Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 11, 2024
Proverbs 25:11-20
11 Words spoken at the right time are like gold apples in a silver setting. 12 Wise correction to an ear that listens is like a gold earring or jewelry of fine gold. 13 Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day are reliable messengers to those who send them; they restore the life of their master. 14 People who brag about a gift never given are like clouds and wind that produce no rain. 15 A commander can be persuaded with patience, and a tender tongue can break a bone. 16 If you find honey, eat just the right amount; otherwise, you’ll get full and vomit it up. 17 Don’t spend too much time in your neighbor’s house. Otherwise, they’ll get fed up with you and hate you. 18 People who testify falsely against their neighbors are like a club, sword, and sharpened arrow. 19 Trusting a treacherous person at a difficult time is like having a bad tooth or a wobbly foot. 20 Singing a song to a troubled heart is like taking off a garment on a cold day or putting vinegar on a wound.
Good Morning! Praise God for a new day full of possibilities.
Have you ever tried to insert yourself into someone else’s life or situation? We say, "Walk a mile in my shoes," but can we really let go of our own ideas and see through someone else's eyes and heart?
Purposely listening is challenging, and most of us find it difficult to allow silence to exist as an equal part of the conversation. When we need someone to listen to us, or we need to listen to someone else, words are the vehicle that we use to fill awkward spaces. We want to move past the complicated conversation by rushing to a solution or an ending.
The author of the Upper Room devotional shared an awesome thought: “God is teaching me to sit with my own grief, pain, and anxiety and that of others rather than trying to rush the healing process.”
When we are grieving, pained, or anxious, we must allow ourselves the grace to sit in the healing space for as long as it takes. There is no prescribed amount of time to grieve. Some try to make grief seem like a routine process for which there are set steps to complete, and then magically, you are done. Listen to your heart, take time, and let God lead you through your pain.
God blesses us by always being available to listen. Only God can hear our thoughts when words cannot be formed. We are called to listen so that others might find a space to share and release their pain. There is a Winnie the Pooh meme in which Piglet asks Pooh (who looks troubled) if he wants to talk about it. When Pooh says no, Piglet asks, "May I just sit with you for a while?"
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. Help us discern when words are unnecessary. To sit with someone in silence is sometimes all that is needed. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Take time to listen to those who are hurting.
Be available to listen! Pastor Liz
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