OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL 5TH APRIL 2024 FRIDAY ODB MESSAGE
Our Daily Bread Devotional 5th April 2024 ODB TOPIC: God’s Presence
KEY VERSE: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. – Ecclesiastes 3:11
TODAY’S ODB DEVOTIONAL INSIGHT:
Ecclesiastes is different from other Wisdom Literature books of the Old Testament. It’s filled with skepticism, as life is described in terms that are often dark and cynical. Ecclesiastes contains several key ideas. The word meaningless (1:2) is used repeatedly and means “empty” or “futile.” Another term is under the sun (v. 3). It means “according to this world’s system or values.” Another repeated expression is “chasing after the wind” (v. 14). This phrase is a word picture describing “effort expended with no results gained since no one can catch the wind” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil?
10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
READ: Our Daily Bread Devotional 1st April 2024: Meeting Together in Jesus
Our Daily Bread Devotional 5th April 2024 MESSAGE:
Monique was struggling. She had friends who were believers in Jesus, and she respected how they handled life’s struggles. She was even a bit jealous of them. But Monique didn’t think she could live the way they did; she thought having faith in Christ was about following rules. Finally, a fellow college student helped her see that God wasn’t out to spoil her life; instead, He wanted the best for her amidst her ups and downs. Once she understood this, Monique was ready to trust Jesus as her Savior and embrace the magnificent truth about God’s love for her.
King Solomon could have given Monique similar advice. He acknowledged that this world does have its sorrows. Indeed, there’s a “time for everything” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)—“a time to mourn and a time to dance” (v. 4). But there’s more. God “has also set eternity in the human heart” (v. 11). An eternity meant to be lived in His presence.
Monique gained life “to the full,” as Jesus said (John 10:10), when she trusted Him. But she gained so much more! Through faith, the “eternity in [her] heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) became the promise of a future when life’s struggles will be forgotten (Isaiah 65:17) and God’s glorious presence will be an eternal reality.
REFLECT: How have you experienced the fulfilling life Jesus offers? What are some things about your life in Him that you’re thankful for?
PRAY: Dear Jesus, Solomon was right. Life is a rollercoaster. Thank You for making this life valuable and worth the effort. And thank You for the eternal joys that await.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Samuel 1-3; Luke 8:26-56
ALSO, READ: Our Daily Bread Devotional 31 March 2024: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today!
Our Daily Bread Devotional 5thBApril 2024 Friday 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
