Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
February 13, 2022
Read Psalm 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. 2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; 3 he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff they protect me. 5 You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! 6 Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD’s house as long as I live.
Good Morning! Goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.
As we journey down our path of faith, we encounter life. Our lives are a compilation of all that we think, say, and do, and everything that happens in and around us. I remember learning about autobiographies in elementary school. I think that I was in sixth grade and our teacher assigned us the task of writing our own autobiography. I vaguely remember that this was the longest paper that I had ever written.
Even at the tender age of eleven, I had so many things about which to write. At that age, I had so many memories to include, memories that have now faded into the deep recesses of my mind. It would be fun to read and see what was so important to include in the autobiography of an eleven-year-old. In the grand scheme of things, I doubt that any of my important events would make the history books.
One event of that time period is important because that is when I attended confirmation class and accepted Christ for myself as my Lord and Savior. From this humble beginning, which would perhaps be only a footnote in my life’s story, I accepted the reigns for my faith journey. This is not to say that I was suddenly ready to journey on my own.
It simply signifies the move from prevenient grace when we are granted God’s grace and mercy before we “know” God, to justifying grace through which we begin our personal relationship with God. I would count on my church family to continue to nurture me and guide me along my way. Even as we mature in our faith, we still count upon our community of faith to support us.
Along this journey, we will have wonderful times and challenging times. In the blink of an eye, our lives can be shaken by unimaginable struggles. God is with us every moment, every hour, and every day of our lives. It is easy to thank God when all is well in our lives, but God is there even when we fall into darkness always listening, awaiting our calls for help.
Each of us reacts differently to our challenges. Some want everyone to know, while others withdraw within themselves. There is no right or wrong way to respond, and we truly don’t know how we will react until we are face-to-face with adversity. All we do know is that God promises to be with us, comforts and guides us through whatever we encounter. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me.
We must work to establish the “habit” of spending time with God when our lives are “easy” so that when we are suddenly challenged by hardships, we automatically continue our time with God. Even if you feel unable to join in fellowship with others, spend time with God. God is there to lead us back to the light and help us find peace.
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. We struggle with our lives when we face unexpected challenges. We ask you to “fix” things, and complain when we don’t think you are listening to us. Thank you for loving us and comforting us when we don’t even realize that You are with us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When troubles overwhelm me, God will ease my burden.
God takes care of us! Pastor Liz
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