Let Us August 21, 2016

Read: Hebrews 10:19-25 Bible in a Year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4 Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. —Hebrews 10:24 While standing in line for a popular attraction at Disneyland, I noticed that most people were talking and smiling instead of complaining about the long wait. It made me ponder what made waiting in that line an enjoyable experience. The key seemed to be that very few people were there by themselves. Instead, friends, families, groups, and couples were sharing the experience, which was far different than standing in line alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in company with others, not alone. Hebrews 10:19-25 urges us to live in community with other followers of Jesus. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings . . . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together” (vv. 22-25). In community we reassure and reinforce each other, “encouraging one another” (v. 25). Even our most difficult days can become a meaningful part of our journey of faith when others share them with us. Don’t face life alone. Let us travel together. —David McCasland Lord, may we fulfill Your calling today by walking the road of faith and encouragement with others.         Share how others have helped you on your faith journey at Facebook.com/ourdailybread. Life in Christ is meant to be a shared experience. INSIGHT: The Jewish temple represented God’s presence among His people. It was the center of religious life for the Jews. It was a place of corporate worship, the place where sacrifices were made, and the central structure around which yearly festivals and daily prayers took place. The temple construction and sacrificial system clearly meant to illustrate the separation sin had caused between the Creator and creation, but according to the writer of the book of Hebrews this temple and system were merely shadows (Heb. 10:1) of the reality that has come in Christ. Because of Christ the barriers no longer apply. God the Son has come near, and by His blood all believers regardless of gender, station, or nationality can come into the presence of almighty God. Dennis Moles Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 295 - The Bible: God's True and Reliable Word

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: God’s True and Reliable Word Day 295 "All the thousands of books in my library and the libraries of the world combined cannot even begin to compare with this holy, inspired Word of God," said Dr. Bill Bright. God's Word is holy and perfect, relevant and true. If you only believe parts of the Bible, you are limiting your view of God. God is revealed throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. We encourage you to take a step of faith to receive the whole Bible as true. You may still have many questions about it, but God will answer those as you go along. God's words in the Bible are a reflection of His nature. To show His matchless power, God used many different men to write the Bible while at the same time making sure that every word written was exactly what He wanted. So although many men were involved with the writing of the Bible, the Bible shows a wonderful unity of God's plans and purposes for life. "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21 NASB). Sovereign Lord, You are immeasurable. I will never fully grasp and understand Your great love for me, but I earnestly seek to learn more about You in Your Word. 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

Giants in the Land August 20, 2016

Read: Numbers 13:25-14:9 Bible in a Year: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3 We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. —Numbers 13:30 After being encamped near Mt. Sinai for two years, the people of Israel were on the verge of entering Canaan—the land God had promised them. God told them to send twelve spies to assess the land and the people living there. When the spies saw the strength of the Canaanites and the size of their cities, ten of them said, “We can’t!” Two said, “We can!” What made the difference? When the ten compared the giants with themselves and the giants loomed large, the two—Caleb and Joshua—compared the giants with God, and the giants were cut down to size. “The Lord is with us,” they said. “Do not be afraid of them” (Num. 14:9). Unbelief never lets us get beyond the difficulties—the impregnable cities and the impossible giants. It preoccupies itself with them, brooding over them, pitting them against mere human resources. Faith, on the other hand, though it never minimizes the dangers and difficulties of any circumstance, looks away from them to God and counts on His invisible presence and power. What are your “giants”? A habit you cannot break? A temptation you cannot resist? A difficult marriage? A drug-abusing son or daughter? If we compare ourselves with our difficulties, we will always be overwhelmed. Faith looks away from the greatness of the undertaking to the greatness of an ever-present, all-powerful God. —David Roper Dear Lord, when the “giants” in my life begin to overwhelm me with fear, help me to trust in You. When fear knocks, answer it with faith.  Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 294 - Prayer Is Vital

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 Prayer Is Vital Day 294 The moment you surrender your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes upon you and lives in you to guide you and intercede for you. When you do not know what to say to God, when words completely fail you, the Holy Spirit is always there speaking for you. Dr. Norman Peart says, "It's somewhat like in a wartime scene where there are those who are right on the edge of the battle with the walkie-talkies, communing back with the base and saying exactly what was needed on the front. In that period of time, I believe the Holy Spirit is doing more than most people give Him credit for or realize." Through the power of the Holy Spirit you can do more than just exist from day to day. You can live life at a higher level than the world has to offer. Listen to His Spirit today. Believe that His awesome presence is filling you. Trust that He knows what you need better than you do. "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27 NASB). Holy Spirit, I do not know the words to pray. Intercede on my behalf because You know exactly what I need. I bow down before you now with a listening heart. I want to experience the fullness of Your Spirit within me. I want to live Your way. 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

Comparison Obsession August 19, 2016

Read: Matthew 20:1-16 Bible in a Year: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? —Matthew 20:15 Thomas J. DeLong, a professor at Harvard Business School, has noted a disturbing trend among his students and colleagues—a “comparison obsession.” He writes: “More so than ever before, . . . business executives, Wall Street analysts, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals are obsessed with comparing their own achievements against those of others. . . . This is bad for individuals and bad for companies. When you define success based on external rather than internal criteria, you diminish your satisfaction and commitment.” Comparison obsession isn’t new. The Scriptures warn us of the dangers of comparing ourselves to others. When we do so, we become proud and look down on them (Luke 18:9-14). Or we become jealous and want to be like them or have what they have (James 4:1). We fail to focus on what God has given us to do. Jesus intimated that comparison obsession comes from believing that God is unfair and that He doesn’t have a right to be more generous to others than He is to us (Matt. 20:1-16). By God’s grace we can learn to overcome comparison obsession by focusing on the life God has given to us. As we take moments to thank God for everyday blessings, we change our thinking and begin to believe deep down that God is good. —Marvin Williams I need a better focus, Lord. Help me to keep my eyes off others and instead on You and Your good heart for all of us. God expresses His goodness to His children in His own way. INSIGHT: Jesus taught the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16) to show His disciples the generous heart of God. God is not unjust. He has no favorites and treats every Christian generously and equally (vv. 13-15). Paul later taught this same truth: “There is no favoritism with [God]” (Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25). This extends to believers and the way we view others (1 Tim. 5:21). Sim Kay Tee Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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