The Upper Room Daily Devotional 7 October 2022 for Friday Message || Personal Relationships
Read The Upper Room Daily Devotional 7 October 2022 Message by John Keeports (Pennsylvania, USA)
TOPIC:Â Personal Relationships
TODAY’S READING
Mark 1:40-45
KEY VERSE: Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. – Mark 1:42 (NRSV)
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 7 October 2022 MESSAGE
During a mission trip to Jamaica, my high-school group ran sports camps and youth groups all day, shared testimonies in front of large gatherings, and did manual labor. But what I most looked forward to each day was visiting patients at a rural infirmary. Seeing the suffering of the patients and the poor condition of the building initially made my heart sink.
But there was one man I got to sit with and talk to each day. Eyes lighting up, he would eagerly tell me stories, read me scripture, and encourage me and then allow me to do the same for him. Of all the work we were doing in the area, this relationship became the most meaningful for me.
It is easy to forget the importance of nurturing individual relationships. Jesus shows us a better way at the end of Mark 1 when he takes a break from addressing the crowds to heal and interact with one man. The Savior, God incarnate, came to save the world. He fed the multitudes, but he also healed the man with leprosy and the man with the withered hand. If Jesus had time and found value in connecting with the seemingly forgotten individuals around him, we can do the same.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, open our eyes to the lives of people around us. Give us the courage to reach out to people on a personal level. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Today I will make time to share God’s love with someone new.
PRAYER FOCUS
The people of Jamaica
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 7th 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