Daily Bread

Resting in the Routine

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For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” 1 Kings 17:14 ESV

Few men saw more miracles than Elijah. Fire falling from Heaven, people rising from the dead and parting the Jordan river with his cloak were just a few examples from his resume. But before the fire fell, Elijah spent over three years living in the tiny village of Zarephath. I am sure that to most people watching Elijah’s life seemed pretty routine. But in the middle of that routine, God was working a miracle every morning. Because the fire from Heaven, only fell once, but the flour and oil miraculously multiplied every day! Waters part in our lives when new chapters begin, but only the simple turning of many pages will tell the story that God is writing in our lives. We need to guard our hearts against ingratitude for our daily bread. God gives us mercies every morning to forgive our sins and neighbors in need for opportunities to show His love. So, today, let’s delight in how God stretches our jars of flour and jugs of oil to meet our needs and rest in His routine until a new chapter begins and He sends His rain upon the earth!

Prayer: Thank you Father, for the mercies you give and the daily bread you provide. We trust that you know how to begin and end the chapters of life and that you will keep us safely in the palm of your almighty hand!

Are We There Yet Dad?

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV

“Are we there yet dad?” our two sons asked in unison from the back seat. In spite of the fact that before we left. we had told them that our trip would take three days, they wanted to know exactly when we would get to our destination. Most of us can chuckle, at memories like that, yet we as adults we are often asking the same questions, only in more adult sounding ways. Now we clamor to know about new laws, our preferred candidate or a more business friendly economic policy. In the midst of this hyper-combative election year, we hear the candidates from both parties calling for peace in the Middle East, climatological peace, and peace in Ukraine, just to name a few issues. But Jesus tells us that real peace is not attainable in this world. Amazingly in today’s verse, just as Jesus is about to be arrested, beaten and crucified, He promises us a peace that looks nothing like the world’s variety. His kind of peace is not a goal: it is a gift. So, this morning, whether we are facing a natural disaster, political upheaval, or war, God offers us a peace to rule in our hearts, no matter who wins the election, what happens in Israel or even in our own families. But the peace that Jesus offers means letting go of this world’s counterfeit peace, letting Him do the driving and trusting that He knows when we will get there!

Good-bye Melinda

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But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

Melinda loved puppies and horses, goats and bunnies. Her favorite trips were to the Amish farm in Strassburg where she could hold, feed and pet them all, and how we treasured our family visits with her there. How fragile all of our lives are will be told to us again today at her memorial service. Yet, while we are weeping and wondering all the why’s of her suffering and why she left so soon, I know she is now rejoicing in the presence of Jesus. For those of us who know Christ, the treasure we carry inside will never be lost, grow old or be destroyed. In the shortness of her time here, Melinda left her smile and special joy in seeing a reflexion of God in even His tiniest creatures. And we who are left behind for just a few more years must remember that our weeping today will only last for a short night, but real joy will come in God’s eternal morning. Good-bye sweet Melinda. See you again in God’s own time.