You Are Worthwhile

Painting by Greg Olson

Jesus, reading from the prophet Isaiah in his home town of Nazareth,

to fulfill the prophecy about himself.

Luke 4:15-21

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The solution is not to avoid trouble

but to change the way we see our troubles.

God can correct your vision."

-Max Lucado (Just Like Jesus)

You Are Worthwhile

"When Hamen saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him or honor him, he became very angry. He thought of himself as too important to try to kill only Mordecai. He had been told who the people of Mordecai were, so he looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people the Jews, in all of Xerxes' kingdom." Esther 3:5-6


READ Esther 3:1-4:17

SITUATION Haman conspired to destroy all the Jews. Mordecai learned of Haman's plot and urged Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jews.

OBSERVATION Esther resolved to carry out the wishes of Mordecai and go to the king even if it meant her death.

INSPIRATION When Jesus told the story of the missing sheep, some of the people who were listening wiped away a tear because they knew how it feels to be lost among the crowd. Jesus wanted us to understand that we have a Father who sees and cares for each one of his children--that we are all equally valuable to him.

No one is useless to God. No one, at any point in his life, is useless to God--not a little child, not the unattractive, not the clumsy, not the tried, not the discouraged. God uses his children.

Our value is inherent--its not based on the Ph.D. after our name or the amount of money in our bank account. We have value simply because we are. In the eyes of God, every human has value simply because his is the creation of the Almighty God.

You belong to God's eternal dream. Now you may not feel motivated, you may not feel like you have a reason for living, but you must renew your mind with the immovable fact that you are part of a commissioned people--you have a reason to be alive.

There is an eternal purpose. There is a great river of God's purpose that is moving toward an eternal home with him. You can't stop God's purpose. God's purpose is greater than you are, and if you God's child, nothing is going to slow down God's purpose for your life. (From The Inspirational Bible, "You Are Worthwhile")

APPLICATION Has someone harassed or persecuted you because you are a Christian? Stay loyal to God, even when it may be dangerous to do so. Acknowledge that he might put you in a particular situation to further his plans.

EXPLORATION Choosing God- Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 7:3-4; Matthew 6:24; 12:30.

The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus; Max Lucado, General Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New Century Version