Morning Devotional 081221 Are You "Hiding" from God?

Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room

August 12, 2021

Read Psalm 139:1-12

1 LORD, you have examined me. You know me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. 3 You study my traveling and resting. You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways. 4 There isn’t a word on my tongue, LORD, that you don’t already know completely. 5 You surround me—front and back. You put your hand on me. 6 That kind of knowledge is too much for me; it’s so high above me that I can’t fathom it. 7 Where could I go to get away from your spirit? Where could I go to escape your presence? 8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I went down to the grave, you would be there too! 9 If I could fly on the wings of the dawn, stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean 10 even there your hand would guide me; even there your strong hand would hold me tight! 11 If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me,” 12 even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you! Nighttime would shine bright as day because darkness is the same as light to you!

Good Morning! Let God’s light shine through you!

If I listed my favorite passages, this would be among the top. Lowell and I had a beautiful duet that we sang together based on this passage. God knows us always when we rise, and when we lie down. He knows our words before we speak and is with us no matter where we go. When we make choices that turn out poorly, we might wish that we could hide from God, but he is right there with us.

Do you remember how toddlers love to play peek-a-boo? Just because they cover their eyes, they think they become invisible to us, and as adults, we play along and encourage them. God sees us even when we think we are hidden and encourages us when we struggle. I had a student once who struggled when she believed that anyone was looking at her. During one musical performance, the students had turkey masks to wear as part of the program. She was able to relax and complete the dance steps because no one could “see” her.

How do we relax when we know God can see us no matter what we do or where we go? Should we be anxious as we try to do the right things? What if we make a mistake? We are God’s children and we are still learning as we grow and mature in our faith. We will likely stumble and fall many times, and we will make mistakes as we spread our wings. With God at our side and the scriptures as our roadmap, through Christ and the Holy Spirit working within us, we will continue stepping out in faith and continue to hone our pathway to walk and talk as Jesus does.

Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for always being there when we call. May we call on you when we struggle. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: God’s love and care for me have no borders.

Praise God at all things! Pastor Liz