Flashlights and Fireflies: Devotions for Kids and FamiliesSample

Ask Everyone:

• What is something you wish people would share more often. Why?
• What food do you wish you would never run out of?

Devotional:

Light is something that is hard to keep to yourself. It spreads to the people near us, it helps us and others see our way, and it’s very hard to hide. Faith is a lot like that, too!

This is the story of one kid in the Bible who decided to share something because he had faith in Jesus. Real faith in God always leads to actions. Faith isn’t just wishing or imagining that God is really there. Faith happens when we hear about who God is and what He has done for others, and trust that He can help us today, too. That’s faith. And things we do are proof that our faith is real.

Thousands of people had come to hear Jesus teach, and they were all out in the country, far from any towns or stores. Jesus had been teaching for a long time, and the people were starting to get hungry—and no one had thought to bring a lunch with them! When Jesus’s disciples told Jesus to send the people away to find their own lunch, Jesus said, “You should give everyone something to eat! After all, these people are our guests!”

If you were a disciple of Jesus, what would you do?

There wasn’t just one family on the hill; there wasn’t only ten families, either. No, there were 5,000 families!

The disciples looked at each other and they looked at the people. They worried and added up the cost to buy food for everyone. But they were thinking about what they had, not what God could do.

Just then, a little boy who may have overheard what they were talking about (kids are great at overhearing grown-ups, aren’t they?) decided that maybe he could help. So he offered his lunch.

He had faith that even though his lunch was small, maybe Jesus could use it anyway!

And Jesus did! While most grown-ups would have laughed at the little lunch, Jesus gratefully accepted the boy’s gift and broke the bread into pieces. He also began to hand out fish to everyone there. Now, the boy only had five pieces of bread and two little fish, but after Jesus and the disciples were done handing out the food to everyone, everyone had eaten so much they could hardly move — and there were baskets of crumbs and crusts left over!

Jesus had turned the little gift into more than enough. But it started with one child who didn’t keep what he had to himself.

This story isn’t about sharing our food, but about trusting that God loves us and will provide what we need. Faith looks at God, not at ourselves. Faith trusts in God and what He is doing in the world and looks for ways to join in.

A firefly has a light like nothing else on earth – it converts 100% of energy to light. No lightbulb made by people can do that! A firefly’s light never overheats, doesn’t need batteries or electricity, and can even glow in different colors!

God made fireflies with an incredible light, and He made kids like you with an incredible light, too. When you have faith in God, that faith shines bright and affects everyone and everything around you. Keep shining your light just like these kids did. When you put your trust in such an incredible God, who knows what can happen!

Activity:

• What can you make with just your hands? Shine a flashlight against a wall or curtain. What shapes can you make with your hands before the flashlight to create a shadow? Try making a bunny, a snail or a bird! How would you tell someone you loved them with just your hands?

Discussion Questions:

• What miracles can you name in the Bible? What do they teach us about God?
• How can you help God with what He is doing in the world?
• When do things sometimes seem dark and scary for you? How can you have faith in God to be with you in those times?

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you that you are with us and love us always. When we face dark or scary times, help us to trust that you are good, and you love us. The dark times don’t last forever, and in the middle of them there is light that comes from faith in you. Please help us to grow in faith and shine our faith brightly for others to see! Amen.

We hope that this plan encouraged you! Explore more resources from Compassion Canada today.