chosen people

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.

- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

 

I hear the word “entitled” thrown around a lot recently and to be honest, I see it a lot.

Who is entitled?
Entitled people believe that they deserve privileges or recognition for things they did not earn.

They truly believe that the world owes them something.

Admit it, you see it too.
People demanding special treatment or expecting others to do things for them. 
The ones that show no gratitude yet feel the need for constant admiration. 

These are the people that come across as being full of themselves, believing that every situation should benefit them.
This verse seems to encourage us to be entitled but in truth it is the exact opposite.
We are chosen by God, for God and to teach others about God. 

We are not to treat others as if they are beneath us, because once we were nothing.

Then we received mercy from God, and now it is up to us to show others what it is like to live in the light.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

it’s ok to sleep

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

- Psalm 3:5 (NKJV)

 

Imagine finding yourself in the midst of danger, surrounded by enemies, people who want to hurt you.

A lot of people that want to not just hurt you but kill you.
If faced with that situation, would you be able to lie down and take a nap? 

King David did.
In the middle of fleeing from his son who wanted him dead, King David laid down and slept.
He knew that his Lord would protect Him even as his enemies surrounded him. 
When he woke up, he was refreshed, rejuvenated because his Lord protected him. 

Faith like that can only come from knowing God as your Father, having a relationship with Him.

Trusting God with your very life only happens when you are willing to give yourself to Him fully.
We can sleep, God will sustain us. 

Trust Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

a robber

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

- John 11:43-44 (NLT)

Jesus was called a lot of things when He was preaching.
Jesus is still called a lot of things. 
Have you heard that Jesus was a grave robber? 
He was indeed! 
You see, Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived at Bethany. 
But Jesus knew that Lazarus would not remain dead, and He knew that God would receive glory for the miracle that was about to take place.
Can you imagine what it would be like to hear the Son of God call your name and bring you back to life?
The band Crowder released a song called Grave Robber in 2023, the lyrics go like this:
I used to live like a rebel, didn't wanna behave

Thought a wretch like me couldn't ever be saved

But everything changed, I remember the day

When I heard Him calling my name

Like a thief in the night

He snuck in, took my life

I was dead, now I'm alive and singing

I got stolen by the grave robber

Picked me up from that rock bottom

Washed my soul in that Holy water

Brought me back to life (brought me back to life)

One more stone rolled away

One more sinner been saved by grace

This dead man, he ain't dead no longer

All because of that grave robber (grave robber, grave robber, yeah)

Maybe you're the one thinking that you'll never be right

Even though your mama praying for you every night

Praying Jesus gonna find you and open your eyes

Well, maybe right now's that time

Like a thief in the night

He'll sneak in, take your life

That resurrection gonna have you singing

I got stolen by the grave robber

Picked me up from that rock bottom

Washed my soul in that Holy water

Brought me back to life (brought me back to life)

One more stone rolled away

One more sinner been saved by grace

This dead man, he ain't dead no longer

All because of that grave robber (yeah)

Taking my sin, taking my shame

Breaking my soul out of these chains

I'm a dead man living and God did it

Taking my sin, taking my shame

Breaking my soul out of these chains

I've been forgiven and God did it

. . .

Jesus is the rock, and he rolls my grave away (all because of that grave robber)

Jesus is the rock and he-

All because of that grave robber
We all think that we have done too much, that we can never be forgiven. 
There is nothing further from the truth. 
If Jesus can raise a man from the dead, He can forgive your ugliest sin. 
He can break the chains, take the shame, bring you back to life too. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

understanding

The Holy Writings say, “No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.” God has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us.

- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NLV)

 

I have been asked how it is that I am confident in the Bible.
Honestly, it is not a matter of confidence in the Bible, but instead it is faith in God.

How we understand things about God is to not look through our own human eyes, but through His Spirit.

Paul tells us that we can’t understand the things of God unless they are revealed to us by the Spirit.
To make this happen, we must desire to know the Lord and to grow in Him. 
Salvation happens because the Spirit is at work in our hearts, not because we are good enough.
Not because we have done something to deserve Him. 
Because God has mercy on us, and He reaches out to us. 
We respond by accepting His word and by humbly walking with Him to know Him better.
Once we have that understanding, we can grow deeper in our relationship with Him.
Once our relationship is deeper, we will have the confidence in what His word says.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

where?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

- Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

 

Usually when we read this verse we focus on the “be strong and courageous” part, but today, I’d like to focus on the second part of the verse, the “God is with you” part.

I often hear people ask “where’s God” when horrible things happen.
Where was God during the tragedies that have happened, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the horrific events of 9/11/2001, the disastrous effects of hurricane Katrine in 2005, the devastation of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami?  
Where was God when children were being hurt by adults, when loved ones were dying from awful diseases?

Where was God when people we care about took their own lives because they just couldn’t carry on?

In 2023 The Afters released their song “God is with us” which in their own words “addresses a hard question that most people ask at some point in their lives. Putting words to the moments when you can’t see, feel, or fully understand God comes not only from the band's personal stories, but from the hope that can be found in God’s promise, that He will never leave us. ‘Through all the years that we've toured as a band, we've heard people share their stories of brokenness and loss, and one question that we've heard again and again is, ‘Where is God in this story?’ I believe that God isn't afraid of our questions. Our loss, our hurt, the hard things we go through ... those things are precious to God. And He has promised to be with us in every single moment of our life. He's not going to leave us, He will never forsake us, and that's where we can find the hope we need during our hardest times.’” 

The lyrics are:
Where is God in the heartache

Where is God in the fear

Where is God when it hurts so bad

That you can't hold back the tears

Where is God in the sickness

That the prayers didn't fix

When it don't make sense

Where is God in all of this

He is right here where He's always been

He never left and He never will

Where is God

God is with us

He is right here where He's always been

It's where He'll be until the very end

Where is God

God is with us

Where is God in the ashes

Of a broken home

Where is God when we lose

The ones we love the most

Where is God in addiction

When you lost the battle again

When it's all too much

Where is God in all of this

...

We might never know the answers

We might never know the outcome

But we know Jesus

We know Jesus

Even when we face the darkness

We know better days are coming

Cause we know Jesus

We know Jesus

And He is right here where He's always been

He never left and He never will

Where is God

God is with us

He is right here where He's always been

It's where He'll be until the very end

Where is God

God is with us

So where is God

...

It’s no surprise if this song hits a spot with us, it is supposed to do that.
It’s a reminder that God is with us, even when we don’t see Him there, He is, and He always will be.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

we should wait

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord.

- Psalm 27:4 (NIRV)

 

Waiting is not one of my best qualities, I am not a patient person at all.
I like for things to happen in a specific way, at a set time and I really like consistency.
But, as we all learn, God has different plans. 
It takes strength to wait for the Lord.

We want answers now, but sometimes when we don’t get those answers, we find God in the delay.

God uses the wait He walks us through to build things in our soul that we won’t get any other way.

There have been a lot of things that I have prayed for, things that I didn’t get, and now I realize that God was right in not giving me everything I wanted.
In so many cases the things that I ended up with were far more valuable and precious than what I had originally wanted.

It really is better to wait on the Lord than to take things into our own hands.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

in the fire

The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They aren’t tied up. And the fire hasn’t even harmed them. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods.”

- Daniel 3:25 (NIRV)

 

Fire can be good or bad, depending on the situation.
Fire can cook our food for our consumption, or it can consume us. 
Fire can refine precious metals or destroy steel buildings. 

It can keep us warm or ravage an entire forest.

When Nebuchadnezzar had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fire, he fully anticipated their deaths as punishment for disobeying his orders.
But God had another plan in mind. 
Check out the lyrics to the song Another In The Fire by Hillsong United: 
There's a grace when the heart is under fire

Another way when the walls are closing in

And when I look at the space between

Where I used to be and this reckoning

I know I will never be alone

There was another in the fire

Standing next to me

There was another in the waters

Holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

Of how I've been set free

There is a cross that bears the burden

Where another died for me

There is another in the fire

All my debt left for dead beneath the waters

I'm no longer a slave to my sin anymore

And should I fall in the space between

What remains of me and this reckoning

Either way I won't bow to the things of this world

And I know I will never be alone

There is another in the fire

Standing next to me

There is another in the waters

Holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

What power set me free

There is a grave that holds no body

Now that power lives in me

There is another in the fire

. . .

And I can see the light in the darkness

As the darkness bows to Him

I can hear the roar in the heavens

As the space between wears thin

I can feel the ground shake beneath us

As the prison walls cave in

Nothing stands between us

Nothing stands between us

There is no other name but the name that is Jesus

He who was, and still is, and will be through it all

So come what may in the space between

All the things unseen and this reckoning

And I know I will never be alone

There'll be another in the fire

Standing next to me

There'll be another in the waters

Holding back the seas

And should I ever need reminding

How good You've been to me

I'll count the joy come every battle

'Cause I know that's where You'll be

There is another in the fire

We are often thrown into the fire because of our beliefs, society today wants us to praise actors, musicians, leaders, technology everything BUT God.

Even when we are thrown in the fire, we are not alone.
There really is another in the fire. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

teaching moments

Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

- 1 Timothy 4:16 (NLT)

 

What do you keep track of in your daily life?
Some people journal every day, some people track their calorie intake, some use a planner to track their meetings and daily activities.
My dad used to keep a small spiral notebook in the car and my mother would have to track the car’s mileage and how many gallons of fuel she put in every time she filled the tank.
It can be very revealing to track things, and you might be surprised at how quickly what ever it is you are tracking adds up.
Planners will show you where you spend your time. 
Fuel tracking will tell you if your vehicle is getting the best miles per gallon for your money.
Tracking calories will show you how your daily intake is affecting the number on the scale.

What then, should we discover if we record what we feed our soul?
As we immerse ourselves in movies, social media, music, books and browse the internet, what is filling our mind?
Paul reminds Timothy in this verse to feed his soul well and take ownership of his spiritual nourishment.

Timothy was to teach the truth, devote himself to scripture and guard his actions.
We live rightly when we know rightly, what we feed our heart and mind comes out in our life.

What do you feed yourself, your body, mind, and soul?
What do you need to add to this diet, and what would benefit you to remove?  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

time to talk

At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

- Ephesians 6:18 (NIRV)

 

I heard somewhere that people don’t pray because they don’t know how to pray.
While I find that odd, it is a real thing for people. 

Let’s look at the Message translation of this verse:Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

This translation tells us that we need prayer!
Prayer is a conversation with a friend, and that friend is God. 
We need to pray often, because sometimes our prayers are the lifeline thrown out to someone who is drowning in fear.
We don’t need a formal process to take things to God in prayer. 
We don’t have to stand in line or wait on hold. 
It is as easy as saying, “Hey God, I need you.”  

Doesn’t that kind of want to make you have a conversation with God right now?
How can I pray for you? 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

come back

Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: "Come back to me and live!"

- Amos 5:4 (NLT)

 

I have heard that once you leave a place, you can never go back.
There are lots of products that advertise that once you have this (laundry soap, peanut butter, coffee, insert pretty much any product here) you’ll never go back to the old one.

Is that true?

Maybe.

Here is the thing though, you can come back to God.
If you have turned your back on everything He stands for, if you repent and ask forgiveness you can come back.
God is faithful, He is true to His word. 
He can be counted on to do what He says He will do. 
So no matter how terrible you think you are, God knows your heart, and He is waiting for you to say the word so He can welcome you back.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

 

center

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

- Romans 12:9 (NIV)

 

Obviously I am going to write about love today, it is Valentine’s day!
I have some friends that are vehemently opposed to this day, some because it has never brought anything but sadness, others because they are single.
I have friends who celebrate this day with everything they have because it is the birthday of a loved one (Happy Birthday Dixie Jean! ❤)
I’d like to look at it from a different angle for a moment. 
The Message translation of this verse reads Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
This isn’t about the kind of love you find in a sappy story, or the puppy love you have in grade school.

This is the love you have for others.

Love from the center of who you are.

Even if you don’t like what someone is doing, love them.

No matter if you have never seen them a day in your life, love them.

It hurts when people hurt you, love them anyway.

Don’t fake it.

Don’t pretend to care when you really don’t.

Lying is a form of evil.
Be good, do good. 
Love deeply, from the center of your heart. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

better than

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

- Romans 12:3 (NLT)

 

Flashback to the 1980’s and the Julia Roberts movie “Pretty Woman”.
Julia Roberts played a character named Vivian that was a bit unethical about earning money, hired by a rich man to act as his girlfriend for the time he would be in town.
Since Vivian didn’t have money to spare, the man gave her his credit card and told her to go buy some clothes that would suit the part she would be playing.
When she went into a fancy little boutique, the saleswoman looked down her nose at Vivian and basically told her that she couldn’t afford anything in that store and to shop elsewhere.

She did, and later in the movie she went back to the boutique (arms laden with purchases from other high-end boutiques) and asked if the saleswoman worked on commission.
She replied that she did, and Julia’s character smiled that million-dollar smile and said, “Big mistake. Huge.”   

The saleswoman in the story thought pretty highly of herself and of her store.

My mother used to say that some people had their nose so high up in the air that they would drown if it rained.

When we think of ourselves, we should not hold ourselves in such high regard that others see us as untouchable, proud, or vain.

Knowing our value but portraying that as a work of God, rather than the sum of our own deeds is where we want to be in life.

Remember who you are and who made you, and give God the glory, always.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

look what you’ve done

Look at the powerful things the Lord has done. See the awesome things he has done on earth.

- Psalm 46:8 (ERV)

 

“Just look at what you’ve done!”
Those words can be hateful or loving.

If you are angry with someone and pointing out their flaws or mistakes, “look what you’ve done” hurts.

It feels like you are blaming them for everything wrong in the world.
If you are praising someone and pointing out their good works, “look what you’ve done” is a happy thing to hear.
Tasha Layton reminds us in her 2022 song Look What You’ve Done that we are not the only ones that recognize when someone does something:
Look what you've done

How could you fall so far

You should be ashamed of yourself

So I was ashamed of myself

The lies I believed

They got some roots that run deep

I let 'em take a hold of my life

I let 'em take control of my life

Standing in Your presence, Lord

I can feel You diggin' all the roots up

I feel Ya healin' all my wounds up

All I can say is hallelujah

Look what You've done

Look what You've done in me

You spoke Your truth into the lies I let my heart believe

Look at me now

Look how You made me new

The enemy did everything that he could do

Oh, but look what You've done

Suddenly all the shame is gone

I thought I was too broken, now I see

You were breaking new ground inside of me

Standing in Your presence, Lord

I can feel You diggin' all my roots up

I feel Ya healin' all my wounds up

All I can say is hallelujah

Look what You've done

Look what You've done in me

You spoke Your truth into the lies I let my heart believe

Look at me now

Look how You made me new

The enemy did everything that he could do

Oh, but look what You've done

On the cross, in a grave

With a stone, rolled away

All my debt, it was paid

Look what You've done

In my heart, in my mind

In my soul, in my life

With my hands lifted high

I'm singing

Look what You've done

Look what You've done in me

When we hear “look what you’ve done” we don’t have to cringe.

We don’t have to be reminded of our failures or our mistakes.

We can see what God has done in us.
God loves us so much that He truly made us each a work of art. 
Look what He’s done. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

plants

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

- Isaiah 40:8 (NIV) 

 

My grandmother and my mother could make any plant thrive.
When I was growing up, my mother had no less than 30 plants that she nurtured every day.
Some went outside in the spring and came back in during the fall, and some were inside all the time.

There were begonias, violets, airplane plants, aloe plants, spider plants (EWWWW) and even several kinds of cacti.
On the other hand, I can kill a plastic plant without effort. 

I’m not kidding.
Every plant I have ever had has died a noble death, but the word of God, it’s not going to die.
You can’t over water the word of God. 
You can’t give the word of God too much sun. 

The word of God does not freeze.
I may not be able to make a plant grow, but I can share the undying word of God and watch people grow in Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

so many

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

- John 10:16 (NKJV)

 

At least twice in this century attempts have been made to form a continuous human chain across the contiguous United States.
You may or may not remember the campaigns in 1976 and again in 1986 called Hands Across America.
The unrelated events had different goals and results, in 1976 the plan was to celebrate the Bicentennial if the United States, but organizers only succeeded in setting up 8-10 miles of chains in and around Chicago.
In 1986, the campaign organized 5-6.5 million people hold hands for 15 minutes, donating $10 per person that were donated to local charities to fight hunger and homelessness.
For 15 minutes, everyone was the same. 

We are all His sheep, not one of us is better than the other.

God loves each one of us, loves us enough to run after us when we are lost.
We are one flock, and we have one Shepherd. 
Listen for His voice. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible