THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 18 AUGUST 2024, SUNDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Why?
Today’s Reading
Luke 22:39-46
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” – Matthew 14:15 (NRSVUE)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
When my daughter became blind, I prayed and believed that God could heal her. Thousands of prayers later, God had not restored her sight. The question haunted me: Why doesn’t God heal her?
In Matthew 14:15, after a long day of ministry, the crowd that had gathered was hungry. The disciples asked Jesus to solve the problem by getting rid of it. But Jesus had something else in mind. Instead of dismissing the crowd, Jesus redeemed the situation by feeding them all. Imagine if Jesus had acquiesced to the disciples’ request — we might not have one of the most memorable miracles in all of scripture.
Does that mean it’s wrong to ask God to remove difficult circumstances? No. Scripture is full of praying prophets, priests, and kings. Even Jesus asked God to “take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done” (Lk. 22:42).
It’s hard to let go of our desires, but I learned that when I surrender my situation to God, miracles happen every day. Now, a decade later, my daughter is still blind, and she has found her calling in Christian ministry. Instead of worrying about what we don’t understand, we can praise God for what we do know: God loves us.
Today’s Prayer
Dear God, help us to remember that we can always trust you, even when things are not going our way. Remind us of your faithfulness and presence. Amen.
Thought for the Day
When I can’t see God’s hand, I can trust God’s heart.
Prayer Focus
To trust God in difficult times
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More from Glenda Durano
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 18 August 2024 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