Our Daily Bread -- God of the Ordinary

June 14, 2016

Read: Genesis 12:1-4; 17:1-2
Bible in a Year: Ezra 9-10; Acts 1

He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. —1 Corinthians 10:13

Hearing testimonies about how God did something spectacular in someone else’s life can challenge us. While we may rejoice to hear about answers to prayer, we may also wonder why God hasn’t done anything amazing for us lately.

It’s easy to think that if God showed up in astonishing ways for us like He did for Abraham, then we would be more inspired to be faithful servants of God. But then we remember that God showed up for Abraham every 12 to 14 years, and most of Abraham’s journey was rather ordinary (see Gen. 12:1-4; 15:1-6; 16:16-17:12).

God’s work is usually done behind the scenes in the ordinary things of life. As 1 Corinthians 10 says, “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.” Every day God is busy shielding us from devastating onslaughts of Satan that would otherwise leave us helplessly defeated. And when temptation hits, He is making exit ramps for us so we can escape.

When we put our head on the pillow at night, we should pause to thank God for the amazing things He has done for us that day in the midst of our ordinary lives. So, instead of longing for Him to do something spectacular for you, thank Him! He already has. —Joe Stowell

Lord, help me to be constantly aware that Your power and presence are with me even in the ordinary times in my life. Thank You for Your amazing work on my behalf that I know nothing about.

God is always in control behind the scenes, even on “ordinary” days.

INSIGHT: Sometimes we read past the ages of individuals listed in the Bible, unless of course they are shocking in some way (such as Methuselah, who was 969 years old when he died [Gen. 5:27]). When only a few details are recorded, they should be given special attention. We can ask, Why is this here? Abraham’s age in verse four of today’s reading is one such detail. Abraham was 75 when he answered the call to follow God. He grew up in an idolatrous society and a pagan home (Josh. 24:2). Perhaps the reason his age is listed is to show that God calls each person when and how He wills. To us it makes more sense to call a person to travel a great distance and start a large family when he or she is young. But the timing is God’s, even if it doesn’t make sense to us. J.R. Hudberg

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