The Upper Room Devotional for 10th February 2023
Welcome!!! The word of God is food to the spirit man. As you read The Upper Room Devotional Today, may the word of the Lord powerfully impact on you.
Today’s Topic: The Gift
Marsha Howard (Texas, USA)
TODAY’S READING
Ephesians 2:1-10
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus has paid the full price for me.
The Upper Room Devotional for 10th February 2023
By grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. – Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
The pink clutch with plastic embossed flowers was one of the prettiest things my eight-year-old eyes had ever seen. The salesclerk told me it cost one dollar, so I decided to work until I could buy it.
I did jobs at home and for neighbors until I finally had enough money. At the checkout counter, the clerk said, “That will be one dollar and ten cents.” I asked her why it cost an extra ten cents, and she explained that it was tax. I didn’t have enough money.
As I turned around to put the purse back, a man standing behind me placed change on the counter. “I’ll pay the ten cents for her,” he said. I looked up and thanked him for this gift. I cherished the purse for years, and every time I think of it, I also think of the man who paid the tax for me.
Much like I worked to earn money for the purse, we often try to do everything God asks in an effort to obtain salvation for ourselves. But it takes the gift of God’s grace and forgiveness for us to receive salvation. Our works will always come up short, but Jesus has paid the full price for us and our salvation.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, help us realize that there is nothing we can do to buy or earn salvation. Thank you for making it available to us as a gift. Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS
Gratitude for God’s gift of eternal life