Open Door Outreach Ministries

Open Door Outreach Ministries Go to www.opendooroutreach.org to learn more about our ministry.

02/28/2026

Our March Devotion. We pray it is a blessing.

HOPE’S GIFTS
“My hope is in thee” Psalm 39:7

HOPE’S FIRST MENTION

The first time the word hope appears in Scripture, it is ironically employed as an expression of a woman’s hopelessness. Her name is Naomi. She is known to us because she was Ruth’s mother-in-law. Ruth’s claim to fame, outside her own journey of faith, is her relationship to the future king: David. She was his great-grandmother. Naomi was at a low point in her life when she explained why she lacked hope. It’s understandable. She had suffered great loss, and her future looked bleak.

FINDING HOPE

Ruth did not rebuke her elder; she looked elsewhere for the hope she needed. She looked to Naomi’s God, whom Ruth had come to believe in during their years together. Ruth’s refusal to abandon hope was key to the turnaround in their circumstances.

HOPE’S LEGACY

No doubt this story was relayed to her great-grandson, David. It took hold. Later, as he faced significant trials in his faith journey, he declared to the Lord, “My hope is in thee” (Psalm 39:7). That stubborn hope served him well as he progressed in God’s plan for his life.

HOPE’S GIFTS

Books have been written about the benefits of sustaining hope. Here we will mention a few in hopes of refreshing your hope. These blessings include:

• Rest for the flesh – Psalm 16:9, Acts 2:26
• Uplift for the soul – Psalm 42:11
• Giving God pleasure – Psalm 147:11
• Comfort in the day of evil – Jeremiah 17:17
• Rejoicing- Romans 5:2; 12:12
• Hope’s role in bringing salvation – Romans 8:24
• Hope’s presence through the Scripture’s comfort – Romans 15:4
• Hope’s presence through the power of the Holy Ghost – Romans 15:13
• Boldness of faith – Philippians 1:20
• The hope which is laid up for us in heaven – Colossians 1:5
• Purification – I John 3:3

CHRIST OUR HOPE

Ultimately, our hope is founded in Christ and his:

• Resurrection – Philippians 3:11
• Glorious appearing – Titus 2:13
• Gift of eternal life -Titus 1:2

It is the better hope provided in Christ that provides the Grace we need to sustain our hope until we receive the hoped-for end, which is laid up for us in heaven (Colossians 1:5, Hebrews 7:19).

01/31/2026

Our February Devotion. We pray it is a blessing.

A LITTLE BREAD PLEASE
“Bread of life” John 6:35

A WEATHER REPORT

As I type these words, it is extremely cold and icy where I am. I’m not alone in this, however, as about 1/3 of the country is experiencing a nasty winter storm. From the other room, I can hear voices from the TV telling me: If you don’t have to go out, stay at home. Having spent years forced to get out on mornings like this for work, I heed the warnings. I am happily staying home, thankful that the power is still on and praying that it will remain so.

DEVOTION TIME

To make wise use of this no-go time, I turn to my morning devotions. On January 1 of this year, I began a chronological one-year Bible reading program on my Bible app. I want to make sure I read through the Bible this year, as I tend to do in-depth studies of Bible books that keep me in a single book for long periods. So far, I am enjoying it immensely. As it is chronological, we began by reading Genesis and are now mostly finished with the Book of Job.

BREAKFAST TIME

After my devotions, I decided to have breakfast. Over the last few days, I’ve thought about making biscuits—something I don’t do often. Today I put forth the effort. I followed my Grandmother’s recipe and soon had them in the oven. In short order, the eggs and sausage were ready too. I sat down and took a bite of that buttered biscuit. While I’d never claim they were as good as my Grandmother’s, they tasted good—they hit the spot. If I hadn’t been too lazy to make some gravy, the meal would have been perfect.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE GOOD HOT BREAD

There are few things as nourishing and satisfying as fresh, hot homemade bread. It uniquely fills and warms us, unlike other foods. Varying types of bread offer a wide variety to complement any meal. As any proper Southerner would attest, I find there are few meals as comforting as pinto beans and cornbread—especially with a bit of onion on the side, if you don't mind.

SPIRITUAL BREAD

Jesus understood all the attributes bread offers and its broad appeal. He knew the associations His hearers would make when He spoke of bread. This perhaps explains, at least in part, why Jesus used bread for one of His most powerful descriptions of what He desired to mean and be to His followers. He said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

THE BREAD’S PROMISE

Partaking of the spiritual bread Jesus gives does more than feed our bodies; it nourishes our souls. And He promised that if we come to Him, the Bread of Life, we would never hunger (John 6:35). So, as good as natural bread is, we cannot live by it alone. Only Jesus can give us the Bread that eternally quenches our hunger.

12/29/2025

Our January Devotion

“When Jesus was born” Matthew 2:1

TODAY IS CHRISTMAS

As I type these words, it is early Christmas morning. The ham is cooking, the desserts are finished, and the rest will be easy to complete. The presents are under the tree. It is quiet right now, but in a little while, a certain toddler will put an end to that. I love all of it. I love the food, the family gathering, the decorations, and the presents. I love the memories, both joyful and sad, that each Christmas evokes.

BUT IT’S NEW YEARS

But if you are reading this when it’s first posted, you might wonder why I am writing about Christmas when it’s the New Year. And though they are recent events, the tree trimming and the present-opening are now part of the past, and typically a New Year’s devotion emphasizes newness and looking forward.

THE OLD IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NEW

Believers in Jesus Christ recognize that there is no new without the old, and that there is no basis for looking forward unless we first look back. The believer looks back and sees:
• God created mankind to fellowship with and be His family.
• Satan entered into the picture and encouraged man to break that bond.
• God promised that, rather than abandoning mankind, He would fix the relationship.
• God restoring fellowship with people through Abraham and his descendants.
• God vowing to extend that fellowship through a divine sacrifice.
• Jesus, God’s son, came to earth, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself to pay the penalty for sin, restoring the lost fellowship to all who believe.
All our realistic hope for newness in the future rests on the past: the past actions of our God who loves us all. I don’t know of anyone who expressed the Christian’s hopes for newness, based entirely on what Jesus did for us, better than Pastor Edward Mote. In 1834, while taking a walk, the following glorious words filled His spirit.
“On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.”

Renew your hope, child of God, no matter what challenges you face. The hope is realistic and justified because its foundation is Christ.

11/30/2025

Our Christmas Devotion

THE GREATEST GIFT

“The gift of God” John 4:10

TODAY IS THANKSGIVING

As I type these words, it is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Thanksgiving Day has a long history. Though there was a Thanksgiving celebration in 1619 at Berkeley Hundred in Virginia, the modern holiday traces its roots to a three-day harvest feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe in 1621. Over the next two centuries, these celebrations were sporadic and state-level. In 1789, President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation. In 1863, President Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving to be held annually on the last Thursday of November, later standardized as the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.

BUT IT’S DECEMBER

However, if you are reading this when it’s first posted, you might wonder why I am writing about Thanksgiving Day when it’s December. My initial response is that a child of God should treat every day as a day of Thanksgiving. We should begin each day with thanks proceeding from our mouths, and gratefulness filling our hearts. There are a couple of other reasons, including:

• God’s abundance in your life – Consider your life and all God has blessed you with.
• God’s presence in your life – Where would you be if God had not rescued you from your sin?

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

And while it’s true, Thanksgiving Day is not officially marked in December, if there is any month in the year we should emphasis giving thanks to God, it is the month where most of us mark the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in Bethlehem, fulfilling God’s promises through His prophets to send a savior to redeem all who would receive Him. This gift of God is more valuable than any other gift could be. There is nothing that could be wrapped and placed under a lighted tree to even compare with it. So remember, as you hopefully gather with people you love during this season, feast on delicious food, and unwrap presents, the greatest gift is not under that tree. God provided it on another tree, the tree of Calvary, where Jesus shed His blood to give the gift of salvation. Truth is, Christmas as Thanksgiving could not be more appropriate.

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