The Upper Room 9th February 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 9th February 2024 Devotional, Friday Message by Jack L. Bodden (Texas, USA)
TOPIC: A Bird in the Storm
TODAY’S READING
Luke 12:22-34
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid . . . for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
My wife and I sat in our sunroom and watched a storm rage outside. As we watched the rain pour down and heard the thunder rumble, we noticed a purple martin flying through the wind and rain. She flew up to her nest under the eaves at the corner of our house. We could hear the chirping of her babies as she brought them a tiny insect, and then with a chirp of her own, she took off to find more for them to eat. Time after time she returned and then took off again. The heavy rain and strong wind occasionally blew her off course, but she never stopped. Our admiration for her grew with each trip she made, and we both remarked that there was something inspirational about her behavior.
Long after the storm ended, I kept thinking about what we had witnessed. The mother bird’s behavior made me think of the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us. Like the purple martin, his sacrifice was an act of intense love! The little bird’s determined care for her young reminded us that God really does care about and provide for all of creation. God’s love will endure and will not be turned aside by the storms of adversity. I pray that the devotion of the little bird will stay alive in my memory and inspire me to show love to others and to trust God to provide for God’s children.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, thank you for the sacrifice you made for us so that we may live abundantly. Inspire us to show your love to the world. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Reminders of God’s enduring love are all around me.
PRAYER FOCUS
To trust God in adversity
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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.