Category Archives: Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Seeds & Soils

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 13:1-9

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 3:18

If you like growing pumpkins, you have probably heard of Dill’s Atlantic Giant variety of premium pumpkin seeds. Developed on a family farm in Atlantic Canada, the pumpkins grown from these seeds have set records around the world. In 2011, a pumpkin grown in Quebec set a new world record at 1,818.5 pounds (825 kg). That size of pumpkin could yield almost 1,000 pieces of pie!

When news reporters asked how this pumpkin could grow to such a size, the farmer replied that it had to do with the soil. The seeds were of a special large variety, but the soil still had to be right or the pumpkin wouldn’t grow properly.

The Lord Jesus used an illustration in which He compared different types of ground to a person’s response to God’s Word (Matt. 13). Some seeds were eaten by the birds, others started to grow but were choked by the weeds, and some grew up instantly but had no soil to further their growth. But the seeds that fell on the good soil “yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (v.8).

Each of us needs to ask, “What kind of soil am I?” The Lord wants to plant His Word in our hearts so we can grow in our knowledge of Him. —Brent Hackett, RBC Canada Director

More about Jesus let me learn,

More of His holy will discern;

Spirit of God, my teacher be,

Showing the things of Christ to me. —Hewitt

The fruit of the Spirit grows in the soil of obedience.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Facing Our Past

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Our Daily Bread

Acts 9:20-30

He tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. —Acts 9:26

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, spent 40 years helping people hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he died in April 2012, one newspaper article carried the headline, “Charles Colson, Nixon’s ‘dirty tricks’ man, dies at 80.” It seemed surprising that a man so transformed by faith should be identified with things he did as a politically ruthless presidential aide decades earlier before he knew the Savior.

The apostle Paul’s conversion and his early Christian witness were greeted with skepticism and fear. When he began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God, people said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose?” (Acts 9:21). Later when Paul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, they were afraid of him (v.26). In years to come, Paul never ignored his past, but spoke of it as evidence of the mercy of God (1 Tim. 1:13-14).

Like Paul, we don’t need to parade our failures or to pretend they didn’t happen. Instead, we can thank the Lord that through His grace and power, our past is forgiven, our present is changed, and our future is bright with hope for all He has prepared for us. —David McCasland

Transformed by grace divine,

The glory shall be Thine;

To Thy most holy will, O Lord,

We now our all resign. —Burroughs

Only Jesus can transform our life.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — I’m Invisible

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Our Daily Bread

Isaiah 40:25-31

[The Lord] gives power to the weak. —Isaiah 40:29

My friend Jane said something at a work meeting and no one responded. So she repeated it and again no one responded; her co-workers just ignored her. She realized that her opinion didn’t matter much. She felt disregarded and invisible. You may know what that’s like as well.

The people of God felt that way as a nation (Isa. 40). Only they believed it was God Himself who didn’t see or understand their daily struggle to survive! The southern kingdom had been carried away captive into Babylon, and the exiled nation complained: “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my just claim is passed over by my God” (v.27).

While Isaiah agreed that compared to God “the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales” (v.15), he also wanted the people to know that God gives power to the weak and strength to those who need it (v.29). If they waited on the Lord, Isaiah said, He would renew their strength. They would mount up with wings like eagles; they would run and not be weary (v.31).

When you’re feeling invisible or disregarded, remember that God does see you and He cares. Wait on Him, and He’ll give you renewed strength. —Anne Cetas

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail.

Thy mercies how tender! How firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. —Grant

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

Bible in a year: Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — “Gorgeous Inside”

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Our Daily Bread

Romans 8:1-11

To be spiritually minded is life and peace. —Romans 8:6

It’s a rather nondescript house that sits on a busy thoroughfare. With no distinctive characteristics, this rather plain home is easy to ignore. But as I drove past it the other day, I noticed a “For Sale” sign in the yard. Attached to the sign was a smaller notice that happily announced: “I’m gorgeous inside.” While I’m not in the market for a new house, that sign intrigued me. What could make this otherwise forgettable house gorgeous inside?

It also made me wonder: Could that sign apply to us as followers of Jesus? Think about it. No matter what we look like on the outside, shouldn’t there be within us a beauty that reveals God’s love and work in our lives?

What does the Bible say about inner beauty? We might start with Romans 7:22, which says, “In my inner being I delight in God’s law” (NIV). A few verses later in Romans 8:6, Paul speaks of a Spirit-controlled mind that is characterized by “life and peace.” And in Galatians, we see that letting the Spirit take charge of our inner being will build in us the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22), a beautiful array of qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness.

Delighting in Scripture and allowing the Spirit to work in our heart will make us look good on the inside—and will pay off in a life that honors God. —Dave Branon

Dear Lord, I pray that through the work of Your

Spirit dwelling within me I will be transformed

into a grand display of the fruit that will attract

others to You and reflect glory back to You.

Righteousness in your heart produces beauty in your character.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Being A Witness

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Our Daily Bread

Acts 1:1-9

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me. —Acts 1:8

When I was a teen, I witnessed an auto accident. It was a shocking experience that was compounded by what followed. As the only witness to the incident, I spent the ensuing months telling a series of lawyers and insurance adjustors what I had seen. I was not expected to explain the physics of the wreck or the details of the medical trauma. I was asked to tell only what I had witnessed.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be witnesses of what Jesus has done in us and for us. To point people to Christ, we don’t need to be able to explain every theological issue or answer every question. What we must do is explain what we have witnessed in our own lives through the cross and the resurrection of the Savior. Even better is that we don’t have to rely on ourselves alone to do this. Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

As we rely on the Spirit’s power, we can point a hurting world to the redeeming Christ. With His help, we can witness to the life-changing power of His presence in our lives! —Bill Crowder

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. —Hankey

Our testimony is the witness of what God has done for us.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Life Without Bread

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Our Daily Bread

John 6:25-35

I am the bread of life. —John 6:48

In cultures with an abundance of food choices, bread is no longer a necessary part of the diet so some choose to live without it for various reasons. In the first century, however, bread was viewed as an essential staple. A diet without bread was a foreign concept.

One day a crowd of people sought out Jesus because He had performed the miracle of multiplying loaves of bread (John 6:11,26). They asked Him to perform a sign like the manna from heaven that God had provided for His people in the desert (6:30-31; Ex. 16:4). When Jesus said He was “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), the people didn’t understand. They wanted literal daily bread. But Jesus was saying that He had been sent to be their spiritual bread; He would supply their daily spiritual needs. If they, by faith, applied and took His words and life into their very souls, they would experience everlasting satisfaction (v.35).

Jesus doesn’t want to be an optional commodity in our diets; He desires to be the essential staple in our lives, our “necessary” food. As first-century Jews could never imagine life without physical bread, may we never attempt to live without Jesus, our spiritual bread! —Marvin Williams

FOR FURTHER THOUGHT

What are some ways you can let Jesus, the

Bread of Life, and His words satisfy the

hunger pangs of your soul today?

Only spiritual bread satisfies the hunger of the soul.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God Provides, But How?

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Our Daily Bread

Deuteronomy 24:19-22

He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread. —Proverbs 12:11

Outside my office window, the squirrels are in a race against winter to bury their acorns in a safe, accessible place. Their commotion amuses me. An entire herd of deer can go through our back yard and not make a sound, but one squirrel sounds like an invasion.

The two creatures are different in another way as well. Deer do not prepare for winter. When the snow comes they eat whatever they can find along the way (including ornamental shrubs in our yard). But squirrels would starve if they followed that example. They would be unable to find suitable food.

The deer and the squirrel represent ways that God cares for us. He enables us to work and save for the future, and He meets our need when resources are scarce. As the wisdom literature teaches, God gives us seasons of plenty so that we can prepare for seasons of need (Prov. 12:11). And as Psalm 23 says, the Lord leads us through perilous places to pleasant pastures.

Another way that God provides is by instructing those with plenty to share with those in need (Deut. 24:19). So when it comes to provision, the message of the Bible is this: Work while we can, save what we can, share what we can, and trust God to meet our needs. —Julie Ackerman Link

Thank You, Lord, for the promise that You will

meet our needs. Help us not to fear or doubt.

We’re grateful that You’re watching over us

and that our cries for help reach Your ear.

Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Public Praise

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 96

Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. —Psalm 96:3

I love the YouTube video of people in a food court of a mall, who in the midst of their ordinary lives were suddenly interrupted by someone who stood up and boldly began singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” To the surprise of everyone, another person got up and joined the chorus, and then another, and another. Soon the food court was resounding with the celebrative harmonies of Handel’s masterpiece. A local opera company had planted their singers in strategic places so that they could joyfully interject the glory of God into the everyday lives of lunching shoppers.

Every time I watch that video, it moves me to tears. It reminds me that bringing the glory of God into the ordinary situations of our world through the beautiful harmonies of Christlikeness is exactly what we are called to do. Think of intentionally interjecting God’s grace into a situation where some undeserving soul needs a second chance; of sharing the love of Christ with someone who is needy; of being the hands of Jesus that lift up a weary friend; or of bringing peace to a confusing and chaotic situation.

As the psalmist reminds us, we have the high and holy privilege of declaring “His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples” (Ps. 96:3). —Joe Stowell

Thank You, Lord, for filling us with the capacity to take

Your glory “public” through the way we act and react

toward others. Give us the grace to interject the surprising

beauty of Your wonderful ways into each encounter.

Surprise your world with the wonders of Christ shining through you!

Bible in a year: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Dangerous Challenge

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Our Daily Bread

2 Chronicles 20:1, 15-22

The battle is not yours, but God’s. —2 Chronicles 20:15

While millions watched on television, Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a 1,800-foot wire that was only 5 inches in diameter. He took all the precautions he could. But adding to the drama and danger of both the height and the rushing water below, a thick mist obscured Nik’s sight, wind threatened his balance, and spray from the falls challenged his footing. Amid—and perhaps because of—these perils, he said that he “prayed a lot” and praised God.

The Israelites also praised God in the middle of a dangerous challenge. Theirs involved a large group of warriors who had gathered to fight them (2 Chron. 20:2). After humbly asking God for help, King Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to march out into battle in front of the Israelite army. The worshipers sang: “Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever” (v.21). When they began to sing, the Lord caused the enemy forces to attack and destroy each other.

Praising God in the midst of a challenge may mean overriding our natural instincts. We tend toward self-protection, strategizing, and worry. However, worshiping can guard our hearts against troubling thoughts and self-reliance. It reminds us of the lesson the Israelites learned: “The battle is not [ours], but God’s” (v.15). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Lord, I praise You, for Your mercy is everlasting.

Help me to remember that every battle in

this life is Yours. The outcome belongs to

You because You are sovereign.

No matter what is in front of us, God is always behind us.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Value Of One

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Our Daily Bread

Luke 15:1-10

What man . . . having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost? —Luke 15:4

Only hours before Kim Haskins’ high school graduation, an auto accident took the life of her father and left Kim and her mother hospitalized. The next day, Joe Garrett, Kim’s high school principal, visited her at the hospital and said they wanted to do something special for her at the school. The Gazette (Colorado Springs) article by James Drew described the outpouring of love and support as the teachers, administrators, and classmates—deeply touched by Kim’s loss—filled the high school auditorium a few days later at a graduation ceremony just for her.

Principal Garrett said, “We talk a lot in education about no child left behind. In the military, they talk about no soldier left behind. Today, this is about no graduate left behind.”

Jesus underscored the importance of every person to God with three stories about something lost—a sheep, a coin, and a son (Luke 15). In each story, a person has lost something of great value. When it is found, friends and neighbors are called to celebrate and rejoice together.

The point is clear: We are all of great value to God, who offers us forgiveness and new life through Christ. And He faithfully pursues us with His love and grace. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (v.7). —David McCasland

I was lost but Jesus found me—

Found the sheep that went astray,

Threw His loving arms around me,

Drew me back into His way. —Rowley

Our value is measured by what God has done for us.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Immeasurably More

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Our Daily Bread

Ephesians 3:14-21

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. —1 John 4:4

“It’s not going to happen, Aunt Julie. You might as well erase that thought from your mind.”

“I know it’s unlikely,” I said. “But it’s not impossible.”

For several years, my niece and I have had variations of that conversation regarding a situation in our family. The rest of the sentence, which I said only occasionally, was this: “I know it can happen because I hear stories all the time about how God makes impossible things happen.” The part of the sentence I said only to myself was this: “But they happen only in other people’s families.”

Recently my pastor has been preaching from the book of Ephesians. At the end of every service we say this benediction: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21 NIV).

This was the year God chose to do “immeasurably more” in my family. He replaced indifference with love. How did He do it? Beats me. But I saw it happen. And why should I be surprised? If Satan can turn love into indifference, certainly God can change indifference back into love. —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, thank You for doing immeasurably more in

our lives than we could ever imagine.

I am so thankful that You are able and often

do make impossible situations possible.

God’s power to restore is stronger than Satan’s power to destroy.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Gift Of Presence

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Our Daily Bread

John 11:14-27

Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. —John 11:19

A number of years ago, when I was a new human resource manager for a company, I attended the visitation and funeral of a long-time employee I had never met. The worker, a bricklayer, was loved by his co-workers, yet very few came to see his widow. I listened to someone trying to console her by saying that many people stay away because they are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and making the family more miserable.

In times of distress, however, people rarely remember what we say. What they most remember is that we were there. Familiar faces offer strength beyond description; they provide comfort for the deep feelings of loneliness setting in from the loss. This “gift of presence” is one we’re all capable of offering, even if we’re tongue-tied or uncomfortable.

Martha and Mary were surrounded by friends and mourners who comforted them when their brother Lazarus died (John 11:19). Then the One they most longed to see—Jesus—came and wept with them (vv.33-35). The people responded, “See how He loved him!” (v.36).

In loss of any kind, Jesus always gives His comforting presence, and we have the ability to give deeply of His compassion simply by the gift of our presence. —Randy Kilgore

O may I never fail to see

The comfort you may need from me;

And may you know that I am there

To bind our souls as grief we share. —Kilgore

Often the best comfort is just being there.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Married To Royalty

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 19:6-9

The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. —Revelation 19:7

The book To Marry an English Lord chronicles the 19th-century phenomenon of rich American heiresses who sought marriages to British aristocracy. Although they were already wealthy, they wanted the social status of royalty. The book begins with Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, going to the United States to pay a social call. A mass of wealthy heiresses flood into a ball arranged for Prince Albert, each hoping to become his royal bride.

Believers in Christ don’t have to just hope—they are assured of a royal marriage in heaven. John talks about it in the book of Revelation: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (19:7-8). Jesus is the Lamb, who is the Bridegroom talked about in that Scripture, and believers are His bride.

As the bride of Christ, we are to make ourselves “ready” for that day by striving to live close to Him now in anticipation of our future with Him in heaven. There we will “be glad and rejoice and give . . . glory” (v.7) to the King of kings and Lord of lords! —Dennis Fisher

Jesus, we look forward to that day when we will

be with You! We want to be ready, but we know

we can’t live a life that is pure unless You are

in us and help us. Change us and fill us.

There is no greater privilege than to know the King of kings.

Bible in a year: 1-16

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Hubble, Zoos, And Singing Children

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 148

Praise Him, all you stars of light! —Psalm 148:3

What do the Hubble Space Telescope, a zoo, and singing children have in common? According to the teaching of Psalm 148, we could conclude that they all point to God’s magnificent creation.

The idea that God created our world is often questioned, so perhaps it’s a good time for a reminder of the praise we and all creation should heap on our heavenly Father for His magnificent handiwork.

Hubble can help us with that through its eye-popping pictures of our universe. Every one of those brilliant photos points to stars that focus attention on God’s creative majesty. “Praise Him, all you stars of light!” says verse 3.

A visit to a zoo points us to the great diversity of wildlife God created. We look at verses 7 and 10 and say thank you to God for sea creatures, wild animals, insects, and birds.

And a few minutes of watching little children singing uninhibited praises to God symbolizes the truth that all people of earth should lift their voices in honor of our Creator (vv.11-13).

Stars, animals, and children: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted” (v.13). Let’s join in saying thanks for His creation. “Praise the Lord!” —Dave Branon

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;

Join me in glad adoration! —Neander

Creation displays God’s power.

Bible in a year: saiah 11-13; Ephesians 4

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Drink Lots Of Water

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Our Daily Bread

John 4:7-14

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. —John 4:14

Visitors to Colorado often become dehydrated without realizing it. The dry climate and intense sun, especially in the mountains, can rapidly deplete the body’s fluids. That’s why many tourist maps and signs urge people to drink plenty of water.

In the Bible, water is often used as a symbol of Jesus as the Living Water who satisfies our deepest needs. So it’s quite fitting that one of Jesus’ most memorable conversations took place at a well (John 4:1-42). It began with Jesus asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water (v.7). It quickly progressed to a discussion of something more when Jesus said to her: “Whoever drinks of this [physical] water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (vv.13-14).

As a result of this conversation, the woman and many people in the village where she lived came to believe that Jesus was “the Christ, the Savior of the world” (v.42).

We can’t live without water. Nor can we truly live now or eternally without the living water we receive from knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior. We can drink of His life-giving water today. —David McCasland

Gracious and Almighty Savior,

Source of all that shall endure,

Quench my thirst with living water,

Living water, clear and pure. —Vinal

Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy the thirsty soul.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Color Courage

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Our Daily Bread

1 Corinthians 4:10-17

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. —1 Corinthians 11:1

A radio ad for watches suggests that listeners buy a watch with a bright color band and then wear it with clothes of other colors. When people notice your watch because of its contrasting color, the ad says, “They’ll see that you have ‘color courage.’ And they’ll want to be like you.” Something in us enjoys having others follow our example.

If you do a quick reading of 1 Corinthians 4, you might think the apostle Paul sounds a bit boastful when he says to follow his example of self-sacrifice (v.16). But a closer look at Paul’s words shows why he wrote so confidently. He could ask people to imitate him because he imitated Christ (11:1), the greatest Servant of all.

The persecution he endured and the position he held in the church (4:10-17) all happened because Paul followed Jesus. When he mentioned that even if the Corinthians had 10,000 teachers he would still be their father in the faith (v.15), he was acknowledging that Jesus is the only reason people could trust his teaching.

If we want people to imitate us, we must first imitate our Lord. If we have any reason for people to follow our example—if we have any courage to point others to the Savior—it is because of Him, not us. —Anne Cetas

Joyfully following Jesus the Lord

And trusting His lead every day

Makes us examples that others can see

To follow when trials come their way. —Sper

Others should imitate us only as far as we imitate Christ.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Who Am I?

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Our Daily Bread

Exodus 3:7-15

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” —Exodus 3:11

Years ago, world-famous evangelist Billy Graham was scheduled to speak at Cambridge University in England, but he did not feel qualified to address the sophisticated thinkers. He had no advanced degrees and he had never attended seminary. Billy confided in a close friend: “I do not know that I have ever felt more inadequate and totally unprepared for a mission.” He prayed for God’s help, and God used him to share the simple truth of the gospel and the cross of Christ.

Moses also felt inadequate when God recruited him for the task of telling Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Ex. 3:11). Although Moses may have questioned his effectiveness because he was “slow of speech” (4:10), God said, “I will certainly be with you” (3:12). Knowing he would have to share God’s rescue plan and tell the Israelites who sent him, Moses asked God, “What shall I say to them?” God replied, “I AM has sent me to you” (vv.13-14). His name, “I AM,” revealed His eternal, self-existent, and all-sufficient character.

Even when we question our ability to do what God has asked us to do, He can be trusted. Our shortcomings are less important than God’s sufficiency. When we ask, “Who am I?” we can remember that God said, “I AM.” —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Lord, help me to remember that You are

with me, even when I’m unsure of my own

abilities. Give me the faith to believe that You

can help me to do anything You ask me to do.

You need not be afraid of where you’re going when you know God’s going with you.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 5-6; Ephesians 1

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Fire And Rain

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Our Daily Bread

Isaiah 16:1-5

In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth . . .  judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness. —Isaiah 16:5

When a wildfire raged through the beautiful canyons near Colorado Springs, Colorado, it destroyed the habitat of all kinds of wildlife and hundreds of homes. People across the nation cried out to God, pleading with Him to send rain to douse the flames, put an end to the destruction, and give firefighters relief. Some people’s prayers had an interesting condition attached to them. They asked God to show mercy and send rain without lightning, which they feared would start even more fires.

This reminds me of how we live in tension between things that save us and kill us. With fire, we cook our food and keep warm, but in it we can be consumed. With water, we keep our bodies hydrated and our planet cooled, but in it we also can drown. Too much or too little of either is life-threatening.

We see the same principle at work spiritually. To thrive, civilizations need the seemingly opposite qualities of mercy and justice (Zech. 7:9). Jesus scolded the Pharisees for being sticklers about the law but neglecting these “weightier matters” (Matt. 23:23).

We may lean toward justice or mercy, but Jesus keeps them in perfect balance (Isa. 16:5; 42:1-4). His death satisfies God’s need for justice and our need for mercy. —Julie Ackerman Link

Father, for personal reasons I sometimes lean toward

showing mercy, and sometimes I just want justice now.

Teach me the balance as I look at Your character and

give me the wisdom I need in specific situations.

God’s justice and mercy met at the cross.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Path Of Wisdom

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 38:1-15

In You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. —Psalm 38:15

Albert Einstein was heard to say, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Sadly, it does seem that far too often there is no limit to the foolishness we get ourselves into—or the damage we create by our foolishness and the choices it fosters.

It was in such a season of regret that David poured out his struggle and complaint to God in Psalm 38. As he recounted his own failings, as well as the painful consequences he was enduring because of those failings, the shepherd-king made an insightful comment: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (v.5). Although the psalmist does not give us the details of those choices or of his worsening wounds, one thing is clear—David recognized his own foolishness as their root cause.

The answer for such destructive foolishness is to embrace the wisdom of God. Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Only by allowing God to transform us can we overcome the foolish decisions that cause so much trouble. With His loving guidance, we can follow the pathway of godly wisdom. —Bill Crowder

Loving Father, forgive me for the seemingly

limitless capacity I have to be foolish. Teach me

in Your wisdom, so that my life might be pleasing

to You and a blessing to others around me.

God’s wisdom is given to those who humbly ask Him for it.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 1-2; Galatians 5

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Insignificant

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Our Daily Bread

Luke 3:2-6,15-18

The Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. —Luke 3:2

“Movers and shakers” are people climbing the ladder of influence and success. Luke 3 mentions seven prominent leaders who exercised control in the society of their time. Roman Emperor Tiberias Caesar held the power of life and death over people in his far-flung empire. Pontius Pilate represented Rome as governor of Judea; while Herod, Philip, and Lysanias kept people in line at the regional level. Annas and Caiaphas served as high priests, taking their religious authority seriously.

While these power brokers flexed their political muscles, “the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” (v.2). Who could seem less important than this obscure man living in the desert and listening for God’s voice? What could John the Baptist possibly accomplish by “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”? (v.3). Yet multitudes came to John seeking truth, turning from their wrongs, and wondering if he could be the Messiah (vv.7,15). John told them, “One mightier than I is coming . . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (v.16).

John’s life helps us understand what it means to be significant in God’s eyes. Like John, may everything we say and do point others to Jesus. —David McCasland

Lord, help us to surrender our desire for influence

and success to You. May our heart’s desire ever be to be

used by You to further Your kingdom.

Make our lives a living testimony of You.

Our surrender to God precedes His significant work in our life.

Bible in a year: Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4