PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

April 19, 20230

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

For many years Diane and I have used for our daily devotions the Upper Room published bimonthly by The Upper Room whose parent company is Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church.  Each of the daily devotions includes a scripture lesson, a concise message, a thought for the day, a prayer and a prayer emphasis.  They cover a wide range of topics by persons from all walks of life and from around the world.

I thought the devotions for this March were especially meaningful as we deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic.  Here is a sampling of some of the themes covered.

Impatience – wanting to God to act now (March 4)

God is with us during challenging time to help us catch the wind (March 7)

Dealing with obstacles (March 12)

When our burdens threaten to break us (March 14)

When a loved one dies (March 22)

Meeting financial need (March 26)

Focusing on love and goodness during difficult times (March 27)

Finding refuge (March 31)

I doubt when the editors of the Upper Room were putting the March/April 2020 issues of their magazine together, they had in mind devotions that would be especially relevant for a Pandemic.  When the current issue was created there was no hint of Corona-19 on the horizon.  From my previous reading of the Upper Room I can not remember an issue where so many of the devotions seemed to have to do with a common theme.  How then are we to account for the many articles in the March/April issues that are so appropriate to the crisis facing us as a nation and as a world?

An obvious answer would seem to be that because of the Pandemic I am more sensitive to devotions which address it.  The balance of themes for the issues is the same; what is different is my perspective. This could be the reason but I doubt it.

Another possible answer is by sheer chance so many of the articles speak to the paramount issues facing our world today.  This could be the case, however, I doubt it.

Still another explanation is, as my granddaughter would say, it “Was a God thing.”  In some mysterious and wonderful way God was at work through the pages of the Upper Room to bring encouragement to His people during difficult times. During Holy Week we were reminded that God is never without a witness. Jesus told those who wanted His disciples to quit shouting “Hosanna” that if His disciples stopped, even the very stones would cry out.

No matter how they got there, the devotions in the March/April Upper Room were a blessing in two ways.  First, the messages themselves were a word of encouragement during difficult times for our world.  Second, they were a reminder that God has not deserted us and stands by our side to bring comfort, support, encouragement and hope.

How has God been reaching out to you during these difficult times?  What words of encouragement and hope has He been giving you?

This article was originally published April 19, 2020.