Our Daily Bread

In a New York Times interview, a widely recognized man voiced his displeasure with a fast-food chain in whose TV commercials he had appeared. He felt that the quality of some of the items he advertised had been diminishing. Since people associated his name with the product, he didn’t want the corporation’s lowered standards to damage his own name.

Poor Jacob had reached the end of his rope. Hearing upsetting news from his sons who had just returned from Egypt, he said in utter dismay, “Everything is against me!” (Gen. 42:36 NIV).

Phillips Brooks, former minister of Boston’s Trinity Episcopal Church, is perhaps best known as the author of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” He was a very busy pastor, yet he always seemed relaxed and unburdened, willing to take time for anyone in need.

I was in my second year of widowhood and I was struggling. Morning after morning my prayer life consisted of one daily sigh: “Lord, I shouldn’t be struggling like this!” “And why not?” His still, small voice asked me from within one morning.

Man has always wondered about the origin of life. The ancient Egyptians believed that frogs and toads originated in the silt of the Nile. Aristotle believed that worms came from dew and slime, and that mice sprang into life out of dank soil.

Are most people happy? Dennis Wholey, author of Are You Happy? reports that according to expert opinion, perhaps only 20 percent of Americans are happy.

God hates slanderers. They are scoundrels and villains with hidden hatred in their hearts and deceit in their mouths.

Some evening when you have a spare moment, get out your old checkbook registers and read through the entries. You may find it interesting, and perhaps somewhat startling, to discover just how the money you’ve earned has been spent.

Linus Mandy wrote, “A friend was telling me she helped out at a kid’s summer camp a few years ago. After rounding up the troops for the night, she told them, ‘Let’s go to sleep and put our cares in God’s hands.’ ‘Yeah,’ said one of the kids, ‘He’s up all night anyway!’”

That’s okay with me. Children need good role models and examples. And Maravich was a Christian. But I would be disappointed if my children didn’t see Jesus Christ modeled in my life also and want to be like Him. That’s why when Stevie tells me that Jesus is his best friend, I’m a happy dad.

People who clearly understand their own strengths and weaknesses are better able to accept themselves as they are and accomplish more in life. They can identify with the person who said, “I’m only someone, but I am someone. I can’t do everything, but I can do something.”

In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida, destroying homes, businesses, and lives. The cost of that terrible disaster cannot be estimated only in terms of millions upon millions of dollars. What about the incalculable human suffering—physical, emotional, and spiritual? If people lost faith in God and prayer, they sustained the worst loss of all.

While stationed in England during World War II, I received word that my 20-year-old brother Cornelius had been killed in action. The news hit me hard, but God immediately comforted me with the assurance that Cornie was safe with Jesus. The peace of God took possession of me.

Romans 8:28—how easily and how often this Bible reference rolls off our tongues! But perhaps we need to grasp more fully what this verse is really saying.

John Chrysostom was one of the most captivating preachers of the early Christian church. However, he recognized that even great orators cannot make everyone listen.

When evangelist John Wesley (1703–1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature.

Is death the absolute end of human existence? Not according to Ben Franklin. While scholars differ as to what he believed, there is no dispute that he believed firmly in the resurrection of the body. This epitaph he composed for himself:

When our son Stephen was eight, he was invited to stay overnight at a cousin’s house. It was his first time away from home and it all sounded like an exciting adventure. But when we got ready to leave, he started getting that homesick feeling! With tears glistening in his eyes and his voice quavering, he cried, “Mommy, I don’t feel so good. I’d better go home with you.”

Bible reading and the teaching of Christian values are no longer permitted in many school systems in the Western world. This is not the case in Eastern Europe, however.

When Hannah dedicated Samuel to God, she meant business. She didn’t just take him to the temple for dedication; she left him there. She turned him over to Eli to bring him up in God’s service.