Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
December 8, 2022
Read Mark 10:35-45
35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.” 38 Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?” 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said, “You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive, 40 but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John. 42 Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. 43 But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, 45 for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”
Good Morning, We are called to serve.
Within our lives, we encounter unexpected things. I find myself trying to predict or guess what is going to happen when I am going someplace for the first time. I guess there is some comfort in thinking that we understand the situation.
I have many things that I enjoy doing, and I am a planner. Perhaps not in the same way as others. I’m not typically a list maker, or at least not a list that I write down on paper. I do keep many “tabs” of mental lists in my head. Most importantly, I set deadlines for myself for those tasks that must be done in a timely fashion. For example, if I have a paper due on Dec. 15, then I set my own due date as Dec. 10.
I am admittedly an overachiever, but this is not the reason for pushing up the due date. Through my many years of experience, I have learned to plan for the unexpected things that will pop up in my life. I want to be flexible so that I can at a moment's notice juggle my tasks without compromising my deadlines.
God has plans for us that we cannot yet fathom. We must prepare daily to serve God while we continue to grow in our faith. Following Christ requires action. Our actions include praying, praising God, reading Scripture, and spending time in fellowship. When we are unprepared, we find ourselves having to react as we rush around putting out fires that erupt around us.
Preparation gives us peace so that we may joyfully serve our Lord. In God’s time, his plans for our lives will be revealed one piece at a time. It is good to anticipate, but we must be willing to trust that God will lead us where we need to go.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. It is so easy for us to find ourselves unprepared. Help us to trust that you are with us in all our situations. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: In every unexpected event, I will look for God’s presence.
Be Prepared! Pastor Liz