Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Taken in was written by David Roper.

My old dog sits by my side and stares off into space, a penny for her thoughts.

One thing I know she isn't thinking about is dying, because dogs don't understand.

They don't think about future things, but we do.

No matter our age or health or wealth, we at some point think about dying.

That's because we, unlike beasts, have understanding, according to Psalm 4920.

We know that we will die, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Verse 7 says, no one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them. No one has enough money to

buy himself or herself out of the grave. But there is a way out of the finality of death. God will

redeem me from the realm of the dead, insists the psalmist. He will surely take me to himself.

Robert Frost said,

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.

1 Timothy 2 tells us that God has redeemed us from death through his son, who gave

himself as a ransom for all people. Thus, Jesus promised in John 14 that when our time comes, he will greet us

and take us in. When my time comes, Jesus, who gave to God the price of my life, will welcome

me into his father's house with open arms.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 49 verses 5 through 20.

Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches,

no one can redeem the life of another, or give to God a ransom for them.

The ransom for a life is costly.

No payment is ever enough, so that they should live on forever and not see decay.

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