God’s Strength (Part 2)

Bible Reading: Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Andrés looked closely at the small log Dad had brought home to show him. There was a long piece of straw sticking out from the wood. “Weird,” said Andrés. “How did that straw get into the wood?”

“The tornado that passed by the other day did that,” said Dad. “One of the guys at work found this on his property. His place was right on the edge of the storm.”

“Wow!” said Andrés. “The wind drove that flimsy piece of straw right into the hard wood. And the straw didn’t even get bent!”

“That took a strong, special kind of power,” said Dad. “I’ve been thinking about that all afternoon. As a result, I’ve decided to teach the Sunday school class I’ve been offered.”

“Really? What does teaching a class have to do with this wood and straw?”

“Well, this straw was weak, but powered by the storm, it became very strong,” Dad replied. “I’m weak too, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold the interest of the kids in the class. When I thought about the straw in this log, I was reminded that a special kind of power is also available to me. Through that power—the power of the Holy Spirit—God can use me to help those kids know more about Jesus.”

“You’ll be a good teacher,” said Andrés.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope and pray you’re right.” Dad smiled. “I thought about you too, Andrés. Mom told me you’ve been having trouble figuring out what to say to a friend who’s going through a rough time.”

“Yeah—my friend Mason. His dad died a couple weeks ago, and I want to be there for him, but I don’t know what to say.”

“It can be hard to comfort someone in a situation like that, but remember that you have a special power available to you too,” Dad told him. “Because you trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit’s power. Even though you feel weak in such a tough situation, He will help you comfort Mason.”

Andrés nodded. “Okay. You teach your class, and I’ll talk to Mason, and God will help us both!”

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

Are you afraid you won’t be able to make a difference in sharing Jesus with others? Do you want to tell people about Him and show them His love, but don’t know how? You won’t be doing it on your own. You have a special power—the Holy Spirit! He is working through you to help more people know about Jesus and see His love in their lives. Depend on Him to give you the strength and power you need.

Today’s Key Verse:
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Today’s Key Thought:

God gives power