Daily Bread November 07

Morning Devotions
Elizabeth MacDonald of Seaside, OR, USA


For those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let the turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. -1 Peter 3:10-12

I enjoyed the recent Daily Bread readings taken from the last 70 years of the Daily Bread publications. They stirred up my memories of growing up in the 50’s and 60’s; a lot of that time was spent attending church services and activities.

My parents were married in 1946; I was born in 1951. I remember the Daily Bread arriving in the mail as a small paperback publication either once a month or every other month. I remember my parents reading the devotionals to us-my sister, brother, and me-as well as sharing them in worship services. When the Daily Bread was published in hardcover annually, my parents always made sure their copy was ready to begin the new year.

I remember seeing my parents early every morning sitting at the kitchen table, coffee cups at hand, sharing the morning’s Daily Bread, then joining hands and praying. My parents were busy, hard-working people. They always had a large garden, animals to feed, and three children to raise; my dad was a logger, and both my parents were very active in the church. It is amazing to me that they took time every morning before the demands of the day to share this time together.

Watching them share this time together every morning has inspired me over the years to develop my own morning devotional time. I now rise early enough each morning to read two daily devotionals and at least one scripture reading. I share thoughts for the day with my husband and pray, listening for God’s voice in the early morning hours.

Prayer Phrase

My ordinary life is a sacred place.

Spiritual Practice

Sacramental Living

“…our everyday ordinary lives are also sacred places, or put another way, the sacred place of our living. As dwellers within the Sacredness of Creation, there is potential to be aware and appreciate the holy within the ordinary. You may remember times when it felt like you were seeing the world through God’s eyes. That’s a good description for what it means to live sacramentally-to sense divine Spirit amid daily activities.” -Jane M. Gardner, “Sacramental Living,” September/October 2019 Herald, p. 5

How are you invited to live sacramentally today?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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