Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 6, 2023
Isaiah 40:1-11
1 Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. 2 Speak compassionately to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins! 3 A voice is crying out: “Clear the LORD’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! 4 Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. 5 The LORD’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the LORD’s mouth has commanded it.” 6 A voice was saying: “Call out!” And another said, “What should I call out?” All flesh is grass; all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass dries up and the flower withers when the LORD’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass dries up; the flower withers, but our God’s word will exist forever. 9 Go up on a high mountain, messenger Zion! Raise your voice and shout, messenger Jerusalem! Raise it; don’t be afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 Here is the LORD God, coming with strength, with a triumphant arm, bringing his reward with him and his payment before him. 11 Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock; he will gather lambs in his arms and lift them onto his lap. He will gently guide the nursing ewes.
Good Morning. Find comfort in the dawn of a new day!
I grew up in a home filled with music, especially this time of year. Christmas music was our favorite, and I can’t remember a time without the glorious sounds of the season filling my ears and my heart. Even at a very young age, I embraced the passion of Handel’s Messiah. When I read this passage, it plays in my soul as I hear the opening tenor solo, ‘Comfort ye, my people,’ to the resounding choral anthem, “And the Glory of the Lord,” closing with the alto solo, “He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd.”
I find great comfort as my heart soars in the beauty of the music. As we move through this season of Advent, give yourself the grace of time to open your Bible and allow the Christmas story to unfold before you. Whether in word or song, the story of our salvation is one that never grows old. Each year, it is up to us to invite the Christ child into our hearts and space.
Don’t become so busy and distracted by the ribbons and bows that you forget to prepare your heart and soul for the arrival of the baby who is born a king. Find comfort as you celebrate the glory of the Lord in the knowledge that God will care for us as a shepherd cares for his flock.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We love the excitement of the Christmas season. Help us not lose sight of the baby sleeping in the manger. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Make room in your heart for Jesus!
Invite Christ into your heart! Pastor Liz
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