Thank you for listening to the Countdown to Christmas with Zach podcast. We'd like to introduce you to our daily devotional Keys for Kids podcast, so for this first week of 2024 we're releasing those episodes on this feed too.

If you like them, you can subscribe to or follow the Keys for Kids podcast for free: https://keysforkids.net/kfkpodcast

Always Showing Up

"It’s so snowy,” Johnny said as he looked out the school bus window. “I wonder if my mom will make it to meet the bus.”

Caden glanced at his friend. Sometimes Johnny’s mom was waiting for them when their bus got to their neighborhood, and sometimes she wasn’t. “My grandpa will be there,” said Caden.

Johnny nodded. “He always is.”

When their bus reached its first stop, a younger girl started crying. “I don’t see my aunt. She’s supposed to meet me.”

“She’s probably having trouble walking through the deep snow.” An older girl took the younger girl’s hand. “I’ll walk with you until you find her.”
Johnny watched them get off of the bus. “My grandpa knows to head out early. He’ll be waiting for me. I trust him.” Ever since he and his brother had moved in with their grandpa, he had made sure to be waiting each day when the bus came to a stop.

The bus moved on, and there was drama at each stop as kids looked for the people who were supposed to walk them home. Caden relaxed against his seat. His grandpa would be there.

When they pulled up to his stop, Caden spotted his grandpa waiting with a big sled.

“Have you seen my mom?” Johnny asked when they got off the bus.

“She asked me to help you home,” Grandpa said. “She didn’t want to take your baby sister out in this weather.”

Caden climbed into the sled with his friend. “I told you he’d be here.”
They bounced their way home, and Caden put the sled away after Johnny ran to his house across the street.

Inside, Caden sat down by his big brother. “Grandpa is always there. He never changes. He’s just there. Waiting.”

Cole smiled. “Kind of like Jesus, huh?” He pointed to the Bible in front of him. “I was just reading about how Jesus is the same every day. Never changing. We can trust Him because of that. He loved us enough to die for us, and He’ll always be there for us.”

“I really do trust Grandpa,” Caden said. “When someone shows up over and over again, you know they’ll do what they need to do to be there.”
Cole rubbed Caden’s head. “I’m telling you, Jesus is like that too.”

- Emily Acker

So how about you?

Do you have someone in your life who you trust as much as Caden trusts his grandpa? Someone who is always there when you need them? Someone who does what they say they’re going to do? Jesus is like that. He is always there for you, and that will never change. Even trustworthy people might let us down sometimes, but Jesus never will. You can always trust Him.

Key Verse

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Key Thought

Jesus never changes.

Further Reading

James 1:16-18