Rick Warren (August-19-2023) Daily Devotional: You Are Valuable to God.
“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” - Matthew 6:26 (NLT)
You are extremely valuable to God. He even said in Isaiah 43:4, “You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you” (ESV).
Why are you so valuable to him?
One, you are valuable because God is your Father, and you are his child. The Bible says, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (Matthew 6:26 NLT).
Two, you are valuable because Jesus gave his life for you. The Bible says, “You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him” (1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB).
The fact that you belong to God adds incredible value to your life. When you go to an auction, things that once belonged to famous people often cost much more. It could be an ordinary jar, instrument, or a pair of shoes. But if it was owned by a famous musician, athlete, or president, the value goes up. Would a rock star’s guitar be worth more than one of my guitars? Of course! You see, common things can have great value, depending on who the owner is.
But value doesn’t depend only on who owns something; it also depends on what somebody’s willing to pay for it. I remember reading a story about a girl who was kidnapped. She was the daughter of a very wealthy and influential king. This king put the word out: “Any price will be paid for her return. She’s the king’s daughter.”
You are the King’s daughter or son. You are God’s child. The greatest ransom ever paid was paid for you by Jesus Christ. Jesus came to Earth and suffered for you. God exchanged his own Son for your salvation—for your freedom. Christ gave his life so that you could have eternal life.
If you want to know how valued you are, just look at the cross. The cross proves your value.
If someone has ever told you you’re worthless, they’re dead wrong. You are not worthless. You are priceless. And you are infinitely valuable to God in Christ.
Talk It Over
- While reading this devotional, what did you hear God say to you about how precious you are to him?
- When people don’t believe they have any God-given value, what conclusions do they make about life?
- When you don’t look to the cross, where do you usually turn to find your value?
