God's Glory: Lesson 1 | Day 3

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed . . . Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalms 57:1 & 5

David wrote the Psalms in different stages of his life. These poetic songs were utilized in worship many centuries ago. And yet they connect deeply with us today.

As you read this psalm, you’ll see the struggle and pain David is walking through. In the first verse he simply comes to God telling of an impending disaster in his life. But what David does next is an example to us when we face struggles of our own.

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”

When challenges come, we are to take refuge in God. When challenges seem huge we need to ‘lift up’ (exalt) God above our challenges. When challenges come we need to remind ourselves of God’s glory and be content knowing that He is God.

As you consider the challenges of school, friends, family, success, and failure, don’t be overwhelmed by them. Instead, reframe the psalm below inserting your circumstances into it:

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until (your specific situation) has passed. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over (your specific situation). “

Consider your present circumstances in the light of God’s incredible glory and power, and realize that He’s able to give you the strength you need.

God's Glory: Lesson 1 | Day 2

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Have you been to a famous art gallery? Behind every work of art is a creator with a plan for what the masterpiece should look like. Most works of art take months or even years to create as the artist pays attention to every small detail. At the end of the creation, the artist will carefully add his or her mark or signature to authenticate the work.

God’s signature is all over creation. But, have you considered that God’s glory is also seen through His creation of YOU? You are God’s creation. Ephesians 2:10 uses a Greek word poiēma, which means “God’s masterpiece.” That’s you!

Some things to think about:

• God is the Creator who has specific purposes for His masterpieces. His fingerprints are all over your life. 

• God’s glory is displayed through His creation. You’re a part of that creation. And so your life brings glory to God. Let this thought dramatically change the way you see yourself and your day!

God's Glory: Lesson 1 | Day 1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4

Have you ever heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” Essentially, this psalm is saying, “God’s glory speaks a thousand words through His creation.” Have you really considered that God speaks to us through His creation?

If creation could speak audibly about God’s glory and who He is, what would it say? Take some time to write down words that describe God and who He is based on what you see in the world around you. Think about these words as you go through your day.

Jesus & Forgiveness: Lesson 2 | Devotion 3

Your task today is to memorize this verse:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” - Matthew 6:14-15

Write it down if you need to. Say it to yourself a million times. Listen to it on your phone. Do what you need to do to hide this verse in your heart.

Then, put it to use. Let it drive your actions and thoughts today.

Jesus & Forgiveness: Lesson 2 | Devotion 2

You were asked this week in your time of Bible study to think of at least one person to whom you need to extend forgiveness.

So, here’s the question: Have you done this? Have you thought of someone who has wronged you but to whom you haven’t extended forgiveness to?

The bigger question may be, “What are you waiting for?”

Listen, forgiveness is hard. Everyone knows that. But just because it’s hard doesn’t give you an excuse to not do it.

Trust in God. Lean on the Spirit. Be bold in your faith. And do the hard work of forgiving whom you need to forgive.

Jesus & Forgiveness: Lesson 2 | Devotion 1

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.’” - Matthew 18:32-35

This parable is a strong flavor, isn’t it?

Let’s just call it like it is: Jesus wasn’t messing around. He basically says that if people think they can take advantage of God’s forgiveness and treat others harshly, they have another thing coming. God expects us to treat others with the same level of mercy He shows to us.

Now, we might think this is a pretty tall task. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Maybe our hesitant reaction to this parable comes because we don’t truly believe how sinful we are and don’t fully realize the depths of God’s forgiveness. Maybe if we saw ourselves for who we really are we’d be much more inclined to forgive others more readily.

So, the next time you’re not feeling very forgiving, remember: God expects you to forgive others as He forgives us.

Jesus & Forgiveness: Lesson 1 | Devotion 3

Read the following quotes:

Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.C. S. Lewis

Forgiveness is a funny thing — it warms the heart and cools the sting.William A. Ward

These two quotes kind of represent the two sides of forgiveness, don’t they? IN a way they are opposites. Which one do you identify with the most? Do you find that it is easier to forgive or be forgiven?

Pray today that God will give you the strength to forgive even though it is a painful process at times. Pray that God would give you the heartwarming feeling that comes when you’ve been forgiven or when you have extended forgiveness to others.