Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE Wednesday, November 11th, 2026
Psalm 122 (NLT)
1 Corinthians 9–11 (NLT)
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TODAY'S EPISODE: The Love That Makes Room for Others In today's readings, we encounter a beautiful vision of peace, freedom, and the self-giving love of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 122 is a song of pilgrimage, celebrating the joy of coming together in Jerusalem to worship God. The psalmist prays for the peace of the city, for the well-being of its people, and for the flourishing of those who dwell within its walls. It's a reminder that our relationship with God is never simply an individual experience. We are called into a community where the good of others matters.
Then, in 1 Corinthians 9–11, Paul continues teaching the Corinthians about the freedom they have received in Christ and the responsibility that comes with that freedom.
Paul explains that although he is free, he willingly makes himself a servant to others so that they might encounter the good news of Jesus. He challenges the Corinthians to consider how their choices affect those around them, particularly those who are vulnerable.
And in chapter 11, Paul addresses divisions within the community when they gather around the Lord's Table. Instead of being a place of mutual care and belonging, their shared meal has become a place where social divisions are reinforced and some are left hungry.
Paul reminds them that the table belongs to Jesus, the One who gave himself for the life of the world.
Together, these readings invite us to discover that Christian freedom is not simply about getting to do whatever we want. It is the freedom to give ourselves away in love.
Today's invitation is to recognize that the life of Christ takes shape within us as we make room for others, seek their well-being, and become people through whom God's peace is made visible.
TODAY'S DEVOTION: The Freedom to Give Ourselves Away There's something remarkable about what Paul says in today's reading from 1 Corinthians.
He tells the Corinthians that although he is free, he has made himself a servant to everyone.
Think about that.
He's free.
He's not bound by the expectations or demands of the people around him. He's not trying to establish his worth through religious performance. He's discovered the extraordinary freedom that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
And what does he do with that freedom?
He gives it away.
He makes himself a servant to others.
I love that.
Because we often think of freedom as the ability to do whatever we want.
Freedom means nobody gets to tell us what to do. Freedom means pursuing our own interests, protecting our own rights, and making choices based on what serves us best.
And certainly, there are important freedoms that we should cherish and protect.
But Paul is describing something deeper.
He's describing the freedom that comes from no longer needing to make ourselves the center of everything.
And I think that's something worth considering.
Because so much of our lives can become consumed with trying to establish our worth.
We want to be respected.
We want to be understood.
We want our opinions to matter.
We want to make sure that we're being treated fairly.
And those are understandable desires.
But sometimes, in our determination to protect ourselves, we can lose sight of the people around us.
We become so focused on what we're entitled to that we forget to ask what love might require of us.
And Paul invites us to see something different.
The freedom we have in Christ is not simply the freedom to live for ourselves. It is the freedom to participate in his self-giving love.
And when we look at Jesus, we discover exactly what that means.
We see the One who doesn't cling to status or power.
The One who takes the form of a servant.
The One who enters into our humanity, shares our suffering, and gives himself away for the life of the world.
This is what the love of God looks like.
And Paul wants that love to become visible in the lives of the Corinthians.
He tells them that he becomes all things to all people.
Now, I don't think Paul is suggesting that we should abandon our convictions or become whoever someone else wants us to be.
He's talking about something much more beautiful.
He's talking about the willingness to enter another person's world.
To understand their experience.
To recognize what matters to them.
To...
