OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL READING APRIL 1, 2025 ODB MESSAGE
Our Daily Bread Devotional Reading April 1, 2025 TOPIC: Triumph of Kindness in Christ
BIBLE IN YEAR: Judges 13-15; Luke 6:27-49
KEY VERSE: But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit – Titus 3:4-5
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
1 Peter 3:8-12
INSIGHT FOR TODAY
In 1 Peter 3:10-12, Peter strengthens his point on how to respond to suffering by quoting from Psalm 34:12-16, a psalm that came out of one of David’s frightening experiences. Having escaped King Saul’s murderous pursuit, David ended up in Gath—the home of his former Philistine opponent, Goliath. When David’s identity is exposed, he pretends to be insane (1 Samuel 21:10-15) and escapes from Gath.
The account in 1 Samuel focuses on David’s apparent ingenuity in cleverly escaping danger, but in Psalm 34, as he reflects on the event, he sees that his rescue came from God, not his own scheme (v. 17). Peter’s use of this psalm captures the hopeful optimism of David, whose trust in God’s kind protection and care had been rewarded in his escape from Gath.
Our Daily Bread Devotional Reading April 1, 2025 MESSAGE
When Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in modern-day Major League Baseball, played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia on May 9, 1947, ten-year-old Doris was in the upper-deck stands with her father. When an elderly Black man made his way down the aisle to a seat next to them, her father led the way in getting acquainted. Doris said their conversation about scorekeeping made her feel “grown up.” She later reflected, “I’ve never forgotten that man and his smiling face.” The delightful interaction between Doris, a young White girl, and the kind, elderly man, who was the son of slaves, was a bright spot that day.
This was in stark contrast, however, to the hateful conduct Robinson had experienced at another game that season. He recounted that “in terms of race, they yelled everything at me; it was quite vicious.”
Vicious conduct isn’t limited to sports fields. Homes, neighborhoods, workspaces, and even our churches can be places where ugliness wins. Those who believe in the God who displayed kindness through His Son (see Titus 3:4), however, are called to do the same. Peter writes: “Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult” (1 Peter 3:8-9). Kindness triumphs when those who’ve received it from God share it generously with others as the Spirit helps them.
REFLECT: When are you tempted to be unkind? How have you been the recipient of kindness?
PRAY: Dear Father, I’m grateful for the kindness You’ve given through Jesus.
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. (Our Daily Bread 1st April 2025 Devotional)
