Daily Bread Archives

September 26, 2023September 24, 2023

The Troubling of Asaph

¹⁵If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. ¹⁶When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply ¹⁷till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. ¹⁸Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. ¹⁹How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! ²⁰They are like a dream when one awakes; when You arise, Lord, You will despise them as fantasies. ²¹When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, ²²I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. ²³Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. ²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ~ Psalms 73:15-26^NIV

Asaph looked at the wicked, and envy tried its best to creep into his heart. It showed him how they lacked the struggles he had. How carefree in life they are. How they seemingly had no burden to carry, and his soul was becoming distressed. Envy was starting to make its way into his mind and heart, then he entered the sanctuary of God, and everything changed.

His eyes were opened, and he saw that everything on this earth is passing away. All the money and wealth the wicked stored up for themselves will only last a short time. The influence and power that they have here on this earth will one day be stripped away. All that the wicked store up for themselves is worth nothing, but what the righteous store up is worth everything.

We don’t store up treasures for ourselves on this earth where moths and locusts can come in and destroy, and the thief can come in and steal. No. We store up treasures in eternity. We store up crowns. We store up treasures that will last all of eternity. And where our treasures are, there our hearts will be also.

Yes, today, the wicked may seem as though they have not a care in the world and all is going well with them, but that won’t last forever. It’s only the righteous that will dwell in eternity with God. It’s only the righteous that God will wipe every tear from their eyes and call them His children. So, don’t worry about all that the wicked have. Don’t envy them, nor wish them ill. Instead, pray for their salvation, for their end is destruction, and as the young man whom Solomon saw sneak off in the night with the adulterous woman, they do not know (nor can they grasp) that it will cost them their lives.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For The Wicked.

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Afflict Yourselves

²⁹And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. ³⁰For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. ³¹It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. ~ Leviticus 16:29-31

Today is one of the most holy days in Judaism, for today is the Day of Atonement. When instituting this day, God told the people to afflict themselves because atonement was to be made for them in order to cleanse them. Now, many people will say this is the Law of Moses, and we’re no longer under the Law, so this doesn’t apply to us. I want to point out to all of you that the Law was a shadow of the good things to come. What does that mean?

No. We are not under the Law of Moses anymore; we are now under the Law of Christ. This is true. But the Day of Atonement has yet to have been fulfilled, and therefore, as Paul afflicted himself regularly so that he might never be overcome by his flesh, how much more should we in a day and age closer to the return of Christ than has ever been before, afflict ourselves? We’re living in the last days. They’re getting things ready for the Temple of God to be rebuilt. They’re trying their best to remove freedom of religion from every corner of the earth. We’re living in the perilous times that Paul warned Timothy of. No. Refusing to afflict your body today isn’t going to remove your name from the Lamb’s Book of Life, but choosing to afflict your body today will strengthen your spirit man. It will help put your flesh into subjection. And it will add to your treasures in heaven.

We’re called, by Paul, to present ourselves as a spiritual sacrifice holy and pleasing to God. How can we do that if our flesh rules our bodies and our spirit man has no room to grow? Therefore, give up something, even if it’s just for a few hours, at least until sundown, that you might have an offering to give to God as we await that day when we are changed in a twinkling of an eye, and our sins are completely removed from us never to cling to us again.

Dear LORD, help me to afflict myself by putting my flesh into submission. Help me to not give into the sins of this world, but instead, help me to overcome through You. You overcame the whole world. You were tempted in every way, just as I am, but You remained without sin. So, dear LORD, please help me to overcome through You. Help me to fast so that I might build up my spirit man within me and crucify my flesh. Help me to be a light in this dark world so that others might see You in me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Self Love

¹⁹ We love because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19^NIV

We often quote this verse that we love because Christ first loved us in regard to other people, but rarely do we hear it taught in regard to ourselves. Today’s youth are killing themselves at record numbers. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. Why? The lack of self-love.

We teach that we need to love others. We teach that we need to forgive others, but what about ourselves? If we are no longer our own because we were bought at a price, then wouldn’t we need to forgive and love ourselves? We teach humility in the Church, which is good, but I can’t think of a time I’ve heard a teaching on loving yourself and why it’s important.

When we love ourselves, we can forgive ourselves and, therefore, can move on. When we love ourselves, we stop constantly comparing ourselves to other people because we’re not envious but happy with what God has given us. When we love ourselves, we tend to love others more because the love of God is flowing through us.

Self-love isn’t prideful. It isn’t arrogant. Self-love is necessary to move forward in life and be used by God. We have to learn to love ourselves as Christ loves us so that we might see ourselves the way that He sees us, as His children. His beloved bride. His precious creation that He suffered and died for.

Dear LORD, please help me to love myself the way You love me. Help me to see myself the way You see me. Teach me to clean off the dirty mirror that distorts my reflection. Help me to forgive myself for the past mistakes I’ve made so that I can stop punishing myself. Teach me to properly love myself so that I might be able to be used by You in all that You have planned for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Set It On The Altar

¹⁴Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ~ Isaiah 37:14

Hezekiah received a letter from the messengers of the King of Assyria. Assyria had just taken Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and now was threatening Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Not only were they trying to strike fear into the hearts of the people, they went straight to the king of Judah, Hezekiah, and told him through a letter that he might as well surrender because no one could save him. This is how the enemy works. He tries to speak into our lives. He’ll speak fear and intimidation and wait to see if you accept it, giving him a footing into your life.

See, we, the Church, have to allow the enemy into our lives. Why? Because we’ve been redeemed. We’re the blood-bought. We don’t belong to the enemy anymore. Our souls now belong to Christ. Therefore, when the enemy wants to try to take us back or wreak havoc in our lives, he needs our permission. Sometimes, it just takes accepting the fear that he sent our way.

I remember hearing stories of my great-great-grandfather when he was younger. An Obeah Man came to him and told him that he would die in three days, but he didn’t accept it. Instead, he told him, “No. You will die in three days.” Three days later, he got word that that same man had died. People will try to speak all kinds of things over your life: death, failure, fear, addiction, etc., but it’s up to us to accept it. We have to be like Hezekiah, take that word straight to God, and lay it before Him. We can’t just accept everything that others speak over us, but only what God has spoken over us. That we are chosen. That we are His. That we are redeemed. That we may be struck down, but we are never destroyed. That we are more than conquerors through Him. These are what we hold to; everything else we lay on the altar and allow God to deal with as He sees fit.

Dear LORD, please help me not to just accept everything that people speak over me. Help me not to let their words dictate my life. Help me to lay it all down on the altar before You. Teach me to set up a spiritual boundary around my life that the enemy cannot penetrate nor destroy with threats, words, fiery darts, or any weapon. Help me to stand strong on Your Truth and run this race with endurance that You’ve set before me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Spread Understanding

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” ¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ~ Matthew 13:10-12^NIV

Jesus left the world on the outside, but to His disciples, He explained everything. That’s kind of like a foreshadowing of how He is with us today. James said if we lack understanding, ask God, and He’ll give us wisdom.

Jesus dwells with us and in us. His Holy Spirit dwells with us and in us. Our understanding is limited, and our greatest wisdom can’t even match the foolishness of God; God knows this, so when He speaks to us in parables, He expects us, His disciples, to ask for and seek out understanding so that we might then share that understanding with others. We’re not to keep it to ourselves because we have now become the light of the world since Jesus lives through us.

Therefore, we’re to show the world the Light of Christ and teach the Church the deeper things Christ has revealed to us. We’re to be the hands and feet of Christ while on this earth. We’re His body. We’re His witnesses. We’re His disciples, and to us, has been given understanding and wisdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Spread Understanding.

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Running Late

³⁵While He was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹And when He had entered, He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰And they laughed at him. But He put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with Him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴²And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³And He strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. ~ Mark 5:35-43

Jairus’ daughter was on her deathbed when he ran to Jesus. On the way, Jesus even healed a woman on the way, but for this man, Jesus seemed to be running late. Jesus didn’t get there before his daughter died, so everybody told him to leave Jesus alone. Jesus, however, told him not to lose hope but only believe. This is like us today.

Today, many of our hopes, dreams, requests, promises, etc. seem to have died. People are telling us to let go, give up, move on, and stop bothering God about it. But sometimes, God wants us to push our faith to the limit. Sometimes a ‘no’ isn’t always a ‘no.’ Sometimes a ‘no’ is a ‘not right now.’ Sometimes we have to pray for resurrection. Resurrection of that dream and/or promise that died. That child that is living in sin and refuses to hear about God. That request that you’ve asked for time and time again but have yet to receive it. Don’t stop asking. Don’t give up. Seek God. Seek the resurrection of that dream/promise. It’s up to us to keep following Jesus and asking Him regardless of how it looks or what others say.

Dear LORD, please help me to keep going even when all seems lost. Help me to keep believing even when it seems like it’s too late. Please give me the faith to follow You regardless of how long it takes. Help me not to grow weary of doing good but to run this race set before me with strength and endurance. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Above All

¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. ~ Colossians 3:14-17

Above all, put on love. Why? Because it is love that binds everything together in perfect harmony. Without love in our hearts, it would be impossible for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church in his first letter to them in the 13^th chapter that love does not keep record of wrongs.

If love is reigning and ruling in your heart, and you’re wearing love like an outer garment, you will not dwell on the wrongs done to you. It doesn’t mean you won’t have the scars. Jesus kept His scars, but His wounds were healed. The scars are the memories.

You’ve been through a lot, but thank God, He brought you through. Then Paul goes on to say, “Be Thankful!” Three times in those last three verses, Paul admonishes his readers to be “Thankful.” A thankful heart is a forgiving heart. Start being thankful and know the joy of thanksgiving today. For it will be like water to your soul and medicine to your bones.

Dear LORD, thank You for always delivering me out of every situation that I’ve found myself in. Please fill me with Your never-ending love. Help me to love You and to love others. Help me to forgive the way that You forgive. Teach me to let go and rejoice in all things; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Lay It Down

¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ~ Colossians 3:13^NIV

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you completely forget the horrible things that were done to you. It doesn’t mean that you excuse the person for the wrongs they perpetrated against you. It doesn’t mean that you understand why they did what they did. It doesn’t even mean that you have to become besties with them.

What is truly required is: An intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger. An intentional decision to release the person who has hurt you so deeply from their obligation to pay for what they did. To let go of the desire for that person to hurt as badly as you have been hurt.

You cannot say I forgive you, but I hope and pray you get your comeuppance. That is not the spirit of forgiveness.

Forgiveness will be ushered in when you let go of the hate, the rage, and the need for the revenge you feel whenever that person’s name is mentioned or whenever those feelings are triggered.

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Unforgiveness Debt

¹²Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ~ Colossians 3:12-13

We are each required to forgive one another without being asked. It says if you have a complaint against another person. In other words, they don’t even need to ask. You just need to forgive. Jesus Himself said that we need to forgive as His Heavenly Father has forgiven us. This isn’t a new revelation from Brother Paul. No, Paul was only echoing what Jesus had already taught.

²⁵And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25

From the way it’s translated, it seems to me that God is patiently waiting for us to forgive others so that He can now forgive us. Jesus said forgive so that our Father in heaven may forgive you.

What is hindering our forgiveness? Our lack of forgiveness to others.

Now watch this. Jesus is inferring that unforgiveness is not only a precursor to your own forgiveness, but it seems to be a hindrance to answered prayers.

See what Jesus said?

WHEN YOU STAND PRAYING …

That word stand is a strong word meaning: Continue to be.

In other words, when you continue to be in prayer, not just some 3-minute prayer, but a continuous petition, and nothing is happening, check your forgiveness gauge. The Holy Spirit will bring it to your mind. Why? Because God is not going to answer your prayers if you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart. To whom much is given, much is required.

Dear LORD, please help to forgive those who have wronged me. Help me to let go of the pain and hurt that have gripped my heart. I know that I have been forgiven much, so help me to also forgive much. Help me to never hold someone accountable to their debt when You haven’t held me accountable to mine. As You have canceled my debt on the cross, help me to also cancel their debt on my cross, for I died with You in baptism, and I will rise with You on that Last Day. Thank You, LORD, for Your forgiveness, LORD God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Fulfill All Things

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. ¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” ~ Matthew 3:13-17^NIV

Jesus was Holy and perfect. He knew no sin, yet He had to have John baptize Him. Why? When John had that same question, Jesus told him that he needed to baptize Him so that He could fulfill all things. See, even though Jesus was without sin, He came in human form. He could die (which He did), and His body could even rot (which David prophesied, praising God that He would never let that happen).

So, what was He fulfilling? When the Israelites left Egypt, them passing through the parted Red Sea represented or foreshadowed baptism. After that, Moses went to Mount Sinai and was in the presence of God for 40 days and 40 nights, not eating or drinking, and He received the Law.

Jesus was fulfilling the Law of ceremonial washing. Before they could enter the Tent of Meeting to present an offering on the altar, the priests had to ceremonial bathe (Exodus 30:17-21). This was a type of foreshadowing of Baptism, as there are others.

So, what happened when Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial washing through baptism? The heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. After this, Jesus went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. After He fasted, before He could break bread and eat, Satan came to Him and tempted Him with the three root sins that he tempted Eve with. Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life. He told Jesus to prove Himself by turning stone into bread (Lust of the Eyes). He told Jesus to prove Himself by throwing Himself down off the mountain (Pride of Life). Then He told Jesus to worship him, and he’d give Him the kingdoms of the earth (Lust of the Flesh). These are the same root sins that tripped up Eve in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had to overcome the three root sins that Adam failed to protect his wife from. Why? Because Jesus is the Last Adam. The first Adam brought death; the Last Adam brought Life.

That’s why He had to ceremonially wash the flesh because it had to ceremonially die. Paul said that we are baptized into Christ’s death, which is why we will rise with Him on the last day. So, in order to have the Spirit of the LORD rest upon Him and He could fast and overcome the temptations where Adam failed, He had to symbolically and spiritually kill His flesh.

Dear LORD, please help me to fulfill all things You have for my life, just as You fulfilled all things Your Heavenly Father set for Your life. Help me to keep in step with the Spirit. Help me to follow the path You’ve marked for my life. Help me to pick up my cross and follow You with everything that is within me. I give You my all. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Category: Daily Bread

The Troubling of Asaph

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Afflict Yourselves

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Fulfill All Things

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