October 2021 - Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada

Redeeming the Season

Read: Psalm 104:10–23 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 22–23; Titus 1

He made the moon to mark the seasons. Psalm 104:19

Leisa wanted a way to redeem the season. So many of the autumn decorations she saw seemed to celebrate death, sometimes in gruesome and macabre ways.

Determined to counter the darkness in some small way, Leisa began to write things she was grateful for with a permanent marker on a large pumpkin. “Sunshine” was the first item. Soon visitors were adding to her list. Some entries were whimsical: “doodling,” for instance. Others were practical: “a warm house”; “a working car.” Still others were poignant, like the name of a departed loved one. A chain of gratitude began to wind its way around the pumpkin.

Psalm 104 offers a litany of praise to God for things we easily overlook. “[God] makes springs pour water into the ravines,” sang the poet (v. 10). “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate” (v. 14). Even the night is seen as good and fitting. “You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl” (v. 20). But then, “The sun rises . . . . People go out to their work, to their labor until evening” (vv. 22–23). For all these things, the psalmist concluded, “I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 33).

In a world that doesn’t know how to deal with death, even the smallest offering of praise to our Creator can become a shining contrast of hope.

How do you and your friends deal with the idea of death? What are some ways you might make the world curious about the hope you have in Jesus?

Thank You, Father, for the multiple good things You’ve placed on this earth. Make my life a grateful offering of praise to You.

INSIGHT

Many psalms celebrate the greatness of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the physical world. These are known as “nature psalms” (for example, Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 95, 104, 135, 148). Psalm 104 celebrates and glorifies God as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Verses 10–23 describe how He creates, cares for, sustains, and renews His creation. The psalmist also exalts God as the source of life—who holds the power of life and death of every creature on earth—and highlights His providence and provision for His creatures (vv. 24–30). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus too speaks of God as our Sustainer. He asks us to consider how the Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field (Matthew 6:26, 30).

By Tim Gustafson|2021-10-31T09:06:05-04:00October 31st, 2021|

See other authors

A New Calling

Read: 2 Timothy 1:6–14 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 20–21; 2 Timothy 4

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

He has saved us and called us to a holy life. 2 Timothy 1:9

Teenage gang leader Casey and his followers broke into homes and cars, robbed convenience stores, and fought other gangs. Eventually, Casey was arrested and sentenced. In prison, he became a “shot caller,” someone who handed out homemade knives during riots.

Sometime later, he was placed in solitary confinement. While daydreaming in his cell, Casey experienced a “movie” of sorts replaying key events of his life—and of Jesus being led to and nailed to the cross and telling him, “I’m doing this for you.” Casey fell to the floor weeping and confessed his sins. Later, he shared his experience with a chaplain, who explained more about Jesus and gave him a Bible. “That was the start of my journey of faith,” Casey said. Eventually, he was released into the mainline prison population, where he was mistreated for his faith. But he felt at peace, because “[he] had found a new calling: telling other inmates about Jesus.”

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talks about the power of Christ to change lives: God calls us from lives of wrongdoing to follow and serve Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9). When we receive Him by faith, we desire to be a living witness of Christ’s love. The Holy Spirit enables us to do so, even when suffering, in our quest to share the good news (v. 8). Like Casey, let’s live out our new calling.

When have you shared the gospel with someone, and what was the result? Did it ever lead to suffering? What happened?

Dear God, thank You for offering me a new calling through Your Son. And thank You for giving me the Spirit to live inside me to guide and empower me to serve You.

INSIGHT

Second Timothy is heavy and heartfelt. Paul knew this would be one of his last letters before his death (4:6–8). Based on the formal introduction (1:1), the letter was meant to be read to Timothy’s congregation or others, but it’s addressed specifically to Timothy, who was a spiritual son to Paul (v. 2). Paul was writing from prison, and he wanted to encourage his protégé that the gospel was worth suffering for (v. 8). But he also longed for a chance to see him again (v. 4) and requested Timothy come quickly: “Do your best to get here before winter” (4:21).

By Alyson Kieda|2021-10-30T09:06:10-04:00October 30th, 2021|

See other authors

God Sings Over You

Read: Zephaniah 3:14–17 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 18–19; 2 Timothy 3

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

[God] will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Seventeen months after our first child—a boy—was born, along came a little girl. I was overjoyed at the thought of having a daughter, but I was also a bit uneasy because while I knew a few things about little boys, this was uncharted territory. We named her Sarah, and one of my privileges was rocking her to sleep so my wife could rest. I’m not sure why, but I started trying to sing her to sleep, and the song of choice was “You Are My Sunshine.” Whether holding her in my arms or standing above her in her crib, I quite literally sang over her, and loved every minute of it. She’s in her twenties now, and I still call her Sunshine.

We usually think about angels singing. But when was the last time you thought about God singing? That’s right—God singing. And furthermore, when was the last time you thought about Him singing over you? Zephaniah is clear in his message to Jerusalem: “The Lord your God” takes great delight in you, so much so that He “rejoice[s] over you with singing” (3:17). Although this message speaks directly to Jerusalem, it’s likely God sings over us—those who have received Jesus as Savior—too! What song does He sing? Well, Scripture’s not clear on that. But the song is born out of His love, so we can trust it’s true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable (Philippians 4:8).

What feelings are stirred when you consider God singing over you? Is that something unbelievable or something comforting? Why?

Good Father, the thought that You would sing over me in joy is such an assurance and comfort. Thank You.

INSIGHT

While the book of Zephaniah (which means “the Lord hides/conceals”) ends on a note of joy and singing in view of God’s restoration (Zephaniah 3:14–20), the bulk of the book records God’s judgment on Judah and the nations. “The day of the Lord” is the primary theme (1:2–3:8). This term refers to a day when God settles accounts with those who oppose Him (a day of judgment) and rewards the remnant of faithful followers (a day of deliverance/salvation). Indeed, “the Mighty Warrior who saves [and] will take great delight in you” (3:17) is also “the Mighty Warrior [who] shouts his battle cry” (1:14). The sovereign God of all the earth has the right to call the nations into account.

By John Blase|2021-10-29T09:06:03-04:00October 29th, 2021|

See other authors

Is God Listening?

Read: 1 John 5:13–15 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 15–17; 2 Timothy 2

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

When I served on my church’s congregational care team, one of my duties was to pray over the requests penciled on pew cards during the services. For an aunt’s health. For a couple’s finances. For a grandson’s discovery of God. Rarely did I hear the results of these prayers. Most were anonymous, and I had no way of knowing how God had responded. I confess that at times I wondered, Was He really listening? Was anything happening as a result of my prayers?

Over our lifetimes, most of us question, “Does God hear me?” I remember my own Hannah-like pleas for a child that went unanswered for years. And there were my pleas that my father find faith, yet he died without any apparent confession.

Etched across the millennia are myriad instances of God’s ear bending to listen: to Israel’s groans under slavery (Exodus 2:24); to Moses on Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 9:19); to Joshua at Gilgal (Joshua 10:14); to Hannah’s prayers for a child (1 Samuel 1:10–17); to David crying out for deliverance from Saul (2 Samuel 22:7).

First John 5:14 crescendos, “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” The word for “hears” means to pay attention and to respond on the basis of having heard.

As we go to God today, may we have the confidence of His listening ear spanning the history of His people. He hears our pleas.

Pause to consider what you’ve most recently asked of God. What motivated you to ask? How can you know that God hears you?

Father, I come asking and trusting You to hear me because You say that You do.

INSIGHT

In 1 John 5:14–15, we find a conditional promise for answered prayer: God hears our prayers and gives us what we ask for when “we ask anything according to his will.” To pray according to God’s will is to “ask for anything that pleases him” (nlt) or “in accord with his own plan” (J. B. Phillips). The psalmist, painfully aware that God’s promise of answered prayer is conditioned upon a right relationship with Him, cautioned, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). The apostle James warns that God won’t give us what we pray for when we “ask with wrong motives, that [we] may spend what [we] get on [our] pleasures” (James 4:3). A right relationship with Jesus is required: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

By Elisa Morgan|2021-10-28T09:06:11-04:00October 28th, 2021|

See other authors

A Purpose in Suffering

Read: Job 42:1–9 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 12–14; 2 Timothy 1

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7

“So what you’re saying is, it may not be my fault.” The woman’s words took me by surprise. Having been a guest speaker at her church, we were now discussing what I’d shared that morning. “I have a chronic illness,” she explained, “and I have prayed, fasted, confessed my sins, and done everything else I was told to do to be healed. But I’m still sick, so I thought I was to blame.”

I felt sad at the woman’s confession. Having been given a spiritual “formula” to fix her problem, she had blamed herself when the formula hadn’t worked. Even worse, this formulaic approach to suffering was disproved generations ago.

Simply put, this old formula says that if you’re suffering, you must have sinned. When Job tragically lost his livestock, children, and health, his friends used the formula on him. “Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” Eliphaz said, suspecting Job’s guilt (Job 4:7). Bildad even told Job that his children only died because they had sinned (8:4). Ignorant of the real cause of Job’s calamities (1:6–2:10), they tormented him with simplistic reasons for his pain, later receiving God’s rebuke (42:7).

Suffering is a part of living in a fallen world. Like Job, it can happen for reasons we may never know. But God has a purpose for you that goes beyond the pain you endure. Don’t get discouraged by falling for simplistic formulas.

How else do you see the “suffering = sin” formula being used? Why do you think it’s still so prevalent?

Great Physician, give me words to heal, not hurt, in times of pain.

INSIGHT

After encountering God face to face, Job finds his anger and questions fading, and even describes himself repenting “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Yet God doesn’t rebuke Job for his questions and in fact suggests that in his grief and pain he was closer to the truth than his friends. In their quickness to defend what they saw as an attack on God, Job’s friends spoke arrogantly and without compassion. They preferred to blame Job for his pain than to have their ideas about God challenged—such as God always protecting the righteous from genuine tragedy. Ironically, in their hurry to defend Him, they “had not spoken the truth about [Him],” while Job had spoken honestly (v. 7). God’s approval of Job reveals that God doesn’t want us to suppress our pain, anger, and hard questions but deeply values genuine, honest relationship with Him.

By Sheridan Voysey|2021-10-27T09:06:02-04:00October 27th, 2021|

See other authors

Set Apart

Read: Romans 1:1–6 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 9–11; 1 Timothy 6

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

Paul was . . . set apart for the gospel of God. Romans 1:1

The three-wheeled taxis of Sri Lanka, known as “tuk tuks,” are a convenient and delightful mode of transport for many. Lorraine, a resident of the capital of Colombo, also realized that they’re a mission field. Hopping onto a tuk tuk one day, she found the friendly driver more than happy to engage in conversation about religion. The next time, she told herself, she would talk to the driver about the good news.

The book of Romans starts with Paul declaring himself as “set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). The Greek word for “gospel” is evangelion, which means “good news.” Paul was essentially saying that his main purpose was to tell God’s good news.

What is this good news? Romans 1:3 says that the gospel of God is “regarding his Son.” The good news is Jesus! It’s God who wants to tell the world that Jesus came to save us from sin and death, and He’s chosen us to be His mode of communication. What a humbling fact!

Sharing the good news is a privilege all believers in Jesus have been given. We’ve “received grace” to call others to this faith (vv. 5–6). God has set us apart to carry the exciting news of the gospel to those around us, whether on tuk tuks or wherever we are. May we, like Lorraine, look for opportunities in our daily life to tell others the good news that is Jesus.

What barriers do you experience in sharing your faith? What talents or interests can you use to present the good news?

Jesus, thank You for making me Your mouthpiece for Your good news. May Your Spirit give me the courage and love to share about You today.

INSIGHT

Paul wrote to the Roman church during his three-month stay in Corinth at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:2–3). Telling them of his proposed visit and soliciting support for his future work in Spain (Romans 1:10–13, 15; 15:23–24, 28–29), he explained the theological foundation of the gospel (chs. 1–8). In chapters 1–3, Paul set out to show that all human beings are sinners, concluding that “all have sinned and fall short” of God’s standards (3:23). We aren’t saved by obeying the law but by God’s action of justifying us through faith in Jesus (1:16–17; 3:22–26). We’re justified (declared righteous and made right with God) by grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), and in Christ alone (solus Christus).

By Asiri Fernando|2021-10-26T09:06:03-04:00October 26th, 2021|

See other authors

The Testing

Read: Genesis 22:1–3, 6–12 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 6–8; 1 Timothy 5

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

Some time later God tested Abraham. Genesis 22:1

The first time I took my sons to hike a Colorado Fourteener—a mountain with an elevation of a least 14,000 feet—they were nervous. Could they make it? Were they up to the challenge? My youngest stopped on the trail for extended breaks. “Dad, I can’t go any more,” he said repeatedly. But I believed this test would be good for them, and I wanted them to trust me. A mile from the peak, my son who’d insisted he could go no further caught his second wind and beat us to the summit. He was so glad he trusted me, even amid his fears.

I marvel at the trust Isaac had in his father as they climbed their mountain. Far more, I’m undone by the trust Abraham had in God as he raised his knife over his son (Genesis 22:10). Even with his confused and wrenching heart, Abraham obeyed. Mercifully, an angel stopped him. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” God’s messenger declared (v. 12). God never intended for Isaac to die.

As we draw parallels from this unique story to our own with caution, it’s crucial to note the opening line: “God tested Abraham” (v. 1). Through his test, Abraham learned how much he trusted God. He discovered His loving heart and profound provision.

In our confusion, darkness, and testing, we learn truths about ourselves and about God. And we may even find that our testing leads to a deeper trust in Him.

How do you believe you’ve been tested by God? What was that experience like, and what did you take away from it?

God, I don’t know if what I’m experiencing is Your testing or not, but either way, I want to trust You. I give my future to You.

INSIGHT

Genesis 22:1, 15–18 make it clear that God tested Abraham to examine his heart. While God may test our faith and obedience (James 1:2–4), He never tempts us to do wrong (v. 13). The writer of Hebrews commended the patriarch’s deep faith: “Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again” (Hebrews 11:19 nlt). The apostle James said that “Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. . . . His actions made his faith complete” (James 2:21–22 nlt).

By Winn Collier|2021-10-25T09:06:06-04:00October 25th, 2021|

See other authors

Talk, Trust, Feel

Read: Romans 8:14–21 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 3–5; 1 Timothy 4

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear. Romans 8:15

“Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel was the law we lived by,” says Frederick Buechner in his powerful memoir Telling Secrets, “and woe to the one who broke it.” Buechner is describing his experience of what he calls the “unwritten law of families who for one reason or another have gone out of whack.” In his own family, that “law” meant Buechner was not allowed to talk about or grieve his father’s suicide, leaving him with no one he could trust with his pain.

Can you relate? Many of us in one way or another have learned to live with a warped version of love, one that demands dishonesty or silence about what’s harmed us. That kind of “love” relies on fear for control—and is a kind of slavery.

We can’t afford to forget just how different Jesus’ invitation to love is from the kind of conditional love we often experience—a kind of love we’re always afraid we could lose. As Paul explains, through Christ’s love we can finally understand what it means to not live in fear (Romans 8:15) and start to understand the kind of glorious freedom (v. 21) that’s possible when we know we’re deeply, truly, and unconditionally loved. We’re free to talk, to trust, and to feel once more—to learn what it means to live unafraid.

Are there any unspoken “rules” you’ve learned as conditions for acceptance and love? How might you live differently if you believed you didn’t have to follow those rules to be loved?

Loving God, at times I’m afraid to live honestly with myself and with others—thinking that by doing so I’ll no longer be loved. Heal my heart, and help me believe in and live for the glory, freedom, and joy Your love makes possible.

INSIGHT

Romans 7 deals with the conflict we face with sin and concludes by Paul saying, “I myself . . . am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (v. 25). In contrast, Romans 8 begins with this magnificent assurance: “Therefore, there is no now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (v. 1). Believers in Jesus are now free to live out the joyous victory found by following Him. Verse 5 provides the key: “Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is absolutely crucial. And so verse 14 appropriately says, “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” It’s this Spirit that “testifies with our spirit that we’re God’s children” (v. 16).

By Monica La Rose|2021-10-24T09:06:09-04:00October 24th, 2021|

See other authors

Wise Christians

Read: Luke 16:1–9 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. Luke 16:8

The coronavirus pandemic resulted in canceled schools around the world. In China, teachers responded with DingTalk, a digital app that enabled class to be held online. Then their students figured out that if DingTalk’s rating fell too low, it might be removed from the App Store. Overnight, thousands of one-star reviews dropped DingTalk’s score.

Jesus wouldn’t be impressed with the students shirking their responsibilities, but He might admire their ingenuity. He told an unusual story about a fired manager who on his final day slashed the bills of his master’s debtors. Jesus didn’t praise the manager’s dishonesty. Rather He commended his cleverness and wished His followers would be equally shrewd: “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).

When it comes to money, most people look at how much they might lose. Wise people look for what they can use. Jesus said giving to others “gain[s] friends,” which provides safety and influence. Who is the leader in any group? The one who pays. Giving also gains “eternal dwellings,” for our willingness to part with our cash shows our trust is in Jesus.

Even if we don’t have money, we do have time, skills, or a listening ear. Let’s ask God to show us how to creatively serve others for Jesus.

Who does Jesus want you to serve today? How might you creatively use your skills, money, or time to bless this person?

Jesus, I want to give to others for You.

INSIGHT

The main character in the story Jesus told in Luke 16:1–8 is referred to as a “manager.” The word translated “manager” is oikonómos. Such persons were in charge of household affairs (to include finances, servants, children, flocks, and fields). Though English translations don’t necessarily reflect this, words derived from this root word appear seven times in this passage, including what’s translated “my job” in verses 3 and 4. In 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 and Titus 1:7, Paul uses oikonómos to refer to Christian leaders. Peter uses the term to refer to believers in Jesus in general (1 Peter 4:10). Each has been entrusted with gifts and responsibilities for which we’re accountable to God. Wisely using these gifts and responsibilities goes with good stewardship.

By Mike Wittmer|2021-10-23T09:06:09-04:00October 23rd, 2021|

See other authors

Live to Serve

Read: 1 Peter 4:8–11 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2

Download MP3

Subscribe to iTunes

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

After ten-year-old Chelsea received an elaborate art set, she discovered that God used art to help her feel better when she was sad. When she found out that some kids didn’t have art supplies readily available, she wanted to help them. So when it was time for her birthday party, she asked her friends not to bring her gifts. Instead, she invited them to donate art supplies and help fill boxes for children in need.

Later, with her family’s help, she started Chelsea’s Charity. She began asking more people to help her fill boxes so she could help more kids. She has even taught art tips to groups who have received her boxes. After a local newscaster interviewed Chelsea, people started donating supplies from all over the country. As Chelsea’s Charity continues sending art supplies internationally, this young girl is demonstrating how God can use us when we’re willing to live to serve others.

Chelsea’s compassion and willingness to share reflects the heart of a faithful steward. The apostle Peter encourages all believers in Jesus to be faithful stewards as they “love each other deeply” by sharing the resources and talents God has given them (1 Peter 4:8–11).

Our small acts of love can inspire others to join us in giving. God can even rally supporters to serve alongside us. As we rely on Him, we can live to serve and give Him the glory He deserves.

How can you rely on God to help you serve others today? In what way has God been nudging you to serve Him that seems too big for you to handle alone?

Faithful Father, please give me all I need to serve You by loving others with my words and actions today.

INSIGHT

Writing to believers in Jesus who are suffering because of persecution (1 Peter 4:12–16), Peter tells them not to be fearful but to remain faithful, to “revere Christ as Lord” (3:14–15), and to live in a way that honors God before a hostile and unbelieving world (2:11–12). In today’s passage (4:8–11), he encourages believers to “love each other deeply” (v. 8), which is demonstrated when we forgive one another, offer hospitality (v. 9), and unselfishly use our spiritual gifts to serve one another (v. 10). Believers aren’t to use their gifts for their own selfish ends but be “good managers of God’s diverse gifts” (ceb); we’re to responsibly use them to edify others and glorify God (v. 11). Elsewhere, the apostle Paul lists some of these spiritual gifts and how they’re to be used (Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–31; Ephesians 4:11–16).

By Xochitl Dixon|2021-10-22T09:06:06-04:00October 22nd, 2021|

See other authors

Redeeming the Season

INSIGHT

A New Calling

INSIGHT

God Sings Over You

INSIGHT

Is God Listening?

INSIGHT

A Purpose in Suffering

INSIGHT

Set Apart

INSIGHT

The Testing

INSIGHT

Talk, Trust, Feel

INSIGHT

Wise Christians

INSIGHT

Live to Serve

INSIGHT

Daily

Topics

Discover

Resources

Get Involved