Morning Devotional 092925 Start With Love

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

September 28, 2025 

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. 8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.

Good Morning! Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice!

This is a perfect verse to recap my time in Indiana as I prepare to fly home today. I am rejoicing in spending time with classmates and my home church family, who were an essential part of my formative years. First, I enjoyed having dinner and fellowship with my high school classmates, and then I was blessed to preach at my home church on Sunday. 

As I looked into their faces, so many stories and memories flooded my mind. When I consider the question, “How did I end up at this moment in my life?” each member of these amazing groups played a role in who I am. 

When so much time has passed, the cliches that made up our high school time have long since dissolved. The memories that remain are those that are excellent, true, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. We shared the great things and the challenges that we endured together. 

In both contexts, the reunion and the worship service, I get a glimpse of the understanding of transcending time. When I reunite with those I grew up with, conversations seem to happen as if no time has passed. We shared in our past, which allows us to pick up and catch up, because we “know” each other.  

God knows us completely. No things are hidden. In our vulnerability, we can share openly. Thanks be to God for creating us out of love so that we can share love with one another.

Loving Lord, you bless us abundantly! You created us! May we always join together in love. Thank you. We love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Rejoice in your blessings! 

Start your conversations with love! Pastor Liz