Tag Archives: Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Great Expectations

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Our Daily Bread

Philippians 1:12-21

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified. —Philippians 1:20

I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, “The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.”

In our best moments, it’s easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us. But life has a way of breaking those expectations. What then?

Stuck in jail and beset by fellow believers in Rome who didn’t like him (Phil. 1:15-16), Paul remained surprisingly upbeat. As he saw it, God had given him a new mission field. While under house arrest, he witnessed to the guards about Christ, which sent the gospel into Caesar’s house. And even though those opposing him were preaching the gospel from wrong motives, Christ was being preached, so Paul rejoiced (v.18).

Paul never expected to be in a great place or to be well liked. His only expectation was that “Christ will be magnified” through him (v.20). He wasn’t disappointed.

If our expectation is to make Christ visible to those around us regardless of where we are or who we are with, we will find those expectations met and even exceeded. Christ will be magnified. —Joe Stowell

Lord, forgive me for making my life all about what

I expect and not about glorifying You regardless

of my circumstances. May Your love, mercy,

and justice be magnified through me today.

Make it your only expectation to magnify Christ wherever you are and whoever you are with.

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

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Better Than Planned

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Our Daily Bread

Ephesians 5:15-21

Giving thanks always for all things. —Ephesians 5:20

Interruptions are nothing new. Rarely does a day go by as planned.

Life is filled with inconveniences. Our plans are constantly thwarted by forces beyond our control. The list is long and ever-changing: Sickness. Conflict. Traffic jams. Forgetfulness. Appliance malfunctions. Rudeness. Laziness. Impatience. Incompetence.

What we cannot see, however, is the other side of inconvenience. We think it has no purpose other than to discourage us, make life more difficult, and thwart our plans. However, inconvenience could be God’s way of protecting us from some unseen danger, or it could be an opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace and forgiveness. It might be the start of something even better than we had planned. Or it could be a test to see how we respond to adversity. Whatever it is, even though we may not know God’s reason, we can be assured of His motive—to make us more like Jesus and to further His kingdom on earth.

To say that God’s followers throughout history have been “inconvenienced” would be an understatement. But God had a purpose. Knowing this, we can thank Him, being confident that He is giving us an opportunity to redeem the time (Eph. 5:16,20). —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, so often it’s the little things in life that get

to me, and there seem to be so many of them.

Whenever I’m tempted to lose my temper, blame

someone, or just give up, help me see You.

What happens to us is not nearly as important as what God does in us and through us.

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

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Wonder Of The Cross

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Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 12:1-4

[Look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. —Hebrews 12:2

While visiting Australia, I had the opportunity on a particularly clear night to see the Southern Cross. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, this constellation is one of the most distinctive. Mariners and navigators began relying on it as early as the 15th century for direction and navigation through the seas. Although relatively small, it is visible throughout most of the year. The Southern Cross was so vivid on that dark night that even I could pick it out of the bundle of stars. It was truly a magnificent sight!

The Scriptures tell us of an even more magnificent cross—the cross of Christ. When we look at the stars, we see the handiwork of the Creator; but when we look at the cross, we see the Creator dying for His creation. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to “[look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The wonder of Calvary’s cross is that while we were still in our sins, our Savior died for us (Rom. 5:8). Those who place their trust in Christ are now reconciled to God, and He navigates them through life (2 Cor. 1:8-10).

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the greatest of all wonders! —Bill Crowder

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride. —Watts

Christ’s cross provides the only safe crossing into eternity.

Bible in a year: Exodus 16-18; Matthew 18:1-20

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Discipline Of Waiting

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Our Daily Bread

 

READ: Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. —Psalm 40:1

Waiting is hard. We wait in grocery lines, in traffic, in the doctor’s office. We twiddle our thumbs, stifle our yawns, and fret inwardly in frustration. On another level, we wait for a letter that doesn’t come, for a prodigal child to return, or for a spouse to change. We wait for a child we can hold in our arms. We wait for our heart’s desire.

In Psalm 40, David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The original language here suggests that David “waited and waited and waited” for God to answer his prayer. Yet as he looks back at this time of delay, he praises God. As a result, David says, God “put a new song . . . a hymn of praise” in his heart (40:3 niv).

“What a chapter can be written of God’s delays!” said F. B. Meyer. “It is the mystery of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable.” Through the discipline of waiting, we can develop the quieter virtues—submission, humility, patience, joyful endurance, persistence in well-doing—virtues that take the longest to learn.

What do we do when God seems to withhold our heart’s desire? He is able to help us to love and trust Him enough to accept the delay with joy and to see it as an opportunity to develop these virtues—and to praise Him. —David Roper

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Pollard

Waiting for God is never a waste of time.

Bible in a year: Exodus 14-15; Matthew 17

 

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Forgets

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Joyce meyer 

I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified (proved right).
—Isaiah 43:25–26

God holds nothing against you if you are sincerely sorry for what you have done in the past and are trusting in the blood of Jesus to cleanse you from your former wickedness. The minute you repent, God forgives and forgets, so why not follow His example and receive His forgiveness and forget it yourself?

A confident woman does not live in the past; she lets go of it and looks to the future. It may be that you have a decision to make right now. Maybe you failed someone, or had an abortion, or committed adultery, stole something, lied, or did any number of terrible things. But God’s question to you is, what are you going to do today? Will you live the rest of your life serving God and following His plan for you? If you are ready to make that commitment, there is nothing in your past that has enough power to hold you back.

Lord, help me to forget what You have forgotten regarding my past. I thank You that by Your grace I can let the past go and concentrate on the future. Show me Your plans for the days ahead. Amen.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — An Ordinary Day

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 24:36-44

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. —Matthew 24:42

While exploring a museum exhibit titled “A Day in Pompeii,” I was struck by the repeated theme that August 24, AD 79 began as an ordinary day. People were going about their daily business in homes, markets, and at the port of this prosperous Roman town of 20,000 people. At 8 a.m., a series of small emissions were seen coming from nearby Mount Vesuvius, followed by a violent eruption in the afternoon. In less than 24 hours, Pompeii and many of its people lay buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Unexpected.

Jesus told His followers that He would return on a day when people were going about their business, sharing meals, and having weddings, with no idea of what was about to happen. “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37).

The Lord’s purpose was to urge the disciples to be watchful and prepared: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (v.44).

What surprising joy it would be to welcome our Savior on this ordinary day! —David McCasland

Faithful and true would He find us here,

If He should come today?

Watching in gladness and not in fear,

If He should come today?

Watch for the time is drawing nigh,

What if it were today? —Morris

Perhaps today!

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

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Where Have You Been?

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Our Daily Bread

Romans 10:11-15

How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? —Romans 10:14

Missionary Egerton Ryerson Young served the Salteaux tribe in Canada in the 1700s. The chief of the tribe thanked Young for bringing the good news of Christ to them, noting that he was hearing it for the first time in his old age. Since he knew that God was Young’s heavenly Father, the chief asked, “Does that mean He is my Father too?” When the missionary answered, “Yes,” the crowd that had gathered around burst into cheers.

The chief was not finished, however. “Well,” said the chief, “I do not want to be rude, but it does seem to me . . . that it took a long time for you to . . . tell it to your brother in the woods.” It was a remark that Young never forgot.

Many times I’ve been frustrated by the zigs and zags of my life, thinking of the people I could reach if only. Then God reminds me to look around right where I am, and I discover many who have never heard of Jesus. In that moment, I’m reminded that I have a story to tell wherever I go, “for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ ” (Rom. 10:12-13).

Remember, we don’t have just any story to tell—it’s the best story that has ever been told. —Randy Kilgore

I love to tell the story,

For some have never heard

The message of salvation

From God’s own holy Word. —Hankey

Sharing the good news is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

Bible in a year: Exodus 9-11; Matthew 15:21-39

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Load Line

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Our Daily Bread

1 Peter 5:5-9

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. —1 Peter 5:6-7

In the 19th century, ships were often recklessly overloaded, resulting in those ships going down and the crews being lost at sea. In 1875, to remedy this negligent practice, British politician Samuel Plimsoll led the charge for legislation to create a line on the side of a ship to show if it was carrying too much cargo. That “load line” became known as the Plimsoll Line, and it continues to mark the hulls of ships today.

Sometimes, like those ships, our lives can seem overloaded with fears, struggles, and heartaches. We can even feel that we are in danger of going under. In those times, however, it is reassuring to remember that we have a remarkable resource. We have a heavenly Father who stands ready to help us carry that load. The apostle Peter said, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). He is capable of handling the cares that overwhelm us.

Though the testings of life may feel like a burden too heavy to bear, we can have full assurance that our heavenly Father loves us deeply and knows our load limits. Whatever we face, He will help us to bear it. —Bill Crowder

Heavenly Father, I sometimes feel as if I can’t go

on. I am tired, I am weak, and I am worn. Thank You

that You know my limits better than I do. And that, in

Your strength, I can find the enablement to endure.

God may lead us into troubled waters to deepen our trust in Him.

Bible in a year: Exodus 7-8; Matthew 15:1-20

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Bricks Without Straw

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Our Daily Bread

Exodus 6:1-13

I will rescue you . . . , and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm. —Exodus 6:6

Many of us face the challenge of working with limited resources. Equipped with less money, less time, dwindling energy, and fewer helpers, our workload may remain the same. Sometimes, it even increases. There’s a saying that sums up this predicament: “More bricks, less straw.”

This phrase refers to the Israelites’ hardship as slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh decided to stop supplying them with straw, yet he required them to make the same number of bricks each day. They scoured the land to find supplies, while Pharaoh’s overseers beat them and pressured them to work harder (Ex. 5:13). The Israelites became so discouraged that they didn’t listen when God said through Moses, “I will rescue you . . . , and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (6:6).

Although the Israelites refused to hear God’s message, God was still guiding and directing Moses, preparing him to speak to Pharaoh. God remained firmly on Israel’s side—at work behind the scenes. Like the Israelites, we can become so downhearted that we ignore encouragement. In dark times, it’s comforting to remember that God is our deliverer (Ps. 40:17). He is always at work on our behalf, even if we can’t see what He is doing. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Lord, please help me to trust You despite my

discouragement. I invite You to fill me with

hope through the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Let my life testify of Your faithfulness.

Times of trouble are times for trust.

Bible in a year: Exodus 4-6; Matthew 14:22-36

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — In Harmony

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Our Daily Bread

1 Peter 4:7-11

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —1 Peter 4:10

I love playing the 5-string banjo. But it has one drawback. The fifth string will harmonize with only a limited number of simple chords. When other musicians want to play more complicated music, the banjoist has to adapt. He can lend marvelous melodic tones to a jam session only by making the right adjustments.

Just as musicians adjust with their instruments, we as believers also need to make adjustments with our spiritual gifts if we want to harmonize with others to serve God. For instance, those who have the gift of teaching must coordinate with those who have the gift of organizing meetings and with those who make sure meeting rooms are set up and cleaned. All of us have spiritual gifts, and we must work together if God’s work is to get done.

The apostle Peter said, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Stewardship requires cooperation. Think about your spiritual gifts (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4; 1 Peter 4). Now reflect on how you can dovetail their use with the gifts of other believers. When our talents are used in a complementary way, the result is harmony and glory to God. —Dennis Fisher

Without a note we sing in tune,

An anthem loud we bring,

When willingly we give our gifts

Of labor to our King. —Branon

Keeping in tune with Christ keeps harmony in the church.

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

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Start With Gusto!

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ppt_seal01

What if you were as enthusiastic about something, anything, as Julia Child was about French cooking? Fifty years after she wrote her first cookbook, the world still feels the impact. While many disagree with how Julia used her influence, it’s indisputable that her unbridled passion for the art of cooking captured a global audience.

His delight is in the law of the Lord.

Psalm 1:2

The Bible talks about delighting in the law of the Lord. This might seem to be an unlikely pairing: delight and law. What the writer of Psalms is alluding to is the very thing Julia possessed – enthusiasm. She didn’t try to be cool and ironic. No…she was so thrilled to tell you how to cook, she’d inadvertently sling a raw chicken leg across the cabinet in excitement.

How passionate are you about God’s Word and the work He is doing today? Do you still believe His law is love and His passion is peace for all who believe in Him? Start this year off with gusto. Don’t get lost in the lies of unbelief. Delight yourself in the law of the Lord, and put His passion into practice. Then pray for more of your nation’s leaders to discover God and become enthusiastic about Him!

Recommended Reading: Psalm 84:1-7  Click to Read or Listen

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — True Greatness

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Our Daily Bread

Mark 10:35-45

Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. —Mark 10:43

Some people feel like a small pebble lost in the immensity of a canyon. But no matter how insignificant we judge ourselves to be, we can be greatly used by God.

In a sermon early in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Jesus’ words from Mark 10 about servanthood. Then he said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

When Jesus’ disciples quarreled about who would get the places of honor in heaven, He told them: “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).

I wonder about us. Is that our understanding of greatness? Are we gladly serving, doing tasks that may be unnoticed? Is the purpose of our serving to please our Lord rather than to gain applause? If we are willing to be a servant, our lives will point to the One who is truly great. —Vernon Grounds

No service in itself is small,

None great, though earth it fill;

But that is small that seeks its own,

And great that does God’s will. —Anon.

Little things done in Christ’s name are great things.

Bible in a year: Genesis 49-50; Matthew 13:31-58

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Two Men

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Our Daily Bread

John 11:30-37

He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. . . . Jesus wept. —John 11:33,35

Two men were killed in our city on the same day. The first, a police officer, was shot down while trying to help a family. The other was a homeless man who was shot while drinking with friends early that day.

The whole city grieved for the police officer. He was a fine young man who cared for others and was loved by the neighborhood he served. A few homeless people grieved for the friend they loved and lost.

I think the Lord grieved with them all.

When Jesus saw Mary and Martha and their friends weeping over the death of Lazarus, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). He loved Lazarus and his sisters. Even though He knew that He would soon be raising Lazarus from the dead, He wept with them (v.35). Some Bible scholars think that part of Jesus’ weeping also may have been over death itself and the pain and sadness it causes in people’s hearts.

Loss is a part of life. But because Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” (v.25), those who believe in Him will one day experience an end of all death and sorrow. In the meantime, He weeps with us over our losses and asks us to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). —Anne Cetas

Give me a heart sympathetic and tender;

Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine,

Touched by the needs that are surging around me,

And filled with compassion divine. —Anon.

Compassion helps to heal the hurts of others.

Bible in a year: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 13:1-30

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — All Spruced Up

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Our Daily Bread

Jude 1:20-25

[Jesus] is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless. —Jude 1:24

Getting our children to look good for church was always a challenge. Ten minutes after arriving at church all spruced up, our little Matthew would look like he didn’t have parents. I’d see him running down the hall with his shirt half untucked, glasses cockeyed, shoes scuffed up, and cookie crumbs decorating his clothes. Left to himself, he was a mess.

I wonder if that is how we look sometimes. After Christ has clothed us in His righteousness, we tend to wander off and live in ways that make us look like we don’t belong to God. That’s why Jude’s promise that Jesus is “able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless” gives me hope (Jude 1:24).

How can we keep from looking like we don’t have a heavenly Father? As we become more yielded to His Spirit and His ways, He will keep us from stumbling. Think of how increasingly righteous our lives would become if we would take time in His Word to be cleansed with “the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:26).

What a blessing that Jesus promises to take our stumbling, disheveled lives and present us faultless to the Father! May we increasingly look like children of the King as we reflect His loving care and attention. —Joe Stowell

Lord, thank You for the blessing of being clothed

in Your beautiful righteousness and the promise

that You will keep me from stumbling and present

me faultless before Your Father and my God!

To reflect the presence of the Father, we must rely on the Son.

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

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Heavenly Perspective

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Our Daily Bread

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. —2 Corinthians 4:18

Fanny Crosby lost her sight as an infant. Yet, amazingly, she went on to become one of the most well-known lyricists of Christian hymns. During her long life, she wrote over 9,000 hymns. Among them are such enduring favorites as “Blessed Assurance” and “To God Be the Glory.”

Some people felt sorry for Fanny. A well-intentioned preacher told her, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.” It sounds hard to believe, but she replied: “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? . . . Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

Fanny saw life with an eternal perspective. Our problems look different in light of eternity: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

All our trials dim when we remember that one glorious day we will see Jesus! —Dennis Fisher

Dear God, please help us to see this life

from a heavenly perspective. Remind us that

our trials, however difficult, will one day fade

from view when we see You face to face.

The way we view eternity will affect the way we live in time.

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

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Little Tent

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Our Daily Bread

Colossians 1:1-12; 4:12

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell. —Colossians 1:19

During evangelist Billy Graham’s historic 1949 Los Angeles campaign, the big tent that held over 6,000 people was filled to overflowing every night for 8 weeks. Close by was a smaller tent set aside for counseling and prayer. Cliff Barrows, longtime music director and close friend and associate of Graham, has often said that the real work of the gospel took place in “the little tent,” where people gathered on their knees to pray before and during every evangelistic service. A local Los Angeles woman, Pearl Goode, was the heart of those prayer meetings and many that followed.

In the apostle Paul’s letter to the followers of Christ in Colosse, he assured them that he and his colleagues were praying always for them (Col. 1:3,9). In closing he mentioned Epaphras, a founder of the Colossian church, who is “always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (4:12).

Some people are given the high visibility task of preaching the gospel in “the big tent.” But God has extended to us all, just as He did to Epaphras and Pearl Goode, the great privilege of kneeling in “the little tent” and bringing others before the throne of God. —David McCasland

They labor well who intercede

For others with a pressing need;

It’s on their knees they often work

And from its rigor will not shirk. —D. DeHaan

Prayer is not preparation for the work, it is the work. —Oswald Chambers

Bible in a year: Genesis 39-40; Matthew 11

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Food In The Cupboard

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:25-34

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about . . . what you will put on. —Matthew 6:25

My friend Marcia, the director of the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf, recently illustrated an important way to look at things. In a newsletter article she titled “A Blessed Start,” she pointed out that for the first time in 7 years the school began the new year with a surplus. And what was that surplus? A thousand dollars in the bank? No. Enough school supplies for the year? No. It was simply this: A month’s supply of food in the cupboard.

When you’re in charge of feeding 30 hungry kids on a shoestring budget, that’s big! She accompanied her note with this verse from 1 Chronicles 16:34, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Year after year Marcia trusts God to provide for the children and staff at her school. She never has much—whether it’s water or food or school supplies. Yet she is always grateful for what God sends, and she is faithful to believe that He will continue to provide.

As we begin a new year, do we have faith in God’s provision? To do so is to take our Savior at His word when He said, “Do not worry about your life . . . . Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matt. 6:25,34). —Dave Branon

I don’t worry o’er the future,

For I know what Jesus said,

And today I’ll walk beside Him,

For He knows what is ahead. —Stanphill

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. —Corrie ten Boom

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

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Sweet Rest

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 4

You have put gladness in my heart. —Psalm 4:7

Try as we might—tossing, turning, fluffing the pillow, pounding the pillow—sometimes we just can’t fall asleep. After offering some good suggestions on how to get a better night’s sleep, a news article concluded that there really is no “right way” to sleep.

There are numerous reasons why sleep eludes us, many of which we can’t do much about. But sometimes unwanted wakefulness is caused by anxious thoughts, worry, or guilt. It’s then that the example of David in Psalm 4 can help. He called out to God, asking for mercy and for God to hear his prayer (v.1). He also reminded himself that the Lord does hear him when he calls on Him (v.3). David encourages us: “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still” (v.4). Focusing our minds on the goodness, mercy, and love of God for His world, our loved ones, and ourselves can aid us in trusting the Lord (v.5).

The Lord desires to help us set aside our worries about finding solutions to our problems and place our trust in Him to work things out. He can “put gladness” in our hearts (v.7), so that we might “lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make [us] dwell in safety” (v.8). —Dave Egner

Give me a spirit of peace, dear Lord,

Midst the storms and the tempests that roll,

That I may find rest and quiet within,

A calm buried deep in my soul. —Dawe

Even when we cannot sleep, God can give us rest.

Bible in a year: Genesis 33-35; Matthew 10:1-20

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Much More Than Survival

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Our Daily Bread

1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:7

Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love. —1 Thessalonians 3:6

In April 1937, Mussolini’s invading armies forced all the missionaries serving in the Wallamo region to flee Ethiopia. They left behind just 48 Christian converts, who had little more than the gospel of Mark to feed their growth. Few even knew how to read. But when the missionaries returned 4 years later, the church had not just survived; it numbered 10,000!

When the apostle Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10), he yearned to learn about the survival of the small band of Christians he left behind (1 Thess. 2:17). But when Timothy visited the Thessalonian church later, he brought word to Paul in Athens about their “faith and love” (1 Thess. 3:6). They had become “examples” to the believers in the surrounding regions in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thess. 1:8).

Paul never claimed credit for any numerical increase in his ministry. Nor did he attribute it to anyone else. Rather, he gave credit to God. He wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6).

Difficult circumstances may thwart even our best intentions, separating friends from each other for a season. But God is growing His church through every difficulty. We need only be faithful and leave the results to Him. —C. P. Hia

Lord, we are so prone to be fearful when we face

opposition, yet so often we want to take credit

for every little success. Help us see that You are

the One who blesses and builds Your church.

I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. —Jesus (Matthew 16:18)

Bible in a year: Genesis 31-32; Matthew 9:18-38

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Neighbor On The Fence

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Our Daily Bread

Acts 2:41-47

All who believed were together. —Acts 2:44

The fence around the side yard of our home was showing some wear and tear, and my husband, Carl, and I decided we needed to take it down before it fell down. It was pretty easy to disassemble, so we removed it quickly one afternoon. A few weeks later when Carl was raking the yard, a woman who was walking her dog stopped to give her opinion: “Your yard looks so much better without the fence. Besides, I don’t believe in fences.” She explained that she liked “community” and no barriers between people.

While there are some good reasons to have physical fences, isolating us from our neighbors is not one of them. So I understood our neighbor’s desire for the feeling of community. The church I attend has community groups that meet once a week to build relationships and to encourage one another in our journey with God. The early church gathered together daily in the temple (Acts 2:44,46). They became one in purpose and heart as they fellowshiped and prayed. If they struggled, they would have companions to lift them up (see Eccl. 4:10).

Connection to a community of believers is vital in our Christian walk. One way that God chooses to show His love to us is through relationships. —Anne Cetas

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love!

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above. —Fawcett

We all need Christian fellowship to build us up and hold us up.

Bible in a year: Genesis 29-30; Matthew 9:1-17