Never Give Up

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading, titled, Never Give Up, was written by Patricia Rabin. Time went by. War came in. That's how Bishop Seminego of the Kaliko people of South Sudan described delays in his church's long struggle to get the Bible in their own language.

Not one word, in fact, had ever been printed in the Kaliko language. Decades earlier, Bishop Nigo's grandfather had courageously started a Bible translation project, but war and unrest kept halting the effort. Yet, despite repeated attacks on their refugee camps in northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the bishop and fellow believers kept the project alive. Their persistence paid off. After nearly three decades, the New Testament Bible in Kaliko was delivered to the refugees in a rousing celebration.

The motivation of the Kaliko is beyond words, said one project consultant. The commitment of the Kaliko reflects the perseverance God asked of Joshua. As God told him in Joshua 1-8, keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful. With equal persistence, the Kaliko pursued the translation of scripture. Now, when you see them in the camps, they are smiling, said one translator. Hearing and understanding the Bible gives them hope. Like the Kaliko people, may we never give up, seeking the power and wisdom of scripture. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from the book of Joshua chapter 1 verses 1-9.

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide, Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates, all the Hittite country, to the Mediterranean Sea in the West. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of the scriptures and how we grow and mature as we study. Stir up in us a greater hunger to know you better and allow you to guide us through your spirit as we apply what we learn to our lives. Thank you, God, for your great love for us. May our lives reflect our great love for you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.