Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 15, 2022
Read Romans 5:1-6
1 Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory. 3 But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 5 This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people.
Good Morning, Through grace, God loves us!
When I read this last verse this morning, my heart was warmed. 6 While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people. These are not random “bad” people: We are those ungodly people of whom Paul speaks. Think about it! Could we love such unworthy people? We make so many messes and deny opportunities to serve God, yet God continues to love us.
Only through God’s grace can we even be invited to the table! It seems that we would be doing everything in our power to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the beings for which we were created, but we still have doubts and fears. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God promises all who believe eternal life.
We know our destination and set our paths, yet we still struggle and stumble on our journey. We are still distracted and tempted by the easier way. We see others who party and sleep in on Sundays, and we think maybe I can do that too. We have friends who spend time enjoying their earthly treasures when we are working to care for the needy, and we think hmmm . . . that looks like more fun.
Accepting Christ is not a solitary venture through which we close ourselves in our homes and wait for the return of Christ. Gathering as the fellowship of believers in service and worship is necessary because through being together we nurture and support one another. Choosing Christ requires action: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love one another as yourself. When we gather, we celebrate the hope of a new day filled with opportunities to joyfully praise God. Despite our shortcomings, God loves us and gives us time to grow into the life for which we were created. 6 While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. We love You. Without your grace, we would be living in darkness. Thank you for believing in us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Every day I will give thanks for God’s grace.
Embrace the marvelous grace of God! Pastor Liz
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