In an ever-changing world, we can be certain of one thing: we are beloved by God. Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight.
Learn More: http://www.zondervan.com/adored
In an ever-changing world, we can be certain of one thing: we are beloved by God. Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight.
Learn More: http://www.zondervan.com/adored
In an ever-changing world, we can be certain of one thing: we are beloved by God. Adored: 365 Devotions for Young Women tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight.
Learn More: http://www.zondervan.com/adored
L ove is such a complicated word for so few letters. We
might say we love a lot of different thingsour friends, close family members, mentors... or the book we just read, a chai tea latte, and chocolate-chip cookies. The word love means something different in each of those contexts, doesnt it? Throw in the love found in romantic relationships, and we have a full spectrum of complex feelings. And all expressed using those four little letters. Maybe the fact that this little word has so many dif- ferent uses is the reason we struggle to understand what it really means when the Bible tells us God loves us. Not only does God love us, but he himself is love. We can figure out pretty quickly were talking about something other than chocolate- chip-cookie love, but that doesnt necessarily help us understand what God does mean when he says he loves us. The fact is, God doesnt just love us. He adores us. And maybe we struggle to understand that because we look in the mirror and wonder why the great big God of the Universe would look at us and think, Yes. She is my adored, beloved daughter. But make no mistake: no matter what our inse- curities try to tell us, God does delight in us, his beautiful 7
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Adored
creations. This devotional will explore Gods great love for
us. Well look at everything from deep spiritual truths to the everyday ups and downs of life. Theres a short scripture verse and devotional message for every day of the year, but you dont have to start at the beginning of the year or the book! Start where you like. Read as many as you like. One per day is great, but the important thing is that you keep going, keep learning more about our amazing God and his limitless love. And if his Spirit moves you, let God know how much you adore him on the journal- ing lines following each devotion All right, adored daughter. Lets get started.
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DAY 1
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ROMANS 5:8
W e are Gods adored. You are his cherished, treasured
possession. Thats a tough truth to swallow some- times. When we feel awkward, rejected, misunderstood, or lonely, its hard to imagine the God of the universe even remembers us, let alone adores us. And who isnt awkward ninety-seven percent of the time? Ninety-nine if you count the times we run into things, trip over our own feet, or drop things just because. But its true. God does adore us. His very character reveals to us just how deeply were loved. This Godthis unchangeable, eternal, beautiful, jealous, all-k nowing, all- powerful, merciful God of lovek nows you by name. He calls you his own, and, despite his utter bigness, he sent his son into the world to save you long before you were ever born. Thats how much he adores you. And by getting to know him in all his glory, we learn exactly how big a deal it is to be called adored.
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DAY 2
[The foundations of the earth] will perish, but
you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. PSALM 102:2627
M aybe youve never thought much about God remaining
the same, always and forever. Sure, youve seen the Bible verses that say God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But have you ever thought about why thats so important, or how much it affects your life? Can you imagine if God was changeable? What if his standards, his nature, his very self evolved the way our cul- ture does? What if what God thought was acceptable one second was the next second deemed uncool, unwise, or flat- out wrong? Even worse, what if the greatest gift God has ever given to you was suddenly taken back because God changed his mind? But he never will. God is unchangeable. He remains the same, always. What he promised yesterday still stands today. He sent his son to the cross because you are so loved. Your redemption was worth it to God and he hasnt changed his mind.
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DAY 3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. GENESIS 1:1
I t would be clich to start our devotions with the first
verse of the Bible. So were doing it on Day 3. Because were original like that. Theres this indescribably huge, massively powerful, amazingly creative God who made everything. I bet youve read that beforelike if youve sat in any Sunday school class, ever. So when you feel the warmth of the sun on your face, see the beauty of a natural landscape, study the intri- cacy of a human cell, you know God made all that. He spoke, and it was. He imagined, and it was born. Every good thing you see, taste, hear, touch, think, or feel is a result of that God-creation. And this is the same God who wants to hear about your day. This is the same God who tells you to come to him when youre tired, overloaded, stressed-out. This is the same God who tells you to pray to him, ask for good things, trust him with your hopes and fears. Do you think hes able to hold those details in the palm of his universe-sized hand? Of course. Because your God is the God of the beginning.
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DAY 4
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever. H EBREWS 13:8
P op culture changes by the second. The new It-Couple
breaks up and makes up faster than the paparazzi can snap the pics to prove it. Social media moves at warp speed. If you blink, youve missed the latest hashtag or filter. Its impossible to stay on top of it all. And we may very well decide we have no desire to! When much of our culture is strapped to an ever- changing merry-go-round of reality TV and rising and falling stars, its difficult to fathom someone who stays the same. Forever. Since always. But thats what we have in Jesus. Our savior isnt sweating to keep up with anyone, and hes not struggling to conquer the latest social media craze. Hes constant and unchanging in a world that never slows down, never stands still. No matter what else is shifting in your life, you can trust in the steadfastness of Christ.
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DAY 5
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. JAMES 1:17
Y ou do you. Ever heard anyone say that? It sounds
simple, but its not always easy to do you when theres pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing. For you, that pressure may feel most intense at school, on the sports field, at church, or at home. No matter where you go, there will always be people who expect you to act, think, or even dress in a certain way. Its not always a bad thing to fit in with the crowd. But what about conforming when it would compromise who you are or, worse, your beliefs? Thats a no-go. Your personal identity and your identity in Christ are two priceless gifts from God. Protect them. Stand firm in who you are, know- ing God is always true to himself, and we can be, too. You do you.
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DAY 6
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1920
A nyone remember the Great Yoga Pants War of 2014?
Everyone had an opinion on modestybare shoulders are scandalous, girls shouldnt wear spandex when working out, skinny jeans should be banned, lets nix shorts while were at it. And let us not even speak of midriffs or bathing suits. So, is there truth in the chatter? The Bible doesnt give us two lists of clothing, one forbidden and one acceptable. No one can tell you precisely how God feels about wearing leggings as pants. But we do know that the same God who inspired 1 Corinthians 6:1920 is the Lord of our lives. And so we know God wants us to treat our bodies with respect, and that includes not reducing our beautiful, wonderful bodies to objects. The greatest danger in failing to respect our bodies in this way is that we, Gods adored daughters, begin to believe our worth lies in our physical beauty or sexual attractive- ness. You are more than your sex appeal, beloved daughter. Honor your worth.
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DAY 7
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human
being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? N UMBERS 23:19
H ave you ever broken a promise to anyone? Said youd
do something then failed to follow through? Yeah, me neither... ahem. God makes a lot of promises in the Bible. He makes promises to the Israelites, promises to the church, prom- ises to those who love him. Those promises can feel distant when you read themlike theyre just words written on scrolls thousands of years ago that have nothing to do with your life today. Nothing to do with us. Except... wait. Are you part of the church? Do you love God? Does that mean can it meanthose promises are really for you, today? Right here, as you read this book, maybe in your pajamas? Yes! The truth is, even though those promises are over two thousand years old, God hasnt gone back on his word. How do we know? Because to do so would be to deny his own unchangeable essence. He doesnt change. He doesnt break his word. So drink in those promises. Theyre for you.