Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
October 20, 2021
Read Psalm 104:27-35
27 All your creations wait for you to give them their food on time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled completely full! 29 But when you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. 30 When you let loose your breath, they are created, and you make the surface of the ground brand-new again. 31 Let the LORD’s glory last forever! Let the LORD rejoice in all he has made! 32 He has only to look at the earth, and it shakes. God just touches the mountains, and they erupt in smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive. 34 Let my praise be pleasing to him; I’m rejoicing in the LORD! 35 Let sinners be wiped clean from the earth; let the wicked be no more. But let my whole being bless the LORD! Praise the LORD!
Good Morning! Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!
Our God is an Awesome God! Look at everything around us! God made everything that we see and even what we don’t see: the Earth and everything and everyone on it. Hallelujah! God didn’t just make us and walk away. No, God continues to care for all of us every day. In the Old Testament, we read where God wiped the earth clean when groups of people failed to follow him, but God promised Noah that He would never flood the earth again. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." ... So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
God sent Jesus, his only Son, to teach us the ways of God. Only a loving creator would be willing to sacrifice his Son to save all of us. Thanks be to God! Through Jesus, our Savior, we have a direct connection to God. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, the Holy Spirit enters our being and begins the work of transforming us into “new” children: followers and servants of Christ. For this amazing, undeserved gift, we are called to respond by sharing God’s love and mercy with the world.
God gives us free will to make choices as we journey through our earthly lives towards eternal life. Admittedly, there are many distractions to sway us from our path, and we are sinners who are only made clean by the resurrection of Jesus. We must allow the Holy Spirit within us to transform us so that our hearts are filled with love and mercy. When we submit to God, Jesus is our beacon of light to lead us to God’s will. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us three areas where we can know God's will: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for making your covenant with Noah to not wipe the earth clean when we fail to follow you. May we open ourselves fully to Christ, so that all may be saved. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God’s loving care and provision fill my life with joy!
Give thanks to God for all things! Pastor Liz
Kommentit