Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 29, 2024
Psalm 112:1-10
1 Praise the LORD! Those who honor the LORD, who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy! 2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land. The offspring of those who do right will be blessed; 3 wealth and riches will be in their houses. Their righteousness stands forever. 4 They shine in the dark for others who do right. They are merciful, compassionate, and righteous. 5 Those who lend generously are good people as are those who conduct their affairs with justice. 6 Yes, these sorts of people will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever! 7 They won’t be frightened at bad news. Their hearts are steady, trusting in the LORD. 8 Their hearts are firm; they aren’t afraid. In the end, they will witness their enemies’ defeat. 9 They give freely to those in need. Their righteousness stands forever. Their strength increases gloriously. 10 The wicked see all this and fume; they grind their teeth, but disappear to nothing. What the wicked want to see happen comes to nothing!
Good Morning! Trust in God!
This passage leads me back to a difficult time. When Lowell was diagnosed with cancer, we both had lots of questions. You try to figure out how and why this is happening. For the first four years, our lives continued on “normally.” He was given different treatment plans that seemed to keep the cancer in check, and then everything changed. The prescribed meds were no longer doing as expected and thus began our roller coaster ride to the finish.
In retrospect, I see that the more things fell apart, the stronger Lowell became in his resolve. Despite his pain, he continued to serve God, preaching and bringing hope to others. When some said he should step back, he relentlessly pushed forward. During his chemo infusions, he would walk around (dragging his med pole with him) and share the Good News with others receiving chemo.
He desperately wanted to take Kenneth and Elizabeth to Disney World, and we did. He dragged himself around the parks (with the help of his motorized scooter) to make sure they enjoyed every part of the experience. Some said that he should go on disability, but he felt called to continue preaching as long as he had breath. No one would have thought less of him if he had decided to sit and wait for his end to come, but he continued to do as much as he could as often as he could until there was nothing left for him to do. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant!
7 They won’t be frightened by bad news. Their hearts are steady, trusting in the LORD. 8 Their hearts are firm; they aren’t afraid. In the end, they will witness their enemies’ defeat. 9 They give freely to those in need. Their righteousness stands forever. Their strength increases gloriously.
Encouraging God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We do not know when our day will come. Meanwhile, we work and joyfully serve you. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Look for God’s presence in all circumstances.
Stand up and Bless the Lord! Pastor Liz
I thank God that I was privileged to know Lowell. We were blessed to have Lowell and Liz at Rodes Church.