THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 17 MAY 2024, FRIDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Take Heart
TODAY’S READING
John 16:29-33
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Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 (NIV)
On a recent family trip to Florida, we had a week of beautiful weather. But then the governor declared a statewide emergency because Hurricane Ian was on its way. I could feel my anxiety level rising. People who lived in the area began to talk of evacuation before the storm’s predicted arrival in three days. I was thankful we were leaving that day and would be long gone before the storm arrived. But I wondered, What must it be like for people who live here permanently to be in a constant state of anxiety during the hurricane season?
I live far from tornado and hurricane zones. But at the same time, life has many “storms” waiting in the wings most of the time. We get news of the latest calamity. Famines, floods, and fires fill the television screen. Will we have enough water, food, or even money in the future? But Jesus reminds us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We too can be overcomers when we give our worry and fear to God (see 1 Pet. 5:7). Doing so, we can live in peace, trusting that whatever happens God will guide, comfort, and strengthen us hour by hour, day by day.
TODAY’S PRAYER
O Lord, help us to live without fear, knowing that though storms will come, you are with us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
With God we can overcome any kind of storm.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those threatened by storms
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 17 May 2024 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
