Our Daily Bread: Light in a PandemicSample
Better Than Life
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Psalm 63:3
Her name was Mary—and life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side.
Yet she loved Jesus. As soon as she was able, she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!”
Long before Mary expressed her praise to God, David penned the words of Psalm 63. The heading of the psalm notes that David wrote it “when he was in the Desert of Judah.” Though in a less than desirable—even desperate—situation, he didn’t despair, because he hoped in God. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you . . . in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v. 1).
Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a place of difficulty, without clear direction or adequate resources. Uncomfortable situations can confuse us, but they need not derail us when we cling to the One who loves us (v. 3), satisfies us (v. 5), helps us (v. 7), and whose right hand upholds us (v. 8). Because God’s love is better than life, like Mary and David, we can express our satisfaction with lips that praise and honor God (vv. 3–5).
Arthur Jackson
Scripture
About this Plan
In the midst of a dark and trying year, we’ve had a hope and light to guide us through. That light is the presence of God illuminated through His Word, even for those disproportionately affected by the pandemic and those who serve on the frontlines. This 20-day journey is full of devotional articles and reflections that will remind you of God’s presence and faithfulness in times of struggle.
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