Our Daily Bread - Put Down Your Burdens

By Lawrence Darmani

Read: Matthew 11:25–30 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 20–22; Matthew 6:19–34

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

A man driving his pickup truck on a country track saw a woman carrying a heavy load, so he stopped and offered her a lift. The woman expressed her gratitude and climbed into the back of the truck.

A moment later, the man noticed a strange thing: the woman was still holding onto her heavy load despite sitting in the vehicle! Astonished, he pleaded, “Please, Madam, put down your load and take your rest. My truck can carry you and your stuff. Just relax.”

What do we do with the load of fear, worry, and anxiety we often carry as we go through life's many challenges? Instead of relaxing in the Lord, I sometimes behave like that woman. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), yet I’ve caught myself carrying burdens I should offload onto Jesus.

We put down our burdens when we bring them to the Lord in prayer. The apostle Peter says, “Cast all your anxiety on [Jesus] because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Because He cares for us, we can rest and relax as we learn to trust Him. Instead of carrying the burdens that weigh us down and weary us, we can give them to the Lord and let Him carry them.

I’m tired, Lord. I bring You my burdens today. Please keep them and carry them for me.

Prayer is the place where burdens change shoulders.

© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Nuestro Pan Diario - Deja tus cargas

Por Lawrence Darmani

Leer: Mateo 11:25-30 | La Biblia en un año: Mateo 6:19-34

Venid a mí todos los que estáis trabajados y cargados, y yo os haré descansar (Mateo 11:28).

Un hombre que conducía su camioneta por un camino rural vio a una mujer que llevaba una carga pesada, así que se detuvo y ofreció llevarla. La mujer le dio las gracias y subió a la parte de atrás.

Al rato, el hombre notó algo extraño: ¡la mujer seguía cargando el peso aunque estaba sentada en el vehículo! Asombrado, le rogó: «Señora, por favor, deje la carga y descanse. Mi camioneta puede llevarla a usted y sus cosas».

¿Qué hacemos nosotros con las cargas de temor, preocupación y ansiedad que solemos acarrear al enfrentar los desafíos de la vida? En vez de descansar en el Señor, a veces, nos comportamos como esa mujer. Jesús declaró: «Venid a mí todos los que estáis trabajados y cargados, y yo os haré descansar» (Mateo 11:28); sin embargo, me he encontrado llevando cargas que debería dejarle a Él.

La oración es el medio para entregarle al Señor nuestras cargas. El apóstol Pedro aconseja: «echando toda vuestra ansiedad sobre él, porque él tiene cuidado de vosotros» (1 Pedro 5:7). Cuando entendemos que el Señor se interesa por nosotros y aprendemos a confiar en Él, podemos descansar y relajarnos. En lugar de agobiarnos con cargas pesadas, podemos dárselas a Él para que las lleve.

Señor, estoy cansado. Aquí están mis cargas. Por favor, tómalas y llévalas por mí.

La oración es el lugar donde las cargas cambian de hombro.

© 2016 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Leg die Lasten ab

Von Lawrence Darmani

Lesen: Matthäus 11,25-30 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 1.Mose 20–22; Matthäus 6,19-34

Kommt her zu mir, alle, die ihr mühselig und beladen seid; ich will euch erquicken. Matthäus 11,28

Ein Mann war mit seinem Pickup auf einer Landstraße unterwegs, als er an einer Frau vorbeikam, die eine schwere Last trug. Er hielt an und bot ihr an, sie mitzunehmen. Die Frau bedankte sich herzlich und kletterte auf den Rücksitz.

Kurz darauf fiel dem Mann etwas Seltsames auf: Die Frau hielt noch immer ihre schwere Last, obwohl sie doch jetzt im Auto saß! Voller Verwunderung meinte er: „Gute Frau, legen Sie Ihr Gepäck doch ab und ruhen Sie sich aus. Mein Wagen kann Sie und Ihre Last tragen. Entspannen Sie sich.“

Was tun wir mit der Last unserer Ängste, Nöte und Sorgen, die wir auf unserem Weg durchs Leben mit uns tragen? Anstatt im Herrn zu ruhen, verhalten wir uns oft wie diese Frau. Jesus hat gesagt: „Kommt her zu mir, alle, die ihr mühselig und beladen seid; ich will euch erquicken“ (Matth. 11,28). Trotzdem trage auch ich oft Lasten, die ich eigentlich bei Jesus abladen sollte.

Wir legen unsere Lasten ab, wenn wir sie im Gebet zu Jesus bringen. Der Apostel Petrus sagt: „Alle eure Sorge werft auf ihn; denn er sorgt für euch“ (1.Petr. 5,7). Weil er für uns sorgt, können wir entspannen und ruhig werden und ihm vertrauen. Statt Lasten zu tragen, die uns niederdrücken und müde machen, können wir sie Jesus bringen und von ihm tragen lassen.

Herr, ich bin müde. Darum bringe ich dir heute alle meine Lasten. Bitte behalte sie und trage sie für mich.

Das Gebet ist der Ort, an dem Lasten von einer Schulter auf die andere wechseln.

© 2016 Unser Täglich Brot

Хлеб наш насущный - Сложите бремена

автор: Лоуренс Дармани

Читать сейчас: Матфея 11:25-30 | Библия за год: Бытие 20-22; Матфея 6:19-34

Придите ко Мне, все измученные и обремененные, и Я успокою вас. — Матфея 11:28

Один человек ехал на грузовике по сельской дороге и увидел женщину с тяжелым мешком на плечах. Он остановился и предложил подвезти ее до деревни. Женщина с радостью согласилась и забралась в кузов.

Перед тем как трогаться, водитель заглянул туда и увидел, что она по-прежнему держит в руках свой тяжелый мешок. Удивленный таким поведением, он сказал: «Зачем вы держите мешок? Положите его сбоку и отдыхайте! Машина повезет и вас, и мешок!»

Что мы делаем с грузом страхов, забот и тревог, который нередко ложится нам на плечи в путешествии по жизни? Вместо того чтобы успокоиться в Господе, я часто веду себя точно как эта женщина. Христос сказал: «Придите ко Мне, все измученные и обремененные, и Я успокою вас» (Мф. 11:28), а я вновь волоку на себе бремя, которое следовало бы доверить Ему.

Мы снимаем с себя груз забот, когда приносим его к Господу в молитве. Апостол Петр сказал: «Все заботы ваши возложите на Него, ибо Он печется о вас» (1 Пет. 5:7). Нам следует научиться доверять Ему. Вместо того чтобы волочить отягощающие нас бремена, мы можем предать их всемогущему Господу, Который силен понести и их, и нас.

Я устал, Господь. Я приношу к Тебе мои бремена. Понеси их за меня и дай мне Твой покой.

Подробнее о молитве рассказывается в брошюре «Помолимся».

Молитва – это место, где бремя перекладывается на другие плечи.

© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Notre Pain Quotidien - Déposez vos fardeaux

par Lawrence Darmani

Lisez : Matthieu 11.25‑30 | La Bible en un an : Genèse 20 – 22 et Matthieu 6.19-34

Venez à moi, vous tous qui êtes fatigués et chargés, et je vous donnerai du repos. (Matthieu 11.28)

Au volant de sa camionnette, un homme qui parcourait un sentier rural a vu une femme portant un lourd fardeau. Il s’est arrêté pour lui offrir de la prendre à bord, et la femme est montée à l’arrière en le remerciant.

Quelques instants plus tard, l’homme a remarqué quelque chose d’étrange : sa passagère gardait son lourd fardeau sur ses épaules même assise dans le véhicule ! S’en étonnant, il l’a exhortée ainsi : « Madame, vous feriez bien de déposer votre fardeau pour vous reposer. Ma camionnette est capable de vous transporter, vous et vos affaires. Détendez‑vous donc un peu. »

Que faisons‑nous du fardeau de la peur, des inquiétudes et de l’angoisse que nous transportons souvent durant les nombreux défis de la vie ? Au lieu de me reposer en Jésus, je me comporte fréquemment comme cette femme en gardant sur mes épaules des fardeaux dont je devrais me décharger sur lui, puisqu’il nous a dit : « Venez à moi, vous tous qui êtes fatigués et chargés, et je vous donnerai du repos » (MT 11.28).

En présentant nos fardeaux au Seigneur, nous nous en déchargeons sur lui. L’apôtre Pierre nous y a lui aussi exhortés : « [Et] déchargez‑vous sur lui de tous vos soucis, car lui‑même prend soin de vous » (1 PI 5.7). Comme Dieu s’intéresse à nous, nous pouvons nous reposer et nous détendre en apprenant à lui faire confiance. Au lieu de transporter nos fardeaux écrasants et épuisants, confions‑les‑lui donc !

La prière marque le moment où les fardeaux changent d’épaules.

© 2016 Ministères NPQ

The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, January 7, 2017

First Reading

Isaiah 52:3-6
For thus says the LORD: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord GOD: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. Now therefore what am I doing here, says the LORD, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the LORD, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.

Second Reading

Revelation 2:1-7
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

The Holy Gospel

John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 103 Benedic, anima mea
1   Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
2   Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
3   He forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities;
4   He redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
5   He satisfies you with good things, and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
6   The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed.
7   He made his ways known to Moses and his works to the children of Israel.
8   The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness.
9   He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10   He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11   For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12   As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.
13   As a father cares for his children, so does the LORD care for those who fear him.
14   For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust.
15   Our days are like the grass; we flourish like a flower of the field;
16   When the wind goes over it, it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.
17   But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever on those who fear him, and his righteousness on children's children;
18   On those who keep his covenant and remember his commandments and do them.
19   The LORD has set his throne in heaven, and his kingship has dominion over all.
20   Bless the LORD, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding, and hearken to the voice of his word.
21   Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, you ministers of his who do his will.
22   Bless the LORD, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion; bless the LORD, O my soul.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 114 In exitu Israel
1   Hallelujah! When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
2   Judah became God's sanctuary and Israel his dominion.
3   The sea beheld it and fled; Jordan turned and went back.
4   The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like young sheep.
5   What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back?
6   You mountains, that you skipped like rams? you little hills like young sheep?
7   Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8   Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

Psalm 115 Non nobis, Domine
1   Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your Name give glory; because of your love and because of your faithfulness.
2   Why should the heathen say, "Where then is their God?"
3   Our God is in heaven; whatever he wills to do he does.
4   Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5   They have mouths, but they cannot speak; eyes have they, but they cannot see;
6   They have ears but they cannot hear; noses, but they cannot smell;
7   They have hands, but they cannot feel; feet, but they cannot walk; they make no sound with their throat.
8   Those who make them are like them, and so are all who put their trust in them.
9   O Israel, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
10   O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
11   You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
12   The LORD has been mindful of us, and he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13   He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great together.
14   May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children after you.
15   May you be blessed by the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
16   The heaven of heavens is the LORD'S, but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.
17   The dead do not praise the LORD, nor all those who go down into silence;
18   But we will bless the LORD, from this time forth for evermore. Hallelujah!

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Verse of the Day - January 07, 2017

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Read all of Ephesians 5

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - "Destined to Die"

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. (John 3:14–15, NIV)

I once asked Billy Graham, "Are there any truths you find yourself emphasizing more or less now than you did when you were a younger preacher?"

Without hesitating he said, "The cross and the blood. That's where the power is."

The whole of Scripture points to the death of Jesus on the cross and His shed blood, starting with the book of Genesis. After Satan led Eve and Adam into sin, God brought His judgment upon him and said, speaking of the One that would come, "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15). That is the first Messianic scripture in the Bible, the first passage that actually points to the One who would come.

In the book of Exodus when the Israelites were to take the blood of the sacrificial lamb and put it on the top and each side of their doorposts so the judgment of God would pass over them, that was pointing to the cross where Jesus' blood was to be shed.

The prophet Isaiah said of Jesus the Messiah, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5).

In the New Testament we see it reinforced again and again that Jesus was coming to die. When He was there at the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah, the Bible tells us that the subject of their discussion was His impending death (see Luke 9:30–31).

The crucifixion wasn't an interruption of an otherwise successful ministry; it was all part of God's plan from the beginning, to bring about the redemption of humanity. Jesus was that final sacrifice to bridge the gap.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Un Dia a la Vez - Siempre aprendemos del pasado

Señor, hazme conocer tus caminos [...] olvida los pecados y transgresiones que cometí en mi juventud. Acuérdate de mí según tu gran amor, porque tú, Señor, eres bueno. Salmo 25: 4, 7

Cuando me pongo a pensar en mi vida antes de Cristo, reflexiono en lo mismo: ¡Qué lástima que no lo conocí antes! ¡De cuántas cosas me hubiera guardado! Sobre todo, analizo mi juventud. A pesar de que fui una chica sana y de que nunca tuve experiencias con las drogas, Dios me guardó de no cometer muchas locuras. Sin embargo, fui muy inquieta en lo emocional y terminé casándome sin estar enamorada siquiera.

A los veintiún años, ya tenía entre mis brazos a mi primera princesa, Naty. Aunque fue una bendición, cambió mi vida por completo. Dejé muchas cosas de mi juventud sin concluir y estudios sin terminar. De una manera drástica, empecé una vida llena de responsabilidades. Todos estos ajustes coincidieron con mi llegada a los Estados Unidos con una bebé de cuatro meses, un país extraño y sin saber el idioma. Con todo, aprendí mucho y, lo más importante, maduré.

Quizá tú estás leyendo esta pequeña historia y recuerdas lo que vives hoy. Quiero que sepas que Dios te permite vivir cada experiencia para enseñarte muchas cosas y para que aprendamos a verlo en cada circunstancia de nuestra vida. Recuerda que Dios te ayuda en todo momento… ¡si tú se lo permites!

Standing Strong Through the Storm - CAN YOU SLEEP WHILE THE WIND BLOWS?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

During a recent hurricane storm, the following story circulated on the Internet:

A farmer on the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that wreaked havoc on the buildings and crops. One applicant for the job was a short, thin man, well past middle age.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well and kept busy from dawn to dusk. The farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. He hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you’re prepared for storms, spiritually, mentally, and practically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

We secure ourselves against the storms of life by soaking ourselves with the Word of God, being obedient to it and then placing our faith and trust in God’s goodness. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of our storms.

RESPONSE: Today I will prepare myself practically, mentally and spiritually so that I can sleep when the storms blow in my life.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the peace only You can give when the strong winds try and wreak havoc in my life and daily situations.

NIV Devotions for Couples - Job’s Hope

Job 19:21–29

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” Job 19:25

A teenager told me she thought her parents were about to divorce. She had heard her parents’ nightly arguments and watched her mom turn away her tear-stained face when asked about the situation. The parents of many of this young woman’s friends had divorced, so she assumed her parents were next.

The teen did not give me permission to talk to her parents about her fears. Yet I felt obligated to open a pastoral door for either the husband or the wife if it would allow them to get help and healing.

When an opportunity came to enter that home, I lingered in order to hint at the well-being of the marriage. Neither spouse did more than smile and spout platitudes, but a week later the husband called and said he wanted to talk.

He furtively slipped into my office. Any excuse to leave would have been welcome, but none presented itself. After moments of expansive quiet and several invitations to say what was on his mind, he finally began to talk.

He had always thought marriage would be wonderful, he said. His parents had been solid in their commitments, and his dating relationship with his wife had been marvelous. They had seemed to be a perfect match, sharing interests, passions and religious commitments.

But several years into their marriage, his wife was in an accident. She experienced a closed-head injury that altered her personality. She became suspicious, forgetful, impatient and abusive. What’s more, she was an emotional chameleon. In public her negative symptoms disappeared. Even her sisters and parents had no idea of the ogre she could become. The husband’s pleas for help were questioned and pushed aside. He felt very alone.

I listened as the hurting man wept, and I thought of Job, around whom unseen and unjust powers had swirled. Job was bewildered. So was this misunderstood husband. Neither man understood why bad things were happening. Each faced a murky future in an iffy marriage.

Yet I was amazed by this husband’s testimony. When I asked him if he had considered divorce, he said, “Never! I made a vow and my wife needs to count on that, especially now. Even if she doesn’t know that she needs me.” He added, “I read about a note scratched into a basement in Paris during World War II: ‘I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining. I believe in love even when I can’t feel it. I believe in God even when he is silent.’”

I was reminded of Job when he professed, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” Though Job was unable to see how, he was confident that neither loss nor pain nor death itself could stymie God’s care for him.

If we are believers, there is no lament we can sing that does not have an Easter refrain. Trials and torments and troubles are part of our lives here, but they are not the whole story. Christ rose from the dead, and because he lives, we too shall live.

Wayne Brouwer

Let’s Talk

• When have we felt plagued like Job? How has trouble affected our relationship?
• When life was good, Job offered daily sacrifices for himself and his family (see Job 1:5). What habits are we developing in good times that will help us through the tough times?
• Whom do we look to as models of endurance and hope? What have these people taught us? How might they serve as mentors?

LHM Daily Devotion - "Post-truth"

 January 7, 2017

God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?  -  Numbers 23:19, ESV

The study of English as a language can be a pretty boring thing -- at least, until a person realizes our language is alive and has words which come and go and change.

If you doubt what I'm saying, consider the word "gay," which today means, well, if you don't know, please look it up. I am pretty sure that word has changed from when

• in the musical  West Side Story  , Maria sang, "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and gay."

• I'm also pretty sure the word changed from when the composer of the  Flintstones  theme song wrote, "When you're with the Flintstones, have a yabba dabba-do time, a dabba-do time We'll have a gay old time!"

• I'm pretty positive the meaning changed sometime after Judy Garland sang "Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let the yuletide be gay."

• I'm almost positive that's not what Christmas carolers meant, when they, in the 1700s, invited festive souls to "Don we now our gay apparel Fa la la la la, la la la la!"

Because the English language is changing, each year Oxford Dictionaries picks a "Word of the Year." That word may not be new, but it has, in the previous annum, undergone a significant change in definition or usage.

Since I was last with you they picked a word for 2016. That word is "post-truth." The editors say post-truth occurs when objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than are appeals to emotion and personal belief.

The Oxford folk thought post-truth was especially applicable to politics.

I know more than one person who would say post-truth accurately describes the Christian's life. They would hold that position because they believe faith is totally emotional and devoid of any factual information.

This is simply not true.

Yes, we receive our faith when the Holy Spirit uses the means of grace and, yes, we have to make a blind leap of faith, but we dare not forget our faith is also forged out on fact.

• It is not by accident Luke tells us who the rulers were when Jesus was born.

• It is not by accident that had him tell us that He personally and carefully investigated the events described in the Gospel that bears his name.

• It is totally proper to say we have as much factual evidence for the life of the Savior as we do for Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great. Indeed, we have  more  proof.

This is why any Christian can comfortably say the salvation story of the Savior is not post-truth nor is it pre-truth. No, the Jesus story is God's inspired, unchanging whole truth, and nothing but.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior who actually and factually gave His life so my sins might be washed away. In this New Year may I cling to Him. In His Name I ask it. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

Our Daily Bread - Our Source of Provision

By Bill Crowder

Read: Matthew 6:9–15 | Bible in a Year: Genesis 18–19; Matthew 6:1–18

The Lord is near to all who call on him. Psalm 145:18

In August 2010, the attention of the world was focused on a mine shaft near Copiapó, Chile. Thirty-three miners huddled in the dark, trapped 2,300 feet underground. They had no idea if help would ever arrive. After seventeen days of waiting, they heard drilling. Rescuers produced a small hole in the mine shaft ceiling, and that hole was followed by three more, establishing a delivery path for water, food, and medicine. The miners depended on those conduits to the surface above ground, where rescuers had the provisions they would need to survive. On day sixty-nine, rescuers pulled the last miner to safety.

None of us can survive in this world apart from provisions that are outside of ourselves. God, the Creator of the universe, is the one who provides us with everything we need. Like the drill holes for those miners, prayer connects us to the God of all supply.

Jesus encouraged us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). In His day, bread was the basic staple of life and pictured all the daily needs of the people. Jesus was teaching us to pray not only for our physical needs but also for everything we need—comfort, healing, courage, wisdom.

Through prayer we have access to Him at any moment, and He knows what we need before we even ask (v. 8). What might you be struggling with today? “The Lord is near to all who call on him” (Ps. 145:18).

To learn more about prayer, read Let's Pray at discoveryseries.org/hp135.

Prayer is the voice of faith, trusting that God knows and cares.

© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries