Please Note This devotional is geared to use as an object lesson if desired. Place all the items into a large birthday gift bag. Remove the appropriate item, and give the application. The Items Needed are the Following: Wrapped Box for a Birthday Present Balloon Party Plate and Cup Birthday Party Hat Streamers or Can of Silly String Birthday Goody Bag Party Horn Sunglasses

Worth Celebrating!
A Birthday Devotional
Julia Bettencourt

Birthdays are special times. When we are young, we look forward to our birthdays. It’s exciting for us to be another year older and have birthday parties and celebrate with our friends. As we get older, we of course don’t look forward to our physical birthdays as much. I guess because we are getting older and our bodies are not quite like they used to be.

When we consider our new birth in Christ it is a wonderful thing. Our spiritual birthdays should be just as special to us as our physical birthdays. Some of us don’t know the exact date of our spiritual birthday but we usually know approximately. The date isn’t the issue, but to have Christ as our Savior for another year should be exciting. We don’t have to dread our age in Christ because with Him life only gets sweeter. That’s not to say that we will sail through life without problems, but Christ gives us grace and love that helps us handle the years. What a thrill that as we age we know that the joy of being with Him in heaven gets closer and closer. There is so much that Christ gives us when we become a child of His and accept Him as our Savior.

Let’s Celebrate!

1. Birthday Gift – Christ gives us His gift of eternal life in Him.
   
   Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
   unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see
   the kingdom of God. John 3:3
   
   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
   Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
   but have everlasting life. John 3:16



2. Birthday Balloon – Christ gives us the Holy Ghost to lift our lives. The Holy Spirit is there to guide and comfort us.
   
   Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
   to his mercy he saved us,by the washing of regeneration, and
   renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:5
   
   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
   into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
   he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things
   to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine,
   and shall shew it unto you. John 16:13,14



3. Party Plate and Cup – Christ gives us His word to feast on and gives us the instructions on how to live our new life.
   
   As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,
   that ye may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2



4. Birthday Party Hat – Christ gives us a hat to wear and a place to fit in this new family. He gives us talents and gifts to use as we make up the Body of Christ.
   
   But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
   profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
   to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another
   faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by
   the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to
   another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another
   divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
   But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to
   every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and
   hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
   many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
   baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
   we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
   Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.
   1 Corinthians 12:7-14



5. Streamers or Can of Silly String – Christ gives us life worth living. Our new life can be exciting and wonderful to live. We have a future when we have new life in Christ.
   
   …I am come that they might have life, and that they might
   have it more abundantly. John 10:10
   
   Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
   that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
   knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are
   we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
   be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
   like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:1,2
   
   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
   according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
   lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
   To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth
   not away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3,4



6. Goody Bag - Christ gives us precious promises. Those are goodies that we can take with us from the party and throughout life. It’s one of the great perks of having new life in Christ.
   
   Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
   that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
   escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4



7. Party Horn – Christ gives us news to share! We can’t keep this new life in Him to ourselves. We’ve got to spread the good news.
   
   And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
   the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

Conclusion:
Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.” Isn’t that so true? As Christians, we’ve been given
a whole new life in Christ and what are we doing with it? We’ve got to live
our lives pleasing to the Lord. We’ve been born into His family.

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.   2 Corinthians 5:17

Our birthdays in the Lord are something special. He loves us so much and it
is a joy to be part of His family. Our lives should reflect that we are His
children. We’ve got to make our lives count for Him.

So, are you celebrating your new life in Christ?

Copyright ©2001-2007 Julia Bettencourt
Scripture References are from the King James Version.
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