The Upper Room 29 February 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 29 February 2024 Devotional, Thursday Message by Brenda Brooks (Virginia, USA)
TOPIC: Renewal
TODAY’S READING
Hebrews 11:8-12
We walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
In late December while I was walking our dog, I noticed the trees had lost their leaves and looked dead. I felt like those trees because I could see no evidence in my life of answered prayers. Later on, at the end of March, I observed the trees again. This time I noticed tiny buds poking out at the tips of the limbs. By the end of May the trees were covered with green leaves, ready to shade us from the summer sun.
When we don’t see evidence of God at work in our lives, we may begin to doubt God and to think nothing will ever change. In Genesis, God tells Abraham at least four times that he would give him and Sarah a son. Years go by, but the child hasn’t come. The last time God promises Abraham and Sarah a son, Sarah laughs because of the impossibility of the idea, especially at their ages. Despite their lack of faith, God reassures them: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). Sure enough, at God’s appointed time Sarah gave birth to Isaac, and they got to witness God’s turning an impossibility into a reality.
Those barren trees reassured me that God can bring renewal to what may seem dead. If God takes care of the trees, surely God will take care of our concerns as well.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise that if we wait on you, we won’t be disappointed. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
My limited perception cannot limit God.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those struggling to trust God
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.