Upper Room Devotional and Small Groups

Happy September! The latest edition of the Upper Room devotional began this week. The first one spoke to my heart. I’ve shared it with a few other people, and it resonated with them. I share it here as a word of encouragement. The apostle Paul writes about having a thorn in his side. We don’t know exactly what it was, but some kind of physical ailment that caused him pain. In 2 Corinthians 12 he talks about asking God to remove the pain, but instead God answers, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” God doesn’t always take away our pain, but God always meets us at our point of pain and gives us grace. Grace to endure. The author of the devotion writes, “Our weakness elicits God’s compassion. I left the chapel reassured that God’s strength and power within me – not my weakness – would prevail. God doesn’t ask us to be strong on our own. God asks us to pray and believe that God’s power is with us. We can trust God to fill us and to equip us for any task the day brings.” No matter what each day brings, God is with us, giving us what we need to face whatever comes our way. Thanks be to God