Back to School

Pause

Every person’s life tells a story. Sometimes our lives—quite unexpectedly—become part of God’s larger narrative.

The potential is there at any time, in any moment.

Prepare yourself now for what you may least expect—for the voice of God to join with yours in telling the story that is your life.

Listen

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks.

Hebrews 11:4

Think

Dear Diary,

Why am I reading devotions that say how great it would be to be killed by your brother? I might not be the easiest person to get along with, but I don’t want to be either one of those guys!

Okay, so nobody wants to be killed by their brother, especially for something that sounds as silly as putting bills instead of coins in the offering plate on Sunday, right? But maybe it was more than that. One scholar says the difference was that Abel offered his best and Cain just offering something.

Have you ever done something for school, but didn’t really try your hardest; you just did it to avoid a zero? A new school year is a great time to start fresh and to give your best every day! This is a great day to offer God, not just something, but your very best.

Steve Cothran

Pray

Extravagant God, you spare no expense when you give—life, beauty, love, and even your own Son. Help me never to be satisfied with only giving something when I owe you only my very best. Amen.

Go

It’s easy to think you are alone, that no one else experiences life like you do.

But go now into your day knowing this: God has not left you alone, and your struggles are much the same as everyone you know and those you don’t know.

God understands. God accepts you. And God is leading the way.