INTRODUCTION

L ove is such a complicated word for so few letters. We

might say we love a lot of different thingsour friends,
close family members, mentors... or the book we just read,
a chai tea latte, and chocolate-chip cookies. The word love
means something different in each of those contexts, doesnt
it? Throw in the love found in romantic relationships, and we
have a full spectrum of complex feelings. And all expressed
using those four little letters.
Maybe the fact that this little word has so many dif-
ferent uses is the reason we struggle to understand what it
really means when the Bible tells us God loves us. Not only
does God love us, but he himself is love. We can figure out
pretty quickly were talking about something other than
chocolate- chip-cookie love, but that doesnt necessarily
help us understand what God does mean when he says he
loves us.
The fact is, God doesnt just love us. He adores us. And
maybe we struggle to understand that because we look in the
mirror and wonder why the great big God of the Universe
would look at us and think, Yes. She is my adored, beloved
daughter. But make no mistake: no matter what our inse-
curities try to tell us, God does delight in us, his beautiful
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 Adored

creations. This devotional will explore Gods great love for

us. Well look at everything from deep spiritual truths to the
everyday ups and downs of life.
Theres a short scripture verse and devotional message
for every day of the year, but you dont have to start at the
beginning of the year or the book! Start where you like. Read
as many as you like. One per day is great, but the important
thing is that you keep going, keep learning more about our
amazing God and his limitless love. And if his Spirit moves
you, let God know how much you adore him on the journal-
ing lines following each devotion
All right, adored daughter. Lets get started.

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 DAY 1

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
ROMANS 5:8

W e are Gods adored. You are his cherished, treasured

possession. Thats a tough truth to swallow some-
times. When we feel awkward, rejected, misunderstood,
or lonely, its hard to imagine the God of the universe even
remembers us, let alone adores us. And who isnt awkward
ninety-seven percent of the time? Ninety-nine if you count
the times we run into things, trip over our own feet, or drop
things just because.
But its true. God does adore us. His very character
reveals to us just how deeply were loved. This Godthis
unchangeable, eternal, beautiful, jealous, all-k nowing, all-
powerful, merciful God of lovek nows you by name. He
calls you his own, and, despite his utter bigness, he sent his
son into the world to save you long before you were ever
born. Thats how much he adores you. And by getting to
know him in all his glory, we learn exactly how big a deal it
is to be called adored.

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 DAY 2

[The foundations of the earth] will perish, but

you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them and they will be
discarded. But you remain the same, and your years
will never end.
PSALM 102:2627

M aybe youve never thought much about God remaining

the same, always and forever. Sure, youve seen the Bible
verses that say God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
But have you ever thought about why thats so important, or
how much it affects your life?
Can you imagine if God was changeable? What if his
standards, his nature, his very self evolved the way our cul-
ture does? What if what God thought was acceptable one
second was the next second deemed uncool, unwise, or flat-
out wrong? Even worse, what if the greatest gift God has
ever given to you was suddenly taken back because God
changed his mind?
But he never will. God is unchangeable. He remains
the same, always. What he promised yesterday still stands
today. He sent his son to the cross because you are so loved.
Your redemption was worth it to God and he hasnt
changed his mind.

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 DAY 3

In the beginning God created the heavens and the

earth.
GENESIS 1:1

I t would be clich to start our devotions with the first

verse of the Bible. So were doing it on Day 3. Because were
original like that.
Theres this indescribably huge, massively powerful,
amazingly creative God who made everything. I bet youve
read that beforelike if youve sat in any Sunday school
class, ever. So when you feel the warmth of the sun on your
face, see the beauty of a natural landscape, study the intri-
cacy of a human cell, you know God made all that. He
spoke, and it was. He imagined, and it was born. Every good
thing you see, taste, hear, touch, think, or feel is a result of
that God-creation.
And this is the same God who wants to hear about
your day. This is the same God who tells you to come to
him when youre tired, overloaded, stressed-out. This is the
same God who tells you to pray to him, ask for good things,
trust him with your hopes and fears. Do you think hes able
to hold those details in the palm of his universe-sized hand?
Of course. Because your God is the God of the beginning.

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 DAY 4

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and

forever.
H EBREWS 13:8

P op culture changes by the second. The new It-Couple

breaks up and makes up faster than the paparazzi can
snap the pics to prove it. Social media moves at warp speed.
If you blink, youve missed the latest hashtag or filter. Its
impossible to stay on top of it all. And we may very well
decide we have no desire to!
When much of our culture is strapped to an ever-
changing merry-go-round of reality TV and rising and
falling stars, its difficult to fathom someone who stays the
same. Forever. Since always. But thats what we have in Jesus.
Our savior isnt sweating to keep up with anyone, and hes
not struggling to conquer the latest social media craze. Hes
constant and unchanging in a world that never slows down,
never stands still. No matter what else is shifting in your life,
you can trust in the steadfastness of Christ.

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 DAY 5

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who
does not change like shifting shadows.
JAMES 1:17

Y ou do you. Ever heard anyone say that? It sounds

simple, but its not always easy to do you when theres
pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing. For you,
that pressure may feel most intense at school, on the sports
field, at church, or at home. No matter where you go, there
will always be people who expect you to act, think, or even
dress in a certain way.
Its not always a bad thing to fit in with the crowd. But
what about conforming when it would compromise who
you are or, worse, your beliefs? Thats a no-go. Your personal
identity and your identity in Christ are two priceless gifts
from God. Protect them. Stand firm in who you are, know-
ing God is always true to himself, and we can be, too. You
do you.

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 DAY 6

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the

Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received
from God? You are not your own; you were bought at
a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:1920

A nyone remember the Great Yoga Pants War of 2014?

Everyone had an opinion on modestybare shoulders
are scandalous, girls shouldnt wear spandex when working
out, skinny jeans should be banned, lets nix shorts while
were at it. And let us not even speak of midriffs or bathing
suits.
So, is there truth in the chatter? The Bible doesnt give
us two lists of clothing, one forbidden and one acceptable.
No one can tell you precisely how God feels about wearing
leggings as pants. But we do know that the same God who
inspired 1 Corinthians 6:1920 is the Lord of our lives. And
so we know God wants us to treat our bodies with respect,
and that includes not reducing our beautiful, wonderful
bodies to objects.
The greatest danger in failing to respect our bodies in
this way is that we, Gods adored daughters, begin to believe
our worth lies in our physical beauty or sexual attractive-
ness. You are more than your sex appeal, beloved daughter.
Honor your worth.

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 DAY 7

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human

being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak
and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
N UMBERS 23:19

H ave you ever broken a promise to anyone? Said youd

do something then failed to follow through? Yeah, me
neither... ahem.
God makes a lot of promises in the Bible. He makes
promises to the Israelites, promises to the church, prom-
ises to those who love him. Those promises can feel distant
when you read themlike theyre just words written on
scrolls thousands of years ago that have nothing to do with
your life today. Nothing to do with us. Except... wait. Are
you part of the church? Do you love God? Does that mean
can it meanthose promises are really for you, today? Right
here, as you read this book, maybe in your pajamas?
Yes! The truth is, even though those promises are over
two thousand years old, God hasnt gone back on his word.
How do we know? Because to do so would be to deny his
own unchangeable essence. He doesnt change. He doesnt
break his word. So drink in those promises. Theyre for you.

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