Bible Reading: Acts 4:13-20

Topher brought Mexican jumping beans to school today," said Tiernan at dinner one evening. "They look like regular beans, but they move all by themselves. Topher wouldn't say what made them move--he said it was a secret. But I looked it up and found out. I don't know why Topher didn't just tell us. It's no secret!"

"So what makes them move?" asked Tiernan's sister Ariel.

"Moths," said Tiernan. "Mexican jumping beans are three-celled bean pods that house moths. The jumping is caused by the moth larvae moving inside."

"Ew, gross!" Ariel put down her knife and fork. "Well, now I've lost my appetite."

When dinner was finished, Dad got out his Bible for family devotions. "Tiernan's story about the jumping beans made me think of something," he said. "Like Tiernan said, the reason they move isn't a secret, but there is something we often keep secret even though we shouldn't. Just like how the moths in the bean pods makes them jump, we have something in us that makes us choose to do the things we do, but we often don't tell anyone what it is."

"Well, what is it?" asked Tiernan. "I don't know either."

Dad smiled. "It's the love of Jesus in our hearts. For example, I remember when you ate lunch with the new boy at school who didn't know anyone and your friends later asked why you didn't sit with them. What reason did you give them?"

"Um, well…I just told them I knew him from math class," replied Tiernan.

"And when I was so sick, God gave me a miraculous recovery," said Dad. "But I wonder how many of us told our friends that God had answered our prayers?"

"I didn't," admitted Ariel.

"It's almost as though we're keeping it a secret that we know Jesus," Dad said, opening his Bible to the fourth chapter of Acts. "Tonight, let's read about some men who didn't keep it a secret that they knew Jesus. How about reading it for us, Tiernan? Read verses sixteen to twenty."

After Tiernan finished reading, Dad said, "Peter and John couldn't keep themselves from telling others about Jesus and how He died and rose again to save them. Let's join them by telling everyone what He's done for us too."

–Nance E. Keyes