READ: ISAIAH 12:2; MATTHEW 6:25-34; MARK 13:26-37

Do you have, in your area of the world, a tradition where people gather every year in a certain city and pull a type of rodent out of his home in order to predict the weather? Yes, it does sound funny! And if you live in the USA, you might recognize this day as Groundhog Day. Grown men in fancy suits gather around “Punxsutawney Phil” every February 2nd. They take the groundhog out of his hole, put him on top of a red-carpet-lined tree stump, and note whether Phil can spot his shadow. This “foretells” whether or not we will enjoy an early spring or expect winter for six more weeks. Then, they put him back.

Groundhog Day is a funny tradition. Most people don’t believe it can actually predict the weather, but this holiday reminds us that people have always wanted to know the future.

And yet God tells us throughout the Bible to trust Him for our future, even for important things, like when Christ will one day return. You might find a lot of people wondering about the state of the world, and whether or not Christ will return soon. Some start speculating about current events and think maybe they know the date.

And yet, not even Jesus knew when He would return. As God the Son, He was leaving that to God the Father. I think we can leave it to the Father too. We don’t actually need to know anything more than what God has already said to us in the Bible. He has given us everything we need to get to know Jesus, to follow Him, and to live in the power of His Holy Spirit.

Sure, it might seem fun to know exactly what’s ahead, but if God thought that was a good idea, then He would tell us. And since He hasn’t, we can focus on growing in Him and doing the good things He created us to do as we wait expectantly for Jesus’s return. • Kristen Merrill

• Why do you think there are some things God doesn’t let us know in advance?

• God calls us to trust Him with our future. And this isn’t a blind trust—we can have confidence that He loves us and that He will keep His promises, because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us. As Christians, we can look forward to Jesus’s return joyfully! What questions do you have about Jesus’s return? Who are trusted Christians you could ask?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 24:1-51; 25:31-46; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; James 4:13-16; Revelation 21:1-5; 22:20

[Jesus said,] “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 6:4-13

Once I belonged to a church that held services at a school cafeteria. For youth group on Wednesday nights, we met at a daycare that had closed for the evening.

The daycare managers didn’t charge any fees to hold our youth group events there. To express gratitude, our church leadership organized an appreciation lunch for the daycare staff. The pastor asked volunteers to provide food, so I baked homemade cookies to contribute.

On the day I dropped off my goodies, I realized some youth group parents had purchased sandwiches, side dishes, and desserts from a local shop for the staff lunch. My contribution (the only homemade item) looked out of place amidst the professionally catered meal.

That day, I offered what I could but felt embarrassed it didn’t measure up. But when I consider a young boy mentioned in Scripture—and how his simple meal of a few fish and bread loaves blessed a multitude—I think God might have a different view of those cookies.

When we entrust our lives to Jesus, we begin new lives as children of God. Because of His death and resurrection, not only can we receive forgiveness, but we can also believe God has good plans for all of us who trust Him; that includes joining in His work to provide for others. And the success of those plans depends on Him far more than it does on us. Just look at that one little basket of lunch that Jesus multiplied until it fed a whole horde of people!

I’m sure the cookies I delivered to the daycare didn’t transform into enough to feed thousands. But I do wonder if what I shared brought a smile to the face of someone craving a chocolate chip cookie. No matter what, though, we can rest assured that God has the power to take whatever little we offer and use it in big ways. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Do you sometimes feel you don’t have much to offer when it comes to blessing others or sharing in the work of God? What abilities or possessions has God given you that you might have overlooked? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this and write down whatever comes to mind.

• How does God measure what we give differently than the world measures?

[Andrew said to Jesus,] “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” John 6:9 (CSB)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:15-32; 5:15-20; 6:18-20

There’s something wonderful about French fries. But have you ever had disappointing French fries? I have. They had no salt—the worst thing that can happen to a perfectly good batch of fries! Salt makes things taste good. But do you know what else salt is good for? Our words.

If we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit seasons our words so we can communicate the gospel clearly. He adds things like kindness, gentleness, grace, and love—allowing us to build people up with our words, not tear them down.

But our speech doesn’t just impact others, it also impacts us. If we spend a lot of time telling ourselves we are stupid, ugly, unloved, or failures, that negative self-talk can easily become part of our sense of identity.

Having the ability to speak is special. In fact, language is one of the things that sets humans apart from the rest of creation. God calls us to keep a close watch over our mouths. But Jesus—fully God and fully human—is the only one who could do this perfectly. In His time of temptation, He quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). When He was mocked and beaten, He chose silence motivated by love (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:62-63; 27:14). And while dying on the cross, He spoke with grace and compassion as He asked God the Father to forgive the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).

When Jesus died on that cross, and then rose from the grave, He not only saved us from sin—He redeemed human speech. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He begins transforming our words. We can speak the truth in love as we learn to season every word with the salt of His love and good news. And even when we mess up, we can rest in His forgiveness and start fresh. So let’s stop the trash talk and start saying something good! • Rebecca Morgan

• How have you been speaking about your friends, your family, and yourself lately? How do you talk about the difficult people in your life?

• In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about what’s in your heart, asking Him to help you see others, and yourself, how He sees us— with truth and love.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)