Our Daily Bread 11th January 2023 for Wednesday
Welcome!!! Read Our Daily Bread Today’s Devotional for Wednesday. The word of God is food to the spirit man. Read and digest the word of the Lord for today and see how powerfully it will impact you.
Our Daily Bread Ministries 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.
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TODAY’S TOPIC: OUT OF THE LION’S DEN
Bible in a Year: Genesis 27–28; Matthew 8:18–34
Bible Verse: My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. Daniel 6:22
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 6:10–23
INSIGHT – 11TH JANUARY 2023 OUR DAILY BREAD:
Daniel 6 indicates it was unlawful for a Persian king to take back an official decree (vv. 8, 12, 15). So, despite regretting his edict (vv. 14, 18), King Darius allowed Daniel to receive the decreed sentence.
Being thrown into the lions’ den was a kind of sentence sometimes called “innocence by ordeal,” where someone accused is put in a situation that should result in death (such as death by lions, fire, or poison). If, by divine intervention, the person is miraculously saved from what should’ve been certain death, it was considered proven that they were innocent of wrongdoing. By: Monica La Rose
ODB 11 JANUARY 2023 (WEDNESDAY MESSAGE)
When Taher and his wife, Donya, became believers in Jesus, they knew they risked persecution in their home country. Indeed, one day Taher was blindfolded, handcuffed, imprisoned, and charged with apostasy. Before he appeared at trial, he and Donya agreed that they wouldn’t betray Jesus.
What happened at the sentencing amazed him. The judge said, “I don’t know why, but I want to take you out of the whale’s and lion’s mouths.” Then Taher “knew that God was acting”; he couldn’t otherwise explain the judge referencing two passages in the Bible (see Jonah 2; Daniel 6). Taher was released from prison and the family later found exile elsewhere.
Taher’s surprising release echoes the story of Daniel. A skilled administrator, he was going to be promoted, which made his colleagues jealous (Daniel 6:3–5). Plotting his downfall, they convinced King Darius to pass a law against praying to anyone other than the king—which Daniel ignored. King Darius had no choice but to throw him to the lions (v. 16). But God “rescued Daniel” and saved him from death (v. 27), even as He saved Taher through the judge’s surprising release.
Many believers today suffer for following Jesus, and sometimes they even are killed. When we face persecution, we can deepen our faith when we understand that God has ways we can’t even imagine. Know that He’s with you in whatever battles you face. By: Amy Boucher Pye
Our Daily Bread 11 January 2022 (Reflection & Prayer)
How do you respond to the story of Taher and Donya’s commitment to Christ? How can you trust in the unlimited power of God?
Saving God, help me to trust in You when the obstacles feel insurmountable.
