The Upper Room Devotion for Friday, November 17, 2023, was written by Mary Hunt Webb of New Mexico.
Scripture
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Psalm 121:5-8 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
I had always wanted to travel and see other places. I got my wish when I married a meteorologist whose career took us away from our families to the San Francisco Bay area of California. We didn't know anyone except the people my husband worked with, and none of them lived nearby.
With the cost of housing so high, we had very little money, and I had to find thrifty ways to keep our young son entertained. I took him to the park where he climbed on playground equipment, and we fed ducks in the pond. We rode our bicycles to church, the library, and the grocery store. We had fun, but I struggled with our limited resouces and with lonelinesss. Although we joined a church, the members had known each other for such a long time that it was difficult to fit in as newcomers.
During the lonely hours, I called out to God in prayer, and I became so close to the Lord that I heard God speak to my spirit. Some people have doubted me when I say that the Lord speaks to me. I don't hear audible words, but I hear God in my heart. As my relationship with God has deepened, I have come to understand that when we reach out to God in difficult times, we may receive a blessing we never imagined.
Thought For The Day
Hearing from God is a divine gift.
Author's Prayer
Thank you, dear Lord, for being with us when we feel alone and for answering our prayers in ways that we could not have imagined. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
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