'I will!'

Bible Reading: Matthew 28:16-20
Author: Vincent W. Howell (New York, US)
Saturday 31 January 2026 © The Upper Room.
We are a small church community in a beautiful area of the state of New York. Daily we see God’s handiwork in glorious hillsides and beautiful lakes and streams. This beauty is an inspiration for us in our ministry of making new disciples of Jesus  Christ.
  
Recently, I invited church members to volunteer to lead one of several planned ministry events. I was reading out the list of ministries when suddenly I heard an enthusiastic ‘I will!’ Everyone cheered! I looked up to see who had volunteered. To my delight, the very first volunteer was Ella, an eleven-year-old girl.
  
That ministry was to lead a social evening as a way of reaching out to the local community. Ella’s enthusiasm and energy in taking on such a key role reminded me that Jesus has commanded us to be eager to serve and to be as humble as a child in sharing the love of Christ. Our eagerness to serve others shows the joy of the Lord in our lives, and that joy draws others to Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the excitement of young people in the church. May we be inspired by their spirit to share your love with others. Amen
 
Next day’s devotion
Hide the testimonials
Fantastic! I’m so thrilled by God’s goodness that He has brought about such a wonderful way of communicating His love and Gospel to Deaf people. I’m convinced God will use it to His glory and that it will be an effective means of nurturing Deaf Christians for whom church and the Bible is often difficult. You can be assured of my prayers in asking our Father to use these means to reach Deaf people who would never dream of entering a church building. KS