Friday the Thirteenth

Bible Reading: Philippians 4:4-8

“Mom, can I stay home from school today?” asked Troy when he came to the kitchen for breakfast.

“What for?” asked Mom. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I’m fine,” said Troy, “but it’s going to be a terrible day! I don’t even want to leave the house.”

Mom shook her head. “Okay, you’ve lost me. Start at the beginning—why is today going to be so terrible?”

“Because it’s Friday the thirteenth, and Friday the thirteenth is cursed as a bad luck day,” replied Troy. “Julian told me. He said everything will go wrong. He said on the last Friday the thirteenth, he fell and broke one of his front teeth.”

“Well, maybe Julian wasn’t watching where he was going,” said Mom.

“No, Mom. Friday the thirteenth is always a bad day,” Troy insisted.

“People have said that for years, but it’s nonsense,” replied Mom. “I think you should do what my friends and I did one year when I was a kid. We decided to make Friday the thirteenth the best day ever. All day long we looked for good things to happen—and we found all kinds of them. We thought we had reversed the curse!”

Interested, Troy sat down at the table. “Did you really reverse it, Mom?”

Mom shook her head. “No, Troy, because there is no curse.”

“Well, then why do people think there is?” Troy asked. “Where does that idea come from?”

“I’m not sure,” said Mom. “People can always find a reason to be superstitious. But God tells us that every day is a good day because He made it. He takes care of us, and nothing can happen unless He allows it. There really is no such thing as bad—or good—luck, and we don’t have to be afraid of superstitions. Jesus died and rose again to save us from evil, and He’s in control of everything that happens to us. Nothing is more powerful than He is.”

“So . . . Friday the thirteenth isn’t bad?” asked Troy.

“Nope,” said Mom. “It’s another day God has given you to live your life and trust in Him.” Janice M. Jones

How About You?

Has someone told you that Friday the thirteenth is a day of bad luck? Did that make you afraid of what might happen? You have nothing to fear. Every day belongs to the Lord, and if you’re His child, it’s another chance to get to know Him better and see His blessings in your life. Enjoy the day He has made, and trust Him to take care of you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Live each day for God