Morning Devotional:
We all want to wake up in the morning thinking, “Today is going to be a great day.” Many of us pray that way, opening our conversations with God by rejoicing in the fact that this new day is created by Him, wonderfully crafted by His design. With that assurance, we get out of our beds and begin our morning routines, joyfully ready for whatever the Lord has in store.
I was having the perfect day a couple of weeks ago, until it wasn’t.
An old, familiar attack made its way into the morning. It stayed for the rest of the day, and the next day, and the week, and it has yet to let up. It is very close to the worst round of this attack I have ever experienced, and I have yet to see the light at the end of it. But over the past few days, the messages started coming.
“You’ll get through this.”
“The answer will come.”
And as always, this one: “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
That one is tough for me because the context for that verse is not all that encouraging. Jeremiah is telling the Israelite captives that some really bad stuff is going to happen and it will be 70 years before they will see freedom. Not everyone will live to see it and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
But it is a reminder that God is still in control and we do have hope. Our hope today and every day is found in Jesus Christ.
I didn’t have a perfect morning a couple of weeks ago. What started as a beautiful morning 22 years ago today became one of the worst our country has ever seen. Your day today may be a beautiful one and I pray it is. If it takes a turn, know where your hope for today and every day is found.
– Beth
Burning Question:
What is the most memorable day you’ve experienced?
Bible Quiz:
Question: What percentage of the harvest did Joseph recommend the Egyptians be taxed in order to prepare for the coming famine?
Answer: Twenty percent (Genesis 41:34)
Storytime: Camping Tetris