OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY
Our Daily Bread for today, 16th April 2026, is here. Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).
The word of God is food to the spirit man. “Eat and digest” the word of the Lord for today and let its unchanging power nurture your faith and help in your daily walk to Christ.
The Topic of Our Daily Bread For 16th April 2026 is “Hollow Willow”
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 30-31, Luke 13:23-35
Memory Verse: Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
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ODB MESSAGE FOR TODAY
When explaining how valuable he found time with an older advisor who regularly listened to his concerns, Tomáš said, “He is my hollow willow.” When I looked at him blankly, Tomáš explained that the phrase is a Slovak expression signifying someone who keeps your secrets. In essence, the person is like a willow tree holding confidential information safely within its trunk.
It’s a treasure to have someone to whom we can confide our deepest fears and longings. Perhaps speaking from his own experience, in a section of Proverbs highlighting the power of our words, King Solomon commended the individual who displays discretion or can “[hold] their tongue” (Proverbs 11:12).
He also contrasted two people: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret” (v. 13). The comparison is a helpful reminder to carefully steward private conversations, though we shouldn’t remain silent if we’re genuinely concerned for someone’s safety.
In our digital world where we can quickly spread information, it can be tempting (and easy) to share juicy details that might generate reactions. But gossip not only hurts the individual who trusted you enough to share, it also causes significant damage to relationships when confidences are broken. We can all aspire to be “hollow willows,” people of integrity who can be trusted to keep a confidence.
Reflect & Pray
Who’s someone you know that embodies the ideal of a “hollow willow?” How might you hold others’ words well?
Dear God, please help me steward others’ words responsibly.
Our Daily Bread 2026 Devotional is written by Lisa M. Samra and published by Our Daily Bread Ministries. Read more
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