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The Lord Has Made Room for Us: Five Day Devotional

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Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:


Day 1: Grace in the Delay

Based on the Message: "The Lord Has Made Room for Us" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.'" - Genesis 26:2

Devotional: Waiting is perhaps one of life's greatest challenges. We make plans, set timelines, and expect things to unfold according to our schedule. But what happens when God introduces a delay? In Genesis 26, Isaac faced a famine, a delay to prosperity and comfort. Instead of running to Egypt where food was plentiful, God instructed him to stay put. This divine delay wasn't punishment; it was protection and preparation. Delays often feel like denials, but they're actually divine redirections. When God pauses something in your life, He's not withholding blessing; He's positioning you for something better. That promotion that didn't come through, the relationship that didn't work out, the opportunity that slipped away, these delays might be God's way of protecting you from what wouldn't ultimately serve His purpose for your life. God's timing is perfect, even when it doesn't align with our expectations. His delays are strategic, designed to develop our character, deepen our faith, and direct our paths toward His best. The next time you face a delay, instead of seeing it as a roadblock, recognize it as a divine detour leading to greater blessing.


Quote: "Every once in a while, God will allow a delay in order to prepare you for something greater." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What current delay in your life might actually be God's protection or preparation for something greater?


Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me trust Your timing even when I don't understand Your delays. Give me patience to wait and wisdom to recognize that Your delays are often protecting me from lesser things while preparing me for greater blessings. Thank You for Your perfect timing in my life. Amen.



Day 2: Sowing in Difficult Seasons

Based on the Message: "The Lord Has Made Room for Us" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him." - Genesis 26:12

Devotional: When faced with a famine, most people's instinct is to conserve, hold back, and wait for better conditions. Yet Isaac did something counterintuitive; he sowed in the land during famine. The result? He reaped a hundredfold harvest in the same year. His story challenges our conventional wisdom about timing and opportunity. There's a powerful principle here: sometimes our greatest harvests come from seeds planted in the most difficult seasons. Economic downturns, health challenges, relationship struggles, these aren't just periods to endure; they're fertile ground for faith. When we continue to invest, serve, give, and grow during hardship, we position ourselves for supernatural returns. Prosperity isn't just about favorable circumstances; it's about faithful stewardship regardless of circumstances. God can bless you in a famine just as He blessed Isaac. Your current challenge isn't a barrier to blessing; t's the backdrop against which God's provision becomes even more miraculous. Today, identify the seeds you can sow in your current season, whether they're seeds of kindness, generosity, diligence, or faith.


Quote: "It's in times of "famine" that faith is truly activated. Is it truly faith if we only bless God when feel blessed? Real faith is when life is tough, and we still serve. Real faith is when the economy is bad, and I still give. We need faith in the famine!" - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What seeds can you sow in your current challenging season that might yield an unexpected harvest?


Prayer: Lord, give me the courage to sow seeds of faith even in difficult times. Help me see opportunities where others see obstacles. I trust that You can bring abundance even in seasons of lack. Thank You for being the God who blesses in every season. Amen.


Day 3: Working the Land God Gives You

Based on the Message: "The Lord Has Made Room for Us" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous" - Genesis 26:13

Devotional: When God blessed Isaac with a hundredfold harvest, it wasn't just a miracle, it was the result of Isaac's willingness to work. He didn't just receive the land; he worked it. He didn't just pray for provision; he planted seeds. His prosperity came through a partnership of divine blessing and human effort. Too often, we want God's blessings without the work they require. We pray for opportunities but aren't prepared to steward them. We ask for increase but aren't willing to invest what we already have. God's provision usually requires our participation. The principle is clear: blessing requires both faith and action. If God has given you a vision, a gift, an opportunity, or a relationship, you must cultivate it. Your harvest tomorrow depends on the seeds you plant and tend today. This isn't about earning God's favor, it's about partnering with His purposes. What has God placed in your hands? A talent? A relationship? A ministry opportunity? A business idea? Whatever it is, pick up your shovel and start digging. Your willingness to work diligently with what God has given you demonstrates your readiness to receive more.


Quote: "When God takes you to the promise, you have to work the land. Some of us want the land, but we don't want to pick up a shovel." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What has God placed in your life that requires more intentional cultivation and effort from you?


Prayer: Father, thank You for the opportunities You've placed before me. Give me diligence to work faithfully with what You've entrusted to me. Help me remember that my harvest tomorrow depends on my faithfulness today. I commit to being a good steward of Your blessings. Amen.


Day 4: Persisting Through Opposition

Based on the Message: "The Lord Has Made Room for Us" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, 'Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.'" - Genesis 26:22

Devotional: As Isaac's prosperity increased, so did the opposition he faced. The Philistines envied him and stopped up his wells, his source of life and livelihood. When asked to leave, Isaac could have become bitter or vengeful. Instead, he moved on and dug new wells. His first attempts resulted in conflict. He named one well Esek (contention) and another Sitnah (opposition). But rather than giving up, Isaac kept digging until he found Rehoboth, a place of spaciousness where God made room for him to be fruitful. Opposition often reveals our character more than our success does. When faced with resistance, do we become bitter or better? Do we give up or press forward? Isaac's story teaches us that persistence through opposition eventually leads to breakthrough. The wells of contention and opposition weren't failures; they were necessary steps on Isaac's journey to Rehoboth. Similarly, your current challenges aren't detours from God's plan; they're developing your resilience and refining your character for the spacious place He has prepared for you. Don't let opposition stop you from digging new wells.


Quote: "Regardless of the contention or opposition, if God told me to go in a certain direction, I'm just going to keep on digging till I find my Rehoboth." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What opposition are you currently facing that requires you to persist rather than give up?


Prayer: God, when I face opposition, help me respond with perseverance rather than bitterness. Give me the strength to keep digging new wells until I find my Rehoboth—the spacious place where You've made room for me to flourish. Thank You for using challenges to develop my character. Amen.


Day 5: From Separation to Fruitfulness

Based on the Message: "The Lord Has Made Room for Us" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"But the Philistines had stopped up all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, filling them with earth." - Genesis 26:15

Devotional: Throughout Isaac's journey, we see a pattern: separation preceded blessing. He separated from Egypt during famine. He separated from the Philistines when they envied him. Each separation led him closer to Rehoboth, the place of spaciousness and fruitfulness God had prepared. Sometimes the hardest part of moving forward is letting go. Relationships end. Opportunities close. Seasons change. These separations can be painful, but they're often necessary for our growth and God's greater purpose. What looks like loss might actually be liberation. As we grow in our faith journey, not everyone will continue with us. The higher we go, the thinner the air becomes. Some relationships, habits, and mindsets that served us in one season become limitations in the next. Letting go isn't failure, it's freedom to embrace what God has next. Rehoboth represents more than physical space; it symbolizes the spiritual, emotional, and relational room God creates for us to flourish. When we release bitterness, resentment, and attachment to how things "should" be, we create space for God's abundance. Your separation just might be preparation for your destination.


Quote: "Separation just might be preparation for your destination. Allow contention and opposition to make you fruitful, not frustrated." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What might God be asking you to release or separate from in order to make room for greater fruitfulness in your life?


Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the courage to let go of what You're not asking me to carry into my next season. Help me see separations not as losses but as preparation for greater fruitfulness. Thank You for making room for me to flourish according to Your purpose. I trust Your leading, even through difficult transitions. Amen.

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