Our Daily Bread -- Turn It Off August 23, 2015

Read: Mark 6:30-32,45-47 Bible in a Year: Psalms 113-115; 1 Corinthians 6 Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. —Mark 6:31 When our kids were young, we took a trip to northern Wisconsin to visit my grandparents. They didn’t get very good reception on their television, but TV wasn’t much of a priority with them. After I had seen our son Scott fiddling with the TV set for a while, he asked with frustration, “What do you do if you can get only one channel and you don’t like what’s on that one?” “Try turning it off, ” I said with a smile. Not exactly the advice he was hoping for. It’s even more difficult to do now, especially when there are so many devices that entertain, inform, and distract us. Sometimes we do need to just turn it all off and rest our minds for a little while; we simply need to “unplug.” Jesus often drew aside for a time—especially when He wanted to take time to pray (Matt. 14:13). He encouraged the disciples to step away as well—even for a brief time (Mark 6:31). That kind of solitude and time for reflection is beneficial for each of us. In those moments we are able to draw near to God. Follow the example and wisdom of Christ. Get away by yourself and “rest a while.” It will be good for your body, mind, and spirit. —Cindy Hess Kasper Lord, help me to seek those things which are from above. I want to turn off all that distracts me and draw near to You.Share this prayer from our Facebook page with your friends. facebook.com/ourdailybread Turning down the volume of life allows you to listen carefully to God. INSIGHT: Mark 6 is a pivotal chapter in this gospel account. It begins with the people of Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth rejecting Him (vv. 1-6). This experience is compounded by the death of John the Baptist (vv. 14-29)—a person Jesus loved and honored (Matt. 11:1-11; 14:1-13). These moments of difficulty, however, did not impede Jesus’ continuing work. The chapter concludes with two of His most notable miracles: His feeding of the multitude (vv. 30-44) and His walking on water (vv. 45-56). Great heartache and power combine to make this chapter so strategic in Mark’s gospel. Bill Crowder Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 299 - The Bible: Understand It

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 The Bible: Understand It Day 299 "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119:130). When you approach God's Word with a grieving, desperate spirit, you are more open to listen to what God is saying to you through the Bible. It is an amazing experience when you come to the point where you feel you can't survive another moment without God's Word, when God's Word becomes your lifeline and your necessary focus. Then you will understand the power of God's Word, and you will understand the strength of surrendering. Dr. Norman Peart says, "During a time of grief and difficulty, spending time in God's Word is really more significant; it's at a higher level because you are more open to what He is saying and what you may not have heard before. You are in a situation where every word means something; every word could be life or death in just how you feel." Lord, Your Word has penetrated my darkness. I want a better vision of who You are. I have been blind for so long. Draw me to the light of understanding. 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 -- It’s What We Do August 22, 2015

Read: Psalm 112 Bible in a Year: Psalms 110-112; 1 Corinthians 5 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. —Proverbs 14:26 My father was critically injured when he took a bullet in the leg as a second lieutenant leading his men on Hill 609 in North Africa during World War II. Dad was never again 100 percent physically. I was born several years after this, and when I was young I didn’t even know he had been wounded. I found out later when someone told me. Although he felt constant pain in his leg, my dad never complained about it, and he never used it as an excuse for not providing for our family. My parents loved the Savior and raised us to love, trust, and serve Him. Through good times and bad, they simply trusted God, worked hard, and loved us unconditionally. Proverbs 14:26 says that “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge” (niv). My dad did that for our family. No matter what difficulties he faced, he provided a safe place for us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We parents can provide a safe haven for our families with the help of our perfect heavenly Father, whose love for His children is deep and eternal. —Dave Branon How has God been a Father to you? In what ways do you honor Him in your family life?Share your answers to that question on odb.org The Father’s love knows no limit. INSIGHT: This psalm is the second of a series of “Hallelujah Psalms” (Pss. 111-117), so named because they all begin with “Hahelu Yah” or “Praise the Lord.” Psalm 112 develops the concluding thought of Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm 112 celebrates the blessedness of the person who diligently and lovingly obeys the Lord’s commands (v. 1). That person is honorable, gracious, kind, honest, and known for integrity (vv. 5-9). In contrast, the psalm describes the emptiness and the grievous end of the wicked (v.10). Sim Kay Tee Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 298 - The Bible: Meditate on It

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 The Bible: Meditate on It Day 298 What does it mean to meditate on Scripture? "The word meditation in Scripture is literally the word for a cow chewing its cud. That's actually a pretty good metaphor. Read the Scripture passage a first time. Then read it a second time. Read it a third time. Like many people during grief, you are being bombarded by so many different emotions, thoughts, relatives coming, and things to do that your attention span gets shriveled. Take the time to meditate on Scripture," says Dr. John Trent. Reflect on God's Word. Examine it. Question it. Remember it. Always pray. "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). Lord God, may Your Word be my delight as I "chew" on it daily. 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 -- Continuing with Christ August 21, 2015

Read: 1 Kings 19:19-21 Bible in a Year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4 Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. —Matthew 16:25 As a child, my favorite week of the summer was the one I spent at a Christian youth camp. At the end of the week, I’d sit elbow-to-elbow with friends in front of an enormous bonfire. There, we would share what we had learned about God and the Bible and sing. One song I still remember focused on deciding to follow Jesus. The chorus contained an important phrase: “no turning back.” When Elisha decided to follow the prophet Elijah, Elisha did something incredible that made it difficult, impossible really, for him to return to his prior occupation of farming. After going home and having a farewell banquet, Elisha “took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them” (1 Kings 19:21). Leaving his way of life, he burned up his plowing equipment. He roasted the freshly butchered meat over the blaze and fed everyone present. Then “[Elisha] arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant” (v. 21). Giving ourselves to God, who deserves our devotion, often comes with a price. At times, it means making difficult decisions about relationships, finances, and living arrangements. However, nothing compares with what we gain when we continue on with Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt Father, help me to see if there’s something You want me to leave behind to follow You completely. Jesus is looking for fulltime followers. INSIGHT: It is often difficult to understand the significance of some events in Scripture without a knowledge of the cultural context. Today’s story of Elijah and Elisha is an example of this. Two elements that carry significance are the placing of the cloak on Elisha (19:19 niv) and the slaughtering of the oxen to feed the people (v. 21). The placing of the cloak represented a significant calling. A person could not simply choose to be Elijah’s apprentice; that person was chosen and it was a great honor. The slaughtering of the oxen, the burning of the plowing equipment, and the feeding of the people signified a deliberate leaving of Elisha’s former life to follow Elijah. It was a public statement of Elisha’s new identity. J.R. Hudberg Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2015, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription