Current Mood: hopeful

ODB: Sheep Crossing

Aug 26, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

August 26, 2025

I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel 34:15

Traffic came to a halt, but I had no idea why. There were few cars on the road, and I could see no obvious reason to be stopped. And then, suddenly—to my great surprise and delight—thousands of sheep emerged and crossed the freeway. As a newcomer to Idaho, I wasn’t yet familiar with the annual migration of the sheep into the Boise foothills each spring. Local ranchers escort their flocks into the foothills, where they graze on the native grasses over the summer.

Because I’d only lived in urban and suburban areas throughout my life, the sight was something of a spectacle to me. Yet sheep were a regular part of living in the days of Ezekiel (and much of the Bible’s recorded history). The prophet drew on something familiar to the people—sheep and shepherding—to convey God’s message to them of comfort and hope.

Ezekiel offered comforting, hopeful words to the Israelites, telling them that despite the years of hardship in Babylon—the consequence of their recurrent rebellion against God—He’d one day restore them to “their own land” (Ezekiel 34:13). God would then, like a shepherd, “tend them in a good pasture,” and they would “lie down in good grazing land” (v. 14).

God shows similar care for His people. We can trust Him, our Shepherd, to lead us forward through life—though we may feel “scattered” like sheep in the midst of difficulties (v. 12)—toward good pastures (vv. 13-14).

— Kirsten Holmberg

When has God led you through seasons of difficulty? How can you trust Him to be your Shepherd today?

Thank You, God, for being my tender, trustworthy Shepherd.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 25 August 2025

ODB: Being a Blessing

Aug 25, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

August 25, 2025

READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

During a heated game between two long-standing local high school soccer rivals, the Eagles and the Pioneers, the Eagles kicked the ball into the goal. The ball went into the net but exited the back of the net through a hole. The referee didn’t see the ball enter the goal, and seeing the ball outside the net ruled it was not a score. The Pioneers’ coach saw the goal and voluntarily confirmed the Eagles coach’s claim, even though he could have remained silent. The referee counted the goal. The Pioneers lost the game 3–2.

While it’s easy to speak up when it’s for our benefit, the Bible encourages believers in Jesus to “always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Going beyond our normal inclination to do good for our friends, the difficult aspect of this command is working to do good for even our rivals without benefiting from our actions or “expecting to get anything back” in return (Luke 6:35).

Doing good for a rival or competitor may mean speaking up for a coworker’s effort to complete a sale even if that means she might get the bigger bonus. Doing good might mean raking a neighbor’s leaves even if he’s unlikely to say thank you.

As we actively make an effort to do good toward others, we demonstrate that God’s love extends to everyone.

— Lisa M. Samra

When have you helped the opposing team even when it meant a loss for you? How does this display God’s love?

Dear Jesus, please help me to strive to do good for others through the power of the Holy Spirit, even when it’s difficult.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 24 August 2025

ODB: God Is Everywhere

Aug 24, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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

Current Mood: thoughtful

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Church of Hope: 23 August 2025

He Never Misses

Danny Housholder, Lead Pastor, Hope Ames & Kairos
Colossians 2:6-23

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.

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 22 August 2025

ODB: Seeing with God’s Heart

Aug 22, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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

Current Mood: touched

YMI -- ODB: 21 August 2025

ODB: Feed the Need

Aug 21, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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

Current Mood: thoughtful

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries: 20 August 2025

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.

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 19 August 2025

ODB: Hints of God’s Glory

Aug 19, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

August 19, 2025

READ: Revelation 4:1-4, 6-11

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

Current Mood: hopeful

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries: 18 August 2025

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.

Current Mood: thankful

YMI -- ODB: 17 August 2025

ODB: Jesus Rescued Us

Aug 17, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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 2:24; Isaiah 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

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 16 August 2025

ODB: Making Room for Others

Aug 16, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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

Current Mood: thankful

YMI -- ODB: 15 August 2025

ODB: God’s Property

Aug 15, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

August 15, 2025

READ: Nehemiah 9:1-2, 13-21

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

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 14 August 2025

ODB: God Provides

Aug 14, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

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

Current Mood: thoughtful

YMI -- ODB: 13 August 2025

ODB: Recognizing Jesus

Aug 13, 2025/in Our Daily Bread/by YMI

August 13, 2025

READ: Luke 24:13-16, 25-35

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