Our Daily Bread -- Relief for the Troubled April 24, 2016

Read: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 19-20; Luke 18:1-23 [God will] give relief to you who are troubled. —2 Thessalonians 1:7 One of my favorite scenes in literature occurs when a feisty aunt confronts an evil stepfather over the abuse of her nephew, David Copperfield. This scene takes place in Charles Dickens’ novel named after the main character. When David Copperfield shows up at his aunt’s house, his stepfather is not far behind. Aunt Betsy Trotwood is not pleased to see the malicious Mr. Murdstone. She recounts a list of offenses and does not let him slither out of his responsibility for each act of cruelty. Her charges are so forceful and truthful that Mr. Murdstone—a normally aggressive person—finally leaves without a word. Through the strength and goodness of Aunt Betsy’s character, David finally receives justice. There is Someone else who is strong and good, and who will one day right the wrongs in our world. When Jesus returns, He will come down from heaven with a group of powerful angels. He will “give relief to you who are troubled,” and He will not ignore those who have created problems for His children (2 Thess. 1:6-7). Until that day, Jesus wants us to stand firm and have courage. No matter what we endure on earth, we are safe for eternity. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt Dear God, please protect us and give us wisdom through Your Holy Spirit. Help us to be just and fair in everything we do so that we are good representatives for You. Read It’s Not Fair, which is about waiting for God’s justice, at discoveryseries.org/q0719 One day God will right every wrong. INSIGHT: Having commended the Thessalonian church as a model church in his previous letter (1 Thess. 1:7), Paul now commends them for their spiritual growth despite experiencing severe persecution (2 Thess. 1:3-4). Assuring the church that God, who knows their suffering, will vindicate them, he challenges them to continue to remain steadfast and strong (vv. 5-12). Sim Kay Tee Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 176 - Unanswered Questions

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 Unanswered Questions Day 176 Suicide always leaves unanswered questions. "Just this week I spoke with a darling father," says Barbara Johnson. "He was about forty years old and had a seventeen-year-old son. He went to wake him up in the morning for school and found him hanging from a chandelier. There's no preparation for this. A darling Christian boy, active in his church; his father was a wonderful Christian man. So there's no explanation for this. "That is when you have to claim Deuteronomy 29:29, 'The secret things belong to the Lord.' And this is a secret thing. No one will ever know the reason why this thing happened, this side of heaven. As I counsel many parents who have lost children to suicide, that is the hardest one to deal with. They want to blame themselves. I try to tell them that their child went out to meet a just and a loving God. And God only knows the answers. You can't blame yourself for what your kids do or grab onto guilt." No, you cannot blame yourself. There is no responsibility or control when it comes to suicide. "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Holy Father, I will never truly know the reason for this suicide until I get to heaven. Every time I start to point the finger of blame, gently cover my hand with Yours and restore me in Your peaceful presence. 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 -- God’s Enduring Word April 23, 2016

Read: Psalm 119:89-96 Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 16-18; Luke 17:20-37 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. —Matthew 24:35 At the beginning of World War II, aerial bombings flattened much of Warsaw, Poland. Cement blocks, ruptured plumbing, and shards of glass lay strewn across the great city. In the downtown area, however, most of one damaged building still stubbornly stood. It was the Polish headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society. Still legible on a surviving wall were these words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Jesus made that statement to encourage His disciples when they asked Him about the “end of the age” (v. 3). But His words also give us courage in the midst of our embattled situation today. Standing in the rubble of our shattered dreams, we can still find confidence in God’s indestructible character, sovereignty, and promises. The psalmist wrote: “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Ps. 119:89). But it is more than the word of the Lord; it is His very character. That is why the psalmist could also say, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 90). As we face devastating experiences, we can define them either in terms of despair or of hope. Because God will not abandon us to our circumstances, we can confidently choose hope. His enduring Word assures us of His unfailing love. —Dennis Fisher Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Your Word. Thank You for its truth, its timelessness, and the guidance You give us by that Word. Help us believe and trust everything You say. We can trust God’s unchanging Word. INSIGHT: Psalm 119 is dedicated to the beauty of God’s laws. Through a variety of metaphors and comparisons, the law of the Lord is celebrated as being perfect and bringing life. Rather than seeing the law as something limiting and confining, the psalmist sees the law as vital to what it means to live a full and fruitful life. As believers, we can celebrate how God intends for us to live in relationship with Him and others. J.R. Hudberg Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 175 - Family Ties

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 Family Ties Day 175 "God saved my family from destruction. I think that the enemy was trying to come in and destroy us. But God said, 'No,'" says Darlynn, whose grandmother died. Grief can cause intense strain on your family, regardless of how close you may have been before the loss. But God placed you within a family for you to support one another. He does not want you to quarrel. When you do, you are giving Satan the opportunity to destroy what is good. It is okay to express your differences, but personal attacks and hurtful accusations are always out of line. Your home must be a safe place where love is the context in which disagreements are worked out. "You want something but don't get it…. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God" (James 4:2). Ask God for help right away. Stop the grumbling and dissension before they have a chance to grow. Righteous God, please strengthen our failing family ties, and bond us together each day in love. 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 -- The Spirit Delivers April 22, 2016

Read: Romans 8:19-27 Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. —Romans 8:26 Until recently, many towns in rural Ireland didn’t use house numbers or postal codes. So if there were three Patrick Murphys in town, the newest resident with that name would not get his mail until it was first delivered to the other two Patrick Murphys who had lived there longer. “My neighbors would get it first,” said Patrick Murphy (the newest resident). “They’d have a good read, and they’d go, ‘No, it’s probably not us.’ ” To end all this mail-delivery confusion, the Irish government recently instituted its first postal-code system which will ensure the proper delivery of the mail. Sometimes when we pray we feel like we need help delivering to God what is on our heart. We may not know the right words to say or how to express our deep longings. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit helps us and intercedes for us by taking our unspeakable “groanings” and presenting them to the Father. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (v. 26). The Spirit always prays according to God’s will, and the Father knows the mind of the Spirit. Be encouraged that God hears us when we pray and He knows our deepest needs. —Marvin Williams Thank You, Father, for giving me Your Spirit to help me when I pray. Thank You for hearing my prayers and for loving me. What are you praying for today? Share it with us at Facebook.com/ourdailybread When you can’t put your prayers into words, God hears your heart. INSIGHT: Teaching on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit is scattered throughout the New Testament, but much of it comes from two places: Romans 8 and Jesus’s Upper Room Discourse in John 14-16. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is a Helper like Himself (14:16) who will never leave us. This Helper is the Spirit of truth and has a special relationship with the follower of Christ (v. 17). In John 16 Jesus returns to the subject of the Spirit saying that He will convict the world of our need for Christ (vv. 8-11), guide us into all truth (v. 13), and glorify Jesus (v. 14). Bill Crowder 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.