THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 23RD APRIL 2025, WEDNESDAY MESSAGE
Read The Upper Room Devotional 23rd April 2025 written by Peter Caligiuri (Florida, USA)
TOPIC: My Easter Miracle
Today’s Reading
Colossians 3:1-11
There is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved and free, but Christ is all and in all! – Colossians 3:11 (NRSVUE)
In 1971 I was 19 years old, wandering the country and trying to figure out life. One day I had hitchhiked and found myself at a rest stop along a lonely stretch of desert highway between Los Angeles, California, and Phoenix, Arizona.
I had moved out on my own at age 17, in part because of parents who seemed more confused about life than I was. That began a journey which took me 3,000 miles from home to that highway rest stop. The next morning I met a carload of young people who invited me to church for Easter worship. On an ordinary day, it would have taken a miracle to break through my fears and excuses. But with the promise of a free meal after church, I eagerly agreed to go.
Their church was different from anything I expected. Young people filled the space, singing with smiles that showed me they knew something about Easter that I did not. More importantly, for the first time I considered that God just might be real and actually care about me. I had been running away all my life; now I couldn’t run anymore. It took an amazing chain of miracles to bring me to God. But it was Easter, and on Easter miracles happen!
Today’s Prayer
O God, giver of new life, we thank you for searching out those who are wandering and alone. Use us in your work of bringing the lost ones home. We want to be a part of your miracle work. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Because of Easter, miracles happen!
Prayer Focus
Teenagers struggling to belong
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More from Peter Caligiuri
The Upper Room Devotional 23 April 2025, 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. Read More