May 24, 2023 – Our Daily Bread Devotional, Wednesday ODB Message
May 24, 2023 – Our Daily Bread Devotional, ODB Devotional Message for Wednesday written by Leslie Koh
TOPIC: Blessed Routine
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BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chronicles 22–24; John 8:28–59
KEY VERSE: For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? – Ecclesiastes 2:25
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Ecclesiastes 2:17–26
INSIGHT FOR OUR DAILY BREAD 24TH MAY 2023 BY TIM GUSTAFSON
In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon—who had everything—begins to despair. But he notes in chapter 3, “[God] has also set eternity in the human heart” (v. 11). He understood that we must look outside ourselves for the answers to our biggest questions. The story of the Bible shows how those answers are found in Jesus. As the apostle Paul reminded us, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Paul concluded, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (v. 20). Jesus’ death and resurrection infuse our lives with meaning and purpose.
OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL 24TH MAY 2023 MESSAGE:
Watching the morning crowd pour onto the train, I felt the Monday blues kick in. From the sleepy, grumpy faces of those in the jam-packed cabin, I could tell no one looked forward to going to work. Frowns broke out as some jostled for space and more tried to squeeze in. Here we go again, another mundane day at the office.
Then, it struck me that just a year before, the trains would have been empty because COVID-19 lockdowns had thrown our daily routines into disarray. We couldn’t even go out for a meal, and some actually missed going to the office. But now we were almost back to normal, and many were going back to work—as usual. “Routine,” I realized, was good news, and “boring” was a blessing!
King Solomon came to a similar conclusion after reflecting on the seeming pointlessness of daily toil (Ecclesiastes 2:17–23). At times, it appeared endless, “meaningless,” and unrewarding (v. 21). But then he realized that simply being able to eat, drink, and work each day was a blessing from God (v. 24).
When we’re deprived of routine, we can see that these simple actions are a luxury. Let’s thank God that we can eat and drink and find satisfaction in all our toil, for this is His gift (3:13).
REFLECTION: What simple blessings can you thank God for today? What can you do for someone who’s in need or is unable to enjoy life’s simple routines?
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for my “usual” routines, no matter how boring they may seem at times. Help me to be grateful for Your every blessing in life.
Our Daily Bread Devotional 24 May 2023 || ODB for Wednesday 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
