THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 21 JUNE 2024, FRIDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: From Grief to Comfort
TODAY’S READING
Revelation 21:3-5
[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. – Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
At the height of the pandemic, the whole world was in great turmoil as COVID-19 ravaged the globe, claiming millions of lives in the process. International travel was nearly impossible. During that same period I was studying in the United States, and sadly, my dad passed away back in Africa. The pain of losing my father was almost unbearable. Then, seven months later, my birth mother also died. The tragedy of losing both parents in the same year will live with our family for many years to come.
After a while, I realized that my grief had taken a tremendous toll on me. I turned to the word of God and to prayer for comfort and strength. When I focused on God’s love, I found comfort and assurance to help me through my grief. Now, whenever I am missing my parents, I think of the many good things they achieved, how they sacrificed for us, and how they loved us with the unconditional love of God. Scripture assures us that those who die in the Lord Jesus Christ will rise again, free from death and mourning, and that is worth celebrating.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for the peace you give to those in grief. We pray for all those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God will always comfort those who mourn.
PRAYER FOCUS
Someone whose parent has died
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 21 June 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