Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 27, 2022
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens: 2 a time for giving birth and a time for dying, a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted, 3 a time for killing and a time for healing, a time for tearing down and a time for building up, 4 a time for crying and a time for laughing, a time for mourning and a time for dancing, 5 a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones, a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces, 6 a time for searching and a time for losing, a time for keeping and a time for throwing away, 7 a time for tearing and a time for repairing, a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking, 8 a time for loving and a time for hating, a time for war and a time for peace.
Good Morning, Thanks be to God for another day to rejoice together.
There is a season for everything. I find comfort in the cyclical nature of things. Even as young children, we come to understand the cycle of life as evident in our weather seasons. One of the calming factors of the seasons is that I find completeness in the cycle as we pass from one to the next knowing that the next season is just beyond the horizon.
We have shared together many times that God does not promise us a life without challenges. The difficulties that we face allow us to develop the perseverance needed so that we may find our way to the light. With each passing season, our faith grows as we anticipate the next season and know that God is with us through every moment of our lives.
Winter is a time of rest and renewal as the cold weather urges us to stay inside and warm ourselves. Our physical need for warmth reminds us of our spiritual need to warm our hearts. We warm our hearts by spending time with God in worship, reading the Word, and communing together in a relationship rooted in prayer. Today’s passage reminds us of the balance of nature as the seasons ebb and flow.
It can be difficult to find time to balance our physical and spiritual needs. As we embrace this new season, we can use winter as an excuse to take a break from the chaos of our lives. Just as our bodies are warmed by the fire, our spirits are warmed by the glow of the light when we take the time to see God in the dancing flames.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. You are the source of all that we need. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God provides the balance I need.
In the bulb, there is a flower! Pastor Liz
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