Our Daily Bread

Bill is a successful businessman and a personal friend of mine. He loves to tell about the dramatic change in his life since he received Jesus as his Savior. Many people have been deeply impressed by Bill’s testimony, but one man told me that he viewed it as “emotional and irrational.” In fact, he implied that my sanity was open to question because I put so much stock in what Bill said.

A woman from one of the world’s poorer countries was visiting Toronto. While there, she stayed in the home of a woman who worked for a worldwide relief organization.

Many years ago, a young heavy-weight fighter held the world boxing title. But his reign was short-lived. He was a power hitter—strong as a bull. But he hadn’t learned how to avoid getting hit. He also had a problem exercising self-discipline in his social life. As a result, he soon lost his title.

Some members of a church were sharing their favorite Scripture passages with each other. A number of verses were quoted, most of them on salvation, assurance, or God’s provision. One elderly man, though, stood up and said that his favorite words in the Bible were “It came to pass.” He continued, “When sickness strikes, it encourages me to know that it will pass. When I find myself in trouble, I know it won’t last forever. I’ll soon be able to say, ‘It came to pass.’”

One of England’s distinguished statesmen, Sir Fred Catherwood, offers an insightful analysis of the world. He writes, “We look back today because we dare not look forward. We live in a violent, greedy, rootless, cynical, and hopeless society, and we don’t know what’s to become of it all. . . . As we stop believing in the dignity of man and woman made in the image of God, violence has risen dramatically. . . . The social pillars of society have been shaken. All down [through] the centuries, governments have had moral guidelines to tell them how to shape the social structures. Now . . . they do not know what to do.”

After moving to a rural area, I discovered that my fax machine would transmit messages but could not receive them. Every incoming message was cut off and labeled with the frustrating words: “Communication Error. Line disconnected during reception.”

Some parents raise their children with harsh authority, but wise parents exercise their authority with lots of TLC—tender loving care!

Every few years my family holds a reunion at a park near Lake Michigan. We don’t see one another very often, so we’re always amazed at how much the grandchildren have grown or how much the children look like their parents. I look forward to the picnic because I’m reminded that I’m part of a family.

We make choices every day. Some people, though, insist that we are biological computers programmed by elements over which we have no control.

When you’re 9 years old, you don’t want to think a lot about the future. That’s why it sometimes doesn’t do any good to explain to my son Steven the long-term advantages of struggling through long division and practicing the piano. While I’m trying to convince him that he needs to be preparing for his future, his mind is set on enjoying the present.