Daily Scriptures and reflections [continued]

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September 1, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" A Unique Choir | Our Daily Bread

A Unique Choir

Read: Romans 15:5-13

That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 15:6

When Mitch Miller died in July 2010, most people remembered him as the man who invited everyone to sing along. On his popular 1960s TV program Sing Along with Mitch, an all-male chorus sang well-loved songs while the words appeared on the screen so viewers could join in. A Los Angeles Times obituary cited Miller’s belief that one reason for the program’s success was the appeal of his chorus: “I always made a point of hiring singers who were tall, short, bald, round, fat, whatever—everyday-looking guys.” From that unified diversity came beautiful music in which everyone was invited to participate.

In Romans 15, Paul called for unity among the followers of Christ—“that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.6). From several Old Testament passages, he spoke of Gentiles and Jews together singing praise to God (vv.9-12). A unity that had been considered impossible became reality as people who had been deeply divided began thanking God together for His mercy shown in Christ. Like them, we are filled with joy, peace, and hope “by the power of the Holy Spirit” (v.13).

What a unique “choir” we belong to, and what a privilege it is to sing along!

Lord, we are grateful that we can be a part of Your
family. Help us to live in unity with our brothers and
sisters in Christ so that others may see how gracious
You are and want to know You too. Amen.

Unity among believers comes from our union with Christ.

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September 2, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Two-Way Communication | Our Daily Bread

Two-Way Communication

Read: Psalm 119:17-24

Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. —Psalm 119:24

Have you ever been stuck in a conversation with someone who talks only about himself? To be polite, you strike up a dialogue by asking questions. The other person proceeds to talk endlessly about himself, and he never once asks you anything. It is all about that person—and nothing about you.

Imagine what it must be like for our heavenly Father to listen to our prayers during our devotional time. We may have read a portion of His Word, but then in prayer we swiftly shift focus exclusively to our needs. We ask for help in solving a problem, providing for a financial need, or healing a physical ailment. But the passage we’ve just read doesn’t even enter into our prayers. What God has just said to us goes largely unacknowledged.

Apparently the writer of Psalm 119 did not have this perspective. Instead, he sought God’s help in understanding the Word: “Open my eyes,” he said, “that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (v.18). And as he prayed he expressed how he treasured God’s Word, calling it his “delight” (v.24).

Let’s develop a discipline of praying our response to the Word. It just might transform our devotional time. Bible reading and prayer should reflect a two-way communication.

Lord, I’ve just read Your Word to me in Psalm 119.
Give me a strong desire like the psalmist’s to keep Your
Word. Show me what I can do to make it my delight and
counselor. Open my eyes and heart to learn from You.

Listen to God’s Word then pray about what you’ve heard.

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September 3, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Why We Work | Our Daily Bread

Why We Work

Read: Ephesians 6:5-9

Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. —Ephesians 6:6

In the late 1660s, Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to re-design St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. According to legend, one day he visited the construction site of this great edifice and was unrecognized by the workers. Wren walked about the site, asking several of the men what they were doing. One worker replied, “I am cutting a piece of stone.” A second worker responded, “I’m earning five shillings two pence a day.” A third, however, had a different perspective: “I am helping Christopher Wren build a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God.” What a contrast in the attitude and motivation of that worker!

Why we do what we do is extremely important, particularly when it comes to our working lives and careers. That’s why Paul challenged the Ephesians to do their work, “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Eph. 6:6-7).

If we do our work merely to earn a paycheck or satisfy a supervisor, we will fall short of the highest motivation—doing our best as evidence of our devotion to God. So, why do we work? As that laborer told Wren, we work “to the glory of God.”

Be not always wanting
Some other work to do,
But gratefully perform the task
The Lord has given you. —Anon.

No matter who signs your paycheck, you are really working for God.

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September 4, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Well Prepared | Our Daily Bread

Well Prepared

Read: Ephesians 6:10-20

You also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. —Matthew 24:44

The idea of always being prepared makes me think of the man who lived next door to us when I was growing up. When Mr. Nienhuis came home, he never failed to back his car into the garage. That seemed unusual to me until my mother explained that Nels was a volunteer fireman. If he got a call, he had to be ready to race to the fire station. He backed in so he could leave quickly when he had to report for duty.

To be well prepared is important in so much of life. “If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend 6 sharpening my axe,” said Abraham Lincoln. We prepare for a career by studying. We buy insurance in case of a car accident or a house fire. We even prepare for the end of life by making a will to provide for loved ones.

The Bible tells us we must prepare ourselves spiritually as well. We do that by putting on spiritual armor to protect ourselves from spiritual attack (Eph. 6:10-20); by preparing our minds for holy living (1 Peter 1:13); by making sure we’re always prepared to answer questions about the reason for the hope we possess (3:15); and by ensuring that we are ready for the promised return of Jesus (Matt. 24:44).

How well prepared are you for what lies ahead? Unsure? Ask the Lord for His help and guidance.

When I awake at early morn
To meet the coming day,
I want to be prepared to take
Whatever comes my way. —Simmons

Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.

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September 5, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" The Hidden Door | Our Daily Bread

The Hidden Door

Read: James 1:12-21

Blessed is the man who endures temptation. —James 1:12

It wasn’t the first time it happened in sports, and it certainly won’t be the last. But perhaps mentioning it again can help keep us from making a similar shameful error.

A college coach—one noted for his Christian character—resigned in disgrace after it was discovered that he had violated rules clearly spelled out by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. One magazine article concluded: “His integrity was one of the great myths of college football.”

This was certainly an embarrassing time for the coach, but here’s the most sobering part: It can happen to any of us. The temptation to go behind the hidden door of secrecy in our lives and do things that dishonor the Lord haunts us all. Indeed, we are all capable of turning our own integrity into a myth—of turning our testimony for Jesus into a sham. No matter what the temptation, we are all vulnerable.

So, how do we avoid giving in? We acknowledge the universality of temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). We recognize the dangerous results of giving in to sin (James 1:13-15). We keep accountable to fellow believers (Eccl. 4:9-12). And we plead with God for help not to fall (Matt. 26:41). Only God’s grace and power can keep us from falling and pick us up when we do.

The devil is clever, deceiving us all,
He cunningly causes the strongest to fall;
But we his sly methods are sure to discern
By making God’s warnings our daily concern. —D. De Haan

Each sin has its door of entrance; let’s keep that door closed.

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September 6, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Tuning In | Our Daily Bread

Tuning In

Read: John 10:1-10

When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. —John 10:4

I don’t know if this is true in every marriage, but for some reason I have a tendency to tune out everything around me and concentrate on my own thoughts. This is especially frustrating to my wife, Martie, when she is talking to me about something important. When she notices the distant look in my eyes, she often says, “Have you heard anything I’ve said?”

Listening is an important part of any relationship, especially in our relationship with Christ. If we belong to Him, we have the privilege of communing with Him through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We know we are paying attention to the true Shepherd when His voice leads us to righteousness, love, grace, and all that is consistent with His character and will. As Jesus made clear when He identified Himself as the “good Shepherd” in John 10, those who diligently listen to Him become devoted followers of Him (v.4) who are becoming transformed into His likeness.

Just as listening attentively to your spouse or a friend communicates value and worth, paying close attention to the voice of Jesus is one way to affirm His importance in your life. So, let’s cast aside the distractions of life, tune in to His voice, and pray for the grace to do what He says.

I would be prayerful through each busy moment;
I would be constantly in touch with God;
I would be tuned to hear His slightest whisper;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod. —Walter

Listening to Jesus is the first step to following Him.

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September 7, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Consider The Clouds | Our Daily Bread

Consider The Clouds

Read: Job 37:1-16

Do you know how the clouds are balanced? —Job 37:16

One day many years ago my boys and I were lying on our backs in the yard watching the clouds drift by. “Dad,” one asked, “why do clouds float?” “Well, son,” I began, intending to give him the benefit of my vast knowledge, but then I lapsed into silence. “I don’t know,” I admitted, “but I’ll find out for you.”

The answer, I discovered, is that condensed moisture, descending by gravity, meets warmer temperatures rising from the land. That moisture then changes into vapor and ascends back into the air. That’s a natural explanation for the phenomenon.

But natural explanations are not final answers. Clouds float because God in His wisdom has ordered the natural laws in such a way that they reveal the “wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16). Clouds then can be thought of as a symbol—an outward and visible sign of God’s goodness and grace in creation.

So someday when you’re taking some time to see what images you can imagine in the clouds, remember this: The One who made all things beautiful makes the clouds float through the air. He does so to call us to wonder and adoration. The heavens—even the cumulus, stratus, and cirrus clouds—declare the glory of God.

The Lord’s creation you’ll adore
As you observe each day unfold;
Let your imagination soar
As you His handiwork behold. —Branon

Creation is filled with signs that point to the Creator.

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September 9, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Lesson Of The Horse Mask | Our Daily Bread

Lesson Of The Horse Mask

Read: Psalm 119:33-40

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. —Psalm 119:37

Not far from where my husband and I live is a farm with a lot of horses. During certain seasons, some of the horses have masks over their eyes. For a long time I felt sorry for the horses who weren’t allowed to see. But then I learned that my assumption about the masks was wrong. The masks are made of mesh, so horses can see through them. But flies, which cause eye disease, can’t get through them. The masks don’t keep the horses from seeing; they keep them from going blind!

Non-Christians often make conclusions about the Bible similar to the one I made about the mask. They think of it as something God puts over our eyes to keep us from seeing all the fun we could be having. They feel sorry for Christians because they think the Lord keeps us from enjoying life. What I didn’t know about the horse mask, they don’t know about the Bible. It doesn’t keep us from seeing all that is good; it keeps us from being infected by lies that cause spiritual blindness. The Bible doesn’t keep us from enjoying life; it makes true enjoyment possible.

The Bible doesn’t keep us from knowing truth; it prevents us from believing lies.

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. —Lathbury

When we see the world through the filter of the Word, we learn the truth about both.

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September 10, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Giving Directions | Our Daily Bread

Giving Directions

Read: Matthew 28:16-20

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. —John 14:6

Not long ago my wife’s car needed to be towed. When I explained to the man at the towing company how to find our home, I instructed him to tell the driver not to follow his global positioning system (GPS). Because another street with the same name as ours was separated from our home address by a field, special instructions were necessary. He assured me he would pass on my directions.

As I stood in the driveway wondering where the tow truck was, the driver called and said he had followed his GPS but couldn’t find my street number. Hmmmm. I repeated the directions I had given before, and the tow truck was there in no time.

Christians have a responsibility to give accurate directions for how a person can get to heaven by having a relationship with Christ (see John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-5). We need to help people see that following their own religious “global positioning system,” such as good works or hoping to be good enough, won’t get them to heaven. While being sensitive to people’s beliefs, we need to share the true gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Jesus said it best, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Father, as we interact with others, may our lives and
words show Your loving grace. You’ve told us that
Jesus is the way of salvation. Help us to share
the gospel with love and truth.

Salvation is achieved by Christ’s atonement, not by our attainment.

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September 11, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Imitate The Good | Our Daily Bread

Imitate The Good

Read: 3 John

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. —3 John 1:11

Most people would agree that life is a painful mixture of good and bad. It’s true in marriage, friendship, family, work, and church. Yet we are surprised and disappointed when self-centeredness takes the stage within a fellowship of those who seek to worship and serve Christ together.

When the apostle John wrote to his friend Gaius, he commended the truthful living and generous hospitality of those in his church (3 John 1:3-8). In the same fellowship, however, Diotrephes, “who wants to be head of everything” (v.9 Phillips), had created an atmosphere of hostility.

John promised to deal personally with Diotrephes on his next visit to the church. In the meantime, he urged the congregation: “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God” (v.11). John’s words echo the instruction of Paul to the Christians in Rome: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).

In a heated conflict, we may be tempted to “fight fire with fire.” Yet John urges us to turn away from what is bad and follow what is good. This is the pathway that honors our Savior.

For Further Study
Be patient and humble in conflicts (Rom. 12:12-21; Gal. 6:1).
Follow the guidelines in Matthew 18:15-18
with the desire to restore erring fellow Christians.

As light overcomes darkness, goodness can overcome evil.

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September 12, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Good & Plenty | Our Daily Bread

Good & Plenty

Read: Psalm 16

You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You. —Psalm 16:2

I have to admit that I’ve got a sweet tooth. Of all the candies I love, Good & Plenty is near the top of the list. Life is good when I have a handful of those luscious, sugar-coated licorice pieces!

There are a lot of good things in life. But like a feast of Good & Plenty, the goodness is soon over. Even the best of the good things can afterward leave us feeling empty and even regretful. So when the psalmist declares, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, apart from You I have no good thing’” (Ps. 16:2 niv), I am intrigued. We all know that God is good. But when was the last time we embraced Him as the ultimate good in our life?

The psalmist explains just how good God really is: He is our preserver (v.1), our total goodness-giver (v.2), our counsel and instruction (v.7), and the One who makes known “the path of life” and fills us with joy in His presence (v.11). Now that’s what I call good!

Unfortunately, too often we let lesser “goods” eclipse our acceptance of the everlasting goodness of God in our lives. The fleeting nature of lesser goods will ultimately disappoint us—you can count on it. Only God is truly good! And there is plenty of Him for all we need.

Oh, taste the goodness of the Lord
And savor all that He has done;
Draw close and give your praise to Him—
The holy, sovereign, faithful One. —Sper

God alone is good. Don’t settle for second best.

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September 14, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Family Togetherness | Our Daily Bread

Family Togetherness

Read: Ephesians 4:1-16

Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. —Ephesians 4:3

My husband, children, and I have a fun family tradition. It happens when we are at home and someone calls out “family hug!” We usually rendezvous in the kitchen; I hug the kids and my husband wraps his arms around all of us. It’s our way of expressing love and enjoying a brief moment of family togetherness.

Although we enjoy an occasional group hug, it’s not always easy to maintain that sense of unity. After all, each person in our family is unique. We have different needs, abilities, and viewpoints—much like the family of God (Eph. 4:11-12).

Despite inevitable differences with other believers, Paul calls us to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (v.3). Harmony with other Christians is important because it reflects the unity between Jesus and His heavenly Father. Jesus prayed this for believers: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” (John 17:21).

When problems arise within the family of God, the Bible says we are to respond “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2). This is the way to experience family togetherness with people who share the fundamentals of our faith.

I pray, O Lord, reveal to me
If I have caused disunity,
For You would have Your children one
In praise and love for Your dear Son. —Branon

Our hearts are linked through the love of Christ.

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September 16, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" From Duty To Delight | Our Daily Bread

From Duty To Delight

Read: Psalm 119:41-48

I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. —Psalm 119:47

Because of my wife’s busy schedule, sometimes she can commit only a limited amount of time every week to each of our grandchildren. When possible, however, she will rearrange her schedule to spend more time with them—not out of duty, but because she loves them. When I see her with them, I understand what the word delight means.

In Psalm 119, David tells of his “delight” in God’s Word. He uses the word delight eight times (vv.16,24, 35,47,70,77,92,174). He says: “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word. . . . I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love” (vv.16,47). The psalmist’s words, “I will delight,” indicate that it is a deliberate act of his will. However, it is not a burden for him to delight in God’s Word because he loves it. David’s close relationship with God created in him a desire to know what his Beloved had to say.

In the same way, for us to move from duty to delight in God’s Word, we need to strengthen our relationship with Him. When we remember how much He loves and cherishes us, we will respond with love and we will delight to spend time with Him. “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (v.97).

Then let me love my Bible more
And take a fresh delight
By day to read these wonders o’er
And meditate by night. —Watts

Whether morning, noon, or night, make God’s Word your delight.

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September 17, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Correct Them | Our Daily Bread

Correct Them

Read: 1 Samuel 2:12,27-36

Why do you . . . honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people? —1 Samuel 2:29

Therapist and mother Lori Gottlieb says that parents who are obsessed with their children’s happiness may actually contribute to their becoming unhappy adults. These parents coddle their children, do not equip them to deal with the real world, look the other way when their children do wrong, and neglect disciplining them.

In 1 Samuel, we read that the high priest Eli sometimes looked the other way. We don’t know what he was like as a father when his boys were young. But he failed to properly deal with their behavior as grown men serving in God’s temple. They were selfish, lustful, and rebellious, putting their own needs ahead of God’s Word and the needs of the people. At first, Eli rebuked them but they would not listen. Instead of removing them from service, he looked the other way and let them continue in their sin. As a result of his sons’ sins and because Eli honored his sons above the Lord (1 Sam. 2:29), the Lord warned Eli that his family would suffer judgment (v.34; 4:17-18).

As Christian parents, we have the awesome responsibility to lovingly discipline our children (Prov. 13:24; 29:17; Heb. 12:9-11). As we impart God’s wisdom to them, we have the blessing of helping them develop into responsible, God-fearing adults.

They are buds of hope and promise,
Possessed by Him whose name is Love;
Lent us here to train and nourish
For a better life above. —Crosby

Failure to discipline our children is a failure to love them.

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September 18, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" The Lure Of A Message | Our Daily Bread

The Lure Of A Message

Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Speak, for Your servant hears. —1 Samuel 3:10

You’re sitting in a darkened theater enjoying a concert, a play, or a film, when suddenly a smartphone screen lights up as a person reads an incoming text and perhaps takes time to reply. In his book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr says that in our connected world, “The sense that there might be a message out there for us” is increasingly difficult to resist.

Samuel was a young boy when he heard a voice call his name and thought it was Eli the priest in the tabernacle where he served the Lord (1 Sam. 3:1-7). When Eli realized that God was calling Samuel, he told the boy how to respond. When God called his name a fourth time, “Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears’” (v.10). This attentiveness to God’s voice became the pattern of Samuel’s life as “the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (v.21).

Are we listening for God’s voice in our lives today? Are we more drawn by the vibration of a smartphone than the still, small voice of the Lord through His Word and His Spirit?

May we, like Samuel, learn to discern God’s voice and say, “Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”

May we listen, Lord, to You
As You speak to us today
Through Your Spirit and Your Word—
Help us follow and obey. —Sper

Don’t let the noise of the world keep you from hearing the voice of the Lord.

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September 19, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Standing In The Fire | Our Daily Bread

Standing In The Fire

Read: Daniel 3:10-25

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. —Daniel 3:17

Wrapped in blankets in my grandparents’ pickup, I watched as fire consumed our home. My father says I slept soundly as he carried my brother and me and our puppies out to safety. When I woke up and saw the huge blaze, I was already safe. I was too curious and too young to be scared.

I remember several things from that night. Even inside the truck, the heat was intense and the fire was mesmerizing. I remember too the fear on the faces of everyone else, checking and re-checking to see if loved ones were safe. Later I learned that in the chaos my father raced into the fire to look for my grandfather, which prompted my grandfather (who was not inside the house) to race in to get my father. Their courage affected all who saw it that night.

I’m reminded of that fire every time I read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. When challenged with the decree to bow to the king or face execution (Dan. 3:10-12), these three bravely faced the fire for the One they loved (vv.16-18). And the Lord stood with them in the flames (v.25).

When life’s “flames” test us, may those who observe our choices recognize our love for each other and for our God.

For Further Thought
Read more of Daniel and his friends in Daniel 1–3.
How do their lives encourage you to stand firm for God?
Ask the Lord to help you make courageous choices today.

Trials are the soil in which faith grows.

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September 21, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Much Trouble | Our Daily Bread

Much Trouble

Read: Joshua 1:1-7

I will not leave you nor forsake you. —Joshua 1:5

A young boy named Riley started a fight with Avery on the school playground after a soccer match. The teacher broke it up, and both boys were sent to the principal’s office. Later, Avery said, “And of course, like always, we both got in trouble.” But he shared that he learned a lesson: “God is always with us, even if we get in as much trouble as this.”

The nation of Israel was in big trouble. Yet the Lord promised the nation’s new leader: “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5). Joshua was taking over leadership of the Israelites after Moses’ death, just before they were to enter the Promised Land. Trouble was on the horizon with numerous military campaigns against their enemies coming up (8:3; 9:1-2). Without God’s presence, they couldn’t begin to acquire the land.

Joshua had a strong faith in the Lord, as seen when he spied out the land of Canaan (Num. 14:6-9). But God graciously gave him the reminder as he took over the leadership role that he could be courageous because of His presence. He promises the same to His children today (Heb. 13:5-6).

It’s a comforting lesson for God’s children of all ages to know: The Lord is always with us. Even when we’re in “as much trouble as this.”

Dear Lord, we’re so thankful to be Your children,
and that You’ll never leave us.
Help us to hold on to that promise when
trouble seems to threaten on every side. Amen.

When troubles call on you, call on God.

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September 22, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" I Just Saw Jesus | Our Daily Bread

I Just Saw Jesus

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-10

Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. —2 Corinthians 4:10

Years ago I lost my job in my chosen profession due to circumstances beyond my control. So I took on two lesser-paying jobs in order to try to make ends meet. Yet it still was very difficult to earn enough to pay my monthly expenses.

Then I reconnected with Joel and Dave, two friends from my past. Joel had become the pastor of a growing church in the suburbs. Dave had become an overseas missionary, but he was visiting in the US at the time. Both of them, recognizing my predicament, gave me money to help pay the rent. I was deeply moved. As I thought of my friends’ actions, I said to myself: “I have just seen Jesus Christ!”

Just as I saw Jesus in my friends, sometimes others can see Him in us. Paul speaks of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). He confessed: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). And he also understood that different circumstances can be opportunities for “the life of Jesus [to] be manifested in our body” (2 Cor. 4:10).

Do you know someone struggling with physical or financial burdens? Why not let the indwelling Christ express His love through you by meeting that person’s need.

If I can do some good today,
If I can help in what I say,
If by my deeds Your love convey—
Dear Lord, just show me how. —Brandt

Real love is helping others for Jesus’ sake even if they can never return the favor.

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September 23, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Available Now! | Our Daily Bread

Available Now!

Read: Psalm 119:89-96

I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. —Psalm 119:93

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the late 1940s, contain the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). For decades, the scrolls have been carefully guarded and their use often restricted to a small group of scholars. In an effort to preserve the ancient fragments while broadening access to them, the Israel Antiquities Authority, in partnership with Google, is making high-resolution images of the 2,000-year-old scrolls available to everyone online.

That’s good news for scholars and curious students alike. It’s also a reminder of the great treasure we currently possess in the Bible itself. Throughout Psalm 119, the writer celebrates the eternal nature and life-changing wisdom of God’s Word. At the heart of today’s passage, the writer declares, “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life” (v.93).

Many of us have had a Bible almost all our lives, yet how much time do we spend in reading and studying it? How deeply do we think about the meaning of familiar passages?

Why not make Bible reading a priority each day? Ask God to guide, teach, and strengthen you through His written Word. This amazing resource is accessible to all and available now.

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

God speaks through His Word—take time to listen.

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September 24, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Fighting Off Jealousy | Our Daily Bread

Fighting Off Jealousy

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-10

For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? —1 Corinthians 3:3

The story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. They spent each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he would smile triumphantly at his rival.

One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. What is your desire?” The man frowned and then said, “Strike me blind in one eye.” Now that’s jealousy of the worst kind!

The self-destructive emotion of jealousy had the potential of tearing apart the Corinthian church. These believers had received the gospel but had not allowed the Holy Spirit to change their hearts. As a result, they became jealous of one another, which led to a divided community. Paul identified their jealousy as a sign of immaturity and worldliness (1 Cor. 3:3). These believers were not acting like people who had been transformed by the gospel.

One of the clearest indicators that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives is our contentment and our thankfulness for what we have. Then, instead of experiencing jealousy, we are able to genuinely celebrate the gifts and blessings of others.

God, You are so good! You have provided all
we need and so much more. Help us to be content
with what we have, knowing that without You
we would have neither life nor breath.

The remedy for jealousy is thankfulness to God.