Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Comfort Journal" for Wednesday, 24 September 2014 - Read Psalm 16:5-8

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Comfort Journal" for Wednesday, 24 September 2014 - Read Psalm 16:5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
Praise be to the . . . Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.(2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV))
Toward the end of her life, my grandmother went into a nursing home. I wanted to lift her spirits by finding a comforting Bible verse to send her each week. She was an amazing woman of faith, so I knew she would enjoy reading the verses. Because I was new to the Bible, I learned a lot as I searched for the right verses to encourage her. Many of the uplifting verses I found were in the Book of Psalms (18:2, 46:1, 62:8); but I also looked for verses she might not know as well — such as Habakkuk 3:18-19 and Zephaniah 3:17. I wrote the verses in a notebook so that I wouldn’t accidentally send the same verse twice. I compiled a list of 150 verses before my grandmother died.
Afterward, I bought a small journal, wrote the verses in it (one verse per page), and gave it to my mom, who suffers from depression. I also made journals for my mother-in-law, sister, and grandson. Then my sister made one for me, which I carry in my purse. I pull out my journal when I want a new verse to memorize or need a pick-me-up. Through these journals, my family members have shared God’s comfort with one another.
The Author: Camille Evans (Florida)
Thought for the Day: Whom could I help by sharing a favorite Bible verse?
Prayer: Merciful God, help us turn toward your word for comfort and direction. Amen.
Prayer focus: Nursing home residents
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