READ: PSALM 10:14; JOHN 1:12; ROMANS 8:14-23; HEBREWS 4:14-16; JAMES 1:5

What do marshmallows and missing dads have to do with each other? In one study in the 1970s, researchers asked a group of preschoolers if they wanted one marshmallow right then or two marshmallows a few minutes later. Some kids snatched one marshmallow right away, and others waited so they could have two. As they grew up, the kids who waited for two marshmallows generally made better life choices than those who ate one right away. And researchers found a pattern: children who ate their marshmallows right away—and later made poorer decisions in life—very often had a more unstable home life, and many did not have a dad at home.

If you don’t have a dad at home, you may be thinking, “I make wise decisions all the time, thank you very much.” I know. I get it. That study irritates me too, because I grew up without a dad, and I’d like to think of myself as wise. But the scary truth is, as an adult, I might make wiser, stronger choices if I’d had a dad at home when I was a kid.

But the good news is, God is faithful, and He wants to be our Father. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can have a restored relationship with God, and that means we have full access to our heavenly Father’s love and wisdom.

In the Bible, lots of people didn’t have an earthly father, such as Esther and Joash. A cousin raised Esther, and God chose her to become queen of a pagan nation and save her people from slaughter. An aunt raised Joash, and God raised him to power as the youngest king of Judah ever, even enabling Joash to throw off the yoke of a tyrant. While Esther and Joash may have lacked an earthly father’s guidance, God worked through them in situations that required His extraordinary wisdom. You can read their stories in the book of Esther and in 2 Chronicles 22–24.

While having a father on earth can be a tremendous blessing, having a heavenly Father is an even better one. Through Jesus, we can enjoy the love and guidance of a Father whose wisdom is available to all who ask...even to those who prefer their marshmallows now. • Holland Webb

• Why does everyone—whether they have an earthly father or not—need Jesus in order to make truly wise decisions? (Proverbs 2:6; Romans 3:10-24)

• Even though earthly fathers are imperfect, every believer in Jesus will always have a perfect heavenly Father. Does it comfort you to think of God as your Father? Why or why not?

A father to the fatherless…is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 16:33; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

Fall is a season of change. You may notice the leaves changing from crisp green to brilliant red to crunchy brown. You might observe café menu boards switching from fruit smoothies to pumpkin spice lattes. But the biggest mark of change is often the start of the school year.

Every first day of school, I remember walking into the building with a strong grip on my backpack straps and my heart pounding like a banging gong. I didn’t want to feel nervous, but there were so many things to worry about. What if I didn’t have the same lunch hour as my friends and I ended up alone? What if my teachers weren’t understanding and my grades suffered? What if I had to go out of my comfort zone with presentations or group projects?

The Bible tells us over and over again not to worry. And honestly, as someone who has struggled with anxiety, that can be difficult to hear. Doesn’t God know how many things there are to worry about? And change, which inevitably means facing unknowns, is the definition of anxiety-inducing.

When I find myself spiraling into anxiety, I have learned to take deep breaths and remember Jesus. He’s with me, and He knows what I’m going through. He faced more than I’ll ever have to face, and while He often knew what was ahead, that didn’t make it any easier for Him. Jesus still had to experience the betrayal of friends, times of loneliness, and ultimately death on a cross. But then He rose again and made everything right.

You may already know you have a notoriously strict teacher or zero classes with friends. Come to Jesus with your burdensome worries and rest in His gift of peace. Even though you will experience challenges this year, Jesus will never leave you to go through them alone. • Hannah Chung

• What kinds of changes are you anticipating in the near future? As we experience change, it can help to remember that one thing will always stay the same: Jesus and His love for us.

• How are you feeling about the start of a new school year? Whether you are excited, anxious, overwhelmed, or all of the above, consider sharing your feelings with Jesus. Spending time with Him is the best way to prepare for a new season of life.

• When we’re facing changes or unknowns, how could it give us confidence to remember that Jesus already overcame death to offer us eternal life with Him, that He is more powerful than any changes we will face, and that He is with us no matter what?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 23:32-34; EPHESIANS 4:26; PHILIPPIANS 1:6

Anger flowed through me as I pinned my friend against a tree, her feet dangling two inches above the ground. My older brother, a football player, could barely pull me off Cathy. I don’t remember what I was angry about, but I do remember how anger controlled me.

I read the Bible and prayed daily, and I loved Jesus, but anger was a part of me as well. I’m not talking about righteous anger, the kind Jesus demonstrated when He drove the money changers away from the temple (John 2:14-17). No, I mean the kind of anger described in James 1:20: “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

Two years after I pinned Cathy against that tree, God started pursuing me about my anger. Finally I asked myself, “Why are you so angry?” I truly didn’t know. Later, God made it clear to me that my anger came from harboring unforgiveness in my heart. As I lay face-down before God, tears streaming down my face, I turned the whole sordid mess over to my Lord.

That wasn’t the end of my struggle with anger, but it was the beginning of the end. I would give my hurt over to the Lord, and then I would take it back. I did this again and again. But, the quicker I would give it back to the Lord, the easier it became to leave it all at His feet. As He slowly taught me to let go of my unforgiveness, I felt anger lose its grip on me.

If anyone has the right to harbor unforgiveness, it’s our heavenly Father. After all, we were responsible for nailing His perfect Son to a cross. Yet God extends mercy and grace to us without measure. In fact, it was through Jesus’s death and resurrection that God made the way for our sins to be forgiven. So, as Christians, we have no right to cling to unforgiveness. Instead we can come to Jesus with all our anger and trust Him to do His work in us. • Bonnie Haveman

• Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed by anger? What was that like?

• Anger is not a sin in itself, but sometimes we give in to temptation more easily when we’re angry (Ephesians 4:26). If you struggle to control your anger, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it, such as a pastor, parent, counselor, or youth leader?

• Can you think of a time you were angry and didn’t know why? Consider asking God to show you what is (or was) making you angry. You can bring Him any hurts, confess any sins that come to mind, rest in His sure forgiveness, and ask Him to guide you in how to move forward (1 John 1:9).

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)