Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 6, 2023
Isaiah 30:19-21
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.”
Good Morning, It is a great day to praise God.
Have you ever been lost? It is an unsettling feeling. On the news yesterday, I saw a 10K race finish where the race leader turned from the course within sight of the finish line and finished 3rd instead of 1st. As a seasoned racer, how could she have made such a mistake? As the leader of the race, she had followed the police motorcycle that was leading the racers for six miles. When the motorcycle turned off near the finish line, she followed it. She quickly caught her mistake, but those few seconds allowed those in close pursuit of the lead to finish before her.
I imagine that most have had a similar experience where they followed someone or something to an anticipated ending but found out at the last minute that they were in the wrong line. Perhaps you come to a place where many are gathered and moving toward something, and you join in to see what is at the end of this crowd. You think, “If everyone is going there, it must be good.”
Sometimes our choice to follow the crowd ends well, but other times we might become involved in things with which we disagree. Like the runner in the race, we become so focused on following the one directly in front of us that we don’t see our surroundings or the big picture, and we veer off our path even when the finish line is just ahead. It is so apparent for those watching from above, but it's easy to miss the obvious signs for those of us still navigating the course of life.
We can have similar struggles on our faith journeys. We must keep our hearts and minds open so we don’t lose sight of our goal of reaching Christ and eternal life. Along the way, we have many opportunities to serve God, which is what we are called to do. Meanwhile, evil lurks in the shadows and lures us in with shiny distractions that pull us off our paths. 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.”
God's grace and mercy guides us through the stormy sea and troubled waters. God is always with us, leading us with words of encouragement. When we are lost in darkness, the light of Christ shows us our way back to our path of righteousness.
Loving God, We thank you for Your blessings. We get lost when we follow the crowds. You lead us out of the darkness. We Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I will purposefully listen for God’s guidance today.
Follow the Light! Pastor Liz
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