THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 27TH NOVEMBER 2025, THURSDAY MESSAGE
God Is Listening
Jeannie Whitlock (Illinois, USA)
Today’s Reading
John 11:38-44
They removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me.” – John 11:41-42 (CEB)
“What’s everybody doing for Thanksgiving?” I asked my friends. As Americans living in Seoul, South Korea, all of us were far from home for the holiday. One by one, my friends shrugged and said, “Nothing.” None of us had time off for the holiday, but I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving. I longed to sit with my extended family at a feast-laden table, to smell the pumpkin-pie spices, to hear the giggles of my nieces, and to take turns saying what we were thankful for. Rituals like these mattered to me even more now that I was far from home.
I knew that Jesus understood how I felt. Jesus left his home with God to live among us, to be not only fully divine but fully human. He experienced challenging emotions like loneliness, anger, betrayal, fear, and grief. In today’s quoted scripture, Jesus knew that God was listening to him, and the attentive presence of his loving Father stirred gratitude in him.
When we are sad or homesick, we can call out to God and trust that God hears us. Today and every day, God is near to us. It’s a tremendous gift, which we can be thankful for right now.
Thought for the Day
Today I am grateful for God who hears me.
Prayer Focus
Those living outside their home country
Today’s Prayer
Dear Father, when we are lonely, sad, and far from home, you are with us. Thank you for your loving presence. Amen.
The Upper Room Devotional 27th November 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