Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 ODB Devotional Message for Tuesday
Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 was written Jennifer Benson Schuldt (our Daily Bread Ministries). Read Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 Devotional and be blessed.
TOPIC: Uncommon Courage
SCRIPTURE: Daniel 2:24–30
BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47
Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 KEY VERSE: Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him. – Daniel 2:24
Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 INSIGHT: The book of Daniel spans seventy years (605–535 bc) of the Babylonian exile, Judah’s punishment for her covenantal unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 28:36, 64; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10–11). Daniel, given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7), was one of the many teenagers of royal and noble descent deported to Babylon and educated in the ways of the Babylonians to serve the victorious Babylonian king (vv. 3–7).
Daniel 2 tells of how Daniel rose to become Nebuchadnezzar’s chief adviser and right-hand man. He became adviser and confidante to the kings of Babylon (chs. 1–5) and Medo-Persia (ch. 6)—the superpowers of the ancient world. In chapters 7–12, God gave Daniel four apocalyptic visions of the course of human history, reminding His people that He’s the sovereign God of all creation.
Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 Devotional MESSAGE
In 1478, Lorenzo de Medici, the ruler of Florence, Italy, escaped an attack on his life. His countrymen sparked a war when they tried to retaliate against the attack on their leader. As the situation worsened, the cruel King Ferrante I of Naples became Lorenzo’s enemy, but a courageous act by Lorenzo changed everything. He visited the king unarmed and alone. This bravery, paired with his charm and brilliance, won Ferrante’s admiration and ended the war.
Daniel also helped a king experience a change of heart. No one in Babylon could describe or interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream. This made him so angry that he decided to execute all his advisors—including Daniel and his friends. But Daniel asked to visit the king who wanted him dead (Daniel 2:24).
Standing before Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel gave God all the credit for revealing the mystery of the dream (v. 28). When the prophet described and deciphered it, Nebuchadnezzar honored the “God of gods and the Lord of kings” (v. 47). Daniel’s uncommon courage, which was born of his faith in God, helped him, his friends, and the other advisors avoid death that day.
In our lives, there are times when bravery and boldness are needed to communicate important messages. May God guide our words and give us the wisdom to know what to say and the ability to say it well.
READ: Our Daily Bread 16 May 2022 – The Fierce Struggle
REFLECT: How has someone’s bravery made a difference in your life? How can you rest in God’s power to act courageously for Him?
PRAY: Dear Jesus, thank You for the courage You showed during Your life on earth. Fill me with Your wisdom and power when I face tense situations.
Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 ODB Devotional for Tuesday. Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODB) is a Christian organization founded by Dr. Martin De Haan in 1938. It is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 600 employees. It produces several devotional publications, including Our Daily Bread. our daily bread booklet. Our Daily Bread 17 May 2022 ODB for Tuesday.
