Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
June 16, 2023
1 Peter 5:6-11
6 Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up in the last day. 7 Throw all your anxiety onto him because he cares about you. 8 Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith. Do so in the knowledge that your fellow believers are enduring the same suffering throughout the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be power forever and always. Amen.
Good Morning, Our God is an Awesome God!
It is a wonderful feeling when I let go of anxiety or worries. I immediately feel this great surge of energy. If I were asked to describe myself, I would call myself a goal-driven person. You might find it interesting that I rarely create written lists, but I have a mental to-do list that holds together my daily plans. Sometimes I have more than one list running at the same time. I can’t say that this is the best way to manage a schedule, but it works for me.
Perhaps because of my over-achiever personality trait, or maybe because of a need to clear out my mental lists, I try to stay ahead of the curve. By this, I mean if something needs to be done by Friday, my personal goal is to complete it by Wednesday. That way, if I have an unexpected issue, I can still complete the task before its actual due date. By working this way, I minimize the anxiety over task completion. Even so, as I complete one project, I get this rush of adrenaline that enables me to move on to the next one.
As Peter tells us in verse 8, we must be clearheaded and alert to avoid the distractions of evil. We must stand firm in our faith. This is very hard to do when we are filled with anxiety. Our brains become muddled, and we no longer see clearly. This is also a problem when we do not get rest, and of course, when we are holding on to our anxiety, our sleep becomes restless. It’s one of those vicious circles.
Jesus is waiting to accept our burdens willingly, but we must let them go. Let’s imagine that our burden is a box. I hold on to the box, and I think about the box for a long time. After much inner debate, I finally decided it was time to give it away or get rid of it. I place it on the curb for pickup, and I walk away. I sit and look at my box from a distance. I feel a great urge to go and retrieve it. This is how it is with our anxiety. We know we should give it to Jesus, but we hang on to it. Are you ready to let one burden go today?
Amazing God, We thank you for Your blessings. Help us to let go of our burdens. We are weak, but you are strong. Help us! We Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: It is not weakness but strength that allows me to put my struggles in God’s hands.
Let Go and Let God! Pastor Liz
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