I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength

– Philippians 4:13 (NIrV)

Have you ever carried a backpack to school? Depending on how much stuff was inside, you were probably glad to set it down. But imagine if you had to carry it around all day, everywhere you went. What if you even had to sleep with it?

Now you know how a camel must feel. They carry a backpack with them everywhere they go. It’s called a hump. In fact, some camels have two! 

However, camels don’t seem to mind toting that hump around because what’s inside it is what helps them survive when things get rough.  

You see, when camels eat, they store fat in their humps. Then, when they are traveling in the desert, where there’s not much to eat or drink, their bodies turn that fat into the food and water they need.

What’s inside them gives them the strength to keep going no matter what. 

The same thing is true for friends of God. We don’t have a hump full of food, though. We have something even better. A heart filled with the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is God who comes to live inside us when we begin following Jesus. He can help us to be content and keep praising and serving God even on our worst days.  

Throughout this school year you’ll face plenty of ups and downs. Some days you may ace a test, laugh with friends, get along with your teacher and be on the winning team. Other days you may flunk a test, fight with friends, get in trouble in class and lose the big game.

Those hard days may feel like you’re in a desert, but if we trust in Jesus, He will give us what we need to not just survive but thrive!  

A friend of Jesus named Paul said,” I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens” (Philippians 4:12, NIrV). What was Paul’s secret of being content? 

“I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength” ( Philippians 4:13, NIrV). Jesus will give you strength too if you turn to Him, ask for His help and learn to trust Him no matter what.

Prayer:

God, thank You for helping me on my best days and on my worst. Please help me to be content and keep following You even when life is tough. Amen.

Talk About It:

1. What are you excited about for this next school year? Is there anything you’re worried about or something that makes you nervous or afraid? Can you think of some hard days when God has helped with in the past?  Do you think we can trust the same God with our future?
2. What are some things we can do to stay close to Jesus and learn to trust Him on good days and bad days? (Read the Bible, worship, pray, spend time with other friends of Jesus, write down or a draw a picture of some of the times God has helped you in the past).

This is part one of a four-part series of back-to-school devotions. Sign up for Jason’s True Tale Trail newsletter to catch the rest of the series.

Check out another back-to-school devotion, Keep Your Eyes on Jesus.