs each had a little table next to them, each with a mat exactly in the middle waiting for a drink.

Rebecca’s grandma was in the kitchen. It was a very tidy kitchen with nothing left lying around. Rebecca’s grandma asked Rebecca to get out the big and little jugs. Amy was surprised when Rebecca knew just where they’d be. Things went missing all the time in Amy’s mother’s kitchen because nothing was ever put in the right place.

Amy watched Rebecca’s grandma fill the big jug with water from the faucet. She kept one finger just over the edge of the jug, and turned the faucet off as soon as her finger got wet. Then she poured water into the smaller jug, keeping one finger hooked over the edge again. Next Rebecca’s grandma took a pan from a pile under the sink. She emptied the smaller jug into the pan and put a strange plastic thing in the bottom. Amy couldn’t see what it was.

Rebecca’s grandma put the pan on the stove. The plastic thing rattled when the water boiled. Then Grandma took the pan off the heat. She showed Amy where to put the bowl. Then she poured Jell-O powder into it. Next she added hot water from the pan. She counted out loud while she was stirring, and when she reached one hundred and twenty she stopped. Next came cold water from the other jug and Grandma stirred again. Then she carried the Jell-O to the fridge, with one finger hooked over the edge of the bowl. Amy hoped she kept her fingers as clean as her house.

While the Jell-O was setting, Rebecca’s grandma got out a game to play. It was snakes and ladders, but it was different from the set that Amy had at home. The board was bigger with thin metal wires around the squares, and the snakes and ladders were like plastic models all fastened on top of the wires. Amy thought it was very cool. Then she saw the dice. They were cool too—bigger than usual, with spots that were all pressed down into them instead of just painted on.

When they played, Amy noticed Rebecca’s grandma never read the number on the dice until after she picked them up. At first Amy thought she was cheating. But then she understood. Rebecca’s grandma was blind. She used her fingers instead of her eyes to see. She used fingers to measure water when she was making Jell-O, and now she used fingers to see the spots on the dice. Amy was very impressed.

Rebecca’s Grandma didn’t worry about not being able to see. And Amy and Rebecca enjoyed their time with her. God’s not worried what we can and can’t do either. He just wants to spend time with us. Let’s pray.

Lord God, we know you’ll not desert us

whether we’re weak or strong.

We know you have a plan for us,

whether we’re old or young.

You want the best, whether we’re sick or well.

And you’ll always care for us. We thank you God.

~ 72 ~

THE KING AND THE BEGGAR

Psalm 72:1 “Give the king thy justice, O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son!”

The psalmist prays for God to give the king all the things he’ll need to be a really great king. But it’s not just gold and silver that a great king needs.

Once upon a time a queen had twin baby boys but a wicked servant stole one of them away. The remaining twin was brought up as a prince with the best of everything and twice as much as was best of some things too. But the stolen twin grew up as a beggar. The only things he had were what he could steal, which was usually the worst of everything because he wasn’t very good at being a thief. When the king and queen died, the royal twin became king. Unfortunately he was just as bad at being king as the beggar was at thieving.

The king twin liked food so he ate as much as he possibly could and grew fat. The beggar twin liked food too and ate as much as he could, but that wasn’t very much so he grew thin. The people of the kingdom grew thin too, because the royal twin wasn’t a very good king. He made them plant crops in the wrong seasons. He built cities in the best places for farms, and made the best of his farmers become soldiers. Then the best of his soldiers had to go and work on the farms.

Soon the kingdom was falling apart. Enemies invaded and the king’s army couldn’t defeat them because it was made up of farmers. There wasn’t enough food and the king’s farms couldn’t grow more because they were run by soldiers. The cities were falling down because they’d been built wrong. And everyone was sad.

A rumor began to go around about the queen’s twin sons. Everyone knew someone, who’d met someone, who’d seen someone, who knew something about what had happened to the missing twin. People began to say, if they could only find him, they would make him king instead of his brother. They were quite sure he couldn’t be worse than the king they already had.

Meanwhile the beggar twin came up with a good idea to help people. “Hey guys,” he said to the other beggars. “Why don’t we grow our own food? They built this city on a farm didn’t they?” So the beggars dug up the city streets and planted crops. The soldiers were sent to stop them, but, since the soldiers were really farmers, they just joined in and helped. Then the farmers that were really soldiers came in from the fields to protect the new farm. And everyone was happy.

The beggar twin had plenty to eat now, so he grew quite handsome and strong. Meanwhile the royal twin didn’t have enough to eat. He lost weight and soon he was handsome, but not very strong. Eventually someone noticed how much alike the king and beggar looked. Then they remembered the rumors. The people said they wanted to fight and have a revolution, so the beggar could be king. But the beggar twin had a better idea to help people. He asked his brother if they could work together to rule the kingdom. They rebuilt all the cities in good places, with good defenses. They rebuilt all the farms on good farming land. They made sure everyone had homes and food and jobs that they enjoyed. And they all lived happily and safely ever after, while twin kings ruled with justice and righteousness.

God rules with justice and righteousness too. He cares for all his people, and he knows exactly how we feel because he became one of us in Jesus. Let’s pray.

Lord God we pray for our leaders.

We ask you to help them rule with justice and righteousness.

We ask you to help us follow with kindness and compassion.

And we ask you be our King of Kings forever.

~ 73 ~

PEAS AND CARROTS

Psalm 73:13 “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.”

Have you ever wondered why bad people keep getting away with doing bad things? How come they don’t get into trouble? This psalm suggests they might get punished later. But sometimes they get saved and forgiven instead.

Once there were two brothers called Adam and Keith. Adam was four and Keith was two. One day they were sitting at the table eating dinner. Keith picked up his peas and carrots with his fingers. He tried to eat them, but some of them fell on the floor and rolled away. Adam, of course, used his fork properly like a sensible four-year-old. He didn’t spill anything at all.

Adam asked his mother, “Mom, why don’t you tell Keith off?” and Mom said she did, frequently. “But why don’t you tell him off for eating with his fingers, Mom? You’d tell me off,” said Adam. So Mom explained that actually she was quite pleased to see Keith eating, even if he was eating messily. She said she’d teach Keith to eat tidily like his big brother when he was older.

“Why don’t you teach him now?” said Adam.

“I’ll teach him when he’s ready,” said Mom.

Adam ate some more dinner and watched Keith spill some more peas. Then Adam had an idea. “I could tell him off for you, Mom,” he offered, but Mom said no thank you. “Why not?” asked Adam, and Mom said because it was her job to tell off her children. “But you’re not doing it,” insisted Adam. “You’re not telling him off.”

Then Adam finished his dinner and said, “It’s not fair. It’s not fair that Keith can make a mess and you don’t tell him off. You should be fair with us.”

Adam’s mother said she was being fair. She said there were lots of things Adam did wrong that she didn’t tell him off for.

“Like what?” asked Adam.

“Oh I don’t know. I’ll think of something,” said his Mom. “But in the meantime, let’s get a cloth and clean up after your brother.”

Adam helped his Mom clean the floor and the table and the chair. Then his Mom hugged him and said thanks. Then she got Keith out of his chair and hugged him too, and then they all went off to play a game together.

Sometimes we’re like Adam. We wonder why God doesn’t do something about the bad people in the world. We wonder if it’s worthwhile being good. And we forget that we’re still doing bad things too. Let’s pray.

O Lord, we try to keep our hearts pure.

We try to be innocent, but we know we fail.

Help us remember to ask your forgiveness

instead of asking you to punish our neighbors.

Help us to remember to be forgiving

instead of trying to be judge and jury in your name.

~ 74 ~

THE ANGRY BROTHER

Psalm 74:1 “O God, why dost thou cast us off for ever?...”

Do you ever get desperate, and wonder if anything’s ever going to go the right way again? The person in the psalm felt that way, and so did the boy in this story.

Once there was a sad little boy called Jeffrey. He had a big brother called Anthony who was very clever, and a little brother called Mitchell who was very sweet. Jeffrey’s mommy and daddy said Jeffrey was clever and sweet too, but his brothers said he was a pain.

One day, Jeffrey was reading a book. Anthony kept leaning over Jeffrey’s shoulder and reading bits out loud in a silly voice, which made Jeffrey cross. So Jeffrey stopped reading and threw the book at Anthony. Anthony ran to tell Mommy that Jeffrey was throwing books. When Mommy came in, Jeffrey was sitting on the floor with his book and crying.

“What’s wrong Jeffrey?” their mother asked.

“I wanted to read my book,” said Jeffrey, “but Anthony kept distracting me.”

“Never mind,” said his Mommy, sitting down next to Jeffrey and putting her arm around him. “Anthony’s not going to distract you now, so you can read in peace.”

Unfortunately, Mitchell chose that moment to crawl across the floor and scramble into Mommy’s lap. So Mommy had to put her arm around Mitchell too. “Now Mitchell’s distracting me,” said Jeffrey. He threw the book on the floor and ran upstairs to bed and hid under the sheets.

After a while, Mommy came to tell Jeffrey that dinner was ready. “I’m not hungry,” said Jeffrey. Later, Mommy came upstairs to tell him they were having ice cream for dessert. “I don’t care,” said Jeffrey, still hiding under the sheets. And later still, Mommy came to tell Jeffrey it was bedtime. “I’m in bed,” said Jeffrey, but Mommy said she meant bedtime with clean teeth and pajamas. She sat on the side of Jeffrey’s bed and tried to cuddle him, but he was a bit hard to find underneath all the sheets. Then Jeffrey sat up. “Go away,” Jeffrey said to his Mommy. “You don’t love me.”

“Yes I do,” said Mommy.

“No you don’t,” said Jeffrey. “You only love Anthony and Mitchell.”

“I love Anthony and Mitchell and you,” said Mommy. “You’re my good nice little boy.”

Jeffrey knew he wasn’t being good and nice, so he threw his teddy at Mommy. When she threw it back, Jeffrey threw his teddy and his panda. When she threw the panda back, he threw his panda and an elephant, then a turtle, then a giraffe, then a monster. And after he’d thrown lots and lots of toys, Mommy was hidden under the pile and Jeffrey could pretend she wasn’t there.

But now Jeffrey found a shiny red button that had been hidden underneath all those toys on his bed. He called his mommy to come and look at it. Jeffrey’s mommy was very pleased. It was the button off Jeffrey’s best jacket. She’d been looking for it for ages. “Wow, thank you Jeffrey,” said Jeffrey’s mommy. “You are a good and clever little boy.” And this time, he believed her.

Jeffrey’s mommy really did love him. And God really does love us too. He will never reject us, whatever we do. Let’s pray.

Lord, sometimes we feel so angry,

like nothing’s ever going to go right.

Please help us to remember you love us still,

as you’ve promised you always will.

~ 75 ~

WILL YOU TELL HER OFF NOW?

Psalm 75:2 “At the set time which I appoint I will judge with equity.”

God is the one who judges. He’s the one who punishes and the one who forgives. And he tells us not to judge other people unless we really want to be judged and found guilty by him.

Once there were two sisters called Karen and Alison. Karen was the big sister. She was very neat and tidy. Her hair always looked like she’d only just combed it. Her ribbons and laces were always tied right. Her clothes were properly buttoned, and her shoes were bright and shiny. And Alison? Well, she was just Alison.

When the two girls went to a party, their mother would help Karen get dressed first. Then she would help Alison. And then, while their mother turned around to find the car keys, Alison would somehow spill a drink on her skirt, lose a hair-ribbon, tear a sock and get mud on her shoes. By the end of the party, Karen would look like she’d been reading stories all afternoon, while Alison would look like she’d been playing soccer in a mud bath.

When Alison spilt juice on her best dress, Karen asked, “Mom, will you tell her off now?” But their mother said not now, and gave Alison a paper towel to wipe herself with. When Alison fell out of a tree and tore her tee-shirt, Karen asked, “Mom, will you tell her off now?” But their mother just went inside to find a Band-Aid. And when Alison lost her fifty-third hair-ribbon, Karen asked again, “Mom, will you tell her off now?”

“Not just now,” said their mother, cutting a fifty-fourth ribbon off the ribbon roll.

When it was Christmas, Karen went to her class party wearing her prettiest dress. She had a lovely time. Then Alison started to sort out clothes for her class party and began to cry.

“I haven’t got a prettiest dress,” said Alison, and asked if she could borrow one of Karen’s.

“No way!” said Karen. “You’d ruin it.”

“No I wouldn’t,” said Alison.

“Yes you would,” said their mother. “Let’s go and see what pretty dresses you do have, Alison.”

She laid out Alison’s dresses on the bed. The red one was no good because it had lost its buttons. The yellow one had blackcurrant stains on the front. The green one had a hole in it. And the blue one had gone spotty where Alison had fallen in some mud. “Oh dear,” said Mom. “You don’t seem to be very careful with your clothes do you?” So Alison cried. Then her mother promised to sew new buttons on the red dress before morning, and Alison promised faithfully she wouldn’t lose them.

“Are you going to tell her off now?” asked Karen when she saw her mother sewing.

“I don’t need to now,” said her mother.

Sometimes we’re like Alison, making a mess of everything. Then God waits to tell us off until we’re ready to listen. Sometimes we’re like Karen too. We want God to deal with all the other sinners around us. But he won’t—not until the time is right. And it’s not our job to tell God what to do. Let’s pray.

O Lord, we know we’re not perfect.

Please help us see the logs in our own eyes

instead of the specks in our neighbors’.

Please help us listen for your correction

and wait for your good timing

and trust you to judge.

AUTHOR’S NOTES — DID YOU KNOW?

• The word for Psalm in Hebrew means “Praises.”

• The word for Psalm in Greek means “Poems used with a psalterion.”

• A psalterion was a musical instrument with 5 strings.

• The earliest psalm was written by Moses around 1200 or 1400 BC.

• Most of the psalms were written around 1000 BC.

• The most recent psalms were written around 400 BC.

• King David was the first person to write psalms with music.

• The sons of Korah, part of the Levite tribe, were put in charge of worship music. They wrote psalms too.

• Asaph, who was David’s choir director, also wrote psalms, as did Hemen, Ethan and other choir members.

• David’s son Solomon wrote psalms, as well as writing proverbs, a love song, and other books.

• A Levite scribe called Ezra wrote psalms and collected them together into books around 400 BC.

• Ezra arranged the psalms so it would be easy to pick a reading from one of the books of Moses and a matching psalm.

• There are 5 books of Moses and 5 books of psalms. This book contains the first two books:

• Psalms 1-41 are about humanity (Genesis)

• Psalms 42-72 are about the Jews (Exodus)

• Psalms 73-89 are about worship (Leviticus)

• Psalms 90-106 are about wandering(Numbers)

• and Psalms 107-150 are about God’s laws (Deuteronomy).

• David wrote Psalm 22 and Jesus quoted from it on the cross. The psalm gives a very accurate description of the injuries Jesus would have suffered.

• Psalm 23 is known as the Shepherd’s Psalm, and Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd.

• Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143 are the Seven Penitential Psalms.

• The psalms are numbered slightly differently in ancient Hebrew and Greek. Psalms 9 and 10 are combined into one psalm in Greek, as are Psalms 114 and 115. Psalm 116 is split into two psalms in Greek, as is Psalm 147. But both versions end up with 150 psalms.

Continue your trek through the Bible

with additional volumes of the

FIVE MINUTE BIBLE STORY™ SERIES

Each one guaranteed to leave your children begging for “just one more…”

Book One — GENESIS PEOPLE

Readers say, “Charming…Delightful…A marvelous teaching tool…”

Gather the kids and join author Sheila Deeth as this long-time Christian Educator and Sunday School Teacher leads a fun and educational field trip through the Book of Genesis. Designed for independent reading by middle-graders, or reading aloud to younger children, each one of this series of linked short stories is not too long, not too short…but just the right length.

Make learning fun as you and your children come to know these Biblical characters in ways you never have before. All your favorites are here. She begins at the beginning with God, of course, then come Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, Seth, Methuselah, Noah and others. Proceed on to the age of Patriarchs where you meet Terah, Lot, Melchizedek, Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael, Sarah and Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob, Laban, Leah, Rachel and many more. From there, continue on to the story of Joseph, his brothers who sold him into slavery, and his life in Egypt where he eventually rescues the fledgling nation of Israel.

All-in-all, Genesis People contains nearly 50 separate stories, each one the ideal length for reading at bedtime or before a nap. Using her insights, masterful storytelling skills and gentle way with words, Ms. Deeth creates a series of stories that will have your children begging for “Just one more.”

Genesis People is a wonderful way to introduce youngsters to the Bible. Includes Author’s Notes.

Book Two — EXODUS TALES

Four hundred years have passed since a drought forced Jacob and his family to relocate in Egypt. Ramses II is now Pharaoh of Egypt. The people considered him a god. Joseph, his father and brothers are long dead…dim memories of a better time. The Israelites have become an enslaved people crying out for deliverance from their pain and misery. God hears his people’s plea and sends an exiled Egyptian Prince with the message, “Let My people go.”

Join the Israelites as Moses calls down plague after plague until the Pharaoh finally relents. Walk beside the newly freed people as they enter the trackless desert in search of a Promised Land where they can make their new home. See how God shapes and molds his people in the wilderness. Meet the men chosen to assist Moses in this task.

Travel with them to the edge of the Promised Land where they arrive with the commandments Moses brought down from the mountaintop, the Ark God ordered them to build, and hope for the future. The book contains 40 Five-Minute Stories with meditation and Author’s Notes.

Book Three — JOSHUA’S JOURNEYS

The Israelites are encamped on the plains of Moab, their 40-year Exodus drawing to close. Moses, the only leader they have ever known, gave them his final instructions and climbed Mt Nebo to join his God. Yet despite his absence, Moses didn’t leave his people alone to fend for themselves. Before ascending the mountain, he laid his hands on Joshua and passed his mantle of leadership to him.

The people remain encamped across the Jordan for thirty days, mourning their beloved leader and transitioning to a new way of life. Rather than a teacher, the people now follow Joshua; a military commander and spirit-filled warrior who will lead them in the coming conquest of the Promised Land. He parts the Jordan just as Moses parted the Red Sea and the Israelites cross dry land on their way to Jericho and the Promised Land.

Come to know the people and events of this stirring story in way you never have before. Walk beside God’s Chosen People as they subdue and settle the land of Canaan…the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. The book contains 44 Five-Minute Stories plus Author’s Notes.

Book Four — PSALM STORIES

In this, the fourth book of her popular Series, Sheila Deeth turns her attention and writing skills to the Book of Psalms. The book contains a whopping 75 delightful Five-Minute Psalm Stories… one for each Psalm. And every one of them consists of a short story that illustrates a moral lesson, an observation or comment, plus a short, meditative prayer to wrap things up. Like every volume in the Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series, it will leave your children begging for “just one more!”

Book Five —More PSALM STORIES

We couldn’t leave the Psalms only half complete! In this second volume Sheila Deeth turns her focus to the second half the Book of Psalms. Like its companion, More Psalm Stories contains another 75 delightful Five-Minute Psalm Stories…completing her journey through all 150 of the Psalms. Each and every one consists of a short story that illustrates a moral lesson, an observation or comment, plus a short, meditative prayer to wrap things up. Like every volume in the Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series, it will leave your children begging for “just one more!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheila Deeth is a prolific writer whose works span multiple genres. Besides The Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series, she is also the author of several other novels and novellas including Divide by Zero, Black Widow, Refracted, Flower Child, the What Ifs…Inspired by Faith and Science books, as well as several children’s Bible Picture books. A life-long Christian, she has spent many years as a Christian Educator and Sunday School Teacher. Sheila’s writing reflects her familiarity with a wide spectrum of Christian beliefs.

Ms. Deeth was born in England and earned a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University. She now lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys reading, writing, and running the Coffee Break Bible Studies and the Writers’ Mill writing group when not meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Titles by Sheila Deeth for the Amazon Kindle

The Five-Minute Bible Story™ Series

Book One — GENESIS PEOPLE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANV941M

Book Two — EXODUS TALES: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AOQG0ZY

Book Three — J0SHUA’S JOURNEYS: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AP9IAR6

Book Four — PSALM STORIES

Book Five — MORE PSALM STORIES

Bible Picture Books

A Bible Book of Colors: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R0YD7Q/

A Bible Book of Laws: www.amazon.com/dp/B008R2UNWS/

A Bible Book of Laws: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R35V7Y

Christmas! Genesis to Revelation in a 100 Words a Day: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKSL35S

Contemporary Fiction

Divide By Zero: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090NFH56

Spiritual Speculative Fiction

Black Widow: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UN5TO0

Refracted: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00433TBTQ

Flower Child: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005PGMT4O

Keep up with Sheila via her Amazon Author’s Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sheila-Deeth/e/B002CAU8VM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Table of Contents

Copyright

DEDICATION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Other books by the author

~ 1 ~ AUTUMN LEAVES

~ 2 ~ THE WOODSMAN’S FATHER

~ 3 ~ THE NEW SCHOOL

~ 4 ~ THE ANGRY BOY

~ 5 ~ THE NEST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW

~ 6 ~ GRANDMA’S KNITTING

~ 7 ~ PROTECTING THE HENHOUSE

~ 8 ~ QUESTIONS

~ 9 ~ OZYMANDIAS

~ 10 ~ THE BULLY IN THE PLAYGROUND

~ 11 ~ THE ISLAND

~ 12 ~ DESIGNING A CASTLE

~ 13 ~ HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING?

~ 14 ~ NO ONE IS WATCHING

~ 15 ~ NOBODY’S PERFECT

~ 16 ~ RESCUED BY THE PALACE GUARD

~ 17 ~ THE MOTHER QUAIL

~ 18 ~ CAMPING

~ 19 ~ THE RULES OF THE GAME

~ 20 ~ THE BIG JUMP

~ 21 ~ THE THRONE ROOM

~ 22 ~ THE SHEPHERD KING

~ 23 ~ THE LOST LAMB

~ 24 ~ OFF TO BE A SOLDIER

~ 25 ~ THE NAUGHTY BOYS

~ 26 ~ EXAMS

~ 27 ~ LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

~ 28 ~ PHONING GRANDMA

~ 29 ~ WAITING FOR THE MASTER

~ 30 ~ DANCING IN THE DARK

~ 31 ~ THE MONSTER

~ 32 ~ ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

~ 33 ~ KING CANUTE

~ 34 ~ ELISHA

~ 35 ~ SEEING IS BELIEVING

~ 36 ~ DADDY LOVES ME SO-O-O MUCH

~ 37 ~ HOW TO GROW FLOWERS

~ 38 ~ THE MAN WITH THE HEAVY BURDEN

~ 39 ~ THE DOG AND THE SQUIRREL

~ 40 ~ TEDDY BEAR SAVER

~ 41 ~ BLESS YOU

~ 42 ~ THE CHRISTMAS DEER

~ 43 ~ THE THIEF AND THE KING

~ 44 ~ LITTLE BOY LOST

~ 45 ~ THE ROYAL WEDDING

~ 46 ~ SLEEPING THROUGH THE VOLCANO

~ 47 ~ HAPPY CLAPPY BABY

~ 48 ~ SEARCHING FOR THE KING

~ 49 ~ ON ILKLEY MOOR

~ 50 ~ LAWS ABOUT WEARING RED

~ 51 ~ WHITE SHIRTS AND SCHOOL UNIFORMS

~ 52 ~ THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO DANCE

~ 53 ~ THE FOOL AND HIS HOMEWORK

~ 54 ~ WHO IS YOUR MASTER?

~ 55 ~ THE WINGS OF A HOMING PIGEON

~ 56 ~ THE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

~ 57 ~ TOY SOLDIERS

~ 58 ~ ST. PATRICK’S DAY RULES

~ 59 ~ THE KING ALWAYS WINS

~ 60 ~ FAIR SHARES

~ 61 ~ THE ROCK ON THE BEACH

~ 62 ~ TRAINING TO BE KING

~ 63 ~ MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET

~ 64 ~ HUNTING THE YETI

~ 65 ~ GROWING TOMATOES IN A DESERT

~ 66 ~ THE BEST ARMY IN THE WORLD

~ 67 ~ THE FIELD OF POPPIES

~ 68 ~ THE VERY GOOD MAN

~ 69 ~ LEARNING TO SWIM

~ 70 ~ THE FATHER’S BRIDGE

~ 71 ~ MAKING JELL-O WITH GRANDMA

~ 72 ~ THE KING AND THE BEGGAR

~ 73 ~ PEAS AND CARROTS

~ 74 ~ THE ANGRY BROTHER

~ 75 ~ WILL YOU TELL HER OFF NOW?

AUTHOR’S NOTES

FIVE MINUTE BIBLE STORY™ SERIES