OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY
Our Daily Bread for today is here. Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).
The word of God is food to the spirit man. “Eat and digest” the word of the Lord for today and let its unchanging power nuture your faith and help in your daily walk to Christ.
The Topic of Our Daily Bread For 28th April 2025 is “Imitate Me”
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 3-5: Luke 20:1-26
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Today’s Scripture & Insight: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In 2 Thessalonians 2, some believers in Jesus had quit their jobs and were living off the generosity of the church because they’d been misled by false teachers that Jesus had already returned (v. 2). These freeloaders had become “busybodies” and threatened the unity of the community (3:11). Paul told the church to withdraw fellowship (v. 6) and withhold food from these idlers who disobeyed the church’s teaching and rejected the apostle’s example of working for a living (vv. 7-10). The church must continue to do “what is good” and help those who are unable to work (v. 13). But Paul says, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (v. 10). The apostle commanded these idlers to get back to fruitful employment and productivity: “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat” (v. 12). By doing so, they imitated Paul, who sought to imitate Jesus.
By: K.T. Sim
Click Here to Read Previous ODB Devotional
ODB MESSAGE FOR TODAY
As his daddy cast his fishing line out into the lake, two-year-old Thomas mimicked his father’s actions with his own toy fishing pole. Later, as he stood on the shallow edge of the lake, Thomas also tried imitating his father’s example of throwing fish back into the water by dipping his pole in the water and ‘catching’ weeds. After each ‘catch’, Thomas held the weeds up for his daddy to admire before releasing them back into the lake.
We tend to learn—both what’s good and wholesome and what’s definitely not—through observing and imitating others. Perhaps that’s why in the New Testament, followers of Jesus are often encouraged to look to faithful servants of the gospel as role models (see 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Hebrews 13:7; 3 John 1:11).
In 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul gave examples of behaviour not to imitate (idle, disruptive and meddling lifestyles; vv. 6, 11) and told his readers to imitate instead the examples of integrity found in him and the other leaders (vv. 7-10). And he encouraged them to “never tire of doing what is good” (v. 13).
But Paul knew that ultimately his example was only worth imitating insofar as it pointed to reliance on Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Only by rooting our lives in Christ’s faith and power can we grow in grace and wisdom.
By: Alyson Kieda
Reflect & Pray
Who has been a godly role model in your life? Who might you influence in turn?
Our Daily Bread 2025 Devotional is written by Con Campbell and published by Our Daily Bread Ministries. Read more
Visit the ODB official website here: www.odb.org
