Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 16, 2023
Matthew 25:31-40
31 “Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left. 34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. 35 I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
Good Morning. Stand on the promises of God!
And the second is like unto it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We are called to love one another and to serve God. We are not called to judge others, yet it is easy to fall into judging others when we see others in need. Instead of seeing someone who is hurting or down on their luck, we look for evidence of their misdeeds. We might say or even think, “Well, they got what they deserved, or that’s what happens when you . . .” In the same way, we sometimes assess the fairness of someone else’s prosperity. We see things in the eyes of a child and shout, “It’s not fair!”
Imagine seeing the world as Christ does! We see everyone as children of God. We don’t see race, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic differences. When we see through our hearts, the labels fall away. We see the sick, and we offer healing. We see the hungry, and we offer food. We give shelter to the homeless and welcome all to join us in fellowship.
We want to be among the sheep when God calls us. Only by God’s grace is this possible. We begin each day thanking God for another opportunity to walk as Christ and serve one another.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us. We want to be with the sheep, but sometimes our actions place us with the goats. Help us open our hearts and serve You. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Thought for the day: God is with me as I serve my neighbors.
Love one another! Pastor Liz
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