ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
GOD IS BLESSED God delights fully in himself and in all that reflects his character.
We imitate God’s blessedness when we find delight and happiness in things that please God. When we’re thankful for the specific abilities, preferences, and other characteristics with which God has created us as individuals, we imitate his blessedness. We find our greatest blessedness—our greatest happiness—in the source of all good qualities, God himself.
Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
Praise God that He is Blessed
Praise God that he is full of delight. He is the source of joy and blessedness. Praise him that everything he has made is good. Praise and thank him for sharing his delight with us.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for Youth Horizons. Ask God to use their staff and their volunteers to be God’s ambassadors to children at-risk.
- Ask God to give you strength to be faithful as his ambassador today.
- Ask God to speak to you as you read the scriptures.
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Corinthians 5 English Standard Version
Our Heavenly Dwelling
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
Somewhere between age 28 and 33 you stop “growing” and begin “aging.” For most people they reach their physical peak around this time and things start, well, going downhill. Of course there are many variables but the point is that physically, most people spend most of their lives on the downward slope of their physical peak. By all means maximize your physical health for the glory of God and your own enjoyment. But realize we are all outwardly wasting away. Since this is true it is so very important to be renewed inwardly day by day in your relationship with Christ. Paul wrote elsewhere that “physical training has some temporary value, but godliness has much more, it has eternal value.” It is a good trade to give up physical strength and beauty for spiritual growth and Christlike internal beauty. It is a terrible trade to give up physical well-being (which happens to all) and at the same time not grow in the image of Christ on the inside. Pay much attention to your life with Christ. Lean into all his resources of Word, Spirit, and People. Make the good trade.