Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
April 11, 2023
Psalm 130:1-8
1 I cry out to you from the depths, LORD 2 my Lord, listen to my voice! Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy! 3 If you kept track of sins, LORD my Lord, who would stand a chance? 4 But forgiveness is with you that’s why you are honored. 5 I hope, LORD. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise. 6 My whole being waits for my Lord more than the night watch waits for morning; yes, more than the night watch waits for morning! 7 Israel, wait for the LORD! Because faithful love is with the LORD; because great redemption is with our God! 8 He is the one who will redeem Israel from all its sin.
Good Morning, Each day is filled with blessings from God!
I remember a few occasions when I was in a group that issued demerits when you failed to do an assigned task or did not complete the task correctly. At the end of the day, the tally marks you received represented everything you didn’t do. In other words, how you failed. While there might be some who are motivated by this type of system, I don’t believe it is good for the psyche of most of us.
The other challenge here is for those who are given the task of assigning demerits. It is easy for those in charge to become power mongers who lose sight of daily tasks. What do we accomplish when we focus on all that is bad? This is not a way to live our lives.
The Apostle John spends much of his writing examining the relationship between light and darkness and how that connects to Christ. When we focus on our failures, we are living in the darkness away from Christ. Each day you wake up, you do your job focused on your inadequacy to complete your tasks, and you come home weary and unhappy. This goes on day after day, year after year, and then you die, and life is over.
Christ calls us to love one another and to live life fully as we praise God and experience the beauty of God’s handiwork that surrounds us. God does not issue demerits for our mistakes. Imagine the huge chart that would be necessary for such a system. Jesus came to teach us a new way to live. A way that is focused not on our shortcomings but on our blessings. Jesus invites us to give our burdens to Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28.
Have you ever noticed that whatever you focus on increases your awareness? When you buy a new car, you suddenly notice all of the same model cars on the road around you. When you are looking for your friend wearing a blue shirt in a large group of people, you see blue shirts in every direction. In this way of thinking, we see good if we focus on what is good. Likewise, if we focus on that which is evil, we will find more evil.
Paul reminds us to live like Christ as we seek his peace and joy in his letter to the Philippians. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil. 4:8
Blessed God, We thank you for Your blessings. You provide for our needs and protect us from our enemies. Help us focus on all that is good in our lives. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Look for the good that surrounds us.
Smile and share the love of God! Pastor Liz
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