The Upper Room 11 December 2021 Daily Devotional | Saturday Message
Click Here To Read Previous The Upper Room Daily Devotional
Please support 5dailydevotional.com so we can continue publishing impactful and uplifting content daily. GIVE HERE
TODAY’S READING
Joshua 2:8-15, 21
KEY VERSE: God does not have favorites. – Romans 2:11 (CEB)
The Upper Room 11 December 2021 Daily Devotional Message
“She’s not like us,” the woman said as we cleaned the church kitchen. Smiling, I turned to her and said, “And isn’t that great?” Unmoved, she walked away without replying.
When we truly open the doors of our churches and our hearts, we need to be ready for people who are “not like us.” If we greet them with acceptance, not just tolerance, we open ourselves to a variety of experiences. New people, different people, can lead to diversity in music, in dress, and maybe even in the menu for church luncheons.
As my sister in Christ expressed her discomfort with someone who wasn’t like her, I wonder if that was how the women of Israel discussed Rahab when she joined them. Did they consider her unworthy of divine purpose because her life was so very different than theirs? Did they feel more worthy than she to be used for God’s plan?
The timeless beauty communicated in Rahab’s story is that the outsider is loved and welcomed into the loving heart of God. As the people of God, Christians are called to carry out this hospitality on earth.
Today, let’s look at each person we pass with open and loving eyes. Let’s step beyond tolerance into acceptance and learn to love others for their place in God’s plan.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, give us open hearts, minds, and eyes to see how beautiful our differences can be. Help us to trust your creativity. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Who is God inviting me to welcome into my community?
PRAYER FOCUS
Someone who is not like me
