THE UPPER ROOM DEVOTIONAL 23RD AUGUST 2025, SATURDAY MESSAGE
Paying Attention.
Susan Thogerson Maas (Oregon, USA)
Today’s Reading
Isaiah 58:5-11
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5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Key Verse: Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. – Proverbs 28:27 (NIV)
The Upper Room Devotional – 23rd August 2025 MESSAGE:
My husband and I pulled into a rest area to eat lunch on our way home from a trip. An older woman sat near the restrooms, holding a cardboard sign saying, “Please help. Need gas money.” She stared at the ground, shoulders slumped forward. People passed her on their way to the restrooms, but nobody even glanced at her. It was like she was invisible.
She was limping toward her car when I handed her some cash with a quick, “God bless you.” I started to turn away when she said, “Would you pray for me?” I stopped and looked into her eyes. “Please pray that I can find a job,” she said. I promised that I would and then impulsively added, “Would you like me to pray right now?” I had never done anything like that before, and I’m not sure what made me say it, but the woman nodded. I asked God to help her to find a job and the assistance she needed. It felt awkward, but afterward the woman smiled and thanked me. “I know God will take care of me,” she said. As I walked away, I marveled at her faith. Would I still trust God if I had to beg for money? I vowed to remember this encounter and pay attention to each person I meet.
Today’s Prayer
Dear God, open our eyes to see those around us and to offer help as you lead us. Amen.
Thought for the Day
What immediate need can I meet for someone today?
Prayer Focus
Someone I have overlooked
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The Upper Room Devotional 23rd August 2025, 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
