2003 January | Our Daily Bread

The Judge's Compassion

By Vernon C. Grounds on January 31, 2003

During his years as mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia sometimes presided as judge in a night court. In one case, a man was found guilty of stealing a loaf of bread. He pleaded that he had committed that theft to feed his starving family. “The law is the law,” La Guardia declared. “I must therefore fine you $10.” When the man sadly confessed that he had no money, the judge took $10 out of his wallet and paid the fine. He also asked each person in the courtroom to contribute 50 cents to help the man.

Building A Life

By Joanie Yoder on January 30, 2003

It was a sunny, sad day in 1982—the day after my husband’s funeral. I had gone alone to Bill’s grave, hardly knowing why. As with Mary Magdalene who visited Jesus’ tomb, the risen Lord was waiting for me. He impressed the words of Philippians 1:21 on my mind, still numbed by Bill’s untimely death from cancer.

Who Is Jabez?

By Albert Lee on January 29, 2003

Chinese New Year celebrations are fun for children. When relatives and friends get together, it’s the custom for adults to give children small, red envelopes containing token sums of money. Children often rip open their packets just to get the money, and their parents have to remind them that the giver is more important than the gift.

Be Careful!

By David H. Roper on January 28, 2003

Several years ago my wife Carolyn and I were hiking on Mount Rainier in Washington when we came to a swollen, glacial stream. Someone had flattened one side of a log and dropped it across the river to form a crude bridge, but there was no handrail and the log was slippery.

The Reason And The Risk

By Mart De Haan on January 27, 2003

It was the kind of moment that people have nightmares about. A tanker truck filled with 2,500 gallons of propane gas caught fire while parked at a fuel storage warehouse. The flames shot 30 to 40 feet out of the back of the truck and quickly spread to a loading dock. Several large tanks nearby were in danger of exploding.

The Value Of A Life

By Dave Branon on January 26, 2003

A British factory worker and his wife were excited when, after many years of marriage, they discovered they were going to have their first child. According to author Jill Briscoe, who told this true story, the man eagerly relayed the good news to his fellow workers. He told them God had answered his prayers. But they made fun of him for asking God for a child.

Blaming God

By Herbert Vander Lugt on January 25, 2003

It’s bad enough to blame our parents, peers, or circumstances for our sins, but it’s much worse to blame God. I read about a person on a weight-loss program who bought some donuts. When asked why, he implied that it was God’s fault, because He had opened up a parking place right in front of the bakery just as he was driving by.

Happy Without

By Vernon C. Grounds on January 24, 2003

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC) believed that if you are truly wise you will not be obsessed with possessions. Practicing to an extreme what he preached, he even refused to wear shoes.

Just A Messenger

By David C. McCasland on January 23, 2003

Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, appeared in more than 800 television commercials. He offered his homespun humor and “old-fashioned hamburgers” to a worldwide audience. Viewers saw him as friendly, funny, believable, and caring. In spite of his popularity, though, Thomas always said he was “the messenger, not the message.”

The Critic

By David C. Egner on January 22, 2003

When I was a teenager, a family joined our congregation. The wife was quiet, but the husband was loud, critical, and overbearing. I was standing nearby one Sunday morning when he stormed up to the pastor and verbally attacked him for something he had said in the sermon. The man’s voice was loud, his tone disrespectful.

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