Daily Bread Archives

May 19, 2023May 12, 2023

Go To Jesus For All Things

¹²And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” ¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, ¹⁶and they said to Him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” ¹⁷And leaving them, He went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. ~ Matthew 21:12-17

Jesus entered the temple and became filled with righteous anger. He understood what was happening in the present and what happened in the past and made a connection so that we could understand why He was so upset and why He called the temple a “Den of Robbers.” If it was just about selling, then why didn’t He just use the same terminology He did earlier, recorded in the book of John? Why didn’t He just use that same wording and call it a house of trade? Because that’s not what He was talking about. Jesus was talking about going through another way than through Him. The people there understood this. We can tell by their response to Jesus driving out the money changers.

After He drove out the money changers, the blind and lame came into the Temple to Him, and He healed them. You see the connection? Jesus said in John 10 that He was the door to the sheepfold. Everybody that tries to enter in through a different way is a thief and a robber. When He comes into the temple and sees all that’s taking place, He drives out the buyer and seller, flips money-changers’ tables and seats of pigeon sellers, and then says that they’ve made the house of the LORD which is supposed to be a house of prayer, a den of robbers. When they hear this, they come into the Temple to Jesus in order to receive a healing. They understood what Jesus was getting at. They understood the point He was making. Jesus is the only way to salvation and healing. He is the supplier of all of our needs.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go To Jesus For All Things.

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The LORD My Stronghold

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ~ Psalms 27:1

There will be situations that come up in your life that will invite the spirit of fear in your life, but fear not for the LORD Himself is a shield round about you. Though the world might seem dark and gloomy, He is the light of your salvation. Though the wicked threaten and rage against you, the LORD God Almighty is the stronghold in your life.

The word stronghold means a place or a means of safety. In other words, He is your protection. Now understand that God thinks in terms of eternity because He is eternal, infinite, and dwells outside of time. We live bound to time, so it’s hard for us to understand the concept with our finite minds.

But know this, though the people rage, though the enemy attacks you, though the situation seems hopeless, God is your strength, your protection, and He will deliver you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be caught up in your surroundings. Focus on God. Focus on His promises. Focus on who He is and who you are in Him. For greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a wall and a shield around me. Teach me to lean on and depend on You. No matter the circumstances, or even the outcome, let my love for You never diminish. But rather, let me keep my eyes, thoughts, and hope turned toward eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Confidently Ask Your Heavenly Father

²You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ~ James 4:2

My initial definition of prayer was just communion with God. It was just conversing with Him. Prayer to me was just talking to God, but after looking into it, prayer is actually a very specific way of talking to God. The Word prayer here is the Greek word proseuchē (προσευχή), which means petition. Many people may think that this isn’t that big of a deal, but this is actually a really big deal.

A lot of people don’t actually like to ask God for things, they feel like they’re bothering Him, but that is the very purpose of prayer. It’s to make your petition known to God. It’s to ask for what you need. Why? Because it teaches us to depend on God and not ourselves. It teaches us to depend on God and not others. You aren’t being prideful or expecting too much from God because you ask for things from Him. Our Heavenly Father delights in blessing His Children.

Never allow the enemy to instill false humility in you because you will miss out on the good things God has in store for you. The enemy knows that the earnest prayers of the righteous will break through any stronghold that he has set up, so he tries to tell you that you shouldn’t make your requests known. Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. Don’t allow the enemy to trick you into missing out on your blessing.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Confidently Ask Your Heavenly Father.

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Lay Everything At His Feet

¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²So they gave a dinner for Him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him at table. ³Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ~ John 12:1-3

Mary took the most valuable and expensive possession that she owned and anointed Jesus’ feet with it. But she didn’t stop there. She then took her hair and wiped His feet with it. She wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair because she was humbling herself in repentance for her unbelief. Why her hair?

According to Paul, the greatest apostle who ever lived, a woman’s hair is her glory (1 Corinthians 11:14-15). This is why Mary wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ sister, continued in her previous role, serving. She served before, and she served now. Why? Because her faith hadn’t been mutilated. Her faith hadn’t been violated. It was intact before Lazarus’ death, after Lazarus’ death, and after Lazarus was raised from the dead. She passed the test. She remained in the sheepfold. She didn’t stray, so she continued with what worked for her. But Mary returned to Jesus’ feet, except this time, she brought her most expensive and valuable possession and poured it on Jesus’ feet, then proceeded to wipe His feet with her hair, her glory. Mary understood how close she had come to walking away from her salvation entirely. She understood how close she had come to spiritual death. So, she took all that she had and laid it at Jesus’ feet. She humbled herself as low as she could.

Jesus said the one who is forgiven much loves much. We’ve all been forgiven a great deal, but for those of us who haven’t committed sins that we’ve deemed as greater or worse sins, we look down on those who have committed them. We think ourselves better than them, but in actuality, we aren’t. We need the same amount of forgiveness as anyone else. There aren’t multiple ways to God. There is only one way. One way that is for all people, regardless of the severity of their sin. So, we’ve all been forgiven much.

If only we could see and truly understand the severity of our own sins, we would each be like Mary and wipe the feet of Jesus with our glory. We would lay everything we have at His feet. We would humble ourselves as low as we possibly can because of His great love, mercy, and grace that He has shown to us. If we could only see how much God has forgiven us, we would appreciate His grace much more. If we could only grasp the price Christ paid for our sins, we wouldn’t be so quick to forget His sacrifice and fall into sin again. Never forget the price paid and the eminence mercy and grace we have been shown and given.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Lay Everything At His Feet.

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My Personal God

⁵For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. ⁶Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars? ~ 1 Chronicles 17:5-6^KJV

Look at what God has said, I have not dwelt (I have not lived) in a house but have gone about with you, My people. I live among you. I move among you. I do not give Myself special treatment, but I dwell among My people wherever they go; I AM there with them.

Now, notice the next verse. I have walked with My people Israel. God did not mount up on Cherubim and fly. Neither did He just pop up to where they were going, but rather, He walked along with them, just like they walked. There is not one standard for His people and one standard for Him. God is a personal God. He will walk right beside you through the good times and through the bad times. He will not leave us, nor will He forsake us. But He will be right there beside.

So, the next time you feel like you are all alone. The next time the enemy tells you that there is no one there who cares about you, tell him he is a liar and the father of lies. Because your God is right there wheresoever you may go. God is both a Sun and a Shield. He is your rear guard, and He is your point guard, and He is your flank guard. No one can come against you except they first go through your personal God.

Jesus is our personal God. He gave His life as a ransom for many. Even for ‘whomsoever will come,’ therefore, let him or her who will come, come, and experience the up close and personal God, Who is always with us and is always for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always there beside me. Thank You that You will never leave me nor forsake me. That You care enough to walk alongside me through the hard times and through the fun times. Help me to always remember that You are for me and not against me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Thank The LORD For Mothers

¹⁵She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. ¹⁶She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. ¹⁷She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. ¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. ¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. ²⁰She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. ²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. ~ Proverbs 31:15-21

So many things can define a mother, but the greatest definition of a mother is a caretaker. Why? A mother puts the needs of the household above the needs of her own. She makes sure her household has what it needs in order to run smoothly. She’ll sacrifice whatever is necessary in order to make sure that she takes care of her family, including sacrificing sleep. One of my favorite songs, as a kid, was The Christmas Shoes by Newsong. I think it depicts a mother perfectly when the little boy says,

Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without

Mothers will do without so that their families can have and enjoy. The trait of a caretaker is so important for a mother to embody that God Himself compares His caretaking to that of a mother (Isaiah 66:13).

A mother will sacrifice for her family, unlike anyone else. She’ll go without so that no one else has to. She’ll take the abuse of an angry or hurting child in order to get to the root of the problem and mend a broken heart or wound. There is nothing like the love, comfort, and sacrifice of a mother. They are irreplaceable.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Thank The LORD For Mothers.

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Raise Peacemakers

¹⁶Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” ¹⁷And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” ¹⁸Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter. ¹⁹I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?” ²⁰Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” ²²Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. ~ 2 Samuel 20:16-22

Mothers, you ought to live peaceable lives, and you ought to teach your family to live peaceable lives. Lead by example. I didn’t say not to protect. I said, don’t go stirring up trouble; avoid it at all costs. See what the wise woman said in verse 19, I am one of those who are peaceable.

When war came to her city, she did not call the men to arms; she sought peace without firing a single shot. What am I talking about?

I’m saying there will be times when trials arise in the home, and it’s how you respond to those trials that will determine the outcome. Mrs. Graham (the wife of Evangelist Billy Graham) said, “A true mother is primarily and essentially a trainer.” Children learn from what they see. And a peacemaker isn’t born; they are taught. It is the peacemakers that will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).

My wife works in IT, and sometimes she gets emails or some type of correspondence that riles her and makes her blood boil. Her policy is, do not respond right away, give it time, and write your response if you want, but don’t send it. It’s better to reply the next day. If time is of the essence to email, then have someone vet it for you. Children will have their disagreements and find ways to help them solve their disputes. Train them to learn to find solutions for their own problems, and they will be problem-solvers when they are adults.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Raise Peacemakers.

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Be A Mother

¹³For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. ~ Psalms 139:13

I once heard someone say that if we want to change the way we see the unborn, we have to change the way we talk about and define mothers. For the average person, a mother is someone who has given birth to a child or adopted a child, but from the moment of conception, women become mothers. The woman is protecting, providing for, and essentially growing a baby inside of their own body. What is more motherly than that?

All pregnant women aren’t soon-to-be mothers; they are expectant mothers. The role of a mother starts from conception because from that moment on, a mother’s attitude, emotions, diet, and even her spiritual journey will directly affect and impact her unborn child because they are directly connected. And that connection can never truly be broken.

So, to every mother out there, strive to do what’s best for your child from the moment of conception to your last breath. If God is forming your child in your womb from conception, then every action you make after conception directly affects that unborn baby. A mother is a role that can’t be left void and empty. Always be someone who protects, provides, and grows their child in a way that is right before the eyes of the LORD. And fathers, always be someone that holds up the mother.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be A Mother.

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A Wise Mama Bear

I want you to notice how the Scripture describes the city. “You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel.” This city wasn’t just any city; it was considered a mother in Israel. That changed all the rules of the game. The people of Israel looked to this mother city for wisdom, advice, and leadership. This is where they went to inquire. As soon as danger raised its vicious head, this mother in this mother city sprang into action. The Mama Bear was released.

The woman in the story is not named; she is merely called a wise woman. One of the attributes of a wise woman is to avert danger, especially critical danger, as what was about to happen to Abel.

What had happened was Sheba, the son of Bichri, saw his opportunity to seize power while the kingdom was right at the end of the civil war led by King David’s now-dead son, Absalom. Sheba blew the trumpet in an attempt to try to rally the previous rebellious troops against King David and make himself ruler. But King David nipped that in the bud right away by sending Joab, the general of his army, to take care of business.

Sheba took refuge in a city named Abel of Beth-maacah. The city was a walled city with locked gates. So, Joab prepared to tear down the wall to get Sheba. But a wise woman, a mother in Israel, stood up to the mighty Joab, and with great wisdom, she averted the great and pending danger.

Mothers, that is your job as a mama bear to avert danger from your family. I would probably be a lot better off financially if I had heeded my wife’s subtle warnings. Husbands, even though you are the head of the wife, please understand that she isn’t there to just serve you and your needs. She is also used by God, filled with wisdom, understanding, and instinct in order to serve the Kingdom of God and her family. When you have a wise wife or mother, listen to their wise judgments. Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be A Wise Mama Bear.

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Praise For The Answer

¹⁷Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. ¹⁸He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. ~ Daniel 2:17-19

Daniel was facing execution. His faith was being tested. But Daniel’s faith was strong in the LORD. He knew the God in whom he trusted and served. He knew that no matter what His God did, it was for His good.

When Daniel received the answer to his prayer, He didn’t immediately run to the king. He didn’t stop everything he was doing and go tell his friends the good news. No, Daniel praised the LORD. We ask and ask and ask, but how often do we stop and praise when we receive?

God is a good good father. He enjoys blessing His children. He enjoys giving them good gifts, but He desires a thank you in return. An offering of praise. That doesn’t cost us anything. It doesn’t cost us money, only a little bit of our time.

If we expect God to hear us and answer us, we need to be prepared to praise Him for His answer. He’s a good good God. His desire is for our good. There’s no one like Him. And He is more than worthy of our praise.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Praise For The Answer.

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