Category Archives: Christianity

The text is an Our Daily Bread Meditation by Joe Stowell.

Recently, while watching a video of a church service held in South America, I noticed something I had never seen before in church. As the pastor passionately called his flock to yield their lives to Jesus, one of the parishioners took a white hankie out of his pocket and started waving it in the air. Then another, and another. With tears running down their cheeks, they were expressing full surrender to Christ.

But I wonder if there was more to the moment than the flags of surrender. I think they were waving flags of love to God. When God told His people to “love the Lord your God” (Deut. 6:5), it was in the context of His urging them to surrender their lives to Him.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God. —Deuteronomy 6:4-5

From God’s point of view, life with Him is far more than just trying to be good. It is always about relationship—relationship in which surrender is the way we express our grateful love to Him. Jesus, in amazing love for us, surrendered Himself on the cross to rescue us from our helpless bondage to sin and set us on a journey to all that is good and glorious.

We don’t have enough words to tell God how much we love Him! So, let’s show Him our love by surrendering our hearts and lives to follow Him.

The following is an Our Daily Bread meditation by David Roper.

For who has despised the day of small things? —Zechariah 4:10

Often I meet with people who serve in what they think are seemingly small ways in small places. They are frequently discouraged by loneliness, feeling that their acts of service are insignificant. When I hear them speak, I think of one of the angels in C. S. Lewis’ book Out of the Silent Planet. He said:

“My people have a law never to speak of sizes or numbers to you. . . . It makes you do reverence to nothings and pass by what is really great.”

Sometimes culture says bigger is better—that size is the truest measure of success. It takes a strong person to resist that trend, especially if he or she is laboring in a small place. But we must not “pass by what is really great.”

It’s not that numbers aren’t important (after all, the apostles counted their converts; see Acts 2:41). Numbers represent living people with eternal needs. We should all work and pray for large numbers of people to enter the kingdom, but numbers mustn’t be the basis for self-esteem.

God doesn’t call us to find fulfillment in the amount of work we do for Him, or the number of people who are a part of that work, but in faithfully doing our work for His sake. Serving our great God with His strength in a small way is not a stepping-stone to greatness—it is greatness.

Lord, help me remember that there are no small places or small people. All are precious in Your sight. May I see the value of my work and cherish it as You do.

My Bible reading this morning was Proverbs 6: 16-19 –

“There are six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that are quick to run to evil, the false witness who utters lies, and the one who sows discord among kindred.”

I thought the six and seven very interesting. Six is Satan’s number. Seven is God’s number. You’ll notice there are seven items on the list, but that LYING is listed TWICE. Satan is known as the Prince of Lies for a reason.

Our Daily Bread meditation by Dennis Fisher

Boethius lived in sixth-century Italy and served the royal court as a highly skilled politician. Unfortunately, he fell into disfavor with the king. He was accused of treason and imprisoned. While awaiting execution, he asked for writing materials so he could compose his reflections. Later, these became an enduring spiritual classic on consolation.

As Boethius sat in prison, pondering his bleak prospects, his faith in Christ infused his perspective:

“Nothing is miserable but what is thought so, and contrariwise, every estate is happy if he that bears it be content.”

He understood that our view of changing circumstances and contentment is a personal choice.

The apostle Paul reinforced the idea that the way we view our circumstances is more important than the circumstances themselves. While he too was in prison, he wrote:

“I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11).

Both men could be content because they drew their ultimate satisfaction from God, who never changes.

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice; Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words:

“How long, you naive ones, will you love naivete, How long will you turn away at my reproof? [The arrogant delight in their arrogance, and fools hate knowledge.]

Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will acquaint you with my words:

‘Because I called and you refused,

extended my hand and no one took notice;

Because you disdained all my counsel,

and my reproof you ignored—

I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom;

will mock when terror overtakes you;

When terror comes upon you like a storm,

and your doom approaches like a whirlwind;

when distress and anguish befall you.’

Then they will call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me, but will not find me,

Because they hated knowledge, and the fear of the LORD they did not choose. They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof; Well, then, they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted.

For the straying of the naive kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them.

But whoever obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm.”

~Proverbs 1:20-33 (NABRE)