Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
March 13, 2024
Isaiah 43:14-21
14 The LORD your redeemer, the holy one of Israel, says, For your sake, I have sent an army to Babylon, and brought down all the bars, turning the Chaldeans’ singing into a lament. 15 I am the LORD, your holy one, Israel’s creator, your king! 16 The LORD says—who makes a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 17 who brings out chariot and horse, army and battalion; they will lie down together and will not rise; they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick. 18 Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. 19 Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. 20 The beasts of the field, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me because I have put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness to give water to my people, my chosen ones, 21 this people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.
Good Morning! This is a day of new beginnings!
One of the most dreaded utterances of any group is “But, we’ve always done it that way.” These words are the mortar that stops us in our tracks. The hard truth is that God calls us to move forward and leave those old ways in the past.
Truly, if the old ways were working, then we probably would need to have this conversation. The old ways filled the pews and the bank accounts of local churches, but we are no longer living in 1950. Everything has moved forward, and to try to build up our church attendance using methods that worked in the past is ridiculous.
Churches must engage people in new ways. This doesn’t mean throwing out our beliefs and foundation. Moving forward doesn’t mean watering down our theology, but it does mean that we must meet people where they are. Many are just outside our doors who do not know God. In fact, many have never stepped foot into a church, so we have to be careful not to scare them off before they have a chance to see what we’re about.
We must define for the world what it means to be a Christian because so many false Christians have given Christianity a black eye. Countless people have been permanently scarred in the name of organized religion. It is hard to consider new ways, but isn’t that why Jesus came? Jesus came to show us a new way: the way to eternal life. Doesn’t everyone deserve this opportunity? We must remove the barriers that keep strangers on the outside of our doors.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We resist change, but we know that it is necessary for our growth. Help us hear the new way. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God is always doing something new in our lives.
Step Out to a New Song! Pastor Liz
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