Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
August 22, 2022
Read Jeremiah 17:7-8
7 Happy are those who trust in the LORD, who rely on the LORD. 8 They will be like trees planted by the streams, whose roots reach down to the water. They won’t fear drought when it comes; their leaves will remain green. They won’t be stressed in the time of drought or fail to bear fruit.
Good morning! Trust in God and Be Happy
One of the most basic desires of people is to be happy. Happiness is often indicated by smiling, laughing, and carefree moments. For some, this is a regular occurrence, but for others it may be a rare experience. The most challenging people to understand are those who have a persona of being happy when they are not, fake happy.
Over the past few years taking selfies has become a part of life for many. As a people watcher, it is amazing to watch people who look anything but happy, stop, put on a great smile, take a selfie, look at it, perhaps post it on social media, and then return to whatever feelings that were in control before the selfie. For the world and posterity, they look so happy, but for those around them they see something different.
In this era of instant photography, many have become the master of the “perfect” smile or facial expression because they practice over and over until it is just right. Remember when we didn’t see the pictures we took for days, months, or even years. When we finally got the role of film developed, we often laughed at how bad our pictures were. Think of the old portraits like you see in old photo albums or on the walls of a museum. There were few examples of smiles. Everyone was very somber. Were our ancestors never happy?
What will people of future generations think when they look at today’s photos in the old photo albums? Will they assume that everyone was eternally happy or will they recognize the fake smiles?
Imagine being eternally happy! There is one way for this to happen: trust God and give over all of your fears to God. During good times, all is well. During times of drought, your roots that are well-established still receive nourishment and you stand strong as the storms come.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. We struggle with turning over control to you. Help us let go of our worries and accept the blessings that come with trusting You. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can always trust God to guide my steps.
The Key to happiness is trusting God! Pastor Liz
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