Episode Details

Read: Psalm 25:8-14; Titus 2:11-14

Madison was sitting at her desk doing math homework when her little sister walked in. “I want to write numbers too,” said four-year-old Ava.

Smiling, Madison wrote the numbers from one to ten on a piece of paper. Then she took Ava’s hand and helped her begin to write. “One…two…”

Ava pulled her hand away. “I can do it!”

“Okay,” said Madison, going back to her homework. She had just finished her last problem when Ava began to cry. “What’s wrong?” Madison asked. Ava shoved her paper away. Her numbers were jumbled on the paper, many of them unrecognizable. “Let me help you,” Madison said, bending down to take Ava’s hand again.

“No!” Ava pulled away, grabbing the paper. “I want to do it myself.”

“Okay,” said Madison. “But I’m finished with my work, and I’m going to get something to drink. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Madison poured herself a glass of water and went to the family room, where her mother was sorting clothes. “I tried to help Ava write her numbers, Mom, but she wouldn’t let me. She’d rather cry because she can’t do it instead of letting me help her.”

Mom smiled. “Admitting we need help with something isn’t always easy.” She handed Madison some towels to fold. “Sometimes we’re a lot like Ava. Her numbers didn’t turn out right when she didn’t let you guide her, and our decisions often don’t turn out right when we don’t let Jesus guide us.”

“How does He do that?” asked Madison.

“Through what He says to us in the Bible, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds, and even through people He brings into our lives,” Mom replied. “We often think we need to do everything on our own, but that’s impossible. Jesus is the one who saved us from sin, which we could never do ourselves, and He wants us to bring all our problems and struggles to Him in prayer and trust Him to guide us and help us make good decisions.”

“I’m glad Jesus is always there to help us,” Madison said as she finished folding the towels. “Speaking of help, I’ll go see if Ava has changed her mind about trying to write numbers on her own.”

–Karen E. Cogan

How about you? Do you depend on Jesus as you go about your daily life? Or do you think you can do everything by yourself? Problems at home, difficulties at school, struggles with sin—Jesus wants you to bring all those things to Him in prayer instead of trying to tackle them on your own. Trust Him to guide you and help you do His will in every situation.

Today’s key verse: I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths. Proverbs 4:11 (CSB)

Today’s key thought: We need Jesus’s help