The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Unexpected Blessing” for Saturday, 27 December 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 121: A Pilgrim Song
1-2 I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.
Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.[Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)]
I enjoy running. One Saturday morning, I was hoping to do some training on a nearby hill. But it was already humid, and the clear blue sky allowed for too much hot sun. Both these factors reduced my chances to train very well.
But when I came to my training hill, something above the road caught my attention. While I had noticed the row of green-leafed sugar maple trees along the street, I had not realized the way they arched over the road, blocking the hot sun. While the humidity was still in the air, the unexpected shade allowed me to have a safe and productive workout.
When I realized what the shade of the trees provided to help me, the verses from Psalm 121 came to mind, “The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day” (vv 5-6). I found myself feeling very thankful for the unexpected and personal way I had experienced God’s blessing that day.
The Author: Doug Wilson (New York, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today, I will watch for signs of God’s personal love for me.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the unexpected surprises of your overarching grace and love in our lives. Amen.
Prayer focus: Runners and walkers
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