Morning Devotional 102822 A New Song

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

October 28, 2022

Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

1 It is necessary to brag, not that it does any good. I’ll move on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up in the third heaven fourteen years ago. I don’t know whether it was in the body or out of the body. God knows. 3 - 4 I know that this man was caught up in paradise and that he heard unspeakable words that were things no one is allowed to repeat. I don’t know whether it was in the body or apart from the body. God knows. 5 I’ll brag about this man, but I won’t brag about myself, except to brag about my weaknesses. 6 If I did want to brag, I wouldn’t make a fool of myself because I’d tell the truth. I’m holding back from bragging so that no one will give me any more credit than what anyone sees or hears about me. 7 I was given a thorn in my body because of the outstanding revelations I’ve received so that I wouldn’t be conceited. It’s a messenger from Satan sent to torment me so that I wouldn’t be conceited. 8 I pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me alone. 9 He said to me, “My grace is enough for you because power is made perfect in weakness.” So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me. 10 Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassment, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.

Good Morning, And now let the weak say I am strong!

This morning, I am compelled to take advantage of my morning chat with God. I have spent time considering how I came to be here, at this place and time. Throughout my life, I have experienced challenges and change, as we all do. However, I have reached this most unexpected blessing in my life. I had an interesting revelation this week. For years, I seem to have been searching for something. I was not consciously aware of my search, but as I look back, it now seems obvious.

First, as a young adult, I spent time trying and rejecting many career paths as I changed majors in college. I guess I put those ideas on hold as Lowell and I married and started our family. What a blessing! When I finally resumed my thoughts of a career, I landed upon teaching which I had avoided for many years. It’s funny to consider the lengths to which I went to not be a teacher. Yet, teaching seemed to be innate and when I finally gave in to this inclination I felt satisfied.

I loved my time as a teacher both informally as a piano teacher and then as a licensed teacher. Until this week, I never considered how I seemed to be always looking for more. I attained several degrees and specialties as I yearned for finding my niche. I loved sharing myself with my students as I challenged them to become better thinkers. But still, I felt that something was incomplete or missing as evidenced by the different roles that I played as a teacher.

Have you ever noticed that things are sometimes more clear when we look at them in retrospect? I guess it's the armchair quarterback syndrome. When I consider my call to ministry story, I had not thought about this continued nagging during my teaching to find the missing piece. My great revelation this week is that I am no longer searching for the missing piece in my life. My teaching has evolved into serving God as a pastor. This does not mean that I have all the answers, but I finally noticed in the stillness of my early morning time with God, I am where I have been called. God has shared the missing piece with me and is allowing me to sing a new song so that I might serve in a new way.

Through Christ, we are perfected through our weaknesses. Through Christ, we are made whole by the grace which God supplies to all who call Jesus, Lord, and Savior.

Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. Wow! We love you, Lord. Forgive us when we forget to consider our challenges as blessings. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: God’s grace is sufficient for me.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Pastor Liz