Daily Devotional (Page 3)
“I’m Really Scared . . .”
“I’m Really Scared . . .” From Our Daily Bread – July 22, 2017 Read: Philippians 4:4–9 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 “I’m really scared.” This was the poignant note a teenager posted to friends on Facebook as she told them of some upcoming medical tests. She was facing hospitalization and a series of procedures in a city three hours from home and anxiously waited…
Dressed Up
Dressed Up July 21, 2017 Read: Romans 13:11–14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14 In her book Wearing God, author Lauren Winner says our clothes can silently communicate to others who we are. What we wear may indicate career, community or identity, moods, or social status. Think of a T-shirt with a slogan, a business suit, a uniform, or greasy jeans and what they might reveal. She writes, “The idea that, as with a garment, Christians might wordlessly speak something…
A Time for Everything
A Time for Everything From Our Daily Bread – July 20, 2017 Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 While flying recently, I watched a mother and her children a few rows ahead of me. While the toddler played contentedly, the mother gazed into the eyes of her newborn, smiling at him and stroking his cheek. He stared back with a wide-eyed wonderment. I enjoyed the moment with a…
Mightier than All
Mightier than All From Our Daily Bread – July 19, 2017 Read: Psalm 93 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. Psalm 93:1 Iguazu Falls, on the border of Brazil and Argentina, is a spectacular waterfall system of 275 falls along 2.7 km (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Etched on a wall on the Brazilian side of the Falls are the words of Psalm 93:4, “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the…
Beyond Labels
Beyond Labels From Our Daily Bread – July 18, 2017 Read: Romans 5:1–11 | But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 A church in my city has a unique welcome card that captures the love and grace of God for everyone. It says, “If You Are A . . . saint, sinner, loser, winner”—followed by many other terms used to describe struggling people—“alcoholic, hypocrite, cheater, fearful, misfit . .…
Just Like Dad
Just Like Dad From Our Daily Bread – July 17, 2017 Read: John 5:17–20 The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19 Isn’t it endearing to see a child mimicking his parents? How often we’ve seen the young boy in a car seat, gripping his imaginary steering wheel intently while keeping a close eye on the driver to see what Daddy does next.…
Deep Roots
Deep Roots From Our Daily Bread – July 16, 2017 Read: Luke 24:44–49 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.—Luke 24:45 The sequoia tree, one of three species of redwoods, is among the world’s largest and most enduring organisms. It can grow to 300 feet in height, weigh over 2.5 million pounds (1.1 million kg), and live for 3,000 years. But the majestic sequoia owes much of its size and longevity to what lies below the surface.…
Are You Being Prepared?
Are You Being Prepared? From Our Daily Bread – July 15, 2017 Read: 1 Samuel 17:8, 32–37, 48–50 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 13–15; Acts 19:21–41 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and . . . the bear will rescue me. 1 Samuel 17:37 I worked at a fast-food restaurant for over two years in high school. Some aspects of the job were difficult. Customers verbalized their anger while I apologized for the unwanted slice of cheese on the sandwich…
Face to Face
Face to Face July 14, 2017 Read: Exodus 33:7–14 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.—Exodus 33:11 Although the world is connected electronically like never before, nothing beats time together in person. As we share and laugh together, we can often sense—almost unconsciously—the other person’s emotions by watching their facial movements. Those who love each other, whether family or friends, like to share with each other face to face. We see this face-to-face relationship between…
Intimate Details
Intimate Details From Our Daily Bread – July 13, 2017 Read: Psalm 139:1–18 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.—Psalm 139:2 The universe is astonishingly grand. Right now the moon is spinning around us at nearly 2,300 miles an hour. Our Earth is spinning around the sun at 66,000 miles an hour. Our sun is one of 200 billion other stars and trillions more planets in our galaxy, and that galaxy is just…
Approaching God
Approaching God From Our Daily Bread – July 12, 2017 Read: Hebrews 4:14–16 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge.—Psalm 73:28 A woman desiring to pray grabbed an empty chair and knelt before it. In tears, she said, “My dear heavenly Father, please sit down here; you and I need to talk!” Then, looking directly at the vacant chair, she prayed. She demonstrated confidence in approaching the Lord; she imagined He was sitting on the…
Giving in to Jesus
Giving in to Jesus From Our Daily Bread – July 11, 2017 Read: James 4:6–10 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.—Romans 6:11 They call it “The Devil’s Footprint.” It’s a foot-shaped impression in the granite on a hill beside a church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. According to local legend the “footprint” happened one fall day in 1740, when the evangelist George Whitefield preached so powerfully that the devil leaped from the church steeple,…