Upper Room Daily Devotions ~ Saturday, 26 October 2013 ~ “Adapting With Grace” ~ READ: Genesis 12

Upper Room Daily Devotions ~ Saturday, 26 October 2013 ~ “Adapting With Grace” ~ READ: Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites were in the land, then.

7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” *

He built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the LORD’s name. 9 Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.(Messianic WEB)

God is our refuge and strength . . .. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake.(Psalm 46:1-2 (NRSV))

Our plan was simple: On Monday we would hike Mount St. Helens for its spectacular views. On Tuesday, we’d hike Mount Rainier to just below the snow level. But at St. Helens, the summit and our view were shrouded by clouds. On Rainier, the trail we had planned to hike was covered with 12 feet of snow. We had to adapt. In many areas of life we have to adapt, sometimes to unwelcome realities. Moving beyond asking “Why?” to discerning “What now?” requires letting God lead us into a new way of life. God never leaves us in a place where grace cannot sustain us. We live in a world that won’t always go the way we expect it to go; sometimes adapting ourselves is the best, most faithful response we can make. If we trust in God’s enduring love in Jesus Christ as our faithful companion, teacher, and guide, and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, we will have what we need to face any change.(The Author ~ F. Richard Garland (Rhode Island, USA))

Thought for the Day: Adapting to change can be a faithful response.

Prayer: O Christ, faithful guide, teach us to look for you and trust your guidance when life forces us onto unexpected paths as we pray, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”* Amen. (*Luke 11:2-4 (NIV)).

Prayer Focus: Those facing unwanted change

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