KEEPING AWAY THE ELEPHANTS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

Keeping Away the Elephants

Read:  Philippians 4:6-13

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer….

let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6

A man was sitting on a park bench shredding old newspapers and spreading them around.  “What are you doing?” asked a bystander.  “I’m spreading this paper around to keep the elephants away.”  The visitor looked around the well-kept city park,  “I don’t  see any elephants,” He said.  The man smiled.  “Works pretty good, doesn’t it,” he replied.

Worry is like that.  We expend a lot of energy on problems that don’t exist.  Yes, I know we all face real problems, but we often create additional ones by thinking of all the bad things that might happen but never do.

One of the great challenges for worriers is to turn every care into a prayer and than to stop there, leaving it with God.  Some people find this difficult to do, perhaps because they are pessimistic or sensitive by nature.  But there is hope!

Paul’s counsel in Philippians 4:6 is not a mechanical formula but a tested reality.  He had found peace and contentment (vv. 7, 11).  Yet, notice the phrase in verse 12:  “I have learned.”  Leaning takes time.  It is a process marked by trial and error, and by perseverance.  Aren’t you glad that our teacher, the Lord Jesus, is patient with us-even when we tear up papers and spread them around?  DJD

Help! me, Lord, to place my worries

At Your feet in prayer,

Then to trust Your love and goodness

As I leave them there. -Sper

Worry is carrying a burden that God

never intended us to bear.

HONORING GOD WITH THANKS

Honoring God with Thanks

Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 50:15

READ PSALM 50:8–15

The doctor wasn’t frowning, despite talking to my husband about his recent cancer diagnosis. Smiling, she offered a suggestion: start each day by giving thanks. “For at least three things,” the doctor said. Dan agreed, knowing that gratitude opens our hearts to find encouragement in God’s goodness. Thus, Dan starts each day with words of praise. Thank You, God, for a good night’s sleep. For my clean bed. For sunshine. For breakfast on the table. For a smile on my lips.

Each word is heartfelt. But could it sound trivial? Does our praise in life’s small details matter to Almighty God? In Psalm 50, David’s chief musician, Asaph, offers a clear answer. God has “no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens” (v. 9). Instead of these once-formal Israelite sacrifices of gratitude, God wants His people to give Him our hearts and lives in gratitude (vv. 14, 23).

As my husband experienced, whole-hearted gratitude helps our spirits flourish. Then when we call on the Lord “in the day of trouble,” He will “deliver” us (v. 15). Does this mean Dan will be healed, spiritually and physically, during his two-year treatment? Or not until after this lifetime? We don’t know. But for now, Dan delights in showing God he’s grateful for His love, and for who God is: Redeemer. Healer. Friend. And friends delight to hear these beautiful words: Thank You.

By Patricia Raybon

REFLECT & PRAY

My gratitude to God is great to Him.

What verses bring you comfort in trials? Share at Facebook.com/ourdailybread.

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

INSIGHT

The legal language and setting in Psalm 50 are hard to miss. A universal summons is issued by God (v. 1) and the purpose of the gathering is clear—the judgment of His people (v. 4). In a manner reminiscent of the giving of the Law (Exodus 19:16-19), the Lord makes His grand entry (Psalm 50:2-3) as the righteous and just judge (v. 6). 

However, “judge” is not His only role; He is also witness (v. 7) and plaintiff (v. 8). Two groups of defendants enter the Lord’s courtroom and the Judge has indictments that match the transgressions of each group. The Lord’s charges against the first group (vv. 7-15) concerned their worship. Though a formal worship system was in place, the kind of worship the Lord desired was missing. Spiritual worship that included “thanksgiving” mattered to the Lord more than the flesh and blood of animals. The charges against the second group (vv. 16-23) concerned their hypocrisy. Though they were able to recite words that came from God, their actions demonstrated their hearts were far from Him (vv. 17-21). As with the first group, the Lord’s corrective included the reminder that “thank offerings” really matter to Him (v. 23). Arthur Jackson

A SURE HOPE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

A Sure Hope

Read:  1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits

of those who have fallen asleep.  1 Corinthians 15:20

Konrad Adenauer, former chancellor of West Germany, said, “If Jesus Christ is alive, then there is hope for the world.  If not, I don’t see the slightest glimmer of hope on the horizon.”  Then he added, “I believer Christ’s resurrection to be one of the best-attested facts of history.”

Christ’s resurrection and ours go together.  So reasoned the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.  And if Christ didn’t rise from the grave, what’s left?  Empty preaching (v.14), false witnesses (v.15), a futile faith (v.17), unforgiven sins (v.17), no life after death (v.18), and hopelessness (v. 19).

But Christ did rise from the grave.  Paul asserted the proof for the resurrection in verses 1 through 11, listing many credible witnesses who saw the risen Lord:  Peter (v.5), 500 people (v.6), all the apostles (v.7), and Paul himself (v.8).

When the Greek philosopher Socrates lay dying, his friends asked, “Shall we live again?”  He could only say, “I hope so.”  In contrast, the night before author and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded, he wrote in his Bible, “From this earth, this grave, this dust, my God shall raise me up.”

If we trust in Christ as our Savior, we won’t say “I hope so” about our own resurrection.  Jesus’s resurrection gives us a sure hope.  DJD

Rejoice in glorious hope!

Our Lord the Judge shall come

And take His servants up

To their eternal home.-Wesley

Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of our own.

LORD OF THE MOMENT

Lord of the Moment

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

READ 2 KINGS 8:1–6

Not long ago I was working on a construction project at my son’s home three hours away. The job took days longer than expected, and each morning I prayed we would finish by sunset. But every evening there was more to be done.

I wondered why. Could there be a reason for the delay? An answer came the next morning. I was picking up a tool when my phone rang and a stranger’s voice spoke urgently: “Your daughter was injured in an accident. You need to come immediately.”

She lived near my son, so it took just fourteen minutes to reach her. If I had been home, I would have been three hours away. I followed the ambulance to the hospital and comforted her before surgery. As I sat holding her hand I realized if my project hadn’t been delayed, I wouldn’t have been there.

Our moments belong to God. This was the experience of a woman whose son God had resurrected through the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37). She left the country because of famine and returned years later to beg the king for her land. At precisely that moment the king was conversing with the prophet’s servant Gehazi. “Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored” her son, the woman walked in (8:5). Her request was granted.

We don’t know what even the next second brings, but God is graciously able to use any situation for good. May God give us grace to walk with Him expectantly into His appointments for us today.

By James Banks

REFLECT & PRAY

Our lives are better off in God’s hands than in our own.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of my life. Help me to be Your faithful servant.

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

INSIGHT

Today’s text demonstrates God’s sovereignty in directing human affairs. Another example of God’s divine direction is seen in the account of Joseph (Genesis 37-41). At the end of his story, Joseph comforted his brothers who had grievously harmed him (45:5) and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (50:20 nlt).

The apostle Paul says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

How do these examples help you trust God as the Lord of your moments? K. T. Sim

LOVE THAT LIFTS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

Love That Lifts

Read:  Psalm 40:1-3

They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.  Psalm 99:6

When King David looked back on his life, he remembered some painful experiences.  In Psalm 40, he recalled one especially severe difficulty, a time when he felt as if he had sunk deep into “the miry clay” (v.2).

In his despair David kept pleading with God for deliverance, and graciously the Lord answered his desperate cries.  Lifting him out of the “horrible pit,” He set his feet on solid ground (v. 2).  No wonder David broke out into this hymn of praise and gratitude!  As you look back on your own life, do you remember any experience when you felt as if you had fallen into a pit?  Perhaps it was the pit of failure, the pit of bereavement, the pit of painful illness, the pit of dark doubt, the pit of some persistent sin.  Did you keep crying out to God, and did He mercifully deliver you?

If so, are you still praising the Lord for that answer to your cries and thanking Him for His grace?  And are you now walking with Him in obedient fellowship?

You can confidently trust the Lord to help you in whatever experience comes your way in the days ahead.  Rejoice that in His time He can-and will-bring you through and bring you out.       VCG

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, what're befall.-Smith

God can bring showers of blessing out of storms of adversity.

A SOLID FOUNDATION

A Solid Foundation

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

READ MATTHEW 7:24–27

Last summer my husband and I toured Fallingwater, a house in rural Pennsylvania designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Wright wanted to create a home that rose organically out of the landscape, as if it could have grown there—and he accomplished his goal. He built the house around an existing waterfall, and its style mirrors the neighboring rock ledges. Our tour guide explained what made the construction safe: “The whole vertical core of the house,” she said, “rests on boulders.”

Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’s words to His disciples. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told them that what He was teaching would be the sure foundation for their lives. If they heard His words and put them into practice, they would be able to withstand any storms. Those who heard but didn’t obey, in contrast, would be like a house built on sand (Matthew 7:24-27). Later, Paul echoed this thought, writing that Christ is the foundation, and we must build upon it with work that will endure (1 Corinthians 3:11).

When we listen to the words of Jesus and obey them, we’re building our lives on a steady, rock-solid foundation. Maybe our lives can look a little like Fallingwater, beautiful and built to last on the Rock.

By Amy Peterson

REFLECT & PRAY

What are you building your life around?

God, help us to hear and obey the words of Jesus!

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

INSIGHT

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says following His teachings is wise and prudent, for they are the foundation on which a full and healthy life is built. He makes this statement after giving the Sermon on the Mount, which contains what has been considered by some the most difficult and stringent guidelines for life. But we aren’t left to live this life on our own; we are dependent on the Spirit. These requirements extend beyond actions and into the thoughts and attitudes. A person who honors God with his or her whole life will remain steady in the storms of life (vv. 24-25). J.R. Hudberg

THREE CERTAINTIES

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS TO OUR DAILY BREAD

Three Certainties

Read:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades,

where is your victory?  1 Corinthians 15:55

As I waited outside the Intensive Care Unit for changes in the condition of a loved one, I was reminded that death affects all of us:  old and young, make and female, rich and poor.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, the apostle Paul comforted those who mourned the death of their loved ones.  He told them that excessive grief resulted from being uninformed.  Weeping for our loss is good, but we need not weep like those who have no hope.  Instead, we must rely on three certainties of death.

The first certainty is that the soul does not die.  The souls of departed believers are with the Lord (v.14).  They have retired from this problematic world, and they “sleep in Jesus.”

Second,  Jesus will come for every believer.  Whether a Christian is alive on earth or asleep in death,  Jesus will return for all His children (vv. 16-17).

Third, there will be a joyous reunion.  “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (v.17).

Knowing these certainties brings comfort to believers when their friends and loved ones depart.  Although we are separated from them for a while, we will meet again in the presence of our Lord.   AL 

When facing death’s shadow, remember the Light;

The shadows bring fear, and the dark shrouds our eyes;

But if we will turn to face Jesus the Light,

The shadows will fade as He brightens our skies. -Lee

Sunset in one land is sunrise in another.

PUTTING UP HAY

Putting Up Hay

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven.

Romans 4:7

READ LUKE 15:11–24

When I was in college, I worked a summer on a ranch in Colorado. One evening, tired and hungry after a long day of mowing hay, I drove the tractor into the yard. Acting like the hot shot I thought I was, I cranked the steering wheel hard left, stamped on the left brake, and spun the tractor around.

The sickle was down and swept the legs out from under a 500-gallon gasoline tank standing nearby. The tank hit the ground with a resounding boom, the seams split, and all the gasoline spewed out.

The rancher stood nearby surveying the scene.

I got off the tractor, stammered an apology, and—because it was the first thing that popped into my mind—offered to work the rest of the summer without pay.

The old rancher stared at the wreckage for a moment and turned toward the house. “Let’s go have dinner,” he drawled.

A scrap of a story Jesus told passed through my mind—a story about a young man who had done a terrible thing: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you,” he cried. He intended to add, “Make me like one of your hired servants,” but before he could get all the words out of his mouth his father interrupted him. In essence, he said, “Let’s go have dinner” (Luke 15:17-24).

Such is God’s amazing grace.

By David H. Roper

REFLECT & PRAY

What a privilege to be sons and daughters of the King!

Father, we celebrate Your gracious and lavish forgiveness. Thank You for the peace and freedom it brings us as we enjoy a family relationship with You.

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

A SURPRISE ANSWER

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

A Surprise Answer

Read:  1 John 3:16-23

Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because

we keep His commandments and do those things

that are pleasing in His sight.  1 John 3:22

When Josh McDowell’s mother died, he was not sure of her salvation.  He became depressed.  Was she a Christian or not?  “Lord,” he prayed, “somehow give me the answer so I can get back to normal.  I’ve just got to know.”  It seemed like an impossible request.

Two days later, Josh drove out to the ocean and walked to the end of a pier to be alone.  There sat an elderly woman in a lawn chair, fishing.  “Where’s your home originally?” she asked.  “Michigan-Union City,”  Josh replied.  “Nobody’s heard of it.  I tell people it’s a suburb of-“ “Battle Creek,” interrupted the woman.  “I had a cousin from there.  Did you know the McDowell family?”

Stunned, Josh responded, “Yes, I’m Josh McDowell.”  “I can’t believe it,” said the woman.  “I’m a cousin to your mother,”  “Do you remember anything at all about my mother’s spiritual life?” asked Josh.  “Why sure-your mom and I were just girls-teenagers- when a tent revival came to town.  We both went forward to accept Christ.”  “Praise God!” shouted Josh, startling the surrounding fishermen.

God delights to give us what we ask when it is in His will.  Never underestimate His desire to respond to our prayers.  A surprise may be just around the corner.   DJD

That long-sought wish, oh, how I prayed,

I thought it not divinely willed,

And then the joyous, tear-stained smile

Of faith triumphant, hope fulfilled!-Brandt

If you get definite with God He’ll get definite with you.

GOD IS HERE

OUR DAILY BREAD

Monday

November 26, 2018

God Is Here

Read: Hosea 6:1-6

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him.—Hosea 6:3

A plaque in our home states “Bidden or not bidden, God is present.” A modern version might read, “Acknowledged or unacknowledged, God is here.”

Hosea, an Old Testament prophet who lived in the late eighth century bc (755-715), wrote similar words to the Hebrew nation. He encouraged the Israelites to “press on” (Hosea 6:3) to acknowledge God because they had forgotten Him (4:1). As the people forgot God’s presence, they began to turn away from Him (v. 12) and before long there was no room for God in their thoughts (see Psalm 10:4).

Hosea’s simple but profound insight to acknowledge God reminds us He’s near and at work in our lives, in both the joys and struggles.

To acknowledge God might mean that when we get a promotion at work, we recognize God gave us insight to finish our work on time and within budget. If our housing application is rejected, acknowledging God helps to sustain us as we trust Him to work in the situation for our good.

If we don’t make it into the college of our choice, we can acknowledge God is with us and take comfort in His presence even in our disappointment. As we enjoy dinner, to acknowledge God may be to remind ourselves of God’s provision of the ingredients and a kitchen to prepare the meal.

When we acknowledge God, we remember His presence in both the successes and sorrows, whether big or small, of our lives. —Lisa Samra

God is always present and at work.

The Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 27-29 & 1 Peter 3

Insights:

James Limburg comments on today’s passage in his book Interpretation: Hosea—Micah: “The contrast which comes to expression in Hosea 6:6 is between two fundamentally different notions of religion. The one thinks in terms of discharging religious obligations through . . . sacrifice and offering; the other speaks of loyal love and of acknowledging God as God. . . . When religion becomes preoccupied with the niceties of liturgy, the nuances of language, the novelties of music, art, and architecture, but forgets the neighbor, then religion has been reduced to cultic correctness . . . . True religion has that rich word hesed [steadfast love] at its center, recalling God’s steadfast love (Ps. 136) and mercy (Titus 3:5-7) and then calling for lives which respond to that love with loyal devotion to God and loving service to the neighbor.”

Are there areas of your life where the line between religion and relationship has become blurry?

For more on true devotion to God, read Following Jesus: Relationship or Religion? at discoveryseries.org/q0215. J.R. Hudberg

To read today’s Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org

A GRATITUDE VISIT

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

A Gratitude Visit

Read:  Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you Phoebe,…for indeed she has been a

helper of many and of myself also.  Romans 16:1-2

Counting your blessings promotes good physical health, according to a study by some U.S. doctors.  Volunteers who kept weekly gratitude journals reported fewer aches and pains than those who recorded daily hassles or neutral events.

A “gratitude visit” was developed by Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman to promote strong emotional health.  He tells people to think of someone who has made an important difference in their lives.  He asks them to write the story of how that person has helped them, and then to visit that person and read the story aloud.  Tests show that a year later the people who had done so were happier and reported fewer episodes of depression.  Even more important, think of what it must have done for those who were thanked!

The apostle Paul had a long list of people who had helped him and for whom he was grateful (Romans 16:1-16).  He wrote that Phoebe had “been a helper,”  Priscilla and Aquila had “risked their own necks” for his life, and Mary had “labored much” for Him.  And he took time to write his thanks in a letter to the church at Rome.

Who has helped to shape your life?  Could you make a gratitude visit-for their sake, and for yours?                       AC

Consider what the Lord has done

Through those who’ve shown you love;

Then thank them for their faithful deeds,

For blessings from above. -Sper

Gratitude should not be an occasional incident

but a continuous attitude.

PEACE IN THE STORM

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

Peace in the Storm

Read:  Isaiah 26:1-4

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed

on You, because he trusts in You.  Isaiah 26:3

Life can seem unbearable at times.  Physical pain, difficult decisions, financial hardships, the death of a loved one, or shattered dreams threaten to engulf us.  We become fearful and perplexed.  Plagued by doubts, we may even find it difficult to pray.

Those of us who know the Lord through personal faith in Christ have in Him a calm retreat in the storms of life, even while the howling winds of trial are sweeping over us.  We can experience peace of mind and calmness of spirit.

Richard Fuller, a nineteenth-century minister, told of an old seaman who said, “In fierce storms, we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.”  Said Fuller, “This, Christian, is what you must do…You must put your soul in one position and keep it there.  You must stay upon the Lord; and, come what may-winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers-no mater what, you must hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus.”

Do you feel overwhelmed by your troubles?  Learn a lesson from that old sailor.  Fix your mind on the Lord.  Ask for His help.  Then trust Him to give you peace in your storm (Philippians 4:5-7).            RDH

Stayed upon Jehovah,

Hearts are fully blest-

Finding, as He promised,

Perfect peace and rest. -Havergal

The secret of peace is to give every anxious care to God. 

DOES AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER EXITS?

DOES AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER EXIST?

For more great blogs as this excellent statement, go to Daniel’s blog site at www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

https://mannsword.blogspot.com/2018/11/does-intelligent-designer-exist.html

One respondent wrote: “Even the greatest of scientists are not able to go beyond the Big Bang!” However, logical and philosophical thinking can go beyond and recognize that order and design cannot arise out of an explosion (Big Bang); nor can matter, time, space, energy, light, and the laws of science.

Explosions do not generate order but disorder. They do not create time, space, or the laws of science. They cannot even create matter, which, from the little we understand, is highly complex, elegant, and also subject to elegant, immutable, and universal laws.

You might argue that everything was already contained in a minute singularity that had exploded into our universe. However, this explains nothing. From where did this minute singularity come? What caused it to explode in such an orderly manner before the laws of science even existed?

All of these considerations are satisfied once we begin to consider the existence of an eternal and infinitely intelligent Designer. How? We have some experience with the products of intelligence and those of chance (although we have never seen chance produce anything). I would venture to say that if we give an infinite number of cows (even monkeys) pens for an infinite amount of time, they will never produce a line of Shakespeare, a single atom, an inch of space, or even a moment in time. Should we expect anything more from nothingness?

QUIET WITNESS

Quiet Witness

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors.

1 Peter 2:12

READ 1 PETER 2:11–21

Amy lives in a closed country where it’s forbidden to preach the gospel. She’s a trained nurse who works in a big hospital, caring for newborn babies. She’s such a committed professional that her work stands out, and many women are curious about her. They are moved to ask her questions in private. It’s then that Amy shares about her Savior openly.

Because of her good work, some co-workers were envious and accused her of stealing some medicine. Her superiors didn’t believe them, and authorities eventually found the culprit. This episode led some of her fellow nurses to ask about her faith. Her example reminds me of what Peter says: “Dear friends . . . . Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God” (1 Peter 2:11-12 nlt).

Our everyday lives at home, in our work environment, or at school make an impact on others when we let God work in us. We’re surrounded by people who are watching the way we speak and behave. Let’s depend on God and have Him rule our actions and thoughts. Then we’ll influence those who don’t believe and this may lead some of them to turn in faith to Jesus.

By Keila Ochoa

REFLECT & PRAY

Our lives speak louder than our words.

Father, help me to live in such a way that Your name will be honored wherever I go.

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

INSIGHT

Being misunderstood or falsely accused is inevitable in a broken world. But in those vulnerable moments, Peter argues, it’s especially crucial for believers to strive to follow Christs example of responding to suffering with love rather than lashing out (1 Peter 2:12, 21). “Submitting” to those with power (v. 13) doesn’t mean blind obedience, but rather letting go of our natural desire to control or overpower others. And as we fearlessly display Christ’s love and the ways of our Lord’s kingdom (vv. 13, 16), God may even use us to guide others to His love. Monica Brands