Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 31, 2024
Psalm 139:13-18
13 You are the one who created my innermost parts; you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. 14 I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. 15 My bones weren’t hidden from you when I was being put together in a secret place, when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my embryo, and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me, before any one of them had yet happened. 17 God, your plans are incomprehensible to me! Their total number is countless! 18 If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand! If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you.
Good Morning! Jesus loves me! This I know!
God knows us! Not just the person or persona we have created for others to see. He knows us! Nothing is hidden.
This can be equally comforting and scary. There are many blessings to being able to be your true authentic self where you don’t have to remember to play the role of the character you’ve created. For some, you might have this level of comfort with your spouse. You cherish the times when no one else is around, and you can just be you!
Of course, there are those things deep within us that we hide from others: failures, flaws, and embarrassing moments. Depending upon the persona we create for the world to see, the character we “play” may represent a different person than our authentic self.
With God, there is no reason to put on our costumes or assume our role in the play because God knows everything about us. In fact, God knows things about us that we might not have discovered yet about ourselves. God knows that we can persevere and overcome challenges that we thought impossible.
Relax and share your life with God, who created you. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. Help us put down our walls and share everything with you. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Persevere in the purpose God has given you.
God loves us despite our flaws! Pastor Liz