Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 10, 2023
Read Leviticus 19:1-15
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 Say to the whole community of the Israelites: You must be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3 Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must keep my sabbaths; I am the LORD your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves; I am the LORD your God. 5 When you sacrifice a communal sacrifice of well-being to the LORD, offer it so that it will be accepted on your account. 6 It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice or the following day; whatever is left over on the third day must be burned with fire. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is foul; it will not be accepted. 8 Anyone who eats it will be liable to punishment, because they defiled what is holy to the LORD. That person will be cut off from their people. 9 When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. 10 Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the LORD your God. 11 You must not steal nor deceive nor lie to each other. 12 You must not swear falsely by my name, desecrating your God’s name in doing so; I am the LORD. 13 You must not oppress your neighbors or rob them. Do not withhold a hired laborer’s pay overnight. 14 You must not insult a deaf person or put some obstacle in front of a blind person that would cause them to trip. Instead, fear your God; I am the LORD. 15 You must not act unjustly in a legal case. Do not show favoritism to the poor or deference to the great; you must judge your fellow Israelites fairly.
Good Morning! Rejoice, again I say rejoice!
I am happy to be returning home today. We’ve had a wonderful trip and made so many unforgettable memories, but wow, I’m tired! :)
Obviously, Disney is a huge corporation, but they do a remarkable job making sure the needs of all are met. Regardless of age, size, or infirmities all are made welcome. The last trip that we were able to make with Lowell, who was using a mobility cart to get around, opened my eyes to the efforts of the workers and the consideration of the designers and engineers.
As we walked around the park, we saw so many of God’s children having fun and enjoying the beautiful days with which we were blessed. Imagine living in a world where all are welcomed with open arms.
We are called to be co-creators so that every moment of every day all are welcome. We mustn’t be the one blocking the way for others. When the weak and the strong, rich and poor, and young and old can work to see that all are fed and cared for, we will see the glory of God laid out for us.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. Help us be strong and have faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: How am I a stumbling block in the body of Christ?
Open hearts! Open minds! Open Doors! Pastor Liz