Words from Wednesday (Devotional)

10 Things I Love About God

In school right now I am teaching the novel study Because of Winn-Dixie. And like every good teacher I have a unit to follow. And like every good teacher, I’m trying to make that unit a little more exciting, a little bit more relevant, and a little bit more applicable to the lives of my students.
There is a part in the book (Chapter 4, I believe) when India Opal asks her father to tell her a few things about her mother. She wanted to know ten things because she was ten years old. Then she went back to her room to memorize these “truths” so she would never forget them and so she would recognize her mom if she ever came back.
I was searching the web and found some activities that had the students making a top ten lists about the characters or top ten lists about themselves. These were great idea, but I wanted something a little bit more creative and unique. Then, this idea came to me in the middle of the night (as most of my teaching ideas do—kinda inconvenient when I’d rather be sleeping). I thought about combining this “top ten” idea with a reflective devotional about who God is to each of my students. So my job for them is to write ten things about God or ten things they love about God.
And to see how that would go, I did one of my own—right then. So this is the result of waking up in the middle of the night and thinking about what I love about God at 3:36 in the morning! Then, when my daughter was napping and my son was having some “quiet time” (which generally entails of him bugging me every 5 minutes anyway! He is currently biking with a broom in hand to destroy spider webs he may encounter), I decided to look for “promise verses” in the Bible to go along with my top ten list to serve as an encouragement for my readers. (Therefore making it a devotional activity!) This is a list of "truths" that I know and can go back to whenever I need!
So here it is:

10 Things I Love About God
(*Note: Verses are taken from the NIV)
1. He loves me!
* “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
* “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. . .and so we rely on the love God has for us.” 1 John 4:10, 16

2. He is faithful.
* “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvellous things, things planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1
* “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
* “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.” Psalm 119:89-90

3. He is good.
* “. . . and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, `He is good; his love endures forever.’” 2 Chronicles 7:3b
* “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all that he has made.” Psalm 145:9

4. He is the creator of this universe.
* “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
* “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

5. He is full of grace.
* “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait on him.” Isaiah 30:18
* “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good home, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16

6. He is always there.
* “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3
* “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow.” Hebrews 13:8
* “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b

7. He is in control.
* “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds?” Job 37:15
* "You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed." Psalm 119:4

8. He listens to me.
* “He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” 1 Chronicles 5:21b
* “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

9. He makes all things new.
* “They [his compassions] are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:23
* “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4

10. He forgives.
* “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.” Psalm 65:3
* “When you were dead in your sins . . . God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. . .” Colossians 2:13