Sunday, March 31, 2019

LEARNING TO REST

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

LEARNING TO REST

READ:  Matthew  11:25-30

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,…and you
will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:29

Many Christians are anxious and troubled.  Although they are experiencing the “rest” of salvation that accompanies the forgiveness of sins and are looking forward to the eternal “rest” of heaven, their souls are still in turmoil.  Fearful and doubting, they seem to be continually burdened by life’s problems.

A closer look at their anxiety can reveal the reason for their distress.  Having never learned to rest in the Lord, they fail to experience the “quietness and confidence” (Isaiah 30:15) that comes to those who daily fellowship with Him through Bible study and prayer.

An unknown author has penned a verse describing the problem:

We mutter and sputter, we fume and we spurt;
We mumble and grumble, our feelings get hurt;
We can’t understand things, our vision grows dim,
When all that we need is communion with Him!

Don’t let yourself become a victim of fruitless fretting.  If you do, you’ll lose the peace and joy that is your rightful heritage.  Instead, set aside part of each day to talk with God, thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you.  Then, by reading His Word and believing His comforting promises, your faith will grow stronger and a supernatural peace will flood your soul.

Jesus said, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Have you learned to rest in Him?    HGB

When we put our problems in God’s hands,
He puts His peace in our hearts.


  

THE GREATEST GIFT

The Greatest Gift

We have found . . . Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
John 1:45


Over the years, my friend Barbara has given me countless encouraging cards and thoughtful presents. After I told her I’d received Jesus as my Savior, she handed me the greatest gift she’d ever given me—my first Bible. She said, “You can grow closer to God and mature spiritually by meeting with Him daily, reading Scripture, praying, and trusting and obeying Him.” My life changed when Barbara invited me to get to know God better.

Barbara reminds me of the apostle Philip. After Jesus invited Philip to follow Him (John 1:43), the apostle immediately told his friend Nathanael that Jesus was “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote” (v. 45). When Nathanael doubted, Philip didn’t argue, criticize, or give up on his friend. He simply invited him to meet Jesus face to face. “Come and see,” he said (v. 46).

I can imagine Philip’s joy when he heard Nathanael declare Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the king of Israel” (v. 49). What a blessing to know his friend wouldn’t miss out on seeing the “greater things” Jesus promised they’d witness (vv. 50-51).

The Holy Spirit initiates our intimate relationship with God and then lives in all who respond in faith. He enables us to know Him personally and to invite others to encounter Him daily through His Spirit and the Scriptures. An invitation to know Jesus better is a great gift to receive and give.
By Xochitl Dixon

REFLECT & PRAY
Knowing Jesus is the greatest gift we can receive; sharing Him is the greatest gift we can give.

To whom will you extend an invitation to know Jesus better? How has He worked through others to grow your faith?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.



INSIGHT
After Nathanael meets Jesus, he asks Him how He knew who he was. Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree” (John 1:48). William Barclay explains the significance of the fig tree in his commentary The Master’s Men. The fig tree can grow to fifteen feet high, and its branches can spread as much as twenty-five feet. So the tree served as “a kind of private room” where most devout Jews would pray and meditate. Jesus was recognizing Nathanael’s devotion and piety and that he was a man of prayer (vv. 47-48). K. T. Sim


WHAT DO YOU SEEK?

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

WHAT DO YOU SEEK?

READ:  John 1:35-42

Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them,
“What do you seek?”  John 1:38

How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you, “What do you seek?” (John 1:38).

Would you ask Him for health and fitness?  A better job?  A happier marriage?  Financial security?  Vindication from a false accusation?  Salvation for a wayward loved one?  An explanation of some difficult theological concept?

For two disciples of John the Baptist, this situation was more than an exercise in imagination.  One day while they were with John, Jesus walked by and John announced, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (v.36).  Instead of continuing to follow John, his two disciples started following Jesus.

When Jesus saw them, He asked, “What do you seek?” (v. 38). Apparently  John had taught them well, because their answer indicated that they were not seeking something for themselves but Jesus himself.  They wanted to know where Jesus was staying.  Not only did Jesus show them the place, He spent the remainder of the day with them.

I wonder how often we miss an opportunity to spend time with Jesus because we’re seeking something other than His presence.  I know from experience that the more time I spend with Jesus, the less desire I have for a lot of things that once seemed very important.    JAL

To walk in fellowship with Christ
And sense His love so deep and true
Brings to the soul its highest joy
As nothing in this world can do. -DJD

Jesus longs for our fellowship even more than we long for His.


CREATOR AND SUSTAINER

Creator and Sustainer

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:3



Working with a magnifying glass and tweezers, Swiss watchmaker Phillipe meticulously explained to me how he takes apart, cleans, and reassembles the tiny parts of specialty mechanical watches. Looking at all the intricate pieces, Phillipe showed me the essential component of the timepiece, the mainspring. The mainspring is the component that moves all the gears to allow the watch to keep time. Without it, even the most expertly designed watch will not function.

In a beautiful New Testament passage found in the book of Hebrews, the writer eloquently praises Jesus for being the one through whom God created the heavens and the earth. Like the intricacy of a specialty watch, every detail of our universe was created by Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). From the vastness of the solar system to the uniqueness of our fingerprints, all things were made by Him.
But more than the Creator, Jesus, like a clock’s mainspring, is essential for the function and flourishing of creation. His presence continually “[sustains] all things by his powerful word” (v. 3), keeping all that He has created working together in all its amazing complexity.

As you have opportunity to experience the beauty of creation today, remember that “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). May the recognition of Jesus’s central role in both creating and sustaining the universe result in a joyful heart and a response of praise as we acknowledge His ongoing provision for us.
By Lisa Samra

REFLECT & PRAY
Jesus, thank You for the ways You care for and sustain Your creation.

What in God’s creation has caused you to worship Him? Why?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.


INSIGHT
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews urges first-century readers to see the prophets, laws, and temple worship as a prelude to Someone far greater (1:1-4). According to the letter’s anonymous author, God’s own Son (vv. 5-14) has suffered and “[tasted] death for everyone” (2:9) to provide a relationship with God that has replaced and made obsolete the law and covenant of Moses (3:1-6; 8:13). In layer after layer of detail, the letter describes how Jesus came to personify the Sabbath rest, high priest, sacrifice, and temple that foreshadowed Him.
For these reasons, the thirteen chapters of Hebrews urge readers not to give in to fears, distraction, or discouragement (3:8). The message is clear: don’t stop believing (10:19-11:40); don’t stop loving (10:24-25; 13:1-3); don’t stop following and relying on the Good and Great Shepherd (13:20) who gives us reason to believe that the best is yet ahead (9:28). Mart DeHaan


Saturday, March 30, 2019

JOY LIST

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

JOY LIST

READ:  John 15:9-17

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full.  John 15:11

Writer C.W. Metcalf was working as a hospice volunteer when he met thirteen-year-old Chuck, who was terminally ill.  One day Chuck gave Metcalf half a dozen sheets of paper with writing on both sides and said, “I want you to give this to my mom and dad after I die.  It’s a list of all the fun we had, all the times we laughed.”  Metcalf was amazed that this young boy on the verge of death was thinking about the well-being of others.

Metcalf delivered the list.  Years later he decided to make a list of his own.  Surprisingly, he found it difficult at first to compile his “joy list.” But as he began looking each day for the moments of laughter, satisfaction, and joy, his list began to grow.

Any joy list that we compile will no doubt include many references to the presence and power of Jesus Christ.  No matter what our circumstances, joy is His gracious gift to all who trust Him.  Even as Jesus faced the cross, He looked beyond its agony to the glad result of His sacrifice.  He told His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

Why not begin your own joy list today?  It can be a good reminder of the Lord’s faithful love and the gladness of heart he brings.  DCM

Because life’s circumstances change,
Our happiness may not remain;
But if we’re walking with the Lord,
Our inner joy He will sustain.-Sper

To multiply your joy, count your blessings.



BRIGHT LIGHTS

Bright Lights

You are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14


In the summer of 2015, a group from our church was sobered by what we saw in Mathare, one of the slums in Nairobi, Kenya. We visited a school with dirt floors, rusting metal walls, and wooden benches. But against the backdrop of extremely humble surroundings, one person stood out.

Her name was Brilliant, and the name couldn’t have fit her better. She was an elementary school teacher who possessed joy and determination that matched her mission. Colorfully dressed, her appearance and the joy with which she instructed and encouraged the children were stunning.


The bright light Brilliant brought to her surroundings resembles the way Christians in Philippi were to be positioned in their world when Paul wrote to them in the first century. Against the background of a spiritually needy world, believers in the Lord Jesus were to shine “like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15). Our assignment hasn’t changed. Bright lights are needed everywhere! How encouraging it is to know that through the One “who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (v. 13) believers in Jesus can sparkle in ways that fit Jesus’s description of those who follow Him. To us He still says, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
By Arthur Jackson

REFLECT & PRAY
Light up your world by reflecting the light of Jesus. To learn more about the world of the Bible, see our course at christianuniversity.org/SF105.

How can you reveal the light of Christ to others? What can you do to bring His joy to those who desperately need it?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.


INSIGHT
The Philippian Christians are not to work for their salvation, for salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Instead, having received salvation, Paul urged them to live out their Christian life—to “work hard to show the results of [their] salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (Philippians 2:12 nlt). They are to follow Christ’s example in servanthood and humility (vv. 3-11). In today’s passage, Paul used two metaphors to describe how we are to live: First, we are to “shine . . . like stars” (v. 15). Pointedly, Jesus said that as “the light of the world” we are to let our “light shine before others, that they may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Second, as runners in a race (Philippians 2:16), we are to “run with perseverance” (Hebrews 12:1) and “in such a way as to get the prize”—to complete the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). K. T. Sim



SELF-PITY

SELF-PITY

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com


Self-pity is a common problem. While it has an immediate payoff – self-righteous anger and an entitling victimhood identity – it is almost universally recognized as self-destructive. New Age pundit Eckhart Tolle recognizes this truth:

       Discontent, blaming, complaining, self-pity cannot serve as a foundation for a good future, no matter how much effort you make.

Writer Martha Beck also commented:

       As I obsess about my ancient problems, I feel more like I'm sinking in quicksand than lighting a torch. I'm creating neither heat nor light, just the icky, perversely pleasurable squish of self-pity between my toes. My only defense is that I'm not the only one down here in the muck - our whole culture is doting on tales of personal tragedy.

This is hardly a defense. Even if self-pity is universal, it is still a poison to be avoided. However, it can be deeply entrenched. Writer Joyce Meyer warns that helping those imprisoned by self-pity might even be counter-productive and enabling:

       If someone decides they're not going to be happy, it's not your problem. You don't have to spend your time and energy trying to cheer up someone who has already decided to stay in a bad mood. Believe it or not, you can actually hurt people by playing into their self-pity.

How do we play into their self-pity? By giving the suffering what they want – more pity – rather than what they need! What do they need? Ultimately, it is an eternal hope!

However, I would recommend that we start by entering into their suffering, showing them that we are willing to be there with them, listening and caring. However, they also have to be willing to accept the doctor’s medicine. If not, there is little that the doctor can do, and he has to explain this firmly to his patient.

What is the medicine that we must administer to the sufferer? The counsel of the Scriptures! Firstly, that we all suffer:

       No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:13-14 ESV)

Even though our Lord will rescue us, we still have a role to play. We have to flee from idolatry and sin. Self-pity is a sin. It is a denial that our Lord is in charge and is working everything together for our good (Romans 8:28), even suffering:

       And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives”…For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-6, 11)

Trials and suffering are actually good things. By the Holy Spirit, they mold us into what He wants us to be. Therefore, we are
       persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:9-11)

No pain, no gain. To wallow in self-pity is to deny the Biblical revelation of God’s purposes. It is to deny God’s promises to us:
       …For all things are yours, whether…world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23; Col. 2:8-10)

We are already indescribably wealthy and privileged. To hold to self-pity denies these truths. However, it is one thing to be tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, which all of us are, but it’s another to embrace self-pity. Most importantly, our blessings extend into all eternity:
       He [our Savior] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Therefore, we have a compelling reason to endure the sufferings that this life throws at us. Jesus established the pattern for us when He endured His own suffering:
       …let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Jesus endured by looking to His future joy. We must do the same. We all are tempted to dwell upon our problems, pains, weaknesses, and failings. However, we are to take them to the Lord and to leave them with Him:
       Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:6-8)

When we indulge in self-pity, we are being devoured by the devil. Instead, we cannot carry such a burden; nor did God intend us to carry them. Instead, He encourages us to cast our cares upon Him.


A person who refuses to embrace these truths insists on carrying these burdens to their own destruction. Therefore, there is little else we can do. There is a time to quit and to move on.

THE GREAT POTTER

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

THE GREAT POTTER

READ:  Jeremiah 18:1-6

As the clay is in the potters’ hands, so are you
in my hand.  Jeremiah 18:6

One definition of the word attitude is “the angle of approach” that an aircraft takes when landing.  Author Chris Spicer writes:  “Attitudes are to life as the angle of approach is to flying.”  He adds, “Attitude is the way we choose to think about things, attitudes will cause us to react and behave in a certain way.”  He also says that attitudes are not inborn or accidental.  They are learned and absorbed reactions; therefore they can be changed.

During my thirties, the Lord began convicting me of my wrong thinking toward myself, others, and life-negative, self-pitying, and bitter thinking;  With the help of God’s Word, I recognized my need for change in three main areas:  my attitudes, actions, and reactions.  But I feared I couldn’t change.  One day I read in Jeremiah 18 how the potter refashioned some marred clay (which is what I felt like) into a different vessel, as it pleased the potter.  What I couldn’t do, my great Potter could!  I only needed to be cooperative clay.

Today this vessel is far from finished.  But as I put myself in the Potter’s hands, He keeps working on me and shaping my attitudes and actions.  I call them Christ-attitudes, Christ-actions, and Christ-reactions.

The great Potter can do the same for you.    JY

A change in the heart brings a change in behavior.



SURROUNDED BY GOD

Surrounded by God

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and for evermore.
Psalm 125:2


In a busy airport, a young mother struggled alone. Her toddler was in full tantrum mode—screaming, kicking, and refusing to board their plane. 

Overwhelmed and heavily pregnant, the burdened young mother finally gave up, sinking to the floor in frustration, covering her face, and starting to sob.
Suddenly six or seven women travelers, all strangers, formed a circle around the young mother and her child—sharing snacks, water, gentle hugs, and even a nursery song. Their loving circle calmed the mother and child, who then boarded their plane.

 The other women returned to their seats, not needing to discuss what they had done, but knowing their support had strengthened a young mother exactly when she needed it.

This illustrates a beautiful truth from Psalm 125. “As the mountains surround Jerusalem,” says verse 2, “so the Lord surrounds his people.” The image reminds us how the bustling city of Jerusalem is, indeed, flanked by surrounding hills—among them the Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, and Mount Moriah.

In this same way, God surrounds His people—supporting and standing guard over our souls “both now and for evermore.” Thus, on tough days, look up, “unto the hills,” as the psalmist puts it (Psalm 121:1 kjv). God awaits with strong help, steady hope, and everlasting love.
By Patricia Raybon

REFLECT & PRAY
Lord, when we face tough days, surround our souls with Your comforting love.

How have you sensed the Lord surrounding you with His love? Who can you share His love with today?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT
The psalms are often gritty reflections of the life of the writer, songs where people express themselves to God and to each other in all the circumstances of life—good, bad, happy, sad, frustrating, grieving, and every other emotion we experience. They are honest reflections on the difficulty of life in this world. Today’s psalm is no different. One of the “Songs of Ascent” (songs sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for one of three annual festivals), this psalm contains a surprising statement. While there’s often a distinction made between the righteous and the wicked, verse 3 warns us that even the righteous have the potential to do evil. J.R. Hudberg


ALWAYS FOR US

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

ALWAYS FOR US

READ:  Ruth 1

If God is for us, who can be against us?  Romans 8:31

Naomi, her husband, and their two sons left Israel and moved to Moab because of a famine (Ruth 1:1-2).  One son married Ruth, the other married Orpah.  Eventually Naomi’s husband and sons died (vv. 3, 5), so she decided to return to Israel.  But she felt that her daughters-in-law would be better off staying in Moab (vv. 6-13).  She tried to dissuade them from going with her by saying, “No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” (v. 13).

Was Naomi right in her thinking about God?  Perhaps the family had displayed a lack of faith by moving to pagan Moab, but God certainly was not against her.  He proved this by wonderfully providing for her and Ruth after they retuned to Israel.  (Read the rest of the book-it’s short.)

You may be unemployed, terminally ill, have a disabled child, or care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.  God hasn’t promised to keep us from such problems. But He has proven that He is always “for us” as Christians by what He did through Jesus (Romans 5:8-9).  Nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love (8:35-39).

The Lord is never “against us,” not even when He chastens us (Hebrews 12:5-6).  He is always for us!   HVL

Our God is always there for us-
Receiving every prayer,
Delighting in our words of praise,
Responding with His care. -Sper

The One who died to save you will never be against you.



REMEMBERING MY FATHER

Remembering My Father

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
Colossians 3:23



When I remember my dad, I picture him best outdoors hammering or gardening or downstairs working in his cluttered workroom, stuffed with fascinating tools and gadgets. His hands were always busy at a task or project—sometimes building (a garage or a deck or a birdhouse), sometimes locksmithing, and sometimes designing jewelry and stained-glass art.

Remembering my dad prompts me to think of my heavenly Father and Creator, who has always been busy at work. In the beginning, “[God] laid the earth’s foundations . . . [and] marked off its dimensions . . . while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:4-7). Everything He created was a work of art, a masterpiece. He designed a breathtakingly beautiful world and pronounced it “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
That includes you and me. God designed us in intimate and intricate detail (Psalm 139:13-16); and He entrusted us with and instilled in us (His image bearers) the goal and desire to work, which includes ruling and caring for the Earth and its creatures (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15). No matter the work we do—in our job or in our leisure—God empowers and gives us what we need to work wholeheartedly for Him.

In everything we do, may we do it to please Him.
By Alyson Kieda

REFLECT & PRAY
Dear God, thank You for equipping us to do the work You’ve called us to do.

What has God worked out in your life recently? How does it change your view of even mundane tasks to see them as opportunities to serve and honor Him?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.


INSIGHT

Throughout the Old Testament, the whirlwind (or storm) is connected to God’s powerful presence (2 Kings 2:1-11; Psalm 77:18; Nahum 1:3; Ezekiel 1:4; Jeremiah 4:13). In Job 38:1, God dramatically speaks out of a whirlwind (nlt, esv) and then gives two speeches, each followed by a brief answer from Job. In His first discourse, God asks Job if he knows how the vast creation and its myriad creatures came to be and how they are governed and cared for (38:1-40:2). Job, now clearly aware of his ignorance, pledges to be silent and covers his mouth (40:3-5). Yet Job has the assurance that God has not abandoned him. The all-wise, almighty, yet inscrutable Father who created and lovingly cares for His creation heard Job’s cries and spoke to him. Alyson Kieda

NEVER ALONE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

NEVER ALONE

READ:  Hebrews 13:5-6

I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Hebrews 13:5

Robinson Crusoe, the chief character in a novel by Daniel Defoe, was shipwrecked and stranded on an uninhabited island.  Life was hard, but he found hope and comfort when he turned to the Word of God.

Crusoe said, “One morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, ‘I will never, never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ Immediately it occurred that these words were to me; why else should they be directed in such a manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of God and man?

“‘Well then,’ said I, ‘if God does not forsake me…what matters it, though the world should all forsake me…?’ From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition than it was probable that I should ever have been in any other state in the world; and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to this place.”

Have you been forsaken by a friend, a child, a spouse?  God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).  So you too can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (v. 6).    DHR

Fear will leave us when we remember
that God is always with us.


FLUFF AND OTHER STUFF

Fluff and Other Stuff

They did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.
Exodus 6:9


Winnie the Pooh famously said, “If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

I’ve learned over the years that Winnie might be on to something. When someone won’t listen to you even though following your counsel would be to their advantage, it may be that their reticence is nothing more than a small piece of fluff in their ear. Or there may be another hindrance: Some folks find it hard to listen well because they’re broken and discouraged.

Moses said he spoke to the people of Israel but they didn’t listen because their spirits were broken and their lives were hard (Exodus 6:9). The word discouragement in the Hebrew text is literally “short of breath,” the result of their bitter enslavement in Egypt. That being the case, Israel’s reluctance to listen to Moses’s instruction called for understanding and compassion, not censure.
What should we do when others won’t listen? Winnie the Pooh’s words enshrine wisdom: “Be patient.” God says, “Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4); it’s willing to wait. He’s not finished with that individual. He’s working through their sorrow, our love, and our prayers. Perhaps, in His time, He’ll open their ears to hear. Just be patient.
By David H. Roper

REFLECT & PRAY
Be patient. God isn’t finished with us yet. 

What can you learn about your relationship with God from those who won’t listen to you? How do love and patience fit together in a loving relationship?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.


INSIGHT
When God first promised to give Canaan to Abraham (Genesis 12:7), He also told him his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated in Egypt for four hundred years. But God promised He would deliver them and bring them into the promised land (15:13-16). Some seven hundred years later, God tasked Moses to carry out these two promises (Exodus 3:7-10) and said He would personally fulfill them: “I will free you from being slaves” and “I will bring you to the land” (6:6, 8). K. T. Sim


ORDINARY DAYS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

ORDINARY DAYS

READ:  2 Corinthians 6:1-10

In all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God:  in much patience,
in tribulations, in needs, in distresses.  2 Corinthians 6:4

Have you ever received an annual holiday letter from an acquaintance that recounts the ordinary events of the past year?  Has anyone told you about cleaning the carpet or taking out the trash?  Not likely.

An online publication called the Journal of Mundane Behavior says these routine events fill most of our time.  The managing editor, a sociologist, says everyday life is valuable, since we spend nearly 60 percent of our lies doing things like commuting to work and shopping for groceries.

We don’t often consider the apostle Paul’s ordinary days, but he wrote, “In all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God” (2 Corinthians 6:4).  “All things” included not only harsh persecution but also “needs, sleeplessness, purity, kindness, love,’” and other everyday experiences (vv. 4-10).

Oswald Chambers said that we tend to lose our enthusiasm “when there is no vision, no uplift, but just the common round, the trivial task.  The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God” (My utmost for His Highest, March 6).

So let’s live today to the fullest for the Lord, because it’s such an important, ordinary day.           DCM

If we commit ourselves to Christ
And follow in His way,
He’ll give us life that satisfies
With purpose for each day. -Sper

To get the most out of life,
make every moment count for Christ.