Zondervan - God Above All: 90 Devotions to Know the Life-Altering Love of God
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We all yearn for greater contentment. We try new planners, new apps, new jobs, new diets, and new relationships hoping that one more change will finally make our lives feel right. But no matter what we do, the peace we seek feels out of reach. How can we find the meaning and purpose we long for? Fourth-century philosopher and theologian St. Augustine asked the same question.
God Above All, compiled from St. Augustines most-influential works, includes:
This 90-day devotional is a heartfelt gift for:
Whether you are seeking guidance in making God a priority in your relationships, your work, or your daily decisions, God Above All is the perfect book to inspire you to discover the delight of glorifying your Creator in every moment of your life.
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ZONDERVAN
God Above All
Copyright 2020 by Zondervan
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
ePub Edition October 2020: ISBN 978-0-310-45569-1
Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc . Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc .
Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Art direction: Sabryna Lugge
Cover Design: Sabryna Lugge
Interior Design: Kristy Edwards
Compiled and written by Steven Watts
DSC
Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
WHO ARE WE?
Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and infinite is Your wisdom. Man desires to praise You, for he is a part of Your creation; he bears his mortality about with him and carries the evidence of his sin and the proof You resist the proud. Still he desires to praise You, this man who is only a small part of Your creation. You have prompted him that he should delight to praise You, for You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.
C ONFESSIONS , 1.1.1, TRANS . A. C. O UTLER *.
A ccording to some, we are not much of anything at all. Our lives barely register in the vast history of the universe. Life itself is just one great cosmic accident. There is no greater purpose, no greater truth.
But this isnt Gods perspective. Although we are a small part of creation, we have a purpose, and this purpose is greater than anything we could possibly imagine. We have been made for God Himself. And our truest innate desire is to praise Him. Nothing less will ever make us truly happy or fully alive.
Yet we have forgotten who we are.
We love, but we do not know the One who is Love. We praise, but we praise what has been made and not the One who has made all things. We are so often in conflict with ourselves and with one another. We are proud when we should be humble.
So we are restless. Restless until we find our rest in Him.
St. Augustine invites you to recover your true identity and find your rest. As you read and reflect on what he has to say, be prepared to meet God. Encounter Him in His glory, grace, and mercy. See the Creators fingerprints in the world He has made. Offer your brokenness and disordered desires, and receive His healing and care. Follow the path He sets before you. Drink from the fountain of Wisdom, and read from His Word. Let Him transform the way you love yourself and the way you love your community. Love Him. Praise Him. This is who you are.
IN A MOTHERS ARMS
What praises could we give, what thanks could we offer for Gods self-giving love? He, through Whom time was made, loved us so much He was made in time for us. He, older than the world in His eternity, was younger than many of His servants in the world. He, Who had made humanity, became man. He, Who created His mother, was born to her. He formed the hands that carried Him. He filled the breasts that fed Him. The Word, without which human eloquence is rendered mute, wailedan infant, wordless, in a manger.
S ERMON 188, TRANS . S. W ATTS .
H ave you ever held a baby in your arms? Felt the warmth of their body? Looked into their eyes when they recognize a familiar voice?
If so, youve probably also heard a babys ear-splitting wail. Youve seen their face, wet with tears and scrunched up in frustrationa frustration you may have shared as you struggled, almost hopelessly, to find a solution.
Augustine, in this Christmas sermon, wasnt being sentimental. A father himself, he was aware of the wonder, challenge, and even heartache these newly formed humans embody the moment their lungs fill with air. Yet that is why he finds Jesus birth to be a cause for such praise, gratitude, and amazement.
The One who created all things was formed in a womb. His mother bore Him and then held Him in her arms. He cried and she fed Him. And why did He choose to do this? Because He loves us so much. Because He loves you so much.
Reflect upon what this passage reveals to you about Gods love. Imagine yourself as a child, wrapped up in the comfort of your mothers arms. Imagine staring lovingly into the eyes of your newborn child. Remember that this love does not depend on what you doonly that the One who made you loves you this much.
NOTHING IS GREATER
THAN LOVE
And now regarding love, which the Apostle says is greater than the other twothat is, faith and hopefor the more richly it dwells in a person, the better the person in whom it dwells. For when we ask whether someone is good, we are not asking what they believe, or hope, but what they love. Now, beyond all doubt, the person who loves aright believes and hopes rightly.
E NCHIRIDION , 31.117, TRANS . A. C. O UTLER *.
S erving people can be hard work. Although good in itself, it is often a thankless task. The more you give, the more people ask of you and the more they take. Some are thankful, others not so much. It can be all too easy to grow tired and burnt out.
Augustine wrote this passage after twenty-five years in ministry. Who could blame him if he had started to feel as if he needed a break? Yet when he finally sat down to write about what it means to become a follower of Jesus, his words held no hint of bitterness. Instead, Augustine wrote warmly about one of the Bibles most famous and enduring passagesthe apostle Pauls tribute in 1 Corinthians 13 to faith, hope, and, above all, love.
For Augustineas it was for Paullove is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. The more Gods love lives in us, the more it will change what we hope for and what we believe. This may mean we no longer fear uncertainty because our hope is now in Jesus. Perhaps we decide to spend our money differently because we believe what we really need is Him.
Receive Augustines reflection on Gods transforming love as both an encouragement and an opportunity. If life is wearing you down, if you find your faith misplaced and your hope faltering, dont try to push through. Instead, reach out to God. Ask Him for the gift of His love. It will restore and transform you.
LED TO THE GOOD
We are commanded to love this Good with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength. To this Good we ought to be led by those who love us, and to lead those we love. Thus are fulfilled those two commandments on which hang all the Law and the Prophets: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul; and You shall love you neighbor as yourself.
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