Thursday, June 26, 2014

Roadside Assistance by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. —Psalm 46:1 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

¹God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
⁶Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields^[d] with fire.
¹⁰He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Roadside Assistance

By Joe Stowell

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

An acquaintance of mine was hunting with friends near Balmoral, the country estate of the queen of England. As they walked, he twisted his ankle so badly that he couldn’t go on, so he told his friends to continue and he would wait by the side of the road.

As he sat there, a car came down the road, slowed, and stopped. The woman driving rolled the window down and asked if he was okay. He explained and said he was waiting for his friends to return. She said, “Get in; I’ll take you back to where you are staying.” He limped to the car and opened the door only to realize that it was Queen Elizabeth!

As shocking as receiving help from the queen of England may be, we have an offer of help that is even more astounding. The Creator-God of the universe descends into our world, sees our trouble, and offers to marshal His resources to help us. As the psalmist confidently affirms, “God is . . . a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). Our Savior helps by giving us grace to endure, His Word to sustain us, friends to encourage and pray for us, and the confidence that He will ultimately work it all together for our spiritual good.

Next time you feel stranded along life’s road, look for your Helper.

Lord, I’m thankful that when I experience trouble
You are waiting and wanting to help. Teach
me to look to You and to rest in Your kind and
loving care until You deliver me safely home.

Rejoice! Your God is a helping King!

Bible Reading

The Day My Dad Met Jesus by Randy Kilgore (Our Daily Bread)

I obtained mercy . . . as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. —1 Timothy 1:16 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Timothy 1:15-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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The Day My Dad Met Jesus

By Randy Kilgore

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

My grandfather, my father, and his brothers were all tough men who, understandably, didn’t appreciate people who “got up in their faces about faith.” When my father, Howard, was diagnosed with a rapid and deadly cancer, I was so concerned that I took every opportunity to talk to him about Jesus’ love. Inevitably he would end the discussion with a polite but firm: “I know what I need to know.”

I promised not to raise the issue again and gave him a set of cards that shared the forgiveness God offers, which he could read when he wanted. I entrusted Dad to God and prayed. A friend also asked God to keep my dad alive long enough to know Jesus.

One afternoon the call came telling me Dad was gone. When my brother met me at the airport, he said, “Dad told me to tell you he asked Jesus to forgive his sin.” “When?” “The morning he passed,” Mark replied. God had shown him “mercy” as He had shown us (1 Tim. 1:16).

Sometimes we talk about the gospel, other times we share our story, still other times we just show a silent Christlike example, and always we pray. We know that salvation is ultimately a work of God and not something we can do for another. God is a gracious God, and no matter what the outcome of our prayers, He can be trusted.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—
Calling for you and for me;
Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—
Watching for you and for me! —Thompson

We plant and water, but God gives the increase.

Bible Reading

World's Fastest Walkers by Poh Fang Chia (Our Daily Bread)

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. —Luke 10:39 (Our Daily Bread)

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Luke 10:38-42

New International Version (NIV)

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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World’s Fastest Walkers

By Poh Fang Chia

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

According to a study measuring the pace of life of cities in 32 countries, people in the biggest hurry live here in Singapore. We walk 60 feet in 10:55 seconds, compared to 12:00 seconds for New Yorkers and 31:60 seconds for those living in the African city of Blantyre, Malawi.

But regardless of where you live, the study shows that walking speeds have increased by an average of 10 percent in the past 20 years. And if walking speed is any indicator for the pace of life, we are certainly much busier than before.

Are you caught up in the frenzy of a busy life? Pause and consider Jesus’ words to Martha: “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

Notice Jesus’ gentle words. He didn’t rebuke Martha for wanting to be a good host but rather reminded her about her priorities. Martha had allowed the necessary to get out of proportion. And, in the process, she was so busy doing good that she didn’t take time to sit at Jesus’ feet.

In our drive to be productive for the Lord, let’s remember the one thing worth being concerned about—enjoying time with our Savior.

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

Bible Reading

Forgotten Memories by Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. —Psalm 103:2 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 103:1-8

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
²Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

New International Version (NIV)

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Forgotten Memories

By Bill Crowder

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

Recently, a friend from my youth emailed me a picture of our junior high track team. The grainy black-and-white snapshot showed a vaguely familiar group of teens with our two coaches. I was instantly swept back in time to happy memories of running the mile and the half-mile in track meets. Yet even as I enjoyed remembering those days, I found myself thinking about how easily I had forgotten them and moved on to other things.

As we make our way on the journey of life, it is easy to forget places, people, and events that have been important to us along the way. Time passes, yesterday fades, and we become obsessed with the concerns of the moment. When this happens, we can also forget just how good God has been to us. Perhaps that is why David remembered as he wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Ps. 103:1-2).

Never is this remembrance more needed than when the heartaches of life crowd in on us. When we are feeling overwhelmed and forgotten, it’s important to recall all that He has done for us. In remembering, we find the encouragement to trust Him in the present and for the future.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. —Oatman

Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past strengthens us for the future.

Bible Reading

The Light of the Lamb by Dennis Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. —Revelation 21:23 (Our Daily Bread)

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Revelation 21:14-27

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
¹⁵The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia^[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits^[b] thick.^[c] ¹⁸The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^[d] ²¹The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
²²I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ²⁶The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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The Light Of The Lamb

By Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

For countless generations people have looked to the sun and moon to light the day and the night. Whether illuminating our path or providing the life-giving radiance for fruitful crops and the nutrients our bodies need, the sun and moon are part of God’s marvelous provision of light. The book of Genesis tells us that God gave “the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16).

But someday God will provide a different kind of illumination. Of the eternal heavenly city, John writes: “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Rev. 21:23). Interestingly, the word translated “light” here is more accurately rendered lamp. Christ in His glorified state will be the spiritual lamp that lights up that joyous new world.

The Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He is also the source of spiritual illumination that makes those who follow Him “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). But in eternity He will be the Lamp that lights our way (Rev. 21:23). What a thrill it will be one day to live in the light of the Lamb!

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide—
The light of the world is Jesus;
We walk in the light when we follow our Guide—
The light of the world is Jesus. —Bliss

The Light of the world knows no power failure.

Bible Reading

The World's Children by Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread)

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. —James 1:27 (Our Daily Bread)

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James 1:22-2:1

New International Version (NIV)

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
²⁶Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.

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The World’s Children

By Dave Branon

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

After a group of high schoolers visited an orphanage during a ministry trip, one student was visibly upset. When asked why, he said it reminded him of his own situation 10 years earlier.

This young man had been living in an orphanage in another country. He said he recalled people coming to visit him and his friends—just as these students were doing—and then going away. Occasionally someone would come back and adopt a child. But each time he was left behind he would wonder, What’s wrong with me?

When the teenagers would visit an orphanage—and then leave—those old feelings came back to him. So the others in the group prayed for him—and thanked God that one day a woman (his new mother) showed up and chose him as her very own son. It was a celebration of an act of love that gave one boy hope.

Across the world are children who need to know of God’s love for them (Matt. 18:4-5; Mark 10:13-16; James 1:27). Clearly, we can’t all adopt or visit these children—and indeed we are not expected to. But we can all do something: Support. Encourage. Teach. Pray. When we love the world’s children, we honor our Father who adopted us into His family (Gal. 4:4-7).

Father, You made each child in Your
image. Help us to convey Your love
to them with our hands, our help,
and our hearts.

The more Christ’s love grows in us, the more His love flows from us.

Bible Reading

We're Safe by Marvin Williams (Our Daily Bread)

[God] has begotten us . . . to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. —1 Peter 1:3-4 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Peter 1:3-5

New International Version (NIV)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

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We’re Safe

By Marvin Williams

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

The United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, is a fortified building that stores 5,000 tons of gold bullion and other precious items entrusted to the federal government. Fort Knox is protected by a 22-ton door and layers of physical security: alarms, video cameras, minefields, barbed razor wire, electric fences, armed guards, and unmarked Apache helicopters. Based on the level of security, Fort Knox is considered one of the safest places on earth.

As safe as Fort Knox is, there’s another place that’s safer, and it’s filled with something more precious than gold: Heaven holds our gift of eternal life. The apostle Peter encouraged believers in Christ to praise God because we have “a living hope”—a confident expectation that grows and gains strength the more we learn about Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). And our hope is based on the resurrected Christ. His gift of eternal life will never come to ruin as a result of hostile forces. It will never lose its glory or freshness, because God has been keeping and will continue to keep it safe in heaven. No matter what harm may come to us in our life on earth, God is guarding our souls. Our inheritance is safe.

Like a safe within a safe, our salvation is protected by God and we’re secure.

For Further Thought
What about your salvation brings you the
greatest joy? How does it make you feel knowing
that your salvation is kept safe with God?

An inheritance in heaven is the safest possible place.

Bible Reading

Keep Calm and Carry On by Jennifer Benson Schuldt (Our Daily Bread)

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. —Ezra 5:11 (Our Daily Bread)

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Ezra 5:7-17

New International Version (NIV)

⁷The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

⁸The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

⁹We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” ¹⁰We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
¹¹This is the answer they gave us:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. ¹²But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

¹³“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. ¹⁴He even removed from the temple^[a] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple^[b] in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, ¹⁵and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
¹⁶“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

¹⁷Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

New International Version (NIV)

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Keep Calm And Carry On

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

Keep calm and call mom.” “Keep calm and eat bacon.” “Keep calm and put the kettle on.” These sayings originate from the phrase: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” This message first appeared in Great Britain as World War II began in 1939. British officials printed it on posters designed to offset panic and discouragement during the war.

Having returned to the land of Israel after a time of captivity, the Israelites had to overcome their own fear and enemy interference as they began to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:3). Once they finished the foundation, their opponents “hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose” (4:5). Israel’s enemies also wrote accusing letters to government officials and successfully delayed the project (vv.6,24). Despite this, King Darius eventually issued a decree that allowed them to complete the temple (6:12-14).

When we are engaged in God’s work and we encounter setbacks, we can calmly carry on because, like the Israelites, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth” (5:11). Obstacles and delays may discourage us, but we can rest in Jesus’ promise: “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matt. 16:18 nlt). It is God’s power that enables His work, not our own.

Thou art our life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive.
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour. —Psalter

God’s Spirit gives the power to our witness.

Bible Reading

An Honest Heart by David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread)

I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. —1 Chronicles 29:17 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?

²The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
³whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
⁴who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
⁵who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.

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An Honest Heart

By David H. Roper

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

I came across an epitaph on an old gravestone in a cemetery the other day. It read, “J. Holgate: An honest man.”

I know nothing of Holgate’s life, but because his marker is unusually ornate, he must have struck it rich. But whatever he accomplished in his lifetime, he’s remembered for just one thing: He was “an honest man.”

Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, spent a lifetime in search of honesty and finally concluded that an honest man could not be found. Honest people are hard to find in any age, but the trait is one that greatly matters. Honesty is not the best policy; it’s the only policy, and one of the marks of a man or woman who lives in God’s presence. David writes, “Lord, . . . who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly” (Ps. 15:1-2).

I ask myself: Am I trustworthy and honorable in all my affairs? Do my words ring true? Do I speak the truth in love or do I fudge and fade the facts now and then, or exaggerate for emphasis? If so, I may turn to God with complete confidence and ask for forgiveness and for a good and honest heart—to make truthfulness an integral part of my nature. The One who has begun a good work in me is faithful. He will do it.

Lord, help me to be honest
In all I do and say,
And grant me grace and power
To live for You each day. —Fitzhugh

Live in such a way that when people think of honesty and integrity, they will think of you.

Bible Reading

Crowns of Honor by Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)

The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head. —John 19:2 (Our Daily Bread)

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John 19:1-8

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ²The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

⁴Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
⁶As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
⁷The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
⁸When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,

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Crowns Of Honor

By Bill Crowder

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are stored securely and protected within the Tower of London under 24-hour guard. Each year, millions visit the display area to “ooh and aah” over these ornate treasures. The Crown Jewels symbolize the power of the kingdom, as well as the prestige and position of those who use them.

Part of the Crown Jewels are the crowns themselves. There are three different types: the coronation crown, which is worn when an individual is crowned monarch; the state crown (or coronet), which is worn for various functions; and the consort crown worn by the wife of a reigning king. Different crowns serve different purposes.

The King of heaven, who was worthy of the greatest crown and the highest honor, wore a very different crown. In the hours of humiliation and suffering that Christ experienced before He was crucified, “the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe” (John 19:2). That day, the crown, which is normally a symbol of royalty and honor, was turned into a tool of mockery and hate. Yet our Savior willingly wore that crown for us, bearing our sin and shame.

The One who deserved the best of all crowns took the worst for us.

Crown Him the Lord of life:
Who triumphed o’er the grave;
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save. —Bridges/Thring

Without the cross, there could be no crown.

Bible Reading

D-Day by Davide C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread)

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15 (Our Daily Bread)

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Joshua 24:2

New International Version (NIV)

²Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

Joshua 24:13-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹³So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’
¹⁴“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
¹⁶Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! ¹⁷It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. ¹⁸And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

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D-Day

By David C. McCasland

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

Recently I asked my older sister, Mary Ann, if she remembered when our family moved into the house where we lived for many years. She replied, “You were about 9 months old, and I remember that Mother and Daddy stayed up all night packing boxes and listening to the radio. It was June 6, 1944, and they were listening to live coverage of the Normandy Invasion.”

Today marks the 70th anniversary of what has become known as D-Day—a military term for the day on which a planned operation will begin. Over the years, D-Day has also come to mean a moment of decision or commitment in our personal lives.

At one point in ancient Israel, their leader Joshua, now an old man, challenged the people to another kind of D-Day. After years of struggle to possess their inheritance in the land God had promised them, Joshua urged them to faithfully serve the One who had been so faithful to them (Josh. 24). “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” he said. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (v.15).

The day we decide to follow the Savior is the greatest turning point in our life. And each day after, we can joyfully renew our commitment to serve Him.

Lord, what a privilege it is to say “yes” to You each
day. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me.
Guide me in all my choices today and
help me to serve You faithfully.

Life’s biggest decision is what you do with Jesus.

Bible Reading

Room and Board by Dennis Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

I go to prepare a place for you. —John 14:2 (Our Daily Bread)

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John 14:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ²My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
⁶Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
⁸Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
⁹Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

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Room And Board

By Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

On a recent trip to England, my wife and I visited Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon. The house is more than 400 years old, and it was the childhood and family home of William Shakespeare’s wife.

The tour guide drew our attention to a table made with wide boards. One side was used for eating meals and the other for chopping food. In English life, different expressions grew from this usage as the word board became associated with food, housing, honesty, and authority. An inn would offer “room and board”—that is, sleeping and eating accommodations. In taverns where customers played cards, they were told to keep their hands “above board” to make sure they weren’t cheating. And in the home, the father was given a special chair at the head of the table where he was called “chairman of the board.”

As I reflected on this, I thought about how Jesus is our “room and board.” He is our source of spiritual nourishment (John 6:35,54); He empowers us to live a life of integrity (14:21); He is our loving Master (Phil. 2:11); and He is even now preparing our eternal home. He promised: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2; see also 14:1-4,23). His grace has provided our everlasting room and board.

Christ meets our needs now and for eternity.

Bible Reading

The View From The End by Jennifer Benson Schuldt (Our Daily Bread)

All things work together for good to those who love God. —Romans 8:28 (Our Daily Bread)

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Deuteronomy 8:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Forget the Lord

8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. ²Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:11-16

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. ¹²Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. ¹⁶He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

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The View From The End

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

from: http://odb.org/

Over the course of one year, Richard LeMieux’s lucrative publishing business collapsed. Soon, his wealth disappeared, and he became depressed. Eventually, LeMieux began to abuse alcohol and his family deserted him. At the lowest point in his life, he was homeless, broken, and destitute. However, it was during this time that he turned to God. He later wrote a book about what he learned.

The Israelites learned some valuable spiritual lessons when God allowed them to endure homelessness, uncertainty, and danger. Their hardships humbled them (Deut. 8:1-18).

They learned that God would provide for their needs. When they were hungry, He gave them manna. When they were thirsty, He gave them water from a rock. God taught them that, despite difficult times, He could bless them (v.1). Finally, the Israelites learned that adversity is not a sign of abandonment. Moses reminded them that God had been leading throughout their 40 years in the wilderness (v.2).

When we encounter desperate times, we can look for the spiritual lessons embedded in our difficulties—lessons that can help us rely on the One who causes all things to work together for our good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28).

Dear God, please give me the faith
to believe that You can bring good out of
any situation. Help me to see what You
want to show me during adversity.

The clearest view of everything that happens comes from heaven.

Bible Reading

The Careful Walk by Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread)

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. —Ephesians 5:15 (Our Daily Bread)

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Ephesians 5:1-17

New International Version (NIV)

5 ¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^[a] ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.
⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

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The Careful Walk

By Dave Branon

from: http://odb.org/?tz=08

One of my favorite places to visit in Jamaica is Ocho Rios, home of Dunn’s River Falls—a spectacle that never ceases to amaze. Water cascades down a long series of rocks as it makes its way to the Caribbean Sea. Adventurers can climb the falls, scrambling over rounded rocks on an invigorating trek to the top. The flowing water, the potentially slippery surface, and the steep angles make the going slow and a bit treacherous.

To make it safely to the top, climbers must watch every step. If a person is not careful, he or she could fall on the journey. The keys to a successful climb are concentration and caution.

I can’t think of a better picture of what Paul is saying in Ephesians 5:15 when he says, “walk circumspectly.” We should “be very careful . . . how [we] live” (niv). Clearly, with all of life’s possible dangers coming our way as we climb through life, it is vital that we take each step with Jesus wisely and cautiously. A fool, the passage says, lives carelessly; a wise person watches each step so he does not stumble or fall.

Our goal of being “imitators of God” (v.1) is met, Paul says, as we walk carefully in love (vv.2,15). Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can walk in a way that honors God.

Consistency! How much we need
To walk a measured pace,
To live the life of which we speak,
Until we see Christ’s face. —Anon.

As we trust God to rule our hearts our feet can walk His way.

Bible Reading

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Psalm 46[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.

Roadside Assistance

Sunday, June 22, 2014

1 Timothy 1:15-17

The Day My Dad Met Jesus

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

World’s Fastest Walkers

Friday, June 20, 2014

Psalm 103:1-8

Psalm 103

Of David.

Forgotten Memories

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Revelation 21:14-27

The Light Of The Lamb

Monday, June 16, 2014

James 1:22-2:1

Favoritism Forbidden

The World’s Children

Friday, June 13, 2014

1 Peter 1:3-5

Praise to God for a Living Hope

We’re Safe

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ezra 5:7-17

Keep Calm And Carry On

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

An Honest Heart

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

John 19:1-8

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

Crowns Of Honor

Friday, June 6, 2014

Joshua 24:2

Joshua 24:13-18

D-Day

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

John 14:1-11

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

Jesus the Way to the Father

Room And Board

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Deuteronomy 8:1-3

Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:11-16

The View From The End

Monday, June 2, 2014

Ephesians 5:1-17

The Careful Walk

Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.