The Upper Room Devotional 17 December 2023
The Upper Room Devotional 17 December 2023, Sunday Message by Caroline Trivena Manurung (North Sumatra, Indonesia)
TOPIC:Â 3rd Sunday of Advent
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TODAY’S READING
2 Corinthians 8:1-13
If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. – 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NIV)
The Upper Room Devotional 17 December 2023 MESSAGE
I once participated in children’s ministry at a church in an impoverished community. As Christmas approached, my colleague announced that the church would host a celebration and invite children from a local orphanage. Since the children in the church were in need themselves, I didn’t expect them to offer anything to the children from the orphanage.
On the eve of the Christmas celebration, I was surprised to see the children bringing gifts to church. It turned out that in early December, the children had worked together to collect discarded water bottles. They used the proceeds they received from recycling the bottles to buy gifts which they presented to the children from the orphanage. Our children opened my mind because they succeeded in doing what the verse above states. Even though our children were living in poverty, they gave what they had to the children in the orphanage to show their love and care.
It is easy to feel burdened by difficult circumstances and think, Why should I give while I am still lacking? However, God gives us the strength and the ability to do God’s will. We can all offer something to help the children of God.
TODAY’S PRAYER
O Lord, give us the strength and ability to do good for our neighbors. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I always have enough to share.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those forgotten in my community
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Link2Life – December 17
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. (The Upper Room Devotional 17 December 2023)
READ MORE TOPICS: OPEN HEAVENS, OUR DAILY BREAD, IN TOUCH, SEEDS OF DESTINY, STREAMS OF JOY, JOEL OSTEEN, MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE, DCLM DAILY MANNA, UCB WORD FOR TODAY
