Morning Devotional 022026 Even When We Are Covered in Mud

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

February 20, 2026

Psalm 139:1-6

1 LORD, you have examined me. You know me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. 3 You study my traveling and resting. You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways. 4 There isn’t a word on my tongue, LORD, that you don’t already know completely. 5 You surround me—front and back. You put your hand on me. 6 That kind of knowledge is too much for me; it’s so high above me that I can’t fathom it.

Good Morning! Praise the Lord, who knows us completely and still loves us!

As I look at the gloomy sky this morning, I am safe, warm, and comfortable in my home. This morning, I am pondering when I feel comfortable and when I feel ill at ease in groups. 

When I prepare to go to a meeting or event for the first time, I feel a few flutters of anxiety in my breathing. Before I open the door to enter, I take some relaxation breaths to hold my anxious thoughts at bay. Even so, I feel my body tense a bit, and sometimes I need to remind myself to breathe. 

Finally, I open the door and peruse the space searching for a familiar face or the inviting smile of a stranger. The moment I lock eyes with someone I know, all of my tension is gone, and my heart leaps within me at the recognition of a friend or colleague. 

For most of us, we feel most comfortable when surrounded by those we know and love. The more personal the relationship, the more authentic we can be. You don’t have to put on airs among those who have seen you at your worst. We can allow our vulnerability to show when we are sitting with friends who have seen us with our face covered in cream, our hands covered in mud, or our bodies dripping with sweat. No secrets!

Our loving God knows everything we do and invites us into a personal relationship. Even when our earthly comfort system is missing, God is with us. God, who has seen us at our worst, loves us despite our flaws and our human inclination to sin. 

O God, you are my God, and I will follow you all of my days!

God of Wisdom, you bless us abundantly! You are amazing! You love us and comfort us. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thought for the day: God sees our messiness and loves us anyway.

Answer God’s call to follow!  Pastor Liz