The Upper Room Devotional for 27th December 2023, Wednesday
The Upper Room Devotional for 27th December 2023 Message by Pete Velander (Tennessee, USA)
TOPIC: Stewardship
TODAY’S READING
Luke 10:25-37
A Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. – Luke 10:33 (NIV)
In 2003 I donated a kidney to someone I had never met. I didn’t begin with that outcome in mind. Initially I was tested for compatibility with a colleague who needed a transplant. I wanted to know if I could help.
Going through the pre-donation testing process changed me. I spent many hours in waiting rooms filled with people who could do nothing but hope that an organ would become available to save their lives. For me, it became a matter of stewardship. I realized that I had more than I needed because it’s possible to live a healthy life with just one kidney. I found myself surrounded by neighbors in urgent need of my abundance.
As it turned out, my colleague received what she needed from another donor. But God transformed my heart, and when I was approved as a donor, I chose to give a kidney to whoever needed it most. I’m grateful for the lessons God taught me about giving through this life-changing journey.
Everything we have belongs to God, and God wants us to serve our neighbors out of our abundance. We often think of stewardship in terms of money, but it is also about our time, possessions, and, yes, even our bodies.
TODAY’S PRAYER
God of compassion, open our eyes to opportunities to serve our neighbors. Help us expand our lives of stewardship to include all that you have given us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
My abundance can serve another person’s need.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those awaiting organ transplants
The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together.
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