Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD March 22, Sunday THE PICTURE OF DESPAIR Linda Washington Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  Psalm 107:6 Psalm 107:4–9 Joshua 10–12; Luke 1:39–56 During the Great Depression in the United States, photographer Dorothea Lange snapped a photo of Florence Owens Thompson and her children. This well-known photograph,  Migrant Mother,  is the picture of a mother’s despair in the aftermath of the failed pea harvest. Lange took it in Nipomo, California, while working for the Farm Security Administration, hoping to make them aware of the needs of the desperate seasonal farm laborers. The book of Lamentations presents another snapshot of despair—that of Judah in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem. Before the army of Nebuchadnezzar swept in to destroy the city, the people had suffered from starvation thanks to a siege (2 Kings 24:10–11). Though their...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 21, Saturday CHIRPY Kirsten Holmberg The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.  1 Kings 17:6 1 Kings 17:2–6 Joshua 7–9; Luke 1:21–38 For twelve years, Chirpy, a seagull, has made daily visits to a man who’d helped him heal from a broken leg. John wooed Chirpy to himself with dog biscuits and was then able to nurse him back to health. Though Chirpy only resides in Instow Beach in Devon, England, between September and March, he and John Sumner find each other easily—Chirpy flies straight to him when he arrives at the beach each day, though he doesn’t approach any other human. It’s an uncommon relationship, to be sure. John and Chirpy’s bond reminds me of another uncommon relationship between man and bird. When Elijah, one of God’s prophets, was sent into the wilderness to “hide in the Kerith Ravine” during a time ...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 20, Friday SLOW FOR A REASON Mart DeHaan You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.  Nehemiah 9:17 Nehemiah 9:9, 13–21 Joshua 4–6; Luke 1:1–20 In the BBC video series  The Life of Mammals,  host David Attenborough climbs a tree to take a humorous look at a three-toed sloth. Getting face to face with the world’s slowest moving mammal, he greets it with a “boo!” Failing to get a reaction, he explains that going slow is what you do if you are a three-toed sloth living primarily on leaves that are not easily digested and not very nutritious. In a rehearsal of Israel’s history, Nehemiah reminds us of another example and explanation for going slow (9:9–21), but this one isn’t comical. According to Nehemiah, our God is the ultimate example of going slow—when it comes to anger. Nehemiah recounted how God cared for His people, instructing ...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 19, Thursday DELIGHT IN THE BOOK Lisa M. Samra Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night.  Joshua 1:8 Joshua 1:1–9 Joshua 1–3; Mark 16 Tsundoku . It’s the word I’ve always needed! A Japanese term, it refers to the stack of books on a bedside table waiting to be read. Books offer the potential for learning or an escape to a different time or place, and I long for the delights and insights found within their pages. So, the stack remains. The idea that we can find enjoyment and help in a book is even more true for the book of books—the Bible. I see the encouragement to immerse oneself in Scripture in God’s instructions to Joshua, the newly appointed leader of Israel, commissioned to lead them into the land promised to the Israelites (Joshua 1:8). Knowing the difficulty ahead, God assured Joshua, “I will be with you” (v. 5). His help would come, in part, through Joshua...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 18, WEDNESDAY DEATH ROW JOY Sheridan Voysey Though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.  1 Peter 1:8 1 Peter 1:3–9 Deuteronomy 32–34; Mark 15:26–47 In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers. It was a set up—he’d been miles away when the crimes happened—but he was found guilty and sentenced to death. At the trial, Ray forgave those who lied about him, adding that he still had joy despite this injustice. “After my death, I’m going to heaven,” he said. “Where are you going?” Life on death row was hard for Ray. Prison lights flickered whenever the electric chair was used for others, a grim reminder of what lay ahead. Ray passed a lie detector test but the results were ignored, one of many injustices he faced getting his case reheard. Finally, on Good Friday 2015, Ray’s conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court. He’d been on death row for nearly ...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 17, TUESDAY BEFORE YOU EVEN ASK Amy Peterson Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.  Isaiah 65:24 Isaiah 65:17–25 Deuteronomy 30–31; Mark 15:1–25 My friends Robert and Colleen have experienced a healthy marriage for decades, and I love watching them interact. One will pass the butter to the other at dinner before being asked for it. The other will refill a glass at the perfect moment. When they tell stories, they finish each other’s sentences. Sometimes it seems they can read each other’s mind. It’s comforting that God knows and cares for us even more than any person we know and love. When the prophet Isaiah describes the relationship between God and His people in the coming kingdom, he describes a tender, intimate relationship. God says about His people, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). But how can this be t...

OUR DAILY BREAD March 16, MONDAY AMAZING SKILL Bill Crowder I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139:14 Psalm 139:7–16 Deuteronomy 28–29; Mark 14:54–72 The leader of our college singing group directed the group  and  accompanied us on the piano at the same time, skillfully balancing those responsibilities. At the close of one concert, he looked particularly weary, so I asked him if he was okay. He responded, “I’ve never had to do that before.” Then he explained. “The piano was so out of tune that I had to play the whole concert in two different keys—my left hand playing in one key and my right hand in another!” I was blown away by the startling skill he displayed, and I was amazed at the One who creates humans to be capable of such things. King David expressed an even greater sense of wonder when he wrote, “Thank you for making...