Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
June 24, 2022
Read Psalm 66:16-20
16 Come close and listen, all you who honor God; I will tell you what God has done for me: 17 My mouth cried out to him with praise on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished evil in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. 19 But God definitely listened. He heard the sound of my prayer. 20 Bless God! He didn’t reject my prayer; he didn’t withhold his faithful love from me.
Good morning! God listens to those who honor God.
Throughout the Bible, we read about how God accepts all of us, just as we are. When Christ walked among us, he taught us by example to reach out and care for those rejected for their ailments, social status, and race. Each person is one of God’s children and even the least of these should be lifted up and celebrated. All should have the opportunity to hear of God’s love and mercy, and then they can decide for themselves whether to accept this gift.
Many are called, but only a few answer. Why would anyone choose not to accept God’s gift? There are many reasons people deny God. For those who have achieved positions of earthly power, they might believe that what they have gained is purely a result of their own work. They might say, “Why do I need God? Look at all I have without giving credit to this unseen being.” Of course, for those who have great wealth, the thought of giving up what they have to serve God is challenging. They have not learned that we should store our treasures in heaven so that we might have eternal life.
Paul spent much of his ministry reminding anyone who would listen to him of those earthly gains that he had acquired and how he came to realize that they were rubbish in comparison to giving your life to Christ and serving him. In Matthew 6:21 we read, 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. What are our heavenly treasures? Jesus is our heavenly treasure, and Jesus calls us to give glory to God and take care of others. i.e. “Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” If you have abundance, share with those in need.
As I continue to pack and prepare for my move, I am working to cast off those things that are weighing me down, my earthly possessions. I have done much on this front, but alas, I am human and I still cling to some of my stuff. Luckily, God takes us as we are, and as I allow the Holy Spirit to transform me, maybe I’ll be ready to share more of my earthly treasures with others in need. As God accepts each of us despite our faults, we are called to accept others without judgment.
Loving and Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, you accept us regardless of our past misdeeds. You give us your grace and continue to love us even when we make mistakes and turn away from you. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are working on becoming the being that you see within us. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can offer God’s gift of acceptance to each person I meet.
Just as we are, God loves us! Pastor Liz
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