Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 10, 2025
Isaiah 43:16-21
16 The LORD says—who makes a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 17 who brings out chariot and horse, army and battalion; they will lie down together and will not rise; they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick. 18 Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. 19 Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. 20 The beasts of the field, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me, because I have put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness to give water to my people, my chosen ones, 21 this people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.
Good Morning. Give thanks with a grateful heart!
Pay attention! I would call myself a detail-oriented person. I tend to notice things that others don’t. One of the greatest blessings during my morning walks is discovering things I haven’t previously seen. My senses are on high alert in anticipation of what I might find.
Do you look at clouds and see recognizable shapes? Our brains are amazing devices. When fully focused, our brains are like a vast catalog system through which each image we see is compared and contrasted to our previous entries to find the closest match. We stare and suddenly recognize a dog or a state’s outline in the cloud we are examining.
Admittedly, some of these best experiences come at the expense of paying attention to someone who is speaking, a.k.a. Daydreaming.
God created our world with intricate details for us to discover. Think of the bare tree branches that go unnoticed when the leaves cover them. Without the distraction of the leaves, we see the amazing details of each nook and cranny.
To pay attention is a purposeful act. It’s easy to walk through our days with blinders on as we work to deal with our daily agendas. We live in a success-driven society fueled by numbers, money, and power. The one with the most . . . wins. Our obsession with earthly success inhibits our ability to employ our heavenly goals of love, peace, joy, kindness, and mercy.
Imagine a world driven by love! God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe, yet we often leave it unopened on a shelf. Sharing God’s love has a cumulative effect; the more we use it, the greater it grows. One act of kindness has infinite possibilities of touching others in need.
Loving Lord, Maker of all things! Open our senses so that we can pay attention to your blessings. We are easily distracted by earthly things. Help us focus on heavenly ones. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Seek unexpected discoveries on your journey.
Share God’s love! Pastor Liz
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