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The Bruised Reed

July 4, 2026
00:00

The Lord calls His servants to be humble and serve others. We are not to trample on the weak but to help them.

Colin Smith: The will of God gets done in this world by a servant of whom God says, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." When a reed bends, it usually gets trampled on. And if a candle is burning low, you snuff it out and light another one. But God says that his servant will not do that.

Perhaps you can identify with the bruised reed. You've been trampled on, and now you struggle to stand up. Or perhaps you can relate to the smoldering wick. There was a time when your faith burned brightly, but now there's barely a flicker of faith in your soul.

If that's where you are, Jesus is the savior you need. If you feel like a bruised reed or a smoldering wick, there's hope in Jesus Christ for you. Are you open to learning the Bible story? Well then come to openthebible.org.

This transcript is provided as a written companion to the original message and may contain inaccuracies or transcription errors. For complete context and clarity, please refer to the original audio recording. Time-sensitive references or promotional details may be outdated. This material is intended for personal use and informational purposes only.

Featured Offer

Grow in Love by Colin Smith

Everyone longs for hope. Everyone needs love. And everyone needs something—or someone—to believe in. The Christian life is marked by three enduring gifts—faith, hope, and love. In Grow in Love, you’ll spend 30 days exploring the transforming power of God’s love, learning to receive it fully and share it generously with others. This book can be read on its own or alongside Grow in Faith and Grow in Hope as part of a devotional journey through the enduring gifts of faith, hope, and love.

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About Open the Bible Minute

Open the Bible is the teaching ministry of Pastor Colin Smith. Our mission is to use a broad array of modern media to help people around the world meet Jesus. We do this by opening the Bible for them, helping them open the Bible themselves, and equipping them to open the Bible with others.

About Colin Smith

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.

He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.

Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith

Mailing Address
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
Telephone
1-877-OPEN-365