THE UPPER ROOM 15 APRIL 2024 DEVOTIONAL, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: A Safe Place
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 138:1-8
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them. – Psalm 91:15 (NRSVUE)
In the 1950s I attended a boarding school for boys. It was run in a military style with strict discipline and punishments that were often issued in an abusive manner. Bullying at the school was rampant and persistent. Needless to say, I suffered at the school and learned how to avoid any confrontation, disappearing into anonymity when required.
One place in my school that nobody went during the day was the chapel. There I found my retreat where solace and support awaited me. I found that I was not alone. I felt God’s reassuring presence, and I enjoyed that calming influence and support. This was the beginning of my lifelong journey with God.
I still give thanks to God for coming into my life. I cannot give thanks for the experience of being bullied, but I am grateful that during that time I found God. What might my life have become without that sacred introduction?
TODAY’S PRAYER
Loving God, cleanse the hearts and minds of those who abuse others. Be with those facing persecution, and grant us lives of harmony and peace. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
In God, I can find peace, reassurance, and protection.
PRAYER FOCUS
Victims and perpetrators of bullying
The Upper Room 15 April 2024 Devotional Message. 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. Read More