The Upper Room 18 May 2022 Daily Devotional for Wednesday Message. Read The Upper Room 18 May 2022 Daily Devotional by Pat Gerbrandt (Manitoba, Canada)
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TOPIC:Â Resetting My Focus
TODAY’S READING
1 Samuel 16:1-13
KEY VERSE: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. – Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
The Upper Room 18 May 2022 Daily Devotional MESSAGE
Today’s sky is such a pale gray-blue that it seems as if nothingness curtains the world. On a beautiful Canadian summer day, the sky may be deep blue and either cloudless or contrasted by dazzling white clouds. Vivid shades of orange, red, and purple announce sunrise and sunset. Early spring sunshine seems brave, shining with promise.
Longing to capture God’s marvelous artistry, I take pictures of the sky on the days it intrigues me. But when I look at the pictures later, I am dismayed. The colors are there, but unsightly power lines are prevalent, detracting from the beauty I originally saw. I realize now that I saw only the beauty because I was focused on seeing it.
When I choose to focus on what God has done, I simply enjoy God’s sky paintings. The wires are still there, but I don’t have to let them diminish my appreciation for God’s gift of beauty. I’ll keep some of these less-than-ideal pictures to remind me of how to look at others. Do the flaws I notice distract me from the beauty with which God has created each person? I hope not. I want to see people the way God does!
TODAY’S PRAYER
Forgive us, God, for failing to see beauty in people created in your image. Help us to recognize your delight in them. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s beauty surrounds me. I only need to stop and notice it.
PRAYER FOCUS
To see the beauty in others
The Upper Room 18 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