THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 18TH AUGUST 2025, MONDAY MESSAGE
In the Lord’s Footsteps.
Bella Pillai (Uttar Pradesh, India)
Today’s Reading
2 Timothy 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,[a] 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,[b] who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,[c] 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day the deposit I have entrusted to him.[d] 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
KEY VERSE: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. – Deuteronomy 31:8 (NRSVUE)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
In India we rarely see snow. So when I visited Dallas, Texas, in the United States, I was excited to see a snowfall. I wanted to walk on the snow, but I kept slipping and falling. It appeared soft on top but was slippery beneath. But I was determined and walked very slowly. The streets were empty, but I spotted the footprints of someone who had gone ahead. Walking in their footprints was much easier. I thanked God for the person who had left them.
I realized that Jesus also has done the difficult job of making the first footprints for others to follow. So did Timothy and those who followed Christ. In one of Paul’s letters to Timothy, he shares his knowledge and experiences. Paul leads by both example and teaching and encourages Timothy to do the same. He says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “What you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.”
The beautiful part is that, centuries later, Christ is here to lead and direct our footsteps. As I follow Christ’s footsteps, I pray that I, too, will leave footsteps that make it easier for others to follow.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for making paths for us to follow. Guide our steps as we move forward in faith each day. Amen.
Thought for the Day
The paths I make help others follow Christ.
Prayer Focus
Christians who have gone before me
Read More
More from Bella Pillai
The Upper Room Devotional 18th August 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