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DEVOTIONS
FOR March 1-6, 2010
Topic:
“Overcoming Adversity/Keeping a Positive Attitude”
Don’t forget to start your devotion time with a prayer!
Ask God to speak to you through His word and that His Spirit would give you
understanding as you APPLY His truth to your life.
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Spend time with the devotions this week. Read the Scriptures and then
think how you can apply them to your life.
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MONDAY
March 1
Look
up and read
James 1:2-4
and
Romans
5:1-5
We WILL Face Trials
James tells
us to consider it “pure joy, my brothers, __________ you face trials of many
kinds…” Did he use the word “if” you face trials? No- he makes it pretty
clear that in this life we WILL have difficult days and things that don’t go
our way. Verses 3 and 4 give us encouragement though: James points out that
it is possible to benefit from our trials. “The testing of your faith
produces __________.” Paul goes even further in Romans 5:3-5 to say that
perseverance produces character and character hope. We’re told to be joyful
and have a positive outlook during trials because they are times in which we
can learn and grow stronger. Can you think of a tough time in your own life
and looking back, can you see how you might have grown from the experience?
God wants to make you stronger and stronger. Spend some time today
re-reading these verses and think about how God might be using adversity in
your life to shape your character.
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TUESDAY
March 2
Look
up and read
Romans 8:18
and
Romans
8:24-27
We have HOPE
Verse 18 points
out that the trials we may face on this earth will not be worth our
complaints- because that’s how great God’s glory will be! Paul continues in
verse 24 “for in _______ we are saved. But _______ that is seen is no
_________ at all. Who _________ for what he already has? But if we
________ for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently.” What does it
mean to hope? What are some things you have hoped for? Paul is telling us
that we can have hope in the promise that God will keep His promises to us-
and one day, all the things we have to deal with here on earth will be no
more. What comes to mind when you think of suffering? What are some hard
situations you have faced in your life? Would you have a different
perspective if you knew that those tough times wouldn’t last forever? We can
be confident that we will see God in His glory one day. Knowing this truth,
how does that change your attitude towards suffering in your life? When you
are having a bad day at home or at school, how can this passage be an
encouragement to you?
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WEDNESDAY
March 3
Look
up and read
Matthew
8:23-27
Have Faith- Jesus
Calms Storms
Matthew says the storm
came up on the lake “without a warning.” Have you every felt like there
have been things in your life that have come up without a warning-
unexpected? Have you failed a test you thought you were going to do well
on? Have you lost a family member or friend? Did you experience an injury
in the middle of your sport’s season? Have you had a day where you felt
like nothing was really going your way? We can think of these situations as
“storms” in our life. What happened in the rest of this story? What was
Jesus’ response to Peter? “You of little ________, why are you afraid?” (vs.
26) Peter had seen Jesus perform miracles and he knew that He was the Son
of God, yet He was still afraid of the storm. Can you relate? If you have
accepted Jesus to be a part of your life, He is with you each day- and just
like He told Peter, there is no reason for you to be afraid. The same God
who calmed the raging seas will be with you during your storms too. Ask God
to help you have faith that He will see you through your adversity and put
that into actions.
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THURSDAY
March 4
Look
up and read
1
Peter 5:6-11
Our Response
If we know that we are
going to face trials and adversity in our lives, and we also know that God
is going to be with us and offers us hope and ways to grow in hard times-
how should we respond? Starting in verse 6, Peter says: “Humble
yourselves…cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be
self-________ and alert.” We are called to humbly obey God no matter what
our present circumstances might be, and in His timing He will lift us up.
How has your attitude been lately? Would you say that you are a humble
person? Would your friends say that you are humble and self-controlled? Do
you trust God with your worries each day? Look at the hope we are given in
verse 10: “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in
Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself ___________ you
and make you _________, ___________, and _____________.” Awesome! God is
going to restore us completely! Spend some time thanking God for His
promise to restore you. Reflect on how you might live in a way that shows
that you are thankful for this promise. |
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FRIDAY March 5
Look
up and read
Philippians
4:4-7 and
Philippians 4:11-13
Attitude Check
“Rejoice in the
Lord _________. I will say it again: Rejoice!” How often are we supposed to
rejoice? Paul is writing these words from prison! That seems strange doesn’t
it, that a man in prison would be telling us to be joyful and rejoice
always? Paul teaches us that our inner attitude does not have to reflect
our outer circumstances. Paul was still full of joy because he knew that NO
MATTER WHAT happened to him, Jesus was still with him. Wow! Isn’t easy for
us to get discouraged by our circumstances, the things that don’t go our
way? Think about how you are looking at your life. Do you have the same
perspective as Paul? Can you say that you can be content in ANY
circumstance? (vs. 11) Spend some time praying that God would help you
change your attitude to see things with a positive perspective. Ask God to
help you keep in mind that He is with you always and that NOTHING you face
will change that. Then, rejoice and let your attitude be joyful all day
long because you know that God is greater than anything you may face!
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SATURDAY
March 6
Look
up and read
John 16:33
We Have Help
“I have told you
these things, so that in ____ you may have peace. In this world you will
have trouble. BUT take heart! ___ have OVERCOME the world.” Jesus tells
us where we can find peace and the strength to choose our attitude. He does
not abandon us when we are dealing with adversity. If we remember that our
ultimate victory has already been won- we can claim the peace of Christ in
any circumstance we face. Do you live like you believe that? Can you do
better in certain areas to make more of an effort to accept His peace?
Close your time with this prayer of St. Augustine: “Almighty God, in whom
we live and move and have our being, who has made us for yourself, so that
our hearts are restless till they rest in you: Grant us purity of heart and
strength of purpose, that no selfish passion may hinder us from knowing your
will, no weakness from doing it; but that in your light we may see light
clearly, and in your service find perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” |
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See you at Sunday
School, Worship and Youth Fellowship this Sunday!
Bible references provided by
www.biblegateway.com
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