THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 10 JULY 2024, WEDNESDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Comfort in Old Age
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 71:17-21
The Lord said, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. – Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
One morning I woke up with a stiff neck and a throbbing headache. I have arthritis in my neck from a past injury that causes occasional headaches, but this one was worse than usual. With my husband away on business and no family living close by, I felt weak and vulnerable. I texted a prayer request to the women in my weekly Bible study. They soon texted back their prayers. One woman, Sarah, called to pray with me over the phone.
One of Sarah’s prayers particularly grabbed my attention: “God, we thank you for the body parts that are working well.” Hearing her words, I realized how often my conversations with friends are dominated by complaints over our aches and ailments. At 68, I sometimes feel like everything in my body is wearing out. I’m ashamed to confess that it hadn’t occurred to me to thank God for the parts that are still working.
When our call ended, I took time to thank God for eyes that can still see sunsets and red roses; for ears that can still hear symphonies and my dog’s delighted squeals; for a mouth that can still taste strawberries and chocolate and fried chicken. Soon, joy replaced my distress as I remembered God’s promise to care for me even as I grow old.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father God, thank you for our wonderful bodies. Thank you for promising to care for us all our days, even as our bodies are aging. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I can count on God’s promises always.
PRAYER FOCUS
People with arthritis
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 10 July 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