May 22, 2024 Devo

May 22nd, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Jesus & The Roman Soldier’s Servant
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home.” – Matthew 8:8 (NLT)
“You Are Worthy” (Part 2)

How do you see yourself? Do you view yourself as a person of value? Do you believe yourself to be someone who is created by God, loved by God, and a precious creation of God? Do you see yourself as someone who is “worthy?” The answer to that question is key—not only to your relationship with God, but to your relationship with others.
There are a lot of us who don’t see ourselves as worthy. Maybe we were told from the time we were young that we were an “accident.” Maybe we were treated with contempt as a child, as a bother rather than a delight. Maybe we were physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. All of those experiences create internal “tapes” that cause us to tell ourselves that we pretty much deserve the poor treatment in life we get. We grow up thinking we’re not worthy of being loved. We’re not worthy of being treated as precious or priceless. We’re not worthy of being treated with respect. It’s just who we are.
The kicker in this “stinking thinking” about our worth is that not only do we expect to be treated this way, but many are actually drawn to or seek out those who will treat them that way because that’s what they KNOW. They will even struggle sometimes in healthier relationships because they keep waiting for the “next shoe to drop.” They’re expecting to be rejected, expecting to be hurt, and expecting to be abandoned or abused. Believing themselves to be unworthy, they will frequently self-sabotage their relationships to get out before they get hurt. Or they will stay in toxic relationships, tolerating intolerable treatment because that’s what they believe they deserve.
Just as Jesus validated the worth of the Roman soldier, God has validated YOU as well. You are made in His image. You are endowed with His nature. Psalm 8 says that you are made “just a little lower than the angels” and “crowned with glory and honor.” You are WORTHY. Worthy of respect. Worthy of being treated well. Worthy of healthy relationships. Worthy of being delighted in, celebrated, and honored as a precious child of God. Cast out those tapes that have labeled you as a mistake. You are a marvelous, wonderful, MASTERPIECE of God. Declare your worth. Reclaim your divine-given value. Trade in your past nightmares and live in today’s truth. You, my friend, are worthy. That’s God’s Word for you today.