The Upper Room 27th January 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 27th January 2024 Devotional, Saturday Message by Todd Noon (New Jersey, USA)
TOPIC: Always Present
TODAY’S READING
Deuteronomy 31:3-8
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. – Revelation 22:16 (NIV)
It had been raining steadily for five days, and the local forecast was predicting another two days of equally bleak conditions. I found myself increasingly unmotivated to do much of anything, especially when it involved going outside. Taking out the trash, driving to work, letting the dog out — everything was a wet, depressing chore that sapped my energy and dampened my disposition.
Having not seen the sun in nearly a week, I decided to head to the gym in hopes that some physical activity might change my outlook. While driving through a particularly strong downpour, the rain suddenly stopped, the clouds broke, and the brilliant sun shone through long enough to change my perspective.
In that moment, I was able to recognize that though the storm had been shrouding the sun, it was never gone. So it is with God who, as the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 31, will always be with us, never leaving or forsaking us.
Too often, we are so focused on worldly cares that we forget that even in the midst of our storms, Jesus is still “the bright morning star” promised in scripture. It is good to remember that clouds cannot stop the light of the sun; they can only obscure it for a time. In a similar way,
Christ never leaves us. He is with us through it all, ordering our days and preparing straight paths for when the clouds lift.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Thank you, God, for your faithfulness every day, no matter the storm surrounding us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When things seem dark, the light of Christ still shines.
PRAYER FOCUS
To stay faithful during hard times
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
