Our Daily Bread

Topic:True Friends Bible in a Year: Lamentations 1–2 Hebrews 10:1–18 A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17 In high school, I had a “sometimes friend.” We were “buddies” at our church, and we occasionally hung out together outside of school. But at school, it was a different story. If she met me by herself, she might say hello; but …

Topic:Our Blessings, His Love Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 51–52 Hebrews 9 To him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever. Psalm 136:16 In 2015, a woman discarded her deceased husband’s computer at a recycling center—a computer that had been made in 1976. But more important than when it had been made was who made it. …

Topic:It’s Up to God Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 50 Hebrews 8 Your will be done. Matthew 6:10 Nate and Sherilyn enjoyed their stop at an omakase restaurant while visiting New York City. Omakase is a Japanese word that translates, “I will leave it up to you,” which means customers at such restaurants let the chef choose their meal. Even …

Topic:Lava in Paradise Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 48–49 Hebrews 7 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 All is quiet, save for slowly stretching tentacles of hissing lava nipping at the edges of the tropical foliage. Residents …

Topic:Enduring Prayers Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 46–47 Hebrews 6 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2 “Prayers are deathless.” These are the attention-grabbing words of E. M. Bounds (1835–1913), whose classic writings on prayer have inspired people for generations. His comments about the …

Topic:That Was Awesome! Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 43–45 Hebrews 5 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Proverbs 12:24 It was the seventh-grader’s first cross-country meet, but she didn’t want to run. Although she’d been preparing for the event, she was afraid of doing poorly. Still, she started the race with everyone else. Later, one by …

Topic:“Love You—Whole World” Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 40–42 Hebrews 4 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16 My three-year old niece, Jenna, has an expression that never fails to melt my heart. When she loves something (really loves it), be it banana cream pie, jumping on the trampoline, or …

Topic:Do the Next Thing Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 34–36 Hebrews 2 If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15 When was the last time you felt compelled to help someone, only to let the moment pass without a response? In The 10-Second Rule, Clare De Graaf suggests that daily impressions can be one of the ways God calls …

Topic:No Longer Afraid Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 32–33 Hebrews 1 They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid. Zephaniah 3:13 When the Ethiopian police found her a week after her abduction, three black-maned lions surrounded her, guarding her as though she were their own. Seven men had kidnapped the twelve-year-old girl, carried her into …

Topic:New Humanity Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 30–31 Philemon When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Acts 2:6 While I was visiting London’s Tate Modern gallery, one piece of art caught my attention. Created by Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles, it was a giant tower made of hundreds …