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OUR DAILY BREAD July 1, Thursday NOT RUSHING PRAYER Bible in a Year: Job 20–21   Acts 10:24–48 Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 46 Alice Kaholusuna recounts a story of how the Hawaiian people would sit outside their temples for a lengthy amount of time preparing themselves before entering in. Even after entering, they would creep to the altar to offer their prayers. Afterward, they would sit outside again for a long time to “breathe life” into their prayers. When missionaries came to the island, the Hawaiians sometimes considered their prayers odd. The missionaries would stand up, utter a few sentences, call them “prayer,” say amen, and be done with it. The Hawaiians described these prayers as “without breath.” Alice’s story speaks of how God’s people may not always take the opportunity to “be still, and know” ( Psalm 46:10 ). Make no mistake—God hears our prayers, whether they’re quick or slow. But often the pace of our lives mim...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 30, Wednesday THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT Bible in a Year: Job 17–19   Acts 10:1–23 I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Philippians 4:12 Today's Scripture & Insight: Philippians 4:10–13 When Joni Eareckson Tada returned home after suffering a swimming accident that left her a quadriplegic, her life was vastly different. Now doorways were too narrow for her wheelchair and sinks were too high. Someone had to feed her, until she decided to relearn how to feed herself. Lifting the special spoon to her mouth from her arm splint the first time, she felt humiliated as she smeared applesauce on her clothes. But she pressed on. As she says, “My secret was learning to lean on Jesus and say, ‘Oh God, help me with this!’ ” Today she manages a spoon very well. Joni says her confinement made her look at another captive—the apostle Paul, who was imprisoned in a Roman jail—and his letter to the Philippians. Joni strives for what Paul achiev...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 29, Tuesday YOUR LIFE’S PASSION Bible in a Year: Job 14–16   Acts 9:22–43 The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. . . . Flee from all this, and pursue righteousness. 1 Timothy 6:10–11 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6–12 One evening years ago, my wife and I were making our way down a mountain trail, accompanied by two friends. The trail was narrow and wound around a slope with a steep drop on one side and an unclimbable bank on the other. As we came around a bend, I saw a large bear moseying along, swinging his head from side to side, and quietly huffing. We were downwind, and he hadn’t detected our presence, but he would soon. Our friend began to rummage around in her jacket for a camera. “Oh, I must take a picture!” she said. I, being less comfortable with our odds, said, “No, we must get out of here.” So we backed up quietly until we were out of sight—and ran. That’s how we should feel about the dangerous passion to get rich. There’s n...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 28, Monday GOD’S PROTECTION Bible in a Year: Job 11–13   Acts 9:1–21 I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:7–8 Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 63 Needles, milk, mushrooms, elevators, births, bees, and bees in blenders—these are just a fraction of the many phobias attributed to Mr. Adrian Monk, detective and title character of the TV show  Monk.  But when he and longtime rival Harold Krenshaw find themselves locked in a car trunk, Monk has a breakthrough that allows him to cross off at least one fear from his list—claustrophobia. It’s while Monk and Harold are both panicking that the epiphany comes, abruptly interrupting Monk’s angst. “I think we’ve been looking at this the wrong way,” he tells Harold. “This trunk, these walls . . . they’re not closing in on us . . . they’re protecting us, really. They’re keeping the bad stuff out . . . germs, and snakes, and harmonicas.” Eyes widening, Harold s...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 27, Sunday LEGACY OF KINDNESS Bible in a Year: Job 8–10   Acts 8:26–40 All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Acts 9:39 Today's Scripture & Insight: Acts 9:36–42 Martha served as a teacher’s aide at an elementary school for over thirty years. Every year, she saved money to buy new coats, scarves, and gloves for students in need. After she lost her fight with leukemia, we held a celebration of life service. In lieu of flowers, people donated hundreds of brand-new winter coats to the students she loved and served for decades. Many people shared stories about the countless ways Martha encouraged others with kind words and thoughtful deeds. Her fellow teachers honored her memory with an annual coat drive for three years after her life ended on this side of eternity. Her legacy of kindness still inspires others to generously serve those in need. In  Acts 9 , th...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 26 HE HEARS US Bible in a Year: Job 5–7   Acts 8:1–25 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12 Today's Scripture & Insight: Jeremiah 29:10–14 United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt often endured long receiving lines at the White House. As the story is told, he complained that no one paid attention to what was said. So, he decided to experiment at a reception. To everyone who passed down the line and shook his hand, he said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with phrases like, “Marvelous! Keep up the good work. God bless you, Sir.” It wasn’t until the end of the line, greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming.” Do you ever wonder if people are really listening? Or worse, do you fear that God isn’t listening? We can tell if people are listening based on their responses or eye co...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 25, Friday CHILDREN OF GOD Bible in a Year: Job 3–4 Acts 7:44–60 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love. Ephesians 5:1–2 Today's Scripture & Insight: Ephesians 4:32–5:10 I once spoke at a secular conference for childless couples. Heartbroken over their infertility, many attendees despaired at their future. Having walked the childless path too, I tried to encourage them. “You can have a meaningful identity without becoming parents,” I said. “I believe you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and there’s new purpose for you to find.” A woman later approached me in tears. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ve felt worthless being childless and needed to hear that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made.” I asked the woman if she was a believer in Jesus. “I walked away from God years ago,” she said. “But I need a relationship with Him again.” Times like this remind me how profound the gospel is. Some identities, like “mother” and...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 24, Thursday SHARING YOUR FAITH Bible in a Year: Job 1–2 Acts 7:22–43 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Today's Scripture & Insight: 2 Corinthians 12:5–10 When author and evangelist Becky Pippert lived in Ireland, she longed to share the good news of Jesus with Heather, who’d done her nails for two years. But Heather hadn’t seemed remotely interested. Feeling unable to start a conversation, Becky prayed before her appointment. While Heather worked on her nails, Becky flipped through an old magazine and paused at a picture of one of the models. When Heather asked why she was so riveted, Becky told her the photograph was of a close friend who’d years before been a Vogue cover model. Becky shared some of her friend’s story of coming to faith in God, which Heather listened to with rapt attention. Becky left for a trip, and later when she returned to Ireland, she learned that Heather had moved to a new l...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 23, Wednesday IMAGINE THIS! Bible in a Year: Esther 9–10   Acts 7:1–21 I will create new heavens and a new earth. Isaiah 65:17 Today's Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 65:17–25 During the course of a popular home renovation television program, viewers often hear the host say, “Imagine this!” Then she unveils what could be when old things are restored and drab walls and floors are painted or stained. In one episode, after the renovation the homeowner was so overjoyed that, along with other expressions of elation, the words “That’s beautiful!” gushed from her lips three times. One of the stunning “Imagine this!” passages in the Bible is  Isaiah 65:17–25 . What a dazzling re-creation scene! The future renovation of heaven and earth is in view (v. 17), and it’s not merely cosmetic. It’s deep and real, life-altering and life-preserving. “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit” (v. 21). Violence will be a thing of ...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 22, Tuesday GOD IS THERE Bible in a Year: Esther 6–8   Acts 6 If God will be with me and watch over me . . . then the Lord will be my God. Genesis 28:20–21 Today's Scripture & Insight: Genesis 28:10–15, 20–22 Aubrey bought a fleece-lined coat for her aging father, but he died before he could wear it. So she tucked a note of encouragement with a $20 bill into the pocket and donated the jacket to charity. Ninety miles away, unable to endure his family’s dysfunction any longer, nineteen-year-old Kelly left his house without grabbing a coat. He knew of only one place to turn—the home of his grandmother who prayed for him. Hours later he stepped off a bus and into his grandma’s arms. Shielding him from the winter wind, she said, “We’ve got to get you a coat!” At the mission store, Kelly tried on a coat he liked. Slipping his hands into the pockets he found an envelope—with a $20 bill and Aubrey’s note. Jacob fled his dysfunctional family in fear for his life ( G...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 21, Monday HE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU Bible in a Year: Esther 3–5 Acts 5:22–42 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. Proverbs 21:31 Today's Scripture & Insight: Proverbs 21:21–31 The wounded horse was named Drummer Boy, one of 112 mounts carrying British soldiers into battle during the famed Charge of the Light Brigade. The animal showed such bravery and stamina that his assigned commander, Lieutenant Colonel de Salis, decided his horse deserved a medal as much as his valiant men. This was done even though their military action against enemy forces failed. Yet the cavalry’s valor, matched by the courage of their horses, established the clash as one of Britain’s greatest military moments, still celebrated today. The confrontation, however, shows the wisdom of an ancient Bible proverb: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31). Scripture affirms this principle clearly...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 20, Sunday SPENDING TIME WITH GOD Bible in a Year: Esther 1–2 Acts 5:1–21 Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 Today's Scripture & Insight: Luke 5:12–16 A River Runs Through It is Norman Maclean’s masterful story of two boys growing up in western Montana with their father, a Presbyterian minister. On Sunday mornings, Norman and his brother, Paul, went to church where they heard their father preach. Once Sunday evening rolled around, there was another service and their father would preach again. But between those two services, they were free to walk the hills and streams with him “while he unwound between services.” It was an intentional withdrawing on their father’s part to “restore his soul and be filled again to overflowing for the evening sermon.” Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is seen teaching multitudes on hillsides and cities, and healing the sick and diseased who were brought to Him. All this interaction was in line with the Son...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 19, Saturday BIGGER THAN OUR PROBLEMS Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 12–13 Acts 4:23–37 Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. Job 40:15 Today's Scripture & Insight: Job 40:15–24 What do you imagine dinosaurs looked like when they were alive? Big teeth? Scaly skin? Long tails? Artist Karen Carr recreates these extinct creatures in large murals. One of her panoramas is over twenty feet tall and sixty feet long. Because of its size, it required a crew of experts to install it in sections where it resides in the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. It would be hard to stand in front of this mural without feeling dwarfed by the dinosaurs. I get a similar sensation when I read God’s description of the powerful animal called “Behemoth” (Job 40:15). This big guy munched grass like an ox and had a tail the size of a tree trunk. His bones were like iron pipes. He lumbered through the hills grazing, stopping occasionally to relax at the local swamp. When ...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 18, Friday THE LIFE OF PEACE Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 10–11 Acts 4:1–22 The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 Today's Scripture & Insight: Galatians 5:16–25 In Perth, Australia, there’s a place called Shalom House where men struggling with addictions go to find help. At Shalom House, they’ll meet caring staff members who introduce them to God’s shalom (Hebrew for peace). Lives crushed under the weight of addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other destructive behaviors are being transformed by the love of God. Central to this transformation is the message of the cross. The broken people of Shalom House discover that through the resurrection of Jesus, they can find their own lives resurrected. In Christ, we gain true peace and healing. Peace isn’t merely the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of God’s wholeness. All of us need this shalom, and it’s only found in...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 17, Thursday THE WAY OF FAITH Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 7–9 Acts 3 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me.” Judges 7:2 Today's Scripture & Insight: Judges 7:1–8, 22 In a 2017 World Cup qualifying match that pitted the US against Trinidad and Tobago, the Soca Warriors shocked the world when they beat the US men’s national team, a team ranked considerably higher. The upset eliminated the US team from the 2018 World Cup. Trinidad and Tobago’s victory was so unexpected in part because the United States’ population and resources dwarfed those of the small Caribbean nation. But those seemingly insurmountable advantages weren’t enough to defeat the passionate Soca Warriors. The story of Gideon and the Midianites features a similar upset, one between a small group of fighters and a large army. The Israelite army actually had more than thirty-thousand fighters, but the Lord whittled...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 16, Wednesday THE JESUS CHAIR Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 4–6 Acts 2:22–47 If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. John 8:31 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 8:27–32 When my friend Marge met Tami at a Bible study meeting, she noticed that they seemed to have little in common. But Marge befriended her, and she learned a valuable lesson from her new friend. Tami had never been to a Bible study, and she was having a hard time understanding something the other women in the study talked about: that God communicated with them—something she’d never experienced. She so desired to hear from God that she took action. Later, she told Marge. “I set aside an old wooden chair, and every time I study my Bible, I ask Jesus to come sit in it.” Then Tami explained that whenever a verse stood out to her, she would write out the verse in chalk on the chair. It’s become her special “Jesus chair,” and she’s filled it up with God’s messages to her directly from th...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 15, Tuesday OUR FATHER’S CARE Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 1–3 Acts 2:1–21 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. Matthew 10:29 Today's Scripture & Insight: Matthew 10:16–20, 26–31 Thwack! I looked up and craned my ear toward the sound. Spotting a smudge on the windowpane, I peered out onto the deck and discovered the still-beating body of a bird. My heart hurt. I longed to help the fragile feathered being. In Matthew 10, Jesus described His Father’s care for sparrows in order to comfort the disciples as He warned of upcoming dangers. He offered instructions to the twelve as He “gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (v. 1). While the power to do such deeds might have seemed grand to the disciples, many would oppose them, including governing authorities, their own families, and the ensnaring grip of the evil one (vv. 16–28). Then in 10:29–31...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 14 THE POWER OF GOD Bible in a Year: Ezra 9–10 Acts 1 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 121 Rebecca and Russell’s doctors told them they couldn’t have children. But God had other ideas—and ten years later Rebecca conceived. The pregnancy was a healthy one; and when the contractions started, the couple excitedly rushed to the hospital. Yet the hours of labor grew long and more intense, and Rebecca’s body still wasn’t progressing enough for delivery. Finally, the doctor decided she needed to perform an emergency C-section. Fearful, Rebecca sobbed for her baby and herself. The doctor calmly assured her, saying, “I will do my best, but we’re going to pray to God because He can do more.” She prayed with Rebecca, and fifteen minutes later, Bruce, a healthy baby boy, was born. That doctor understood her dependence on God and His power. She recognized that although she had the training and ski...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 13, Sunday THE KINGDOM OF GOD Bible in a Year: Ezra 6–8   John 21 The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14 Today's Scripture & Insight: Mark 10:13–16 My mother has been committed to many things over the course of her life, but one that has remained constant is her desire to see little children introduced to Jesus. Of the few times I’ve witnessed my mother display disagreement publicly, all were when someone attempted to cut a children’s ministry budget in favor of what they felt were more “serious” expenditures. “I took off one summer when I was pregnant with your brother, but that’s it,” she told me. I did a little family math and I realized my mom had been working with children in the church for fifty-five years. Mark 10  records one of the endearing stories in the Gospels commonly titled “The Little Children and Jesus.” People were bringing children to Jesus that He might touch and bless them. But the disciples tried to prevent this f...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 12, Saturday HE KNOWS YOUR NAME Bible in a Year: Ezra 3–5   John 20 I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 Today's Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 43:1–7 After breaking with our longtime church, my husband and I reunited with the fellowship after three long years.  But how would people treat us? Would they welcome us back? Love us? Forgive us for leaving?  We got our answer on a sunny Sunday morning. As we walked through the big church doors, we kept hearing our names. “Pat! Dan! It’s so great to see you!” As children’s author Kate DiCamillo wrote in one of her popular books, “Reader, nothing is sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” The same assurance was true for the people of Israel. We had chosen a different church for a time, but they had turned their backs on God. Yet He welcomed them back. He sent the prophet Isaiah to assure them, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned y...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 11, Friday UNSEEN WONDER Bible in a Year: Ezra 1–2   John 19:23–42 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him. 1 Peter 1:8 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Peter 1:3–9 In the twilight of her years, Mrs. Goodrich’s thoughts came in and out of focus along with memories of a challenging and grace-filled life. Sitting by a window overlooking the waters of Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, she reached for her notepad. In words she soon wouldn’t recognize as her own she wrote: “Here I am in my favorite chair, with my feet on the sill, and my heart in the air. The sun-struck waves on the water below, in constant motion—to where I don’t know. But thank You—dear Father above—for Your innumerable gifts and Your undying love! It always amazes me—How can it be? That I’m so in love with One I can’t see.” The apostle Peter acknowledged such wonder. He had seen Jesus with his own eyes, but those who would read his let...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 10, Thursday WHO ARE YOU? Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 34–36   John 19:1–22 You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. Ezekiel 32:2 Today's Scripture & Insight: Ezekiel 32:2–10 The leader of our video conference said, “Good morning!” I said “Hello” back, but I wasn’t looking at him. I was distracted by my own image on the screen.  Do I look like this?  I looked at the smiling faces of the others on the call. That looks like them. So yes, this must be me.  I should lose some weight. And get a haircut . In his mind, Pharaoh was pretty great. He was “a lion among the nations . . . a monster in the seas” ( Ezekiel 32:2 ). But then he caught a glimpse of himself from God’s perspective. God said he was in trouble and that He would expose his carcass to wild animals, causing “many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings [to] shudder with horror because of you” (v. 10). Pharaoh was much less impressive than he ...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 9,  MOVING TOWARD MATURITY Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 32–33   John 18:19–40 Become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 Today's Scripture & Insight: Ephesians 4:11–16 A recent survey asked respondents to identify the age at which they believed they became adults. Those who considered themselves adults pointed to specific behaviors as evidence of their status. Having a budget and buying a house topped the list as being marks of “adulting.” Other adult activities ranged from cooking dinner every weeknight and scheduling one’s own medical appointments, to the more humorous ability to choose to eat snacks for dinner or being excited to stay at home on a Saturday evening instead of going out. The Bible says we should press on toward spiritual maturity as well. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, urging the people to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” ( Ephesians 4:13 ). W...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 8, Tuesday DIVINE RESCUE Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 30–31   John 18:1–18 I have come down to rescue them. Exodus 3:8 Today's Scripture & Insight: Exodus 3:7–10 After being informed of a 911 call from a concerned citizen, a police officer drove alongside the train tracks, shining his floodlight into the dark until he spotted the vehicle straddling the iron rails. The trooper’s dashboard camera captured the harrowing scene as a train barreled toward the car. “That train was coming fast,” the officer said, “Fifty to eighty miles per hour.” Acting without hesitation, he pulled an unconscious man from the car mere seconds before the train slammed into it. Scripture reveals God as the One who rescues—often precisely when all seems lost. Trapped in Egypt and withering under suffocating oppression, the Israelites imagined no possibility for escape. In Exodus, however, we find God offering them words resounding with hope: “I have indeed seen the misery of my peop...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 7, Monday A WISE BUILDER Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 28–29   John 17 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1 Today's Scripture & Insight: Proverbs 14:1–3, 26–27, 33 Sojourner Truth, whose birth name was Isabella Baumfree, was born a slave in 1797 in Esopus, New York. Though nearly all her children were sold as slaves, she escaped to freedom in 1826 with one daughter and lived with a family who paid the money for her freedom. Instead of allowing an unjust system to keep her family apart, she took legal action to regain her small son Peter—an amazing feat for an African American woman in that day. Knowing she couldn’t raise her children without God’s help, she became a believer in Christ and later changed her name to Sojourner Truth to show that her life was built on the foundation of God’s truth. King Solomon, the writer of  Proverbs 14 , declares, “The wise woman builds her house” (v. 1)....

OUR DAILY BREAD June 6, Sunday OUR TRUE SELVES Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 25–27   John 16 We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him. 1 John 3:2 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 John 3:1–3 Inside my parents’ old photo album is a picture of a young boy. He has a round face, freckles, and straight, light-blond hair. He loves cartoons, hates avocados, and owns just one record, by Abba. Also inside that album are pictures of a teenager. His face is long, not round; his hair is wavy, not straight. He has no freckles, likes avocados, watches movies rather than cartoons, and would never admit to owning an Abba record! The boy and the teenager are little alike. According to science they have different skin, teeth, blood, and bones. And yet they are both me. This paradox has baffled philosophers. Since we change throughout our lives, who is the real us? The Scriptures provide the answer. From the moment God began knitting us together in the womb ( Psalm 139:13–14 ), we...

OUR DAILY BREAD June 5, Saturday WAITING IN HOPE Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 23–24   John 15 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 Today's Scripture & Insight: Romans 12:9–13 Rogelio served as our waiter during our weeklong vacation. In one conversation, he credited Jesus for blessing him with Kaly, a compassionate wife with strong faith. After they had their first baby, God gave them the opportunity to help care for their niece who had Down syndrome. Soon after, Rogelio’s mother-in-law needed live-in care. Rogelio works with joy, often taking on double shifts to ensure his wife can stay home to care for the people God entrusted to them. When I shared how the couple inspired me to love better because of the way they opened their hearts and home to serve their family members, he said, “It is my pleasure to serve them . . . and you.” Rogelio’s life affirms the power of living with generosity and trusting God to provide as we serve one anothe...