Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
December 7, 2021
Read Luke 5:17-26
17 One day when Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and legal experts were sitting nearby. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Now the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal. 18 Some men were bringing a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. They wanted to carry him in and place him before Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they took him up on the roof and lowered him—cot and all—through the roof tiles into the crowded room in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, “Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!” 22 Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? 23 Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins” —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home.” 25 Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God. 26 All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, “We’ve seen unimaginable things today.”
Good Morning! Our God is an Awesome God!
Yesterday afternoon and evening the wind was bringing in a weather front, but this morning the air around me is eerily still. In the stillness of the pre-dawn air, I took time to reflect upon the Holy Spirit working within me!
There are times I feel as if I’m being moved by a whirlwind as I am led into uncertain places. I remember a race that I participated in the Outer Banks. The racecourse took us across the old bridge to Manteo. As is typical near the ocean, it was a windy day. I vividly remember as I traveled across the bridge, the noise that surrounded me, not the noise of other racers, but the noise of the wind. As I reached the rise of the bridge, there was a gatehouse, and for those few steps with the building blocking the wind, there was silence. We are often pulled into the noise and chaos of life as symbolized by the whirlwind.
Other times, I feel that all is still so that I can embrace the quietness and hear God. This morning in the stillness that surrounded me I felt God by my side. Be Still and Know that I Am God. Psalm 46:10 When I was running across the sound, the gatehouse protected me from the wind for a brief moment. God is always with us to protect us from the chaos that fills the world around us.
In today’s passage, I am reminded of how many times that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders were caught up in the chaos of their own making. They often seemed to be asking the wrong questions. i.e. Who is this who insults God? Jesus was showing them the hypocrisy of their lives, and they rebelled. We should focus on how to enable all to find God, not create hundreds of ways to construct barriers to block the way to find God. Through Jesus all who humble themselves before God are welcome.
Creator God, Thank You for loving us. Help us to see you through the light of Your Son, Jesus. May we hear you talking in those moments of stillness in our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God promises to be with us during the whirlwinds and during the stillness.
Be an enabler! Pastor Liz
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