July 2024 - Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada

The Beautiful One

Read: Isaiah 53:1-6 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 54-56; Romans 3

He had no beauty or majesty . . . . By his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:2, 5

For more than 130 years, the Eiffel Tower has stood majestically over the city of Paris, a symbol of architectural brilliance and beauty. The city proudly promotes the tower as a key element of its magnificence.

As it was being built, however, many people thought little of it. Famous French writer Guy de Maupassant, for example, said it had “a ridiculous thin shape like a factory chimney.” He couldn’t see its beauty.

Those of us who love Jesus and have entrusted our hearts to Him as our Savior count Him as beautiful for who He is and what He’s done for us. Yet the prophet Isaiah penned these words: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (53:2).

But the towering majesty of what He did for us is the truest, purest form of beauty that humans will ever know and experience. He “took up our pain and bore our suffering” (v. 4). He was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (v. 5).

We’ll never know anyone as beautiful—as majestic—as the one who suffered for us on the cross, taking the unspeakable punishment of our sins upon Himself.

That’s Jesus. The Beautiful One. Let’s look to Him and live.

How has Jesus revealed His beauty to you? What does it mean for you to find your only hope in Him?

Dear Beautiful One, thank You for Your selfless sacrifice for me.

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

INSIGHT

Isaiah 53 gives us a clear description of the sacrifice of Christ in the Old Testament, describing His rejection (vv. 1-3), His suffering in our place (vv. 4-6), His sacrificial death and burial (vv. 7-9), and His reconciling atonement and resurrection (vv. 10-12). The chapter is the last of four messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah (42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12) known as the “Servant Songs” because they prophetically refer to Jesus the Messiah as Servant (42:1; 49:3; 50:10; 52:13), although Jewish scholars tend to identify the Servant as Israel itself.

In the New Testament, Isaiah is quoted or alluded to numerous times. New Testament writers unequivocally apply quotes from Isaiah 53 to Christ (Matthew 8:17; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; John 12:38-41; Acts 8:32-35; Romans 10:16; 1 Peter 2:24).

By dave branon|2024-07-31T02:33:11-04:00July 31st, 2024|

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A Meaningful Hyphen

Read: Colossians 1:3-12 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 51-53; Romans 2

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Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. Colossians 1:10

As I prepared for my mom’s celebration of life service, I prayed for the right words to describe her “hyphen years”—the years between her birth and death. I reflected on the good and not-so-good times in our relationship. I praised God for the day my mom accepted Jesus as her Savior after she saw Him “changing” me. I thanked Him for helping us grow in faith together and for the people who shared how my mom encouraged and prayed for them while showering them with kindness. My imperfect mom enjoyed a meaningful hyphen—a life well-lived for Jesus.

Not one believer in Jesus is perfect. However, the Holy Spirit can enable us to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10). According to the apostle Paul, the church of Colossae was known for their faith and love (vv. 3-6). The Holy Spirit gave them “wisdom and understanding” and empowered them to “[bear] fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (vv. 9-10). As Paul prayed for and praised those believers, he proclaimed the name of Jesus, the one “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (v. 14).

When we surrender to the Holy Spirit, we too can grow in our knowledge of God, love Him and people, spread the gospel, and enjoy a meaningful hyphen—a life well-lived for Jesus.

What qualities characterized a person you know who lived a meaningful life? How can you enjoy living such a life this week?

Holy Spirit, please give me more opportunities to share Jesus with others as I enjoy a meaningful life.

For further study, read A Resilient Life: Strength for Today from the Sermon on the Mount.

INSIGHT

Twin themes of gratitude and love run throughout Paul’s introduction to his letter to the church in Colossae. “We always thank God,” he writes, “because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people” (Colossians 1:3-4). This love for our Father binds all believers together in love. Paul also noted how we “share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (v. 12). Our faith in Christ brings with it a sense of community and a love for each other.

By Xochitl Dixon|2024-07-30T02:33:24-04:00July 30th, 2024|

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The Unseen King

Read: Daniel 10:10-19 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 49-50; Romans 1

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I have come in answer to your prayer. Daniel 10:12 nlt

Pilgrim is a musical based on The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory of the life of a believer in Jesus. In the story, all the unseen forces of the spiritual world are made visible to the audience. The character of the King, representing God, is present onstage for almost the entire show. He’s dressed in white and actively blocks attacks from the enemy, tenderly holds those who are in pain, and nudges others to good works. Despite his indispensable role, the main human characters can’t physically see the King, only the effects of what He does.

Do we live as if the true King is active in our lives, even when we can’t physically see Him? In a time of need, the prophet Daniel received a vision from a heavenly messenger (Daniel 10:7) who’d been sent in direct response to his faithful prayers (v. 12). The messenger explained that spiritual warfare had delayed his coming and angelic backup had to be dispatched (v. 13). Daniel was reminded that even though he couldn’t see God, he was surrounded by evidence of His care and attention. “Do not be afraid, you are highly esteemed,” the messenger encouraged him (v. 19). At the end of Pilgrim, when the main character reaches heaven’s door after many tribulations, he joyfully cries out for the first time, “I can see the King!” Until we see Him with our new eyes in heaven, we look for His action in our lives today.

How do you see God’s work in your life? Where do you struggle to believe that He’s with you?

King Jesus, please help me remember that You’re near.

INSIGHT

Deported to Babylon as a teenager, Daniel distinguished himself to become the trusted adviser to the kings of two of the world’s superpowers—the Babylonians and Medo-Persians. Chapters 1-7 tell of the prophet’s interactions with three kings—Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. Chapters 8-12 deal with God’s predetermined plans for the Jews (Israel) and the gentiles (the world). Affirming God’s sovereignty and authority as the ultimate King of history, Daniel proclaims, “Wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others” (2:20-21).

By Karen Pimpo|2024-07-29T02:33:13-04:00July 29th, 2024|

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Transforming Worship

Read: Psalm 30 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 46-48; Acts 28

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Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people. Psalm 30:4

Susy wept as she sat outside the hospital’s intensive care unit—waves of paralyzing fear sweeping over her. The tiny lungs of her two-month-old baby were filled with fluid, and doctors said they were doing their best to save him but gave no guarantees. At that moment she says she “felt the sweet, gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit reminding [her] to worship God.” With no strength to sing, she played praise songs on her phone over the next three days in the hospital. As she worshiped, she found hope and peace. Today, she says the experience taught her that “worship doesn’t change God, but it definitely changes you.”

Facing desperate circumstances, David called out to God in prayer and praise (Psalm 30:8). One commentator notes that the psalmist prayed “for grace issued in praise and transformation.” God turned David’s “wailing into dancing” and he declared that he would “praise [God] forever”—in all circumstances (vv. 11-12). While it can be hard to praise God during painful times, it can lead to transformation. From despair to hope, from fear to faith. And He can use our example to encourage and transform others (vv. 4-5).

Susy’s baby boy was restored to health by God’s grace. While not all challenges in life will end as we hope they will, He can transform us and fill us with renewed joy (v. 11) as we worship Him even in our pain.

How might worshiping God as you endure pain affect you? How might your example affect others?

Dear God, please transform me even as I worship You in my pain and difficulties.

INSIGHT

Psalm 30 is a psalm of praise for the way God had delivered and healed David (vv. 1-3, 9-11). But as commentators Jacobson and Tanner put it, the psalm isn’t just a psalm of praise, but “a psalm about praise” calling hearers to “a complete life of praise.” It’s God’s merciful and restoring character that gives His people reason to live a life of praise (vv. 4-5). To be abandoned by God would be to be “silenced” (v. 9). But because God turns “wailing into dancing” (v. 11), we have reason to “praise [Him] forever” (v. 12).

By tom felten|2024-07-28T02:33:24-04:00July 28th, 2024|

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In Small Ways

Read: 1 John 4:7-12, 19-21 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 43-45; Acts 27:27-44

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We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

When she was struck by cancer, Elsie was prepared to go home to heaven to be with Jesus. But she recovered, though the disease left her immobile. It also left her wondering why God had spared her life. “What good can I do?” she asked Him. “I don’t have much money or skills, and I can’t walk. How can I be useful to You?”

Then she found small, simple ways to serve others, especially her home cleaners who were migrants. She bought them food or gave them a few dollars whenever she saw them. These cash gifts were small, yet they went a long way toward helping the workers make ends meet. As she did so, she found God providing for her: friends and relatives gave her gifts and money, enabling her to bless others in return.

As she shared her story, I couldn’t help but think of how Elsie was truly putting into practice the call to love one another in 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us” as well as the truth of Acts 20:35, which reminds us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Elsie gave because she received and was in turn encouraged as she gave. Yet it took little more from her than a loving, grateful heart and a readiness to offer what she had—which God multiplied in a virtuous circle of giving and receiving. Let’s ask Him to give us a thankful and generous heart to give as He leads us!

What have you received from God? How can you encourage someone in a simple yet meaningful way today?

Dear Father, thank You for Your gifts in my life. Please give me a heart to love others just as You’ve loved me.

INSIGHT

John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20), wrote the fourth gospel to show us that God in His great love gave us His Son to die for our sins and to give us eternal life (3:15-18, 36). This new life is characterized by love (13:34-35). Some years later, this same John wrote his first epistle, reminding believers that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). In language reminiscent of John 3:16-17 he says: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. . . . [He is] an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). John urged believers to put this love into action: “Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other” (v. 11 nlt). God’s love commands and compels us to love others (vv. 19-21).

By Leslie Koh|2024-07-27T02:33:29-04:00July 27th, 2024|

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Jesus Removes the Stain

Read: Jeremiah 2:1-5, 21-22 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 40-42; Acts 27:1-26

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“Although you wash yourself . . . , the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign Lord. Jeremiah 2:22

“Are. You. Kidding?!” I yelled, digging through our dryer looking for my shirt. I found it. And . . . something else.

My white shirt had an ink spot on it. In fact, it looked like a jaguar pelt: ink splotches coated everything. I clearly hadn’t checked my pockets, and a leaky pen had stained the entire load.

Scripture often uses the word stain to describe sin. A stain permeates the fabric of something, ruining it. And that’s how God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, described sin, reminding His people that its stain was beyond their ability to cleanse: “Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me” (Jeremiah 2:22).

Thankfully, sin doesn’t get the last word. In Isaiah 1:18, we hear God’s promise that He can cleanse us from sin’s stain: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

I couldn’t get the ink stain out of my shirt. Neither can I undo the stain of my sin. Thankfully, God cleanses us in Christ, just as 1 John 1:9 promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

What has it looked like in your life to experience forgiveness and cleansing from sin? What “stain” might you need to bring to God?

Father, please help me to cling to the promise that in Christ there’s forgiveness and purity as I’m washed white as snow in Your sight.

INSIGHT

In Jeremiah 2, God compares Himself to a farmer who carefully planted His people “like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock” (v. 21). Yet, inexplicably, they’d turned into a “corrupt, wild vine” (v. 21). Elsewhere in Scripture, this same metaphor of a vine is used for God’s people (Isaiah 5:1-3; Ezekiel 17:5-10; Hosea 10:1). Jesus returned to this image when He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1). He told His disciples that they were “clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (v. 3) but urged them to remain in Him and “bear much fruit; [for] apart from me you can do nothing” (v. 5).

By Adam Holz|2024-07-26T02:33:20-04:00July 26th, 2024|

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Really Live

Read: Hebrews 13:5-8 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 37-39; Acts 26

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Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5

Thousands of people prayed for pastor Ed Dobson when he was diagnosed with ALS in 2000. Many believed that when they prayed in faith for healing, God would answer immediately. After twelve years of struggling with the disease that caused Ed’s muscles to atrophy little by little (and three years before he died), someone asked him why he thought God hadn’t healed him yet. “There’s no good answer, so I don’t ask,” he replied. His wife, Lorna, added, “If you’re always obsessed about having to have answers, you can’t really live.”

Can you hear the respect for God in Ed and Lorna’s words? They knew that His wisdom is above their own. Yet Ed admitted, “I find it nearly impossible not to worry about tomorrow.” He understood that the disease would cause increasing disability, and he didn’t know what new problem the next day might bring.

To help himself focus on the present, Ed placed these verses in his car, on the bathroom mirror, and next to his bed: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Whenever he started to worry, he would repeat the verses to help him refocus his thoughts on the truth.

No one knows what the next day will bring. Maybe Ed’s practice could help us turn our worries into opportunities to trust.

What Scriptures help you to focus on today and not worry about tomorrow? Where might you place them to help your faith grow?

Help me to remember, Father, that You’re God, and I am not. Please teach me to trust You.

INSIGHT

From beginning to end, the book of Hebrews is richly flavored by the sacred writings of the Old Testament. One scholar notes that the thinking of the writer of Hebrews “was saturated with Old Testament types, echoes and allusions.” Regarding direct quotations from the Old Testament, the same author notes that “there are 40 of them.” Bible readers will find that various quotes are used to highlight and support lofty theological truths such as the deity of Jesus (see Hebrews 1:5-13). Other citations are used to guard and guide behavior. The children of Israel needed the exhortations of Moses found in Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrew believers in Christ needed them in the first century, and we need them now to live a life that honors God: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Discover the rich wisdom and history of the book of Hebrews.

By Anne Cetas|2024-07-25T02:33:26-04:00July 25th, 2024|

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Our True Refuge Is God

Read: Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 35-36; Acts 25

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He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Psalm 91:2

After his wife died, Fred felt he could endure the pain as long as he had his Monday breakfasts with his buddies. His fellow retirees lifted his spirits. Whenever sadness came, Fred would think about the next time he’d enjoy their company again. Their corner table was his safe place from grief.

Over time, however, the gatherings ended. Some friends became ill; others passed away. The emptiness led Fred to seek solace in the God he’d met in his youth. “I have breakfast by myself now,” he says, “but I remember to hold on to the truth that Jesus is with me. And when I leave the diner, I don’t leave to face the rest of my days alone.”

Like the psalmist, Fred discovered the safety and comfort of God’s presence: “He is my refuge . . . in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). Fred came to know safety not as a physical place to hide, but as the steadfast presence of God that we can trust and rest in (v. 1). Both Fred and the psalmist found that they didn’t have to face difficult days alone. We too can be assured of God’s protection and help. When we turn to Him in trust, He promises to respond and be with us (vv. 14-16).

Do we have a safe place, a “corner table” we go to when life is hard? It won’t last but God will. He waits for us to go to Him, our true refuge.

When life is hard, what’s your safe place? How can you turn to and trust God as your refuge?

Dear God, You’re my safe place. Yours is the presence that will never leave me to fend for myself. Your help and protection surround me always.

For further study, read Jesus Is in the Room.

INSIGHT

No author is given for Psalm 91. However, because verses 1-2 continue the theme of God as “our dwelling place” introduced in Psalm 90:1, some scholars suggest that Moses wrote both psalms as an exposition of Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God is your refuge.” The psalmist warns of threats, insidious traps, deadly diseases, unexpected events, physical attacks, and disasters that endanger us (Psalm 91:3, 5-6). This psalm doesn’t promise exemption from such dangers, but it assures us that there’s refuge in God (vv. 9-16). Those who “trust” Him (v. 2), who love Him (v. 14), and who pray to Him (v. 15) need not fear. Various vivid metaphors are used to describe the security and safety He provides: “shelter of the Most High” and “shadow of the Almighty” (v. 1); “refuge” and “fortress” (v. 2); “shield and rampart” (v. 4); and “dwelling” (v. 9).

By Karen Huang|2024-07-24T02:33:17-04:00July 24th, 2024|

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Time to Party

Read: Luke 15:11-13, 17-24 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 33-34; Acts 24

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Let’s have a feast and celebrate. Luke 15:23

Our former church in Virginia held baptisms in the Rivanna River where often the sunshine is warm, but the water is frigid. After our Sunday service, we’d load into our cars and caravan to a city park where neighbors tossed Frisbees and kids mobbed the playground. We were quite a spectacle, traipsing to the river’s edge. Standing in the icy water, I would offer Scripture and immerse those being baptized into this tangible expression of God’s love. As they emerged, soaked to the bone, cheers and clapping erupted. Climbing up the bank, friends and family enveloped the newly baptized in hugs—everyone getting drenched. We had cake, drinks, and snacks. The neighbors watching didn’t always understand what was happening, but they knew it was a celebration.

In Luke 15, Jesus’ story of the prodigal son (vv. 11-32) reveals that it’s cause for celebration whenever someone returns home to God. Anytime someone says yes to God’s invitation, it’s time to party. When the son who’d abandoned his father returned, the father immediately insisted on showering him with a designer robe, a shiny ring, and new shoes. “Bring the fattened calf,” he said. “Let’s have a feast and celebrate” (v. 23). A massive, exuberant party including whoever would join the revelry was a fitting way “to celebrate” (v. 24).

Where have you seen transformation and healing happen? What could celebration in these moments look like?

Dear God, I have much to celebrate, and this joy flows from You and Your work in my life.

INSIGHT

In the background of Jesus’ parable of a father’s embrace of his returned son are the religious leaders grumbling that Christ “welcomes sinners” (Luke 15:2; see also 5:30; 7:34). Yet it was “tax collectors and sinners” who “gather[ed] around to hear Jesus” (15:1). Listening to Christ and responding appropriately is a theme in Luke’s gospel (6:27, 47; 8:8; 9:35; 10:16; 11:28-31). Before this parable, Jesus told two others—of a “lost sheep” (15:4) and a “lost coin” (v. 9). In both parables, the theme is “rejoicing in heaven” (v. 7) over sinners returning.

By Winn Collier|2024-07-23T02:33:16-04:00July 23rd, 2024|

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Instruments for Good

Read: Ephesians 2:4-10 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35

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If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17

The criminal had been apprehended, and the detective asked the perpetrator why he had brazenly attacked someone with so many witnesses present. The response was startling: “I knew they wouldn’t do anything; people never do.” That comment pictures what is called “guilty knowledge”—choosing to ignore a crime even though you know it is being committed.

The apostle James addressed a similar kind of guilty knowledge, saying, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (James 4:17).

Through His great salvation of us, God has designed us to be agents of good in the world. Ephesians 2:10 affirms, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” These good works aren’t the cause of our salvation; rather, they’re the result of our hearts being changed by God’s Holy Spirit taking up residence in our lives. The Spirit even gives us spiritual gifts to equip us to accomplish those things for which God has recreated us (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

As God’s workmanship, let’s yield to His purposes and the empowering of His Spirit so that we can be His instruments for good in a world that desperately needs Him.

Review 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and read about the spiritual gifts. What gifts has the Spirit given you? How can you exercise them?

Loving God, thank You for the salvation You’ve provided as a free gift of grace. Please give me the courage and wisdom to know how best to serve You and others.

Discover your God-given calling here.

INSIGHT

Paul has just outlined his prayer for the readers of his letter (Ephesians 1:15-23). When he prays, he asks God on their behalf that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you” (v. 18). But who, exactly, is he praying for? The letter to the Ephesians may have been intended to be “circular,” that is, for circulation among other churches. Specifically, however, these first readers were gentile Christians in the port city of Ephesus. Having prayed for them, Paul then gives guidance on how to fulfill God’s purpose. God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (2:5). He “raised us up with Christ” (v. 6) to “show the incomparable riches of his grace” (v. 7). This is why we “do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10).

By Bill Crowder|2024-07-22T02:33:17-04:00July 22nd, 2024|

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The Beautiful One

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A Meaningful Hyphen

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The Unseen King

INSIGHT

Transforming Worship

INSIGHT

In Small Ways

INSIGHT

Jesus Removes the Stain

INSIGHT

Really Live

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Our True Refuge Is God

INSIGHT

Time to Party

INSIGHT

Instruments for Good

INSIGHT

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