Devotions for Kids: What Makes for Peace

Devotions for Kids is a series meant for sharing so that everyone - family and community - can spend time in God's Word together with the children in their lives and grow in faith.

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it...

Luke 19:41

Today we hear that as Jesus was walking toward the beautiful city of Jerusalem, He looked at it and started to cry.  Why?  Because Jerusalem was a place filled with people He loved, but they were choosing to be angry, jealous, and selfish to one another instead of practicing kindness and forgiveness.

These bad choices made Jesus sad because He cared about the hearts of every single person in that city.  He wanted each of them to know the secret to a happy, safe life.  He calls this secret "peace" and until the people could make different choices, they wouldn't know it.

You can imagine peace as that quiet, warm feeling you feel when you are snuggled up in your favorite cozy blanket, surrounded by people you love, knowing that everything is okay.  When you feel peace you are calm, you know there is nothing to worry about, and you know that you are loved.  Jesus's tears as He looked at Jerusalem were shed because He knew how wonderful it feels to truly be at peace, and He knew no one in the city could feel that feeling.

You can feel peace whenever you choose to look for it, searching for that warm, cozy feeling instead of holding on to angry, cold ones.  To look for peace, you'll need to follow these steps:

Step 1 - Notice when you don't feel peaceful (you might be feeling frustrated, upset, cranky, or annoyed).

Step 2 - Ask yourself, "What is trying to block my peace?" (Am I mad because of something someone said?  Am I sad because I didn't get my way?)

Step 3 - Now ask yourself, "What is the opposite of the thing that took away my peace? (Apologizing, taking a deep breath, having a moment alone to myself).

Step 4 - Do that opposite thing!  This is what Jesus means by "knowing what makes for peace."

Let's pray:  God, I'm so grateful that You show me you care for me.  You care about my feelings and you care about my joy.  Help me to look for what makes for peace today and every day so that I can feel peaceful everywhere I go!  Amen.