Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 14, 2022
Read John 3:16-18
16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. 17 God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son.
Good Morning, God loves us so much!
As I sit in the quiet, darkness this morning, I am reflecting upon God’s love for us. When I retired from teaching, I imagined “sleeping in” each morning. Because I didn’t have to be ready to leave the house at a certain time, I could get up whenever I felt like it. Ha! Ha! The joke was on me! I still wake up early, but the emphasis has changed from getting done everything that I need to do before leaving for school to a relaxing time of meditation. I am able to enjoy this special time with God as I start my day.
In our time on earth, we are given the opportunity to be loved and to love others. Our first experience is when we are born. Our parents and our families shower us with love, and infants innately love those who love them. That early time of bonding between parents and their babies is special. As we grow, we learn that there are many in this world for whom we care, and our capacity to love grows. We learn that we can love others, but this does not diminish our love for our parents.
As we continue growing our capacity to love, we often experience having our hearts broken when someone we love disappoints us. We also learn that sometimes we must give up something for someone we love. I remember a time when I forgot my lunch at home and a dear friend shared what she had so that I wouldn’t be hungry. Perhaps you chose to change your plans so that your sibling could go somewhere they really want to go.
No matter how much love we receive and give to each other, it is only a small portion compared to the love of God for us. God loves us so much that he gave his only son to die for us so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. God loves us so much that he waits for us to return when we walk away or turn our backs on him. God loves us so much that he searches for us when we are lost. God loves us so much that he is ready to listen to us and to be with us always. No matter what we do to mess things up, God loves us! Through the eyes of love, God sees hope and opportunity in all his creation.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. We love You. May we work to love one another as you love us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Jesus sees everyone through the eyes of love.
Love one another! Pastor Liz
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