DAILY BREAD READING (Published Daily by Our Daily Bread Ministries)
JULY 30, 2026
READ: Colossians 3 (Focus vs. 1-4)
MEMORY VERSE
“You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
BACKGROUND
Heartwood is the central supporting pillar of certain trees. Although dead, it won’t decay or lose strength while the outer, living layers are intact.
Composed of fibers bound together by a chemical glue called lignin, heartwood can be as strong as steel. This element of a tree’s structure enables it to survive nature’s travails.
When Paul encouraged the Colossians to live a resurrected life, he could have used the metaphor of heartwood to express how those who have been saved are transformed. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
While Paul’s reference to us as “dead” might seem discouraging, when understood from the perspective of the resurrection we grasp the hope of such a statement. God transforms the dead core of our beings, strengthening us in the power of the resurrected Jesus to endure the trials of this life.
Our prior inner beings are as dead as the heartwood of a tree. Yet we still exist as the unique people God created us to be—and more. We’re made new (Revelation 21:5). We’re new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Jesus “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
We see a living example of how the structure of trees represents our life in Christ. Thanks be to God for transforming us from death to life!
Elisa Morgan
INSIGHT
In his letters, Paul frequently talks about how believers in Jesus have “died” (Colossians 3:3) to sin. In Romans 6, the apostle reminds believers that they’ve been united with Christ in His death and will be “united with him in a resurrection like his.
For we know that the old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with” (vv. 5-6). Because of Jesus’ death, sin is no longer our master. We no longer live to gratify our desires or “cravings of our flesh” (Ephesians 2:3) because we serve another master, Christ.
Our sins are forgiven, and we’re alive in Him. He’s canceled the debt we owed and could never pay “by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). That doesn’t mean we no longer sin, but that God helps us in our struggles, transforming us to be more like Him.
Alyson Kieda
APPLICATION
What does understanding God’s heartwood in trees teach you about Him? How are you embracing His transformational power in your life?
PR’s (Pastor Richard) RE-EMPHASIS (From Today’s Post)
“Our sins are forgiven, and we’re alive in Him. He’s canceled the debt we owed and could never pay “by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). That doesn’t mean we no longer sin, but that God helps us in our struggles, transforming us to be more like Him.”
PR’s TAKE
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
PRAYER
“Dear God, I pray You would strengthen my inner being, my life hidden in You.”
TODAY’S HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“NEW LIFE” Olivia Branch Walker
I moved from my old house
I moved from my old friends
I moved from my old way of strife
Thank God I moved out to a brand new life
He changed my old way with words
He changed my old leveled mind
He changed my heart and gave me a new start
Thank God I moved out to a brand new life
Can?t you see I’m a new man
Don’t you know I got a new name
And one day I’ll live in that new land
Because I moved out to a brand new life
I got a new walk
New walk
I got a new talk
New talk
I got a new look
New look
I got a new name
New name
I got a new heart
New heart
I got a new mind
New mind
I got a new home
New home
And a new start is going my way
Yes it is
Because I moved out to a brand new life
