Morning Devotional 021426 Getting Square With the Lord

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

February 14, 2026

Psalm 139:7-18

7 Where could I go to get away from your spirit? Where could I go to escape your presence? 8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I went down to the grave, you would be there too! 9 If I could fly on the wings of dawn, stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean 10 even there your hand would guide me; even there your strong hand would hold me tight! 11 If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me,” 12 even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you! Nighttime would shine bright as day, because darkness is the same as light to you! 13 You are the one who created my innermost parts; you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. 14 I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. 15 My bones weren’t hidden from you when I was being put together in a secret place, when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my embryo, and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me, before any one of them had yet happened. 17 God, your plans are incomprehensible to me! Their total number is countless! 18 If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand! If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you.

Good Morning! Lord, you know everything I do!

Most of us have played hide-and-seek. Your objective is to hide from “it” and return safely to base when “it” isn’t looking. Think of how impossible this would be if “it” could see you no matter where you hid. 

As God’s children, we are blessed (and cursed) with free will, and sometimes we make choices that we would rather keep hidden from others, especially God. These choices often involve embarrassing consequences. Often, as soon as you take that first step, light bulbs start flashing, indicating this is a bad idea, but it’s as if a tractor beam has you in its grip and you can’t reverse your direction.  

For your earthly self, these consequences can be costly and devastating, including job loss, strained relationships, and financial hardship. Most importantly, our self-esteem takes a major hit even if we minimize the exposure of our misdeeds. 

Our God is merciful and loves us unconditionally. Nothing can be hidden, even our worst atrocities; nevertheless, God is standing with us as we stand before our earthly judges. When we humble ourselves and admit our sinfulness, God forgives us and leads us through our time of serving our consequences. 

Suddenly, I’m reminded of a line from O Brother, Where Art Thou when Everett McGill (George Clooney) tells Delmar who has just been baptized and believes his sins (including the robbery of the Piggly Wiggly, have been washed away, “Even if that did put you square with the Lord, the State of Mississippi's a little more hard-nosed.”

God forgives us, but we are still accountable for our earthly consequences. 

God of Wisdom, you bless us abundantly! Thank you for giving us free will, and thank you for standing by our sides when we abuse that privilege. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thought for the day: God loves us despite our flaws.

Get square with God by asking forgiveness! Pastor Liz