Josh McDowell's Youth DevotionsSample

CRITTER QUIZ.

You know what puppies are, right? And you know that kittens come from cats. But can you match the following animals with the kind of young they produce?

1. frog

2. beaver

3. goose

4. kangaroo

5. whale

6. deer

7. seal

8. ostrich

9. zebra

10. fox

A. chick

B. fawn

C. gosling

D. whelp or pup

E. calf

F. tadpole

G. colt

H. joey

I. cub

J. kit

Ready to check your answers? OK, here they are: IF; 2J; 3C; 4H; 5E; 6B; 7D; 8A; 9G; 10I.

That's right, goslings come from geese, and joeys come from kangaroos. Fawns come from deer, and tadpoles come from frogs.

You know what else? Love comes from God.

You probably already knew that, of course, but it's worth repeating and remembering. Love comes from God. Everyone agrees that love is right and hatred is wrong. But what many people miss is that the reason love is right is because God is love. Love is part of his nature; therefore, love is right.

Here's another thing most people miss: The more we "live in God" praying and reading our Bible and worshiping him, stuff like that the more loving we will become, even toward those who are hard to love. Even toward those who are impossible to love! Because "God is love, and ... as we live in God, our love grows more perfect" (1 John 4:16-17).

REFLECT: Love, like all good things, comes from God. How do you know God is love? What if the Bible didn't say, "God is love"? Would you still be able to tell? If so, how? Do you need God's help to love someone? (Be honest!) If so, who? What if you don't feel love for that person? How can you make your love toward that person "more perfect"? (Hint: See 1 John 4:16-17.)

ACT: Be alert this week for any puppies, kittens, or other young animals you may see. When you see them, remind yourself that love comes from God because God is love.

PRAY: "God, I need your help to love... [fill in a name]. Because of you, I can love others."