The Upper Room Devotional 30th October 2023 Message
The Upper Room Devotional 30 October 2023 , Monday Message by Wayne Greenawalt (Illinois, USA)
TOPIC: Turbulent Waters
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 32:8-11
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
KEY VERSE: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. – Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
Before going out on the river, I spent several hours instructing teenage campers on how to maneuver a canoe through white water. When we launched our canoes, I took the lead. I had navigated the river before and knew the safest course. We initially experienced calm waters and proceeded effortlessly. But around the first bend in the river, we encountered rapids. As I proceeded through the raging water, I shouted instructions to the others: “Bow stroke! Draw! Rudder!” Following my commands, we all made it safely through the rapids.
Life has its white-water moments too. One moment we’re floating serenely downstream; the next, we’re trying to avoid capsizing, paddling furiously through turbulent waters. Such trying times make us keenly aware of our need for a guide.
In Psalm 32:8, we read of God’s promise to guide us. It is comforting to know that God, who loves us deeply, is watching over us: “The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (Ps. 32:10). As we trust in the Lord, we can be assured that God will guide us through all life’s turbulent rapids.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for your unfailing love and promise to watch over us. Help us to seek your guidance as we journey through life. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I will let God be my guide today and every day.
PRAYER FOCUS
Campers
The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together.
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