Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 16, 2023
1 Kings 19:13-19
3 Elijah was terrified. He got up and ran for his life. He arrived at Beer-sheba in Judah and left his assistant there. 4 He himself went farther on into the desert a day’s journey. He finally sat down under a solitary broom bush. He longed for his own death: “It’s more than enough, LORD! Take my life because I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 He lay down and slept under the solitary broom bush. Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!” 6 Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went back to sleep. 7 The LORD’s messenger returned a second time and tapped him. “Get up!” the messenger said. “Eat something, because you have a difficult road ahead of you.” 8 Elijah got up, ate and drank, and went refreshed by that food for forty days and nights until he arrived at Horeb, God’s mountain. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The LORD’s word came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I’ve been very passionate for the LORD God of heavenly forces because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m the only one left, and now they want to take my life too!” 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand at the mountain before the LORD. The LORD is passing by.” A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the LORD. But the LORD wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the LORD wasn’t in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the LORD wasn’t in the fire. After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
Good Morning; God is speaking! Are we listening?
From time to time, I see billboards along the highway with messages from God. These billboards are usually very simple with a black background and white letters, contain a message, and are signed -God. I did a little research (Google is great) and found that these signs are placed by an organization called GodSpeaks, and they have run ad campaigns since the 90s. I appreciate this quote from their website, “Though the words on the boards have changed since the 90s, the underlying message has not. GodSpeaks want people worldwide to know that God loves them, values them, and wants a relationship with them forever.” I say, “Amen.”
Whether we see God’s message on a billboard, in the Bible, on the face of a child, or in the beauty of nature that surrounds us, the underlying message is that God loves us, values us, and wants to be in a relationship with us forever.
I am reminded of a scenario where two people have had an argument, and one isn’t speaking to the other. The one trying to mend their rift starts a letter-writing campaign or even resorts to holding up messages written on poster boards or index cards. In this case, it seems that one of the two is working hard to restore the relationship, while the other isn’t quite ready.
I think that our relationship with God can be like this at well. God is always there reaching out, but we are not always ready to receive the message. Fortunately, God is persistent and never gives up on us. What is blocking our reception of God’s messages? We get busy, so we forget to “check the mail,” or it is so noisy and chaotic that the message is muffled as it transmits in the background. Finally, what about when we put on our headphones because we only hear what we choose: our music, our podcast, our information?
Those who believe and call upon God will be saved and protected during our greatest challenges, but we must be prepared to listen and receive our message. God is speaking! Are we listening?
Blessed God, We thank you for Your blessings. We are a mess, but You still offer us Your love. Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Unplug and listen for the quiet voice of God.
Listen! God is Calling! Pastor Liz
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