GOD REMEMBERS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

God Remembers

Read:  Genesis 8:1-17

God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark.  Genesis 8:1

A Chinese festival called Qing Ming is a time to express grief for lost relatives.  Customs include grooming gravesides and taking walks with loved ones in the countryside.  Legend has it that it began when a youth’s rude and foolish behavior resulted in the death of his mother.  So he decided that henceforth he would visit her grave every year to remember what she had done for him.  Sadly, it was only after  her death that he remembered her.

How differently God deals with us!  In Genesis, we read how the flood destroyed the world.  Only those who were with Noah in the ark remained alive.  But God remembered them (8:1) and sent a wind to dry the waters so that they could leave the ark.

God also remembered Hannah when she prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:19).  He gave her a child, Samuel.

Jesus remembered the dying thief who said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  Jesus replied, “Today You will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

God remembers us wherever we are.  Our concerns are His concerns.  Our pain is His pain.  Commit your challenges and difficulties to Him.  He is the all-seeing God who remembers us as a mother remembers her children, and He waits to meet our needs.                    CPH

There is an Arm that never tires

When human strength gives way;

There is a Love that never fails

When earthly loves decay. -Wallace

To know that God sees us brings both conviction 

and comfort.

PICTURES OF LOVE

Pictures of Love

Read: 2 John 1:1–6
Bible in a Year: Job 14–16; Acts 9:22–43

I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.—2 John 1:5

My children and I have started a new daily practice. Every night at bedtime, we gather colored pencils and light a candle. Asking God to light our way, we get out our journals and draw or write answers to two questions: When did I show love today? and When did I withhold love today?

Loving our neighbors has been an important part of the Christian life “from the beginning” (2 John 1:5). That’s what John writes in his second letter to his congregation, asking them to love one another in obedience to God (2 John 1:5-6). Love is one of John’s favorite topics throughout his letters. He says that practicing real love is one way to know that we “belong to the truth,” that we’re living in God’s presence (1 John 3:18-19). When my kids and I reflect, we find that in our lives love takes shape in simple actions: sharing an umbrella, encouraging someone who is sad, or cooking a favorite meal. The moments when we’re withholding love are equally practical: we gossip, refuse to share, or satisfy our own desires without thinking of others’ needs.

Paying attention each night helps us be more aware each day, more tuned in to what the Spirit might be showing us as we walk through our lives. With the Spirit’s help, we’re learning to walk in love (2 John 1:6). —Amy Peterson

Lord, let us not love just in words, but in actions and in truth. Teach us to be obedient to Your call to love.

How can I show love today?

INSIGHT: Love is a prominent theme in the apostle John’s writings. In today’s reading (2 John 1:1-6) John writes: “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us” (v. 4). Just as caring parents delight in the development of the gifts and character of their children, John had a father’s pride in those who walked in love. It is interesting to contemplate what John means by “walk in love” (v. 6). The Greek word translated “walk” can also mean a consistency one exhibits in speech, attitudes, and behavior. It’s clear that we’re being told to make sure the words we say, the attitudes we have toward others, and our general behavior be characterized by sensitivity and generosity. Of course, the ultimate example of love is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (1 John 4:10). We love others because Christ first loved us. Dennis Fisher

HIS PART AND OUR PART

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

His Part and Our Part

Read:  Joshua 1:1-9

Arise, go over this Jordan….I will not leave you 

nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:2, 5

Whenever the Lord assigns us a difficult task, He gives us what we need to carry it out.  John Wesley wrote, “Among the many difficulties of our early ministry, my brother Charles often said, ‘If the Lord would give me wings, I’d fly.’ I used to answer, ‘If God bids me fly, I will trust Him for the wings.’”

Today’s Scripture tells us that Joshua was thrust into a position of great responsibility.  No doubt the enormity of the challenge before him made him tremble with fear.  How could he ever follow such a great leader as Moses?  In his own strength it would be impossible to lead the people into the Promise Land.  But along with the marching orders, the Lord gave him an assuring promise:  “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).  Then He said, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v.9).  Such reassurances were the backing Joshua needed.

If God has given you some special work to do that frightens you, it’s your responsibility to jump at it.  It’s up to the Lord to see you through.  As you faithfully do your part, He will do His part.              RDH

I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,

O’er mountain or plain or sea;

I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,

I’ll be what You want me to be. -Brown

Where God guides, God provides

RING IN A DUMPSTER

Ring in a Dumpster

Read: Matthew 13:44–46
Bible in a Year: Job 11–13; Acts 9:1–21

Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.—Matthew 7:7

In college, I woke up one morning to find Carol, my roommate, in a panic. Her signet ring was missing. We searched everywhere. The next morning we found ourselves picking through a dumpster.

I ripped open a trash bag. “You’re so dedicated to finding this!”

“I’m not losing a two-hundred-dollar ring!” she exclaimed.

Carol’s determination reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the kingdom of heaven, which “is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44). Certain things are worth going great lengths to find.

Throughout the Bible, God promises that those who seek Him will find Him. In Deuteronomy, He explained to the Israelites that they would find Him when they turned from their sin and sought Him with all their hearts (4:28-29). In the book of 2 Chronicles, King Asa gained encouragement from a similar promise (15:2). And in Jeremiah, God gave the same promise to the exiles, saying He would bring them back from captivity (29:13-14).

If we seek God, through His Word, worship, and in our daily lives, we will find Him. Over time, we’ll know Him on a deeper level. That will be even better than the sweet moment when Carol pulled her ring out of that trash bag! —Julie Schwab

Lord, help me to seek You with all my heart.

To find God, we must be willing to seek Him.

INSIGHT: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” You’ve probably heard that line used to pressure you to do something or buy any number of things that failed to live up to the hype. But in the case of the kingdom of God, the claims Jesus makes about it in Matthew 13 are actually true.

In this chapter, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes how seeing and living in the new reality of His kingdom isn’t natural. In fact, God’s kingdom is so countercultural that Jesus describes it as “yeast” (v. 33), which in Scripture is typically seen as a symbol of corruption and evil (Hosea 7:4; Matthew 16:6, 11; 1 Corinthians 5:6-13). Jesus’s shocking use of this word would be similar to saying that the kingdom is like a virus or like saying, “It ruins everything.”

And that’s exactly Jesus’s point. Truly experiencing His kingdom will not be comfortable or easy for any of us. It’ll ruin everything!—all our plans, all our assumptions, all our comfort. But it’s more than worth it. It’s the treasure that’s infinitely precious, the source of endless joy (Matthew 13:44-46). Monica Brands

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

IN EVERY BAD EXPERIENCE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

In Every Bad Experience

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-15

Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,

except in Israel.  2 Kings 5:15

When I rear-ended a truck with my nearly new car, positive thoughts did not immediately come to mind.  I was thinking primarily of the cost, the inconvenience, and the injury to my ego.  But I did find some hope in this thought, which I often share with other writers:  “In every bad experience there’s a good illustration.”

Finding the good can be a challenge, but Scripture confirms that God uses bad circumstances for good purposes.

In 2 Kings 5, we find two people who had bad things happen to them.  First is a young girl from Israel who was taken captive by the Syrian army.  Second is Naaman, the commander of the army, who had leprosy.  Even though the girl had good reason to desire bad things for her captors, she offered help instead.  Israel’s prophet Elisha, she said, could heal Naaman.  Eager to be cured, Naaman went to Israel.  However, he was reluctant to follow Elisha’s humiliating directions.  When he finally did, he was healed, which caused him to proclaim that Israel’s God is the only God (v.15).

God used two bad things-a kidnapping and a deadly disease-to change Israel’s enemy into a friend.  Even when we don’t know why something bad has happened, we know that God has the power to use it for good. JAL

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bad may have a bitter taste

But sweet will be the flower. - Cowper

God is the master of turning burdens into blessings.

UNLOCKED

Unlocked

Read: Colossians 1:13–23
Bible in a Year: Job 8–10; Acts 8:26–40

Once you were alienated from God . . . . But now he has reconciled you.—Colossians 1:21-22

A boy born with cerebral palsy was unable to speak or communicate. But his mother, Chantal Bryan, never gave up, and when he was ten years old she figured out how to communicate with him through his eyes and a letter board. After this breakthrough, she said, “He was unlocked and we could ask him anything.” Now Jonathan reads and writes, including poetry, by communicating through his eyes. When asked what it’s like to “talk” with his family and friends, he said, “It is wonderful to tell them I love them.”

Jonathan’s story is profoundly moving and leads me to consider how God unlocks us from the prison of sin. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Colossae, once we were “alienated from God” (Colossians 1:21), our evil behavior making us His enemy, but through Christ’s death on the cross we are now presented to God as “holy in his sight” (v. 22). We may now “live a life worthy of the Lord” as we bear fruit, grow in the knowledge of God, and are strengthened in His power (vv. 10-11).

We can use our unlocked voices to praise God and share His good news that we are no longer bound to a life of sin. As we continue in our faith, we can hold firm to our hope in Christ. —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord God, You have released us from our chains of unbelief and given us words to praise You. May we share this freedom with others for Your glory.

The Lord unlocks us from our prison of sin.

INSIGHT: These few verses (Colossians 1:13-23) in Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae are a theological goldmine! In them we read about Jesus’s relationship to God—His kingship, redemption, and forgiveness—and His role in creating and sustaining the universe. How amazing to see everything point to one thing—our reconciliation to God (v. 22).

Why not praise God today for unlocking you from the prison of sin and reconciling you to Himself. J.R. Hudberg

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

STILL SMALL VOICE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

Still Small Voice

Read: 1 Kings 19:11-18

Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among

the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  Psalm 46:10

When God spoke to Elijah on Mount Horeb, He could have done so in the wind, earthquake, or fire.  But He didn’t. He spoke with a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).  God asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v.13) as he hid from Jezebel, who had threatened to kill him.

Elijah’s rely revealed what God already knew-the depth of his fear and discouragement.  He said, in effect, “Lord, I have been most zealous when others have forsaken You.  What do I get for being the only one standing up for You?” (see v. 14).

Was Elijah really the only one serving God?  No.  God had “seven thousand in Israel..whose knees have not bowed to Baal” (v. 18).

In the depths of our fear or despair, we too may think we’re the only one serving God.  That may happen right after the height of a success, as it did for Elijah.  Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “be still, and know” that He is God.  The sooner we focus on Him and His power, the quicker we will see relief from our fear and self-pity.

Both the clashing cymbals of our failures and the loud trumpeting of our successes can drown out God’s still small voice.  It’s time for us to quiet our hearts to listen for Him as we meditate on His Word.      AL

Keep listening for the “still small voice”

If you are weary on life’s road;

The Lord will make your heart rejoice

If you will let Him take your load. -Hess

To tune in to God’s voice we must tune out this world’s noise.

SET FREE

Set Free

Read: Romans 8:1–2, 15–17
Bible in a Year: Job 5–7; Acts 8:1–25

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.—Romans 8:1

When I was a boy in the village, something about chickens fascinated me. Whenever I caught one, I held it down for a few moments and then gently released it. Thinking I was still holding it, the chicken remained down; even though it was free to dash away, it felt trapped.

When we put our faith in Jesus, He graciously delivers us from sin and the hold that Satan had on us. However, because it may take time to change our sinful habits and behavior, Satan can make us feel trapped. But God’s Spirit has set us free; He doesn’t enslave us. Paul told the Romans, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

Through our Bible reading, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God works in us to cleanse us and to help us live for Him. The Bible encourages us to be confident in our walk with Jesus without feeling as if we are not set free.

Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). May the freedom we have in Christ spur us on to love Him and serve Him. —Lawrence Darmani

Lord, forgive me for sometimes revisiting my past and forgetting that You have washed away my sins. Thank You for taking my burden and setting me free to enjoy living for You.

My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. Charles Wesley

INSIGHT: Romans 8 is one of the theological highpoints of the Bible, specifically as it relates to the Holy Spirit. Of the many references to the Holy Spirit in the book of Romans, over half are found in Romans 8! The life-giving Spirit liberates from sin and death and empowers believers to live in ways that honor God, which includes the reorientation of our thinking (vv. 2-8). God’s Spirit is the seal of God’s ownership and those so sealed are destined for future resurrection (vv. 9-11). God’s children are not under obligation to slavish, sinful desires (vv. 12-13); rather, like Jesus, they are led by the Spirit of God (v. 14). As those in God’s family, believers in Jesus have the Spirit as their internal witness of their privileged status (vv. 15-16). Painful circumstances that make us groan and pray are our lot in this fallen world (vv. 18-25). Though sometimes our prayers are weak, we are not helpless. The Spirit of God is our prayer-helper whose intercession targets the will of God (vv. 26-27).

How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your life? Arthur Jackson

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

AN AGE-OLD QUESTION

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

An Age-Old Question

Read:  Job 2:1-10

Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall

we not accept adversity?  Job 2:10

When Jeremy was seventeen, he struggled with a question that theologians have wrestled with for centuries.  For him the problem was not theoretical but practical.  He was trying to understand why his mother had to have brain surgery.  He asked, “Why do good people suffer, Mom?”

She told him, “Suffering is part of living in a sin-cursed world, and good people suffer like anybody else.  That’s why I’m glad we have Jesus.  If I die, I’ll go to a better place, and I’ll long for the day when I can see you again.”  She then said that she could understand his frustration, but she told him not to put the blame on God.

If you and I are baffled by the suffering of good people, we can put the question squarely before God, argue with Him if we must, and struggle with our doubts.  But let’s not blame Him.

God didn’t explain to Job what He was doing but said that He could be trusted to do what is right (Job 38-42).  And He has assured us in His Word that Jesus suffered on our behalf, rose from the dead, and is now preparing a suffering-free place for us.

These may not be the answers we want, but they are the answers we need to help us live with that age-old and often unanswerable quest of suffering.                                   DJD

Why must I bear this pain?  I cannot tell;

I only know my Lord does all things well.

And so I trust in God, my all in all,

For He will bring me through, whate're befall. -Smith

God is not obligated to give us answers,

but He promises us His grace.

SAYING GRACE

Saying Grace

Read: Colossians 3:12–17
Bible in a Year: Job 3–4; Acts 7:44–60

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.—Colossians 3:17

For many years, I’ve enjoyed the writings of British author G. K. Chesterton. His humor and insight often cause me to chuckle and then pause for more serious contemplation. For example, he wrote, “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the play and the opera, and grace before the concert and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing; and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

It’s good for us to thank the Lord before every meal, but it shouldn’t stop there. The apostle Paul saw every activity, every endeavor as something for which we should thank God and that we should do for His glory. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Recreation, occupation, and education are all avenues through which we can honor the Lord and express our gratefulness to Him.

Paul also encouraged the believers in Colossae to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (v. 15).

The best place to “say grace” is anywhere and anytime we want to give thanks to the Lord and honor Him. —David C. McCasland

Thank You for Your gift of life eternal. May we acknowledge and honor You throughout this day.

In all we do, let’s give thanks to God and honor Him.

INSIGHT: Could anything make whatever we do better? When the apostle Paul wrote to readers in Colossae, he described an alternative to any and all attitudes that are harmful to us and others (Colossians 3:5-10). In his letter to the Philippians he uses the word whatever as he describes his personal accomplishments. Whatever he once considered gained, he now considers loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7). For reasons he never expected, he found a way to move on to something better than his own efforts to be seen as a good, moral, and religious person.

Many of us know the story behind Paul’s change. After an unforeseen encounter with the resurrected Christ (Acts 9:1-6), he thought differently about anything and everything. Seeing the failure of his own efforts, he learned to live by the grace of God. By relying on the presence of Jesus, Paul discovered the means by which any of us can live with divine help and thankfulness in anything and everything worth doing.

What will we face today that will give us a chance to see and say “grace” in whatever we encounter? Mart DeHaan

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

CELEBRATING DISAPPOINTMENT

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

Celebrating Disappointment

Read:  Psalm 30

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.

Psalm 30:11

After receiving his second Academy Award, Denzel Washington said to his family, “I told you, if I lost tonight, I’d come home and we’d celebrate.  And if I won tonight, I’d come home and we’d celebrate.” Denzel, a Christian, was trusting God, whether in blessing or in disappointment.

A Christian couple I know were inspired to follow Denzel’s example.  The woman was applying for a dream job that had just opened up where she worked.  The interview went well, but she knew she might not get the position.  Her husband suggested, “Let’s make reservations at our favorite restaurant this Friday to celebrate-no matter what the outcome.”

Soon the news came that someone else was offered the job.  But that Friday the disappointed couple still celebrated.  While eating a delicious meal, they were able to count their blessings and renew their faith in the God who holds tomorrow’s opportunities in His hand.

When the psalmist counted his blessings, he was lifted out of his despair and praised God, saying, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11).

Are you facing a situation in which you could be disappointed?  Why not plan a celebration to count your blessings no matter what the outcome?                    DC

Thank God in your disappointment,

Celebrate His grace and love;

Know that He will never leave you

And will bless you from above. -DJD

The pain of disappointment is soothed by a heart of gratitude.

A FRIEND'S COMFORT

A Friend’s Comfort

Read: Job 2:7–13
Bible in a Year: Job 1–2; Acts 7:22–43

No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.—Job 2:13

I read about a mom who was surprised to see her daughter muddy from the waist down when she walked in the door after school. Her daughter explained that a friend had slipped and fallen into a mud puddle. While another classmate ran to get help, the little girl felt sorry for her friend sitting by herself and holding her hurt leg. So, the daughter went over and sat in the mud puddle with her friend until a teacher arrived.

When Job experienced the devastating loss of his children and became afflicted with painful sores on his entire body, his suffering was overwhelming. The Bible tells us that three of his friends wanted to comfort him. When they found Job, “they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (Job 2:12-13).

Job’s friends initially showed remarkable understanding. They sensed that Job simply needed someone to sit and mourn with him. The three men will begin to speak in the next few chapters. The irony is that when the friends do begin to speak, they end up giving Job poor advice (16:1-4).

Often the best thing we can do when comforting a hurting friend is to sit with them in their suffering. —Lisa Samra

Heavenly Father, help me to be a good friend to those who are hurting. Thank You that You promise to be near to those who are suffering and provide encouragement through Your Holy Spirit.

A friend’s presence in the midst of suffering provides great comfort.

INSIGHT: Job’s wife’s suffering (except for the painful sores) was just as keen as Job’s. She had lost just as much, and her angry advice to Job is completely understandable: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Yet even in Job’s response, he “did not sin in what he said” (v. 10). He merely noted that she spoke “like a foolish woman,” implying that he knew her character to be noble. The text also highlights the fact that Job’s friends truly did sympathize with his situation and were there to provide genuine comfort (v. 11). But Job’s wife and his friends couldn’t fathom that he was part of a cosmic battle they didn’t comprehend.

In this life, certain things will remain beyond our understanding. Perhaps someone close to you faces some unanswerable questions. Who might need your quiet presence today? Tim Gustafson

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

STAGECOACH PRAYER

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

Stagecoach Prayer

Read:  John 15:7-14

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father

may be glorified in the Son.  John 14:13

Five-year-old Randy wanted a toy stagecoach for Christmas.  While shopping with Mom, he found just the one he wanted.  It was about six inches long and had cool wheels and dark brown plastic horses pulling it.  “Mommy, I want this one.  Pleeeeease!” he begged.  As young children sometimes do, he threw a tantrum, insisting that he get that stagecoach for Christmas.  Mom said, “We’ll see,” and took him home.

Randy was sure he’d get what he asked for.  Christmas morning came, and he opened the package confidently.  Sure enough, it was the stagecoach he had begged for.  He was so pleased.  But then his older brother said,, “You real did a dumb thing to insist on getting that coach.  Mom bought you a much bigger one, but when you begged for that little one, she exchanged it!”  Suddenly the small stagecoach didn’t seem so appealing.

Sometimes we’re like that with God.  We pray about a specific need and tell Him how He ought to answer.  We beg and plead-and God may even give us exactly what we ask for.  But He may have had something better in mind.

Phillips Brooks once said “Pray the largest prayers.  You cannot think a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger”                                                                   AC

Do not presume to know what’s best

When you begin to pray;

But say to God, “Your will be done”

Then trust His perfect way. -Sper

Large asking results in large receiving.

BELONGING

Belonging

Read: Isaiah 44:1–5
Bible in a Year: Esther 9–10; Acts 7:1–21

The Lord who made you and helps you says: “Do not be afraid . . . my chosen one.”—Isaiah 44:2 nlt

I’d been out late the night before, just as I was every Saturday night. Just twenty years old, I was running from God as fast as I could. But suddenly, strangely, I felt compelled to attend the church my dad pastored. I put on my faded jeans, well-worn T-shirt, and unlaced high-tops and drove across town.

I don’t recall the sermon Dad preached that day, but I can’t forget how delighted he was to see me. With his arm over my shoulder, he introduced me to everyone he saw. “This is my son!” he proudly declared. His joy became a picture of God’s love that has stuck with me all these decades.

The imagery of God as loving Father occurs throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 44, the prophet interrupts a series of warnings to proclaim God’s message of family love. “Dear Israel, my chosen one,” he said. “I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children” (vv. 2-3 nlt). Isaiah noted how the response of those descendants would demonstrate family pride. “Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord,’” he wrote. “Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands” (v. 5 nlt).

Wayward Israel belonged to God, just as I belonged to my adoptive father. Nothing I could do would ever make him lose his love for me. He gave me a glimpse of our heavenly Father’s love for us. —Tim Gustafson

Heavenly Father, we all come from families that are broken in one way or another. Thank You for loving us in that brokenness and for showing us what real love looks like.

God’s love for us offers us the sense of belonging and identity we all crave.

INSIGHT: In addition to the imagery found in Isaiah 44, we see other examples in Scripture of God as our Father. In the Old Testament, God is called the Father of Israel, not on a personal basis but as a nation. When God delivered the nation from slavery in Egypt, God declared that Israel is His “firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). Moses reminded the Jews about to enter the Promised Land that Yahweh the Lord is their Father (Deuteronomy 32:6). God Himself said He is “Israel’s father” (Jeremiah 31:9). Because of their sins, Isaiah warned that the nation would go into exile (Isaiah 5:13). Then crying to Yahweh to restore them to the Promised Land, the Israelites said, “Surely you are still our Father!” (63:16 nlt).

In the New Testament, the Christian faith is a love relationship couched in the most basic of all human relationships—a father and child. Those who believe in Jesus are called children of God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-31 is a picture of our loving and forgiving heavenly Father welcoming His wayward children into His arms.

Indeed He is “still our Father!” Have you come home to your Father? K. T. Sim

NOON

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

Noon

Read:  Psalm 23

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me

beside the still waters.  Psalm 23:2

Our office is a busy place where things sometimes feel like they are moving at breakneck speed.  This often involves meeting after meeting, hallway conferences, and an avalanche of e-mail.  

In the midst of this extreme busyness, I sometimes feel the need to escape, to decompress.  My response?  To create a quiet place.  On those days when I have no lunch meeting, I retreat to the quiet of my car.  I grab some lunch and sit in my car, where I can read, listen to music; think, pray-and be refreshed.

I think this is the essence of what the shepherd-psalmist points to in Psalm 23:2.  He sees the Good Shepherd bringing him to “still waters” -that is, waters to rest by.  It pictures a quiet place, a retreat from the pressures of life, where you can rest in the presence of the Shepherd of your heart and be strengthened for what lies ahead.  Even Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to pray and commune with His Father (Mark 1:35).

We all need retreats in our lives, not only because of the overwhelming nature of life, but because of our dependence on the resources of the Master.  In our fast-paced days, it is essential to find a place of solitude, “a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God.”  Where’s yours?                BC

There is a place of quiet rest,

Near to the heart of God,

A place where sin cannot molest,

Near to the heart of God. -McAfee

When we draw near to God our minds are refreshed and our 

strength is renewed!

FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS

Fellowship with Jesus

Read: Philippians 3:7–14
Bible in a Year: Esther 6–8; Acts 6

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.—Philippians 3:8

I’ll never forget the time I had the privilege of sitting next to Billy Graham at a dinner. I was honored but also somewhat nervous about what would be appropriate to say. I thought it would be an interesting conversation starter to ask what he loved most about his years of ministry. Then I awkwardly started to suggest possible answers. Was it knowing presidents, kings, and queens? Or preaching the gospel to millions of people around the world?

Before I had finished offering suggestions, Rev. Graham stopped me. Without hesitation he said, “It has been my fellowship with Jesus. To sense His presence, to glean His wisdom, to have Him guide and direct me—that has been my greatest joy.” I was instantly convicted and challenged. Convicted because I’m not sure that his answer would have been my answer, and challenged because I wanted it to be.

That’s what Paul had in mind when he counted his greatest achievements to be of no worth compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Think of how rich life would be if Jesus and our fellowship with Him was our highest pursuit. —Joe Stowell

Lord, forgive me for chasing after things that matter far less than my fellowship with You. Thank You that You stand ready to enrich my life with Your presence and power.

To remain faithful where God has placed you, give Christ first place in your heart.

INSIGHT: The apostle Paul’s passion to know Christ and to make Him known to others should guide our lives as well. In Philippians 3:1-14, we see how growing in our knowledge of Christ is mixed with both joy and pain: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (v. 10). Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). As we grow in our relationship with Christ we can expect both joy and suffering.

How has both joy and suffering deepened your fellowship with Christ? Dennis Fisher

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

EXISTING OR TRULY LIVING?

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

OUR DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONS

Existing or Truly Living?

Read:  John 10:1-11

I have come that they may have life, and that they may

have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

On a family visits to Disneyland, I pondered the sign over the entrance arch that read, “Welcome to the happiest place on earth.”  The rest of the day I looked at the faces of the people and was impressed by the small number who were actually smiling during their visit to “the happiest place on earth.”  I roamed the park with divided attention-trying to make sure my kids had a good time and wondering why so few adults seemed to be enjoying themselves.

As I think of that day, I am reminded of a line from an old song that says, “Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.” So it seems.

To live life to the fullest is qualitatively different than merely existing.  In fact, Jesus said that part of His mission was to enable us to live life to the fullest:  “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  He came so that we could experience life to the full-not according to the standards of a fallen world, but life as it was intended to be.  It is life according to the designs and desires of the Creator of life.

By coming to provide forgiveness for rebellious, broken people, Jesus has made it possible for us to live a life of joy and hope in a world of despair.       BC

Jesus came to bring us life-

Abundant living full and free;

Trusting Him to save and keep us

Gives us joy the world can see. -Sper

To know God puts a song in your heart

and a smile on your face.

TELLING TIME

Telling Time

Read: Psalm 90:9–17
Bible in a Year: Esther 3–5; Acts 5:22–42

[Make] the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.—Ephesians 5:16

“Westerners have watches. Africans have time.” So said Os Guinness, quoting an African proverb in his book Impossible People. That caused me to ponder the times I have responded to a request with, “I don’t have time.” I thought about the tyranny of the urgent and how schedules and deadlines dominate my life.

Moses prayed in Psalm 90, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v. 12). And Paul wrote, “Be very careful, then, how you live . . . making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

I suspect that Paul and Moses would agree that our wise use of time isn’t just a matter of clock-watching. The situation may call for us to keep a tight schedule—or it may compel us to give someone an extended gift of our time.

We have but a brief moment to make a difference for Christ in our world, and we need to maximize that opportunity. That may mean ignoring our watches and planners for a while as we show Christ’s patient love to those He brings into our lives.

As we live in the strength and grace of the timeless Christ, we impact our time for eternity. —Bill Crowder

Father, You have given us all the time we need to accomplish what You have given us to do. May we use our time in ways that honor You.

For more, read Mary and Martha: Balancing Life’s Priorities.

Time management is not about clock-watching, it’s about making the most of the time we have.

INSIGHT: Psalm 90 is a worshipful conversation Moses has with God. The superscription reads, “A prayer of Moses, the man of God.” But even if we weren’t alerted that this psalm is a prayer, the language and tone clearly indicate the psalmist was talking to God. This prayer was spoken during a rough period in Israel’s history. It appears the people of God had experienced discipline (vv. 7-11, 15), which prompted Moses to talk to God about the brevity and fragility of human life in view of God’s eternal nature (vv. 1-6). The psalm includes many references to time, such as “generations” (v. 1), “years” (vv. 4, 9, 10, 15), “day(s)” (vv. 4, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15), “morning” and “evening” (v. 6).

Indeed, tough times can compel us to talk to the Lord about our brief time on earth and appeal to Him for His help (vv. 12-17). They can also cause us to ask who may need the gift of our time. Arthur Jackson

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.