On the Bubble

Hi, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled On the Bubble, was written by Ruth O'Reilly Smith. A news article in May 1970 contained one of the first uses of the idiom, on the bubble. Referring to a state of uncertainty, the expression was used in relation to rookie race car driver, Steve Krystaloff. He'd been on the bubble, having posted a slow qualifying lap for the Indianapolis 500.

Later, it was confirmed that his time, though the slowest of those who qualified, allowed him to compete in the race. We can feel at times that we're on the bubble, uncertain we have what it takes to compete in or finish the race of life. When we're feeling that way, it's important to remember that in Jesus, we're never on the bubble. As children of God, our place in his kingdom is secure. Our confidence flows from him who chose Jesus to be the cornerstone on which our lives are built, and he chose us to be living stones filled with the Spirit of God, capable of being the people God created us to be. In Christ, our future is secure as we hope in and follow him. For we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. In Jesus' eyes, we're not on the bubble.

We're precious and loved. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Peter 2 verses 4-10. As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him, you also, the living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture, it says, See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe the stone is precious, but to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.

They stumble because they disobey the message, which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you that in Christ, we aren't judged according to our performance, what we've done and how we do things wrong, but solely on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. Your grace and mercy is truly unlike anything this world can comprehend, yet it is ours for the taking when we put our faith in Christ. All we can say is thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.