THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 5 JUNE 2024, WEDNESDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: The God Who Stretches
TODAY’S READING
Genesis 22:1-14
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. – Isaiah 54:2 (NIV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
After an important event, people in the Bible often called the Lord or locations by a new name. That name usually reminded them of a time when they felt God’s presence, protection, or deliverance. Some examples are: The Lord will provide; The Lord who heals; The Lord is my banner.
When I moved to Japan, I came to know God as “the God who stretches.” When I first arrived in Japan, I didn’t speak Japanese, and the culture was decidedly different from my own. I was lonely. But God helped me to stretch beyond my comfort zone to learn and grow.
God wants us to stretch beyond what we know to open our hearts to others. When we think we can’t do anything else, God might say, “Stretch your heart a bit more and talk to that person who looks lonely.” If we are frustrated while working with someone whose personality irritates us, God might tell us, “Stretch yourself and be nice to them.” When we stretch ourselves and open our hearts to others, God can take away our fear and help us to grow. I pray that all believers will come to know the God who stretches.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, help us to grow, opening our hearts to you and others more each day. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Each day I will stretch my heart to be more open toward God and others.
PRAYER FOCUS
People moving to a new country
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The Upper Room Daily Devotional 5 June 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