December 11, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB for Sunday
Read December 11, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB for Sunday
READ SUNDAY ODB DEVOTIONAL, OUR DAILY BREAD 11TH DECEMBER 2022 WRITTEN BY KATARA PATTON (OUR DAILY BREAD MINISTRIES)
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TOPIC: Clinging to What’s Good
KEY VERSE: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 5–8; Revelation 2
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:9–13
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
December 11, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || INSIGHT
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:9 that “love must be sincere.” The word used to describe love here is sincere (anypokritos), which simply means “unhypocritical” or “behavior free from hidden agendas.” A hidden agenda is when a person appears to demonstrate love for someone but really has a selfish motive. It would be easy to read the statements that follow this verse as separate exhortations. However, verses 9–13 are meant to describe what genuine love should look like. This vision of love matches Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Jesus said we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). True and sincere love focuses on others and doesn’t seek its own pleasure.
READ ALSO: December 8, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB for Thursday
Our Daily Bread – 11th December 2022 ODB MESSAGE
When we park our car near an open field and walk across it to get to our house, we almost always get some sticky cockleburs on our clothes—especially in the fall. These tiny “hitchhikers” attach to clothing, shoes, or whatever is passing by and ride to their next destination. It’s nature’s way of spreading cocklebur seeds in my local field and around the world.
As I try to carefully remove clinging cockleburs, I’ve often thought about the message that admonishes believers in Jesus to “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). When we’re trying to love others, it can be challenging. However, as the Holy Spirit helps us hold on to what’s good with all we have, we can repel evil and be “sincere” in our love as He guides us (v. 9).
Cocklebur seeds don’t fall off with a mere brush of the hand, they hang on to you. And when we focus on what’s good, keeping our mind on God’s mercy, compassion, and commands, we too—in His strength—can hang on tightly to those we love. He helps us stay “devoted to one another in love,” remembering to place other’s needs before our own (v. 10).
Yes, those cockleburs can be challenging, but they also remind me to cling to others in love and by God’s power to grip tightly “what is good” (v. 9; see also Philippians 4:8–9).
ALSO, READ December 7, 2022 – Our Daily Bread Devotional || ODB for Wednesday
REFLECT AND PRAY
How can clinging to what’s good help you love a challenging friend or family member? How is sincere love also a tenacious love?
Remind me to cling with all my might to what’s good, Jesus. I desire to reflect Your love to others.
Our Daily Bread Devotional 11th December 2022 || ODB for Sunday 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 booklet.
