Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 6, 2023
Psalm 148:1-14
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from heaven! Praise God on the heights! 2 Praise God, all of you who are his messengers! Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces! 3 Sun and moon, praise God! All of you bright stars, praise God! 4 You highest heaven, praise God! Do the same, you waters that are above the sky! 5 Let all of these praise the LORD’s name because God gave the command, and they were created! 6 God set them in place always and forever. God made a law that will not be broken. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all you ocean depths! 8 Do the same, fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind that does what God says! 9 Do the same, you mountains, every single hill, fruit trees, and every single cedar! 10 Do the same, you animals—wild or tame you creatures that creep along and you birds that fly! 11 Do the same, you kings of the earth and every single person, you princes and every single ruler on earth! 12 Do the same, you young men—young women too! you who are old together with you who are young! 13 Let all of these praise the LORD’s name because only God’s name is high over all. Only God’s majesty is over earth and heaven. 14 God raised the strength of his people, the praise of all his faithful ones that’s the Israelites, the people who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
Good Morning, Praising God all day long!
Be still, my soul; the Lord is by my side. In the quietness of the morning, I find great comfort as I read Scripture and open myself to God. Sometimes, I just sit and drink in God’s presence. Other times I read and think about the Words God is sharing with me. As God speaks to my heart, the words begin to form on my screen through my fingertips as I type on the keys before me. I periodically stop and look at the new day dawning. This morning the leaves are gently fluttering! Praise God! The sky is gradually beginning to brighten.
What if we took time to praise God for each blessing every minute of every day? Would we complete the list? I think not, but we can certainly make time in our busy schedules to praise God throughout the day. When you see a beautiful flower blooming, say, Thank you, God! What a gorgeous day, Thank You, God! I arrived safely at my destination; thank you, God!
Back to a conversation from a couple of days ago about looking at the world through the eyes of a child. When we can allow ourselves to notice God’s glory around us with awe, we can’t wait to praise God. It’s not an “Oh, I should thank God” or a timer set to remind us to thank God. It’s a spontaneous outpouring of thanks. We speak our praise because we can’t help ourselves.
Have you heard the commercial on the radio that is simply the sound of children giggling and laughing? Every time I hear it, I smile and thank God for my wonderful life. Praise God! When I think of songs praising God, the first ones are often those kids’ songs I learned so many years ago. Simple and perfect in their words of praise.
Praise him, praise him,
praise him in the morning,
praise him in the noontime.
Praise him, praise him,
praise him when the sun goes down.
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain, and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
Blessed God, We thank you for Your blessings. Help us take time to notice your presence in our lives. You surround us with your love. Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I become receptive to God’s presence when my soul is still.
Praise God all day long! Pastor Liz
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