Student Devotion Session 4: Vertical Worship

Key Verse:

Psalm 103:1-12

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Devotion:

Actions. Reactions.

Webster's defines the word action as "a thing done." An action can be anything, right? Standing up, throwing a paper airplane, or texting a friend are all actions. It's simple, really. Anything you do can be considered an action.

On the other hand, a reaction is defined as" a response to some treatment, situation, or stimulus." Basically, a reaction is a response to any action. Want some examples? Think about the actions we listed above. If you were to suddenly stand up in the middle of a nice dinner with your boyfriend or girlfriend, he or she might react with confusion. (or they might look at you like you've lost it.) If you were to throw a paper airplane in the hallway and hit your principle in the eye, his or her reaction would probably spell trouble for you. And if you were texting your friend to tell her that your crush just asked you to the homecoming dance, here reaction would be excitement.

The nature of the reaction depends on the nature of the action.

Read Psalm 103:1-12. This is one of the many Psalms written by David. You know David. The guy that killed the giant. The one who had to hide out from King Saul while Saul tried to kill him. The one who was said to have a "heart like God's." David was an awesome king, undoubtedly the best ruler Israel ever had. He wasn't perfect (You might remember the whole Bathsheba incident.) But he Loved the Lord. And many of his psalms reflect this Love.

If you go back and look at this psalm one more time, you realize something pretty cool. This psalm is all about actions and reactions. David lists some of the amazing things God has done, not just for David, but for the nation of Israel. David says that God forgives sin, heals diseases, satisfies desires, works righteousness for the oppressed, gives freely of His compassion while patiently doling out His anger, and so on, and so on. These are some pretty awesome actions. But what is the reaction?

David makes it clear: His reaction to all of God's actions is to lift up praise and worship to God. The appropriate reaction to God's Love is Love in return. How cool is that?

You have to ask yourself this question: "How have I been responding to all the ways God has shown me love in my life?" If your answer is anything less than giving God the praise He is due, you might need to spend some time examining your heart.

God had done so much for you. His actions demonstrate His Love. Does your reaction demonstrate praise?

Student Devotion Session 2: Love's Great Sacrifice

Key Verses: Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." & Leviticus 19:18, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD"

The books of Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell a similar story. In each of these books, Jesus is in the company of some of the Jewish religious leaders.

In Matthew and Mark's account, Jesus was asked by one of the Jewish religious leaders what the greatest commandment of the Law was. This guy was trying to trick Jesus, but Jesus turned it around on him.

Jesus actually answered in an amazing way. If he had answered incorrectly, or had given an answer that wasn't well thought out, the Jewish leaders could have accused Him of trying to abolish parts of the Law.

A lot was riding on Jesus' answer.

Before you go on, stop for a minute and read Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. Sum up those passages in one sentence.

We might not get it now, some 2,000 years later, but at the time what Jesus did by putting these two commandments together was a big, big deal.

In answering the Jewish leaders this way, Jesus combined the emphasis of the first half of the Ten Commandments (obligation to God) with the second half (obligation to others). But Jesus did more than that...

Look back at Matthew 22. Compare verse 37 with verse 39. Circle the powerful word appears in both verses. Did you catch it? You should have circled the world Love.

The most amazing thing Jesus did was make His answer all about love. It wasn't about rule following. It wasn't about stale religion. Jesus said we mu;st love God, and love people.

Love God. Love People.

It really is that simple.

Think about any changes you might need to make in your life to begin to show more love and thankfulness to God. Think about any attitudes or issues you have that get in the way of loving others. Now, pray to God that He will help you put into practice the changes you need to make in your life.

Student Devotion Session 2: Love's Great Sacrifice

Key Verse: 1 John 4:9-10, " 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

How far would you go to demonstrate your Love for someone? If your first thought was, "Depends on who were talking about," then you're probably like most people. After all, you Love people differently, don't you? Think of your distant cousin you only see once every few years. Your Love for him or her is different than your Love for, say, your mom, right? The lengths you would go to show your Love for your mom probably a lot greater than the lengths you would go to show your Love for your cousin. You'd give up a kidney for mom. For cousin whatshername? Uh... not so much.

Read 1 John 4:9-10. We're back with our good friend John the Apostle. As we mentioned in last session's devotion, John knew Jesus as intimately as anyone. He was one of Jesus' most trusted disciples. In fact, John was known as "the beloved disciple." As much as anyone, John grasped the significance of Jesus' identity and His mission. John knew that God sent Jesus to this world. John knew Jesus was God's most precious gift to His creation.

Why was Jesus such a precious gift? Because Jesus was God's answer to the question of how we as humans could once-and-for-all pay our sin-debt. You see, God is perfectly good. Any sin is a sin against Him and His standards. God is also perfectly just. And all sin must be punished. If God didn't punish all sin, He wouldn't be worth our devotion. God sent Jesus to pay the debt for our sins, clearing the way for us to have eternal fellowship with God.

How far would you go to demonstrate your Love for someone? Not as far as God did to demonstrate His Love for you. God sent His only son to die for you. And Jesus willingly obeyed. Why? Because God loves you. Jesus loves you. Even when you are unlovable. That is amazing love!