Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
November 18, 2024
Psalm 126:1-6
1 When the LORD changed Zion’s circumstances for the better, it was like we had been dreaming. 2 Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter; our tongues were filled with joyful shouts. It was even said, at that time, among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them!” 3 Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are overjoyed. 4 LORD, change our circumstances for the better, like dry streams in the desert waste! 5 Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts. 6 Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain!
Good Morning! Let us praise God together!
God gives us the ability to think and talk. We freely speak to family and friends when the topic is happy, but we often try to avoid awkward conversations. Tears frequently get in the way of our words when we try to address things that make us sad. When we address something that makes us unhappy, anger slips in, and tempers flare.
Most of us experience anxiety when speaking to strangers. We try to create a persona that we think the stranger expects. Think about a job interview where you want to portray yourself as the perfect potential employee. It is hard not to get lost in your own script.
Then there is talking to God! What kind of parameters do we set for speaking with God? We try to hide things from the one who knows everything. God, our creator, is waiting to listen to our joys and concerns. It is okay to voice your disappointment or anger with God. Sometimes, just putting our concerns into words allows us to release and move past them.
In the course of the Psalms, David openly shares every emotion with God through the verses of joy, praise, happiness, and lament. If David, God’s anointed one, can be vulnerable before God, we see that it is okay for us. God waits for us to share our thoughts like a loving parent. In sharing comes peace.
Dear Lord, We are your children! We fear we have failed you, so we try to hide our imperfections. Thank you for loving us as we are. Praise be to God! Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Sharing honest thoughts with God can lead to peace.
Bare your soul to the one who knows all! Pastor Liz
Comments