Our Daily Bread 21st August 2025 | READ ODB TODAY

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Read Our Daily Bread For 21 August 2025 ODB: Feed the Need – Elisa Morgan

TOPIC: Feed the Need

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 107-109
1 Corinthians 4

KEY VERSE:  No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Acts 4:32–37 (NIV): 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Our Daily Bread For 21 August 2025

INSIGHT FOE TODAY:  Twice Luke mentions the willingness of believers in Jesus to sell property and share possessions (Acts 2:41–47; 4:32–35). The Holy Spirit had come to Jerusalem as the city swelled with visitors for the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Overwhelmed by the apostles’ assurance that God was willing to forgive them, those who stepped forward to believe in Christ saw one another’s needs and felt one another’s pain.

It was then, after again mentioning their mutual care, that Luke describes a husband and wife who tried to leave a false impression of generosity. Ananias and Sapphira were caught lying about the details of their gift, and suddenly both died (5:1–10). The generosity Luke emphasized was the result of those whose hearts had been changed by the Spirit of Jesus.

MESSAGE

Our Daily Bread 20th August 2025 | ODB TODAY

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Read Our Daily Bread For 20 August 2025 ODB: Eyes Fixed on Christ!

TOPIC: Eyes Fixed on Christ!

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

KEY VERSE: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Hebrews 12:1-3

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INSIGHT FOE TODAY:  The writer of the book of Hebrews encourages his readers by pointing to a gallery of “faith-filled” believers in the Old Testament (see Hebrews 11) and refers to them collectively as “a great cloud of witnesses” (12:1). Verse 2, however, urges the readers to fix their gaze on the premier example of faith—Jesus. He’s described as “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Our Daily Bread For 20 August 2025 

The term is pioneer (archēgos)—or author in some versions. One commentator defines it as a “chief leader—one that takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example.” Archēgos is used only four times in the New Testament: (Acts 3:15; 5:31 [Prince]; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2). The word translated “perfecter” (teleiōtēs) is used only in Hebrews 12:2. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, Christ is the “one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith.” By staying focused on Him, we have the perfect example to imitate.

Our Daily Bread 20 August 2025 

MESSAGE

Teaching his son to ride a bicycle, Andrew discovered, was frustrating. The five-year-old kept swerving to one side and falling. Realizing that this happened because his son kept looking to one side, Andrew had an idea. “See that pole?” he asked his son. “Just keep your eyes on it and pedal.” His son did just that, and this time he kept going and going!

The incident was a lesson for Andrew himself. Recounting what happened to his small group later, he concluded, “Whatever we fix our eyes on is where we’re headed.” No wonder Hebrews 12:2 calls on us to keep “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Life’s responsibilities and routines can draw our attention away from our spiritual walk, as can sinful habits and obsessions that entangle us (v. 1).

But if we keep our eyes on Jesus and ask Him to help us put Him first in our thoughts, decisions, and actions, He’ll guide us in everything we do and say, enabling us to stay close to Him in the race on earth. This can be challenging, but God desires to help us fulfill the roles He’s given us. He will give us strength to endure and overcome anything that opposes our walk so we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).

Our Daily Bread For 20 August 2025 

REFLECT: What’s the first thing you think or do when you have to make a decision or respond to a situation? How can you let your words, actions, and thoughts be guided by Jesus?

PRAY: Dear Jesus, please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You as I go about life. Please also teach me to turn to You first, for You’re all I need.

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.

Our Daily Bread For 19th August 2025 | ODB FOR TODAY

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Read Our Daily Bread For 19 August 2025 ODB: Hints of God’s Glory

TOPIC: Hints of God’s Glory

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

KEY VERSE: And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. – Revelation 4:3

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Revelation 4:1-4, 6-11

INSIGHT FOR TODAY: In Revelation 4:1-11, John receives a vision that shows him the throne of God in heaven (v. 2). He describes “four living creatures” who worship God incessantly (vv. 6-9). Who are they? These magnificent beings appear not only here but also in 5:6-14; 6:1-8; 14:3; 15:7; and 19:4.

Their description is remarkably similar to the creatures mentioned by the Old Testament prophets (Ezekiel 1:4-24; 10:15-22; Isaiah 6:1-3). In Ezekiel 10, these are called cherubim—fearsome angelic beings. We can surmise that the “living creatures” John refers to here are powerful angels. The magnificence of God’s creation can remind us of what awaits us in heaven.

MESSAGE

Australian photographer Christian Spencer has spent more than twenty years taking pictures in the Itatiaia National Park in Brazil. One amazing aspect of his photography is that he’s captured the effect of sunlight passing through the open wings of the hummingbird. He found that the wings create a prism-like rainbow of colors when birds fly between the bright sun and his camera lens. Other photographers have also captured this in birds other than just the hummingbird.

ALSO, READ Our Daily Bread 11th August 2025 | ODB TODAY

Finding rainbows of colors in birds’ wings is an example of some of the hidden treasures God has placed in His creation. Such beauty and magnificence can pique our curiosity for what believers in Jesus will observe when they see Him sitting on His throne.

Our Daily Bread For 19 August 2025 ODB

When John saw the heavenly throne in Revelation 4, he must have been mesmerized. He describes Christ on the throne with “a rainbow that shone like an emerald” encircling it (v. 3). Words cannot describe the glory of God that was revealed to the apostle.

As we find hidden treasures in God’s creation, may we enjoy each one, knowing there’s so much more awaiting us in heaven. There, we will worship our Creator and praise Him forever: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (v. 11).

REFLECT: What hidden treasures have you found in God’s creation? How can you use creation to point others to Christ?

PRAY: Dear God, thank You for the hidden gems in Your creation that point to Your majesty.

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.

Our Daily Bread 15th August 2025 | ODB FOR TODAY

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Read Our Daily Bread For 15 August 2025 ODB: God’s Property

TOPIC: God’s Property

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

KEY VERSE: But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Nehemiah 9:1-2, 13-21 (CEB)

1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the people of Israel were assembled. They fasted, wore funeral clothing,^[a] and had dirt on their heads.^[b] 2 After the Israelites separated themselves from all of the foreigners, they stood to confess their sins and the terrible behavior of their ancestors.

INSIGHT FOR TODAY: Nehemiah lived and wrote in the post-exilic era—the period when Israel was returning in stages from their seventy-year captivity in Babylon. He’d formerly been the cupbearer to the king and had been sent at his own request to oversee the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 1-2). In chapter 9, the people are called to confess and mourn over their sins as God’s chosen people (vv. 1-2).

Our Daily Bread For 15 August 2025

This call came following the reassertion of the law of Moses in chapter 8. In light of that law, the Levites and singers recounted the sins of the nation all the way back to the wilderness wanderings of their ancestors and their spiritual failures there. And they praised Him for His grace and mercy (9:31). He extends those things to us as well.

MESSAGE

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word property? Your mind may go to a piece of real estate. But you might also consider “a quality or trait belonging to an individual or thing”; for instance, the property of a certain type of wood provides insight about it. What is the wood’s texture? How prone is it to shrinkage? Is it water-resistant? In other words, what are the qualities of the wood you can depend on?

My wife and I attend a church with a traditional feel—corporate prayers, kneeling, Scripture reading, Communion. One of the prayers we pray each Sunday holds this phrase: “But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.” Not God’s real estate but a quality or trait belonging to God—to have mercy not just once in a while but always.

Nehemiah 9 gives us a picture of the Israelites gathered together, fasting, wrapped in sackcloth and covered in ashes (v. 1), confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors (vv. 2, 16).

Our Daily Bread For 15 August 2025

They praised God for His patience in Israel’s history: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them” (v. 19). God could have put an end to them or abandoned them, but He never did. Why? That’s not God’s property, for He is “a gracious and merciful God” (v. 31).

In our prayers of confession, let’s include praise for that dependable property of God—His mercy.

REFLECT: What properties of God can you think of? How will You praise Him for those?

PRAY: Thank you, Father, that Your property—Your character—is always to have mercy.

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. 

Our Daily Bread 12th August 2025 | ODB TODAY

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Our Daily Bread 11th August 2025 | ODB TODAY

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