Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled, Trying to Save Ourselves, was written by Marvin Williams.

Many years ago, New York City launched a stay-safe, stay-put ad campaign to educate people on how to stay calm and be safe

when trapped in an elevator. Experts reported that some trapped passengers had died when they

tried to pry open the elevator doors or attempted exiting by some other means. The best plan of

action is to simply use the alarm button to call for help

and wait for emergency responders to arrive. The Apostle Paul spelled out a very different type of

rescue plan, one to help those trapped in the downward pull of sin. He reminded the Ephesians

of their utter spiritual helplessness,

being truly dead in their sins. They were trapped, obeying the devil, and refusing to submit to God.

This resulted in them being the subject of God's wrath. But he didn't leave them trapped in their spiritual darkness. And those who

believe in Jesus, the apostle wrote, by grace have been saved. A response to God's rescue

initiative results in faith. And faith means we'll give up trying to save ourselves and call on Jesus to rescue us.

By God's grace, being rescued from sins trap doesn't originate with us.

It's the gift of God through Jesus alone.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 10.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world

and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,

God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions.

It is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him

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