The Upper Room Devotion for Friday, May 10, 2024, was written by Kathleen Brewer of New Brunswick, Canada.
Scripture
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Psalm 139:1-12 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
I will always remember summer 2021 as the time my asthma became severe. My condition had been stable for years, but suddenly I started having a lot of trouble breathing. At times it felt like I was breathing through a straw. Sometimes I was up all-night coughing, only getting a little sleep while sitting in a recliner. My lung specialist did tests and tried various treatments, but days turned into weeks, which turned into months. I became greatly discouraged.
I didn't know how to pray about this - what to say or how to feel. Then one day when I was especially fearful, I felt God leading me to Psalm 139. As I read verses 7-10, these words stood out to me: "Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Even if we run out of strength, the Holy Spirit has enough strength and guidance for us all. Whatever we are going through, let's remember to pause, ask God for whatever we need, and believe that God will help us.
Author's Prayer
Holy Father, thank you for guiding and strengthening us for the journey. Amen.
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