Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 28, 2023
Read Philippians 4:4-9
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. 8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.
Good Morning, Rejoice! Rejoice! Again I say rejoice!
When we are troubled and anxious, Paul tells us to bring those burdens to God and to give thanks to God. Our challenging times push us to seek the peace of God. We wonder how to find God among the rubble of our lives. We worry that we have wandered too far from the path. All that we can see is darkness as we notice and are disheartened by each detail of our current situation.
Paul reminds us to focus on what is good, what is holy, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. Again, I am reminded that we must view the awe and wonder of God through the eyes of a child. I child can be walking through a barren field and find one dandelion and stop and become enveloped in this treasure that brings joy as they see the beautiful yellow or blow on the seeds and watch them gracefully float and dance in front of them.
Think of our adult response to the same dandelion. Oh no, this weed is going to consume my yard. I must work to get rid of it immediately. We see no joy in the color and certainly not in the spreading of seeds which just adds to our perceived problem.
This example shows us two perspectives on one single detail. God gives us the gift of choices in our lives. We are not puppets being controlled by strings. We can choose the lens through which we view the world. Do we see beauty or do we see a weed? Do we see the ash and soot of a fire or do we see Christ at work as we find sprouts of life among the destruction?
I choose to look for the joy and majesty of God in and around me and my world. Peace is waiting for all who seek Christ.
Loving God, Thank You for being with us. Through our times of trouble, focus on our blessings. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Today I will seek God’s presence everywhere I go.
Again, I say rejoice! Pastor Liz
Great devotional following the challenge of fire in your church's sanctuary, and what a cute picture to illustrate the point.