myth or truth

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.

- Titus 2:11 (NIV)

 

Since the dawn of time, people have been searching for the things that legends are made of.
The fountain of youth, the lost city of Atlantis, the enchanted village of Brigadoon, Avalon, all fascinating yet likely mythical places that will never be found.
The grace of God seems to have found a home among the things that cannot be found, but there is nothing further from the truth!
The grace of God is not a formula to be discovered, not an invention made by man, or even a place to be found on a treasure map.
The grace of God was revealed through the Son of God, the Word made flesh. 
Christ is the visible representation of God, who appeared on earth and through Him salvation was brought to all people.

We don’t need a treasure map, or a contingent of soldiers to find salvation and grace.
Christ alone redeems us; Jesus is the saving grace. 

It is through discipline and training in our daily life, that one day we will be like Him, and we shall see Him as He is.

In that future Christ will reward us by grace through faith, simply because He appeared, bringing salvation to all who would trust in His name.
   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

tired

He gave me a new song to sing. It is a hymn of praise to our God. Many people will see and have respect for the Lord. They will put their trust in him.

- Psalm 40:3 (NIRV)

 

Scrolling through social media often gives me ideas for my “daily bread”.
It might be a meme, a photo with a bible verse or someone’s personal story, it just goes to show that you never know when inspiration will hit you.

Last week it was a meme that said, “Just when my hallelujah was tired, you gave me a new song”.

Oooooooooo . . .

I can’t even tell you how many times my hallelujah is tired.
Sometimes I am so tired of the way things are going that I just want to throw in the towel, give up.
My heart and soul, my ego and my mind become so broken, I just don’t know how to pick up the pieces and move on.
But God. 
He really does give us a new song to sing when we feel at our wits end. 
And when others see us so worn down yet still praising our God, then they turn to Him too.
Sometimes they ask us why we sing when our hearts are broken, and it opens a door for us to share how amazing our God really is.

When our hallelujah is tired, we should sing the next song.

   

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

not disappointed

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

- Romans 5:5 (NKJV)

 

I can’t say that I am not disappointed in the way things have turned out over the past few months, things have definitely not been going my way.
But God. 
I keep pushing myself to move forward because I know that God’s got this, He’s got me.
We need to remember (I need to remember) that good things are coming, that God loves us too much to let us fail.
Sometimes there will be tears. 
Sometimes we even need to scream. 
And that is ok, as long as we remember that hope does not disappoint. 

God does not disappoint.
He loves us, every single one of us can be filled with His love. 

That should give us all the hope we need.

   

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

hope in a tree

For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.

- Job 14:7 (NLV)

 

The last few months have been rough for my friends and family.
We have had some very crazy things happening, things that have cut us down pretty far.
There are days that some of us have nearly (or completely) lost hope. 
I have a friend that is attending a Bible study on Job, Finding the Joy in Job, and from what little she told me, it seems like a good study.
Of all the people who have had bad luck, Job certainly had more than his share, but he never lost hope.
There is an old saying about when you hit rock bottom the only place to go is up.
It's a great saying if you don’t get trampled on the bottom! 
But this verse . . . this verse should remind us that as children of God, we have hope.
We are like a tree, we can get cut down, we can lose branches in the wind. 
But if we have God, we have hope, and we will grow again. 

   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

luck of the draw

Here’s something else I’ve seen on this earth. Races aren’t always won by those who run fast. Battles aren’t always won by those who are strong. Wise people don’t always have plenty of food. Clever people aren’t always wealthy. Those who have learned a lot aren’t always successful. God controls the timing of every event. He also controls how things turn out.

- Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NIRV)

 

King Solomon was known for his wisdom, but the story of his life reveals that he was also a great fool.
His years of ruling included the most prosperous years that Israel had known. 

But King Solomon loved building fancy things and foreign women, to the point of building great temples to the gods that were important to his wives.
His frivolousness resulted in years of oppression of his people and idolatry. 
King Solomon was wise, but wisdom only helps us if we use it.   

I like the Message translation of this verse: I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is— The race is not always to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor satisfaction to the wise, Nor riches to the smart, Nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

You might be the fastest or the strongest, but you aren’t always going to win.
We might be smart and clever, but we may be lacking in some of the things that are more important than money or property.

We could work our entire lives to set ourselves up for success, and in one moment it can all be taken away.
Natural disasters, evil people, unexpected bad luck, we all have it. 
Wisdom is good to have, but it also matters that God controls the timing of every event and how everything turns out.

We will all have bad luck at some point - just don’t turn from God when it does.
The luck of the draw is one thing, but God is consistent. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

what comes around

In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

- Matthew 7:12 (NET)   

 

The golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated; the platinum rule: treat others better than you want to be treated.
Why do we have to be nice to people at all? 

Because God said so, and what comes around goes around.
In today’s world everyone is worried about what others think, there are media influencers, celebrity spokespersons, everywhere around us there is someone telling us how to look, think and act.
We are judged by the car we drive, the job we have, the money we spend. 
Stop! 
It doesn’t matter. 
What matters the most is kindness; it costs nothing to be kind to people. 
People see and hear the way you treat others, especially when you are not being kind.
Others make excuses for those people by saying they are just “direct”, but sometimes they are not being direct, but using their positions to allow them to bully others.
Don’t be that person.  
Be compassionate, even if others are not compassionate toward us.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

40 years

The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.

- Proverbs 23:24 (NLT)

 

The number 40 appears in the Bible over 150 times between the Old and the New Testaments.
It is often associated with periods of testing, trial, and preparation, but can also represent new life, new growth, and transformation, or even symbolize the completion of God’s purpose.
God said it would rain for 40 days and 40 nights, Goliath taunted the Israelites for 40 days.
Moses prepared for 40 years, and Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. 
Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, and there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

This year, 40 has a different significance for me, it has been 40 years since my dad passed away.
I chose this verse today because I hope that my dad sees that he raised a godly daughter, and I hope that he is proud of me.
I would assume that fathers, like mothers, strive to raise their children to be good and productive members of society.
We are told in the Bible that God finds great pleasure in His children, especially those who follow His word.
I wasn’t the best or the easiest kid to raise, but I think that both my dad and my heavenly Father are happy with what I have done with my life in the last 40 years.
I miss my dad, and I hope to see him again someday. 
   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

rocks

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

- Deuteronomy 32:4 (NKJV)

 

I believe that every child in the world at some point in their life collects rocks.
They are great for craft projects, weights, all kinds of things. 
Some are pretty, some are shaped in cool ways, some are sharp, some are smooth, you never know what you are going to find when you go on a rock hunting excursion.
Wouldn’t it be cool to find a rock that is perfect? 
A rock that is immovable? 

A rock that will never fail in what you need it to do or be?
There is such a rock, that rock is God. 
God is the rock, he is unchanging, immovable, the foundation of all integrity and justice.
God’s work is perfect, He is faithful to His word, and He keeps His promises. 
He is honest, fair, and true. 
He is the rock on which I build my faith, there is no other rock as strong. 

Finding Him is the best rock hunting adventure you could take.

   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

what you’ve got

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

- 1 John 5:12 (NKJV)

Back in 1993, the advertising agency of Goodby Silverstein & Partners launched a campaign for the California Milk Processor Board “Got Milk?”.
This slogan permeated billboards, magazines, and television for twenty-one years, it is number 5 on the top 50 best slogans of all time.
The oldest slogan still in use according to most sources is – wait for it – “In God We Trust”.
That is pretty fitting for the verse today, don’t you think? 
What does it mean? 
Well, it means that we can’t find eternal life through any other way but through Jesus.
We can’t give our way to heaven.

We can’t build any mode of transportation that will take us to heaven.
There is nothing that a human can do, good works, scientifically, or anything else that is going to give us eternal life, there is no fountain of youth.
There is only one way. 
Salvation comes through faith in Jesus. 
Got God? 

   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

I’m not gonna lie

 I am writing the truth. God knows I am not lying.

- Galatians 1:20 (NLV)

 

“I’m not gonna lie.”
This is one of those slang expressions that became a common part of everyday language used often on social media to preface an honest albeit sometimes critical opinion or observation.
Quite often the words that follow that statement do more damage than good.
“I’m not gonna lie, it hurt my feelings when you . . .” 
“I’m not gonna lie, that outfit does not look good . . “
Can you imagine the response the Galatians would have had if Paul had written “I’m not gonna lie” when there were so many people that were still questioning his words?
Paul felt moved to ensure that the Galatians of his commitment to telling the truth, defending his authority as an apostle against those who questioned how he received the gospel.

It's a shame that there are still people who don’t believe one word of the Bible.
When we tell others about Jesus, we probably shouldn’t say “I’m not gonna lie” because that kind of lends to the belief that everything else we have said is untrue.
We shouldn’t ever lie, but that is a totally different topic. 
Paul wrote the truth. 
He was a changed man because of Christ Jesus, and we can be changed too, we just need to know the truth.
The truth is the Good New is from God Himself, that there is salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

strong

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

- 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)

 

I believe we have all faced some crazy things in our lives.

Reflecting on my own story, I think about the experiences and the physical, emotional, and spiritual damage I endured.

I have said that I made it through because I was strong, even when I didn’t feel strong at the time.

Then I hear someone else’s story—everyone has a story—and I think, “Wow, that would have broken me, but look at this person, still standing strong.”

We share our stories with friends and sometimes even strangers.

We do this so people know where we are coming from and how we can relate to one another.

We all feel that we have come through the fires because we are strong, but in reality, we have come through the fires because of God’s grace.
Anne Wilson released a song titled Strong in 2024, check out the lyrics: 
Strong, try to make 'em all think I'm strong

Yeah, the face I keep putting on says I ain't tired

But these tear stained eyes ain't lying

'Cause hard, nobody told me life could be so hard

A weary soul with a worn out heart that's barely beating

But every time I get that feeling

I hit my knees with my hands held high

Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can't do this on my own

I can't do this on my own

Lord knows I've tried, but I'm good at falling down

Thank God You're good at picking me up off the ground

The world's gonna try to break me

But I know the one who makes me strong

Strong, like my daddy always told me so

There's a place you can always go when you've got nothing

And then he handed me the one thing

That's strong, doesn't matter how old it gets

There's power in the words in red in this old bible

And when I'm desperate for revival

I hit my knees with my hands held high

Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can't do this on my own

I can't do this on my own

Lord knows I've tried, but I'm good at falling down

Thank God You're good at picking me up off the ground

The world's gonna try to break me

But I know the one who makes me strong, oh, strong

I'm strong when I've got nothing

I'm strong even when I'm weak

'Cause the strong arms of my Savior

Are holding on to me

I hit my knees with my hands held high

Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can't do this on my own

I can't do this on my own

Lord knows I've tried, but I'm good at falling down

Thank God You're good at picking me up off the ground

The world's gonna try to break me

But I know the one who makes me strong

Oh, You make me strong

Oh, this world ain't gonna break me

'Cause I know the one who makes me strong

He is the one who holds us, uplifts us, and carries us.

We don’t travel through our lives alone; God is with us always.

His grace carries us through every low point and celebrates the high points with us.

The grace of God in us is what makes us strong.   

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

resolutions

 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power.

- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (ESV)

 

Hello friends, it is the 2^nd week of January, how are you doing on your resolutions?
I used to make resolutions, sometimes I would do well keeping them and other times they were a miserable failure.
For a while I was of the mindset of “why make a resolution that I am going to break?”
So, for 2025, I did what every Christ follower should do when there are questions, and I turned to the Bible.
OK, to be honest, I turned to the internet first, where I found a website called Desiring God.
This caught my eye as I read author Jon Bloom’s article Your Most Courageous Resolution where he said, “Resolutions are good things. They’re biblical: “may [God] fulfill every resolve for good” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). And I think developing New Year’s resolutions is a very good idea. A year is a defined timeframe long enough to make progress on difficult things and short enough to provide some incentive to keep moving. . . Resolves are intentions with strategies attached to them. You don’t just hope something is going to happen; you are planning to make it happen. To be resolved is to be determined.”
Oh boy. 

I didn’t make any resolutions for 2025.
Switching gears, I listen to The Message on Sirius XM radio when I am in the car and in the office, and last week on the morning show I heard the top 5 resolutions to make (and keep) and 2025:
1. First thing every morning, open your Bible before you open your phone. 

2. Forgive proactively: Forgive others before they ask for it.
3. Express gratitude regularly. 

4. Look for opportunities to support others.

5. Prioritize quality time with loved ones.
Wow. 

Ok, five is a lot, especially 13 days into the year, but what if we picked just one?
I have a good friend that wakes up an hour or two early, specifically to spend time reading his devotional(s) and the Bible.
I’ve been working on number three and five for the last couple of years, I need to work harder on number 5.
My friend said this practice has made a difference for him, I’m not even sure if it was a “resolution” or just a thing he decided to do.
I know when I find things to be grateful for, I find happiness a lot faster. 
I definitely need to work harder on number 5. 
Pick one, and resolve to think about it every day, see if it makes a difference for you.
   

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

not alone

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

- Genesis 2:18 (NLT)

 

When we think about this verse, it is likely that the first thing that pops into our mind is the creation of Eve.

Yes, this is the part of the story where God made a life partner for Adam.
I want to look beyond that a little. 
“It is not good for the man to be alone.”

When we are alone, we tend to dwell on negative things and let crazy thoughts in our heads.
But God (again) said that we should not be alone. 
He created us to be together, to raise families, churches, nations. 
We have friends that help us when we need pretty much anything, because God did not want us alone.
We were not made to do life alone; we were made to be together in all things. 
I encourage you to find your people, your tribe, your family. 
You are not alone. 

   

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

unchanging

Forever, O Lord, Your Word will never change in heaven.

- Psalm 119:89 (NLV)

 

Forever.

A big word, a long time.

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s (yes, I am that old) we all believed that be the year 2000 we would have flying cars, space travel, warp speed.

We have some things like George Jetson, but we are still lacking quite a bit technology wise.

Where do you think your residence will be in a thousand years?

How about your job?

What do you think the world will look like then?

It doesn’t take a lot to see that this world is deteriorating.

One thing is certain though, and that is God.

The current pressures that we are feeling will pass.
The pain we feel today will end.

Great opportunities will cease, but God’s nature and character will remain forever.

Forever.

Remember the things that will last, that is what allows us to put our current situations in their proper place.

We can lose everything we have; the world could stop turning tomorrow, God will still be there.

There it is again – But God.
But God will never change, His word, His promise remains forever. 

   

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Daily Inspiration from the Bible

victory

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

- 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV)

   

One thing 2025 has not changed is my love for music, I doubt anything will ever change that.
I saw a meme that said something like “if I ask you to listen to a song it is because the words touched me”.
I know I got that wrong, but you get the idea. 
I can come up with so many songs that exemplify “Victory in Jesus” but the words that are sticking to me hard today are from Big Daddy Weave in 2012 called “Redeemed”.
In this song, the artist says, “Stop fighting a fight that’s already been won.”

Y’all.

We don’t need to fight our demons.
We don’t have to run in fear. 

We don’t have to hide from the storms.
We just need Jesus (another great song). 
We have been given victory in Christ Jesus. 
Too often we feel like it is our own intelligence and strength that gets us through the tough times. 
We didn’t get that intelligence and strength by chance; these are gifts from God.

Every victory is a victory in Jesus.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

a little child

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

- Isaiah 11:6 (NKJV)

   

Little kids have long been kind of a thorn in my side.
I was the person that refused to do anything with the nursery, preschoolers, grade school age and even teenagers, I had so many excuses why I said no.
I taught preschool Sunday school, 2^nd-4^th grade arts, crafts, and music, I helped student ministries with fundraising and other things.

I think it was around 2005 that I started clinging to the mantra “I don’t like kids”.

But God. (there it is again!)
God sent not one but two little kids into my life. 
Much like that grinch guy from the story, my heart grew three sizes when these two started coming around.
I’m not a “grandma”, a “nana”, a “me-maw”, or any of those normal phrases, I am MeowMeow.
And I love it. 
Spending time with these two have brought my joy back (oh, there is that again!) and I am learning stuff about me as we learn about each other.
I still don’t have a lot of patience but hearing them call my name (MeowMeow!!) brings a smile to my face.
Listening to the seven-year-old read Luke 2 before opening gifts because that is something she heard with our Iowa family - that brings happy tears to my eyes.

Teaching the same seven-year-old to sew, a craft that a lot of people no longer enjoy, brings enjoyment to both of us.
Knowing that these little ones are looking to us to teach them about God, but then watching them lead us to Him.
Yeah, that is good. 
I might be the wolf to their lamb, but they have led me back to God, and that is a very good thing.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

joy in today

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

- Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

 

Happy New Year!
It’s weird, when I sent my last daily bread of 2024, I was not in a good place. 
I was very sad; I did not feel as though God was part of my life anymore. 
After a very tumultuous Christmas adventure, I felt further from God than I ever had.
But God. 
I think that might be my theme for 2025 – But God. 
Sometimes, we are in the right place at the right time, and it feels like God just smacks you in the forehead.
That happened to me the first few days of this year. 
See, we are not always going to have joy, life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. 

But if we look, we can find a little joy in everything.
My sadness was an accident that occurred right before Christmas, but my joy was spending more time with family as a result.
It was sad that my last weekend on vacation was so cold, buy my joy was seeing the first snowflakes of the year with my husband by my side.

There is sadness all over the world due to loss, illness, financial stress, but if we can find that glimmer of joy in each moment, we can hold on to that joy.

We can find joy in a moment, that leads to joy for an hour, then a day, and soon multiple days of joy.
I found my joy. 

Have you?

   

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible