The Upper Room Daily Devotional 31st October 2022 for Monday Message || A Prophecy of Spring
Read The Upper Room Daily Devotional 31st October 2022 Message by Øystein Brinch (Oslo, Norway)
TOPIC: A Prophecy of Spring
TODAY’S READING
Mark 13:28-31
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” – Mark 13:31 (NRSV)
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 31st October 2022 MESSAGE
Winter can be a challenge in Norway. We have only a couple hours of sunshine each day which means it is largely cold and quiet. Even the birds are silent with one main exception: the coal tit.
I can be at my forest cabin in January and hear the coal tits singing from the large spruce tree outside. For me, the solitary song of this bird is a prophecy of spring, warmth, and sunshine. The snow will melt. Green leaves will grow. Life will return.
Life is not always easy. Disappointments, health challenges, and the death of loved ones can feel like the dark, cold, quiet days of a Norwegian winter. We find ourselves wondering: When will the light return? When will I feel peace?
In the lesson of the fig tree, Jesus tells us that the love of God is always near, even when the darkness overwhelms us. I listen to the coal tits singing in January, and I sense God is near.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for letting us know that you are near, even in the darkness of winter. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
In every season, God is near.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those living in isolation
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 31st October 2022 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. Read More