https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260520fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: 1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:7,10 Weakness = Strength In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Do you have a sidewalk in front of your home? How about a driveway or a road—what’s it made of? If you live in a city or town, there likely is a lot of concrete. Concrete is made of water, powder and really small rocks. What happens when you squeeze them together and let them dry? The pressure makes things stronger. That might sound a little backwards—but it’s true! Think about sand at the beach. Dry sand slips right through your fingers. It’s soft and crumbly. But add a little water and pack it down tight . . . and now you can build a sandcastle! The sand gets stronger when it is pressed together. That’s kind of how God works in our lives too. Sometimes life feels hard. Sometimes we feel scared. Sometimes we feel weak. Maybe you’ve had a day when you felt nervous, sad, sick, or worried. Maybe something felt too hard, and you didn’t know what to do. The Bible says something surprising: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” That sounds upside down, doesn’t it? How can being weak make someone strong? It’s because when we feel weak, we remember we need Jesus. And that is where real strength comes from. When we are worried, Jesus says, “Bring it to me.” When we are afraid, Jesus says, “I am with you.” When we feel weak, Jesus says, “I will help you.” Jesus may not always make the hard things go away right away. But he does promise something even better: he will be with us and give us strength. God says in the Bible, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). That means when you feel tired, scared, or overwhelmed, God is not far away. He is close. He is helping. He is making you stronger in him. So, when life feels heavy, don’t think, “God must be far away.” Instead, think, “God is helping me right now.” When you feel weak, Jesus is strong for you. When you feel worried, Jesus listens to you. When you feel afraid, Jesus stays with you. And one day, Jesus will bring you to heaven, where nothing is scary, nothing hurts, and nothing ever goes wrong again. Until then, when you feel weak, remember this: “Jesus loves me . . . I am weak. But he is strong.” Prayer: Dear Jesus, when I feel weak, worried or afraid, please help me remember that you are near me and making me strong in you. Keep me focused on heaven as I endure my earthly troubles. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Have you ever had a day when you felt scared, worried, or weak? What happened? What does Jesus want us to do when we are worried? Questions for Elementary Age Children What does it mean that Jesus is strong for us when we feel weak? Why do you think hard times can help us trust Jesus more? Questions for Middle School and Above Can you think of a time when something hard helped you grow stronger? What are some things that help you remember Jesus when you feel afraid? (Prayer? A Bible verse? A song? Talking to Mom or Dad?) Download Family Devotions Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
