Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 17, 2023
Psalm 121:1-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your protector; the LORD is your shade right beside you. 6 The sun won’t strike you during the day; neither will the moon at night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; God will protect your very life. 8 The LORD will protect you on your journeys whether going or coming from now until forever from now.
Good Morning. Rejoice, again, I say rejoice!
My thoughts over the past three weeks have drifted to the mountains as I pray for the firefighters. The Quaker Run fire is mostly contained but will continue to burn for a long while. Now, there is another fire on Afton Mountain, and firefighters are spending countless hours working to maintain the safety of those living there.
As a kid, I was fascinated watching fires in a fireplace or at a campfire. To watch the flames jump and twist was mesmerizing. The cracks and pops as the fire moved through the wood created a unique symphony of sounds. Through all this enjoyment, I knew that fire is a powerful and dangerous force. Even a simple fire lit for warmth or pleasure can quickly grow out of control.
I imagine the job of a firefighter during a wildfire is scary and lonely. They are working to control a force of nature that doesn’t want to be contained. They must be diligent in their efforts to maintain the fireline but also to keep themselves safe. They work long hours in the smoky haze with no immediate end. Many of these folks are volunteers and come to work the line after working their “day” job.
Let me shift to our relationship with God for a moment. There are times in our lives that we are like that uncontrolled fire, burning, jumping, and working to escape our boundaries. The Holy Spirit is the fire of our faith within us, but that fire must be kept in that manageable form. In our case, the Holy Spirit is holding a tight line between keeping the fire burning and not letting it blaze out of control. Too little fire, and we lose our way! There is too much fire, and we burn out before completing our tasks. Like the firefighters, the Holy Spirit is working to control our beings that don’t always want to be contained. Thank God for your diligence.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us. We are sometimes out of control in our desire to be wild and free. Help us let go and let the Holy Spirit work within us to manage our fires. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Thought for the day: The Holy Spirit works within us to maintain our fire.
Allow the Holy Spirit to tame your fire! Pastor Liz
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