Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
February 16, 2022
Read Matthew 22:34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless, they met together. 35 One of them, a legal expert, tested him. 36 “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Good Morning! Love your neighbor as yourself!
The year is 1822 and our country is growing as more people of part of the westward expansion. There are no communication devices to aid in this movement. Those who decided to move west in hope of a better future had to depend upon God and the information and help shared by their new neighbors.
The year is 1922 and we are in a decade known as the roaring twenties. Women gain the right to vote, our indigenous people are declared citizens, and technology is growing at a phenomenal rate in transportation and communication. We have cars, planes, even our first rockets, radio, and the first talking pictures. Most people know their neighbors and share in their communities. Of course, this decade, saw all of this success disappear in an instant with the stock market crash in 1929.
Fast forward to 2022, where we have endless ways to communicate with each other. In our youth or childhood, those of us who are over fifty years old could never have imagined the technological gains that have been and are still being made. We now have the ability to talk, hear, and even see people who are living almost anywhere. Yet, there are so many who are lonely, who are suffering from depression, and who can’t tell you the name of even one neighbor to whom they could ask for help.
How can this be? We are all God’s children, made in God’s image. On the inside, we are the same, yet we place so many barriers to separate ourselves from others. We are more advanced in so many ways, but we seem to be regressing in our ability to bond with others. God calls us to be one in Christ and to share in fellowship with one another as we love our neighbors as ourselves.
When Christ walked among us, he broke down the barriers that separated us. Sadly, the more advanced we become, the more barriers are constructed. How can we remove the barriers we have built? Only through God can we have the strength to change the current landscape. Imagine a world that utilizes our technology to come together in a positive way and to share God’s love with one another.
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. We have become a world full of lonely people. So many have never even heard of You. Help us reach out and share Your love with all in need. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Today I will show God’s love by greeting people I meet.
Reach out to a neighbor today! Pastor Liz
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