Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
August 10, 2024
Psalm 84:1-12
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD of heavenly forces! 2 My very being longs, even yearns, for the LORD’s courtyards. My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God! 3 Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there; the swallow has found herself a nest where she can lay her young beside your altars, LORD of heavenly forces, my king, my God! 4 Those who live in your house are truly happy; they praise you constantly. 9 Look at our shield, God; pay close attention to the face of your anointed one! 10 Better is a single day in your courtyards than a thousand days anywhere else! I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God’s house than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked! 11 The LORD is a sun and shield; God is favor and glory. The LORD gives—doesn’t withhold!—good things to those who walk with integrity. 12 LORD of heavenly forces, those who trust in you are truly happy!
Good Morning! Happy are those who walk with God!
10 Better is a single day in your courtyards than a thousand days anywhere else! I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God’s house than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked!
Think of that: one day in paradise is better than a thousand days elsewhere! We are hindered by our finite understanding of things. God’s thoughts and ways are unfathomable to us. How can we imagine something that is beyond anything we have ever known?
As humans, we have the capacity to catch glimpses of the next step or two. Think of inventors and innovators who spend their lives looking to create a never-before-seen object. Those who lived in the 1800s would have laughed at crossing the country in a few days by car or even a few hours by plane. Most of us never imagined how indispensable this odd device called a computer would become in our lifetimes.
Our human inventions and innovations have allowed us to change the human dimensions of time. Things that used to be measured in days, weeks, and years are now completed in hours, minutes, and seconds. As wonderful as these things are, we must be careful not to lose sight of God’s time and ways.
One day in paradise with God may equal a thousand days or years by our human understanding of time. It’s so easy to forget that God is not like us. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and His time is not our time. We get impatient when we think about the years we’ve been waiting, but for God, those years are just a flash.
When you are the creator of the world, the Alpha and the Omega, time takes on a different context. For now, we are to enjoy the lovely dwelling place that God provides for us and live each day to its fullest.
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. Your love is all-encompassing and unwavering. Help us grow into the mature faith for which you prepare us. We trust in your plan and find confidence in your love. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God’s love is the support I need to stand straight and strong.
Live your life fully! Pastor Liz
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