The Upper Room Devotional 18 December 2023
The Upper Room Devotional 18 December 2023, Monday Message by R. Martin Armstrong (North Carolina, USA)
TOPIC: Learning to Whistle
TODAY’S READING
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)
The Upper Room Devotional 18 December 2023 MESSAGE:
I remember the struggle I endured learning to whistle. I spent days upon days trying with no success. But I was determined to succeed. I did not ask for help; I just blew and blew until it happened. It felt great to be able to whistle, and I practiced and practiced after I got the hang of it. It was a glorious time.
What I learned was perseverance — a spiritual directive found throughout scripture. God instructed Israel to continue trusting and believing. The New Testament writers encouraged believers to keep believing and living the word they had heard because Christ was going to return.
Being willing to persevere changed me from a kid who wanted to whistle to a kid who could not wait to hear what new sound my mouth and lungs could create. Additionally, perseverance for me became not just striving to know God’s word but allowing the word to change me into something better. (See Jas. 1:22.)
I keep wondering what new song I might hear from God’s Spirit if I continue to persevere in faithfully following Christ.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, help us to persevere in seeking and knowing the gifts of your grace. Thank you for Christ and those who demonstrate their faith by their perseverance. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Through my perseverance, God can change me.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those waiting for answers to prayer
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. (The Upper Room Devotional 17 December 2023)
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