Morning Devotional 041726 God Loves Everyone

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

April 17, 2026

Matthew 22:30-33

³⁰ At the resurrection, people won’t marry nor will they be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like angels from God. ³¹ As for the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what God told you, ³² I’m the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He isn’t the God of the dead but of the living.” ³³ Now when the crowd heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. 

Good Morning! Join the God of the living.

We, humans, want to fit all the pieces of the world into a big box, including the Word of God. The religious leaders, from the beginning, set about the task of figuring out what God’s word meant and how to apply it to their lives. 

Because of their humanness, when they applied it to their lives, they interpreted the message to benefit themselves and all those like them. This process continued through the generations until suddenly Jesus came, challenged their understanding, and wanted to turn everything upside down. 

Well, if you turn their interpretation of the teachings that they contrived upside down, then they were no longer the beneficiaries. In fact, Jesus was saying crazy things, like "the last shall be first" and "love your enemies." “How could this be?” they thought. We, the ancestors of Abraham, surely know more than this newcomer born in Nazareth. 

Since the beginning, God has loved and continues to love everyone. Because God first loved us, we are to love one another. 

God of Wisdom, you bless us abundantly! Thank you for sending Jesus to teach us Your Word. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thought for the day: God’s love for us is timeless.

Jesus came to show us the way!  Pastor Liz