The Upper Room Daily Devotional July 11, 2023
The Upper Room July 11, 2023 Daily Devotional, Tuesday Message by Colleen Scheid (Ohio, USA)
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TOPIC: The Place for Lament
TODAY’S READING
Lamentations 1:1-7
How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! – Lamentations 1:1 (NIV)
Lamentations is a heartbreaking commentary on the state of Jerusalem after it fell to the Babylonians. Few people remained in the shattered city; the rest had died or gone into exile and had no one to comfort them.
I felt some of this pain when my church split. After so many people left our church in the city to start a new one in the suburbs, I was heartbroken. I looked around our historic sanctuary, its stained glass windows shining over vacant pews. Our empty Sunday school hall echoed; with more teachers than children, it was all too quiet. It felt like God was no longer with us either; I was tempted to despair. Just as the grieving prophet of Lamentations remembered his beautiful city, I thought back on services filled with smiling people, children singing, and banners waving.
Lamentations offers us a map through grief. First, reality is faced boldly and loss felt bravely. Then that searing pain is brought to God. The prophet who wrote the book cries out, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within” (Lam. 1:20). Only then can he move on to hope; only then can the rebuilding start. It is the same with me. When something terrible happens, I cannot fully heal until I face reality, pour out my pain, and lean into God’s presence — even when God feels far away.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Almighty God, help us to bring our pain and sorrow to you. Give us the courage to lament our losses and tell you how we really feel. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is big enough to bear my grief.
PRAYER FOCUS
Congregations that have split
The Upper Room July 11, 2023 Devotional Message, 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.
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