Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
July 17, 2021
Read Isaiah 41:8-14
8 But you, Israel my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham, whom I love, 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant; I chose you and didn’t reject you”: 10 Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand. 11 All who rage against you will be shamed and disgraced. Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. 12 You will look for your opponents, and won’t find them. Those who fight you will be of no account and will die. 13 I am the LORD your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don’t fear; I will help you. 14 Don’t fear, worm of Jacob, people of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD. The holy one of Israel is your redeemer.
Good Morning! Fear not, I am with thee!
Yesterday, I reflected on the idea of being found when we are lost. What happens when we are lost or when we lose someone or something? Many of us, me included, panic even if only briefly. When we panic, our brains seem to focus on the panic rather than the task of finding or being found. I have so many memories of searching for one of my children who stepped away from my sight, if only for a moment, and my heart and mind became unfocused. What about a lost pet? Lost keys? Lost documents? Finally, what about when you are lost either literally or metaphorically?
I remember when we first moved to this area I was walking after school in the neighborhood around Charlottesville High School. If you know this area, the streets curve and seem to be pretzel shape instead of the grids of roads that I know from growing up in Indiana. I reached an intersection and I had no idea of which way to turn to return to the school where I had a meeting. Now I believe that I have a great sense of direction, but on this occasion after twisting and turning through the neighborhood, I was utterly lost. Fortunately, in our technological age, I had my phone so I went to Google Maps to plot my return to the school. When the path popped up, I had to laugh. I was only two blocks away from the school, but if I had gone the way I guessed was correct I would have traveled away from the school and missed my meeting.
“Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
When we have a relationship with God, God is our GPS. He is there to help us plot our path and to show us the way when we wander away and get lost. What does God need from us to establish this connection? God asks for us to talk, share, and listen. That is a small request to receive the great blessings that we are promised. Jesus is our conduit through which we have an open “line” to God. Are you ready to connect today? Let God be the GPS for your life so that you will always be able to find your way home confidently, without fear.
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for giving us the free will to make choices in our lives. More importantly, thank you for always being there to show us the way home when we are afraid. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Through God’s guidance, I will not fear the uncertainties of my life.
Trust God! Pastor Liz
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