God Thought 2/22/23

Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” - John 10:28-30 (NIV)

UPPERROOM DEVOTIONAL
FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Ash Wednesday
Linda Chandra (Banten, Indonesia)

A friend of mine moved to another city, and I had not seen him in a long time. I learned from another friend that he was sick. So I sent him a Bible with John 10:28-30 written on the bookmark I slid inside.

Two weeks after I sent him the Bible, I received a reply: “The Bible verses you sent made me cry. I have been living far from God for a long time, and my life has become a mess. But it turns out that God’s hand was always open to me. I am the one who removed my hand. I want to go back to holding God’s hand.”

I trust that God never leaves us even though we often turn away from God. Our world is uncertain. Riots, chaos, gun violence, natural disasters, failure, bankruptcy, and illness mean we have no guarantee of safety. But God’s loving presence remains steadfast, and God’s promise of salvation is unshakable. No matter how far we feel we are from God, we can trust that God is always ready to take our hand and offer us new life.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for always extending your hand to us. Give us courage to return to you. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The world may change, but God’s love never does.

PRAYER FOCUS
Friends who live far away