THE UPPER ROOM 17 MARCH 2024 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Read The Upper Room 17 March 2024 Devotional Message for Sunday wriiten by Ken Claar (Idaho, USA)
TODAY’S READING
Luke 6:27-36
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Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. – Proverbs 10:12 (NRSVUE)
I only had one brother. He was six years older than I and joined the US Navy when I was 13. As we got older, we bonded over our common interest in ham radio.
On one of our family’s visits to his house, he and I retreated to his radio room and started talking. After a while he said, “You sure hate a lot of things.” His words stopped me cold; he was right. I hated how that politician acted. I hated that product. I hated my income taxes. I realized that even though I claimed to be a Christian, I was living a life full of small hatreds. I would like to say I have completely overcome that mindset; but while I never say I “hate” things anymore, I can still be critical of those who disagree with me.
Words of hatred and superiority can slip into our conversation, demeaning not only the subject of our talk but God’s word as well. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Prov. 25:11). All people were made in God’s image and deserve to be treated fairly and honorably. I have found if we look deep inside others, we may find people very much like ourselves.
TODAY’S PRAYER
O Lord, help us to avoid the trap of careless and negative words. Even when our words are critical, may we speak always with compassion. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Hateful words are easily spoken, but God calls me to caring speech.
PRAYER FOCUS
Ham radio operators
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.
