The Upper Room 8th February 2024 Devotional Message
The Upper Room 8th February 2024 Devotional, Thursday Message by Avery Ochs (Texas, USA)
TOPIC: In Awe
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 19:1-14
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. – Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
I recently went camping with friends. As I sat in front of the campfire, my legs warm and aglow from the flames, I looked up at the array of stars speckling the night sky. Having been in the city for a long time, I hadn’t seen stars so clearly in years. It pulled me back to the many memories I have of sitting under a night sky, feeling the vastness of creation. And like the writer of Psalm 19, I knew in that moment that God was good because I was experiencing the goodness of God’s handiwork.
All weekend as we hiked, swam, and enjoyed the outdoors, I could sense the fine detail God has woven into creation. I remembered how nature affects our entire being and involves all our senses. I think God made nature all-encompassing so that it would command our attention. Psalm 19:4-6 talks about how the sun’s heat affects every part of the earth as it circles the sky. In the same way, God’s love affects every part of us as we live every day in God’s presence.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for the goodness of your creation. Help us to remember that the beauty of your creation is a reflection of your love for us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I can experience God’s goodness through the world around me.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those searching for God
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.