Category Archives: Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Outlasting Bitterness

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Our Daily Bread

Colossians 3:12-17

If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. —Colossians 3:13

During the Second World War, Corrie ten Boom’s family owned a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and they actively worked to protect Jewish families. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie’s father died 10 days later. Her sister Betsie also died in the camp. While Betsie and Corrie were in the camp together, Betsie’s faith helped to strengthen Corrie’s.

That faith led Corrie to forgive even the ruthless men who served as guards during her concentration camp days. While hate and the desire for revenge continued to destroy many lives long after the concentration camps were gone, Corrie knew the truth: Hate hurts the hater more than the hated, no matter how justified it may seem.

Like Corrie, we each have the opportunity to love our enemy and choose forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the offense but when we forgive we show Christ to the world. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).

God will help you let go of every angry grudge as you watch the Spirit build into you a place where others see the Savior. —Randy Kilgore

The love of God within our hearts

Enables us to show

Forgiveness that is undeserved

So others too might know. —Sper

When we forgive someone, we look more like Jesus than at any other moment in our life.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 20-21; James 5

Insight

Paul’s letter to the Colossians was one of four letters Paul wrote while being held as a prisoner in Rome. These four letters, commonly called “The Prison Epistles,” consist of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. The church letters went to three different destinations in two different regions of the ancient world. Philippians was directed to the church at Philippi, a city in Macedonia (ancient northern Greece), while Ephesians and Colossians were written to two cities (Ephesus, Colosse) in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The personal letter to Philemon was also delivered to Colosse, where Philemon is believed to have lived, being actively involved in the church there. These letters were probably intended to be circular letters that were read and passed along to other churches.

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Our Daily Bread — The Warmth Of The Sun

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Psalm 6

I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. —Psalm 6:6

On a November day in 1963, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote a song quite unlike the band’s typically upbeat tunes. It was a mournful song about love that’s been lost. Mike said later, “As hard as that kind of loss is, the one good that comes from it is having had the experience of being in love in the first place.” They titled it “The Warmth of the Sun.”

Sorrow serving as a catalyst for songwriting is nothing new. Some of David’s most moving psalms were penned in times of deep personal loss, including Psalm 6. Though we aren’t told the events that prompted its writing, the lyrics are filled with grief, “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim, I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief” (vv.6-7).

But that’s not where the song ends. David knew pain and loss, but he also knew God’s comfort. And so he wrote, “The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer” (v.9).

In his grief, David not only found a song, he also found reason to trust God, whose faithfulness bridges all of life’s hard seasons. In the warmth of His presence, our sorrows gain a hopeful perspective. —Bill Crowder

Heavenly Father, life can be so wonderful, but also so

hard. Help us to seek You in the good times as well as

the bad. Help us to always be mindful that You are our

sure hope in a world that doesn’t always seem to care.

A song of sadness can turn our hearts to the God whose joy for us is forever.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 18-19; James 4

Insight

This individual lament, a prayer of penitence, was written by David during a time of prolonged and severe distress (Ps. 6:2-3,5). His plight emboldened his enemies to launch a personal attack and to gloat over his misfortune (vv.7-8,10). David acknowledged that his trouble was a consequence of specific wrongdoings committed, and that God was angry and was disciplining him (v.1). Anguished by his lack of intimacy with God and exhausted by his sorrowing over his sins, in repentance David, on the basis of God’s mercies (vv.2,4), asked for forgiveness, favor, and restoration. David concluded his prayer with the assurance that those who truly repent will receive God’s mercy (vv.9-10).

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Our Daily Bread — Dealing With Distractions

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Matthew 13:14-22

The cares of this world . . . choke the word. —Matthew 13:22

A restaurant owner in the village of Abu Ghosh, just outside Jerusalem, offered a 50-percent discount for patrons who turned off their cell phones. Jawdat Ibrahim believes that smartphones have shifted the focus of meals from companionship and conversation to surfing, texting, and business calls. “Technology is very good,” Ibrahim says. “But . . . when you are with your family and your friends, you can just wait for half an hour and enjoy the food and enjoy the company.”

How easily we can be distracted by many things, whether in our relationship with others or with the Lord.

Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed (Matt. 13:15). Using the illustration of a farmer scattering seed, Jesus compared the seed that fell among thorns to a person who hears God’s Word but whose heart is focused on other things. “The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (v.22).

There is great value in having times throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and heart and focus on the Lord. —David McCasland

O Lord, help me to turn off all the

distractions around me and focus on You.

May my heart be good soil for the

seed of Your Word today.

Focusing on Christ puts everything else in perspective.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 16-17; James 3

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Can You Help?

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Our Daily BreadJames 2:14-20

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. —James 2:17

The administrators of the high school in Barrow, Alaska, were tired of seeing students get into trouble and drop out at a rate of 50 percent. To keep students interested, they started a football team, which offered them a chance to develop personal skills, teamwork, and learn life lessons. The problem with football in Barrow, which is farther north than Iceland, is that it’s hard to plant a grass field. So they competed on a gravel and dirt field.

Four thousand miles away in Florida, a woman named Cathy Parker heard about the football team and their dangerous field. Feeling that God was prompting her to help, and impressed by the positive changes she saw in the students, she went to work. About a year later, they dedicated their new field, complete with a beautiful artificial-turf playing surface. She had raised thousands of dollars to help some kids she didn’t even know.

This is not about football—or money. It is about remembering “to do good and to share” (Heb. 13:16). The apostle James reminds us that we demonstrate our faith by our actions (2:18). The needs in our world are varied and overwhelming but when we love our neighbor as ourselves, as Jesus said (Mark 12:31), we reach people with God’s love. —Dave Branon

Open our eyes, dear Father, to those in need. Allow us

to find ways—monetarily and otherwise—to help meet

those needs. Help us to take the focus off ourselves

and place it on those who can use our assistance.

Open your heart to God to learn compassion and open your hand to give help.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 14-15; James 2

Insight

There is disagreement among scholars as to the identity of the James who authored this letter. Some see him as the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18). Long-held church tradition, however, identifies this James as the half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). In Galatians 1:19, Paul mentions seeing James, “the Lord’s brother,” in Jerusalem—and this has fueled the position that the James of the Jerusalem church and the James who wrote this letter was in fact “the Lord’s brother.” James became a person of great prominence in the early church, having received a personal audience with the risen Christ (1 Cor. 15:7) and having become one of the primary leaders of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-20).

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Our Daily Bread – Goodbye

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Numbers 11:1-10

When the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. —Numbers 11:1

Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 11-13; James 1

When Max Lucado participated in a half-Ironman triathlon, he experienced the negative power of complaint. He said, “After the 1.2-mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, ‘This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.’ I said, ‘Goodbye.’ ” Max knew that if he listened too long, he would start agreeing with him. So he said goodbye and kept running.

Among the Israelites, too many people listened too long to complaints and began to agree with them. This displeased God, and for good reason. God had delivered the Israelites from slavery, and agreed to live in their midst, but they still complained. Beyond the hardship of the desert, they were dissatisfied with God’s provision of manna. In their complaint, Israel forgot that the manna was a gift to them from God’s loving hand (Num. 11:6). Because complaining poisons the heart with ingratitude and can be a contagion, God had to judge it.

This is a sure way to say “goodbye” to complaining and ingratitude: Each day, let’s rehearse the faithfulness and goodness of God to us.

Lord, You have given us so much. Forgive us for our

short memories and bad attitudes. Help us to

remember and be grateful for all that You have

provided. And help us to tell others of the good things You have done for us.

Proclaiming God’s faithfulness silences discontentment.

Insight

When they faced difficulties, the Israelites often complained against Moses (see Ex. 16:2; 17:3; Num. 14:2; 16:41; 20:3). Their first complaint was made just 3 days out of Egypt (Ex. 15:22-24). Paul warned us not to follow their critical spirit (1 Cor. 10:1-10), for they were sinning against the Lord (Ex. 16:8).

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Our Daily Bread — Rooted Love

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Hebrews 13:15-25

Do not forget to do good and to share. —Hebrews 13:16

When I think of all the wonders of God’s magnificent creation, I am especially awed by the giant sequoia tree. These amazing behemoths of the forest can grow to around 300 feet tall with a diameter that exceeds 20 feet. They can live over 3,000 years and are even fire resistant. In fact, forest fires pop the sequoia cones open, distributing their seeds on the forest floor that has been fertilized by the ashes. Perhaps the most amazing fact is that these trees can grow in just 3 feet of soil and withstand high winds. Their strength lies in the fact that their roots intertwine with other sequoias, providing mutual strength and shared resources.

God’s plan for us is like that. Our ability to stand tall in spite of the buffeting winds of life is directly related to the love and support we receive from God and one another. And then, as the writer of Hebrews says, we are to “do good and to share” (13:16). Think of how tough it would be to withstand adversity if someone were not sharing the roots of their strength with us.

There is great power in the entwining gifts of words of encouragement, prayers of intercession, weeping together, holding each other, and sometimes just sitting with one another sharing the presence of our love. —Joe Stowell

Lord, thank You for entwining Your strength

into my life. Lead me today to someone

who needs the love of shared strength from

resources that You have given to me.

Let the roots of God’s love in your life be entwined with others who need your support.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 8-10; Hebrews 13

Insight

If we were left to our own devices and determination, even the brief instructions in today’s passage would be more than we could live up to. Fortunately, we are not left to ourselves. God works in us to make us complete (vv.20-21).

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Our Daily Bread — Defeated Adversary

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Ephesians 6:10-18

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. —1 Peter 5:8

The roaring lion is the legendary “king of the jungle.” But the only lions many of us see are the lethargic felines that reside in zoos. Their days are filled with lots of rest, and their dinner is served to them without the lions having to lift a single paw.

In their natural habitat, however, lions aren’t always living a laid-back life. Their hunger tells them to go hunting, and in doing so they seek the young, weak, sick, or injured. Crouching in tall grasses, they slowly creep forward. Then with a sudden pounce, they clamp their jaws to the body of their victim.

Peter used “a roaring lion” as a metaphor for Satan. He is a confident predator, looking for easy prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In dealing with this adversary, God’s children must be vigilant at putting “on the whole armor of God” and thus they can “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10-11).

The good news is that Satan is a defeated adversary. While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, prayer, and the Word of God need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion. We are “kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). James 4:7 assures us: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” —Cindy Hess Kasper

Lord, we know that our enemy seeks to devour us.

Please protect us from him. We believe Your

Word that He who is in us is greater than he

who is in the world.

No evil can penetrate the armor of God.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 5-7; Hebrews 12

Insight

The church at Ephesus, to whom the letter of Ephesians was written, was begun by the apostle Paul after he visited the city (Acts 18:18-21). Paul’s work there was followed by that of Apollos (vv.24-26), a man who had great passion but an incomplete understanding of the way of Christ. This prompted two of Paul’s colleagues, Aquila and Priscilla (v.26), to take Apollos under their wing and mentor him. This collaboration in ministry reveals how the work of the early church, so often focused on Paul’s work, was a true team effort.

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Our Daily Bread — Amazing Guide

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Joshua 1:1-9

Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken. —Joshua 21:45

When actors and actresses make a movie, it’s the director who sees the “big picture” and the overall direction. Actress Marion Cotillard admits she didn’t understand everything the director was doing in one of her recent films. She said, “I found it very interesting to allow myself to be lost, because I knew that I had this amazing guide. . . . You abandon yourself for a story and a director that will make it all work.”

I think Joshua could have said something similar about the director of his life. In today’s Scripture passage, the newly commissioned leader of Israel is standing at the threshold of the Promised Land. More than 2 million Israelites are looking to him to lead them. How would he do it? God didn’t give him a detailed script, but He gave him the assurance that He would go with him.

God said, “I will be with you. I will not leave you” (Josh. 1:5). He commanded Joshua to study and practice everything written in His Word (vv.7-8), and He promised to be with Joshua wherever he went. Joshua responded with complete devotion and surrender to his amazing Guide, and “not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken” (21:45).

We too can abandon ourselves to our Director and rest in His faithfulness. —Poh Fang Chia

He leadeth me! O blessed thought!

O words with heavenly comfort fraught!

Whate’er I do, where’er I be,

Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me. —Gilmore

Faith never knows where it is being led; it knows and loves the One who is leading. —Oswald Chambers

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 3-4; Hebrews 11:20-40

Insight

Moses dishonored God (Num. 20:1-13) and was not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Deut. 3:23-29). Yet God permitted him to see it from afar (34:1-4). Moses was succeeded by Joshua, a man who was “full of the spirit of wisdom” (v.9). In Joshua 1:1-9, God assured Joshua of His presence, power, providence, provision, and protection—just as God had assured Moses and been with him.

 

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Our Daily Bread — A Different Outcome

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Proverbs 30:1-9

Give us this day our daily bread. —Matthew 6:11

When the man learned he had won hundreds of millions of dollars, he expressed noble desires. He wanted to start a charitable foundation, put laid-off workers back on the job, and do nice things for his family. Already wealthy, he told reporters that this wouldn’t change him.

A few years later, a follow-up article described a different outcome. Since winning, the man had run into legal problems, lost his personal reputation, and squandered away all of his money.

A thoughtful man by the name of Agur wrote words that anticipate such heartbreak. Brought low by the awareness of his own natural inclinations (Prov. 30:2-3), Agur saw the dangers of having too much or too little. So he prayed, “Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” (vv.8-9).

Agur saw the special challenges that come both with wealth and poverty, but also with our own tendencies. Each gives us reason for caution. Together they show our need for the One who taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” —Mart DeHaan

Lord, as we seek Your face today to ask for what we

need, help us to keep in mind that You are as wise in

what You don’t give us as what You do give us. So often,

You rescue us from our own sinful tendencies. Thank You.

Discontentment makes rich people poor, while contentment makes poor people rich.

Bible in a year: Ezekiel 1-2; Hebrews 11:1-19

Insight

The book of Proverbs is known for its practical wisdom. It provides insight into relationships, work ethic, wealth, education, and many other topics. Yet despite the many words of instruction intended to make us wise and help us to live rightly, there are reminders to be humble regardless of our level of wisdom or knowledge. Agur’s humility (30:2-3) came from recognizing who God is and who he is in relationship to God (vv.4-5). Proper recognition of God leads to an appropriate response to Him (vv.7-9).

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Our Daily Bread — Heartbreak And Hope

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Lamentations 3:1-6, 16-25

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him. —Lamentations 3:25

When American country singer George Jones died at the age of 81, his fans remembered his remarkable voice and his hard life and personal struggles. While many of his songs reflected his own despair and longing, it was the way he sang them that touched people deeply. Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot said, “His voice was made for conveying heartbreak.”

The book of Lamentations records Jeremiah’s anguish over the nation of Judah’s stubborn refusal to follow God. Often called “the weeping prophet,” he witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and saw his people carried into captivity. He wandered the streets of the city, overwhelmed by grief (Lam. 1:1-5).

Yet, in Jeremiah’s darkest hour, he said, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (3:21-23).

Whether we suffer for our own choices or from those of others, despair may threaten to overwhelm us. When all seems lost, we can cling to the Lord’s faithfulness. “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul. ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” (v.24). —David McCasland

I’m thankful for Your faithfulness, Father, even

in the times when I am unfaithful. Help me to

remember, like Jeremiah, that my hope comes

from You, not from my circumstances.

The anchor of God’s faithfulness holds firm in the strongest storms.

Bible in a year: Lamentations 3-5; Hebrews 10:19-39

Insight

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says: “Jeremiah was called by the Lord to the office of a prophet while still a youth (1:6) about 20 years of age. . . . At first he probably lived in Anathoth, and put in his appearance publicly in Jerusalem only on the occasion of the great festivals; later he lived in Jerusalem, and was there during the terrible times of the siege and the destruction of the city.”

 

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Our Daily Bread — Creeping Christmas?

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Galatians 4:1-7

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! —2 Corinthians 9:15

I love Christmas. The celebration of the birth of Christ and the beauty and wonder of the season make it “the most wonderful time of the year” for me. In recent years, however, the season has been accompanied by a growing irritation. Every year “Christmas stuff” comes out earlier and earlier—creeping all the way back to early fall.

Christmas used to be limited to December, but now we find radio stations playing Christmas music in early November. Stores start advertising Christmas specials in October, and Christmas candy appears in late September. If we’re not careful, this growing deluge can numb us—even sour us to what should be a season of gratitude and awe.

When that irritation begins to rise in my spirit, I try to do one thing: Remember. I remind myself what Christmas means, who Jesus is, and why He came. I remember the love and grace of a forgiving God who sent us rescue in the Person of His Son. I remember that, ultimately, only one gift really matters—God’s “indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). I remember that the salvation Christ came to provide is both the gift and the Giver all wrapped up in one.

Jesus is our life all year long, and He is the greatest wonder. “O come, let us adore Him!” —Bill Crowder

Living God, I thank You for the unspeakable gift

of Your Son. Draw my heart to Your own, that my

worship to and gratitude for Your Son will never be

diminished by the distractions of the world around me.

Jesus is our life throughout the year.

Bible in a year: Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18

Insight

In today’s passage, Paul explains that our salvation is the work of our triune God. First, “God sent forth His Son” (v.4). Second, Jesus came to accomplish our redemption—setting us free from the bondage of the law—and to secure our adoption, making us sons of God and enabling us to enjoy the full privileges as God’s children (v.5). Third, God gave us the Holy Spirit—“the Spirit of His Son,” who endears and enables us to cry out “Abba, Father!” (v.6). The work all three persons of the Holy Trinity did to secure our salvation is also explained by Paul in Ephesians 1:3-14 and by Peter in 1 Peter 1:2. Jesus spoke of this as well (John 14:16-18,23-26; 15:26).

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Our Daily Bread — The Final Picture

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Isaiah 40:21-31

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things. —Isaiah 40:26

What started as an empty 11-acre field in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ended up as the largest land portrait in the British Isles. Wish, by artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, is made from 30,000 wooden pegs, 2,000 tons of soil, 2,000 tons of sand, and miscellaneous items such as grass, stones, and string.

At the beginning, only the artist knew what the final artwork was going to look like. He hired workers and recruited volunteers to haul materials and move them into place. As they worked, they saw little indication that something amazing was about to emerge. But it did. From the ground, it doesn’t look like much. But from above, viewers see a huge portrait—the smiling face of a little girl.

God is doing something on a grander scale in the world. He’s the artist who sees the final picture. We’re His “fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9) who are helping to make it a reality. Through the prophet Isaiah, God reminded His people that it is He who “sits above the circle of the earth” and “stretches out the heavens like a curtain” (Isa. 40:22). We can’t see the final picture, but we continue on in faith, knowing that we’re part of an amazing work of art—one that is being created on earth but will be best seen from heaven. —Julie Ackerman Link

While sometimes I think I can see the big picture,

Lord, my heart knows it sees so little. I’m

thankful that You are working out Your beautiful

will in this world, and I can trust You.

God is using us to help create a masterpiece.

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Our Daily Bread — The Drinking Gourd

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Philippians 2:12-18

Shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. —Philippians 2:15-16

Prior to the American Civil War (1861–1865), fugitive slaves found freedom by following the Underground Railroad, a term for the secret routes from the South to the North and the abolitionists who helped them along the way. Slaves would travel at night for many miles, keeping on track by following the light of the “Drinking Gourd.” This was a code name for the collection of stars known as the Big Dipper, which points to the North Star. Some believe the fugitives also used encoded directions in the lyrics of the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to keep them from getting lost as they traveled.

Both the abolitionists and the “drinking gourd” served as points of light directing the slaves to freedom. The apostle Paul says that believers are to shine as “lights in the world” to show the way to those seeking God’s truth, redemption, and spiritual liberation (Phil. 2:15).

We live in a dark world that desperately needs to see the light of Jesus Christ. Our calling is to shine forth God’s truth so that others can be directed to the One who redeems and is the path to liberty and life. We point the way to Jesus, the One who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). —Dennis Fisher

Dear Lord, thank You for redeeming me and giving

me new life. Give me compassion for those who are

still lost in spiritual darkness. Use me to be a light

that points others to You, the Light of the world.

Light up your world by reflecting the light of Jesus.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

Insight

Paul tells the followers of Christ in Philippi that they are lights among a “crooked and perverse generation” (Phil. 2:15). But the progression of Paul’s thought should be noted. When we live our lives in harmony and concern for others “without complaining and disputing” (v.14), we become blameless and harmless and shine in the world (v.15). Christ is made known in the world through us when our lives reflect the humility and love of our Lord.

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Our Daily Bread — The Honor Of Following

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Matthew 4:18-22

Then [Jesus] said to them, “Follow Me.” —Matthew 4:19

While visiting Jerusalem, a friend of mine saw an old rabbi walking past the Wailing Wall. The interesting thing about the aged rabbi was the five young men walking behind him. They too were walking bent over, limping—just like their rabbi. An Orthodox Jew watching them would know exactly why they were imitating their teacher. They were “followers.”

Throughout the history of Judaism, one of the most honored positions for a Jewish man was the privilege of becoming a “follower” of the local rabbi. Followers sat at the rabbi’s feet as he taught. They would study his words and watch how he acted and reacted to life and others. A follower would count it the highest honor to serve his rabbi in even the most menial tasks. And, because they admired their rabbi, they were determined to become like him.

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him (Matt. 4:19), it was an invitation to be changed by Him, to become like Him, and to share His passion for those who need a Savior. The high honor of being His follower should show in our lives as well. We too have been called to catch the attention of the watching world as we talk, think, and act just like Jesus—the rabbi, the teacher, of our souls. —Joe Stowell

Thank You, Lord, for the high honor of being

called to follow You. May my life so imitate

You that others will know that You are the

pursuit of my life and the rabbi of my soul.

Follow Jesus and let the world know He is your rabbi.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7

Insight

In the region surrounding the Sea of Galilee in the first century, fishing was one of the primary industries. This fishing normally took place at night, with the laborious task of casting weighted fishing nets and then hauling them back in. Fishing was not an easy occupation, but it did provide a decent living and, as seen in today’s text, was often operated as a family business. Here, two brothers, Peter and Andrew, worked together (v.18), as did James, John, and their father (v.21). In this case, however, these two families also had a partnership in their fishing business, as recorded in Luke 5:10. Jesus used this partnership to His advantage in calling these four men as disciples.

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Our Daily Bread — Tear Down The Wall

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Genesis 50:15-21

He comforted them and spoke kindly to them. —Genesis 50:21

The years following World War II were labeled the Cold War as nations exchanged threats and jockeyed for power. The Berlin Wall, built in August 1961, stood for almost 3 decades as one of the most powerful symbols of the smoldering animosity. Then, on November 9, 1989, it was announced that citizens could cross freely from East to West Berlin. The entire wall was demolished the following year.

The familiar Old Testament story of Joseph follows a favorite son whose brothers hated him (Gen. 37–50). Yet Joseph refused to build a wall of hatred between himself and his brothers who sold him into slavery. When a famine brought them face to face after many years, Joseph treated his brothers with kindness, saying, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good . . . . And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (50:20-21), helping to restore the relationship between them.

Twenty-five years ago today, an oppressive man-made barrier was opened, offering freedom and reuniting families and friends.

If we’ve built walls of anger and separation between ourselves and others, the Lord is willing and able to help us begin tearing them down today. —David McCasland

Heavenly Father, examine my heart; reveal to

me where I have erected walls in relationships.

Show me the way to start tearing them down

that there might be reconciliation.

Anger builds walls; love breaks them down.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6

Insight

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, forgotten by people he helped, falsely accused, and unjustly imprisoned. But he overcame all these setbacks to become the second most powerful man in Egypt. Earlier in Genesis 45:5-8, and again here in Genesis 50:20, Joseph acknowledged God’s sovereignty and purpose in his life—that God overrules human sin for His glory and the ultimate good of mankind. Paul succinctly summed up the same truth in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

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Our Daily Bread — Oranges Or Milk?

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Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 5:5-14

Solid food belongs to those who are of full age. —Hebrews 5:14

When I told my young daughter that a 3-month-old baby boy was coming to our house for a visit, she was delighted. With a child’s sense of hospitality, she suggested that we share some of our food with the baby; she thought he might enjoy a juicy orange from the bowl on our kitchen counter. I explained that the baby could drink only milk, but that he might like oranges when he was older.

The Bible uses a similar concept to describe a believer’s need for spiritual food. The basic truths of Scripture are like milk—they help new Christians thrive and grow (1 Peter 2:2-3). In contrast, “Solid food belongs to those who are of full age” (Heb. 5:14). Believers who have had time to digest and understand the basics can move on to investigate other biblical concepts and begin to teach others these truths. The rewards of spiritual maturity are discernment (v.14), godly wisdom (1 Cor. 2:6), and the ability to communicate God’s truth to others (Heb. 5:12).

Like a loving parent, God wants us to grow spiritually. He knows that feeding only on spiritual milk is not in our best interest. He wants us to move on so we can enjoy the taste of solid food. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Lord, please deepen my understanding

of Your Word. Let Your Holy Spirit guide

me and enlighten my heart as I pursue Your

truth so that I might walk in Your ways.

Spiritual growth occurs when faith is cultivated.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

Insight

Today’s passage encourages readers toward maturity in Christ. Far from urging detailed knowledge of difficult Bible passages or in-depth understanding of doctrine, the writer says that “full age” is characterized by something straightforward and practical. It is being able “to discern both good and evil” (v.14).

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Multiply It

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 22:1-5

There shall be no more curse. —Revelation 22:3

Amy had battled cancer for 5 years. Then the doctor told her that the treatments were failing and she had just a few weeks to live. Wanting some understanding and assurance about eternity, Amy asked her pastor, “What will heaven be like?”

He asked her what she liked most about her life on earth. She talked about walks and rainbows and caring friends and the laughter of children. “So, then, are you saying I will have all of that there?” she asked longingly.

Amy’s pastor replied, “I believe that your life there will be far more beautiful and amazing than anything you ever loved or experienced here. Think about what’s best here for you and multiply it over and over and over. That’s what I think heaven will be.”

The Bible doesn’t describe in detail what life in eternity will be like, but it does tell us that being with Christ in heaven is “far better” than our present circumstance (Phil. 1:23). “There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3).

Best of all, we will see the Lord Jesus face to face. Our deepest yearnings will be fully satisfied in Him. —Anne Cetas

We’re thankful, Lord, for Your presence now

in our lives. But what an amazing day it will be

when we meet You face to face!

Life with You in heaven will be greater by far.

To be with Jesus forever is the sum of all happiness.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

Insight

In some translations of the Bible, the book of Revelation is entitled “The Revelation of St. John,” giving attention to the human author John, one of the disciples of Jesus. This title, however, is inaccurate. In Revelation 1:1, we read, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” This is significant because the word revelation means “a revealing or unveiling.” The primary purpose of the book is to give us an unveiling of Christ Himself. Interestingly, that unveiling reveals Jesus to be the Lamb of God, and the word lamb appears in Revelation more than 25 times.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Horse Power

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Our Daily Bread

Job 39:19-25

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:14

Think for a moment of the power, beauty, and majesty of a galloping horse—his head held high, his mane flying in the wind, and his legs working in unison to provide speed, power, and abandon.

What a wonderful example of God’s magnificent creation is the horse! God created it not just for our amazement and enjoyment but also as a complement to the human race (Job 39). Properly trained, the horse is fearless when we need a courageous companion. The horse was used to carry the soldier faithfully into conflict with speed (v.24) and anticipation (v.25).

Although God was using creation to teach Job about His sovereignty, we can also be reminded through this passage about our own value in God’s world. We are created not simply as a beautiful creature with a job to do but also as a creature made in God’s image. The power of the horse is amazing, but the value of each human transcends all other creatures.

God created us uniquely to have a relationship with Him and to live with Him forever. While we praise God for the magnificence of the creatures of nature, we also stand in awe that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). —Dave Branon

Thank You, our Almighty God and Father, for Your

creation. You have provided so many majestic

creatures for us to enjoy, but help us to recognize with

thankfulness the special place we have in creation.

Of all God’s creation, only humans can experience re-creation.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 37-39; Hebrews 3

Insight

In the midst of his pain (Job 1–3), Job seeks to understand why he has to suffer so much. Instead of explaining why He allowed evil to exist or human beings to suffer (chs. 4–37), God confronted and confounded Job with more questions concerning His creation. Job 38–42 is not an explanation of why man has to suffer, but a revelation of who God is! God reveals Himself as Creator (ch. 38), Sustainer (ch. 39), and Controller of all creation (chs. 40–42). Job didn’t need to fully understand cosmology, meteorology, zoology, hippology, or God’s immutable ways (Isa. 55:8-9). He only needed to trust the omnipotent and transcendent Creator God who is “very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11; see Job 42:2-3).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Less Than The Least

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Our Daily Bread

Genesis 32:3-12

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant. —Genesis 32:10

Unlike those who think highly of themselves, Jacob knew that he had been ruined by sin (Gen. 32:10). He thought himself a man unworthy of God’s grace. He had cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright (ch.27), and his brother hated him for it. Now, years later, Jacob was going to face Esau again.

“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies,” Jacob prayed, using a word for “least” that suggests the tiniest object. “Deliver me, I pray” (32:10-11).

How odd to see those phrases side by side: I am unworthy of Your mercies . . . . Deliver me! Yet Jacob could pray for mercy because his hope lay not in his own worth, but in God’s promise to look with favor on those who throw themselves at His feet. Humility and contrition are the keys that open the heart of God. Someone has said that the best disposition for praying is being stripped of everything. It is crying out of the depths. It comes from the soul that knows its deep depravity.

Such prayers are offered by those who are thoroughly convicted of their sin and shame, but, at the same time, are convinced of God’s grace that goes out to undeserving sinners. God hears best those who cry out: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). —David Roper

Lord, I am like Jacob, in need of Your mercy.

I have failed You, and I bow at Your feet today.

Thank You for being a merciful God, ready

and able to forgive and restore me.

It is fitting for a great God to forgive great sinners.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 34-36; Hebrews 2

Insight

Jacob had good reason to fear his brother Esau. With trickery and deception, Jacob had stolen both Esau’s inheritance (Gen. 25) and his blessing (Gen. 27). Esau’s last recorded words before he met Jacob again (Gen. 32) were “I will kill my brother Jacob” (27:41).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Perception or Reality?

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Our Daily Bread

Mark 4:35-41

Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? —Mark 4:38

We often hear it said, “Perception is reality.” That idea for Americans may have dawned on September 26, 1960—the date of the first televised debate between two presidential candidates. In front of the cameras, John Kennedy appeared composed; Richard Nixon appeared nervous. The perception was that Kennedy would be a stronger leader. The debate not only turned that election, but it also changed the way politics is done in the US. Politics by perception became the rule of the day.

Sometimes perception is reality. But not always—especially our perceptions about God. When Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a small fishing vessel, a sudden storm threatened to sink the boat. With Jesus asleep and the disciples on the verge of panic, they began to stir Him, asking, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38).

Their question sounds similar to questions I’ve asked. At times I perceive God’s apparent inactivity as a lack of care. But His care for me goes well beyond what I can see or measure. Our God is deeply concerned for what concerns us. He urges us to place all our care upon Him, “for He cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:7). That is true reality. —Bill Crowder

O yes, He cares; I know He cares!

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares. —Graeff

Even when we don’t sense God’s presence, His loving care is all around us.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 32-33; Hebrews 1

Insight

It appears that each of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) had a distinct audience and approach to telling Jesus’ story. Some scholars believe that Mark’s telling of the story was directed primarily to a Roman audience, and that his approach to Christ was to present Him as the “divine Servant.” This theme is rooted in Jesus’ own words about His mission when He said, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This theme would have had a strong connection for a Roman audience in the first century.