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.

As we commemorate Youth Day in South Africa, I want to encourage all young believers to stay strong and set an example. Being an example is not easy; for some of us, we might be doing something different from what our peers in our communities are doing. I remember when I used to belong to the “cool kids”; we called those boys or girls who liked church “pastors.” When they started calling me “Pastor,” I was not trying to hide or shy away because of those boys and girls who set an example.

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT): “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

What you say matters, and we cannot emphasize that enough; people will judge you based on what you say, whether you like it or not. Remember, Jesus told them, “It is what comes out of the mouth of a man that defiles him.” (Matthew 15:11) So set an example in what you say.

The way you live matters because people say one thing and live another. You cannot claim that you are a believer and live like a non-believer, or people can only know that you are a believer when you tell them. Some of us, if people didn’t see us getting saved, wouldn’t know that we are saved. Let your way of living be an example to believers.

Do you love yourself? Okay, the way you do it, let it be the same love given to your neighbor; you can’t negotiate it. But this neighbor did that, so I can’t. Do you love God? Okay, love your brother. Nah, but my brother is not treating me well. He is not lovable. There are people whose love you can tell that surely God is love because the way they love doesn’t make sense.

Takeaway: You are setting an example, whether you like it or not, so choose this day what kind of example you want to set.

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.

Have you ever built a friendship in one day that lasted for a month? The chances are high that you won’t succeed, especially if there is no communication between the first day and the thirtieth day. So why is it that we expect to have a good, strong, and intimate relationship with God, but we don’t really give much attention to the relationship?

1 Chronicles 16:11 (BRB): “Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.”

If there is one thing you can rest assured in, it is that God will never get annoyed with you always coming to Him and talking to Him. Friends, as good as they are, will tell you that they need space. But God raised the game and inspired David to say, “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the LORD and who meditates on it day and night.” (Psalm 1:2) He is willing to have you day and night.

He is powerful and mighty, and such attributes of God are available to those who seek Him. Israel used to seek these attributes to win battles. God is reliable in everything; He never falls short, and only when we have a relationship with Him will we understand that.

Takeaway: Are you actively pursuing a relationship with 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 is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

It takes two people to form a relationship and two people to keep it going, and God is playing His part. Are we playing our part? I am reminded of how, in the olden days, people used to go to bank tellers to withdraw or deposit money. But nowadays , we only go there when we have problems; we have ATMs. This is how we operate today , treating God like a bank teller and our strength as an ATM. As long as our strength can provide for us, we don’t bother going to the bank teller, but as soon as our strength fails, we want to consult the bank teller.

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV): “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “I feel like God is far from me because I have been crying to Him, but He is nowhere to be found”? The question you should ask is, “Was it wholehearted ?” because it is possible to cry half-heartedly; as good as tears are, the heart is what moves Him.

Takeaway: What does having a relationship with God look like for you?

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.

June has arrived, and now we have seven months left to finish the year. Are you still focused? You may have encountered things that wanted to distract you , and some of them have succeeded in taking your focus away. This is a reminder to refocus .

Proverbs 4:25 (ESV): Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”

It is costly to look forward to the upcoming months, but it is more costly to look back on the months that have passed and start to wish or hope we did this or that right or only if we had focused enough we could have accomplished that goal.

Looking unto Jesus, as a believer, you cannot take your gaze away from Him because He is the author. This means there is no one more qualified to consult concerning your life than Jesus.

Takeaway: Let us press on to move forward. January, February, March, April, and May: they are gone.

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.

A month of May is coming to an end; to God be the glory. Thirty days of being carried by grace and mercy, showing up every day without fail. What more do we want to give Him our gratitude?

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.
    Great is your faithfulness.

The first day of this month was different from this day of the month, and tomorrow will be different from today, but great is His faithfulness. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That is why it says in Proverbs, “He is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. And let us be grateful for having a name that is trustworthy.

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.

It’s funny how if I were to tell you each and every day to love and do good deeds, you might think I am crazy, because you would say that’s obvious, especially for a believer. But you would be surprised how easy it is not to love and do good deeds, especially in unfavorable situations. Whether we like it or not, we will find ourselves in such situations. So while we still can, let us consider how to motivate one another to love and good works.

Hebrews 10:24 (BSB): “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.”

This is not just telling people to love and do good works because anyone can do that. This calls for us to reflect and think intentionally about how to spur (provoke/stimulate) one another. As I have mentioned , people lose momentum; that’s why we need to be observant. People go through challenges , and sometimes those experiences discourage them from showing love and good deeds because some have not received anything in return. In a world of give and take, it is easy for believers to fall into that trap.

Takeaway: Let us not grow weary in loving and doing good.

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.

I know, encouragement this, encouragement that. Why is it always about encouragement? Just take one person you know and ask him or her at the end of the week how many discouraging situations or words he or she heard or found himself or herself in. You will understand why, as a support system, your ready tool should be imparting grace to your listeners .

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV): Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We choose what to say; there is no way I can claim I didn’t have a choice but to say it. And that’s why Paul states , “Let…”
Additionally, we need to note the phrase “as fits the occasion,” which means there are times when you are joking, times when you are rebuking, and times when you are building others up. Some people have rebuked when they should have encouraged , and they joked when they should have rebuked .

Takeaway: Discern the occasion so that you don’t speak carelessly , and most of the time it is not hard to discern the occasion, but sometimes it is easy to confuse one occasion with another.

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.

This week, we will be discussing how to be a better support system. It is easy to view people’s situations and judge them, but as a support system for someone, you need to avoid hasty judgments. Let us examine Job’s support system , Eliphaz, who rushed to conclusions .

Job 4:4-5 (NLT): Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you.

First, we would like to applaud Eliphaz for the courage of speaking first. He started well by commending Job for his good deeds, but then he decided to throw in a “BUT.” One thing about using a “but” is that it can cancel out all the good things that were said before, as we tend to focus on what comes after the “but.”

Avoid commending people with a “but”; rather, say what you want to say , whether good or bad, especially when you wish to encourage or comfort them. One of the conclusions that Eliphaz made is that Job cannot apply what he was teaching others.

Takeaway: What do you do when you experience the same thing for which you were encouraging or comforting someone to stand firm or stay strong?

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.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
Another Friday to give that present to God. Stop withholding that gift. It’s another week, and you are safe , and most importantly, you are loved.

Psalm 107:1 (ESV): “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

It’s no surprise that His love is unwavering and endures forever, for He is love. So today we are to thank God for that-that in Him there will never be a shortage of love. No matter how much hate the world or people give you, His love stands firm.

And if you are in an unwavering situation or on shaky ground, you are welcome to hold on to His love. If you have a million, you can bet on it. I am joking. But let us thank God today for His steadfast love that endures forever.

Takeaway: God is good, and this is not just a statement. He is good, and you should be grateful for 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.

Yesterday, I spoke about how waiting requires strength; today, I am here to tell you that sometimes it may feel as if you are not being strengthened, but continue to wait. As long as you wait, strength will find you. And remember, we are waiting for the LORD. So today, we will examine one of the famous scriptures.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): “But they who wait for the LORD will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

What’s interesting is what Isaiah says in the previous verse: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” (Isaiah 40:30), which means men (human beings) can only go so far with their own strength; sooner or later, they will faint. But those who wait for the LORD will walk and not faint.

So for my people who are waiting, know that we must wait so that we won’t faint.  As long as we can do it by our own strength, sooner or later we will rely on that, and sooner or later we will faint. Therefore, let us take joy in our waiting.

Takeaway: Do you know how it feels to soar on wings like eagles?

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