YMI -- ODB: 24 August 2025

Aug. 24th, 2025 08:41 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Glory)

ODB: God Is Everywhere

August 24, 2025

READ: Genesis 28:10-17 

 

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. Genesis 28:16

The unassuming violinist, donning a baseball cap and T-shirt, set up near Washington, DC’s L’Enfant Plaza subway station. He moved the bow across the strings, making melodious tunes. But commuters rushed past, oblivious. He played an entire music program with only a handful of people stopping to listen. If the crowd had only known they were rushing past Joshua Bell, one of the greatest virtuosos of our generation, who had played at the Library of Congress the night before. Bell played several of the most difficult, mesmerizing violin pieces in the world, all on a 1713 Stradivarius worth roughly $3.5 million.

It’s easy to be unaware, to miss wonders right in front of us. This was Jacob’s experience as he journeyed to Harran (Genesis 28:10). He stopped and set up camp in a simple spot that seemed like any other, just a place to lay his head for the night. God appeared to him in a midnight dream, however, telling him that his numerous descendants would bless “all peoples on earth” (v. 14). He also assured Jacob that He would “watch over [him] wherever [he would] go” (v. 15). When he awoke, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (v. 16).

God is everywhere, “fill[ing] heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 23:24). He’s present in the most ordinary places. Our invitation is to keep our eyes and ears open, to watch and listen for Him.

— Winn Collier

Where have you been surprised by God’s presence? How can you live more aware of Him?

Dear God, it’s so easy to miss You. I want to see You and hear You.

Source: Our Daily Bread

sparowe: (Bible)

He Never Misses


Everybody’s favorite football team knows the feeling—three seconds to go, down by two, and the kicker misses an easy field goal.

“I can’t believe he missed that!” everyone laments.

We say the same thing about ourselves all the time. We lose our temper, forget an assignment, miss a deadline, or return to an unhealthy habit or addiction, and the next time we face a mirror, we cry, “I can’t believe I did that again!”

Same goes for when the people around us fall short: “I can’t believe they did that to me!”

Truth is, God can believe it. He isn’t caught off guard by our mistakes. He’s fully aware they’ll happen! Psalm 103:14 says, “For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” As our creator, he knows what we’re made of and our limitations. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away” (2:13). The good news, though, is that God was ready for our misses with a sufficient plan to redeem us: “Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins” (2:13 cont.).

It means that God’s love for us isn’t rooted in our ability to succeed, but our lives can be rooted in his unwavering and unchanging love, and that’s exactly what Paul encouraged the Colossians to do: “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (2:7).


When we root our lives in our strength, we’re bound to fail. It’s the same result for when we expect others to be perfect. We’re just dust after all! When we root our lives in Christ’s love, though, we’re tapping into undefeated power that can transform our lives from the roots up.

We miss all the time. God, though? He’s never missed.

YMI -- ODB: 22 August 2025

Aug. 22nd, 2025 03:47 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: Seeing with God’s Heart

August 22, 2025

READ: Psalm 146 

 

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. Psalm 146:8

On Chantale’s thirteenth birthday, after hours of joyful celebration in her quiet home village, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. Chantale and her siblings ran into the forest, obeying their mother’s frantic command to hide. All night, they huddled underneath the sanctuary of a tree. “The sun appeared in the morning. But not our parents,” Chantale recounts. She and her siblings were now orphans and refugees, joining tens of thousands in a refugee camp.  

When we hear stories like Chantale’s, it can be tempting to turn away from such overwhelming loss. But those who believe in the God of Scripture believe in a God who never looks away from suffering, who attentively “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9).

The “Maker of heaven and earth . . . remains faithful forever” (v. 6), ever at work upholding “the cause of the oppressed” and providing “food to the hungry” (v. 7).

Chantale Zuzi Leader, who founded an organization to educate refugee girls, says her experience taught her that “anyone can become a refugee—to lose that place of safety they once had.”

May our response to those who’ve lost a place of safety reflect the heart of the God, who is an ever-faithful “refuge for the oppressed” (9:9), who “lifts up those who are bowed down” (146:8).

— Monica La Rose

How have you or someone you know lost a place of safety? How can God work through such experiences?

Faithful God, thank You for being a refuge for all who hurt. Please help me reflect Your heart. For further study, read Broken Down Cars: Grieving with Those Who Grieve

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 21 August 2025

Aug. 21st, 2025 03:46 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: Feed the Need

August 21, 2025

READ: Acts 4:32-37 

 

No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

Lisa and Freddie McMillan own a unique restaurant in Brewton, Alabama. They offer a full hot meal to all who stand in line—at no charge. This couple has invested from their own savings to make a difference for senior citizens who often go without meals and rarely enjoy a restaurant experience. A donation box receives contributions. Lisa says, “Sometimes we find nothing there. Sometimes a thank-you note. Sometimes $1,000. Always, we have everything we need. Our goal is to feed the need, restore dignity, and develop community.”

Caring for the needy can seem a daunting task—unless we depend on God! The Gospels include records of Jesus feeding thousands by inviting His disciples to participate: “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). In the book of Acts, we learn that in the early church, believers “shared everything they had” and “there were no needy persons among them” (4:32, 34). Many of them sold property and gave the proceeds to the apostles, who “distributed to anyone who had need” (vv. 34-35). Understanding that their possessions ultimately belonged to God, they voluntarily invested in the lives of others from what they owned.

God provides. Sometimes by His own hand and sometimes through the hands of His people. He feeds our need so that we can feed the need of others.

— Elisa Morgan

How has God provided for you? How can you join God in providing for those around you?

Dear God, I’m so grateful for Your abundant provision in my life! Please help me to give to others from what You’ve given to me.

Source: Our Daily Bread

sparowe: (Bible)
Jars of Clay


Note to readers: This is an alternate reading from the Three Year Lectionary, and may not match up with the readings your church uses this Sunday.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 – But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

I love the way Paul describes us as Christians. He calls us “jars of clay.” Now a clay jar is a useful object; you can put all sorts of things in it. I wouldn’t want to try to carry water in my bare hands, or wine in a basket!

And yet, no one in their right mind would consider a clay jar to be super durable. All you have to do is drop it just once, and you’ll learn very quickly how fragile it is! And human beings are like that, too. Fragile minds, fragile bodies—sometimes I’m amazed that any of us manage to live to old age, when you consider how easily things go wrong with us.

Paul knows that too. And yet, he knows even better how God uses us to carry His Gospel message to the world. We are people who believe in Jesus, the Son of God who lay down His life to bring us back to God—no longer filled with sin and shame, but now God’s own dear children, forgiven and beloved. We live, because Jesus Himself has risen from the dead, and He is the Source of our life. And now our clay pots are filled with something much greater than ourselves.

Or perhaps I should say, Someone—because Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us and carry out His plans. The Holy Spirit is God Himself come to live in us—and what better gift could we carry? His light shines through our chips and cracks, His living water flows from us to thirsty people around us. And yet, it’s clear it’s not coming from us ourselves—we’re so obviously clay pots.

I can remember a couple of times when a non-Christian friend of mine has sidled up to me and said in a low voice, “What do you have that I don’t have? I mean, I’ve been watching you, and when X happened to you, I could see that you had something that got you through. I want it.” And of course, I told them about Jesus—and I was secretly amazed, because when I thought about the event they mentioned, all I could see was my own weakness and brokenness. I didn’t see God. But they did.

Maybe this has happened to you. Or maybe you’ll only find out how God used your life on Judgment Day. It doesn’t matter. If you are a Christian, you are one of God’s clay pots—and useful in His service, even when you don’t think you are.

WE PRAY: Lord, make me useful to You. I love You. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.


YMI -- ODB: 19 August 2025

Aug. 19th, 2025 03:41 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Glory)

ODB: Hints of God’s Glory

August 19, 2025

READ: Revelation 4:1-46-11 

 

The one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Revelation 4:3

Australian photographer Christian Spencer has spent more than twenty years taking pictures in the Itatiaia National Park in Brazil. One amazing aspect of his photography is that he’s captured the effect of sunlight passing through the open wings of the hummingbird. He found that the wings create a prism-like rainbow of colors when birds fly between the bright sun and his camera lens. Other photographers have also captured this in birds other than just the hummingbird. 

Finding rainbows of colors in birds’ wings is an example of some of the hidden treasures God has placed in His creation. Such beauty and magnificence can pique our curiosity for what believers in Jesus will observe when they see Him sitting on His throne. When John saw the heavenly throne in Revelation 4, he must have been mesmerized. He describes Christ on the throne with “a rainbow that shone like an emerald” encircling it (v. 3). Words cannot describe the glory of God that was revealed to the apostle.

As we find hidden treasures in God’s creation, may we enjoy each one, knowing there’s so much more awaiting us in heaven. There, we will worship our Creator and praise Him forever: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (v. 11).

— Brent Hackett

What hidden treasures have you found in God’s creation? How can you use creation to point others to Christ?

Dear God, thank You for the hidden gems in Your creation that point to Your majesty.

Source: Our Daily Bread

sparowe: (Bible)

Steady


Psalm 121:2-4 – My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

It is very easy to trip and fall. At one time or another, it is an experience that we have all known, and probably more than once. Down we go, hopefully unhurt, but maybe with a quick glance around to see if anyone saw the embarrassing moment. Unsteady steps and more serious falls may happen due to injuries or aging. Sometimes the ground itself causes the fall—broken pavement, an uneven sidewalk, or a slippery surface. It does not take much to trip us up.

There are other things in life that threaten to knock us off balance, even if we manage to remain on our feet and physically upright. Unwelcome news, a frightening medical diagnosis, grief, or anxious fear are among the circumstances that may threaten to take us down. Life suddenly becomes unsteady and, even if our physical steps remain firm, our faith may be shaken. A stumble may also take a more serious form. Sometimes our steps wander from the Lord’s will. Believing we can keep ourselves steady, we choose to walk in our own ways instead of faithfully following our Savior. In His Word, God warns us about the dangers of such sinful pride: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). It is worth remembering that the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is often referred to as “the fall.”

Whatever circumstances or temptations cause us to stumble, we have help in dealing with our unsteady steps. The psalmist knows who keeps us upright: “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved.” God sent His Son to be our Savior, to raise us up from the fall into sin, a deadly fall in which we all share. In humble obedience to His Father’s will, Jesus followed the path that stretched out before Him. When the hour of His death drew near, the Savior walked with His firm and steady steps to Jerusalem. Condemned to die, He stumbled and fell beneath the weight of His cross. Lifted up on that cross, He suffered the penalty of death for our guilt, for our faithless stumbling, and for every one of our willful and wandering steps. On the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from death in triumph over sin, death, and Satan. By God’s grace, through faith in our crucified and risen Savior, our sins are forgiven. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we stand firm in faith. Our help comes from the Lord. Even though we may stumble, in love and grace He forgives our sins and lifts us up again.

WE PRAY: My God and Savior, forgive my sins and help me to stand firm through faith. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.

YMI -- ODB: 17 August 2025

Aug. 17th, 2025 08:30 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Jesus)

ODB: Jesus Rescued Us

August 17, 2025

READ: 1 Peter 2:21-25 

 

“[Christ] himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

Two workers at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station desperately needed medical care. One had suffered a heart attack, and the other was experiencing life-threatening gastric issues. The only way to ensure their recovery was to launch a rescue mission. Due to harsh conditions, however, including darkness and -75 degrees Celsius (-103°F) temperatures from February to October, planes didn’t normally risk flying to the outpost during winter. But the pilots were determined to rescue the workers—and they did, despite enduring a difficult two days of challenging flights.

Stories of rescue are inspiring. The greatest rescue story was when Jesus rescued us from sin. The apostle Peter wrote, “ ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). He rescued us by bearing our sins in His body. He carried them as a sacrifice—a sacrifice in which he “suffered for you” and for me (v. 21). On the cross, Christ bore “the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13) and endured our shame. He was wounded so we might be healed, and He died so that we might be delivered from the penalty and power of sin (1 Peter 2:24Isaiah 53:5).  

How amazing it is to know that we were rescued from our own desperate condition by one who was willing to endure the harshest of conditions for us!

— Marvin Williams

What does the rescue Christ provided mean to you? How can you help others experience it?

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your incredible sacrifice and for rescuing me. Learn more about Having A Personal Relationship With God.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 16 August 2025

Aug. 16th, 2025 10:13 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: Making Room for Others

August 16, 2025

READ: Psalm 68:1-10 

 

God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68:6

Each year my family designs a custom wall calendar, but lately it’s gotten a bit crowded. We decorate each month with our favorite photos from the previous year and highlight significant dates. As our family welcomes new spouses and children, we’ve had to squeeze in more photos to make sure every person is included. We now have two sets of shared birthdays, and some holidays are covered up by anniversaries. But instead of detracting from the calendar, all the new members make it even more precious to me. 

In God’s kingdom, the inclusion of newcomers is always a blessing. The Bible tells us that “God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). His love and protection are communicated in the context of a family, as He’s “a father to the fatherless” and “a defender of widows” (v. 5). His heart is to welcome those who are isolated, ashamed, or accused, and thus “he leads out the prisoners with singing” (v. 6).

As believers in Jesus, we’ve been adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), and we’re commissioned to share His open invitation with others (2 Corinthians 5:20). Like my family calendar, the more people who accept the invitation into God’s family, the more beautiful it becomes. We don’t have to be concerned about running out of a finite resource—there’s room enough for everyone, and He delights in new additions.

— Karen Pimpo

How can you share the invitation to God’s family with others today? What does it mean that there’s room for all?

Thank You, God, for loving me and letting me share Your love with others.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 15 August 2025

Aug. 15th, 2025 03:49 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: God’s Property

August 15, 2025

READ: Nehemiah 9:1-213-21 

 

You are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word property? Your mind may go to a piece of real estate. But you might also consider “a quality or trait belonging to an individual or thing”; for instance, the property of a certain type of wood provides insight about it. What is the wood’s texture? How prone is it to shrinkage? Is it water-resistant? In other words, what are the qualities of the wood you can depend on?

My wife and I attend a church with a traditional feel—corporate prayers, kneeling, Scripture reading, Communion. One of the prayers we pray each Sunday holds this phrase: “But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.” Not God’s real estate but a quality or trait belonging to God—to have mercy not just once in a while but always.

Nehemiah 9 gives us a picture of the Israelites gathered together, fasting, wrapped in sackcloth and covered in ashes (v. 1), confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors (vv. 2, 16). They praised God for His patience in Israel’s history: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them” (v. 19). God could have put an end to them or abandoned them, but He never did. Why? That’s not God’s property, for He is “a gracious and merciful God” (v. 31).

In our prayers of confession, let’s include praise for that dependable property of God—His mercy.

— John Blase

What properties of God can you think of? How will You praise Him for those?

Thank you, Father, that Your property-Your character-is always to have mercy.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 14 August 2025

Aug. 14th, 2025 09:49 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: God Provides

August 14, 2025

READ: 1 Kings 17:7-16 

 

There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 1 Kings 17:15

My dear friend Sally wanted to give a birthday party for one of her friends. She knew her friend had been experiencing a tough time, and Sally desired to help lift her spirits. However, Sally was unemployed and didn’t have extra money to purchase food for a nice party. So she looked in her refrigerator and cabinets to see what was available. She then created a nice spread consisting of many items she’d previously purchased and had in her home.

When Sally shared with me the creative menu she had come up with, I thought about the story of Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17:7-16). The widow didn’t have much. In fact, she told the prophet Elijah that she was going to prepare her final scraps of food for herself and her son “and [then] die” of starvation (v. 12). And she only had a small amount of flour and olive oil, just enough for their final meal.

But Elijah ensured the woman that her “jar of flour . . . and the jug of oil [would] not run dry” until God sent rain again (v. 14). By trusting in what God revealed through Elijah—even though she didn’t think she had enough—the woman found that God provided what she needed even though her kitchen was barren.

Just like my friend, the widow found what she needed. Following their examples, let’s live generously and rest in God’s provision for us.

— Katara Patton

What’s causing you to resist sharing with others today? How can you give generously even when it seems like you’re lacking resources?

Heavenly Father, please help me to share with others as I trust You to provide what I need.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 13 August 2025

Aug. 13th, 2025 02:06 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Jesus)

ODB: Recognizing Jesus

August 13, 2025

READ: Luke 24:13-1625-35 

 

Their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:31

When Carlotta was young, she thought her mother had a remarkable gift for recognizing other people. But it was Carlotta who was remarkable. She had a rare condition called prosopagnosia. She couldn’t recognize or remember faces.

Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples walking from Jerusalem seemed as if they had such a condition when they encountered someone they should have recognized. The two were talking about the exciting news of the past few days (Luke 24:14), but the third person seemed unaware of the events. They gave Him a quick summary, only to be surprised as this unknown person (Jesus) “explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). Then Christ broke bread with them (v. 30)—something He’d done many times before. At that moment, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight” (v. 31). They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell others (vv. 33-35).

Those disciples didn’t recognize Jesus when they were with Him, and they hadn’t recognized Him in the Old Testament—something they read often and thought they knew well. They needed Jesus to reveal Himself to them because they couldn’t see on their own. 

We need that help too. Let’s ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus on the pages of the Bible and in our lives.

— Matt Lucas

When have you failed to recognize God’s presence in your life? Why do you think this happens?

Dear Father, thank You for revealing Jesus to me so that I may follow Him.

Source: Our Daily Bread

YMI -- ODB: 12 August 2025

Aug. 12th, 2025 09:31 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: Distance ’Til Empty

August 12, 2025

READ: Exodus 20:18-17 

 

The seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. Exodus 20:10

My tired minivan has a digital readout with initials DTE: Distance ’Til Empty. It gives me a precise mileage countdown. Most newer cars these days have this feature. It’s a handy one: Knowing exactly how far I can go before I need to fill the gas tank is important data to avoid being stranded!

Did you know the Ten Commandments offer something of an ancient analog to the DTE feature? It’s called Sabbath. In Exodus 20, God tells us that after six days, we’re out of metaphorical gas: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” (vv. 8-10).

We might be tempted to ignore this commandment. After all, the prohibitions against lying, stealing, murder, adultery, coveting, and idolatry (vv. 1-17) seem pretty obvious. But resting for a day each week? Is it really that important?

We might think we can “cheat” here. But the gift the Sabbath offers is an invitation to rest. To cease laboring. To remember that God provides for us, not our own constant labor.

Distance ’til empty? Six days. And on the seventh, God graciously invites us to rest, recharge, and to relinquish the notion that it’s all up to us.

— Adam Holz

When do you find it easy or hard to rest from your work? What are some things you need to do to enable you to rest?

Dear Father, it’s so tempting to believe it’s all up to me. Thank You for the Sabbath, Your invitation to cease from my work and to trust Your provision. 

Source: Our Daily Bread

 
 

YMI -- ODB: 11 August 2025

Aug. 11th, 2025 03:51 am[personal profile] sparowe
sparowe: (Bible)

ODB: Daring Selection

August 11, 2025

READ: Acts 4:1-25-13 

 

When they saw the courage of Peter and John . . . , they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

As Franco Zeffirelli prepared to film his critically acclaimed version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, he made a daring decision. He chose two unknowns to play the lead characters and insisted they be close to the age of the characters as Shakespeare had penned them. Zeffirelli ultimately selected seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting as Romeo and sixteen-year-old Olivia Hussey as Juliet.

Some might think that Jesus took a similar risk with the selection of His disciples, who later took His message of forgiveness to the world. That’s when the religious leaders arrested and questioned some of them. Then Acts 4:13 says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished.”

Any assumed risk was more than overwhelmed by the real story behind these simple fishermen: “They took note that these men had been with Jesus” (4:13). The seemingly unqualified disciples had not only been with Christ, but they also had His promise to be with them always (Matthew 28:20). We share that promise as well (Hebrews 13:5) and can be assured that, in His presence and with His grace, no task set before us will be too great for Him.

— Bill Crowder

When you have felt overwhelmed, how have you typically responded to the pressure? How might you invite Jesus to help you during those challenging times?

Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the times I try to forge ahead in my own strength and wisdom. I want to rely on You in all of life’s moments.

Source: Our Daily Bread

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