The Upper Room Devotional 17th November 2023 —Lonely Hours
Read and Study Today’s The Upper Room Daily Devotional for November 17, 2023 Message written by Mariela del Carmen Mustielier Fonseca (Cuba). God bless you as you study today! Please share with your friends and loved ones.
TODAY’S TOPIC: LONELY HOURS
Mary Hunt Webb (New Mexico, USA)
TODAY’S READING
Psalm 121:5-8
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Hearing from God is a divine gift.
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. – Psalm 120:1 (NIV)
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 resources and with loneliness. 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.
TODAY’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.
PRAYER FOCUS
Newcomers to my church
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