Afternoon Devotion
April 7, 2021
Afternoon Bible Verse
Colossians 2:6-7
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Afternoon Bible Study
Our identity is how we define who we are. We place labels on ourselves based on our actions, appearance, and what others think about us. But the truth is, the only thing that matters is what God thinks about us.
If we build our identities on a shaky foundation, life can knock us off our feet, leaving our feelings of self-worth to move from success to failure in a heartbeat. When we think we have it all together, something happens to make us realize that we don't—not even close. These moments help us understand how desperately we need God.
Instead of riding the roller coaster of emotions that happen as a result of wondering who we are, we have the opportunity to connect our identity to who God says we are. His acceptance of us is not defined by our actions. Otherwise, we would never be good enough. God's grace was extended to us when we were at our worst.
If we build our identities on a shaky foundation, life can knock us off our feet, leaving our feelings of self-worth to move from success to failure in a heartbeat. When we think we have it all together, something happens to make us realize that we don't—not even close. These moments help us understand how desperately we need God.
Instead of riding the roller coaster of emotions that happen as a result of wondering who we are, we have the opportunity to connect our identity to who God says we are. His acceptance of us is not defined by our actions. Otherwise, we would never be good enough. God's grace was extended to us when we were at our worst.
In Christ, we are forgiven, set free, loved, chosen, and treasured by God. When we start to see ourselves the way God sees us, our lives will reflect the security that we have found through our relationship with Him.
We are created in the image of God, and that can never be taken away. Once our identity is established in what God says about us, then we will be unshakable.
We are created in the image of God, and that can never be taken away. Once our identity is established in what God says about us, then we will be unshakable.
Afternoon Prayer
God, thank you for giving me a unique identity. You made me different from everyone else, and I am so grateful. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. Please establish my identity in who you say I am and help me be satisfied in you. As I grow in my relationship with you, let me reflect your character. In Jesus' name, amen.
If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.
-C.S. Lewis
God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.
-Elbert Hubbard
The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.
-C.S. Lewis
If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.
-Dorothy Parker
Yesterday's Devotional
April 6, 2021
Yesterday's Afternoon Bible Verse
Proverbs 14:23
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
Yesterday's Afternoon Bible Study
In our current culture the word entitled has a negative connotation. It implies that a person should be given something, or deserves to be treated a certain way, just because.
Humans are selfish by nature… and that behavior begins at a very young age. In a room full of toddlers, we see grabbing and snatching toys as they repeat the word mine over and over. As children grow into teens, they learn to understand that everything doesn't belong to them, and there are some things that they have to work for if they want them.
Although many develop a strong work ethic that drives them to earn their own way as adults, others come to expect someone else to provide for them. In other words, they feel entitled to have their needs met, rather than providing for themselves.
Humans are selfish by nature… and that behavior begins at a very young age. In a room full of toddlers, we see grabbing and snatching toys as they repeat the word mine over and over. As children grow into teens, they learn to understand that everything doesn't belong to them, and there are some things that they have to work for if they want them.
Although many develop a strong work ethic that drives them to earn their own way as adults, others come to expect someone else to provide for them. In other words, they feel entitled to have their needs met, rather than providing for themselves.
King Solomon certainly didn't promote the idea of entitlement. In Proverbs 14:23, we learn a simple lesson about the value of hard work: Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty. When we work hard it usually pays off, whereas merely talking about work leads to a life of never having what we need.
Hard work is not always for financial gain. Sometimes our payment is an experience or the opportunity to be involved in something great.
The way we work can honor God, help us find our purpose, and allow us to develop the gifts God has given us. As we work, the greatest treasure we can discover is the joy of doing our best in whatever we put our hands to.
Hard work is not always for financial gain. Sometimes our payment is an experience or the opportunity to be involved in something great.
The way we work can honor God, help us find our purpose, and allow us to develop the gifts God has given us. As we work, the greatest treasure we can discover is the joy of doing our best in whatever we put our hands to.
Yesterday's Afternoon Prayer
God, thank you for the opportunity to work. Help me be diligent in everything I do. When I feel frustrated or tired in the work I do, forgive me and replace those feelings with a grateful heart. Thank you for the gifts and abilities you are developing in me. Use the work I do to bring glory and honor to you. In Jesus' name, amen.