The Upper Room 11 May 2022 Daily Devotional for Wednesday Message. Read The Upper Room 11 May 2022 Daily Devotional by Thomas Blanton (North Carolina, USA)
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TOPIC:Â Share My Joy
TODAY’S READING
Luke 15:8-10
KEY VERSE: Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15 (NRSV)
The Upper Room 11 May 2022 Daily Devotional MESSAGE
The woman in Jesus’ parable was so happy to find her lost coin that she had to tell her neighbors. I felt like I could relate to her joy. After I won custody of my children, I moved to a new town to start a new job doing what I loved. I wanted to celebrate my joy at this new beginning.
As I began looking for a church home in my new town, however, every sermon I heard was about how Christ comforts us in our troubles and the church is there for us in our sorrows. I knew that, but I also wanted to hear the message that the church cared about my happiness. It was frustrating to want to share joy when all I encountered was sympathy. When one pastor happened to mention that God cares about our joy as well as our sorrows, I returned to that church.
There had been sad times before in my life and there have been others since then, but at that time, I needed to know that God and the church were rejoicing with me. I have resolved to be more sensitive to what is going on in others’ lives so that if someone is sad I can empathize; and if someone is happy, I can rejoice with them. When we pay attention to others’ feelings, we can build a community that is present and supportive in all circumstances. We all need to know we are not alone, no matter what.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, you have created us for each other. Help us to rejoice with those who are happy just as we weep with those who are sad. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
How can I share in someone’s joy today?
PRAYER FOCUS
Those who are experiencing joy
The Upper Room 11 May 2022 Daily Devotional Message. The Upper Room 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. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together. Read More