Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Look Above" for Sunday, 27 July 2014 - Read Revelation 7:13-17

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Look Above" for Sunday, 27 July 2014 - Read Revelation 7:13-14 Just then one of the Elders addressed me: “Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?” Taken aback, I said, “O Sir, I have no idea—but you must know.”
14-17 Then he told me, “These are those who come from the great tribulation, and they’ve washed their robes, scrubbed them clean in the blood of the Lamb. That’s why they’re standing before God’s Throne. They serve him day and night in his Temple. The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes.”
They worship [God] day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.(Revelation 7:15 (CEB))
It was sundown on a Friday when my husband and I completed our long-awaited patio, and we were exhausted. As we sat together on the patio celebrating our achievement, we faced the back of our house. “I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this view of our house, have you?” I asked. “Look above the house,” he said, pointing at the huge oak tree hanging over the roof. We built our house so that this 100-year-old oak would be in our front yard because the trunk was so beautiful, but now we were seeing it from a different view. All those years, I thought, all those problems and blessings we shared together in this house, and I never noticed that tree sheltering us from above. It gave me a whole new perspective. That tree reminds me of our loving Creator. Day after day, we go about our routines of working and taking care of our families, dealing with the disappointments and struggles that life presents, learning to accept the tragedies as well as the blessings of life. We tend to forget that through it all, God covers us, cares for us, and loves us unconditionally. And when we do acknowledge God with praise for the glory of it all, we gain a totally new perspective.
The Author: Annette McGhee (Alabama, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today I will look above my circumstances to the one who loves and cares for all of us.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to glorify you in all that we do today so that others will see your glory through us. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone who needs God’s comfort
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