Changes: Our Wisconsin Conference Cabinet, as the authors of the nearly 18 months of daily devotions, have decided to move to posting a weekly devotion, which will be sent out on Mondays. The next devotion will be sent on September 13th. Thank you to those of you who read and share these. If you would like a daily devotion, please go to https://www.upperroom.org/ to find a variety of devotionals.
Daily Devotion
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:1, 2 & 14)
This has been a week – with Hurricane Ida and the Afghanistan refugee situations and the Haiti earthquake and another surge with the Delta COVID variant, plus all the rest we are living through – it has been a week and more! We are grateful that God is present, bringing healing and hope and renewal through it all. Plus, thanks be to God for our United Methodist connections and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) which is working to serve and coordinate relief efforts. (Watch in our ENews for information on how to donate to specific relief efforts through UMCOR and through our Conference work for the Afghan refugees in our state.)
No matter the circumstances, Psalm 19 reminds us that God’s creation always tells of God’s handiwork and glory (yes, even hurricanes and earthquakes, though not sent by God to hurt or punish, yet they too are part of the wonders of the natural world). How does the gift of the natural world remind you of God’s glory and blessing today?
No matter the circumstances, Psalm 19 at the end reminds us that the words we speak, and the thoughts of our hearts also are intended to show God’s glory. After one of my friends had been tearful about the cruel way someone had spoken to her, her six-year-old comforted her, saying, “Mommy, you will always be safe in my mouth.” Let the words of our mouths hold one another in safety. How will you speak and behave today in ways that hold others in safety? How might we speak and behave in ways that extend this safety to those who are suffering because of the events of this past week and year?
God, be with us all. Hold us in your safety and help us to hold one another in your Spirit of safety and honor and glory. We pray for all those in need, all those who suffer, all those who are seeking refuge, all those who have lived through harm, all those who are reaching out to serve and help. God, bless us every one. Amen.