Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up. Psalm 69:15

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 69:6-15

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

San Fruttuoso Abbey is nestled in a cove off Italy’s northwest coast. Accessible only by boat or foot, it’s a secluded gem. But even more treasure hides in its bay. As divers venture into the sea and descend fifty feet down, the figure of a man starts coming into view. This is Christ of the Abyss, the world’s first underwater statue, placed in 1954. The bronze figure depicts Jesus in the depths, His hands raised to heaven.

The depths. Maybe you’ve experienced them. “I sink in the miry depths,” Psalm 69 says, “I am worn out calling for help” (vv. 2-3). Mocked by his foes and estranged from his family (vv. 4, 7-12), the psalmist found no comfort in others (v. 20) and feared his misery would “swallow” him up (v. 15). Whether it’s sin or sadness that takes us there, the depths are life’s moments of dark despair.

Thankfully this isn’t the last word on the depths. For while they’re cold and lonely, there is one who can be found in them (139:8). And He will rescue us from their chilly waters. “I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths” (30:1).

As that sculpture reminds us, when we’re sinking under the world’s weight, we’re not alone. Jesus by the Spirit is there in the depths, His hands raised high—ready to meet us and lift us out in time.

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced “the depths” in the past? How might Psalm 69:15 be pivotal in getting through them?

Dear Jesus, thank You for meeting me in the depths. Please lift me out with Your love, grace, and power.

Gain more wisdom from the book of Pslams.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 69’s vivid description of a “servant” (v. 17) of God enduring unjust suffering parallels Isaiah’s description of a suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Although the psalmist refers to personal “guilt” (Psalm 69:5), this could be an indirect way of confessing general innocence—that is, God knows everything the psalmist is guilty of and knows none of it could justify such treatment.

In the New Testament, Psalm 69 is frequently quoted in reference to Jesus. He was hated without cause (Psalm 69:4; John 15:25), consumed by zeal for God’s house (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17), carried insults intended for God (Psalm 69:9; Romans 15:3), and given vinegar to drink as He neared death (Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29). Jesus knew “the depths” as no one else could, and He helps us as we face them.

http://www.odb.org

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord . . . . Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:8

Today’s Scripture

2 Timothy 1:6-14

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

Elliot is passionate about telling others about Jesus. During a week spent teaching from 2 Timothy for church leaders in a South Asian country, he reminded them of Paul’s farewell to Timothy. He urged them not to be ashamed of the good news but instead to embrace suffering and persecution for the gospel’s sake as did Paul (1:8-9). A few days later, Elliot learned that evangelism and Christian conversion had been banned in that country. With deep concern for their welfare, he prayed for these leaders to persevere and to boldly and with urgency continue to proclaim the gospel.

Paul understood the danger inherent in proclaiming the good news. He spent time in prison (vv. 8, 16) and had suffered in many other ways because of his teaching (vv. 11-12)—including being beaten, whipped, and stoned (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But nothing kept Paul from telling others about Jesus. His philosophy? “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). He lived to tell others about Christ, but he knew that if he died, he would be with Jesus. Paul reminded Timothy that the Holy Spirit would empower him (2 Timothy 1:7).

God calls all of us who believe, wherever we are—at home or abroad—to tell others about Jesus. We may suffer, but He is right there with us.

Thank you for being a faithful reader of Our Daily Bread devotions. If you would like to help others connect with God’s Word all across the globe, please consider partnering with us.

Support Now

Reflect & Pray

What helps you to tell others about Jesus? How have you suffered for telling someone the good news?

Dear God, I want others to know You as I do! Please empower me through Your Holy Spirt to tell them the great news about You.

Today’s Insights

The Great Fire of Rome occurred in ad 64, around the time that Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Emperor Nero blamed believers in Jesus for it and persecuted them. Paul was in prison and his death imminent when he wrote this letter to encourage Timothy to persevere in preaching the gospel (4:2-8). He wasn’t to be afraid or ashamed but to boldly witness and be prepared to suffer for Christ (1:7-8). Because God had empowered him to live a holy life (v. 9), he didn’t need to fear death because Jesus had destroyed death and would come back again to vindicate his faith (vv. 10-12). And that kind of faith allows us to boldly share our faith with others.

http://www.odb.org

Now someone greater than Solomon is here. Luke 11:31 nlt

Today’s Scripture

Luke 11:27-32

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

“Wow!” was the response of our team members who toured a retreat center—purchased at great cost by a person with a vision for the refreshment and encouragement of people serving in ministry. We were amazed by double-decker, queen-sized bunks and bedroom suites with king-sized beds. The exquisitely equipped kitchen and dining area also generated wide-eyed delight. And, just when you thought that you’d seen it all, there were more surprises—including a full-sized, indoor basketball court. Every “wow” was warranted.

The Queen of Sheba had a similar “wow” response when she visited King Solomon in ancient Jerusalem. When she “saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built . . . she was overwhelmed” (1 Kings 10:4-5). Centuries later, another royal son of David—Jesus—appeared, and He amazed people in other ways. Everywhere He went, people recognized the wonder of His wisdom and works (Luke 4:36), and He urged them to see that “someone greater than Solomon” had stepped onto the scene (11:31 nlt). The stunning ministry of Jesus grants forgiveness of sin—purchased at great cost, His death. He welcomes anyone who will to come to Him. And those who do will experience His beauty and grace and will sing His praises now and throughout eternity. Wow!

Reflect & Pray

What about Jesus compels you to say, “Wow!”? If you haven’t yet experienced the goodness of God through Jesus, what’s keeping you from getting to know Him?

Dear Jesus, please continue to open my eyes and heart to see how amazing You are.

Learn to see the goodness of God, even in the everyday moments of life by reading this prayer from Reclaim Today.

Today’s Insights

In Luke 11:31, Jesus says that “someone greater than Solomon is here” (nlt). The uniqueness of Christ’s words and works inspired faith and wonder in the people of His day. One word that captured their response is amazed, translated from the Greek word thaumazō, which means “wonder, marvel, admire.” After speaking at the synagogue in Nazareth, Luke said of Jesus: “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (4:22). Regarding His works, after Christ delivered a boy from demonic power, “everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did” (9:43).

Another word used in reference to Jesus’ awe-inspiring ministry is existēmi, which means “to amaze, astonish, throw into wonderment.” In response to Christ raising a little girl from the dead, “they were completely astonished” (Mark 5:42). The Message renders it: “They . . . were all beside themselves with joy.”

http://www.odb.org

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:10

Today’s Scripture

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

Jack hates school. The lectures on algebra, grammar, and the periodic table bore him. But he loves building houses. His father takes him to work in the summer, and Jack can’t get enough. He’s only sixteen, but he knows about cement, shingles, and how to frame a wall. What’s the difference between school and construction? Love. Jack loves one and not the other. His love fuels knowledge.

As believers in Jesus, we’re to “love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Paul says a satanic figure will use “signs and wonders” (v. 9) to deceive “those who are perishing” (v. 10). Why are they perishing? “They refused to love the truth and so be saved” (v. 10). Their failure to love the truth blinds them from knowing it. They’ll be duped (v. 11).

What do we know? That important question depends on a more basic one: What do we love? Our passions incline our heart and direct our mind. We cherish what we love. We protect it and seek more of it. If we love truth and wisdom, we’ll search for them as precious gold (Proverbs 3:13-14; 4:7-9). They’ll guard us. “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” (4:6).

What is true wisdom? Jesus says it’s Him. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Our most important question is who do we love? Love Jesus and you’ll learn His way. He’ll guard your life by guiding you into His truth.

Reflect & Pray

Why is it important to love the truth? Why does Jesus say He is the truth?

Dear Father, please fill my heart with love for You and what’s true.

Learn more about the astonishing claims Jesus makes about himself by reading I Am the Way.

Today’s Insights

Embracing the truth is essential for believers in Jesus, for He’s the one who is the truth (see John 14:6). Judas Iscariot is a classic example of one who had the opportunity to fully follow Christ but didn’t. The life of Judas and the teaching of 2 Thessalonians have several things in common. First, Satan is at work in both. Luke 22:3 says that “Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot,” and 2 Thessalonians 2:9 notes that “the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works.” Furthermore, John 17:12 refers to Judas as “the son of destruction” (esv), a term also found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3: “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (esv). Satan’s agenda is deception that leads to destruction. We can avoid his deceiving ways by loving Jesus and embracing His truth.

http://www.odb.org

Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Matthew 16:25

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 16:21-28

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

William Temple, a twentieth-century English bishop, once concluded a sermon to Oxford students with the words of the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” But he cautioned against taking the song lightly. “If you mean [the words] with all your hearts, sing them as loud as you can,” Temple said. “If you don’t mean them at all, keep silent. If you mean them even a little, and want to mean them more, sing them very softly.” The crowd went quiet as everyone eyed the lyrics. Slowly, thousands of voices began to sing in a whisper, mouthing the final lines with gravity: “Love so amazing, so divine / Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Those Oxford students understood the reality that believing in and following Jesus is a serious choice, because it means saying yes to a radical love that demands everything from us. Following Christ requires our entire life, our whole being. He plainly told His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). No one should make this choice flippantly.

Yet following Jesus is also the way to our deepest joy. Life with Him, we’ll discover, is the life we truly desire. It appears to be a great paradox. However, if we respond to God’s love, believe in Christ, and relinquish our selfish, shortsighted demands, we’ll find the life our soul craves (v. 25).

Reflect & Pray

What will believing in and following Jesus cost you? What will you gain?

Dear God, following You isn’t easy, but I want to give You my life and my all.

For further study, read Keeping the Faith—The Cost of Following Christ

Today’s Insights

After Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), Christ speaks plainly about His imminent suffering, death, burial, and resurrection (v. 21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:2). Peter rejected a Messiah who would suffer and die, but he was severely rebuked by Jesus (16:22-23). In the wilderness temptations at the start of Christ’s ministry, Satan offered to make Him king without the suffering (4:8-10). Peter’s idea of the kingly Messiah was the same as Satan’s—the crown without the cross. But going to the cross to die for sinful humanity was the primary reason Jesus came. To prevent His crucifixion is what Satan wanted. Jesus recognized that the same satanic source was behind Peter’s rejection of the cross (16:23).

http://www.odb.org

Do not fear, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 41:10-13

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

In the aftermath of Turkey’s devastating earthquake in February 2023, a haunting photo came across newswires: a father sitting amid ruins holding a hand extending from the rubble—the hand of his daughter. We see the edge of the mattress where his daughter had been sleeping, and we see her lifeless fingers that he now holds. His face is grim; his grief is profound.

In this father’s gritted face, I see a semblance of our own heavenly Father. Genesis tells us that God was grieved by the devastation of sin in His creation: “It broke his heart” (6:6 nlt). Isaiah, speaking of the future Messiah, says, “He was . . . a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (53:3 nlt). God grieves for us, and with us, and sits at the edge of the rubble of our lives, reaching for us: “I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand” (41:13).

Whatever devastation you currently face—a tragic circumstance, the loss of a dear one, or maybe even the effects of your own sin—know that God grieves with you. Whatever earthquake has shaken your life, see that God is reaching for your hand. Whatever your current sorrow, hear the God of love saying to you, “Do not fear; I will help you” (v. 13).

Reflect & Pray

In what ways has your life, current or past, been shaken to the core? What does it mean to you that God grieves with you?

Father God, who grieves with me and for me, thank You for Your “righteous right hand.”

Jesus shares our grief. Learn more by reading Crying for Us All.

Today’s Insights

Isaiah 41 starts with God warning “islands” and “nations” (v. 1). He asks a rhetorical question: “Who has stirred up one from the east?” (v. 2). It is God Himself who has stirred up this “one.” He is Cyrus, the great Persian king who wouldn’t be born for another 150 years, yet Isaiah introduces him by name (44:28-45:1). God calls this future Persian monarch “his anointed” (45:1)—anointed in the sense that God will use Cyrus to vanquish those who’d conquered His people. He’ll do this “for the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen” (v. 4).

Isaiah 41:8-20 comprises a shift in tone from the first seven verses of the chapter: “But you, Israel, my servant . . .” (v. 8). God comforts a people long persecuted: “I have chosen you and have not rejected you” (v. 9). And He grieves with us and extends His comfort to us today.

http://www.odb.org

One can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:10

Today’s Scripture

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Devotional

Meggie’s ten years of drug use kept her in and out of jail. Without a life change, she’d soon return. Then she met Hans, a former addict who almost lost his hand when a vein ruptured due to his substance abuse. “That was the first time I cried out to God,” Hans said. God’s answer prepared him to be a peer specialist for an organization that coordinates recovery for jailed addicts.

Called Stone Soup, the program is helping an American jail provide formerly imprisoned people with support to reenter their communities. Through the plan, Meggie moved into a sober-living house and has stayed sober. Hans now helps her and others with job placement, educational options, treatment, and family resources—a coordinated approach.

The Bible describes the strength of wise partnering: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). However, “pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (v. 10).

Like the “Stone Soup” folktale, where a hungry traveler invites townspeople to each share one ingredient to make a delicious soup for all, the Bible confirms we’re stronger and better together (v. 12). God’s plan is for us to live in community, helping others and receiving help in return. That’s no fairy tale; it’s truth for life.

Reflect & Pray

How can pooling our resources help us serve people better? What can you give to make a “stone soup” for your community?

Please bless me, dear God, to join others to help well.

Learn how to be a better neighbor by listening to Me and My Neighbor from Discover the Word.

Today’s Insights

Ecclesiastes portrays the sobering realism about life on earth “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3; 4:1)—that is, life experienced within the limits of our humanity. “The Teacher” (1:1) exposes the futility of “chasing after the wind” (4:4, 6, 16)—the vapor of what we often assume will bring fulfillment—work, wealth, power, prestige, pleasure, learning, and more. He’s resigned to our powerlessness in the face of oppression, poverty, illness, and death. In today’s passage, the Teacher contrasts the harsh reality of those who are utterly alone in this “meaningless” existence with those who have a helpful companion on life’s journey (4:9-12). On this side of eternity, a true friend can make all the difference. From end to end, the Bible instructs us to care for our neighbor as ourselves, even if that neighbor is someone we don’t know or one we might view as unworthy of our help (Deuteronomy 22:1-3; Luke 10:25-37).

Visit ODBU.org/OT022 to further study in Ecclesiastes.

http://www.odb.org

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Mark 1:1

Today’s Scripture

Mark 1:1-8

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Mark begins his gospel account declaring that Jesus is “the Son of God” (1:1). Then he moves to introducing the Messiah’s promised forerunner, John the Baptist (vv. 2-4). In contrast to the gospel of Matthew, which was written to a Jewish audience and is filled with messianic prophecy, Mark wrote to a gentile audience and offers fewer Old Testament references or allusions. One of the few Old Testament quotes in Mark (1:2-3) is from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 and establishes from the outset that Mark’s story of Christ lines up with Israel’s story and how it would find fulfillment in its promised Messiah. Mark also tells the reader up front that John the Baptist wasn’t the Messiah but was preparing the way for one “more powerful” than himself (Mark 1:7). John the Baptist’s self-awareness is fleshed out more fully in the gospel of John (see 1:20; 3:22-36). He knew his role as one pointing to the Messiah who had come—Jesus.

Today’s Devotional

Recently, my brother Scott acquired our dad’s military service records from World War II. As I studied the pages, there was nothing startling or shocking—nothing about who Dad was. There were mere facts. Data. It was interesting to read but ultimately dissatisfying because I didn’t come away feeling like I learned anything new about Dad.

Thankfully, in giving us a record of the life and work of Jesus, the four gospels are much more than just data. They are descriptions that reveal who Jesus was in His time on this earth as well as what He did and said. In Mark’s gospel, that record was for the purpose of proving Mark’s thesis statement: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (1:1). Immediately, Mark tells us how John the Baptist testified about this Messiah. John said, “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (v. 7). Mark’s account makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of God. As John the disciple adds in his own account of Jesus’ life, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

The evidence of Jesus’ life is abundant. These questions remain: What does He mean to you? How has He changed your life?

Reflect & Pray

What do you think of the evidence of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? How might you tell someone about your response to it?

Father, thank You for the clear record of Your Son’s life.

Learn more here: ODB.org/personal-relationship-with-god.

http://www.odb.org

I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today’s Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Paul doesn’t explicitly name what “thorn” (2 Corinthians 12:7) plagued him, but we know it caused distress, even though it didn’t prevent him from preaching and traveling. New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III has argued that an eye disease is a plausible candidate for what afflicted him. In Galatians 4:13-15, Paul describes the onset of an illness that the Galatians responded to with such kindness that, if they could, they “would have torn out [their] eyes and given them to [him]” (v. 15). Whatever his condition was, he experienced “Christ’s power” through his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). By God’s grace, we can do the same.

Today’s Devotional

Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas endured much to dedicate himself to a life of seeking God. His family imprisoned him for a year in an attempt to discourage him from joining the Dominican Order, a monastic group dedicated to a life of simplicity, study, and preaching. After a lifetime of studying Scripture and creation, and writing nearly one hundred volumes, Aquinas had such an intense experience of God that he wrote, “I can no longer write, for God has given me such glorious knowledge that all contained in my works are as straw.” He died only three months later.

The apostle Paul also described an experience from God so overwhelming that it was impossible to put into words, when he was “caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4). “Because of these surpassingly great revelations,” Paul was given an unidentified “thorn in [his] flesh” (v. 7) to keep him humble and reliant on God. He was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).

The more we understand about God, the more we understand how impossible it is for us to capture who He is in words. Yet in our weakness and in our loss for what to say, Christ’s grace and beauty shines clearly through.

Reflect & Pray

What experiences from God do you find impossible to put into words? How have these experiences changed you?

Thank You, God, for Your beauty and the way it changes me. Please help me humbly rest in You.

http://www.odb.org

Hezekiah received the letter . . . and spread it out before the Lord. 2 Kings 19:14

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 19:14-20

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

We learn much about Hezekiah from 2 Kings 18. At age twenty-five, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz and Abijah (daughter of Zechariah), began his reign as king of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) during Hoshea’s third year as king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) (vv. 1-2). Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years, and during this time he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 3). This included removing the high places where the people offered sacrifices to pagan gods; cutting down Asherah poles used in the worship of the pagan goddess Asherah; and destroying the bronze snake made by Moses, which the people had begun to worship (v. 4; see Numbers 21:4-9). He “trusted in” and “held fast” to God and kept His commandments (2 Kings 18:5-6). He revolted against the king of Assyria and conquered the Philistines (18:7-8). And he sought God in prayer (19:14-19). God also invites us to spread out our concerns before Him in prayer.

Today’s Devotional

Brian had been with the heart specialist for more than an hour. His friend remained in the waiting room, praying for wisdom and healing for his ailing friend. When Brian finally returned to the waiting room, he showed him the pile of papers he’d received. As he spread them out on a table, he discussed the various options being considered to treat his threatening condition. The two discussed the need to pray and ask God for wisdom for next steps. And then Brian said, “Whatever lies ahead, I’m in God’s hands.”

King Hezekiah “spread [a letter] out before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14). The words in the letter didn’t address a threatening medical condition but the threat of a powerful enemy—Assyria—that had seized all the fortified cities of Judah and was preparing to attack Jerusalem, its capital. Hezekiah prayed, “You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. . . . Now, Lord our God, deliver us” (vv. 15, 19). Soon the prophet Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah, telling him, “The Lord . . . says: I have heard your prayer” (v. 20). And “that night” God destroyed the Assyrian army (v. 35).

Whatever you face today, spread it out before God. As you “present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6), He hears you and is with you. You can rest in His hands as you experience His wisdom, love, and hope.

Reflect & Pray

What will it mean for you to spread out before God the concerns on your heart today? How can you choose to rest in His power and presence?

Loving God, thank You for hearing me when I bring my concerns to You.

We can depend on God as our good shepherd. Learn more by reading The Wolf and the Shepherd.

http://www.odb.org

Help [the poor] as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Leviticus 25:35

Today’s Scripture

Leviticus 25:35-38

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Every seven years, the people of Israel and all who lived with them were to stop their agricultural pursuits and live off only what the ground yielded (Leviticus 25:1-7). This was called the Sabbath Year. They let the land rest and enjoyed the fruit of that rest for a full year as they depended on God to provide for them.

In addition, every fifty years (after the seventh sabbath year), they observed the Year of Jubilee (vv. 8-55). Not only were the people to let the land rest, but they were also to cancel all debts across the nation and return all ancestral property to the families and tribes to whom it originally belonged. The Year of Jubilee compassionately prevented families from getting stuck in cycles of poverty so that all God’s people could enjoy the blessings of the land that He alone had given them.

Today’s Devotional

In the early 1900s, laws restricted Black people and immigrants in the United States from renting or buying property in Coronado, California. A Black man named Gus Thompson (who’d been born into slavery) had purchased land earlier and built a boarding home in Coronado before the discriminating laws were passed. In 1939, Gus rented to an Asian family, and eventually sold the land to them. Nearly eighty-five years later, after selling the property, some members of the Asian family are donating their proceeds from the sale to help Black college students. They’re also working to name a center at San Diego State University after Gus and his wife, Emma.

Leviticus also speaks of what it means to treat others well. God instructed His people, “Help [the poor] as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you” (25:35). He instructed the people to treat each other well and fairly, especially those in need. Out of reverent “fear” (v. 36) for Him, they were to help those who’d fallen on hard times and weren’t able to take care of themselves. They were to treat them just as they would treat a “foreigner and stranger” (v. 35)—with hospitality and love.

Gus Thompson and his wife helped a family that didn’t look like them. In return, that family is blessing many other people. Let’s extend God’s compassion to those in need as He helps us reveal His love for them.

Reflect & Pray

Who needs help in your community? How can you extend care to them?

Caring Father, please open my eyes so I can see how to help others.

For further study, read Going the Extra Mile: Learning to Serve Like Jesus.

Bible in a Year

2 Kings 17-18; John 3:19-36

http://www.odb.org

You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Luke 12:20

Today’s Scripture

Luke 12:13-21

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Jesus’ warnings against “all kinds of greed” (Luke 12:15) connect to a broader emphasis in Luke’s gospel on the dangers of wealth, as well as God’s concern for the poor. In Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55, she praises God as the one who “filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (v. 53). In chapter 6, Christ says, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry” (vv. 24-25).

In Jesus’ parable of a wealthy farmer building larger barns to store excess produce, we’re given a look into the man’s inner thoughts (12:18-19). There we find someone with no concern for those around him who were in need; his only plans were for himself—to “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry” (v. 19). God can help us live wisely without regret.

Today’s Devotional

There was no mention made of the stuff we often spend our lives chasing. That’s what palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware discovered as she sat with the dying. She intentionally questioned them: “Would you do anything differently if you could do it again?” Common themes surfaced, and she compiled a list of the top five regrets of the dying: (1) I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself. (2) I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. (3) I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. (4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. And (5) I wish I’d let myself be happier.

Ware’s list brings to mind the parable Jesus tells in Luke 12. A rich man decides to build bigger barns to store his great harvest, after which he tells himself he’ll retire in style, sit back and relax, and live until he dies (vv. 18-19). But in that moment, God demands his life with a rather harsh address: “You fool!”—followed by a haunting question: in essence, “And what will become of all your stuff?” (v. 20).

Is it possible to die with zero regrets? That’s hard to know for certain. But what we do know is clearly expressed in Scripture—storing up stuff for ourselves is a dead end. True riches come from a life invested in God.

Reflect & Pray

What if your life was demanded of you today? Would wise or foolish be applied to you? Why?

Dear Jesus, when the time comes, I want to have as few regrets as possible. Please help me to live wisely, building a life rich in You.

For further study, read Die First, Then Comes the End.

Learn to store up heavenly treasures instead of earthly treasures by reading The Fool’s Greed and God’s Generosity.

http://www.odb.org

I have seen the Lord! John 20:18

Today’s Scripture

John 20:11-18

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Each of the gospel writers tell the story of Jesus’ resurrection with varying details. Mary Magdalene is the only woman who’s named in all four gospels (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10; John 20:1). When she saw Christ standing outside the tomb, she thought He was a gardener (John 19:41; 20:15). But He surprised her when He called her by name (20:16); she then knew she was in His presence and embraced Him (v. 17; see Matthew 28:8-10). Yet Jesus told her, “Do not hold on [or cling] to me” (John 20:17). She was to tell His disciples Christ said He was “ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (v. 17). One commentator notes that she “had a task to perform—to inform [Jesus’ disciples] (cf. 20:18) that he was now returning to the Father. This was not a time to [hold] him; there was a job to do.”

Today’s Devotional

In the classic sports fantasy film Field of Dreams, the character Ray Kinsella encounters his late father as an athletic younger man. Upon seeing him for the first time, Ray comments to his wife, Annie, “I only saw him years later when he was worn down by life. Look at him. . . . What do I say to him?” The scene raises a question: What would it be like to see someone we have loved—but now has died—vital and strong again?

Mary Magdalene had that experience when she first met Jesus after He rose from the dead. Mary was weeping beside the empty tomb when she turned “and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus” (John 20:14). Why didn’t she recognize Him? Perhaps because of the tears in her eyes or because it “was still dark” (v. 1). More likely, it was because when she last saw Him, He’d been bloodied and beaten and tortured to death. She never expected to see Him alive again; He was so alive that it took time for the magnificent truth to sink in.

Yet there Jesus stood, “raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42)! And the moment He called her by name, Mary recognized Him, not only as her faithful friend and “Teacher” (John 20:16), but also as the risen Lord of life. God always has ways of astounding us with His wonders. His conquering death for us is the greatest surprise of all.

Reflect & Pray

How has God surprised you? How can you share His kindness to you with someone today?

Abba, Father, I praise You for raising Jesus from the dead! Please help me live in the life You give today!

Learn more about the appearances Jesus made after the resurrection.

http://www.odb.org

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power. Ephesians 3:17-18

Today’s Scripture

Ephesians 3:14-21

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Scattered throughout the Scriptures are both benedictions and doxologies, but there’s an interesting difference. A benediction is a horizontal statement of blessing bestowed by a person upon another person. A classic example is the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:22-26. A doxology, however, is a vertical statement of worship to God. The word doxology comes from two Greek words—doxa (“glory”) and logia (“word” or “saying”). It’s a declaration of the glory of God. An example is the angels’ doxology on the night of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:13-14.

In Ephesians 3:14-21, we find Paul blending elements of both. In verses 14-19, he prays for God’s blessing on the Ephesian church, and in verses 20-21, he declares God’s “glory in the church.” As you read the Scriptures, look for both the horizontal statements of blessing upon God’s people and the vertical calls to give glory to God.

Today’s Devotional

Beloved pastor Andrew Murray (1828-1917) shared how in his native South Africa, various diseases affect the orange trees there. To the unpracticed eye, all may seem fine, but an expert arborist can spot the rot that heralds the tree’s slow death. The only way to save the diseased tree is to remove the stem and branches from the root and graft them onto a new one. Then the tree can thrive, producing fruit.

Murray connected this illustration to the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. From prison in Rome, Paul wrote a letter that wonderfully summarizes the gospel of Jesus Christ. His pastoral heart shines through when he prayed that the believers would be strengthened with power through Christ’s Spirit in their inner being so that He would dwell in their hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:16-17). Paul longed that they’d be “rooted and established in love” and would grasp the full measure of God’s abundant love (vv. 17-18).

As believers in Jesus, our roots sink deeply into the rich soil of God’s love, where the nutrients fortify us and help us grow. And as we’re grafted onto Jesus, His Spirit helps us to produce fruit. We may have to weather storms that bend us one way or another, but we can withstand them when we’re rooted in the Source of life and love.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to you to be grafted into Jesus, the Vine? How can you ensure you’re receiving enough nutrients in your life with God to flourish?

Loving God, please establish me in Your love so that I bear fruit and bring You glory.

Struggling to read the Bible? Check out this video to learn more about the Immerse Bible.

http://www.odb.org

You will always eat at my table. 2 Samuel 9:7

Today’s Scripture

2 Samuel 9:1-10

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

David asked whether there was anyone left in Saul’s household (the former king) to whom he could “show God’s kindness” (2 Samuel 9:3) for the sake of his friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. The word translated “kindness” is the Hebrew word hesed, which is often used to describe God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to fulfill covenant promises to His people. In this context, David shows hesed, or covenant faithfulness, by keeping the covenant promises he’d made with his friend Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:3; 20:42; 23:18, 24:21-22). David’s kindness demonstrated his integrity as a king. May God help us to show kindness to others.

Today’s Devotional

There’s a new game in high school sports, and it’s one of the most uplifting things you’ll ever experience.

It has many of the same elements of a game known for cheering fans, referees, and a scoreboard. But there’s an essential twist: Each five-person team on the court consists of two nondisabled players and three players who have some form of disability. The activity on the court is heartwarming as players assist, encourage, and cheer for each other—no matter what team they’re on. The game is all about lifting up students who wouldn’t otherwise experience the joy of competitive sports.

It takes deliberate, wise leadership for schools to honor students in this way. And their efforts reflect an example set for us in Scripture by King David.

A common saying in David’s day was that “the ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace” (2 Samuel 5:8)—used metaphorically in reference to his enemies. David, however, did choose to take Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who had two lame feet, into his palace and honor him with a place to “eat at [his] table” (9:7).

Paul presents a clear guideline for how we’re to treat others. “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:10 nlt).

Let’s practice unified living—making sure to honor, in Jesus’ love, everyone we encounter.

Reflect & Pray

How can you encourage the people in your sphere of influence? What does it mean for you to show honor to others?

Dear God, please help me show grace and kindness toward those who need my love and assistance.

Learn how to invite others into God’s freedom by reading That Skill.

http://www.odb.org

All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 14:11

Today’s Scripture

Luke 14:7-11

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Jesus’ countercultural approach to honor in Luke 14:7-11 wasn’t a new concept for His audience. They were familiar with David, who as the youngest of his brothers became king over Israel. Before him was Gideon, whose family was poor and his tribe’s weakest clan. Yet Gideon liberated Israel from their oppressors. And before him was Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, who became the savior of his family in Egypt—a family that was, itself, the youngest nation in a world already populated by many others (Deuteronomy 7:1). Yet this chosen nation was honored to be a light to the rest of the world (4:5-8).

In Luke, Christ reminded His listeners of a principle woven throughout Scripture—God promotes the last, least, and unlikely to showcase His glory and goodness. It’s the nature of God’s upside-down kingdom (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). And it’s at the very heart of the gospel (Matthew 20:28).

Today’s Devotional

As an elementary school teacher, my friend often escorted her students to various other classrooms for subjects such as music or art. When asked to line up to make their way to another room, the fifth-grade students would jockey for position, some scrambling for the coveted spot at the head of the line. One day, Jenni surprised them by having everyone turn around and leading them from what had been—just seconds before—the end of the line. Their shock was audible: “Whaaattt?”

When Jesus observed similar jockeying for position at a dinner table, He responded by telling a parable that undoubtedly surprised His fellow guests. Using a story about a wedding feast, He instructed them to “not take the place of honor” but instead “take the lowest place” (Luke 14:8-10). Christ confounded their social norms by saying that “all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (v. 11).

This kingdom principle can be a difficult one to adopt, especially because our human temptation will be to still focus on “winning” somehow—choosing the last position now so we’ll be first later. But Jesus urges us to follow His example and look to Him for help in reorienting our thinking to see being humble, last, and lowly as truly being in the place of honor.

Reflect & Pray

Who in your life embodies the kind of humility Jesus calls us to? When do you struggle to surrender your own place of honor?

Please help me, Jesus, to show humility in all circumstances.

God calls us to show mercy to others as He has shown mercy to us. Learn more here.

http://www.odb.org

When he prayed to him, the Lord was moved. 2 Chronicles 33:13

Today’s Scripture

2 Chronicles 33:10-17

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

The fifty-five-year reign of Manasseh, king of Judah, is summarized in 2 Kings 21:2: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Manasseh “rebuilt the high places” and set up “an Asherah pole” (21:3), a sacred pole that honored the pagan goddess Asherah. In addition, he shed “much innocent blood” and led his people to follow his wrongdoing (v. 16). His life is further described in 2 Chronicles 33. He defiled the temple by setting up “altars to the Baals” and “bowed down to all the starry hosts” (v. 3). He even sacrificed his own children (v. 6). But after being taken captive to Babylon, Manasseh humbly prayed to God, was returned to his throne in Jerusalem, and ended his reign seeking to right his many wrongs (vv. 10-17). Likewise, we can humbly turn to Him for a fresh start.

Today’s Devotional

“The Merchant of Death is Dead!” That was the headline for an obituary that may have caused Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, to make a course correction in his life. But the newspaper made a mistake—Alfred was very much alive. It was his brother Ludvig who had died. When Alfred realized he’d be remembered for a dangerous invention that claimed many lives, he decided to donate most of his significant wealth to establishing an award for those who had benefited humanity. It became known as the Nobel Prize.

More than two thousand years earlier, another powerful man had a change of heart. Manasseh, king of Judah, rebelled against God. As a result, he was taken captive to Babylon. But “in his distress he sought the favor of the Lord,” and “when he prayed,” God “brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). Manasseh spent the rest of his rule in peace, serving God and doing his best to undo the wrongs he’d done before.

“The Lord was moved” by Manasseh’s prayer (v. 13). God responds to humility. When we realize we need to make a change in the way we’re living and turn to Him, He never turns us away. He meets us with grace we don’t deserve and renews us with the self-giving love He poured out at the cross. New beginnings begin with Him.

Reflect & Pray

Where in your life do you need to have a change of heart? How will you turn to God today?

Forgiving Father, thank You that You’ll never turn me away. Please help me to turn to You with all my heart in all I do today.

http://www.odb.org

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 3:15-16

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

First Peter was written to believers in Jesus who were being persecuted because of their faith. In chapter 2, echoing Christ’s teachings in Matthew 5:10-16, Peter encourages believers to live holy lives and to do good so that those who don’t believe might be won to Jesus (1 Peter 2:11-25). In chapter 3, he says to remain faithful, to continue to “revere Christ as Lord” and to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (v. 15). Paul makes similar calls for righteous living in his letters (see Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12; Titus 2:7-8).

Today’s Devotional

Bert placed his debit card atop the restaurant bill. The waiter scooped it up and then paused to ask, “Wait, who is this guy who says, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life?’ That’s so conceited!” Bert realized the waiter was reacting to the words printed on the card by his Christian financial company—Jesus’ words from John 14:6. Amused at the waiter’s response, Bert explained the identity of “this guy” and His sacrificial offering to bring us to God.

When we encounter people who know nothing about our faith, we might respond with ridicule or even judgment. But the apostle Peter challenged us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Then he warned, “Do this with gentleness and respect” (v. 15). In Colossians 4:6, Paul explained the power of such a response, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Just as salt on our food enhances flavor, salty answers invite others to come closer to faith.

Questions may come in surprising settings from those completely unfamiliar with Jesus. When we respond with gentleness and grace, our answers offer a saltiness that entices questioners to yearn for more.

Reflect & Pray

How have you been surprised by a question about God? How might you prepare yourself to give a “salty” answer to the questioners in your life?

Dear God, please prepare me for the questions You bring my way, that I may give gracious and loving answers.

Be prepared for the next time you need to give an answer for your faith.

http://www.odb.org

After the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12

Today’s Scripture

1 Kings 19:8-14

Listen to Today’s Devotional

Apple LinkSpotify Link

Today’s Insights

Some scholars believe that in 1 Kings 19, Elijah was suffering from depression. He was weary after three and a half hard years of ministry, the events on Mount Carmel, and his flight from the wrath of Jezebel. But notice how kindly God cares for his discouraged servant. He gives Elijah rest to compensate for his fatigue and then provides him with food to restore his strength (vv. 5-7). Later, God would continue His care for him by assigning him new tasks to focus on—anointing kings and training Elisha (vv. 15-18). Today, as we serve God, we can listen for His voice and receive His compassionate care.

Today’s Devotional

In the early twentieth century, New York City had become a noisy place. With an overhead train, cars, trolleys, newsboys yelling, and people rushing around—life was loud! Yet, one day at Broadway and 34th Street, a man named Charles Kellogg declared to his friend, “Listen, I hear a cricket.”

“Impossible,” his friend answered. “With all this racket, you couldn’t hear a tiny sound like that.” Yet Mr. Kellogg insisted and eventually found the cricket, chirping in the window of a bakery. “What astonishing hearing you have,” his friend proclaimed. “Not at all,” Mr. Kellogg replied. “It’s a matter of where you focus your attention.”

Elijah was a prophet of God who’d just seen Him perform an amazing display of His power, but now the prophet was hiding in a cave for fear of the pagan queen (1 Kings 19:1-9). This time, however, God didn’t want to communicate in a powerful way. Even though He had sent a great wind, an earthquake, and even a roaring fire (vv. 11-12), it was time now for Elijah to commune with God personally and quietly. God wanted to speak to the prophet in “a gentle whisper” (v. 12).

Today, there’s a surplus of noise in our lives, yet God still speaks in a quiet voice through the Scriptures and by His Spirit. Taking time to prayerfully focus our attention on God will help us tune in to His comforting, guiding voice.

Reflect & Pray

What noises are crowding in on your life? How can you listen for God’s voice in your busy world?

Dear Father, I thank You that I can listen for Your Spirit to speak to me quietly.

Learn how prayer helps us tune into to God’s voice and focuses focuses our thoughts on Him.

http://www.odb.org