Devotions For Students DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

   

Devotions For Students   Lesson  1:  Full  Of  Compassion    

DAY  1   “Be  merciful,  just  as  your  Father  is  merciful.”  ⎯  Luke  6:36     Have  you  ever  had  a  friend  or  sibling  copy  everything  you  do?  Sometimes   they  do  it  just  to  get  on  your  nerves.  Other  times  they  do  it  because  they   genuinely  look  up  to  you  and  want  to  be  like  you.  Regardless  of  why  they  do   it,  it  can  get  kind  of  annoying  at  times.  You  just  want  to  be  you  and  you  just   want  them  to  be  them.  Makes  sense.       Read  Luke  6:36.     Well,  the  whole  “copycats  are  annoying”  bit  doesn’t  apply  when  it  comes  to   God  and  us.  We’re  called  to  be  like  him.  Scripture  literally  calls  us  to  imitate   him  (Ephesians  5:1).  And  one  of  the  ways  we’re  called  to  be  like  him  is  in  the   mercy  and  compassion  we  show  other  people.  Compassion  and  mercy  are  a   part  of  who  God  is.  So,  they  need  to  be  a  part  of  who  we  are.     The  issue  is,  how  do  we  become  more  compassionate  and  merciful?  It’s  not   about  trying  harder  and  putting  forth  more  effort.  It’s  about  our  hearts   being  changed  and  pursuing  Christ-­‐likeness.  Without  that  heart  change,  our   compassion  and  mercy  will  be  short  lived.     Think  About  This  .  .  .     • Do  you  believe  you’re  a  compassionate  and  merciful  person?  Would   other  people  describe  you  as  such?   • How  can  you  pursue  more  Christ-­‐likeness  in  this  area?  

 

DAY  2   “The  Lord  is  close  to  the  brokenhearted  and  saves  those  who  are  crushed  in   spirit.”  ⎯  Psalm  34:18    

Can  you  remember  your  first  crush?  That  first  person  you  liked,  thought   was  cute,  and  wanted  to  be  around  all  the  time.  How  did  it  end  up  working   out?  Did  you  have  the  guts  to  talk  to  them?  Did  you  pull  the  courage   together  to  tell  them  what  you  thought  about  them?  Did  it  go  smooth?  Or   did  you  get  your  heart  ripped  out?       Read  Psalm  34:18.     Regardless  of  whether  it  was  your  first  crush  or  not,  we’ve  all  dealt  with   getting  our  hearts  stomped  on  at  some  point.  And  it’s  traumatic,  right?  We   think  the  world  is  literally  going  to  end,  no  one  cares  about  us,  and  there’s   no  hope  for  rest  of  time.  We  overblow  the  situation  and  lose  sight  of  what’s   real  and  right  in  front  of  us.     Well,  there  are  a  lot  of  things  that  happen  in  our  lives  that  are  worse  than   getting  denied  by  a  middle  or  high  school  crush.  There’s  serious  heartache,   pain,  and  struggles  that  leave  people  in  despair.  While  these  are  real  issues   and  real  struggles,  it’s  important  for  us  to  cling  to  the  truth  that  God  is   “close  to  the  brokenhearted  and  saves  those  who  are  crushed  in  spirit.”  We   can’t  lose  sight  of  what’s  real  and  in  front  of  us.  We  serve  a  God  that  cares   for  us  and  loves  us  and  will  ultimately  make  all  things  right.     Think  About  This  .  .  .     • Have  you  experienced  God  being  close  to  you  when  you  were   brokenhearted?  If  so,  what  did  you  learn  from  the  experience?  If   not,  how  did  that  impact  you?  Do  you  think  it  was  a  function  of  God   not  caring  or  you  not  being  aware  of  his  presence?  

 

DAY  3   This  might  not  be  totally  up  your  alley,  but  give  it  a  shot  anyways.  No   one’s  going  to  see  it,  so  you  don’t  have  anything  to  worry  about.       In  this  week’s  lesson  we  talked  about  looking  to  the  Lord  and  falling  into  his   hands  during  times  of  trouble.  In  the  space  below  or  in  a  journal  or  note-­‐ taking  app,  take  a  few  minutes  and  illustrate  what  that  looks  like  in  your  life.       Think  about  the  troubles  you’re  facing.  Think  about  the  rest  and  peace  the   Lord  offers  in  the  midst  of  them.      

You  can  literally  draw  yourself  falling  into  a  set  of  hands  if  you  want,  or  you   can  put  your  own  spin  on  what  that  looks  like.  Use  the  illustration  as  a   reminder  of  where  your  hope  lies  this  week.  

     

                   

DAY  4   Think  about  the  following  verse  we  looked  at  during  the  lesson:     “The  Lord,  the  Lord,  the  compassionate  and  gracious  God,  slow  to   anger,  abounding  in  love  and  faithfulness,  maintaining  love  to   thousands,  and  forgiving  wickedness,  rebellion  and  sin.”  ⎯  Exodus   34:6-­‐7a     Take  some  time  today  to  dwell  on  that  truth  as  it  relates  to  you  today.     The  Lord  is  compassionate  a  gracious  to  you.     The  Lord  is  slow  to  anger  towards  you.     The  Lord  is  abounding  in  love  and  faithfulness  for  you.     The  Lord  maintains  his  love  to  you.     The  Lord  forgives  your  wickedness,  rebellion,  and  sin.    

There’s  some  incredible  peace  and  rest  that  comes  from  just  thinking  about   those  truths  through  the  day!  

   

DAY  5   Take  some  time  and  think  about  the  things  that  bring  trouble,  stress,  and   pain  into  your  life.  Think  about  the  things  coming  up  today,  this  week,  and   this  month  that  have  the  potential  to  get  you  upset,  down,  or   brokenhearted.     • Where  are  you  looking  for  help  during  these  times?     • What  are  you  doing  to  ease  or  mask  the  hurt?  Is  it  working?  Why  or   why  not?       Now  think  about  what  it  would  look  like  if  you  looked  to  the  Lord  during   these  times  and  in  these  situations.  Go  over  in  your  head  how  you  would  do   that.  Mentally  prepare  yourself  to  run  to  God  instead  of  anyone  or  anything   else.       Take  a  moment  and  pray  that  God  would  guide  you  to  look  to  him  as  you   face  these  struggles.