Our Daily Bread -- The View from the Mountain February 21, 2016

Read: Philippians 4:8-13 Bible in a Year: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above. —Colossians 3:1 Our valley in Idaho can be very cold in the winter. Clouds and fog roll in and blanket the ground, trapping frigid air under warmer layers above. But you can get above the valley. There’s a road nearby that winds up the flank of Shafer Butte, a 7,500-foot mountain that rises out of our valley. A few minutes of driving and you break out of the fog and emerge into the warmth and brilliance of a sunlit day. You can look down on the clouds that shroud the valley below and see it from a different point of view. Life is like that at times. Circumstances seem to surround us with a fog that sunlight cannot penetrate. Yet faith is the way we get above the valley—the means by which we “set [our] hearts on things above” (Col. 3:1). As we do, the Lord enables us to rise above our circumstances and find courage and calmness for the day. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11). We can climb out of our misery and gloom. We can sit for a time on the mountainside and through Christ who gives us strength (v. 13) we can gain a different perspective. —David Roper Although I can’t always see You or what You’re doing, Lord, I rest in Your love for me. Share this prayer from our Facebook page. Faith can lift you above your fears. INSIGHT: Paul begins this section of his letter to the church at Philippi with the Greek word loipon (finally), signaling that this is his conclusion to the subject he’s been dealing with. In previous verses the apostle has been urging his readers to live lives that are free from anxiety and quarreling. Their interactions with one another are to be marked by prayer, thankfulness, gentleness, unity, and peace. But his final word in this section goes beyond outward behavior. It deals with attitudes of the heart and mind. Ponder heavenly things, he tells them. Think well and deeply about things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 113 - When You Want to End the Pain

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 When You Want to End the Pain Day 113 One of the most destructive choices you could consider as you deal with grief and loss is the possibility of suicide. Although your motivation may be to end the pain, you will actually inflict a greater pain on those you leave behind. For those of you who have lost a loved one through suicide, you know firsthand the deep heartache and overwhelming emotions that occur as a result. Shelly's son committed suicide. She shares: "There was pain so deep that I didn't know if I was going to be able to get up sometimes. I was like, 'Lord, I don't think I can go another twenty-five years or however long I may have on this earth. I don't think I can handle this amount of pain.'" Katie, whose husband committed suicide, says, "Nobody knows what it is like until you have to go through it." These emotions are normal, but if you actually begin to form a plan to end your life—if you feel it is worthless to continue or that you cannot handle the pain any longer—you need to call your pastor or a doctor immediately. You need professional support for this kind of crisis. Your friends cannot take the place of professional counselors, but they will be a support for you. Many people love you dearly and would give anything to reach out and help you. Remember, though, that other people cannot know what you are thinking or feeling unless you open up and tell them. Reach out to other people, continue to build relationships, and do not close yourself off. Let people love you even when they don't understand you. Jesus has promised you hope and healing for the future. You will receive and be reminded of this hope through your relationships with other people as you let God's love flow through them to you. Let God minister His love to you today. "The Father himself loves you dearly" (John 16:27 NLT). Holy God, teach me how to love and be loved. 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 -- Four Ways to Look February 20, 2016

Read: Psalm 77:1-15 Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. —Psalm 77:12 Joan was struggling with some difficult issues with her children when she sat down for a worship service. Exhausted, she wanted to "resign" from motherhood. Then the speaker began to share encouragement for those who feel like quitting. These four thoughts that Joan heard that morning helped her to keep going: Look up and pray. Asaph prayed all night long and even expressed feelings that God had forgotten and rejected him (Ps. 77:9-10). We can tell God everything and be honest about our feelings. We can ask Him anything. His answer may not come right away or in the form we want or expect, but He won't criticize us for asking. Look back and remember what God has done in the past for you and others. Asaph didn't talk to God only about the pain; he also recalled God's power and mighty works for him and God’s people. He wrote, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago" (v. 11). Look forward. Think about the good that might come out of the situation. What might you learn? What might God want to do? What do you know He will do because His ways are perfect? (v.13). Look again. This time look at your circumstances with eyes of faith. Remind yourself that He is the God of great wonders and can be trusted (v. 14). May these ideas help us gain perspective and keep moving in our faith journey with Jesus. —Anne Cetas Lord, I can’t help but see my problems. Help me not to be discouraged and weary, but to see You in the midst of them. Our problems are opportunities to discover God’s solutions. INSIGHT: Asaph, Jeduthun (or Ethan), and Heman were musicians who led temple worship (1 Chron. 16:42; 2 Chron. 5:12). The superscription to Psalm 77 says Asaph wrote this psalm for Jeduthun. Asaph writes of his sense of abandonment, distress, and anguish when God did not respond to his cries for deliverance from his trials and suffering (vv. 1-10). But when he remembered and recounted the mighty works God had done for His people in the past (vv. 11-12) and when he reflected and meditated on God’s holiness (v. 13), he was assured of God’s greatness, goodness, and guidance (vv. 14-20). Where God leads, He protects and provides (v. 20). Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 112 - Tempted to Give Up?

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 Tempted to Give Up? Day 112 You may feel you would rather escape than endure. But remember, it is always too soon to give up. God sent His angels to rescue Daniel only after he was in the lion's den (Daniel 6:19-21). Paul says God rescued him after he had the "sentence of death" within him (2 Corinthians 1:9). God rescued Peter from prison the night before he was to be executed (Acts 12:4-11). Even at the last moment, He can rescue you. Never give up. "Whatever string you can find to hold on to, whatever you know about God in your heart, hang on to it with everything you have. Then stand back and see His glory," says Janet Paschal, whose grandfather died. When it seems that there is nothing left to live for, God will prove Himself true. Focus on Him and do not let your thoughts stray for a moment. Job initially wanted God to take his life: "Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off!" (Job 6:8-9). But if God had granted Job's request, he would never have seen God's blessing in the end. The book of Habakkuk encourages you to trust in God and persevere no matter how bad things seem: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights" (Habakkuk 3:17-19). Savior God, I see nothing but darkness, but in this darkness I grasp at a pinpoint of light, which is my knowledge of You. I will hold on to this, Lord, with all the strength I can muster, for You alone are my hope. 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

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Our Daily Bread -- The Voice of Faith February 19, 2016

Read: Habakkuk 3:16-19 Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45 Though the fig tree does not bud . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord. —Habakkuk 3:17-18 The news was numbing. The tears came so quickly that she couldn’t fight them. Her mind raced with questions, and fear threatened to overwhelm her. Life had been going along so well, when it was abruptly interrupted and forever changed without warning. Tragedy can come in many forms—the loss of a loved one, an illness, the loss of wealth or our livelihood. And it can happen to anyone at any time. Although the prophet Habakkuk knew that tragedy was coming, it still struck fear in his heart. As he waited for the day when Babylon would invade the kingdom of Judah, his heart pounded, his lips quivered, and his legs trembled (Hab. 3:16). Fear is a legitimate emotion in the face of tragedy, but it doesn’t have to immobilize us. When we don’t understand the trials we are going through, we can recount how God has worked in history (vv. 3-15). That’s what Habakkuk did. It didn’t dispel his fear, but it gave him the courage to move on by choosing to praise the Lord (v. 18). Our God who has proven Himself faithful throughout the years is always with us. Because His character doesn’t change, in our fear we can say with a confident voice of faith, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength!” (v. 19). —Poh Fang Chia Dear Lord, when my world is turned upside down, help me to trust You. You have always been faithful to me. We can learn the lesson of trust in the school of trial. INSIGHT: Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter three is the prophet’s response to a conversation he has been having with the Lord about justice—for Israel and the surrounding nations. After God responds to Habakkuk’s two complaints, the prophet launches into this song of praise for God’s righteous deeds and character. Habakkuk rehearses the great deeds of the Lord in protecting His people (vv. 1-15), but he also admits his fear when he sees the demonstration of God’s power and judgment (v. 16). But his fear does not control him, because God is his hope and strength (vv. 16-19). 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 © 2016, 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. Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.   Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Manage Your Subscription