The Upper Room Devotional for September 30, 2023
The Upper Room Devotional for September 30, 2023 , Friday Message by Linda Chandra (Banten, Indonesia)
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TOPIC: Finding a Miracle
TODAY’S READING
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. – 2 Corinthians – 1:3-4 (NRSVUE)
When my husband was hospitalized for kidney stones, I was hoping for a miracle. I hoped the stones could be dissolved without major surgery by his drinking a lot of water or coconut water. But the stones were already very large and would not dissolve.
During that time at the hospital, God led me to comfort a patient in the next room who had burns all over his body. Nobody came to visit him because he was a migrant in our city and all of his family lived in another city. Together, we chatted, laughed, sang, and prayed. And as I comforted him, I was also being comforted by God.
Today’s reading from 2 Corinthians reminds me of the comfort that God gives. I often feel God’s comfort when I comfort others. During that time at the hospital, I hoped there would be a miracle for my husband, but he did not experience one. Rather, when I chose to comfort the patient next door, I found a different kind of miracle from God.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for comforting us in all circumstances so that we may offer comfort to others. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God can turn my service into a miracle for others.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those who need comfort from me
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