Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 29, 2023
Psalm 145:13-21
13 Your kingdom is a kingship that lasts forever; your rule endures for all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all that he says and faithful in all that he does. 14 The LORD supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low. 15 All eyes look to you, hoping, and you give them their food right on time, 16 opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, faithful in all his deeds. 18 The LORD is close to everyone who calls out to him, to all who call out to him sincerely. 19 God shows favor to those who honor him, listening to their cries for help and saving them. 20 The LORD protects all who love him, but he destroys every wicked person. 21 My mouth will proclaim the LORD’s praise and every living thing will bless God’s holy name forever and always.
Good Morning. The LORD is righteous in all his ways!
14 The LORD supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low.
When I planted my tomato plants this year, I put a cage around each plant to support it. At first, it seemed unnecessary for the cage to be there because the growing plant had a strong stem to support its leaves and branches. As the plant matured, it started putting on blossoms and setting fruit. Again, one or two tomatoes were easily supported by the existing plant, but as more tomatoes began forming, the weight of the fruit caused the stem to start bending. The cage helped support the ever-increasing weight of the fruitful plant.
When I was a novice gardener, I waited to place the cages until it looked as if they were needed. I quickly learned that if you wait, it is very hard to put them in place without damaging the plant. Sometimes, I have stubborn plants that manage to grow outside the carefully placed cage, and the weight of the tomatoes causes that branch to break away from the plant.
It seems our faith journey is like the tomato plants I am raising. When we were young, our parents supported us like that tomato cage so that we could grow strong and tall. For Christians, part of that support comes from attending church and hearing the stories of the Bible, even when we are too young to understand. God puts the “cage” (our support system) in place so that we can lean on it when we face struggles.
The weight of our struggles can become so heavy that we would fall or break away from our path without the support of God. There are those times when we become stubborn and push out of the cage because we believe we can support ourselves. We don’t need anyone or anything else. As our burdens increase, we start to bend and even fall down. Unlike the tomato plant that is hard to fix, God is with us, ready to give us the support we need to recover ourselves. Even when we break away, Jesus searches until we are found.
Loving God, We love you! Thank you for straightening us when we are bent and lifting us when we fall. Continue to protect us with Your love, grace, and mercy. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can depend on Jesus.
Embrace God’s protection! Pastor Liz
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