Josh McDowell's Youth DevotionsSample

TOUGH QUESTIONS. A young girl wanted to join the chess team at school. The teacher in charge of the team said, "I will ask you three questions. If you can answer at least two of them correctly, you will be on the team." The teacher asked the first question: "Two people are cleaning a chimney. When they come out of the chimney, one has a dirty face and the other has a clean face. Which of them will wash his face?" The girl answered, "The one with the dirty face." "Not so," the teacher patiently replied. "The one with the clean face will wash because he sees his companion's face and assumes that his face is also dirty." The girl looked disappointed but understood. The teacher then repeated the first question word-for-word. The girl assumed the teacher was giving her a second chance and said, "The one with the clean face." "Not so," the teacher said sadly. "The correct answer is both, for the man with the dirty face will ask why the other man is washing when his face is not dirty; then the first man will realize he needs to wash his own face." "I've already missed two questions," the girl said, disappointment showing on her face. "I know I won't be on the team, but what is the third question?" The teacher said, "The third question is one you should have asked yourself: If two men came out of a chimney, why would only one have had a dirty face?" The teacher smiled. "Don't miss the obvious, and you will be a successful player. Welcome to the team!" Once that poor girl learned the answers to the teacher's questions, they seemed obvious. Choosing between right and wrong can be like that. The right answer may seem obvious when we're looking back, but that doesn't help us when we face a puzzling or difficult choice. That's why it's so important to trust God and commit yourself to following his way because he does know the answers. "He knows the way that I take," Job said (Job 23:10, NIV); he knows which choices are right, which are wrong, and which way is the best one for each of us to follow. He knows infinitely more than we do-which is why we're smart when we do what he commands. REFLECT: Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer once said, "I would rather trust God's wisdom than mine." Do you agree? Why or why not? ACT: Spring the three questions above on a friend or family member. After you share the correct answers, share also the importance of following God's wisdom. PRAY: "Help me to trust your wisdom by obeying your commands."