Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Arthur Jackson wrote today's reading, and he titled it, Courage to Stand for Jesus.

In AD 155, the early church father Polycarp was threatened with death by fire for his faith in Christ.

He replied,

For 80 and six years, I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong.

How can I now blaspheme my king who saved me? Polycarp's response can be an inspiration for us when we face

extreme trial because of our faith in Jesus, our king. In John 13, just hours before Jesus' death,

Peter boldly pledged his allegiance to Christ, saying, I will lay down

my life for you. Jesus, who knew Peter better than Peter knew himself, replied, very truly,

I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. However, after Jesus's resurrection, the same one who denied him

began to serve him courageously and would eventually glorify him through his own death.

Are you a polycarp or a Peter? Most of us, if we're honest, are more of a Peter with a courage outage,

a failure to speak or act honorably as a believer in Jesus. Such occasions, whether in a classroom,

boardroom, or break room, need not indelibly define us. When those failures occur, we must prayerfully dust ourselves off

and turn to Jesus, the one who died for us and lives for us. He'll help us to be faithful to him

and courageously live for him daily in difficult places.

Today's Our Daily Brad Devotional Scripture reading is from John 13, verses 36 through 38, and chapter 21, verses 18 through 19.

Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied,

Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. Peter asked, Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. Then Jesus answered,

Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows,

you will disown me three times. Now chapter 21, verses 18 through 19.

Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted.

...