Today's Bible Reading -- 2Corinthians 5:1-11

¹ For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ so that by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. ⁶ So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what He has done in the body. ¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Our Daily Bread- THE HEAVENLY ALTERNATIVE

Recently, I wished a young friend “happy birthday” and asked him how it felt to be a year older. His playful response? “Well, I guess it’s better than the alternative!”

We laughed together, but I later stopped to think—is it really? Don’t misunderstand me. I’m happy to live as long as the Lord allows me to live and to watch my kids and grandkids grow and experience life. I’m not excited about the inevitability of death. But as a believer, the alternative to getting older is heaven—and that’s not bad!

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about the reality of living with the aches and pains of our physical bodies, our “tents” of flesh. But we should not live in despair about aging. In fact, the apostle calls us to just the opposite. He wrote, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (v.8). Confident! Pleased! Why? Because our alternative to earthly life is that we will be present with the Lord—forever! The heavenly perspective of what awaits us can give us confidence for living now.

If you know Christ, His promise can give you what the hymnwriter called, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” What a great alternative!  — Bill Crowder

He’s gone “to prepare a place for you,”
That where He is, “there you may be.”
Our death is not the end of life—
We’ll be with Christ eternally! —Hess

Death is gain because it means heaven, holiness, and Him!

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- Deutronomy 31:16-22

¹⁶ And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to sleep with your fathers; then this people will rise and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. ¹⁷ Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be devoured; and many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?' ¹⁸ And I will surely hide My face in that day on account of all the evil which they have done, because they have turned to other gods. ¹⁹ Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the people of Israel. ²⁰ For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise Me and break my covenant. ²¹ And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their descendants); for I know the purposes which they are already forming, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give." ²² So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the people of Israel.

Our Daily Bread- WAKE-UP MUSIC

In a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, a group of international refugees has been singing songs that they hope will wake up their homeland. According to the BBC, the group Waayah Cusub has been enjoying extensive airplay on radio stations and television channels by using bold lyrics to address social issues. One of the musicians says, “We are not happy with what is happening back home; in fact we have recorded a thought-provoking song that we hope will bring our leaders back to their senses.”

Long before Waayah Cusub began using songs to call for an end to social pain and violence, God taught Moses to use music in a bold and provocative way. Knowing that His people’s sinful inclinations would distract them when they began to enjoy the prosperity of the Promised Land (Deut. 31:21), God told Moses to teach them the song of chapter 32. It is a shocking song of warning, designed to get the attention of those who would forget God and fill their lives with trouble.

Could our wise and loving God be repeating that strategy with us? Is there a psalm, a hymn, or a spiritual song that is calling us back to His faithfulness and amazing grace? What song might He be using to get under the radar of our natural defenses and renew our hearts today?  — Mart De Haan

Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise. —Robinson

Where words fail, music speaks. —Hans Christian Andersen

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- Ezekiel 16:48-56

⁴⁸ As I live, says the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. ⁴⁹ Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them, when I saw it. ⁵¹ Sama'ria has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations which you have committed. ⁵² Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have made judgment favorable to your sisters; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. ⁵³ "I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Sama'ria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in the midst of them, ⁵⁴ that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. ⁵⁵ As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Sama'ria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate. ⁵⁶ Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride,

Our Daily Bread- THE GIFT OF SELF-INDULGENCE

An upscale London department store launched a new gift card with the slogan, “The Gift of Self-Indulgence.” Throughout the store, signs, slogans, and even nametags called attention to the cards. According to one employee, sales of the gift cards during the first weeks of the promotion had been very strong, far exceeding company expectations. Generosity may prompt a person to give a luxurious gift to someone special, but too often we find it easier to purchase what we want for ourselves.

The prophet Ezekiel sheds light on an ancient city whose people suffered God’s judgment, in part, because they embraced a self-indulgent lifestyle. “This was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit” (Ezek. 16:49-50).

Historically, the Lord has dealt harshly with His people who became arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned (v.49). The antidote to the poison of self-indulgence is the desire to please God and serve others, not ourselves (Phil. 2:4).

Self-indulgence is a gift we don’t need.  — David C. McCasland

Some are discouraged and weary in heart,
Help somebody today!
Someone the journey to heaven should start,
Help somebody today! —Breck

The more we serve Christ, the less we serve self.

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- 1Corinthians 2:6-16

⁶ Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. ⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," ¹⁰ God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For what person knows a man's thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. ¹⁴ The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶ "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Our Daily Bread- THE SECRET IS

If you believe Rhonda Byrne, author of the bestselling book The Secret, “The shortcut to anything you want in your life is to be and feel happy now!” According to Byrne, this has to do with something called the law of attraction. If you think only about things that make you happy, she says, happy things will be attracted to you.

Sounds easy enough.

However, the Bible says that “the secret” to life is something very different. It has to do with “the law of the Spirit of life” that sets us free from “the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2), not with the “law of attraction.”

According to the apostle Paul, the most important thing to know is “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). To those who are concerned with happiness now, this is indeed foolishness (v.14). They do not recognize the power of God in what appears to them as weakness.

The Lord created us with a desire to know what is secret. In His wisdom, He kept certain things hidden in mystery for a time (v.7). But now, through His Holy Spirit, He has made them known. And the secret He reveals has nothing to do with having happy thoughts in order to obtain happy things; it has to do with having the mind of Jesus Christ (v.16).  — Julie Ackerman Link

There is a law that made us free—
In Romans 8 this truth is heard;
The secret is to walk with God
And daily lean upon His Word. —Hess

To know lasting happiness, we must get to know Jesus.

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- 2Corinthians 7:5-10

⁵ For even when we came into Macedo'nia, our bodies had no rest but we were afflicted at every turn--fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸ For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it (though I did regret it), for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹ As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting; for you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. ¹⁰ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.  

Our Daily Bread- GODLY SORROW

Thieves stole nearly $5,000 in sound and office equipment from a church in West Virginia, only to break in the following night to return the items they had taken. Apparently, the guilt of stealing from a church weighed so heavily on their conscience that they felt the need to correct their criminal behavior of breaking the commandment: “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15). Their actions make me think about the differences between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow.

Paul praised the Corinthians for understanding this difference. His first letter to them was biting, as he addressed issues of sin. His words caused sorrow among them, and because of this Paul rejoiced. Why? Their sorrow did not stop at just feeling sad about getting caught or suffering the unpleasant consequences of their sins. Their sorrow was godly sorrow, a genuine remorse for their sins. This led them to repentance—a change in their thinking that led to a renouncing of their sin and turning to God. Their repentance ultimately led to deliverance from their sinful habits.

Repentance is not something we can do unless we have the prompting of the Holy Spirit; it’s a gift from God. Pray for repentance today (2 Tim. 2:24-26).  —Marvin Williams

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore—for this we plead. —Head

Repentance means hating sin enough to turn from it.

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- Philippians 1:19-26

¹⁹ Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, ²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Our Daily Bread- GETTING BETTER

A popular song from the 1960s was titled “Getting Better.” In it, the singer considers his young life and happily declares that he sees things “getting better all the time.” It is a song of optimism but, unfortunately, without any real basis for that hope.

By contrast, the Bible warns us that we live in a world that in many ways is actually getting worse (2 Tim. 3:13). Daily we’re faced with increasing evidence to support that contention. So how do we respond to the realities of life in such a badly marred world? With empty optimism? With hopeless discouragement? The apostle Paul shows us how.

While imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote to the church at Philippi to offer them genuine hope in a broken world. He encouraged his readers by telling them that though life in this world is often hard and painful, for the Christian things will get better. He wrote, “I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:23). It is a reminder to us that we can face the difficulties of living for Christ now because one day we will be with Him in an eternal home of splendor and fullness.

Life can be hard, but one day when we see Christ it will truly get better!  — Bill Crowder

To see His face, this is my goal,
The deepest longing of my soul;
Through storm and stress my path I’ll trace
Till, satisfied, I see His face! —Chisholm

To be with Jesus forever is the sum of all happiness.

source: www.rbc.org

How Can I Keep From Singing

Today's Bible Reading -- John 13:31-35

³¹ When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in Him God is glorified; ³² if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once. ³³ Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  

Our Daily Bread- THE WORLD IS WATCHING

My friends were serving in a ministry that was directed mainly to Christians when an opportunity came for them to change jobs and touch the lives of thousands of nonbelievers. They decided to make what they believed to be an exciting change.

Many people, even some who didn’t personally know them, were shocked and accused them of seeking fame and fortune in the world. But believing that Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), they decided to pursue what they considered an even greater opportunity to serve the “lost” in their community.

They said later, “Some Christians were so cruel to us, and wrote hateful e-mails. Our new non-Christian friends were kinder to us than our fellow Christians. We didn’t understand that, and were hurt deeply.” They told me that their desire was to follow God’s directive to be “salt” and “light” in the world (Matt. 5:13-14).

When someone we know is making a decision or change, it can be helpful to ask about his or her motives. But we can’t fully know another’s heart. We don’t want to “bite and devour” our fellow Christians (Gal. 5:15), but instead to love them in a way that others will know we are Jesus’ followers (John 13:35). The world is watching.  — Anne Cetas

We join our hearts and hands together,
Faithful to the Lord’s command:
We hold each other to God’s standards—
All that truth and love demand. —D. De Haan

Only God sees the heart.

source: www.rbc.org

Today's Bible Reading -- Matthew 8:5-10

⁵ As He entered Caper'na-um, a centurion came forward to Him, beseeching Him ⁶ and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." ⁷ And He said to him, "I will come and heal him." ⁸ But the centurion answered Him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." ¹⁰ When Jesus heard him, He marveled, and said to those who followed Him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. 

Our Daily Bread- CHILDLIKE FAITH

On the way home from a family camping trip, 6-year-old Tanya and her dad were the only ones still awake in the car. As Tanya looked at the full moon through the car window, she asked, “Daddy, do you think I can touch the moon if I stand on my tiptoes?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he smiled.

“Can you reach it?”

“No, I don’t think I can either.”

She was quiet for a moment, then she said confidently, “Daddy, maybe if you hold me up on your shoulders?”

Faith? Yes—the childlike faith that daddies can do anything. True faith, though, has the written promise of God for its foundation. In Hebrews 11:1, we read, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Jesus talked a lot about faith, and throughout the Gospels we read of His response to those who had great faith.

When a paralyzed man’s friends brought him to Jesus, He “saw their faith,” forgave the man of his sins, and healed him (Matt. 9:2-6). When the centurion asked Jesus to “speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (8:8), Jesus “marveled” and said, “I have not found such great faith” (8:10).

When we have faith in God, we will find that all things are possible (Luke 18:27).  — Cindy Hess Kasper

God, give me the faith of a little child
Who trusts so implicitly,
Who simply and gladly believes Thy Word,
And never would question Thee. —Showerman

A childlike faith unlocks the door to the kingdom of heaven.

source: www.rbc.org

Savior King

Today's Bible Reading -- Proverbs 31:26-31

²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. ²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ²⁹ "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." ³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. ³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Our Daily Bread- MAGNETS AND MOTHERS

A teacher gave her class of second-graders a lesson about the magnet and what it does. The next day, in a written test, she included this question: “My name has six letters. The first one is m. I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the wordmother.

Yes, mothers do pick up things. But they are much more than “magnets,” gathering up clothes and picking up toys around the house. As willing as many mothers are to do such chores, they have a higher calling than that.

A good mother loves her family and provides an atmosphere where each member can find acceptance, security, and understanding. She is there when the children need a listening ear, a comforting word, a warm hug, or a loving touch on a fevered brow. And for the Christian mother, her greatest joy is in teaching her children to trust and to love Jesus as their Savior.

That kind of mother deserves to be honored—not just on one special day a year but every day. And that recognition should involve more than words; it ought to be shown in respect, thoughtfulness, and loving deeds.  — Richard De Haan

Of all the earthly things God gives,
There’s one above all others:
It is the precious, priceless gift
Of loving Christian mothers. —Anon.

Godly mothers not only bring you up, they bring you to God.

source: www.rbc.org