Thursday, October 31, 2013

Eyes of Love by David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread)

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him. —Mark 10:21 (Our Daily Bread)

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Mark 10:17-27

New International Version (NIV)

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
¹⁸“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[a]”
²⁰“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
²²At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[b] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁶The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

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Eyes Of Love

October 31, 2013 — by David C. McCasland

from: http://odb.org/

Many people who come to Marc Salem’s stage shows think he can read minds. But he makes no such claim, saying he is not a psychic or magician, but a close observer of people. He told writer Jennifer Mulson, “We live in a world that’s mostly invisible to us because we’re not paying attention to things . . . . I’m very sensitive to what people give off” (The Gazette, Colorado Springs).

It’s interesting to note what Jesus saw as He met people. His encounter with a wealthy young man seeking eternal life is recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark includes this telling detail, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21). Some people may have seen this young man as an arrogant person (vv.19-20) while others might have envied his wealth, but Jesus looked at him with love.

We often focus on the man’s sad departure and apparent unwillingness to give up his riches and follow Jesus (v.22). When the disciples wondered aloud about the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom of God (v.26), “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible’” (v.27).

Today, Jesus sees us through eyes of love and invites us to follow Him.

Down from His splendor in glory He came,
Into a world of woe;
Took on Himself all my guilt and my shame,
Why should He love me so? —Roth

God has both an all-seeing eye and all-forgiving heart.

Bible Reading

The Last Chapter by David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread)

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. —Philippians 4:5 (Our Daily Bread)

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Revelation 22:6-20

New International Version (NIV)

John and the Angel

⁶The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

⁸I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

¹⁰Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹²“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
¹⁴“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
¹⁶“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

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The Last Chapter

October 30, 2013 — by David H. Roper

from: http://odb.org/

I have a friend who reads the last chapter first when she starts a new thriller. “Takes the anxiety out of reading,” she claims. So with Christians: Because we know the end of the story, we can be centers of peace in the midst of utter chaos, calm in the face of disaster.

The apostle Paul calls this attitude “moderation” in Philippians 4:5 (kjv). It’s a term that implies “peace under pressure.” It refers to the calm and deliberate strength with which we meet the disquieting circumstances of our days. Kingdoms may fall, friends may falter, churches may fold, oceans may rise, and mountains may crumble, but we can be at peace.

How do we maintain such composure? By remembering that “the Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5); He is near. Our Lord is standing just outside the door ready to burst through and turn everything that’s wrong right-side up. Then this world and all its troubles will become the kingdom of our Lord, and “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20). Today could be the day! It’s the very last thing He said in the very last chapter of His book.

Lord, thank You for dispelling the fear from our lives
by letting us know the end of the story. We can rest
in the assurance that as Your followers we will one
day be with You in Your glorious, eternal kingdom.

No doctrine is more closely linked to practical daily living than that of the Lord’s return.

Bible Reading

Wait on the Lord by Dennis Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. —Psalm 40:1 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 27

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 27

Of David.

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

²When the wicked advance against me
    to devour^[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

⁴One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
⁵For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

⁶Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
¹⁰Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
¹¹Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
¹²Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

¹³I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

New International Version (NIV)

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Wait On The Lord

October 28, 2013 — by Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/

With so many instantaneous forms of communication today, our impatience with hearing a reply from others is sometimes laughable. Someone I know sent an e-mail to his wife and then called her by cell phone because he couldn’t wait for a reply!

Sometimes we feel that God has let us down because He does not provide an immediate answer to a prayer. Often our attitude becomes, “Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails!” (Ps. 143:7).

But waiting for the Lord can transform us into a people of growing faith. King David spent many years waiting to be crowned king and fleeing from Saul’s wrath. David wrote, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (Ps. 27:14). And in another psalm he encourages us with these words, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He . . . set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (40:1-2). David grew into “a man after [God’s] own heart” by waiting on the Lord (Acts 13:22; see 1 Sam. 13:14).

When we become frustrated with God’s apparent delay in answering our prayer, it is good to remember that He is interested in developing faith and perseverance in our character (James 1:2-4). Wait on the Lord!

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless. —Walford

God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul.

Bible Reading

God in the Storm by Jennifer Benson Schuldt (Our Daily Bread)

He is excellent in power. —Job 37:23 (Our Daily Bread)

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Job 37:14-24

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴“Listen to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.
¹⁵Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes his lightning flash?
¹⁶Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
    those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?
¹⁷You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
¹⁸can you join him in spreading out the skies,
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

¹⁹“Tell us what we should say to him;
    we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
²⁰Should he be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
²¹Now no one can look at the sun,
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
²²Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
    God comes in awesome majesty.
²³The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
    in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
²⁴Therefore, people revere him,
    for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?^[a]”

New International Version (NIV)

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God In The Storm

October 27, 2013 — by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

from: http://odb.org/

Early one morning the wind began to blow and raindrops hit my house like small stones. I peered outside at the yellow-gray sky and watched as trees thrashed in the wind. Veins of lightning lit the sky accompanied by bone-rattling thunder. The power blinked on and off, and I wondered how long the bad weather would continue.

After the storm passed, I opened my Bible to begin my day with reading Scripture. I read a passage in Job that compared the Lord’s power to the atmospheric muscle of a storm. Job’s friend, Elihu said, “God thunders marvelously with His voice” (37:5). And, “He covers His hands with lightning, and commands it to strike” (36:32). Indeed, God is “excellent in power” (37:23).

Compared to God, we humans are feeble. We’re unable to help ourselves spiritually, heal our hearts, or fix the injustice we often endure. Fortunately, the God of the storm cares about weaklings like us; He “remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). What’s more, God “gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isa. 40:29). Because God is strong, He can help us in our weakness.

I sing the mighty power of God
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad
And built the lofty skies. —Watts

God is the source of our strength.

Bible Reading

Healthy Ingredients by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. —Proverbs 4:23 (Our Daily Bread)

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Proverbs 4:14-27

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.
¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
¹⁶For they cannot rest until they do evil;
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰My son, pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.
²¹Do not let them out of your sight,
    keep them within your heart;
²²for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.
²³Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶Give careful thought to the^[a] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.

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Healthy Ingredients

October 26, 2013 — by Joe Stowell

from: http://odb.org/

My wife, Martie, is a careful shopper when it comes to buying healthy and nutritious food. No matter how attractive the packaging looks, she checks the list of ingredients on the back of the box. Lots of difficult-to-pronounce words usually announce the presence of preservatives that work against good nutrition. She always puts those items back on the shelf and continues to look for labels with lists of natural food products that contribute to good health.

I’ve often thought that her shopping habits are a lot like what God is looking for in our lives: It’s what’s on the inside that counts, regardless of how attractive the outside might be. It’s no wonder that the wisdom-teller of Proverbs warns us to guard what goes into our hearts, “for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Wearing the right fashions and keeping ourselves looking young are of little importance if our hearts harbor greed, hatred, grumpiness, self-pity, and other counter-productive contents.

So, ask yourself: When others get past the packaging of my life, do they experience a heart full of healthy, Christ-honoring ingredients? By putting in grace, kindness, patience, and compassion, we’ll reflect the wonderful nature of Christ.

Lord, teach me to value my heart more than the
externals. Grant me the wisdom to cultivate internal
ingredients that will make my heart a wellspring of
life to those whom I come in contact with today.

The contents in your heart are more important than the outer packaging.

Bible Reading

Loving and Knowing by Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread)

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8 (Our Daily Bread)

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Romans 5:6-11

New International Version (NIV)

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

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Loving And Knowing

October 25, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

from: http://odb.org/

In a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, one of the characters, speaking of New York’s Empire State Building, said, “I know this building because I love this building.”

That statement caused me to think about the relationship between love and knowledge. Whenever we love something, we want to know everything about it. When we love a place, we want to explore every inch of it. When we love a person, we want to know every detail of his or her life. We want to know what he likes, how she spends her time, where he grew up, who her friends are, what he believes. The list is endless. But some of us want to be loved without allowing ourselves to be known. We’re afraid that we won’t be loved if we are truly known.

We don’t have to worry about that with God. His love is far superior to ours: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Furthermore, He makes Himself known to us. Through creation, Scripture, and Christ, God reveals His character and His love. Because God loves us in spite of our imperfections, we can safely confess our faults to Him. With God, we need not fear being known. That’s why to know God is to love Him.

Be still and know that He is God
For pathways steep and rough,
Not what He brings, but what He is
Will always be enough. —Anon.

There is no greater joy than to know that God loves us.

Bible Reading

Barrier-Free Love by Dennis Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

O Jerusalem . . . ! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! —Matthew 23:37 (Our Daily Bread)

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Matthew 23:37-39

New International Version (NIV)

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁸Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”

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Barrier-Free Love

October 17, 2013 — by Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/

Not long ago I heard the distressed chirping of a bird coming from the side of my neighbor’s house. I discovered that a nest of baby birds was inside a vent covered by a screen, placing a barrier between the mother bird who was trying to feed her hungry chicks. After I told the neighbors, they removed the screen and took the nest and chicks to a safe place to be cared for.

Few things are as heartbreaking as a barrier to love. Christ, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, experienced a barrier to His love when His chosen people rejected Him. He used the word picture of a hen and her baby chicks to describe their unwillingness to receive it: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . ! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37).

Our sin is a barrier that separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). But “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus took care of the barrier to God’s love by His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection (Rom. 5:8-17; 8:11). Now He longs for us to experience His love and accept this gift.

My heart is stirred whene’er I think of Jesus,
That blessed Name that sets the captive free;
The only Name through which I find salvation,
No name on earth has meant so much to me. —Eliason

Through His cross, Jesus rescues and redeems.

Bible Reading

Coade Stone by Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. —1 Peter 2:4 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Peter 2:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”^[b]

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”^[c]

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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Coade Stone

October 16, 2013 — by Bill Crowder

from: http://odb.org/

Throughout London, there are statues and other items made from a unique building material called Coade stone. Developed by Eleanor Coade for her family business in the late 1700s, this artificial stone is virtually indestructible and has the capacity to withstand time, weather, and man-made pollution. Though it was a marvel during the Industrial Revolution, Coade stone was phased out in the 1840s following Eleanor’s death, and it was replaced by Portland cement as a building material. In spite of that, however, there remain today dozens of examples of this sturdy, ceramic-like stone that have withstood the harsh London environment for over 150 years.

The apostle Peter described Jesus as a living stone. He wrote, “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5). Precious in the eyes of the Father is the sacrifice of the Rock of our salvation. Christ is the enduring stone upon which the Father has built our salvation and the only foundation for meaningful life (1 Cor. 3:11).

It is only as our lives are built upon His strength that we will be able to endure the harshness of life in a fallen world.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. —Mote

We have nothing to fear if we stay close to the Rock of Ages.

Bible Reading

Dreams of Childhood by Randy Kilgore (Our Daily Bread)

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength. —Psalm 8:2 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 8

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 8^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] A psalm of David.

¹Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
²Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
³When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?^[c]

⁵You have made them^[d] a little lower than the angels^[e]
    and crowned them^[f] with glory and honor.
⁶You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their^[g] feet:
⁷all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

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Dreams Of Childhood

October 15, 2013 — by Randy Kilgore

from: http://odb.org/

Years ago, I asked fifth-grade students to prepare a list of questions to ask Jesus if He were to show up in person the following week. I also asked groups of adults to do the same thing. The results were startlingly different. The kids’ questions ranged from adorable to poignant: “Will we have to sit around in robes and sing all day in heaven? Will my puppy be in heaven? Were the whales in or out of the ark? How’s my grandpa doing up there with You?” Almost without fail, their questions were free from doubt that heaven existed or that God acts supernaturally.

Adults, on the other hand, featured a completely different line of questioning: “Why do bad things happen to good people? How do I know You’re listening to my prayers? Why is there only one way to heaven? How could a loving God let this tragedy happen to me?”

For the most part, children live life unfettered by the cares and sorrows that burden adults. Their faith lets them trust God more readily. While we adults often get lost in trials and sorrows, children retain the psalmist’s view of life—an eternal perspective that sees the greatness of God (Ps. 8:1-2).

God can be trusted, and He longs for us to trust Him the way children do (Matt. 18:3).

O Father, may I find again the dreams of childhood
when thoughts of You filled me with peace
and I longed to know You more. Give me
a faith that trusts You implicitly.

An intimate walk with God lifts our eyes from today’s trials and into eternity’s triumphs.

Bible Reading

Seed & Soils by Brent Hackett (Our Daily Bread)

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 3:18 (Our Daily Bread)

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Matthew 13:1-9

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

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Seeds & Soils

October 14, 2013 — by Brent Hackett

from: http://odb.org/

If you like growing pumpkins, you have probably heard of Dill’s Atlantic Giant variety of premium pumpkin seeds. Developed on a family farm in Atlantic Canada, the pumpkins grown from these seeds have set records around the world. In 2011, a pumpkin grown in Quebec set a new world record at 1,818.5 pounds (825 kg). That size of pumpkin could yield almost 1,000 pieces of pie!

When news reporters asked how this pumpkin could grow to such a size, the farmer replied that it had to do with the soil. The seeds were of a special large variety, but the soil still had to be right or the pumpkin wouldn’t grow properly.

The Lord Jesus used an illustration in which He compared different types of ground to a person’s response to God’s Word (Matt. 13). Some seeds were eaten by the birds, others started to grow but were choked by the weeds, and some grew up instantly but had no soil to further their growth. But the seeds that fell on the good soil “yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (v.8).

Each of us needs to ask, “What kind of soil am I?” The Lord wants to plant His Word in our hearts so we can grow in our knowledge of Him.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me. —Hewitt

The fruit of the Spirit grows in the soil of obedience.

Bible Reading

I'm Invisible by Anne Cetas (Our Daily Bread)

[The Lord] gives power to the weak. —Isaiah 40:29 (Our Daily Bread)

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Isaiah 40:25-31

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵“To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

²⁷Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

--------------------------

I’m Invisible

October 12, 2013 — by Anne Cetas

from: http://odb.org/

My friend Jane said something at a work meeting and no one responded. So she repeated it and again no one responded; her co-workers just ignored her. She realized that her opinion didn’t matter much. She felt disregarded and invisible. You may know what that’s like as well.

The people of God felt that way as a nation (Isa. 40). Only they believed it was God Himself who didn’t see or understand their daily struggle to survive! The southern kingdom had been carried away captive into Babylon, and the exiled nation complained: “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God” (v.27).

While Isaiah agreed that compared to God “the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales” (v.15), he also wanted the people to know that God gives power to the weak and strength to those who need it (v.29). If they waited on the Lord, Isaiah said, He would renew their strength. They would mount up with wings like eagles; they would run and not be weary (v.31).

When you’re feeling invisible or disregarded, remember that God does see you and He cares. Wait on Him, and He’ll give you renewed strength.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies how tender! How firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. —Grant

Even when we don’t sense God’s presence, His loving care is all around us.

Bible Reading

Gorgeous Inside by Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread)

To be spiritually minded is life and peace. —Romans 8:6 (Our Daily Bread)

----------------------------

Romans 8:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
⁹You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

----------------------------

“Gorgeous Inside”

October 11, 2013 — by Dave Branon

from: http://odb.org/

It’s a rather nondescript house that sits on a busy thoroughfare. With no distinctive characteristics, this rather plain home is easy to ignore. But as I drove past it the other day, I noticed a “For Sale” sign in the yard. Attached to the sign was a smaller notice that happily announced: “I’m gorgeous inside.” While I’m not in the market for a new house, that sign intrigued me. What could make this otherwise forgettable house gorgeous inside?

It also made me wonder: Could that sign apply to us as followers of Jesus? Think about it. No matter what we look like on the outside, shouldn’t there be within us a beauty that reveals God’s love and work in our lives?

What does the Bible say about inner beauty? We might start with Romans 7:22, which says, “In my inner being I delight in God’s law” (niv). A few verses later in Romans 8:6, Paul speaks of a Spirit-controlled mind that is characterized by “life and peace.” And in Galatians, we see that letting the Spirit take charge of our inner being will build in us the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22), a beautiful array of qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness.

Delighting in Scripture and allowing the Spirit to work in our heart will make us look good on the inside—and will pay off in a life that honors God.

Dear Lord, I pray that through the work of Your
Spirit dwelling within me I will be transformed
into a grand display of the fruit that will attract
others to You and reflect glory back to You.

Righteousness in your heart produces beauty in your character.

Bible Reading

Being A Witness by Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me. —Acts 1:8 (Our Daily Bread)

-------------------------

Acts 1:1-9

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ²until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”

⁶Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
⁹After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

-------------------------

Being A Witness

October 10, 2013 — by Bill Crowder

from: http://odb.org/

When I was a teen, I witnessed an auto accident. It was a shocking experience that was compounded by what followed. As the only witness to the incident, I spent the ensuing months telling a series of lawyers and insurance adjustors what I had seen. I was not expected to explain the physics of the wreck or the details of the medical trauma. I was asked to tell only what I had witnessed.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be witnesses of what Jesus has done in us and for us. To point people to Christ, we don’t need to be able to explain every theological issue or answer every question. What we must do is explain what we have witnessed in our own lives through the cross and the resurrection of the Savior. Even better is that we don’t have to rely on ourselves alone to do this. Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

As we rely on the Spirit’s power, we can point a hurting world to the redeeming Christ. With His help, we can witness to the life-changing power of His presence in our lives!

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. —Hankey

Our testimony is the witness of what God has done for us.

Bible Reading

Life Without Bread by Marvin Williams (Our Daily Bread)

I am the bread of life. —John 6:48 (Our Daily Bread)

---------------------------

John 6:25-35

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
²⁶Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
²⁸Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
²⁹Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
³⁰So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[a]”
³²Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
³⁴“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
³⁵Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

---------------------------

Life Without Bread

October 9, 2013 — by Marvin Williams

from: http://odb.org/

In cultures with an abundance of food choices, bread is no longer a necessary part of the diet so some choose to live without it for various reasons. In the first century, however, bread was viewed as an essential staple. A diet without bread was a foreign concept.

One day a crowd of people sought out Jesus because He had performed the miracle of multiplying loaves of bread (John 6:11,26). They asked Him to perform a sign like the manna from heaven that God had provided for His people in the desert (6:30-31; Ex. 16:4). When Jesus said He was “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), the people didn’t understand. They wanted literal daily bread. But Jesus was saying that He had been sent to be their spiritual bread; He would supply their daily spiritual needs. If they, by faith, applied and took His words and life into their very souls, they would experience everlasting satisfaction (v.35).

Jesus doesn’t want to be an optional commodity in our diets; He desires to be the essential staple in our lives, our “necessary” food. As first-century Jews could never imagine life without physical bread, may we never attempt to live without Jesus, our spiritual bread!

For Further Thought
What are some ways you can let Jesus, the
Bread of Life, and His words satisfy the
hunger pangs of your soul today?

Only spiritual bread satisfies the hunger of the soul.

Bible Reading

God Provides, But How? by Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread)

He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread. —Proverbs 12:11 (Our Daily Bread)

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Deuteronomy 24:19-22

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. ²¹When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. ²²Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

-----------------------

God Provides, But How?

October 8, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

from: http://odb.org/

Outside my office window, the squirrels are in a race against winter to bury their acorns in a safe, accessible place. Their commotion amuses me. An entire herd of deer can go through our back yard and not make a sound, but one squirrel sounds like an invasion.

The two creatures are different in another way as well. Deer do not prepare for winter. When the snow comes they eat whatever they can find along the way (including ornamental shrubs in our yard). But squirrels would starve if they followed that example. They would be unable to find suitable food.

The deer and the squirrel represent ways that God cares for us. He enables us to work and save for the future, and He meets our need when resources are scarce. As the wisdom literature teaches, God gives us seasons of plenty so that we can prepare for seasons of need (Prov. 12:11). And as Psalm 23 says, the Lord leads us through perilous places to pleasant pastures.

Another way that God provides is by instructing those with plenty to share with those in need (Deut. 24:19). So when it comes to provision, the message of the Bible is this: Work while we can, save what we can, share what we can, and trust God to meet our needs.

Thank You, Lord, for the promise that You will
meet our needs. Help us not to fear or doubt.
We’re grateful that You’re watching over us
and that our cries for help reach Your ear.

Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply.

Bible Reading

Public Praise by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. —Psalm 96:3 (Our Daily Bread)

----------------------------

Psalm 96

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 96

¹Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
²Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
³Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹²Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

----------------------------

Public Praise

October 7, 2013 — by Joe Stowell

from: http://odb.org/

I love the YouTube video of people in a food court of a mall, who in the midst of their ordinary lives were suddenly interrupted by someone who stood up and boldly began singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” To the surprise of everyone, another person got up and joined the chorus, and then another, and another. Soon the food court was resounding with the celebrative harmonies of Handel’s masterpiece. A local opera company had planted their singers in strategic places so that they could joyfully interject the glory of God into the everyday lives of lunching shoppers.

Every time I watch that video, it moves me to tears. It reminds me that bringing the glory of God into the ordinary situations of our world through the beautiful harmonies of Christlikeness is exactly what we are called to do. Think of intentionally interjecting God’s grace into a situation where some undeserving soul needs a second chance; of sharing the love of Christ with someone who is needy; of being the hands of Jesus that lift up a weary friend; or of bringing peace to a confusing and chaotic situation.

As the psalmist reminds us, we have the high and holy privilege of declaring “His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples” (Ps. 96:3).

Thank You, Lord, for filling us with the capacity to take
Your glory “public” through the way we act and react
toward others. Give us the grace to interject the surprising
beauty of Your wonderful ways into each encounter.

Surprise your world with the wonders of Christ shining through you!

Bible Reading

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Mark 10:17-27

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

Eyes Of Love

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Revelation 22:6-20

John and the Angel

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

The Last Chapter

Monday, October 28, 2013

Psalm 27

Psalm 27

Of David.

Wait On The Lord

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Job 37:14-24

God In The Storm

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Proverbs 4:14-27

Healthy Ingredients

Friday, October 25, 2013

Romans 5:6-11

Loving And Knowing

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Matthew 23:37-39

Barrier-Free Love

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

1 Peter 2:1-10

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

Coade Stone

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Psalm 8

Psalm 8[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] A psalm of David.

Dreams Of Childhood

Monday, October 14, 2013

Matthew 13:1-9

The Parable of the Sower

Seeds & Soils

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Isaiah 40:25-31

I’m Invisible

Friday, October 11, 2013

Romans 8:1-11

Life Through the Spirit

“Gorgeous Inside”

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Acts 1:1-9

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

Being A Witness

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

John 6:25-35

Jesus the Bread of Life

Life Without Bread

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Deuteronomy 24:19-22

God Provides, But How?

Monday, October 7, 2013

Psalm 96

Psalm 96

Public Praise

Psalm 8^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] A psalm of David.