WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION :)

[Guest guest]

FROM: THE WOMEN'S DEVOTIONAL BIBLE 2

YOU ARE PRECIOUS

BY SUSAN LENZKES

BUT NOW, THIS IS WHAT THE

LORD SAYS---

HE WHO CREATED YOU,

O JACOB,

HE WHO FORMED YOU,

O ISRAEL:

" FEAR NOT, FOR I HAVE

REDEEMED YOU; I HAVE

SUMMONED YOU BY NAME; YOU

ARE MINE. "

_________________VERSE: ISAIAH 43:1

_______PASSAGE: ISAIAH 43:1-4, 18-19

AS A TEACHER TEACHES BEST BY SPARKING CURIOSITY, SO A FRIEND

ENCOURAGES BEST BY KINDLING SELF-WORTH.

RECENTLY A DEAR FRIEND WAS TALKING WITH ME ABOUT HER STRUGGLE TO

REALIZE HER OWN WORTH.

" THE OTHER DAY, " SHE SAID, " I WAS SO FRUSTRATED WITH MY SLOW

PROGRESS, WONDERING IF I WOULD EVER REALLY LEARN TO BE KIND TO MYSELF.

THEN I THOUGHT OF YOU AND ANOTHER FRIEND WHO HAVE AFFIRMED ME FOR SO

MANY YEARS, BELIEVING IN ME EVEN WHEN I DIDN'T HONOR MY OWN OPINIONS AND

FEELINGS, AND MAKING ME FEEL SPECIAL WHEN I DIDN'T PLACE MUCH VALUE ON

MYSELF. AND I SUDDENLY UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING THAT'S HELPING ME BE MORE

PATIENT WITH MYSELF.

" I REALIZED THAT YOU'VE LOVED ME A LOT LONGER THAN I'VE LOVED MYSELF,

SO YOU'RE *BETTER* AT IT! I KNOW WHERE THAT KIND OF LOVE COMES FROM. AND

I KNOW THAT IN TIME, I'LL GET BETTER AT IT TOO. "

WHAT A PRIVILEGE GOD HAS GIVEN US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER! WHEN THE

APOSTLE PAUL INSTRUCTED US TO OBSERVE WHATEVER IS TRUE, NOBLE, RIGHT,

PURE, LOVELY, ADMIRABLE, EXCELLENT AND PRAISEWORTHY (PHILIPPIANS 4:8),

HE HANDED US A DELIGHTFUL SET OF TOOLS TO CARVE SELF-WORTH INTO THE

LIVES OF OTHERS. AS WE SEE AND AFFIRM THESE POSITIVE QUALITIES IN OUR

FRIENDS, OUR FRIENDS BEGIN TO SEE THE *SOURCE* OF ALL THAT IS TRUE AND

EXCELLENT AND PRAISEWORTHY. AND SOON THEY BEGIN PRAISING THEIR LOVELY

CREATOR BY BECOMING ALL HE MEANT FOR THEM TO BE.

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ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS:

1 SAMUEL 20:16-17

HEBREWS 10:25

1 JOHN 4:16-19

GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

SAM