Our Daily Bread

[snowyangel]

Barren But Not Bitter

Read: Luke 1:5-17

They were both righteous before God . . . . But they had no child. —Luke 1:6-7

Bible In One Year: Isaiah 64-66




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Barrenness, whether physical or spiritual, can lead to bitterness in some of God's people. It can develop in the heart of a disappointed couple who cannot have a child. It can also occur when people serve God and see no results.

A missionary couple who served diligently for many years with no visible fruit asked in frustration, "Have we wasted our lives?" A young pastor and his wife labored 5 years for a thankless, unresponsive congregation, pouring out their lives for their people. "Do they even care?" the woman asked.

Zacharias and Elizabeth, mentioned in Luke 1, are a model for anyone who is facing physical or spiritual barrenness. The aged couple had an impeccable reputation, having faithfully and obediently served the Lord for many years (v.6). They had prayed for children, but none came. Yet instead of becoming bitter, they kept serving and obeying the Lord. In His time, God honored Zacharias and Elizabeth with a son named John, the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah (vv.13-17).

To avoid developing a bitter spirit in your life, faithfully serve and obey the Lord in the place where He has called you. Trust God to bless you in His time, in His way, and according to His plan. —Dave Egner

Lord, keep me from being bitter
When things don't go my way,
And grant me Your grace and wisdom
To do Your will today. —Fitzhugh

Be faithful—and leave the results with God.

[snowyangel]

Caught Red-Handed

Read: Jeremiah 2:4-19

The prophets . . . walked after things that do not profit. —Jeremiah 2:8

Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 1-2




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A small plane loaded with cocaine valued at $20 million was intercepted by federal agents as it flew over the Florida coast. Suddenly, bales of cocaine began falling out of the sky. One dropped in a church parking lot. Another hit a housetop. Several others came down in the Everglades.

When the plane landed at a small airstrip near Homestead Air Force Base, four bundles of cocaine were still on board. Two men were arrested and charged with offenses that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives. What irony! Something they thought was so profitable suddenly became so condemning.

The Israelites and their leaders also went after what they thought would be profitable for them—they followed foreign gods (Jeremiah 2:5). But the Lord told them they were going after "things that do not profit" (v.8), and their own sin was condemning them (v.19). When intercepted by God, they stood accused not only by Him but also by their own actions. They could not elude the eyes of the Lord nor escape His justice.

We all stand guilty before the Lord and in need of His forgiveness (Romans 3:23). But because He loved us enough to send His Son to die in our place, we can find—before it is too late—the mercy no human court can offer. —Mart De Haan II


Sin-laden soul with your shame and disgrace,
Jesus stands ready your sin to erase;
Gladly He suffered and died in your place—
Why not receive His forgiveness and grace? —D. De Haan

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. —Romans 6:23