Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
February 21, 2024
Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach, 29 giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted. 30 Youths will become tired and weary, young men will certainly stumble; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.
Good Morning! Have you heard? God will provide!
This is a great passage of inspiration, and I recite it often. Today let’s focus on “His understanding is beyond human reach, giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted.”
I think that we struggle with His understanding being beyond human reach. This violates our need to put things in boxes. Perhaps that is why Jesus tells us that it is easier for a child to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “What I'm about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don't, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
We begin our lives full of hope and believing someone will care for our needs. We see the world through the eyes of awe and wonder. We think, “Wow!” Gradually, we develop a need for independence and want to make decisions for ourselves. We decide that we must take care of our own needs.
When we do everything in power, and things don’t work as expected, we begin to question the ways of the world, and cynicism begins to emerge. We no longer see the world through the eyes of awe and wonder but through the eyes of disappointment, doubt, and questions. We think, “Why?”
We become disillusioned, and we look for someone or something to blame for our troubles. The list of who or what to blame is endless. The qualities that helped us gain our independence are now our stumbling blocks because we are proud and stubborn. We shout, “I can do this myself!”
Only when we decide to allow someone to help us can we open our hearts to God. God, who has wisdom beyond human understanding, can lift us from the muck of the lives we’ve made and bring us back to a life of awe and wonder.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We try to take charge, but we fail. Thank you for saving us. Your powers are beyond our imagination. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Embrace your inner child and see the God of glory everywhere you look.
Our God is an awesome God! Pastor Liz