Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 4, 2023
John 4:7-14
7 A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8 His disciples had gone into the city to buy him some food. 9 The Samaritan woman asked, “Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other.) 10 Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave this well to us, and he drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”
Good Morning, Oh, what a beautiful morning!
I find it fascinating to observe people in a variety of settings. You see and learn so many things about people by simply sitting and watching as they interact with others and with the world.
As we grow older, we tend to reflect on things that have changed over time. As a child, we would go out and play for hours. We would play games, go to the park, and ride our bikes. Our morning rituals were pretty simple. I would get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth and hair, and I was ready for my day’s adventure. No one called and arranged play dates; we just showed up and played. When we got thirsty, we would drink water from the garden hose.
Along the way, we learned about the need to protect our skin from the sun's damaging rays, so we started applying sunscreen before outdoor adventures. I don’t remember when it happened, but we were also told to take water bottles with us everywhere we went. Of course, parents began exchanging phone numbers and tracking where their kids were playing because our neighborhoods were no longer as safe. These are all reasonable things, but going out to play became more like a job than a spontaneous fun time.
Perhaps in these simpler times, we had more time to be kids and see God’s glory around us. I remember spending hours lying on the grass and looking up at the clouds. We didn’t need to go looking for signs of God because we were immersed in the garden surrounded by God.
Sadly, life has become more complicated, and now we have to plan trips outside with all of our life-protecting protocols in place. Don’t forget to schedule your playtime that allows for communing with God among his handiwork. Allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to all that lies before you so that you may once again walk with God.
Loving God, We thank you for Your blessings. We put up barriers to protect ourselves. We forget that you are always with us. We Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: The Holy Spirit helps me grow in Christlike beauty.
Seek Christ! Pastor Liz
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