Our Daily Bread Devotional

During World War II, US Navy medical corpsman Lynne Weston went ashore with the marines as they stormed enemy-held islands. Inevitably, there were gruesome casualties. He did his best to patch up wounded combatants for evacuation. On one occasion, his unit encountered an enemy soldier with a bad abdominal wound. Due to the nature of the injury, the man couldn’t be given water. To keep him alive, Petty Officer Weston administered intravenous plasma.

“Save that plasma for our fellas, Swabby!” bellowed one of the marines. Petty Officer Weston ignored him. He knew what Jesus would do: “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus did far more than speak those challenging words; He lived them. When a hostile mob seized Him and took Him to the high priest, “the men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him” (Luke 22:63). The abuse continued all the way through His sham trials and execution. Jesus didn’t merely endure it. When Roman soldiers crucified Him, He prayed for their forgiveness (23:34).

We may not encounter a literal enemy who’s trying to kill us. But everyone knows what it’s like to endure ridicule and scorn. Our natural reaction is to respond in anger. Jesus raised the bar: “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Today, let’s walk in that kind of love, showing kindness as Jesus did—even to our enemies.

“Get down!” my friend said firmly to her son after he climbed onto the church pew and waved his hands. “I want the pastor to see me,” he innocently replied. “If I don’t stand up, he won’t see me.”

While standing on the pews is probably not encouraged in most churches, my friend’s son had a good point. Standing and waving his hands was certainly one way to be seen and to capture the pastor’s attention.

When we’re trying to get God’s attention, we don’t have to worry about being seen by Him. God sees each of us all the time. He’s the same one who revealed Himself to Hagar when she was probably at the lowest, loneliest, and most frustrating time in her life. She’d been used as a pawn and given to Abram by his wife, Sarai, to produce a son (Genesis 16:3). And when she did get pregnant, Abram allowed his wife to mistreat Hagar: “Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her” (v. 6).

The runaway slave found herself alone, pregnant, and miserable. Yet in the midst of her desperation in the wilderness, God compassionately sent an angel to speak to her. The angel told her that God had “heard of [her] misery” (v. 11). She responded by saying, “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13).

What a realization—especially in the midst of the wilderness. God saw Hagar and had compassion. And no matter how tough things are, He sees you.

When Krystal first started work at a Virginia coffee shop, she served a customer named Ibby. Because Ibby is hearing impaired, he placed his order using a typed note on his phone. After Krystal learned Ibby was a regular customer, she determined to serve him better by learning enough American Sign Language so he could place his order without writing it down.

In a small way, Krystal showed Ibby the kind of love and service Peter encourages us all to offer one another. In his letter to believers in Jesus who’d been scattered and exiled, the apostle indicates that they ought to “love each other deeply” and use their gifts “to serve others” (1 Peter 4:8, 10). Whatever skills and abilities He’s equipped us with are gifts we can use to benefit others. As we do, our words and actions can bring honor to God.  

Peter’s words were especially important to those he wrote to, for they were experiencing a season of pain and isolation. He encouraged them to serve one another during the time of distress to help them bear up under their trials. Though we may not know the specific pain another person experiences, God can help us to show empathy as well as graciously and cheerfully serve one another with our words, resources, and abilities. May God help us serve others as a reflection of His love.

Mag had been looking forward to her planned trip to another country. But, as was her usual practice, she prayed about it first. “It’s just a holiday,” a friend remarked. “Why do you need to consult God?” Mag, however, believed in committing everything to Him. This time, she felt Him prompting her to cancel the trip. She did, and later—when she would have been there—an epidemic broke out in the country. “I feel like God was protecting me,” she notes.

Noah too relied on God’s protection as he and his family waited in the ark for nearly two months after the flood subsided. After being cooped up for more than ten months, he must have been eager to get out. After all, “the water had dried up from the earth” and “the ground was dry” (Genesis 8:13). But Noah didn’t just rely on what he saw; instead, he left the ark only when God told him to (vv.15-19). He trusted that God had good reason for the extended wait—perhaps the ground wasn’t completely safe yet.

As we pray about the decisions in our life, using our God-given faculties and waiting for His leading, we can trust in His timing, knowing that our wise Creator knows what’s best for us. As the psalmist declared, “I trust in you, Lord. . . . My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15).

Four of our grandkids were playing with a miniature train set, and the younger two were arguing over an engine. When our eight-year-old grandson began to intervene, his six-year-old sister stated, “Don’t worry about their business.” Wise words for us all—usually. But when the argument turned to tears, Grandma stepped in, separated, and comforted the squabbling children.

It’s good to stay out of others’ business when doing so could make matters worse. But sometimes we need to prayerfully get involved. In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul provides an example of when to do so. Here he urges two women, Euodia and Syntyche, “to be of the same mind in the Lord” (4:2). Apparently, their disagreement had become so intense that the apostle felt compelled to intervene (v. 3), even though he was imprisoned (1:7).

Paul knew the women’s argument was causing disunity and taking focus away from the gospel. So, he gently spoke the truth while reminding them that their names were written “in the book of life” (4:3). Paul wanted these women and everyone in the church to live as God’s people in thought and actions (vv. 4-9).  

When you’re unsure if you should get involved, pray, trusting that “the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9; see v. 7).

Cinematography? Well done. Soundtrack? Reflective and calming. Content? Intriguing and relatable. The video presented a study in which Redwood trees were injected with a substance similar to adrenaline to keep them from going dormant. The injected trees died because they weren’t allowed the natural cycle of “wintering.”

The video’s message was that this can happen to us as well if we’re always busy with no seasons of rest. And that can be true. But the video was inaccurate. There never was such a study. Redwoods are evergreens and never go dormant. And the trees in the video were giant Sequoias not coastal Redwoods. As thoughtful as the video seemed to be, it was based on falsehoods.

We find ourselves living in an age where, due to our technologies, lies are magnified and multiplied to the limits of convincing us they’re true. The book of Proverbs, that compendium of godly wisdom, speaks often of the stark difference between truth and lies. “Truthful lips endure forever,” says the proverb, “but a lying tongue lasts only a moment” (12:19). And the very next adage tells us, “Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy” (v. 20).

Honesty applies to everything from God’s commands to videos about wintering. The truth “endures forever.”

The nearly 107,000 people in the stadium stood in anticipation as Texas A&M college football kicker Seth Small took the field with only two seconds left in the game. With A&M tied 38-38 against the best team in the country—a perennial football powerhouse—a successful field goal would seal an epic upset victory. Looking calm, Small lined up to take the kick. The stadium erupted in pandemonium after the ball sailed through the uprights for the winning score.

When questioned by reporters how he prepared for such an intense moment, Small said he kept repeating to himself the first verse of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” When Small needed strength and reassurance, he drew on the deeply personal metaphor of God as a shepherd.

Psalm 23 is a beloved psalm because it assures us that we can be at peace, or comforted, because we have a loving and trustworthy shepherd who actively cares for us. David testified both to the reality of fear in intense or difficult situations as well as the comfort God provides (v. 4). The word translated “comfort” conveys assurance, or the confidence and courage to keep going because of His guiding presence.

When walking into challenging circumstances—not knowing what the outcome will be—we can take courage as we repeat the gentle reminder that the Good Shepherd walks with us.

As the daughter of two loving and hard-working parents from Central and South America, I’m grateful they had the courage to be the first in their families to immigrate to the United States for better opportunities. They met as young adults in New York City, married, had my sister and me, and went on to run their respective businesses.

As a native New Yorker, I’ve grown up embracing my Hispanic heritage and have been fascinated with people of diverse backgrounds. For instance, I once shared my story of faith at an evening service at a multicultural church that meets in a former Broadway theater. Speaking to a multicultural group about God’s love is only a glimpse of what heaven will be like when we see people from different nations come together as the body of Christ.

In Revelation, the apostle John gives us this amazing picture of heaven: “Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). God our Savior will receive the “praise and glory” and so much more He’s worthy of “for ever and ever” (v. 12).

Now we have just a glimpse of what heaven will be like. But one day, we who believe in Jesus will be united with Him and with people from different countries, cultures, and languages. Since God loves the nations, let’s also love our global family in Christ.

My six-foot-three son, Xavier, lifted his giggling toddler, Xarian, into the air with ease. He wrapped his large hand around his son’s tiny feet, securing them firmly in his palm. Stretching out his long arm, he encouraged his son to balance on his own but kept his free hand at the ready to catch him if necessary. Xarian straightened his legs and stood. With his smile wide and his arms resting at his side, his eyes locked on his father’s gaze.

The prophet Isaiah declared the benefits of focusing on our heavenly Father: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3). He encouraged God’s people to be committed to seeking Him in the Scriptures and connected with Him through prayer and worship. Those faithful ones would experience a confident trust built through their established fellowship with the Father.

As God’s beloved children, we can cry out with boldness: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (v. 4). Why? Because our Father in heaven is trustworthy. He and the Scriptures never change.

As we keep our eyes fixed on our heavenly Father, He will keep our feet planted firmly in His hands. We can count on Him to continue being loving, faithful, and good forever!

Brad moved to a new city and quickly found a church where he could worship. He went to services for a few weeks, and then one Sunday he talked to the pastor afterward about his desire to serve in any way needed. He said, “I just want to ‘reach for the broom.’ ” He started by helping set up chairs for the services and cleaning the restrooms. The church family found out later that Brad’s giftedness was in teaching, but he was willing to do anything.

Jesus taught two of His disciples, James and John, and their mother a lesson in servanthood. Their mother requested that her sons have a place of honor on each side of Christ when He came into His kingdom (Matthew 20:20-21). The other disciples heard about this and grew angry with them. Perhaps they wanted those positions for themselves? Jesus told them that exercising authority over others wasn’t the way to live (vv. 25-26), but instead serving was most important. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (v. 26).

Brad’s words “reach for the broom” are a practical picture for what each of us can do in our communities and churches to serve Christ. Brad described his life’s passion for God in this way: “I want to serve for the glory of God, for the good of the world, and for my own joy.” How will you and I “reach for the broom” as God leads us?