The Upper Room Daily Devotional 1st January 2023. As you study today’s devotional, remember this; “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
TOPIC: Change
TODAY’S READING
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
KEY VERSE: There is a time for everything. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 1st January 2023 MESSAGE
You know what I like about fall? It is the season of change. The hot season starts cooling, and we can feel a change in ourselves as well. Sometimes the change is physical or mental, and sometimes we change spiritually.
This past week the weather really couldn’t make up its mind. On a cool Friday afternoon, I was riding home from middle school, and I found myself looking out the window. I was thinking about how much the trees and nature had changed and how beautiful the changes were. And then I thought about how much I had changed, how my family and my friends had changed, and how beautiful those changes are too. And God is working in these transitions to make our lives even more beautiful.
Change happens around us, within us, and sometimes right in front of us. Sometimes things change in strange ways, but in the end, the change reveals God’s work in the world.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for all that you have done for us and in us. We pray that you keep changing the world, the future, and our lives. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I can choose to embrace change as a gift from God.
PRAYER FOCUS
Young writers
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. Read More