THE UPPER ROOM 28 MARCH 2024 DEVOTIONAL, THURSDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Our Greatest Hope
TODAY’S READING
Romans 12:9-21
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12 (NIV)
Learning about all the injustices around us and throughout the world can lead us to question our own humanity. Today specifically I prayed about two serious global situations: the suffering caused by the war in Ukraine and the repressive, brutal treatment women endure in some societies. We live in a time of uncertainty and anguish. Is it possible that we are ignoring completely that each of us was created by the mighty hand of God and for God’s glory?
Stubbornness, lies, and arrogance distract us from God’s divine plan and cause us to overlook the suffering of others. But the Lord is our one true Source, on whom we can rely. And so our greatest hope is to persevere in word and deed — prayer and action — asking God to forgive and renew us by the Holy Spirit so that we may be in harmony with God and in harmony with all God’s people.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, cause the Holy Spirit to move in us and through us to confront injustices and work to honor you, our rock and our strength. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Today I will keep striving to honor God.
PRAYER FOCUS
People affected by war
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.