I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “No Such Thing as Ordinary.”Karen Huang wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Hebrews 11:1,Hebrews 11:32–40. The key verse is, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.”Hebrews 11:39. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: Hebrews 11 is referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” writing to encourage Jewish believers in Jesus to remain faithful during suffering brought on by severe persecution. The unnamed author lists specific examples of people who’ve lived “by faith” (Hebrews 11:4–31). He closes this chapter with an overview of countless unnamed faithful people (Hebrews 11:32–38) “commended for their faith” but who haven’t yet “received what had been promised”(Hebrews 11:39).Hebrews 11 is a reminder that the only way to live and please God is by faith. Those who lived “by faith” chose to live as “foreigners and strangers on earth”(v. 13). They refused to return to the sinful life they’d left behind but longed “for a better country—a heavenly one”(v. 16) My Comments to You: The area in my daily life that God is calling me to exercise in Him is teaching and blogging His word. God helps me be more obedient and faithful in what I do every day by the comments and blessings I receive. I am content if I walk the path of obscurity and do not receive the reward or notoriety. That is not important, and I only want to use my talents to do God’s will. If you feel discouraged about your ordinary state of your life, remember that a life lived by faith in God has an impact throughout eternity. Even if we’re ordinary, we can have extraordinary faith. Reflect: In what area of your daily life might God be calling you to exercise faith in Him? How can He help you be more obedient and faithful in what you do every day? My Prayer for Us: Faithful God, please help us to trust and obey You always. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/10/08) No Such Thing as Ordinary, Karen Huang, retrieved from www.odb.org 08/10/2021 No Such Thing as Ordinary.
I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “With Us in the Valley.”James Banks wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Psalm 23. The key verse is, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”Psalm 23:4. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: In the Old Testament, we’re accustomed to the writers using metaphors to describe God, and in most cases, those metaphors are of inanimate objects. Psalm 23 is one of the most prominent passages in the Old Testament where a personal metaphor is used to describe God as the Shepherd. In a culture rooted in agriculture (including shepherding), the nature of the relationship between a sheep and its shepherd would be well known, making this word picture a fitting way to understand how deeply our God cares for us. My Comments to You: I am comforted to know that Jesus is with me. He knows me in and out, and there is nothing I can hide from Him. His perfect faithfulness and kindness keep me spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally safe. It is reassuring to know that the almighty God who “brought forth the whole world”(Psalm 90:2) is so compassionate that He walks with us through even the most difficult places. Whether our situation turns better or worse, we can turn to our Shepherd, Savior, and Friend. The Lord is so good that death itself is vanquished, and we will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”(Psalm 23:6). Reflect: How does it comfort you to know that Jesus our Shepherd is always with you? How can you share that hope with someone today? My Prayer for Us: My Shepherd, thank You for Your perfect faithfulness and kindness to us. Help us to stay near You today. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/10/05) With Us in the Valley, James Banks, retrieved from www.odb.org 05/10/2021 With Us in the Valley.
I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “Frolicking in Freedom.”Lisa M. Samra wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Malachi 4:1–3. The key verse is, “You will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.”Malachi 4:2. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: The prophet encouraged the Israelites to follow God when so many, including the religious leaders, disregarded God and His standards for a faithful living (Malachi 1:12–14; 3:5–9). Malachi called the people to live faithfully because of a coming time when God would make the final distinction between the two groups. Malachi used the unexpected imagery of a frolicking calf to describe the unspeakable joy that the faithful group will experience when “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays” (Malachi 4:2). My Comments to You: I experienced freedom in Jesus when I turned my life over to Jesus. The image that helped me to visualize joy was the lifting of huge weights from my shoulders. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment, bringing the good news that true freedom is available to all people (Luke 4:16–21). One day, in God’s, renewed and restored creation, we will experience freedom. What indescribable joy it will be celebrating freedom there! Reflect: How have you experienced freedom in Jesus? What other images help you to visualize joy? My Prayer for Us: Jesus, help us to live joyfully as we remember the freedom only You provide. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/23) Frolicking in Freedom, Lisa M. Samra, retrieved from www.odb.org 23/09/2021 Frolicking in Freedom.
I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “God’s Molded Instruments.”Ruth Wan wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Isaiah 64:5–9. The key verse is, “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”Isaiah 64:8. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: Romans 1:19-21 tells us God created us with an inborn knowledge that He is the Creator and Master of the universe. The potter-clay motif is an image used by the prophet Isaiah to depict God’s strained relationship with His people. This metaphor points to a sovereign Creator and submissive creature relationship. Like clay, we are the intricate work of the Father’s hand (Isaiah 64:8). Some sixty years after these words from Isaiah were written, the prophet Jeremiah went to a potter’s house to give God’s people this same message: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel” (Jeremiah 18:6). My Comments to You: Knowing that I am a recipient of God’s mercy makes me want to be Christ-like in what I say, do, write, and think. I submit daily to His transformation. His transformation of us is what God does! In His mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sin. He now shapes and transforms us as we walk in step with His Spirit every day. God works through us to accomplish His beautiful will: to be more and more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Reflect: How can knowing that you’re a recipient of God’s mercy affect what you think, say, and do today? How can you submit yourself to His transformation? My Prayer for Us: Father, thank You for saving us and transforming us to become more like Your Son, Jesus. Teach us to submit to Your Spirit’s work of transforming us. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/15) God’s Molded Instruments, Ruth Wan, retrieved from www.odb.org 15/09/2021 God’s Molded Instruments.
I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “Outside the Camp.”Tim Gustafson wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Hebrews 13:11–16. The key verse is, “Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.”Hebrews 13:12. My beloved children, brothers, and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: In the ancient Israelites time, diseases like leprosy meant living “outside the camp.” It was a lonely existence. Israelite law said of such people, “They must live alone”(Leviticus 13:46). The carcasses of the sacrificial bulls were outside the camp. (4:12). The audience for the New Testament letter to the Hebrews was the Diaspora, Jewish Christ-followers. The nature of the audience explains the heavy emphasis on Israel’s history of the sacrificial system of Judaism. The sacrificial system of Judaism formed a point of reference for the work of Jesus. The letter’s content is Christ-centered and lifts Jesus as superior to angels, priests, and Moses, thereby affirming Christ’s redemptive sacrifice as superior to the sacrificial system of Israel’s temple. My Comments to You: I admit that initially, I reacted to outsiders, and misfits were not Christ-like. My behavior was similar to Jewish priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan. I considered myself above them. Now I know I was very wrong. The author’s statement about Jesus in Hebrews 13: “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore”(v. 13). Jesus was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem. We want to be popular, to be honored, to live comfortable lives. However, God calls us to go “outside the camp” where the disgrace is. That is where you will find people the world has rejected. That is where you will find Jesus. Reflect: How do you initially react to outsiders and misfits? In what practical way might you go to Jesus “outside the camp”? My Prayer for Us: Thank You, Jesus, that You don’t show any favoritism. Thank You for going outside the camp for us. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/14) Outside the Camp, Tim Gustafson, retrieved from www.odb.org 14/09/2021 Outside the Camp.
I pray that you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “A Living Document.”Karen Pimpo wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Psalm 1. The key verse is, “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”Psalm 1:1–2. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: In Psalm 1, the way of the righteous and the wicked are in stark contrast. The psalmist identifies the way of evil with the progression of walking, standing, and sitting (v. 1). Some scholars believe it pictures an increasing intimacy with those who do wrong. As the association progresses, so does the level of iniquity: walk in the way of wicked, stand in the path of sinners, and sit with mockers. The mockers engage in wrongdoing and scorn the innocent. The righteous delight in the law of God. They are “blessed.” The love for the wisdom of God consumes them. This love is for the understanding of God occupies their thoughts throughout the day. This love recalls the command to Joshua to “meditate on it day and night”(Joshua 1:8). The psalmist uses metaphorical language to describe what it means to be blessed. The blessed are like a tree that grows strong and produces good, healthy fruit: “whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3) My Comments to You: Some barriers I faced when I read the Bible are time and location. I learned to take the time and place so I could focus on His word. Psalm 1 tells us that “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord”(vv. 1–2). Daily meditating on Scripture allows us to “prosper” in all seasons, no matter what hardship we’re facing. The Bible is relevant with insight for living today. The Bible is still dangerous in its call to believe and follow Jesus, exciting in the intimate knowledge of God and humanity that it imparts. The Bible is like a stream of water(v. 3) that provides the sustenance we need daily. Reflect: What barriers do you face when reading the Bible? How can you make space to listen to God’s voice? My Prayer for Us: God, help us experience Scripture as a living document today. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/13) A Living Document, Karen Pimpo, retrieved from www.odb.org 13/09/2021 A Living Document.
I pray you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “Like a Symphony.”Glenn Packiam wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Philippians 2:1–11. The key verse is, “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”Philippians 2:2. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: When Paul asked readers in Philippi to consider the humility of Jesus (Philippians 2:5–8), he used a word that describes the attitude of willingness to be counted among servants. He wanted them to remember that those who live in the spirit of Jesus do so in the awareness that He first humbled Himself for us. The prophet Isaiah had described a mysterious “Servant” as being despised, rejected, and familiar with pain and suffering. The prophet anticipated that He held in such low esteem that people would find it hard to even look at Him (Isaiah 53:3). Those who lower themselves for the good of others in the spirit of Jesus express the humility of our Savior who is “in very nature God”(Philippians 2:6). My comments to you: To answer who could use some encouragement, I will have to tell anyone God brings to me. We are horrific times. Our Nation is divided politically, socially, racially, and medically. The COVID variant Delta that is very contiguous puts unvaccinated people in the hospital and kills them. The apostle Paul pointed to the beauty of harmony when he told the Philippians to be “like-minded,” have “the same love,” and be “one in spirit and . . . mind”(Philippians 2:2). He asked them to embrace the humble attitude and self-giving love of Jesus. The gospel, as Paul well knew and taught, can eliminate our divisions. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through our different lives and contexts, we become a symphony that reverberates with humble Christlike love. Reflect: Who could use some encouragement from you today? How could you put the interests of others above your own, just as Jesus did for us? My prayer for us: Dear Jesus, thank You for saving us. May Your Spirit transform us into Your image. In our attitudes and actions, help us to take on Your humility and sacrificial love. May it result in greater unity with other believers in our lives Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/10) Like a Symphony, Glenn Packiam, retrieved from www.odb.org 10/09/2021 Like a Symphony.
I hope you start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “Send Me.”Francis Neil G. Jalando-on wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Isaiah 6:1–8. The key verse is, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?”. . . I said, “Here am I. Send me!”Isaiah 6:8. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: Isaiah (whose name means “Yahweh saves,” prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah through the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham (both godly kings), Ahaz (one of Judah’s worst kings), and Hezekiah (a king committed to reforms). He was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Assyria threatened to invade Israel and Judah. According to tradition, Isaiah was related to Uzziah, explaining his easy access to the royal courts (7:3; 38:1; 39:3). He suffered martyrdom when he was sawn in two by King Manasseh. Besides this book of prophecies, Isaiah also wrote King Uzziah’s biographies and King Hezekiah’s biographies (see 2 Chronicles 26:22; 32:32). My comments to you: I answered God’s calling to write about Him on my blogs and social media accounts. I hesitated if He called me to work abroad as a missionary. My biggest fear is being away from family and financial support. Is God calling you to do something for Him? Why are you holding back? Remember all God has done through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He’s given us the Holy Spirit to help and guide us (John 14:26; 15:26–27), and He’ll prepare us to answer His call. So, like Isaiah, we respond, “Send me!” Reflect: Is God calling you to do something for Him? What is hindering you from responding? My prayer for us: Jesus, thank You for calling and enabling us to serve You. Help us see this as a privilege and serve You willingly and learn about The Trinity. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/08) Send Me, Francis Neil G. Jalando-on, retrieved from www.odb.org 08/09/2021 Send Me.
You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “Empty Hands.”Arthur Jackson wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Luke 15:17–24. The key verse is, “His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.”Luke 15:20. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: The word compassion in Luke 15:20 comes from the Greek verb splanchnízomai. The noun form of this word refers to “bowels or intestines.” Ancient Greek poets saw the “bowels” as the seat of more violent emotions. The Hebrews saw the “bowels” as the place for affections such as kindness and compassion. When the verb is used in the New Testament, it refers to internal feelings of pity resulting in external benevolence acts. In Luke 15:20, compassion motivated the father to welcome his son: “[He] was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” My comments to you: I felt like a great weight lifted off my shoulders when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Jesus has paid my sin debt. It reminds me that by Jesus’ death, he revealed a loving Father who welcomes empty-handed children with open arms. As One hymn writer expressed it: “Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling.” You can receive forgiveness for all your sins. Come as you are, empty-handed. Reflect: How does it make you feel that because Jesus has paid your sin debt, you can receive forgiveness for all your sins? If you’ve never received this forgiveness, what’s keeping you from accepting this gift through Jesus? My prayer for us: God of heaven, help us receive and enjoy the forgiveness You have provided through Your Son, Jesus. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/03) Empty Hands, Arthur Jackson, retrieved from www.odb.org 03/09/2021 Empty Hands.
You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “You should start every day with God. I chose to read daily devotions from Our Daily Bread. Today’s devotion is titled “The Big Story of the Bible.”Kirsten Holmberg wrote this devotion. The scripture reading is from Genesis 11:26–32. The key verse is, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”2 Timothy 3:16. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; before I write, I first pray to God to guide my words to serve as spiritual food and guidance. I desire God to be my sole source of writing. All the credit goes to God, not me. I am his humble servant. I thank God that He led me to use Our Daily Bread Ministries to inspire comments and witnessing. Background: In the ancient world, genealogies weren’t always simply a straightforward record of “who begat whom.” They were used to show the legitimacy of relation or position when tracing the lineage of royalty. Ancestry (often traced back to a deity) was intended to show that the person with whom the lineage ended was the rightful and true heir. The genealogy of Jesus in the book of Luke traces Jesus’ human lineage back to God Himself (Luke 3:23–38). My comments to you: I admit while reading the Bible, I conclude without having the whole picture. Like the author, I was tempted to gloss over these sections and skip to a part that contains something that feels familiar and fits more easily into my “window” of understanding of the Bible’s narrative. This is true when it came to Jesus’ genealogy. In the Old Testament, there were genealogies of all these people. It was difficult to link all these genealogies back to God’s plan to bring everyone to Him through Jesus without the full story of Jesus’ royalty. Since “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful”(2 Timothy 3:16), the Holy Spirit can help us better understand how a fragment fits into the whole by opening our eyes to see (for example) how Shelah is related to Abram (Genesis 11:12–26), the ancestor of David and Jesus (Matthew 1:2, 6, 16). God delights in surprising us with a perfectly intact story where even the smaller parts reveal the story of God’s mission throughout the Bible. Reflect: Why is it important to recognize each portion of Scripture as a fragment of God’s bigger story? My prayer for us: Father, please help us see You and Your work more clearly, and grow deeper in our understanding of the Bible. Our Daily bread Ministries (2021/09/02) The Big Story of the Bible, Kirsten Holmberg, retrieved from www.odb.org 02/09/2021 The Big Story of the Bible.
