Our Daily Bread Devotional for 24 August 2023
Our Daily Bread Devotional for 24 August 2023, Thursday ODB Devotional Message written by Monica La Rose and Insight written by Monica La Rose
Today’s ODB Devotional Topic: Openhearted Generosity
Bible in a Year: Psalms 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19
Key Verse: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
Today’s Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6–14
Insight: Paul’s encouragement to live a Spirit-empowered life of “power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7) echoes words from his letter to the Romans. There, the apostle wrote that believers need not “live in fear” because they are “heirs of God” (Romans 8:15, 17). In Romans 1:16, Paul testified of not being “ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation.” In 2 Timothy, the apostle encouraged Timothy to “join with” him in not being “ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (1:8). Instead, Timothy could live in God’s power (vv. 8–9)—the power that “destroyed death” (v. 10).
Our Daily Bread Devotional for 24 August 2023 ODB MESSAGE
No one ever died saying, “I’m so glad for the self-centered, self-serving, and self-protective life I lived,” author Parker Palmer said in a commencement address, urging graduates to “offer [themselves] to the world . . . with openhearted generosity.”
But, Parker continued, living this way would also mean learning “how little you know and how easy it is to fail.” Offering themselves in service to the world would require cultivating a “beginner’s mind” to “walk straight into your not-knowing, and take the risk of failing and failing, again and again—then getting up to learn again and again.”
It’s only when our lives are built on a foundation of grace that we can find the courage to choose such a life of fearless “openhearted generosity.” As Paul explained to his protégé Timothy, we can confidently “fan into flame” (2 Timothy 1:6) and live out of God’s gifting when we remember that it’s God’s grace that saves and calls us to a life of purpose (v. 9). It’s His power that gives us the courage to resist the temptation to live timidly in exchange for the Spirit’s “power, love and self-discipline” (v. 7). And it’s His grace that picks us up when we fall, so that we can continue a lifelong journey of grounding our lives in His love (vv. 13–14).
REFLECT: How are you tempted to live timidly? How do God’s grace and power help you live more boldly for Him?
PRAY: Dear God, thank You that I don’t have to live timidly, fearfully guarding myself from failure or hurt. Help me to lean into the courage You provide.
Our Daily Bread Devotional for 24 August 2023, Thursday ODB Message . 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 devotional for today audio our daily bread booklet.
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