Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 15, 2024
Isaiah 30:18-26
18 Nonetheless, the LORD is waiting to be merciful to you, and will rise up to show you compassion. The LORD is a God of justice; happy are all who wait for him. 19 People in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. God will certainly be merciful to you. Hearing the sound of your outcry, God will answer you. 20 Though the Lord gives you the bread of distress and the water of oppression, your teacher will no longer hide, but you will see your teacher. 21 If you stray to the right or the left, you will hear a word that comes from behind you: “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 You will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered priestly vest, and you will scatter them like menstrual rags. “Get out,” you will say to them. 23 God will provide rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food the ground produces will be rich and abundant. On that day, your cattle will graze in large pastures. 24 The oxen and donkeys that are working the ground will eat tasty feed spread for them with a shovel and fork. 25 On every lofty mountain, and on every high hill, streams will run with water on the day of the great massacre, when the towers fall. 26 The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD bandages the people’s brokenness and heals the wounds inflicted by his blows.
Good Morning! God leads us and cares for us!
Our God is a mighty God. As we flew in yesterday, the sights of the stark, rigged, snow-covered mountains were magnificent. There was no sign of anything manmade for as far as my eyes could see. The clouds danced around in between the ridges and valleys just as they do in Virginia, but I was mesmerized by what I saw.
I am reminded that in the beginning, God made everything great and small. God made and assigned us to be the caretakers of all creation. I think of the messes that we have made in the name of advancement: the pollution and destruction of our natural resources. We slowly make strides to clean up what we have defiled. God offers the promise of salvation to all who come, despite our flaws and sins, and to raise us to glory.
This prophecy of Isaiah reminds us that God sees our work towards serving him. When we continue our efforts, God will bless us and take our work and make it whole so that all will see the power of our mighty God.
Affirming God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. Thank you for the beauty that you created for us to oversee. Help us focus on what You made so that we cause no more harm. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God will lead and provide for all who are faithful.
Take time and see God’s glory! Pastor Liz
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