Encouragement for Your Week: Aug. 31-Sept. 6
This Week’s Verse
"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
— Romans 11:36
Devotion
If you wanted to sum up what the Bible teaches about the world, you could say it's all about God and His creation. The Bible shows us that God created everything and is also making it new again. Because of this, God is the main point and purpose of everything in the world. Our verse for today from Romans 11:36 says this clearly and also tells us how we should respond.
First, the Bible tells us that everything comes from God. This doesn't mean creation is a part of God Himself. Instead, it means God powerfully spoke everything into existence out of nothing. So, while everything comes from God, He is completely separate and different from what He created.
Second, the verse says everything exists "through Him." God didn't just create everything and then leave it alone. He actively keeps everything going, guides it, and controls it. If God stopped supporting everything, it would simply disappear. In other words, creation completely relies on God's ongoing care and control. God is the ultimate power that created everything and keeps it existing.
Third, we learn that everything is "to Him." This also doesn't mean that creation will eventually become part of God again. Instead, it means God decides the ultimate purpose and future of everything. So, while everything is for His purpose, it will always remain distinct from Him.
Finally, because of all this, our response should be to give God glory. He deserves all the praise, honor, and fame for creating and sustaining everything we see. Everything we are and everything around us was made by God. So, let's be humble and recognize this, giving all the credit and glory to the One who truly deserves it!
This Week’s Challenge
This week, make it a point to intentionally "seek out" God's glory in your daily life. Each day, try to notice at least one thing that reminds you of God's power and presence based on these three ideas from the devotional: 1) Acknowledge something God created out of nothing, like the beauty of nature or the complexity of life. 2) Recognize how God is actively keeping things going or guiding situations, whether in your own life or the world around you. 3) Consider how something you do, or something you observe, ultimately points back to God's greater plan and purpose. At the end of each day, take a brief moment to reflect on what you noticed and consciously give God glory for His role in all of it.