Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled When Jesus Stops was written by Karen Huang.

For days, the sickly cat cried, huddled in a box near my workplace. Abandoned on the street,

the feline went unnoticed by many who passed by it, until June came along. The street sweeper

carried the animal home, where he lived with two dogs, which were former strays. I care for them,

because they're the creatures no one

notices, June said. I see myself in them. No one notices a street sweeper, after all.

In Luke chapter 18, as Jesus walked toward Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, a blind man

set begging by the roadside. He felt unnoticed,

too. And on this day especially, when a crowd was passing through and all eyes were focused on

Christ, no one stopped to help the beggar. No one except Jesus. In the midst of the clamoring crowd, he heard the forgotten man's cry.

What do you want me to do for you? Christ asked, and he received the heartfelt reply.

Lord, I want to see.

Then Jesus said, receive your sight. Your faith has healed you. Do we feel unnoticed at times?

Are our cries drowned out by people who seem to matter more than us? Our Savior notices

those the world doesn't care to notice. Call to him for help. While others may pass us by,

he'll stop for us. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Luke

chapter 18, verses 35 through 43.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

He called out, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.

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