Daily Devotional

In yesterday’s verse, we saw that God created people. And because people are created, they’re special to God. God loves people and wants to have a relationship with them.

As followers of God, that means that we should treat others with respect because all people are created by God, and as His creations, they are important and special to Him.

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

Yes, there are going to be people that you don’t agree with. Some people will make you mad and others you just might not understand. Yet even in the midst of the frustration others cause us, all people have value. Not because they do or say the right things, but because God created them with value.

Today’s Truth: We can love others because they were created by God and have value.

Some of the people might not know Jesus yet, and so they’re just downright mean. Others might have accepted Jesus but haven’t let God’s word run their lives. And yet, even if people don’t treat us right, annoy us, or simply think so differently than us, as Christians, we are called to love them.

We might never agree with them. We might never think the same as they do, but we can still treat them with dignity and respect. Why? Because to God, they were created and formed by Him.

When I took art classes at school, I loved to draw with colored pencils. I enjoyed shading my drawings and had fun transferring the ideas in my head onto paper. For one of my best drawings, I spent several weeks tweaking to get the right shading and coloring. Because I spent so much time making the drawing, I knew all about it. I knew every part of it, and each pencil I used to shade the drawing. As the person who created the drawing, I knew it in a way that no one else could.

We see God speaking about something similar in today’s verse.

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

God is the one who formed and created everything. Even you. So that means that He knows you in a way that no one else can. He created you and He formed you. He knows everything about you, and He loves you.

Today’s Truth: Because God Created People, They Have Value to Him.

So on those days when your emotions tell you that you’re not special. Or when thoughts come to you that cause you to not value yourself, remember that God spent time creating you. He formed you and loves you.

And not only does He love you, but He loves every other person He created too. So when you begin to want to yell at someone or treat them badly, remember that they too are special to God. He loves each of them deeply too.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Isn’t it crazy how busy we are? As students, we are constantly running from one thing to the next. Rush to get to class. We rush to get to practice. There is so much rushing, that often, we forget to simply be still and listen for God to speak.

The thing about God is that He’s not going to force you to stop and listen to Him. He does want to speak to you, but He’s not going to force you to make that happen. There’s never going to be a completely perfect time to hear from God.

That means you’ve got to be intentional about getting still to hear from God.

God wants to speak to you. He wants to help you make good decisions, to show you how much He loves you, and to be a part of your life. However, He’s not going to force His way into your life. Instead, you’ve got to choose to let Him in.

The amount you hear from God is up to you. God wants to speak to you all the time!

Today’s Challenge: Be Still

Challenge yourself today to be still. Find a moment where you can sit and listen to God. Let God speak into your life. God wants to speak to you, it’s just up to you to get still so you can hear Him.

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It’s so easy to give in to fear. You can do it without even trying. And if you don’t learn to stop fear, eventually, it will stop you.

When I was a teenager, I was afraid of rejection. Instead of having friends reject me, I’d hide in the bathroom at lunch. I was afraid that no one would want to eat with me. So instead of being in the cafeteria, I’d hide in the restroom until lunch was over. Fear stopped me.

Instead of trying to make friends, I decided that I’d let the fear of rejection be the stronger voice in my life. As a result, I was often sad and lonely.

Today’s Truth: You can say “no” to fear

Fear in any area of your life will try to stop you. It will stop you from making friends, taking risks, and sharing your faith. So today, determine to say “no” to fear. Begin to step out, even when you’re afraid. Don’t let fear have the final say in your life!

Instead, be like Joshua. Be strong, don’t fear, and see God come through for you in a mighty way.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. – Joshua 8:1 (NLT)

Have you ever given any thought to the idea of evolution? Many schools teach evolution, and many of us probably just accept it as taught in our textbooks. We’ve just studied for the science test, learned the things from the book we needed to pass, and moved on with our lives.

There is a problem, however, with believing in evolution. It’s this, it robs us of our purpose in life.

The Bible tells us that we were created. And we weren’t created, then left alone to figure life out by ourselves. No, God created us for a purpose.

And while the details of that specific purpose (destiny or job) will be different for each of us, the main reason we were created is to get to know God.

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. – Acts 17:27 (NLT)

God created us to seek Him. And if we spend our lives doing anything else, we will always feel unfulfilled. Why? Because we aren’t living out our real purpose, which is seeking God.

If you seek fulfillment and purpose for your life, determine to spend time seeking God. Learn about Him and realize that He created you for a purpose. As you spend time with Him, He will show you and teach you what that is.

So don’t believe the lie in the world today that you evolved. No, your life has a purpose. You have meaning. You were created to seek after God!

Today’s Truth: I am created for a purpose.

In science class, you’ve probably heard a lot about evolution. You’ve heard the idea that over time, the human race evolved into what we see today. The trouble with the theory of evolution is that not only does it contradict the Bible, but it also removes the value that God placed on people.

When God made humans, he made them in his image. That is different than how He said He made the rest of the plants and animals. What that means is that people aren’t just another animal that evolved to be more complex. Rather, we were created and created with value.

That’s why we instinctively know it’s wrong to kill another human. Because we aren’t just animals. Humans were made in the image of God.

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

Today, challenge yourself to believe that you were created. As God says, you were made in His image. That means you’re special, and you have a purpose. Don’t let yourself be lied to and told you’re less than God’s best. God made you with value. Choose today to see that value in yourself and in others and live today on purpose knowing you have value.

Today’s Truth: I was created with value.