Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 27, 2024
1 Kings 17:1-7
1 Elijah from Tishbe, who was one of the settlers in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives, Israel’s God, the one I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain these years unless I say so.” 2 Then the LORD’s word came to Elijah: 3 Go from here and turn east. Hide by the Cherith Brook that faces the Jordan River. 4 You can drink from the brook. I have also ordered the ravens to provide for you there. 5 Elijah went and did just what the LORD said. He stayed by the Cherith Brook that faced the Jordan River. 6 The ravens brought bread and meat in the mornings and evenings. He drank from the Cherith Brook. 7 After a while, the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.
Good Morning! Bless the angels God places along our path!
By the grace of God . . .
When we trust in God, we will receive what we need. For much of my adult life, we lived paycheck to paycheck. We paid our bills, had a place to live, and had enough food on our tables. The problem came when those unexpected expenses arose. Many of those seem to revolve around our cars.
In my 30s, I went back to college to finish my degree. We had exam week at the end of each semester, which changed your schedule. There were more stringent rules during the exam period. For example, you must finish your exam during the scheduled time, and late arrivals were not admitted.
On one particular exam day, I arrived too early to go to campus, so I stopped to kill time at Target. At the designated time, I went to my car, but it wouldn’t start. I tried to call home, but no one answered. I looked around the parking lot for someone who might be able to assist me, but no one appeared. I was beginning to panic because I needed to leave soon or I would not be allowed to take my exam.
I returned to the store, explained the urgency of my situation, and asked if anyone could help me jump my battery. The person at the service desk asked around but could not find anyone with jumper cables. As I began to walk towards the door dejectedly, an employee stopped me, handed me their keys, and said, “Here, take my car. After your exam, return my keys and leave them at the service desk! Good Luck on your exam!”
I wanted to say no to the kind offer, but I was in a time crunch, so I went to class in the car of a stranger who didn’t even give me their name. I took my exam and couldn’t wait to thank the kind stranger who helped me. When I returned to the service desk, they couldn’t locate the person I described, so I left his keys and waited in my car for Lowell to arrive and help me.
For a time, whenever I went to Target, I continued to look for the employee who had helped me in my time of need, but I never saw him. By the grace of God . . .
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. Help us be the unknown person who helps others selflessly. Thank you for the angels we encounter along the way. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God’s goodness overflows every day.
By the Grace of God . . . ! Pastor Liz
Wow!