Today's Bible Reading -- Luke 10:30.37

³⁰In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two silver coins^[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
 ³⁶"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
 ³⁷The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
      Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Our Daily Bread- STOP TO HELP

Dr. Scott Kurtzman, chief of surgery at Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut, was on his way to deliver a lecture when he witnessed a horrible crash involving 20 vehicles. The doctor shifted into trauma mode, worked his way through the mess of metal, and called out, “Who needs help?” After 90 minutes of assisting, and the victims were taken to area hospitals, Dr. Kurtzman commented, “A person with my skills simply can’t drive by someone who is injured. I refuse to live my life that way.”

Jesus told a parable about a man who stopped to help another (Luke 10:30-37). A Jewish man had been ambushed, stripped, robbed, and left for dead. A Jewish priest and a temple assistant passed by, saw the man, and crossed over to the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came by, saw the man, and was filled with compassion. His compassion was translated into action: He soothed and bandaged the man’s wounds, took him to an inn, cared for him while he could, paid for all his medical expenses, and then promised the innkeeper he would return to pay any additional expenses.

There are people around us who are suffering. Moved with compassion for their pain, let’s be those who stop to help.

Reach out in Jesus’ name
With hands of love and care
To those who are in need
And caught in life’s despair. —Sper

Compassion is always active.

source: www.odb.org

Still

Today's Bible Reading -- 1Timothy 2:1-7

¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. ⁷And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

Our Daily Bread- FAITHFUL PRAYER

In June 2009, 95-year-old Emma Gray died. For over two decades, she had been the cleaning lady in a big house. Each night as she did her work, she prayed for blessings, wisdom, and safety for the man she worked for.

Although Emma worked in the same place for 24 years, the occupants of the residence changed every 4 years or so. Over the years, Emma offered her nightly prayers for six US Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter.

Emma had her personal favorites, but she prayed for them all. She followed the instruction we read in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for “all who are in authority” (v.2). The verses go on to speak of how living “a quiet and peaceable life” and being a godly and reverent person “is good and acceptable in the sight of God . . . who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (vv.2-4).

Because God “hears the prayer of the righteous” (Prov. 15:29), who knows how He used Emma’s faithful prayers? In Proverbs 21:1, we read: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Like Emma, we are to pray for our leaders. Is there someone God is calling you to pray for today?

No leader is beyond God’s grace
When righteous people pray;
For when God’s children intercede,
The Lord will have His way. —D. De Haan

To influence leaders for God, intercede with God for leaders.

source: www.odb.org

Today's Bible Reading -- Psalm 103:1-10

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul;
       all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
 ² Praise the LORD, O my soul,
       and forget not all his benefits-
 ³ who forgives all your sins
       and heals all your diseases,
 ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
       and crowns you with love and compassion,
 ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
       so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
       and justice for all the oppressed.
 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
       his deeds to the people of Israel:
 ⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
       slow to anger, abounding in love.
 ⁹ He will not always accuse,
       nor will he harbor his anger forever;
 ¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
       or repay us according to our iniquities.

Our Daily Bread- IT'S NOT FAIR

“Not fair!” Whether you’ve said it or at least thought it, you’ve got to admit, it’s hard to see someone get away with something and not get what they deserve. We learn this early in life. Just ask the parent of any teenager. Kids hate to see their siblings get off scot-free for the things they got spanked for. Which is why they so readily tattle on each other. But then, we never really grow out of this. To our way of thinking, fairness means sinners deserve God’s wrath and we, the good people, deserve His applause.

But if God were into being “fair,” we would all be consumed by His judgment! We can be thankful for this: “[God] has not dealt with us according to our sins” (Ps. 103:10). We should be glad, not grumpy, that God chooses mercy over fairness and that He is willing to extend grace even to those who are undeserving and hopelessly lost. And while we are thinking about it, when was the last time we let mercy trump fairness with someone who offended us?

It’s not God’s fairness but His mercy that drives Him to pursue us so that heaven can have a party when we are found (Luke 15:7). Personally, I’m thankful that God has not been “fair” with me! Aren’t you?

Favor to the undeserving;
Love, when from God we have turned;
Mercy, when His love we’ve spurned—
That’s God’s grace! —Anon.

We can show mercy to others because God has shown mercy to us.

source: www.odb.org

Our Daily Bread- GIVE ME A HAND

Recently I was fishing with some friends and waded into a current that was too strong for my old legs. I should have known better; it’s a well-known fact that you can wade into flows that you can’t back out of.

I got that panicky feeling you get when you realize you’re in deep trouble. One more step and I would have been swept away.

I did the only thing I could think of: I called out to a friend nearby who is younger and stronger than I. “Hey, Pete!” I shouted. “Give me a hand, will you?” My friend waded into the current, reached out his strong hand, and pulled me into quiet water.

A few days later as I read Psalm 119, I came across verse 173: “Let Your hand become my help.” I thought of that day on the stream and other days when I have “waded” into difficult situations, overestimating my feeble abilities and putting myself or my loved ones in jeopardy. Perhaps you find yourself in that place today.

There is help nearby, a Friend much stronger than you and I—one whose hand can hold us (Ps. 139:10). The psalmist also says of Him, “You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand” (89:13). You can call out to God: “Give me a hand!” and He will rush to your side.

Fear not, I am with thee—O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand. —Anon.

When adversity strikes us, God is ready to strengthen us.

source:www.odb.ord

Today's Bible Reading -- Psalm 139:7-12

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
       Where can I flee from Your presence?
 ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
       if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.
 ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 ¹⁰ even there Your hand will guide me,
       Your right hand will hold me fast.
 ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
       and the light become night around me,"
 ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to You;
       the night will shine like the day,
       for darkness is as light You you.

Today's Bible Reading -- 1Corinthians 15:1-11

¹Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ²By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
 ³For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Peter,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,⁸and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
 ⁹For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Our Daily Bread- A STEWARD OF GRACE

Last week I had several opportunities to show grace. I wasn’t perfect, but I was pleased with the way I handled one situation in particular. Instead of getting angry, I said, “I understand how that could have happened. I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes,” and I left it at that.

According to my own grading scale, I deserved a high score. Not perfect, but close. Lurking in the back of my mind (I hate to admit) was the thought that maybe by being gracious I could expect to be treated that way at some future date.

The following Sunday morning our congregation was singing “Amazing Grace,” and suddenly the audacity of my attitude came through to me in the words, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

What in the world was I thinking?! The grace we show to others is not our own. The only reason we can “give” grace to anyone is because God has already given it to us. We can pass along only that which we have received from Him.

Good stewards look for opportunities to pass along to others what we have received from the Lord. May all of us be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

The fullness of God’s matchless love
Shines forth from Calvary;
What mercy, grace He showed to us
When Jesus died upon that tree. —Anon.

When you know God’s grace, you’ll want to show God’s grace.

source: www.odb.org

Today's Bible Reading -- 1Peter 3:8-11

⁸Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. ⁹Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For,
   "Whoever would love life
      and see good days
   must keep his tongue from evil
      and his lips from deceitful speech.
 ¹¹He must turn from evil and do good;
      he must seek peace and pursue it.
 ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
      and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
   but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."^[a]
 13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear^[b]; do not be frightened."^[c] 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Our Daily Bread- A HERO WHO HEALED

Corporal Desmond Doss was the first conscientious objector to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military award. A devout follower of Christ, Doss believed that it was not right for him to kill others, but he wanted to serve his country so he volunteered as a medic. During boot camp, his fellow soldiers ridiculed him for refusing to fire a rifle. They mocked him when he read his Bible and knelt beside his bunk at night to pray. But in combat, it was a different story.

During the World War II battle for Okinawa in May 1945, Doss repeatedly risked his life to rescue scores of wounded men. Through his unselfish actions, he earned the gratitude and respect of his former critics and of those whose lives he saved.

In the face of unjust criticism, Peter told his fellow Christians, “Even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled’ ” (1 Peter 3:14). He urged them to honor God in their hearts and be ready to give a respectful reply to anyone who asked about the hope within them (v.15).

May our response to a hurting world that’s often hostile to Christ be one that demonstrates God’s love.

We’re told to love the enemies
That in this life we face,
For showing love that’s not deserved
Reveals to them God’s grace. —Bosch

To return good for good is human; to return good for evil is divine.

source:www.odb.org