The Upper Room Devotional 23rd November 2023
The Upper Room Devotional 23rd November 2023, Thursday Message by Roberto Alonso Rodríguez (Nuevo León, México)
TOPIC: Many Thanks
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 100:1-5
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I will celebrate God’s goodness daily.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another. – Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV)
The Upper Room Devotional 23rd November 2023 MESSAGE:
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. The weather here in Southeast Texas is usually cool, and the respite from work and the daily routine is always appreciated. Many years ago, I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I bought ingredients, prepped and cleaned silverware and cookware, and spent nearly an entire day making food. I managed to prepare the side dishes with careful attention to temperatures and instructions from family recipes. In the early hours of Thanksgiving Day, I dozed on the sofa while the turkey roasted. As a result, I overcooked the turkey, rendering it crispier and drier than I had intended. Yet my family was gracious and feasted upon the meal anyway.
I am grateful for the gift of my family members accepting my culinary blunders and personality quirks. The word thanksgiving is defined as “a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.” So recipes and meals aside, I plan to spend this Thanksgiving holiday simply acknowledging God’s goodness, offering thanks for all God’s blessings, including family, good health, and the gift of time spent together. As a Christian family, we should celebrate the bounty of mercy and forgiveness available to us all through Christ.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Thank you, Father, for your gifts of mercy and salvation. Help us to follow your example to forgive and love one another daily. Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS
Families separated during holidays
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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.
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