The Upper Room Devotional for 30th January 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: Free from Fear
Cheryl Esper Balcom (Michigan, USA)
TODAY’S READING
John 8:31
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s truth can free me from fear.
The Upper Room Devotional for 30th January 2023
You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. – John 8:32 (NRSV)
I cried for the first five years of my daughter’s life. She had been alive for only eight months when she was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by growth delays. Though not life-threatening, the disorder can manifest in a spectrum of symptoms that range in severity. Her unknown future was extremely frightening for me.
At first, I let my fears overwhelm me. Lies and assumptions took root in my mind and grew ferociously. Our new reality was choking me even though I claimed to trust God. Finally, a Bible study at church showed me how to counteract my fears with the truth of God’s word. I listed all the lies I had been listening to and then replaced them with the truth. For example, when I wrote, “The future is too overwhelming to think about,” God led me to Jeremiah 29:11. Or when I worried that I wouldn’t be able to be a good enough parent, this fear was answered by 2 Corinthians 12:9.
As I meditated on these truths, my fears diminished. As I continued to study more of the Bible, God’s word gave me not only freedom from fear but also perspective and hope. We don’t have to let fear consume us. When we put our fears into words, God’s word answers us with truth and hope.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, by your grace open our eyes to what is true. Give us hope as we look to the future. Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS
Children with rare genetic disorders
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