Read: John 16:28-33

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 1-3; Matthew 24:1-28

[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. —Revelation 21:4

As a lifelong Cleveland Browns football fan, I grew up knowing my share of disappointment. Despite being one of only four teams to have never appeared in a Super Bowl championship game, the Browns have a loyal fan base that sticks with the team year in and year out. But because the fans usually end up disappointed, many of them now refer to the home stadium as the “Factory of Sadness.”

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — The Factory of Sadness →

Read: 1 Kings 12:1-15

Bible in a Year: Exodus 36-38; Matthew 23:1-22

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. —Matthew 20:26

In traditional African societies, leadership succession is a serious decision. After a king’s demise, great care is taken selecting the next ruler. Besides being from a royal family, the successor must be strong, fearless, and sensible. Candidates are questioned to determine if they will serve the people or rule with a heavy hand. The king’s successor needs to be someone who leads but also serves.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — A Serving Leader →

Read: Proverbs 2:1-5

Bible in a Year: Exodus 34-35; Matthew 22:23-46

Search for [insight and understanding] as for hidden treasure. —Proverbs 2:4

My husband and I read in different ways. Since English is a second language for Tom, he has a tendency to read slowly, word-for-word. I often speed-read by skimming. But Tom retains more than I do. He can easily quote something he read a week ago, while my retention can evaporate seconds after I turn away from the screen or book.

Skimming is also a problem when I’m reading the Bible—and not just the genealogies. I’m tempted to skim familiar passages, stories I’ve heard since I was a child, or a psalm that is part of a familiar chorus.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Hidden Treasure →

Read: 1 Kings 4:29-34

Bible in a Year: Exodus 21-22; Matthew 19

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. —Proverbs 12:10

June Williams was only 4 when her father bought 7 acres of land to build a zoo without bars or cages. Growing up she remembers how creative her father was in trying to help wild animals feel free in confinement. Today Chester Zoo is one of England’s most popular wildlife attractions. Home to 11,000 animals on 110 acres of land, the zoo reflects her father’s concern for animal welfare, education, and conservation.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Her Father’s Zoo →

Read: Psalm 18:1-6

Bible in a Year: Exodus 19-20; Matthew 18:21-35

In my distress I called to the Lord. —Psalm 18:6

As a mom of young children I’m sometimes susceptible to panic. My first reaction is to call my mom on the phone and ask her what to do with my son’s allergy or my daughter’s sudden cough.

Mom is a great resource, but when I read the Psalms, I’m reminded of how often we need the kind of help that no mortal can give. In Psalm 18 David was in great danger. Afraid, close to death, and in anguish, he called on the Lord.

David could say, “I love you, Lord” because he understood God was a fortress, a rock, and a deliverer (vv. 1-2). God was his shield, his salvation, and his stronghold. Maybe we cannot understand David’s praise because we have not experienced God’s help. It may be that we reach for the phone before going to God for advice and help.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Before the Phone →

Read: James 3:1-12

Bible in a Year: Exodus 12-13; Matthew 16

The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. —James 3:5

My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure there!” I said.

“You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a grin.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Careless Words →

Read: Luke 15:11-24

Bible in a Year: Exodus 1-3; Matthew 14:1-21

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. —Luke 15:20

When we were going through a particularly challenging time with our son, a friend pulled me aside after a church meeting. “I want you to know that I pray for you and your son every day,” he said. Then he added: “I feel so guilty.”

“Why?” I asked. “Because I’ve never had to deal with prodigal children,” he said. “My kids pretty much played by the rules. But it wasn’t because of anything I did or didn’t do. Kids,” he shrugged, “make their own choices.”

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Welcome Home! →

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Bible in a Year: Genesis 43-45; Matthew 12:24-50

While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son. —Romans 5:10

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached on a Sunday morning in 1957, he fought the temptation to retaliate against a society steeped in racism.

“How do you go about loving your enemies?” he asked the Dexter Avenue Baptist congregation in Montgomery, Alabama. “Begin with yourself. . . . When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it.”

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Minister of Reconciliation →

Read: 1 Corinthians 14:6-12,26

Bible in a Year: Genesis 41-42; Matthew 12:1-23

Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. —1 Corinthians 14:12

The world-class botanical garden across the street from our church was the setting for an all-church community gathering. As I walked around the gardens greeting people I have known for years, catching up with those I hadn’t seen recently, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings cared for by people who know and love plants, I realized that the evening was rich with symbols of how the church is supposed to function—a little hint of heaven on earth.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — A Hint of Heaven →

Read: Ephesians 2:4-7

Bible in a Year: Genesis 36-38; Matthew 10:21-42

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —Hebrews 4:16

In the winter of 2009, a large passenger plane made an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. The pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who landed the plane safely with no casualties, was later asked about those moments in the air when he was faced with a life-or-death decision. “One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on [that day] the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — What’s in the Bank? →