The Right Change

RIGHT CHOICES AREN’T ALWAYS REWARDED IN THIS LIFE.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read 1 Samuel 26:1-11.

Verse of the Day: “The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal” (1 Samuel 26:23).

“I can’t believe it!” Nathan said, as he entered the house that afternoon.

Mom looked up from her crossword puzzle. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Amber forgot her lunch money last week at school, so I gave her some money,” he explained. He set his backpack on the kitchen table.

“Yeah, so?” Mom asked.

“Well, today she stood behind me in line at the soda machine. I put my money in and nothing happened. So I figured it was broken or something and I turned around to Amber and told her the machine ate my money.”

Mom nodded.

“She said, ‘I’ll try it anyway,’” Nathan continued. “So she started to put her money in and the machine started giving her change right away. She pressed the button, got a can of soda, and then started counting her change. It turns out she got a can of soda for five cents!”

“And she didn’t offer to pay you back the money you lost,” Mom said.

“No!” Nathan said. “She just smiled and walked away, leaving me without a soda.”

Mom shook her head. “You’re right,” she said. “That does seem pretty thoughtless. But that doesn’t change the fact that you did the right thing by helping her when she forgot her lunch money. It just points out that right choices aren’t always rewarded—at least not in this life.” She placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “But don’t let that stop you from making right choices the next time. Whether they’re rewarded or not, they’re still the best way to go.”

TO DISCUSS: Even though David spared Saul’s life in the wilderness of Ziph, David continued to live in exile until Saul’s death. Do you think David regretted showing mercy to Saul? Why or why not? Have you always been rewarded for showing mercy? Have you ever regretted showing mercy?

TO PRAY: “Lord, help us to be merciful, even when people treat us unfairly.”