OUR DAILY BREAD 26TH JULY 2026, SUNDAY ODB READING MESSAGE
OUR DAILY BREAD 26TH JULY 2026, SUNDAY ODB READING MESSAGELiving Water of Christ
Lisa M. Samra
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
John 4:7-8, 13-18, 21, 23-26
KEY VERSE: Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. John 4:14
INSIGHT FOR TODAY
Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is remarkable on two counts. When He asked her for water, she responded, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9). Jews had no dealings with Samaritans because they were a people of mixed-race (see 2 Kings 17:24-41). The woman was also likely surprised that Christ, a man, would speak to her as a woman, for that rarely happened in a public setting. In both cases, Jesus displayed kindness that overruled man-made boundaries. As we encounter people today, God can help us share His love with humility and kindness.
Read Our Daily Bread 26 July 2026 – MESSAGE
As I gazed at the intricate etching Christ and the Woman of Samaria by Dutch artist Rembrandt, two interesting details caught my eye. The first was Jesus’ humble pose—leaning over, with His hand over His heart—as he addressed the Samaritan woman. Due to centuries of hostilities between the two groups, Jews typically didn’t “associate with Samaritans” (John 4:9). Yet Jesus reached out with respect and dignity to a woman considered an outcast (vv. 17-18).
Jesus knew the woman’s struggles and offered “living water” (v. 10) to satisfy her deepest need—the gift of cleansing and life-giving grace available through a restored relationship with God.
The second detail that caught my eye was the dark shadow covering the woman’s face, symbolizing her initial struggle to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, or Israel’s promised rescuer. When the woman told Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming” (v. 25) and He responded, “I am he” (v. 26), her eyes and heart were opened (v. 29).
As we encounter people who are spiritually thirsty, Jesus’ example reminds me to speak with humility and kindness, praying for God to remove the shadow that “has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4) so they can fully understand Christ’s life-changing offer of living water.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalms 40-42; Acts 27:1-26
REFLECT: How did you first experience Christ’s “living water”? Who can you pray for that needs Jesus’ gift of living water?
PRAY: Heavenly Father, with Your kindness and humility, please help me share with the hurting Your offer of living, life-transforming water.
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.
