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Our Daily Bread

SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR I once had a Bible study leader whose husband waited desperately for a kidney transplant. This woman was raising three middle-school children. A neighbor recognized the family’s need for food and early each morning delivered a loaf of freshly baked bread. One day she came to the door and my study leader asked her son to answer it. The neighbor presented the bread, the son thanked her for it, and then yelled upstairs to his mother saying, “Mom, our daily bread is here!” Our leader told us all this was an “ah-ha” moment for her. She had realized that this was more than a neighbor’s kindness. The Lord had provided. She never ran out of bread to make toast in the morning, or lunches to take to school. She understood that this was her manna, and evidence that she could trust the Lord daily for provisions. She vowed that she would face the long road to her husband’s transplant and recovery, by trusting in the Lord for daily provisions. There would also be no more complaining, as had been her habit. A Grumbling Problem The book of Exodus records the Israelites’ long journey through the desert wilderness to the promised land. They too had a habit of complaining. Even after a series of miracles rescued them from the Egyptians; supernatural plagues, protection of their firstborn from the angel of death, and the parting of the Red Sea which engulfed Pharoah and his army, three days into their journey they complained there was no water to drink. They had a grumbling problem. But God provided yet another miracle. He told Moses to throw a branch into the water, which miraculously makes it clean. It was a test from God where He revealed himself as their merciful healer. “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer” (Ex. 15:26). About a month later came another complaint, this time for food. God responded by sending manna every morning, along with rules about how the manna was to be gathered, how long it could be kept, and how it could be stored for the Sabbath.... 

Our Daily Bread2025-03-04T18:05:28+00:00

Remember to Remember

KAREN HODGE|CONTRIBUTOR On a bitter cold Chicago afternoon, I pulled into the remote parking lot at O’Hare airport. I hurried off for a quick trip to Atlanta. I landed Saturday evening dressed for a Christmas party. Big problem. There had been heavy snow, and I had forgotten where I parked my car. I trudged through the snow dragging my suitcase, yielding no success. A kind shuttle bus driver spotted my pathetic pursuit and asked, “How can I help you”? I unburdened my dilemma with tears in my eyes, and she kindly invited me to climb aboard. She encouraged me to stand by the widow, clicking my remote as she weaved up and down the rows. At last, we could see the faintest of headlights flicker under the snow. I wiped my tears and wished her a Merry Christmas. Forgetful Covenant Breakers Stubborn self-reliance followed by weariness, frustration, and resignation to quit is a recurring picture of my forgetfulness. Like Winnie the Pooh, the bear with very little brain says, “I do remember, but then when I try to remember, I forget!” Every day I fail to remember things more important than where I parked my car, like the bigger story of what God has done. When you forget the Big Story, you forget who God is, who you are, and why you exist. Forgetfulness is not a personality problem; rather, it’s a sin problem. Sin breaks all things, including our capacity to remember and think biblically. God’s people are always in danger of losing their memory, forgetting who they are and whose they are. We are Covenant-breakers, but we serve a Covenant-keeping God. He never forgets His promises or His people; He never suffers from memory lapses. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. When we fail to remember our great God, we can trust that He will never forget us. Covenant Remembrance Engages Head and Heart To remember something is to intentionally consider, be mindful, or call attention to something. To ponder or delight in something requires stopping, noticing the dimensions, and treasuring its value...

Remember to Remember2022-05-04T23:42:03+00:00
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