Our Daily Bread -- A Voice in the Night June 28, 2015

Read: Psalm 134 Bible in a Year: Job 11-13; Acts 9:1-21 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord! —Psalm 134:2 Psalm 134 has only three verses, but it is proof that little things can mean a lot. The first two verses are an admonition to the priests who serve in God’s house night after night. The building was dark and empty; nothing of consequence was occurring—or so it seemed. Yet these ministers were encouraged to “lift up [their] hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” (v. 2 esv). The third verse is a voice from the congregation calling into the darkness and loneliness of the night: “The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you.” I think of other servants of the Lord today—pastors and their families who serve in small churches in small places. They’re often discouraged, tempted to lose heart, doing their best, serving unnoticed and unrewarded. They wonder if anyone cares what they’re doing; if anyone ever thinks of them, prays for them, or considers them a part of their lives. I would say to them—and to anyone who is feeling lonely or insignificant: Though your place is small, it is a holy place. The one who made and moves heaven and earth is at work in and through you. “Lift up your hands” and praise Him. —David H. Roper Lord, show me how I can be an encourager of others who might feel they are in a “small” place. Let them know that their lives leave an eternal impact on those they serve. Anyone doing God’s work in God’s way is important in His sight. INSIGHT: Psalms can be instructive in describing various expressions of worship. Today’s psalm encourages those who are involved in ministry in the temple to lift up their hands. This psalm is descriptive and tells us what is happening, rather than prescriptive telling us what should happen. We are not wrong if we do not hold up our hands in worship, but we have the freedom to use this expression of praise to God. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 243 - Honesty with God

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Honesty with God Day 243 Yes, God already knows your every thought, emotion, and struggle, but He wants you to come to Him and admit your struggles and give Him your burdens. Let this be a daily action. God is greater than everything you currently face and anything you will ever go through. "You need to be honest," says Dr. Norman Peart. "You need to come and let the Lord know what's already there. You may often try to be "religious" or "Christian"—and come with a facade. In reality you're doing yourself a great disservice because He wants to reach that deepest point in your life, and it only comes when you open your life and show Him what He already knows. Just let it come, let it flow. He can deal with it." God desires your sincere heart. What a comfort to know that you do not have to pretend with God. "In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God" (2 Corinthians 2:17). Lord of all, I want to be honest with You—no more pretending, no more holding it all in. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- The Whole Story June 27, 2015

Read: Acts 8:26-37 Bible in a Year: Job 8-10; Acts 8:26-40 Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. —Acts 8:35 Recently my 5-year-old grandson, Dallas, asked, “Why did Jesus die on the cross?” So we had a little talk. I explained to him about sin and Jesus’ willingness to be our sacrifice. Then he ran off to play. A few minutes later, I overheard him talking to his 5-year-old cousin, Katie, explaining to her why Jesus died. Katie said to him, “But Jesus isn’t dead.” Dallas replied, “Yes. He’s dead. Grampy told me. He died on the cross.” I realized I hadn’t completed the story. So we had another talk as I explained to Dallas that Jesus rose from the dead. We went over the story again until he understood that Jesus is alive today, even though He did die for us. What a reminder that people need to hear the whole gospel. When a man from Ethiopia asked Philip about a portion of Scripture he did not understand, Philip “opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). Tell others the good news about Jesus: that we are all sinners needing salvation; that the perfect Son of God died to save us; and that He rose from the grave, showing His power over death. Jesus, our Savior, is alive and is offering now to live His life through us. When someone wants to know about Jesus, let’s make sure to tell the whole story! —Dave Branon Lord, Your story is amazing. Help us to tell all of it so others can put their faith in You and enjoy the salvation You offer to all who trust and believe. Jesus said . . . , “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25 INSIGHT: Two followers of Christ named Philip are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is the Philip Jesus called to be a disciple (John 1:43). The Philip mentioned in today’s passage was among the seven men chosen to oversee the ministry to the widows at the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 242 - Receive God's Help

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Receive God’s Help Day 242 Even though you may not understand why you feel stuck in grief, the Lord understands everything about you. He still works miracles. Tell Him what your needs are. Confess your failures, and receive help from Him. "Because God created you in His image, you are of great worth to Him," said Dr. Bill Bright. "He can lift your load instantly if you let Him. Cast all your cares on the Lord. He is not only a God of power and wisdom, He's a God of love. His love matches His creative power, so you can trust Him with everything." God will help you. He knows you better than anyone; He knows what goes on inside your heart and mind. Trust in Him to help you break free from the chains that bind you. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). Lord, I cannot understand why You care so much for me, but today I give you my emotions, actions, reactions, and attitudes. I take these burdens off my own back and place them in Your arms. Transform my life, Jesus. Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- Hidden Mysteries June 26, 2015

Read: 2 Kings 6:15-23 Bible in a Year: Job 5-7; Acts 8:1-25 Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. —2 Kings 6:16 Most of what goes on in the universe we never see. Many things are too small or move too fast or even too slow for us to see. Using modern technology, however, filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg is able to show stunning video images of some of those things—a caterpillar’s mouth, the eye of a fruit fly, the growth of a mushroom. Our limited ability to see the awesome and intricate detail of things in the physical world reminds us that our ability to see and understand what’s happening in the spiritual realm is equally limited. God is at work all around us doing things more wonderful than we can imagine. But our spiritual vision is limited and we cannot see them. The prophet Elisha, however, actually got to see the supernatural work that God was doing. God also opened the eyes of his fearful colleague so he too could see the heavenly army sent to fight on their behalf (2 Kings 6:17). Fear makes us feel weak and helpless and causes us to think we are alone in the world. But God has assured us that His Spirit in us is greater than any worldly power (1 John 4:4). Whenever we become discouraged by the evil we can see, we need to think instead about the good work God is doing that we cannot see. —Julie Ackerman Link Lord, I’m tempted to fear what I cannot understand or control. But my security rests in You and not in what happens to me or around me. Help me to rest in Your unfailing love. Eyes of faith see God at work in everything. INSIGHT: Scripture speaks of unseen angels protecting God’s people (Ps. 34:7; Dan. 3:25-28; Matt. 4:6; Acts 5:19; 12:7). They are God’s “servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14 nlt). Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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