Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
March 26, 2022
Read Psalm 139:1-10
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. 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!
Good Morning, God is waiting for an invitation from you!
Have you given an invitation to God yet? Even though God knows each of us intimately from before we were even formed, God waits for us to invite Him into our hearts. God seeks to be in a relationship with us within which we share everything.
It is wonderful to be able to be completely yourself without worrying about what others think or say. Most of us love to have company come and to share time together, but if we’re honest, when we have company we feel the need to “clean up” our regular behaviors. It’s hard to just sit and chill in your pj’s when you feel the need to entertain and care for the needs of your guests. For me, as much as I love having company, there reaches a point when I yearn for the opportunity to be “me”.
Another thing about our human friends is that we worry about how they might feel if they knew our darkest secrets. You might have similar thoughts and feelings, but you are afraid to test the waters and talk about these things. What if they don’t agree with you? Will your friendship be forever tainted? With all of these concerns filling the space between us, there is always an invisible barrier that keeps us from fully sharing.
Because God already knows everything that we have done, said, or even thought, there is no need to create a facade to hide behind. We can be completely honest with ourselves and with God. When we turn over our failings, our sins, and our complete selves to God, all is forgiven and we grow together. Barriers to hide things are unnecessary. You don’t have to worry about accidentally revealing some secret because God knows.
This might be a bit scary at first because in sharing yourself, you make yourself vulnerable. With human friends, they may turn away from you when you share something that makes them uncomfortable. With God, God already knows and wants to be in a relationship with us despite our shortcomings. God says, “I know” and loves us all the more for sharing our lives.
No matter how far we have strayed from our creator, our parent, God is waiting for us with open arms. Jesus says, 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 Lay your burdens at the foot of the cross and find peace.
Loving and Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. We love you, but we are scared. If we give ourselves to You, will you reject us? Help us trust in Your Words. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God desires to know us completely.
Invite God In! Pastor Liz
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