Morning Devotional 051324 Ready to Help

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

  May 13, 2024

Jeremiah 29:10-14

10 The LORD proclaims: When Babylon’s seventy years are up, I will come and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will be present for you, declares the LORD, and I will end your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have scattered you, and I will bring you home after your long exile, declares the LORD.

Good Morning! God listens when we pray!

God gives us free will to make decisions. Every decision has consequences. Sometimes, things go well, and we are happy. Other times, we choose poorly, and things go wrong. The Israelites made a mess of things and ended up being exiled to Babylon. 

We are blessed and sustained by God’s promise to be there for all who earnestly seek him. To earnestly seek is more than a cursory glance like those when we search for something that is lost with limited effort. God is patient as we try to find our own way out of the muck we have created. 

When we are ready to turn ourselves to God, God is immediately by our side, leading the way through the storm. Action is required, and the first step is ours to take. Talk to God: Oh God, I need you! Thank you for listening to my cry. God is present to all who seek him. 

Affirming God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. It is hard for us to admit we need help. Thank you for being here when we finally decide we can’t continue on our own. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: God is waiting to help when we pray. 

Allow yourself to seek God’s help! Pastor Liz