The Upper Room Devotional 3rd February 2026, Tuesday Message
It Takes Time
Øystein Brinch (Vestfold, Norway)
Today’s Reading
Acts of the Apostles 1:1-5
Jesus told his apostles, “Wait for the gift my Father promised.” – Acts 1:4 (NIV)
When my brother Einar and I were young, our mother sometimes needed to distract us when we were a little too noisy. If she needed to concentrate, she gave us each an egg in two bowls, gave us forks and a dash of sugar, and told us to whip eggnog — we both loved eggnog!
Have you ever tried to whip eggnog with a fork? Let me tell you, it takes time! A lot of time! I remember that we would sit on the kitchen floor and start whipping. Finally, when we had our eggnog, we ate it with great satisfaction. “Sometimes it takes time to get something good,” Mom said to us. She knew how to motivate us to stick with a time-consuming task.
In our spiritual life it is also a good thing to have patience and wait for the Lord’s timing. Jesus told his disciples that they should “wait for the gift my Father promised” — the Holy Spirit. My thoughts go also to Ecclesiastes 11:1 — “Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back” (NRSVUE). When we persevere with patience and faithfulness, we will see God’s provision at work in our lives.
Thought for the Day
The Lord’s timetable is different than mine.
Prayer Focus
For patience
Today’s Prayer
Loving Savior, open our hearts and help us patiently await your blessings. Amen.
The Upper Room Devotional 3rd February 2026 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
