THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 26TH OCTOBER 2025, SUNDAY MESSAGE
Hope from Cut Flowers
Millie Thomas-Kearney (Washington, USA)
Today’s Reading
Psalm 13:1-6
The Lord said, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Less than a year after retirement I was diagnosed with cancer. I was shocked to realize my life might be significantly shorter than I expected. I had always taken good care of my body. Additionally, no one in my family has ever had cancer, and my mother is alive and well and in her late eighties. I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me. I’m a faithful Christian. I’ve been able to participate in more activities at church since I retired. Was God done with me?
One day during this time of questioning, I purchased some cut flowers. I put them in a clear vase on my dining table where I could enjoy them. I didn’t expect them to last long. Cut flowers may be attractive, but they usually die within a week. Imagine my surprise, however, when leafy buds began blooming on the flower stems even as the flowers on top began to die. As I drank my coffee one morning, it occurred to me that God was putting my mind at rest with the appearance of those leafy buds.
Like cut flowers, my lifespan may be shorter than I anticipated, but new growth can still happen while I’m dealing with cancer. Reconciled now to the situation I’m facing, I’m curious to see what God has planned for me.
Thought for the Day
God can bring life to what I thought was dead.
Prayer Focus
Those who have cancer
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More from Millie Thomas-Kearney
Today’s Prayer
Thank you, God, for reminding us that you bring new life to what may appear dead to us. Amen.
The Upper Room Devotional 26th October 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