DAILY BREAD READING (Published Daily by Our Daily Bread Ministries)
March 23, 2026
READ: 1 Corinthians 4 (Focus vs. 1-2 & 8-13)
MEMORY VERSE
“It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2
BACKGROUND
In March 2024, a US aerospace corporation failed a safety audit conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The audit came on the heels of multiple safety incidents, including a flight that had experienced a dangerous drop in cabin pressure when a door-plug panel on the jet had torn away.
A spokesman for the company acknowledged that the failures were due to instructions for employees being difficult to understand and altered too often, resulting in them not faithfully adhering to approved procedures.
Paul told the church at Corinth that they should view him and other leaders as faithful and approved “servants of Christ” and declared that he’d been “entrusted” with being a steward for God (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
Stewards in Paul’s day were entrusted with overseeing the management and distribution of household resources. Above everything else, a fundamental requirement for those given these responsibilities was faithfulness.
Paul labeled himself as a steward who “[worked] hard with [his] own hands” to live out his responsibilities (v. 12)—carefully using what God had given him, especially the wisdom He’d been given and the mysteries of the gospel (vv. 1-2).
As Jesus provides, let’s strive to be faithful stewards, adhering to His approved and flawless standard in our spiritual practices, work duties, and personal relationships.
Marvin Williams
INSIGHT
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address specific problems that had arisen in the Corinthian church:
Criticism of his ministry (chs. 1-4); sexual immorality (ch. 5); lawsuits (ch. 6); marriage, divorce, and singleness (ch. 7); food offered to idols (chs. 8-10); women in ministry and the Lord’s Supper (ch. 11); use of spiritual gifts (chs. 12-14); resurrection (ch. 15); and offerings (ch. 16).
In chapter 4, he deals with the root cause of these problems. The Corinthians’ arrogance, self-importance, and self-sufficiency (vv. 6-13) had caused division in the church.
The apostle deliberately and confidently uses himself as an example of how to be a faithful servant of Christ (vv. 1-2) and to live a Christlike life of simplicity, transparency, integrity, and humility. Today, we can ask God to help us be faithful stewards of what God has given us.
K.T. Sim
APPLICATION
How can we be faithful to the trust God has given us? What does it mean for you to be a steward for Him?
PR’s (Pastor Richard) RE-EMPHASIS (From Today’s Post)
“(As Believers we ought) to live a Christ-like life of simplicity, transparency, integrity, and humility… in our spiritual practices, work duties, and personal relationships.
PR’s TAKE
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11
PRAYER
“Heavenly Father, please help me be a faithful steward for You.”
TODAY’S HYMN/WORSHIP/PRAISE/GOSPEL SONG
“A CHARGE TO KEEP I HAVE”
A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill,
O may it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!
Arm me with watchful care
As in Thy sight to live,
And now Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!
Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.
