THE UPPER ROOM 29 APRIL 2024 DEVOTIONAL, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Perseverance
TODAY’S READING
Luke 13:31-35
Jesus cried, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! . . . How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” – Matthew 23:37 (CEB)
As a young Christian, I committed myself to making the world better first through nursing, then child advocacy, and finally through ordained ministry. Now at the end of my eighth decade, I feel sad that I might die without seeing more of what I had envisioned as the reign of God. I still see injustice all around me. The COVID pandemic revealed global inequities; democracy is threatened around the world; war or threat of war is often present; common civility seems to be in decline.
Jesus had similar feelings of disappointment as he gazed at his beloved Jerusalem. Yet despite warnings from some Pharisees and the threat of death, he did not let this deter him from continuing his healing work.
Seeing Jesus as an example of courage, perseverance, and purpose has given me renewed hope that I can still make a difference in my community by remembering my neighbors — near and far — as persons God calls me to love. I pray each day for the strength and courage to do just that.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy One, like a mothering hen, keep us safe in your care as we seek to share your love. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus is my guide for how I live my life.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those seeking to make a difference
The Upper Room 29 April 2024 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