Topic > Christian Beliefs
Stranded
Traveling by bus from Memphis, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri, typically takes about 6 hours—unless the bus driver leaves you stranded at a gas station. This happened to 45 passengers aboard a bus who waited 8 hours overnight for a replacement driver after the original driver abandoned them. They must have felt frustrated by the delay, anxious about the outcome, and impatient for rescue.
By Our Deeds
One night a clergyman was walking to church when a thief pulled a gun on him and demanded his money or his life. When he reached in his pocket to hand over his wallet, the robber saw his clerical collar and said: “I see you are a priest. Never mind, you can go.” The clergyman, surprised by the robber’s unexpected act of piety, offered him a candy bar. The robber said, “No thank you. I don’t eat candy during Lent.”
The man had given up candy as a supposed sacrifice for Lent, but his lifestyle of stealing showed his real character! According to the writer of Proverbs, conduct is the best indicator of character. If someone says he is a godly person, his words can only be proven by consistent actions (20:11). This was true of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day as well. He condemned the Pharisees and exposed their sham for professing godliness but denying that profession with sin in their lives (Matt. 23:13-36). Appearances and words are deceiving; behavior is the best judge of character. This applies to all of us.
As followers of Jesus, we demonstrate our love for Him by what we do, not just by what we say. May our devotion to God, because of His love for us, be revealed in our actions today.
An eye-opening discussion on forgiveness
Are there conditions to God’s forgiveness? Does our acceptance of grace mean we owe God something in return? Let's study the model Jesus gave for prayer, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive those indebted to us.”
Is forgiveness really that easy?
Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. So, if God forgives our occasional errors in judgment, is sin really that big of a deal? Let's look at the Lord’s Prayer to see if God truly takes sin seriously.
Just Enough
I love writing for Our Daily Bread. I confess, however, that sometimes I whine to my friends about how difficult it is to communicate everything I would like to say in a short devotional. If only I could use more than 220 words.
This year when I came to the book of Matthew in my Bible-reading schedule, I noticed something for the first time. As I was reading about the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11), I noticed how short it was. Matthew used fewer than 250 words to write his account of one of the most pivotal events in all of Scripture. Then I thought of other short yet powerful passages: the 23rd Psalm (117 words) and the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 (66 words).
Clearly, I don’t need more words, I just need to use them well. This also applies to other areas of life—time, money, space. Scripture affirms that God meets the needs of those who seek His kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). The psalmist David encourages us, “Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Ps. 34:10).
If today you’re thinking, “I need just a little bit more” of something, consider instead the possibility that God has given you “just enough.”
Finding healing for a remorseful heart
Injuring others with a careless word or hurtful action can fill us with regret. Even after we receive forgiveness from those we’ve offended, it’s difficult to forgive ourselves! Find the principles of grace in praying “Forgive us our debts as we forgive those indebted to us.”
New Eyes
A college student I met had recently placed her faith in Christ. She described her initial life-change this way: “When I trusted Christ for salvation, it felt like God reached down from heaven and placed a new set of eyes in my eye sockets. I could understand spiritual truth!”
Let’s turn to Psalm 51 for direction on how to seek forgiveness from God and others
The problem of sin is like a two-edged sword, it can wound our relationships with others and our connection to God.
Rescued
Manuel Gonzalez was the first rescue worker to reach the 33 miners trapped for 69 days in a Chilean mine explosion in 2010. At great risk to his own life, he went underground more than 2,000 feet to bring the trapped men back to the surface. The world watched in amazement as one by one each miner was rescued and transported to freedom.
Discover the biblical keys to releasing personal pain and moving toward forgiveness
When unforgiven issues linger, it can feel like there’s a giant elephant in the room. How can we clear the air and restore the relationship with people we love?
Unstoppable
Under it. Over it. Around it. Through it. Nothing will stop me from doing it.” I often hear people express this kind of attitude when they get an idea or see an opportunity that seems good or profitable. They devote all of their resources to getting it done.
As evidence that this way of thinking may be flawed, I call as my witness a donkey—a donkey belonging to a man named Balaam.
Gain a fresh perspective on forgiveness
In the middle of a moral mess, King David left a lot of hurting people in his wake. Yet, the King only desired one Person’s forgiveness. Let's study the example of a monarch’s plea for grace, to discover principles for our own relationship with the Lord.
Find out why withholding forgiveness actually hurts us!
We would never pray, “God . . . hold a grudge against me, like I hold a grudge against her.” But we may live like it! Be a part of this conversation.
The Good Old Days
Sometimes our minds run back through the years and yearn for that better time and place—the “good old days.”
But for some, the past harbors only bitter memories. Deep in the night, they ponder their own failures, disillusionments, and fantasies, and think of the cruel hand life has dealt them.
Discover why forgiveness is so critical
When someone hurts us, it’s natural to let bitterness fester and boil inside us. Let's study this important portion of the Lord’s Prayer and find out why it's not only for our personal relationships, but also for our connection with the Lord.
