Our Daily Bread

Restful Moment with God
God Is for Us: Romans 8:31 (NLT)

Thank you God! 🙏

What are your God-given abilities? How might He be calling you to work side by side with others?

Please open my eyes, dear God, to those around me so I might serve You in ways that help my community.

Today's devotion.

Serving Side by Side

Bible in a Year :Ezra 9-10, Acts 1

“Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:18

Today's Scripture: Nehemiah 2:17-18; 3:6-12

Serendipity Bookstore, a popular spot in Chelsea, Michigan, needed to expand. The owner found a building twice the size just a block away. She wanted to make the move quickly instead of closing the store for days and boxing up all the books. So she requested help from the community. More than three hundred people showed up! They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a human conveyor belt, and passed the books from one person to the next, moving 9,100 books in just under two hours. The owner said, “[The bookstore] is really a part of the community, and [the people] have ownership.” They all enthusiastically worked side by side.

When Nehemiah, a Jew who was the trusted cupbearer to the Persian king, learned that the wall surrounding Jerusalem lay in shambles, he cried out for God’s guidance (Nehemiah 1:3-11). The Babylonians had destroyed the walls in 587 bc. After investigating, Nehemiah recruited help from the community. He said to the Jewish leaders, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins . . . . Come, let us rebuild the wall” (2:17). Chapter 3 describes how leaders and citizens alike willingly repaired the section of the wall that was right in front of each one. They worked side by side.

We too can impact our community by serving together under God’s direction and in His strength.

By: Anne Cetas

Reflect & Pray
What are your God-given abilities? How might He be calling you to work side by side with others?

Please open my eyes, dear God, to those around me so I might serve You in ways that help my community.

Restful Moment with God
Rich in Mercy: Psalm 145:8 (NLT)

When did you experience a moment that felt like it would crush you? How will you rest in God’s strength the next time you’re in a crisis?

Dear Father, please help me to rest in Your strength to carry me through life’s crushing moments.

Today's devotion.

Dependent on God’s Strength

Bible in a Year: Ezra 6-8, John 21

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:23-29

Tungsten is something of a paradox. It has the highest tensile strength of any pure element, making it extremely difficult to pull apart. But the Mead Metals website notes, “In terms of impact strength, tungsten is weak—it’s a brittle metal known to shatter on impact.” It’s fascinating that tungsten, the strongest natural metal, is also so weak and brittle.

Human beings display a similar characteristic. Though capable of great strength both physically and mentally, we’re easily crushed under the weight of this fallen, broken world. Paul experienced this personally. In 2 Corinthians 11, he described experiences that overwhelmed him (vv. 23-29). But God encouraged him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul resolved, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul had written, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” (4:8). There’s hope, even though the strongest child of God knows all too well that this world is simply too much for us. We’re happily dependent on the strength of His grace if we are to endure. May we, like Paul, embrace our weaknesses so God’s power can carry us through.

By: Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray
When did you experience a moment that felt like it would crush you? How will you rest in God’s strength the next time you’re in a crisis?

Dear Father, please help me to rest in Your strength to carry me through life’s crushing moments.

Restful Moment with God
Love That Reflects You: 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)

Life can feel overwhelming sometimes.
The pressure.
The uncertainty.
The unanswered questions.
But peace doesn't come from having everything figured out—it comes from knowing God is still in control. No matter how chaotic things may seem, God is with you, guiding you, and holding you together.
Save this for when life feels overwhelming.
Share it with someone who needs peace today.
Follow our page for more faith-filled encouragement.