Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
February 21, 2022
Read Philippians 4:4-14
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. 8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. 10 I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course, you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) 11 I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. 12 I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. 13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. 14 Still, you have done well to share my distress.
Good Morning! Rejoice, Rejoice, again I say Rejoice!
I love when I see God’s mysterious ways appear in my life. When I opened today’s passage, I smiled because this is the passage with which I ended my sermon yesterday. During my sermon, we considered the elusiveness of the concept of time: God’s time. I concluded with the understanding that we are to be purposefully present in our lives now. We are not to sit idly by waiting for the end time, but we are called to live life fully and cherish every moment as we look for God’s grace and love at work in our lives.
Through Christ, we know that we are equipped to weather even the worst storm. When we call on the name of Jesus, he will be by our side, holding us up even when we think that we can’t go on. Each of our challenges gives us new strength and understanding to enable us to withstand whatever we encounter. Through Christ, we can endure all things for “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
When we look out the window of our hearts, we see many things. Sadly it is so easy to become fixated on the evil at work in the world. Christ teaches us that we should focus on that which is good, that which is pleasing, and that which lifts us up. If we use the lens of love as we survey the world, we will find amazing stories where love triumphs over evil. All we need is love! Love is always there waiting to be discovered by those who take the time to look.
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. You are love, and You sent Your Son to show us love incarnate. Help us focus on that which is good, so that we may joyfully serve you wherever we may go. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can trust that God knows my needs.
Look for God’s love! Pastor Liz
Commentaires