Morning Devotional 100622 Amazing Possibilities

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

October 6, 2022

Read Philippians 4:4-9

4Be 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, Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

It is such a blessing when I prepare to spend time with God and see a favorite passage is up for today. This morning I felt my whole body say “ahh” and smile. So much of our perspective for each day is created around what our focus for the day is. I like being a believer in the possible good of each day: a possibilitarian. I put on my rose-colored lenses aka my silly flamingo sunglasses and suddenly the world looks brighter. These lenses don’t mask my ability to see the needs of others, but they do help me focus my thoughts on what is true, holy, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.

Admittedly, I have had times in my life when I got swamped by focusing on the problems that were within me and around me. I had a particular school setting that was emotionally challenging. I started off as my positive self, but as the daily grind kept tugging at me when each door I opened seemed to shut in my face, my view became cloudy. I didn’t realize it for a while because it came on very slowly. One day when I was talking to a long-time friend, she asked me what happened to my sparkle.

This caused me to pause and evaluate what was happening and I began to notice that I was living in the shadows. I was allowing the negative atmosphere to permeate me physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I had aches and pains, my special God time was put on hold, and I was not happy. How did I end up in this awful place (not the school, but me)? I realized that I was focusing on the problems and not the solutions. Somedays it is easy to find things about which to complain: the list is endless. But what does that do? Does it help? No! Paul reminds us to spend time with God and to focus on what is good. Only then can we find the peace of God that exceeds all understanding. Only a great friend can help us see when we have strayed from our path of faith. When I have a choice to make, I will always choose joy as I look at our world with the hope of a new day.

Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. It is easy to become trapped in the messes of life. Help us to hold fast in your love, grace, and mercy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: In both the big and little concerns of life, God wants to help me.

Rejoice for the Lord is Good! Pastor Liz