THE UPPER ROOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL 9 JUNE 2024, SUNDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: A Time to Bloom
TODAY’S READING
Isaiah 43:18-21
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:19 (KJV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The Christmas cactus that sits in my kitchen window hasn’t bloomed well for the last several years. Whenever I looked at it I would think that I needed to transplant it into a larger pot so it might bloom. One day I noticed the ends of the long, green leaves had turned brown, and I was afraid it was starting to die. But my heart leaped a few days later when I saw that the ends of stems had split open, allowing buds to form and burst forth in glorious blossoms.
In the season of my life when I was busy raising my daughter and volunteering at a nonprofit, I felt fulfilled. As I’ve aged, I sometimes become discouraged when I think about the activities I’m no longer involved with. For a season, I felt discontented and as cramped as my poor little plant. But as I’ve let go of the way life used to be, it’s easier to embrace new opportunities that come my way.
My little plant is a symbol of life to me. If we feel hemmed in, it can be discouraging. Yet when we wait, we can often see how God encourages us by leading us into our next season.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for being with us and giving us purpose in every season of life. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
In each new season, God can give me a sense of purpose.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those who are longing for change
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 9 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