Our Daily Bread Devotional 21st January 2024 ODB Message
Read Our Daily Bread Devotional 21st January 2024- Sunday ODB Message written by Monica La Rose and Today’s Insight By Monica La Rose
TOPIC: Drop by Drop
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Bible in a Year: Exodus 1–3; Matthew 14:1–21
We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19
Today’s Scripture
1 John 4:9–19
Our Daily Bread January 21, 2024 Devotional Insight:
In 1 John 4, we’re taught that God’s love is the only way possible for us to love others. Love has its source in God (v. 7) because God Himself is love (v. 8). We can be sure we’re living connected to Him if His love flows through us to others (v. 12). Love that comes from God will also be the kind of extravagant, giving love that He demonstrated in giving His Son (v. 19; 3:16-18). It won’t stop at mere emotion but will flow out “with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
Our Daily Bread Devotional 21st January 2024 MESSAGE:
“In everything / we look for pleasant ways of serving God,” writes sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila. She poignantly reflects on the many ways we seek to stay in control through easier, more “pleasant” methods than total surrender to God. We tend to slowly, tentatively, and even reluctantly grow to trust Him with all of ourselves. And so, Teresa confesses, “even as we measure out our lives to you / a bit at a time, / we must be content / to receive your gifts drop by drop, / until we have surrendered our lives wholly to you.”
As human beings, trust doesn’t come naturally to many of us. So if experiencing God’s grace and love were dependent on our ability to trust and receive it, we’d be in trouble!
But, as we read in 1 John 4, God’s love for us comes first (v. 19). He loved us long before we could love Him, so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us. “This is love,” John writes in wonder and gratitude (v. 10).
Gradually, gently, little by little, God heals our hearts to receive His love. Drop by drop, His grace helps us surrender our fears (v. 18). Drop by drop, His grace reaches our hearts until we find ourselves experiencing showers of His abundant beauty and love.
Reflect & Pray
In what ways have you experienced God’s grace “drop by drop” in your life? How has God’s love helped you overcome fear in exchange for hope and trust?
Faithful God, thank You for loving me first, even when my heart was too wounded and hurting to trust You. Thank You for the many ways You reach me wherever I am.
Our Daily Bread Devotional For Sunday 21st January 2024 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.
READ MORE TOPICS: OPEN HEAVENS, OUR DAILY BREAD, IN TOUCH, SEEDS OF DESTINY, STREAMS OF JOY, JOEL OSTEEN, MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE, DCLM DAILY MANNA, UCB WORD FOR TODAY
