Daily Devotional
The Daily Devotional from The Upper Room in Nashville Tennessee United States for Monday, 15 January 2018 "Beautiful, Broken Shells" by Amy B. Trent (California) - Romans 5:1-11
We . . . boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:3-5 (NRSV))
When I dig a seashell out of the sand, I first turn it one way and then the other to see its condition. Does it have chips or cracks, or is it whole and complete? I am looking for a perfect shell — not a broken one. Often, we are content only with the perfect, the unblemished, the new.
That is not the way with God, who understands that we are broken, imperfect, damaged — and still seeks us. The scripture for today shows us that we humans are like the imperfect shell. We journey through an ocean filled with rocks and reefs and storms, and none of us makes it to the shore without scars of suffering and endurance.
At times we may feel disappointed or ashamed at our brokenness. But in our suffering we are being made strong. And that strength will develop a character that clings to hope. Our hope is not in circumstances, people, or even ourselves, but in the powerful and loving God who will never let us be crushed or lost in the storm. God can transform our stories of suffering into a beautiful strength of character that produces hope that will never disappoint us.
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TODAY'S PRAYER:
Dear God, give us strength to withstand the storms we encounter. Help us to cling to you in hope. Amen.
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TODAY'S READING: Romans 5:1-11
When I dig a seashell out of the sand, I first turn it one way and then the other to see its condition. Does it have chips or cracks, or is it whole and complete? I am looking for a perfect shell — not a broken one. Often, we are content only with the perfect, the unblemished, the new.
That is not the way with God, who understands that we are broken, imperfect, damaged — and still seeks us. The scripture for today shows us that we humans are like the imperfect shell. We journey through an ocean filled with rocks and reefs and storms, and none of us makes it to the shore without scars of suffering and endurance.
At times we may feel disappointed or ashamed at our brokenness. But in our suffering we are being made strong. And that strength will develop a character that clings to hope. Our hope is not in circumstances, people, or even ourselves, but in the powerful and loving God who will never let us be crushed or lost in the storm. God can transform our stories of suffering into a beautiful strength of character that produces hope that will never disappoint us.
***
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Dear God, give us strength to withstand the storms we encounter. Help us to cling to you in hope. Amen.
***
TODAY'S READING: Romans 5:1-11
Romans 5:1 So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 2 Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. 3 But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope; 5 and this hope does not let us down, because God’s love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Ruach HaKodesh who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, the Messiah died on behalf of ungodly people. 7 Now it is a rare event when someone gives up his life even for the sake of somebody righteous, although possibly for a truly good person one might have the courage to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners. 9 Therefore, since we have now come to be considered righteous by means of his bloody sacrificial death, how much more will we be delivered through him from the anger of God’s judgment! 10 For if we were reconciled with God through his Son’s death when we were enemies, how much more will we be delivered by his life, now that we are reconciled! 11 And not only will we be delivered in the future, but we are boasting about God right now, because he has acted through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through whom we have already received that reconciliation.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, the Messiah died on behalf of ungodly people. 7 Now it is a rare event when someone gives up his life even for the sake of somebody righteous, although possibly for a truly good person one might have the courage to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners. 9 Therefore, since we have now come to be considered righteous by means of his bloody sacrificial death, how much more will we be delivered through him from the anger of God’s judgment! 10 For if we were reconciled with God through his Son’s death when we were enemies, how much more will we be delivered by his life, now that we are reconciled! 11 And not only will we be delivered in the future, but we are boasting about God right now, because he has acted through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through whom we have already received that reconciliation.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God can transform my suffering into strength.
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PRAYER FOCUS:
Coastal communities
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READ MORE:
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God can transform my suffering into strength.
***
PRAYER FOCUS:
Coastal communities
***
READ MORE:
***
The Upper Room
1908 Grand Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
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