The Upper Room Devotional 18th August 2024: Why?
Read and Study Today’s The Upper Room Daily Devotional for August 18, 2024 Message. God bless you as you study today! Please share with your friends and loved ones.
Topic: Why?
Glenda Durano (New Mexico, USA)
Today’s Reading
Luke 22:39-46
Thought for the Day
When I can’t see God’s hand, I can trust God’s heart.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” – Matthew 14:15 (NRSVUE)
The Upper Room Devotional 18th August 2024 Message:
When my daughter became blind, I prayed and believed that God could heal her. Thousands of prayers later, God had not restored her sight. The question haunted me: Why doesn’t God heal her?
In Matthew 14:15, after a long day of ministry, the crowd that had gathered was hungry. The disciples asked Jesus to solve the problem by getting rid of it. But Jesus had something else in mind. Instead of dismissing the crowd, Jesus redeemed the situation by feeding them all. Imagine if Jesus had acquiesced to the disciples’ request — we might not have one of the most memorable miracles in all of scripture.
Does that mean it’s wrong to ask God to remove difficult circumstances? No. Scripture is full of praying prophets, priests, and kings. Even Jesus asked God to “take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done” (Lk. 22:42).
It’s hard to let go of our desires, but I learned that when I surrender my situation to God, miracles happen every day. Now, a decade later, my daughter is still blind, and she has found her calling in Christian ministry. Instead of worrying about what we don’t understand, we can praise God for what we do know: God loves us.
Today’s Prayer
Dear God, help us to remember that we can always trust you, even when things are not going our way. Remind us of your faithfulness and presence. Amen.
Prayer Focus
To trust God in difficult times
Scripture Union Daily Guide 18 August 2024: The Walls of Jericho Feel Flat!