Walk On

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled Walk On was written by Lisa M. Samra. Walk On is the fascinating memoir of Ben Malcomson, a student with virtually no football experience who became a walk-on, a non-recruited player, for the 2007 University of Southern California Rose Bowl champion team. A college journalist, Malcomson decided to write a first-person account of the grueling tryout process. To his disbelief, he won a coveted spot on the team. After joining the team, Malcomson's faith compelled him to find God's purpose for him in this unexpected opportunity. But his teammates' indifference to discussions of faith left him discouraged. As he prayed for direction, Malcomson read the powerful reminder in Isaiah where God says, My word will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Inspired by Isaiah's words, Malcomson anonymously gave every player on the team a Bible.

Again, he was met with rejection. But years later, Malcomson learned one player had read the Bible he'd been given and shortly before his tragic death had demonstrated a relationship with and hunger for God who he discovered in the pages of that Bible. It's likely that many of us have shared Jesus with a friend or family member only to be met with indifference or outright rejection. But even when we don't see results right away, God's truth is powerful and will accomplish his purposes in his timing. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 55 verses 9 through 11. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth.

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we so desperately want our loved ones to experience your life-changing and saving power and we can become so discouraged when they resist. Thank you for the reminder that your word will always accomplish your purposes. Help us to continue to share you with our loved ones and trust you with their life. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Rachelle Trowb and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.