The Upper Room 17th February 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 17th February 2024 Devotional, Saturday Message by Allison Wilson Lee (Florida, USA)
TOPIC: Words of Love
TODAY’S READING
Ephesians 4:25-32
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. – Proverbs 16:24 (NRSVUE)
My high school English teacher assigned daily journal writing and collected the week’s journal entries each Friday. One day, I wrote in my English journal about an embarrassing situation with another student. At the lockers between classes, I had dropped a textbook on the foot of a girl next to me. I apologized, but her angry reaction left me feeling ashamed and small, especially as she complained loudly to her friend. I wrote about my emotions, assuming the teacher didn’t read our journals but simply checked that we had done the assignment. The following Monday, however, I found that my teacher had written a note in my journal. She pointed out the good qualities she noticed in me and encouraged me to view myself that way too. Although I felt a bit exposed, my teacher’s caring, thoughtful response lifted my spirits.
Words carry weight. How we use them deeply impacts the people around us. That’s why Paul instructs the Ephesians to throw off bitterness, rage, and anger, replacing them with speech that benefits and builds up others. Even when sharing difficult truths, we can express ourselves with compassion. Each day brings opportunities to speak wholesome, helpful words to others.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Loving God, we pray that you will empower us to speak love and life to those around us. Give us compassionate and encouraging words. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
With God’s help, I will speak words that build others up.
PRAYER FOCUS
To speak words of love
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.