October 2024 - Page 3 of 4 - Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada

Pray Always

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I got an 84 on the test!

I felt my teen’s excitement as I read her message on my phone. She’d just started attending classes at a high school and was using her phone during lunch. My mama heart leaped, not just because my daughter had done well on a challenging test, but because she was choosing to communicate it to me. She wanted to share her good news with me!

Realizing that her text had made my day, I later thought about how God must feel when I reach out to Him. Is He as pleased when I talk to Him? Prayer is how we communicate with God and something we’re told to do “continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Talking with Him reminds us that He’s with us through the good and the bad. Sharing our news with God, even though He already knows all about us, is helpful as it shifts our focus and helps us think about Him. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast [fixed on you], because they trust in you.” We have peace awaiting us when we turn our attention to God.

Regardless of what we face, may we continually speak with God and keep in touch with our Creator and Savior. Whisper a prayer and remember to rejoice and “give thanks.” After all, Paul says, this is “God’s will” for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

What do you need to share with God? How can you remember to keep in touch with Him throughout your day?

Gracious God, please remind me to stay in touch with You throughout my day. I want to rejoice and give You thanks in all I face.

For further study, read God’s Invitation into Wholeness.

INSIGHT

How is it possible to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Theologian J. B. Lightfoot wrote, “It is not in the moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God that the essence of prayer consists.” That is, prayer isn’t just times set apart to speak to God; it’s continually lifting up all that’s in our hearts to Him as we go about our daily lives. Sometimes that will take the form of words, but often it will be a wordless reaching out to Him. It’s possible to “pray continually” because Christ’s Spirit unites our hearts to God’s, continually assuring us of His love for us as His children (Romans 8:16).

Find out how you can overcome obstacles to praying continuously with James Banks.

By Katara Patton|2024-10-11T02:33:11-04:00October 11th, 2024|

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Love beyond Boundaries

Read: Psalm 103:8-17 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

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So great is his love for those who fear him. Psalm 103:11

“God has been so good to us! I want to thank Him for our anniversary.” Terry’s voice was steady, and the tears in her eyes showed her sincerity. Those in our small group were deeply moved. We knew what past years had held for Terry and her husband. Though a believer, Robert suffered from the sudden onset of severe mental illness and had taken the life of their four-year-old daughter. He would be institutionalized for decades, but Terry visited him, and God did a beautiful healing work, helping her forgive. Despite profound heartache, their love for each other grew.

Love and forgiveness like that could only come from one source. David writes about God this way, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve . . . . As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:10, 12).

The mercy God shows us comes through His expansive love: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love” for us (v. 11). Love so profound compelled Him to go to the depths of the cross and grave to take away our sins so that He could bring all who “receive him” (John 1:12) home to Himself.

Terry was right. “God has been so good to us!” His love and forgiveness reach beyond unthinkable boundaries and offer us life that never ends.

How has God shown you mercy for wrong things you’ve done? How can you respond to His mercy and love today?

Merciful God, please help me to revel in Your love and to grow in it. Love through me, that others may know Your perfect love too!

INSIGHT

God’s people have a propensity to be forgetful and unfaithful (see Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:11; Jeremiah 3:21-22). Psalm 103 reminds us not to forget God but to remember what He’s done. To ensure that we “forget not all his benefits” (v. 2), the psalmist lists the things God’s done to show His great love for us (vv. 3-19). He calls us to reaffirm who God is and to remember who we are (vv. 8-19). God is compassionate, slow to anger, loving, forgiving, and gracious and “does not punish us for all our sins . . . [or] deal harshly with us, as we deserve” (v. 10 nlt). He’s forgiven all our sins completely for all time (vv. 11-12). The metaphors of withering grass and fading flowers (vv. 15-16) remind us of our mortality and frailty in contrast to God’s eternality and sovereignty (vv. 17-22).

By James Banks|2024-10-10T02:33:23-04:00October 10th, 2024|

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Lessons in Patience

Read: James 1:2-12 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

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Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Bob Salem holds the speed record for pushing a peanut up Pike’s Peak with his nose—or rather, with a spoon attached to his face. He accomplished the feat in seven days, working at night to avoid interruption from tourists. Bob is the fourth person to complete this stunt, which means three other very patient people have done it.

We might say their need for patience was self-inflicted, but so often in life that isn’t the case. We need patience. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and an essential virtue for becoming “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). Patient people keep their heads when everyone around is in full panic. They’d like the situation to be different, but they don’t need it to be. They stay the course, trusting God for wisdom to act wisely (v. 5).

The problem with patience is there’s only one way to learn it. James says “the testing of your faith produces patience” (v. 3 nkjv). Such testing comes in ways big and small. I’m writing this from an airport. My 11:00 p.m. flight was delayed until 2:00 a.m., then canceled. After a night without sleep, I’m chugging coffee and hoping to make it home sometime. I don’t like wasting an entire, drowsy day in an airport, but my loving Father is teaching me patience.

I pray my lesson is finished for the day, but who knows? Time to check the standby list for the next flight.

How can you develop patience? Why is this virtue so important?

Father, please help me learn patience as I hold on to You and Your promises.

INSIGHT

The words perseverance (hypomonē, James 1:3-4) and perseveres (hypomenō, v. 12) relate to a compound Greek word which means to “remain under.” What’s in view is “patient endurance,” “steadfastness,” “perseverance.” In A New Testament Wordbook, William Barclay notes that hypomonē is “one of the noblest of NT words. . . . It is the quality which keeps a man on his feet with his face to the wind.” Job exemplified this kind of steadfast endurance (see James 5:11). From another word group are similar words rendered “be patient” (makrothymeō) (vv. 7-8) or “patience” (makrothymia) (v. 10). Church father John Chrysostom (ad 347-407) noted that this word describes the person “who is fully able to revenge himself but refuses to do so.”

By Mike Wittmer|2024-10-09T02:33:24-04:00October 9th, 2024|

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Running for Jesus

Read: Titus 2:1-5 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

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The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, . . . they will still bear fruit in old age. Psalm 92:12-14

When people think about the 100-meter dash, current world-record holder Usain Bolt might come to mind. But we can’t forget about Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins. In 2021, Julia crossed the finish line before all other runners to win the 100-meter dash in the Louisiana Senior Games. Her time was a bit slower than Bolt’s 9.58 seconds—just over 60 seconds. But she was also 105 years old!

There’s a lot to like about a woman who’s still running sprints at her age. And there’s a lot to like about believers in Jesus who never stop running the race with Him as their goal (Hebrews 12:1-2). The psalmist says this about the faithful in the later stages of life: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, . . . they will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (92:12-14).

Older believers who follow this kind of standard can find further instruction in the apostle Paul’s letter to Titus. Seasoned men are to be “sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (Titus 2:2), and senior women are “to teach what is good” (v. 3).

There’s no call for older believers to stop running the race. Maybe not the way Julia does on the track, but in ways that honor God as He provides the strength they need. Let’s all run the race to serve Him and others well.

What are some things you can do to reach others for Christ and help them grow in faith? How can you encourage other believers to serve as they can?

Dear Jesus, thank You for every day you give me. No matter my age, help me to strive to run the race for Your honor.

INSIGHT

Paul had left Titus in Crete so that he “might put in order what was left unfinished” as the church took root there (Titus 1:5). He begins chapter 2 of his letter to Titus with “You” (v. 1), which signals a shift from the “rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception” he’d mentioned in chapter 1 (v. 10). Of such people, he writes, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (v. 16). Chapter 2 instructs Titus on how to guide the true believers. Significantly, “self-controlled” is a recurrent theme throughout the section (vv. 2, 5, 6, 12). As Paul says, “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (vv. 11-12). That’s great advice for us as well.

By dave branon|2024-10-08T02:33:26-04:00October 8th, 2024|

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Bibles in the Back Seat

Read: Zechariah 4:1-7 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

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“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

Andrew’s Volkswagen stopped, and the guards walked over. He prayed as he had many times in the past: “God, when You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, please make seeing eyes blind.” The guards searched the car, saying nothing about the Bibles in the luggage. Andrew crossed the border, taking his cargo to those who couldn’t own a Bible.

Andrew van der Bijl, or Brother Andrew, relied on God’s power for the seemingly impossible task God had called him to—taking the Scriptures to countries where Christianity was illegal. “I’m an ordinary guy,” he said, emphasizing his limited education and lack of funds. “What I did, anyone can do.” Today, his organization, Open Doors International, serves persecuted believers in Jesus worldwide.

When Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, faced the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the temple after the Jews returned from exile, he was discouraged. But God reminded him not to rely on human power or might, but on His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). He encouraged him through a vision given to the prophet Zechariah of lamps supplied with oil from nearby olive trees (vv. 2-3). Just as the lamps could burn because of the continual supply of oil, Zerubbabel and the Israelites could do God’s task by relying on His continuous supply of power.

As we rely on God, may we trust Him and do what He calls us to do.

How can you rely on God’s Spirit? How might the vision of the olive trees supplying the lamps with oil encourage you?

Holy Spirit, please help me to rely on You.

For further study, read Guided by the Spirit.

INSIGHT

God reminded Zerubbabel not to rely on his own strength during difficulty: “ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground’ ” (Zechariah 4:6-7). The term translated “Lord Almighty” (“Lord of hosts” [esv]; “Lord of Heaven’s Armies” [nlt]) is Yahweh Tseva’ot. It’s the combination of the covenant name for Israel’s God, Yahweh (Lord), and tseva’ot (almighty, hosts, armies). This divine name appears around three hundred times in the Old Testament. It’s God’s “heavenly title.” He’s the “Commander-in-Chief” of the universe. When we’re faced with challenges, we should rely on the one who controls and rules over all things rather than trust in our own personal resources. Thus, with David, we can say, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord [Yahweh] our God” (Psalm 20:7).

By Karen Huang|2024-10-07T02:33:26-04:00October 7th, 2024|

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God Sees Us

Read: Amos 7:10-17 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2

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The Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, “Go, prophesy.” Amos 7:15

There are fourteen billion trees in the state of Michigan, most of them quite ordinary by most standards. Yet the state hosts an annual “Big Tree Hunt,” a contest to identify those trees that are oldest and biggest, trees that can be honored as a living landmark. The contest elevates ordinary trees to another level: inside any forest could be an award-winner, just waiting to be noticed.

Unlike most people, God always notices the ordinary. He cares about the what and whom that others overlook. God sent a common man named Amos to Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam. Amos exhorted his people to turn from evil and seek justice but was ostracized and told to be quiet. “Get out, you seer!” they said with scorn. “Go back to the land of Judah . . . and do your prophesying there” (Amos 7:12). Amos responded, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’ ” (vv. 14-15).

God knew and noticed Amos when he was just a common shepherd, tending to flocks and trees. Hundreds of years later, Jesus noticed and called out the ordinary Nathanael (John 1:48) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:4-5) near the fig and sycamore trees. No matter how obscure we feel, He sees us, loves us, and uses us for His purposes.

Why is it sometimes difficult to believe that God sees you as an individual? How does His awareness communicate His love?

Dear God, thank You for loving me, even when I feel overlooked.

INSIGHT

Amos (760-750 bc) and Hosea (760-722 bc) were two of the twelve minor prophets sent to minister to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during its final forty years. Denying that he’s a professional prophet, Amos says he’s merely “a shepherd” and “took care of sycamore-fig trees” (Amos 7:14). A citizen of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Amos was sent as a missionary (vv. 12-13) to warn Israel of God’s judgment for her covenantal unfaithfulness (2:6-9:15). Amos is just a layman God used to deliver His message to His people.

By Karen Pimpo|2024-10-06T02:33:19-04:00October 6th, 2024|

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God Uses Our Stories

Read: Psalm 107:1-9 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

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Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107:2

I opened the memory box and pulled out a small, silver lapel pin, the exact size and shape of a ten-week unborn baby’s feet. Caressing the ten tiny toes, I remembered the loss of my first pregnancy and those who said I was “lucky” I wasn’t “that far along.” I grieved, knowing that my baby’s feet were as real as the heart that once beat inside my womb. I thanked God for freeing me from depression and using my story to comfort others who were grieving after losing a child. More than two decades after my miscarriage, my husband and I named the child we lost Kai, which in some languages means “rejoice.” Though I still ache from my loss, I thank God for healing my heart and using my story to help others.

The writer of Psalm 107 rejoiced in God’s established character and sang: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (v. 1). He urged “the redeemed of the Lord” to “tell their story” (v. 2), to “give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” (v. 8). He offered hope with a promise that God alone “satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (v. 9).

No one can escape grief or affliction, even those who’ve been redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We can, however, experience God’s mercy as He uses our stories to point others to His redeeming love.

How has God healed your heartbreaks? How has He used someone else’s story to comfort you?

Dear Jesus, thank You for healing me and using my story to point others to Your redeeming love.

INSIGHT

The Psalms are divided into five “books,” or sections. Psalm 107 is the first song in the fifth of those books. Verse 3 provides a clue as to when it was written—likely after the Jewish people had been exiled from their homeland. It refers to them as “those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south,” an indication that they’d been scattered among the nations. The psalm recounts Israel’s checkered past as it praises God for His frequent deliverance. Repeatedly they forgot God, which led to dire circumstances. Four times we hear the refrain, “Then they cried (out) to the Lord in their trouble,” and four times we read that He delivered “them from (out of) their distress” (vv. 6, 13, 19, 28). The psalm concludes, “Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord” (v. 43).

Discover how to get the most out of the book of Psalms.

By Xochitl Dixon|2024-10-05T02:33:19-04:00October 5th, 2024|

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A Christlike Response

Read: 1 Peter 2:21-25 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

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When they hurled their insults at [Jesus], he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:23

George was working on a construction job in the heat of the Carolina summer sun when someone living nearby walked into the yard where he was working. Clearly angry, the neighbor began to curse and criticize everything about the project and how it was being done. George received the verbal blows without response until the angry neighbor stopped yelling. Then he gently responded, “You’ve had a really hard day, haven’t you?” Suddenly, the angry neighbor’s face softened, his head dipped, and he said, “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you.” George’s kindness had defused the neighbor’s wrath.

There are times when we want to strike back. To give abuse for abuse and insult for insult. What George modeled instead was a kindness seen most perfectly in the way Jesus bore the consequences of our sins: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

All of us will face moments when we’re misunderstood, misrepresented, or attacked. We may want to respond in kind, but the heart of Jesus calls us to be kind, to pursue peace and display understanding. As He enables us today, perhaps God could use us to bless someone enduring a hard day.

What makes it so easy to strike back at others for their unkind words? How can you be more intentional about showing kindness to those who are unkind to you?

Caring Father, please help me to find in You the strength, grace, and wisdom to display the heart of Jesus.

INSIGHT

Writing to believers in Jesus suffering persecution and unjust treatment in a hostile and unbelieving world, Peter encouraged them to live godly and exemplary lives (1 Peter 2:12). He instructed them to submit to governments, respect everyone—including the king and even cruel masters—love fellow believers, reverently fear God, persevere in doing good, and patiently endure unfair treatment, which pleases God (vv. 13-20). They were to follow Christ’s example in enduring such suffering and unjust treatments (v. 21). His unjust suffering is at the heart of God’s salvation plan of substitutionary (or vicarious) atonement. The sinless Savior “ ‘himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross” (v. 24), “the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring [us] to God” (3:18). Jesus’ suffering served God’s purpose. We’re like sheep who’ve lost our way but because of His suffering, we “have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of [our] souls” (2:25).

By Bill Crowder|2024-10-04T02:33:14-04:00October 4th, 2024|

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Saying Yes by Faith

Read: Numbers 13:27-14:9 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33

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The Lord is with us. Numbers 14:9

When asked if I’d accept a new responsibility at work, I wanted to say no. I thought of the challenges and felt inadequate to handle them. But as I prayed and sought guidance from the Bible and other believers, I realized God was calling me to say yes. Through the Scriptures, I was also reassured of His help. So, I accepted the task, but still with some dread.

I see myself in the Israelites and the ten spies who recoiled from occupying Canaan (Numbers 13:27-29, 31-33; 14:1-4). They too saw the difficulties, wondering how they could defeat the powerful people in the land and subdue their fortified cities. “We seemed like grasshoppers,” the spies said (13:33), and the Israelites grumbled, “Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?” (14:3).

Only Caleb and Joshua remembered that God had already promised He’d give Canaan to His people (Genesis 17:8; Numbers 13:2). They drew confidence from His promise, seeing the difficulties ahead in the light of God’s presence and help. They’d face the difficulties with His power, protection, and resources, not their own (Numbers 14:6-9).

The task God gave me wasn’t easy—but He helped me through it. While we won’t always be spared difficulties in His assignments, we can—like Caleb and Joshua—face them knowing, “The Lord is with us” (v. 9).

When have you felt inadequate to do a task you knew God was asking you to do? How do Caleb and Joshua’s examples help?

Dear God, please help me to follow You wholeheartedly.

INSIGHT

The word picture used to describe the land promised to God’s covenant people is one that “[flows] with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27; 14:8). This attention-grabbing phrase that depicts richness and abundance first appears in Exodus 3:8, where it describes the land God has allotted to His people: “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” The word flowing is as significant to the phase as the other words. The same Hebrew word (zuv) is translated “gushed out” in Psalm 78:20 and 105:41. Such visual images of what God has promised helps to strengthen our faith.

By Karen Huang|2024-10-03T02:33:10-04:00October 3rd, 2024|

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Christ’s Character

Read: Galatians 5:13-26 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16

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The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

Following a challenging tour in Afghanistan, Scott, a sergeant in the British Army, fell apart. He remembered: “I was in a dark place.” But when he “discovered Jesus and began following Him,” his life changed radically. Now he seeks to share the love of Christ with others, especially veterans with whom he competes in the Invictus Games, an international event for wounded and injured members and veterans of the armed forces.

For Scott, reading the Bible, praying, and listening to worship music grounds him before going to the Games. God then helps him “to reflect the character of Jesus and show kindness, gentleness, and grace” to the fellow veterans competing there.

Scott names here some of the fruit of the Spirit that the apostle Paul wrote about to the believers in Galatia. They struggled under the influence of false teachers, so Paul sought to encourage them to stay true to God and His grace, being “led by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:18). By doing so, they would then produce the Spirit’s fruit—“love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23).

With God’s Spirit living within us, we too will burst forth with the Spirit’s goodness and love. We too will show gentleness and kindness to those who surround us.

How can God help you to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit? What practices can help you to stay in tune with Him?

Life-giving God, thank You for Your Spirit. Please produce within me fruit for others to enjoy.

Learn how to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.

INSIGHT

In Galatians, Paul warned against the teaching that gentile believers in Jesus needed to obey the law revealed to Moses. This was one of the most contentious issues in early communities of believers; it was difficult for many to fathom gentile believers not being required to adhere to the requirements of the law as inspired by God (such as circumcision; see Galatians 5:6). But Paul argued that the law had a temporary teaching role in God’s plan (3:23-25). It had no power to overcome sin. Christ frees and empowers believers to be “led by the Spirit” (5:18) in a life of love (vv. 22-25).

By Amy Boucher Pye|2024-10-02T02:33:25-04:00October 2nd, 2024|

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Pray Always

INSIGHT

Love beyond Boundaries

INSIGHT

Lessons in Patience

INSIGHT

Running for Jesus

INSIGHT

Bibles in the Back Seat

INSIGHT

God Sees Us

INSIGHT

God Uses Our Stories

INSIGHT

A Christlike Response

INSIGHT

Saying Yes by Faith

INSIGHT

Christ’s Character

INSIGHT

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