Category Archives: Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Solving The Mystery

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8

 

Read: Romans 5:1-11
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 10:1-31

One of the most popular tourist attractions in England is the giant stone pillars of Stonehenge. These massive pieces of granite are also a great source of mystery. Every year, people travel to Stonehenge with questions such as: Why were they erected? Who accomplished this extraordinary engineering marvel? And perhaps we wonder most of all how they did it. But visitors leave having received no answers from the silent stones. The mystery remains.

The Scriptures speak of a greater mystery—the fact that God came to live among us as a man. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16, “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”

This brief overview of the life of Christ—the mystery of godliness—is remarkable. What prompted the Creator of the universe to come and live and die for His creation, however, is not a mystery. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). God’s great love for us is at the root of the mystery of godliness, and the cross has made it plain for all to see. —Bill Crowder

Lord, we may not understand everything You have done for us, or how You have done it. But we know You love us and sent Jesus to die for us, and that is all we need to know.

How Christ became a human being may be a mystery, but God’s love isn’t.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Start With Me

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Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4

 

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Bible in a Year: Numbers 34-36; Mark 9:30-50

I call them Mell Notes—little comments my daughter Melissa made in her Bible to help her apply a passage to her life.

In Matthew 7, for instance, she had drawn a box around verses 1 and 2 that talk about not judging others because, when you do, “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Next to it she wrote this Mell Note: “Look at what you are doing before you look at others.”

Melissa was an “others-oriented” teen. She lived the words of Philippians 2:4. Her classmate Matt, who knew her from church nursery through her final days in the eleventh grade when she died in a car accident, said of Melissa at her memorial service: “I don’t think I ever saw you without a smile or something that brightened up people’s days.” Her friend Tara said this: “Thanks for being my friend, even when no one else was as nice and cheerful as you.”

In a day in which harsh judgment of others seems to be the rule, it’s good to remember that love starts with us. The words of Paul come to mind: “Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

What a difference we’ll make if, when we look at others, we say, “Love starts with me.” And wouldn’t that be a great reflection of God’s love for us? —Dave Branon

Lord, thank You for the great love You lavished on us when You sent Your Son to die and be resurrected so that we could be with You eternally. In response, help us to love others. Lord, we want to be like You.

Embracing God’s love for us is the key to loving others.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — House-Hunting Ants

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Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. —Psalm 90:1

 

Read: Numbers 13:25–14:19
Bible in a Year: Numbers 31-33; Mark 9:1-29

According to researchers from the University of Bristol, the European rock ant may be better than we are at staying on top of the housing market. The researchers found that the ant colonies use scout ants to continually monitor their colonies’ living conditions. Using social skills complex enough to stun the scientists, the rock ants work together to find the right living space, darkness, and security needed to give the queen mother and her larvae the best available housing.

In the days of Moses, the families of Israel were looking for a new home. The slave yards of Egypt had been brutal. The wilderness of Sinai was no place to settle down. But there was a problem. According to Israelite scouts, the homeland to which God was leading them was already occupied—by walled cities and giants who made the scouts feel like grasshoppers in their own eyes (Num. 13:28,33).

Sometimes it may be helpful to compare ourselves to insects. House-hunting rock ants instinctively follow the ways of their Creator. But we often let our fears keep us from following and trusting God. When we rest in the assurance of His presence and love, we can say, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” —Mart DeHaan

Father in heaven, please help us to see that today there is no better place to live than in Your presence and love. Help us learn to settle in and be comfortable with our place in You.

Finding ourselves at home in God is a good place to be.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Season For Everything

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To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. —Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Bible in a Year: Numbers 28-30; Mark 8:22-38

If you’re like me, you’ve struggled with having to say no to taking on a new responsibility—especially if it’s for a good cause and directly related to helping others. We may have sound reasons for carefully selecting our priorities. Yet sometimes, by not agreeing to do more, we may feel guilty or we may think that somehow we have failed in our walk of faith.

But according to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, wisdom recognizes that everything in life has its own season—in human activities as in the realm of nature. “There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (3:1).

Perhaps you are getting married or becoming a parent for the first time. Maybe you are leaving school and entering the workforce, or moving from fulltime work to retirement. As we move from season to season, our priorities change. We may need to put aside what we did in the past and funnel our energy into something else.

When life brings changes in our circumstances and obligations, we must responsibly and wisely discern what kind of commitments we should make, seeking in whatever we do to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Proverbs 3:6 promises that as we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will guide us in the way we should go. —Poh Fang Chia

Heavenly Father, give me Your wisdom to know what priorities I need to have at this season of my life. Guide me in all that I do. I only want to bring You the honor You deserve with the way I live.

Commitment to Christ is a daily calling that challenges us.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Deadly Weapon

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Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; . . . they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31

 

Read: Nehemiah 4:1-10
Bible in a Year: Numbers 26-27; Mark 8:1-21

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali used several ring tactics to defeat his opponents; one tactic was taunting. In his fight with George Foreman in 1974, Ali taunted Foreman, “Hit harder! Show me something, George. That don’t hurt. I thought you were supposed to be bad.” Fuming, Foreman punched away furiously, wasting his energy and weakening his confidence.

It’s an old tactic. By referring to Nehemiah’s efforts at rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem as nothing more than a fox’s playground (Neh. 4:3), Tobiah intended to weaken the workers with poisonous words of discouragement. Goliath tried it on David by despising the boy’s simple weapons of a sling and stones (1 Sam. 17:41-44).

A discouraging remark can be a deadly weapon. Nehemiah refused to surrender to Tobiah’s discouragements, just as David rejected Goliath’s diabolical teasing. Focusing on God and His help rather than on their discouraging situations, David and Nehemiah both achieved victory.

Taunting can come from anybody, including those who are close to us. Responding to them negatively only saps our energy. But God encourages us through His promises: He will never forsake us (Ps. 9:10; Heb. 13:5), and He invites us to rely on His help (Heb. 4:16). —Lawrence Darmani

Lord, it’s easy to let discouragement sap my energy and joy. Help me to reject all agents of discouragement in my life and to trust in You for comfort and strength.

If you’re in a tunnel of discouragement, keep walking toward the Light.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Learn The Cost

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You were bought at a price. —1 Corinthians 6:20

 

Read: 1 Peter 1:17-21
Bible in a Year: Numbers 23-25; Mark 7:14-37

We gave our 2-year-old son a pair of new boots recently. He was so happy that he didn’t take them off until it was bedtime. But the next day he forgot all about the boots and put on his old sneakers. My husband said, “I wish he knew how much things cost.”

The boots were expensive, but a young child doesn’t know about working hours, salaries, and taxes. A child receives the gifts with open arms, but we know that he can’t be expected to fully appreciate the sacrifices his parents make to give him new things.

Sometimes I behave like a child. With open arms I receive God’s gifts through His many mercies, but am I thankful? Do I consider the price that was paid so I can live a full life?

The cost was expensive—more than “corruptible things, like silver or gold.” As we read in 1 Peter, it required “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1:18-19). Jesus gave His life, a high price to pay, to make us part of His family. And God raised Him from the dead (v.21).

When we understand the cost of our salvation, we learn to be truly thankful. —Keila Ochoa

Lord, help me to understand, to take in what it meant for You, the Holy One, to bear my sin. Remind me to give You thanks for salvation and for all the ways You show me Your love throughout my day today.

Salvation is infinitely costly, but absolutely free.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Catching Up With Us

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When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning. —Psalm 32:3

 

Read: Psalm 32:1-5
Bible in a Year: Numbers 20-22; Mark 7:1-13

A pastor told this story on himself in his local newspaper. He was chatting with an older man to whom he had just been introduced. “So, you used to work for a utility company,” the pastor said, naming the organization. “Sure did,” the man responded. The pastor remarked that when he was a kid the cables from that company ran across his parents’ property. “Where did you live?” the man asked. When the pastor told him, the man said, “I remember that property. I had a tough time keeping the cable warning signs up. Kids were always shooting them down.” When the pastor’s face flushed with embarrassment, the man said, “You were one of the shooters, weren’t you?” And indeed he was.

The pastor labeled his confessional story: “Be sure your signs will find you out,” a clever play on Moses’ words in Numbers 32:23: “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Old wrongs have a way of catching up with us. And old sins that have not been dealt with can lead to serious consequences. As David laments in Psalm 32: “When I kept silent, my bones grew old.” But confessing our wrong restores our fellowship with the Lord: “I acknowledged my sin to You . . . and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (v.5). Through confession, we can enjoy God’s forgiveness. —Dave Branon

Dear Lord, it’s time to come clean with You.
I’ve held on to _____________ for too long.
Thank You that this sin is under the blood of
Christ. Restore me to fellowship with You.

Christians can erase from their memory what God has erased from the record.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Our Daily Bread — A Consistent Life

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He knelt down on his knees . . . and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. —Daniel 6:10

 

Read: Daniel 6:1-10
Bible in a Year: Numbers 17-19; Mark 6:30-56

While studying the book of Daniel, I was struck by how easily he could have avoided being thrown into the den of lions. Daniel’s jealous rivals in the government of Babylon laid a trap based on his consistent practice of daily prayer to God (Dan. 6:1-9). Daniel was fully aware of their plot and could have decided to pray privately for a month until things settled down. But that was not the kind of person he was.

“When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (v.10). Daniel did not panic, nor bargain with God. Instead, he continued “just as he had done before” (v.10 niv). He was not intimidated by the pressure of persecution.

The lesson for me was the power of Daniel’s life of consistent devotion to the Lord. His strength came from God, whom Daniel wanted to please every day. When a crisis came, Daniel didn’t need to change his daily practice to meet it. He simply stayed committed to his God. —David McCasland

Father, I want to stand for You when persecution
comes as Daniel did. Give me that same bold
commitment to pray and not to be ashamed of
knowing You. Help me to live my faith publicly.

God empowers us to stand for Him as we bow to pray.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Changed Perspective

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Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. —Acts 17:16

 

Read: Acts 17:16-23
Bible in a Year: Numbers 15-16; Mark 6:1-29

As an early riser, my wife enjoys the quiet moments before the house wakes up and uses it to read the Bible and pray. Recently she settled into her favorite chair, only to be confronted by a rather messy couch left there by “someone” watching a football game the night before. The mess distracted her at first, and her frustration with me interrupted the warmth of the moment.

Then a thought hit her, and she moved to the couch. From there, she could look out our front windows to the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean. The beauty of the scene God painted that morning changed her perspective.

As she told me the story, we both recognized the lesson of the morning. While we can’t always control the things of life that impact our day, we do have a choice. We can continue to brood over the “mess,” or we can change our perspective. When Paul was in Athens, “he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16 niv). But when he changed his perspective, he used their interest in religion as an opportunity to proclaim the true God, Jesus Christ (vv.22-23).

As my wife left for work, it was time for someone else to change his perspective—for me to let the Lord help me to see my messes through her eyes and His. —Randy Kilgore

Dear Lord, grant us the wisdom to change
our perspective rather than linger over messes.
Help us to see—and fix—the “messes”
we make for others.

Wisdom is seeing things from God’s perspective.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Our Daily Bread — His Choice

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God from the beginning chose you for salvation. —2 Thessalonians 2:13

 

Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
Bible in a Year: Numbers 12-14; Mark 5:21-43

When our children were small, I often prayed with them after we tucked them into bed. But before I prayed, I sometimes would sit on the edge of the bed and talk with them. I remember telling our daughter Libby, “If I could line up all the 4-year-old girls in the world, I would walk down the line looking for you. After going through the entire line, I would choose you to be my daughter.” That always put a big smile on Libby’s face because she knew she was special.

If that was a smile-worthy moment for her, think of the grace-filled fact that the Creator-God of the universe “from the beginning chose you for salvation” (2 Thess. 2:13). Before time began, He desired to make you His own. This is why Scripture often uses the picture of adoption to communicate the amazing reality that, through no merit or worthiness of our own, we have been chosen by Him.

This is stunning news! We are “beloved by the Lord” (v.13) and enjoy the benefits of being part of His family. This glorious truth should fill our lives with humility and gratitude. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us . . . establish you in every good word and work” (vv.16-17). —Joe Stowell

I will be forever grateful that I am Your child,
Father, and that You love me! Teach me to remember
all the benefits of belonging to You, and may I
serve You faithfully as part of Your family.

It’s God’s choice to love you and to make you part of His family.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Longing For Rescue

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She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21

 

Read: Matthew 1:18-25
Bible in a Year: Numbers 9-11; Mark 5:1-20

The movie Man of Steel, released in 2013, is a fresh imagining of the Superman story. Filled with breathtaking special effects and nonstop action, it drew crowds to movie theaters around the world. Some said that the film’s appeal was rooted in its amazing technology. Others pointed to the enduring appeal of the “Superman mythology.”

Amy Adams, the actress who plays Lois Lane in the movie, has a different view of Superman’s appeal. She says it is about a basic human longing: “Who doesn’t want to believe that there’s one person who could come and save us from ourselves?”

That’s a great question. And the answer is that someone has already come to save us from ourselves, and that someone is Jesus. Several announcements were made regarding the birth of Jesus. One of them was from the angel Gabriel to Joseph: “She [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Jesus came—He did so to save us from our sin and from ourselves. His name means “the Lord saves”—and our salvation was His mission. The longing for rescue that fills the human heart ultimately is met by Jesus.—Bill Crowder

Shout salvation full and free, Highest hills and deepest caves; This our song of victory—Jesus saves! Jesus saves! —Owens

Jesus’ name and mission are the same— He came to save us.

INSIGHT: When the angel spoke to Joseph about Mary’s baby, he said that the child’s name would be a clue to His identity: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus would also be called “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (v.23). Jesus came to rescue us.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Unseen World

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The Angel of the Lord [was] standing in the way. —Numbers 22:23

 

Read: Numbers 22:21-31
Bible in a Year: Numbers 7-8; Mark 4:21-41

Did you know that the microbes on just one of your hands outnumber all of the people on the earth? Or that millions of microbes could fit into the eye of a needle? These one-celled, living organisms are too small for us to see without a microscope, yet they live in the air, soil, water, and even in our bodies. We constantly interact with them, even though their world is completely beyond our senses.

The realities of the spiritual world are also often not visible to us humans, as the prophet Balaam discovered. He was trudging along the road with his two servants when his donkey “saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand” (Num. 22:23). To avoid the angel, the animal walked into a field, crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall, and lay down with Balaam still on her back. Balaam was angry and struck the donkey. He didn’t realize something supernatural was going on—until God opened his eyes (v.31).

The Bible tells us that a spiritual world does exist, and we may sometimes encounter realities from that realm—both good and bad (Heb. 13:2; Eph. 6:12). Because of this, we are encouraged to be watchful, prayerful, and prepared. Just as God rules the world we see, He also rules the unseen world.—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Heavenly Father, help us to be strong in You and in the power of Your might. Open our eyes so that we may see the spiritual realities You have for us.

All that is seen and unseen is under God’s sovereign power.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Ask The Author

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We have the mind of Christ. —1 Corinthians 2:16

Read: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
Bible in a Year: Numbers 4-6; Mark 4:1-20

Over the years I’ve been part of various book groups. Typically, several friends read a book and then we get together to discuss the ideas the author has put forward. Inevitably, one person will raise a question that none of us can answer. And then someone will say, “If only we could ask the author.” A popular new trend in New York City is making that possible. Some authors, for a hefty fee, are making themselves available to meet with book clubs.

How different it is for those of us who gather to study the Bible. Jesus meets with us whenever we get together. No fees. No scheduling conflicts. No travel expenses. Furthermore, we have the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding. One of the last promises Jesus made to His disciples was that God would send the Holy Spirit to teach them (John 14:26).

The Author of the Bible is not limited by time or space. He can meet with us at any time and any place. So whenever we have a question, we can ask with the assurance that He will answer—though perhaps not according to our timetable.

God wants us to have the mind of the Author (1 Cor. 2:16) so that through the teaching of the Spirit we will comprehend the greatness of the gift He has freely given us (v.12).—Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, thank You that You are meeting with me right now. I want to be taught by You. I don’t want just to have more knowledge about You; I want to know You in the depths of my heart.

When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your mind and heart.

INSIGHT: One role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the follower of Christ is that of a guide to help discern spiritual truth. In John 16:13, Jesus said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (niv).
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Approaching God

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Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! —Isaiah 6:3

 

Read: Isaiah 6:1-8
Bible in a Year: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3

It used to bother me that the closer I drew to God in my walk with Him, the more sinful I felt. Then a phenomenon I observed in my room enlightened me. A tiny gap in the curtain covering my window threw a ray of light into the room. As I looked, I saw particles of dirt drifting in the beam. Without the ray of light, the room seemed clean, but the light revealed the dirty particles.

What I observed shed light on my spiritual life. The closer I approach the Lord of light, the clearer I see myself. When the light of Christ shines in the darkness of our lives, it exposes our sin—not to discourage us, but to humble us to trust in Him. We can’t depend on our own righteousness, since we are sinners and fall short of God’s standards (Rom. 3:23). When we are proud, the light reveals our heart and we cry as Isaiah did, “Woe to me! . . . For I am a man of unclean lips, . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isa. 6:5 niv).

God is absolutely perfect in every way. Approaching Him calls for humility and childlike trust, not self-importance and pride. For it is by grace that He draws us to Himself. It is good for us that we feel unworthy as we draw closer to God, for it humbles us to rely on Him alone.—Lawrence Darmani

Holy, Holy, Holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eyes of sinful man Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy—there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity. —Heber

There is no room for pride when we walk with God.

INSIGHT: This passage recounts the call of Isaiah to a long and difficult prophetic ministry spanning the reigns of four kings (740–681 bc). Isaiah was not the only one in Scripture who viewed himself as too sinful to be in God’s presence (6:5). Peter, when called to be an apostle, cried out, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). The tax collector in Luke 18:13 demonstrated a similar humility and recognition of personal sin.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Weighed Down

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Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. —Hebrews 12:1

 

Read: Hebrews 12:1-5
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2

August 10, 1628, was a dark day in naval history. On that day the royal warship Vasa set out on her maiden voyage. After taking 2 years to build, being lavishly decorated and holding 64 cannons, the pride of the Swedish navy sank only one mile out to sea. What went wrong? The excessive load was too heavy to make her seaworthy. Excess weight pulled the Vasa to the bottom of the ocean.

The Christian life can also be weighed down by excess baggage. Encouraging us in our spiritual journey, the book of Hebrews says: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (12:1-2).

Like the lavishly decorated ship, we may project to others an impressive exterior. But if on the inside we are weighed down with sin, our perseverance can be impaired. There is a remedy, however. By relying on God’s guidance and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, our load can be lightened and our perseverance buoyant.

Forgiveness and grace are always available to the spiritual traveler.—Dennis Fisher

Father in heaven, too often I try to mask the burden and weight of sin in my life with the outward activities of the Christian life. Forgive me. Help me to set aside the things that keep me from running a good race.

Perseverance is as much about a strong won’t as a strong will.

INSIGHT: We are told in today’s passage to lay aside everything that hinders our daily walk of faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the example of “a cloud of witnesses” helps us to persevere (12:1). These witnesses are most likely the people listed in chapter 11 who walked in faith looking for the promises of God. We are also told to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (12:2), who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is our example of patient perseverance, having endured the cross and the hostility of sinners, and He is now seated at God’s right hand (vv.2-3). With the saints behind us and Christ ahead of us we can press on.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Whose Will?

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“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” —Matthew 26:39

Read: Genesis 39:1-6, 20-23
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45

“May all things happen according to your will,” is a greeting frequently exchanged during Chinese New Year. As wonderful as that may sound, events turn out best when God’s will plays out and not mine.

Given a choice, Joseph would not have wished to be a slave in Egypt (Gen. 39:1). But despite his captivity, he was “successful” because “the Lord was with [him]” (v.2). The Lord even blessed his master’s home “for Joseph’s sake” (v.5).

Joseph would never have chosen to go to prison in Egypt. But he did when falsely accused of sexual assault. However, for the second time we read: “the Lord was with Joseph” (v.21). There, he gained the trust of the warden (v.22) so that “whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (v.23). His downward spiral into prison turned out to be the start of his rise to the top position in Egypt. Few people would choose to be promoted the way God promoted Joseph. But Joseph’s God blesses, despite, and even through, adverse circumstances.

God had a purpose for bringing Joseph to Egypt, and He has a purpose for placing us where we are. Instead of wishing that all things happened according to our will, we could say, as our Savior did before going to the cross, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).—C. P. Hia

Lord, it is far too easy to chase my own desires and passions. Forgive me for my selfish wants and pursuit of self-centered activities. Help me to place You first and to look for what You are doing and want to do in my life.

Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God’s will.
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Mirror, Mirror

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He who . . . is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. —James 1:25

 

Read: James 1:19-27
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22

How often do you see your reflection in a mirror? Some studies say that the average person looks in a mirror 8 to 10 times a day. Other surveys say it could be as many as 60 to 70 times a day, if glancing at our reflection in store windows and smart phone screens is included.

Why do we look so often? Most experts agree that it’s to check our appearance, especially before meetings or social gatherings. If something is amiss, we want to fix it. Why look if we don’t plan to change what’s wrong?

The apostle James said that reading or hearing God’s Word without acting on it is like looking in a mirror and forgetting what we’ve seen (1:22-24). But the better alternative is to look closely and act on what we see. James said, “He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (v.25).

If we hear God’s Word without taking action, we fool only ourselves (v.22). But when we examine ourselves in light of God’s Word and obey His instructions, God liberates us from all that keeps us from looking more and more like Him each day.—David C. McCasland

Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us. Give us wisdom and guidance as we read its pages. Make us sensitive to Your voice and give us hearts to obey.

The Bible is a mirror that lets us see ourselves as God sees us.

INSIGHT: Various metaphors are used in Scripture to describe God’s Word: a mirror (James 1:23); fire and a hammer (Jer. 23:29), a lamp (Ps. 119:105), water (Eph. 5:26), a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), a seed (1 Peter 1:23), food (Job 23:12), and milk (1 Peter 2:2). The Word of God reveals, consumes, breaks, illuminates, purifies, convicts, regenerates, satisfies, and nourishes the believer. It is not enough to know God’s Word; we need to obey it (James 1:22-25).
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Building A Bridge

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Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. —1 Thessalonians 1:8

 

Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28

James Michener’s Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American West. Through the eyes of a French-Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the European-based community of St. Louis. As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds.

Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds—those who know and follow Jesus and those who do not know Him. Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshiping culture, so Paul said of them, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess. 1:8). The bridge they were building had two components: the “word of the Lord” and the example of their faith. It was clear to everyone that they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (v.9).

As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Christ.—Bill Crowder

Father, help us live in such a way that others will want to know about Your Son. May we not merely try to do what’s “right” but instead live as people forgiven and loved by You.

Live the gospel, and others will listen.

INSIGHT: In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that the greatest things are faith, hope, and love (v.13). In today’s passage, he commends the people of the church in Thessalonica for exhibiting these very traits. They work in faith and labor in love while hoping in Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 1:3).
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Taming The Untamable

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No man can tame the tongue. —James 3:8

 

Read: James 3:1-12
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27:51-66

From Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs to Siberian foxes, humans have learned to tame wild animals. People enjoy teaching monkeys to “act” in commercials or training deer to eat out of their hands. As the apostle James put it, “Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind” (3:7).

But there is something we cannot tame. All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. “No man can tame the tongue,” James tells us (v.8).

Why? Because while our words may be on the tip of our tongue, they originate from deep within us. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). And thus the tongue can be used for both good and evil (James 3:9). Or, as scholar Peter Davids put it, “On the one hand, [the tongue] is very religious, but, on the other, it can be most profane.”

If we cannot tame this unruly tongue of ours, is it destined to be a daily problem for us, always prone to speak evil? (v.10). By God’s grace, no. We are not left to our own devices. The Lord will “set a guard” over my mouth; He will “keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3). He can tame the untamable.—Dave Branon

Lord, my mouth sometimes speaks words that don’t honor You. Thank You that by Your Spirit my untamed tongue can be brought under divine control. Please guard my mouth today.

To rule your tongue, let Christ rule in your heart.

INSIGHT: James’s letter is filled with practical wisdom that deals with responding to trials (ch.1), living out our faith (ch.2), taming the tongue (ch.3), interpersonal conflict (ch.4), and waiting on the Lord (ch.5). James is sometimes called “the Proverbs of the New Testament.”
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread  – Bring The Boy To Me

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[Jesus] answered him and said, “. . . Bring him to Me.” —Mark 9:19

 

Read: Mark 9:14-27
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 17-18; Matthew 27:27-50

“I don’t believe in God and I won’t go,” Mark said.

Amy struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. Her son had changed from a happy boy to a surly and uncooperative young man. Life was a battleground, and Sunday had become a day to dread, as Mark refused to go to church with the family. Finally his despairing parents consulted a counselor, who said: “Mark must make his own faith journey. You can’t force him into the kingdom. Give God space to work. Keep praying, and wait.”

Amy waited—and prayed. One morning the words of Jesus that she had read echoed through her mind. Jesus’ disciples had failed to help a demon-possessed boy, but Jesus had the answer: “Bring him to Me” (Mark 9:19). The sun shone through the window at Amy’s side, making a pool of light on the floor. If Jesus could heal in such an extreme situation, then surely He could also help her son. She pictured herself and Mark standing in that light with Jesus. Then she mentally stepped back, leaving her son alone with the One who loved him even more than she did.

Every day Amy silently handed Mark to God, clinging to the assurance that He knew Mark’s needs, and would in His time and in His way, work in his life.—Marion Stroud

Father, I lift my beloved to You, knowing that You love him even more than I do and You understand just what to do to meet his need. I commit him to Your care.

Prayer is the voice of faith trusting that God knows and cares.