Transformed – teen devotion – October 9, 2022
One truth shared: God replaces my anxious thoughts with the reality that he has shown incredible generosity in my life.
Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
Genesis 8:15-22
Lord, Increase Our Faith That Overflows With Gratitude
“Over a year in that boat with those animals! That’s at least 375 days, God. My home, destroyed. My friends, gone. There is literally no one and nothing left. What am I supposed to do now?” – hypothetical Noah.
Noah had a lot of things he could have complained about or been anxious about. But instead of complaining, whining, or worrying, he worshiped God with gratitude in his heart. That is a surprising reaction. Sure, God saved Noah and his family from the flood, but did he really have to make the flood last that long? Did God really have to wipe out the whole earth? Noah was now in charge of starting the world over. Talk about pressure. Noah had a ton of reasons to complain or feel anxious, but instead, he was grateful to God.
Why?
Because Noah was very aware of reality. Noah was aware of who God is. Noah was aware of who he was. He was aware of what he deserved. He was aware of the generous grace of God that God poured out on Noah and his family.
Ask yourself, “Do I live with an awareness of God’s generosity in my life? Why do I sometimes feel so anxious and frustrated?” Why? Because we lose awareness of our reality. When we complain, we’ve lost sight of all of the blessings God has shown us. When we are anxious, we have forgotten who is walking alongside us. When we grumble, we have ignored the truth that we are sinners and that God has showered us with his love to make us his adopted children.
Be a Noah and open your eyes of faith! Be aware of this reality: You are a child of God. That means he made you sinless in his eyes and he loves you like crazy. The super powerful God, who made everything and rules over everything, made and rules everything with you in mind. The goal of your life has already been set by God, heaven. He is going to do whatever it takes to make sure you get to enjoy heaven forever. These truths help drive anxiousness from your lives and fill us with thankfulness.
So, open your eyes of faith. Be fully aware of reality. Enjoy life with gratitude in heart to God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to truly see how generous you have been to me in my life. When I’m anxious or complaining, remind me again that I am safely yours, today and forever. Amen.
