Daily Bread

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

She said, “We have arrived at her place.” He answered, “We can sit down.” Once you think you have arrived, you become comfortable, and you don’t see a need to commit yourself. As we become like Christ Jesus, we will never reach a point where we are fully like Him as long as He hasn’t returned. This means we have to keep straining toward what is ahead.

Philippians 3:13 (NIV): “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

Forget what is behind; you need to be focused if you want to be committed. When we tend to be distracted, we struggle to fully commit ourselves to a cause. One thing is certain: you will be distracted; that’s why Paul said, “Forgetting…” meaning the distraction won’t just go away by itself; you have to take action. No matter how committed you were last year, last year is over; you must forget and focus on fully committing yourself this year.

Takeaway: What are the things you are struggling to forget, whether good or bad, that are preventing you from moving forward?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

We can all claim commitment, but it is in our obedience that we see who is truly committed. Being fully committed pays off, whether in your career, school, or to God. Those who are committed are recommended. This week, we will focus on commitment, as we are living in times when people jump from one thing to another in a short span.

1 Kings 8:61 (NIV): “And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

It is non-negotiable that when we commit our hearts to God, we must do so fully. There’s no room for partiality, and some of us struggle because our hearts’ commitment to God is intertwined with other commitments, preventing us from fully committing to Him. Remember, He is a jealous God, and this is not a secret.

Takeaway: Are you living by the Holy Spirit, or are you treating the Holy Spirit like a policeman? He is only needed when there is trouble. Obedience will truly take you places; you can trust that.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

Another Friday to be grateful. The week is about to end, and here we are, preserved once again. I believe there might have been some ups and downs, but in the midst of that, we still say thank you, God. As today marks the second day of the fifth month, God has been faithful, and His grace has kept us.

Psalm 118:8 (ESV): “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

“Ma’on” is a Hebrew word meaning “dwelling place” or “refuge.” Today we want to thank Him for being our refuge, a place where we can always run to or even dwell in. Remember that you need not put your trust in men; even in the darkest hour, remember to take refuge in the LORD.

Takeaway: Where is your dwelling place? Read Psalm 90:1 and meditate on it.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

No one wants to receive from someone who is giving unwillingly because it doesn’t truly feel like receiving whatever is being offered. If you know you can only give 30 minutes of your time willingly and we need 2 hours, it’s better to give 30 than to give 3 hours with an unwilling heart. Otherwise, you might end up damaging the work or not doing it as needed, since only 30 minutes of your 3 hours is done wholeheartedly; for the remaining time, you will just be dragging yourself to do it under compulsion. What do we have today?

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV): “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Allow me to say that “cheerful givers” get the work done.  That’s why, at times, we struggle to complete tasks; we work with people who are reluctant, making it seem as if they are forced to perform the work.

Takeaway: Are you a cheerful giver? In all aspects of your life, not just with money. Conduct a self-inventory today.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

Imagine giving someone one million and even forgetting that you gave them that kind of money. The same applies to the love you give, kindness, etc.  However, the problem is that we have made our right hand so close to our left hand that whenever the right hand gives, we want to ensure that the left hand knows.

Matthew 6:3 (ESV): “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Even if they don’t clap, you are not giving for their applause. It saddens me that people can struggle in church and prefer to seek help from outside rather than reach out to their brothers and sisters within the congregation. I believe it’s because we have created a culture where givers want to be celebrated, and receivers feel ashamed to receive.

Takeaway: Let us learn to give and remain in the unknown. Humble yourself; you give because you have received. And as for us receivers, there’s nothing wrong with needing; it is merely a situation, not your position.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

Just because the crowd is pleased doesn’t mean God is pleased. I grew up in an environment where we constantly lived to please people; that’s how we felt good, and this is what we aspired to. We couldn’t understand when you told us it was okay to do things in secret and not let people know. So I had to learn the hard way to rid myself of that, and I still struggle with it from time to time. But thanks be to God.

Matthew 6:1 (ESV): “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

I believe one of the most dangerous words is “beware” compared to “do not,” because when you are warned, it is easy for you not to take it to heart. But beware of acting for the crowd, because sometimes you might be entertaining the crowd while God is not part of it. God sees in secret; be assured of that.

Takeaway: What has helped you deal with people-pleasing, and how has that affected your service to God?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

If there’s something I do best, I would say it is expressing gratitude. I have learned to give thanks in all circumstances, which was not always the case. So we are going to use our Fridays to give thanks to God. Five days is a lot for various things to happen, both good and bad, hard and easy, but at the end of it, we want to say, Thank you, God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV): “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In Christ Jesus, giving thanks should be a way of life. We shouldn’t struggle to show thankfulness; people must know that you are always ready to express appreciation. They must not doubt that you will return kindness.

I know that in some circumstances it is easier to say it than to do it, but as I mentioned, this should be our way of life, not something we do only in certain situations. That’s why Paul told the Thessalonians that “in all circumstances…”

Takeaway: What are you thankful for this week?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

Have you ever wondered, why do I have to go through all of this? It is a good question, but the sad part is that not everyone has an answer to it in this whole wide world. But ask athletes, why do they have to go through such intense training? Why?

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT): “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

Sometimes we get stuck in wanting to know what the prize will look like. We take time off from training, asking, and arguing. What the prize looks like shouldn’t bother us; let us train with the “eternal prize” in mind. And learn from the athletes if we must, because if they can discipline the flesh to obtain a perishable thing, what more can we do to acquire something imperishable?

Takeaway: Every athlete has a choice to make, just as they have a coach, but they still must choose. You have all the spiritual coaches, but it ultimately depends on you, because even your leaders are running the race. Let’s take an inventory of our training and check if we are truly disciplining ourselves.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

I remember praying to be in a better situation than I was at a certain stage in my life, and I do believe that is one of the most common prayer points among Christians if we were to conduct a survey. To my surprise, the prayer was not answered. That’s what I think since I didn’t get what I prayed for. Because we usually don’t want to hear a “no” whenever we ask something, the chances of hearing someone say God said no are slim. So what…

James 1:4 (NIV): “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

After I discovered that I needed to pass through this obstacle to be mature and complete at the level I was reaching, I got excited. I am telling you the truth: the way I view obstacles now is very different from how I used to. Regardless of whether it is an obstacle created by me or one I stumble upon, for me now, it is always an opportunity to be mature and complete for what comes next.

Takeaway: Allow perseverance to do its work. When a trial comes, it is time for perseverance to shine.  While it may be hard and long for you, for perseverance, it is time to work.  As long as you allow perseverance to do the work, it will complete it, and you will love the results.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day to you and me is a gift, so let’s cherish it.

We ought to be careful when we cheat, lie, or deceive in small things, even in those matters that don’t seem harmful, because the day we are faced with larger issues, the consequences of being dishonest with small things will surface. What are we having today? Oh, we are back to yesterday’s verse.

Luke 16:10 (NIV): “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Some marriages encounter problems with honesty because both husbands and wives were dishonest while living with their families. They believed there was no harm in doing so because it was family, but now that dishonesty has revealed its true colors. Similarly, you were dishonest while you were a general employee, and now that you are in management, you continue to be dishonest and wonder why. These are just two examples among many.

Small things matter most; let your character not depend on the size of a matter or thing. And let it also not depend on what those who are at your level are doing; just because they are using dishonest gains and they are living well, it doesn’t mean you must join.

Takeaway: Do a self-inventory today, and check if you have ever lied, deceived, cheated, stolen, falsified information, or misrepresented any small details this week.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!