(our theme for September)

The Apostle Paul wrote this wonderful news to believers in Rome and everywhere. Paul wanted all believers to be totally assured of how much God loves us.

Henri Nouwen, considered one of the great spiritual writers of our day, taught at Harvard, Yale, and Notre Dame. In his book Life of the Beloved, he wrote these words:

We only have to seek Him to find Him. His LOVE is waiting to give us Peace. All we have to do is believe and reach for Him.

God of LOVE – I believe. I am reaching. Let me feel your great LOVE today and every day! Amen!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

(our theme for September)

Some people are inspiring to be around. We feel good in their presence. They improve the quality of our lives and make us want to be a better person.

Hilliard Hester is one of those people for me. Hilliard lives in the same apartment building that I do and sometimes we have breakfast together. I go to the dining room around 7am directly from my apartment but he comes from the gym where he has been working out for 45 minutes or so. Hilliard is 93 years old.

The thing about him that inspires me most is not that he works out regularly at his age, though that’s certainly impressive , but it’s that he has what the writer of Proverbs calls “a cheerful heart.” He always has a smile, often tells a joke (they are corny but always clean), and he lifts the mood for everyone around him. His good humor is not the cynical kind that is so common today, but clearly comes from embracing God’s goodness in a way that makes his life, and through him, my life, positive.

The Bible speaks often of joy. It is a major theme in the Psalms. When an angel come to some night workers to announce the birth of the savior of the world the angel says his news will bring great joy to all people. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians.

So why are we so gloomy? Because we get our news from the world and not from the angels. A broken spirit saps our strength. But a cheerful heart is good medicine. Thank you, Hilliard, for constantly reminding me live a life of joy.

Dear God, I know I can trust you: today, tomorrow, forever. Because I can trust you, release in me a cheerful heart. Amen.

Today's devotional was written and read by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

(our theme for September)

When I look at the world before me what do I choose to see? If I look at a tree, do I see the fallen leaves that show the passing of seasons and the loss of life? Or do I see a tree that is healthy and doing what all living things do by living and renewing for a new season?

When I look at my garden, do I focus on the tomato with a spot or the twenty that are ripening and full of all the good that is fresh produce twenty feet from my back door?

When I look at a person in front of me do I see their age, clothes, attitude, differences from me? Or do I see God’s beloved before me with whom I can share some time?

Why is it so hard to see the goodness in the land of the living? It is so easy to look at the world we live in and see what is wrong. A friend reached out to me recently because she had just gotten the results of a medical test. She was stuck in the uncomfortable position of knowing that something was wrong but not yet knowing what the specialist would find. She was worried. I understand. I have been there. I encouraged her to have patience. I pointed out the positives of having other tests that were normal, that she was overall in excellent health, and on and on. Why is it so hard to see the goodness in the land of the living? Why do we focus on one thing, often negative, and lose sight of the complete reality before us? We see a flaw, what is broken.

Why wait to see the good? When I stop and really look, eyes wide open, I find that I live in a world filled with good things and good people. I realize that all I have to do is look, and I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I believe that I just need to look with my eyes and heart open to all that the Lord has given.

Let us pray- God, please give me the strength so that next time I see a tree with a broken limb after a storm that I will see the whole tree. Allow me to have compassion for the broken limb but joy in the strength of the trunk that withstood the storm and the beauty of the branches that are still there. God, please give me the strength to slow down and have the patience to see all that is before me and how good it truly is.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.