Our Daily Bread 28 September 2023 (Thursday Message)

Our Daily Bread 28 September 2023 (Thursday Message)

Welcome!!! Read Our Daily Bread Today’s Devotional for Thursday. 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.

Today’s Topic: Tend Your Garden

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 5–6; Ephesians 1

Bible Verse: Catch for us the foxes . . . that ruin the vineyards. – Song of Songs 2:15

Today’s Scripture: Song of Songs 2:8–17

INSIGHT – 28TH SEPTEMBER 2023 OUR DAILY BREAD:

Several questions have been asked regarding the Song of Songs (also known as the Song of Solomon). Who was the author? Some scholars believe it was written by Solomon; others, however, conclude that it could’ve been written for Solomon or about him. Should it be interpreted literally, as fiction, or as allegory (depicting “love” as God’s love for His people or as Christ’s love for His church)? Over the years, scholars have come to view the book as Wisdom Literature that extols the beauty and blessedness of human love in the context of marriage. Douglas Sean O’Donnell is one such scholar. In his commentary The Song of Solomon: An Invitation to Intimacy, he concludes that the book is a song about human love that was written to give us wisdom. By: Arthur Jackson

ODB 28 SEPTEMBER 2023 (THURSDAY MESSAGE)

I was so excited to plant our backyard fruit and veggie garden. Then I started to notice small holes in the dirt. Before it had time to ripen, our first fruit mysteriously disappeared. One day I was dismayed to find our largest strawberry plant had been completely uprooted by a nesting rabbit and scorched to a crisp by the sun. I wished I’d paid closer attention to the warning signs!

The beautiful love poem in Song of Songs records a conversation between a young man and woman. While calling to his darling, the man sternly warned against animals who would tear apart the lovers’ garden, a metaphor for their relationship. “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards,” he said (Song of Songs 2:15). Perhaps he saw hints of “foxes” that could ruin their romance, like jealousy, anger, deceit, or apathy. Because he delighted in the beauty of his bride (v. 14), he wouldn’t tolerate the presence of anything unwholesome. She was as precious as “a lily among thorns” to him (v. 2). He was willing to put in the work to guard their relationship.

Some of God’s most precious gifts to us are family and friends, although those relationships aren’t always easy to maintain. With patience, care, and protection from “the little foxes,” we trust that God will grow beautiful fruit. By: Karen Pimpo