A Remarkable Life

I'm glad you can join us for this Wednesday edition of Our Daily Bread. Today's reading was written by Lisa Samra, and it's titled A Remarkable Life. I came to learn about Catherine Hamlin, a remarkable Australian surgeon, through reading her obituary. In Ethiopia, Catherine and her husband established the world's only hospital dedicated to curing women from the devastating physical and emotional trauma of obstetric fistulas, a common injury in the developing world that can occur during childbirth.

Catherine is credited with overseeing the treatment of more than 60,000 women. Still operating at the hospital when she was 92 years old and still beginning each day with a cup of tea and Bible study, Hamlin told curious questioners that she was an ordinary believer in Jesus who was simply doing the job God had given her to do. I was grateful to learn about her remarkable life because she powerfully exemplified for me Scripture's encouragement to believers in 1 Peter 2, to live our lives in such a way that even people who actively reject God may see your good deeds and glorify God. The power of God's Spirit that called us out of spiritual darkness into a relationship with Him can also transform our work or areas of service into testimonies of our faith. In whatever passion or skill God has gifted us, we can embrace added meaning and purpose in doing all of it in a manner that has the power to point people to Him.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 9 through 12. 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. Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you have given us all a purpose. May we, like Catherine in today's story, actively seek to live out that purpose and display your love and grace in our words and actions today and forevermore. Thank you, Lord. It's in your name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.