August Devos from The Greatest Adventure Ever: 365 Day Teen Devotional

Note: The following two devotionals are selected from the month of August. 

August 4
100 Degrees in the Shade
Job 6:17 

But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. 
The brook vanishes in the heat. 

Have you ever been in a desert? If you have, describe your experience. If you haven’t, describe what you think a desert would be like: 

One thing everyone knows about the desert: it’s hot and dry. Today’s scripture describes what happens when we rely on others for comfort in tough times instead of God. Sometimes when the going gets tough, those around us add to the misery with their harsh words instead of giving us words of hope. In John 7:38, God describes His words to us as “living water,” His healing, comforting spirit that will never run out, no matter how hot a situation gets. 

Just like we can be dehydrated and parched from the heat of the sun, we can be parched and dehydrated spiritually as well. That’s why God’s living water is an oasis compared to anything a person can give us. 

Describe what your ideal oasis would look like after a long journey through the desert. If you’d like, you can draw it instead. 

That’s what God wants His word to be for us in our spiritual lives. 

While our friends may try to help us with their words, God’s words are always better. Do you have a hot desert in your life right now that needs the cooling power of God? Take your struggles to God, either in a journal entry or a prayer. 

August 24
Gully Washer
Psalm 94:19 

When doubts filled my mind, 
your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. 

This time of the year it’s hot in most areas of the country, but in some of the southern states, this is gully washer or monsoon season, which means huge amounts of rain fall in a very short amount of time, flooding areas that usually don’t get a lot of rain. 

These events can be catastrophic—and sometimes deadly—in dry, hot places that don’t have proper drainage. 

Have you ever experienced a gully washer? If so, journal the story below. 

We can experience emotional gully washers as well, when life situations overwhelm us to the point that we shut down. We may feel like we’re drowning in our problems at school, problems at home or fears about the future. 

How can we make it through emotional gully washers? King David tells us in today’s scripture that God will give us comfort. When we talk to God about the things that trouble us, He promises to lift us out of the floodwaters. Isaiah 43:2 and Isaiah 41:10 both encourage us with this thought: that God is strong enough to get us through our troubles. He’ll always keep our heads above the water.

Are you feeling overwhelmed right now? Journal about the things that have you treading water. Then present your list of gully washers to God—He’s ready to turn your doubt and fear into hope and cheer.