Our Daily Bread -- What’s in the Bank? January 15, 2016

Read: Ephesians 2:4-7 Bible in a Year: Genesis 36-38; Matthew 10:21-42 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —Hebrews 4:16 In the winter of 2009, a large passenger plane made an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. The pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who landed the plane safely with no casualties, was later asked about those moments in the air when he was faced with a life-or-death decision. “One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on [that day] the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” Most of us will at some time face a crisis. Perhaps it will be a job termination or the results of a medical test, or the loss of a precious family member or friend. It is in those times that we must dig down deep into the reserves of our spiritual bank account. And what might we find there? If we have enjoyed a deepening relationship with God, we’ve been making regular “deposits” of faith. We have experienced His grace (2 Cor. 8:9; Eph. 2:4-7). We trust the promise of Scripture that God is just and faithful (Deut. 32:4; 2 Thess. 3:3). God’s love and grace are available when His children need to make a “withdrawal” (Ps. 9:10; Heb. 4:16). —Cindy Hess Kasper Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord God! Each day I see You provide for me and show me mercy. Thank You. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past strengthens us for the future. INSIGHT: In today’s text Paul reminds the believers in the church at Ephesus that their salvation is wholly God’s doing—after all, dead things (v. 5) can’t do anything to change their situation. But Paul doesn’t stop with the reminder that it is God who makes us alive. He adds that the goal of that gracious action is to show the incomparable riches of God’s grace. God saves us to show us who He is. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2016, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription