La Roca Ministerio Internacional

Monica La Rose Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Engraved Grief Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, . . . inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! Job 19:23–24 Today's Scripture & Insight : Job 19:19–27 After receiving the devastating diagnosis of a rare and incurable brain cancer, Caroline found renewed hope and purpose through providing a unique service: volunteering photography services for critically ill children and their families. Through this service, families could capture the precious moments shared with their children, both in grief and “the moments of grace and beauty we assume don’t exist in those desperate places.” She observed that “in the hardest moments imaginable, those families . . . choose to love, despite and because of it all.” There’s something unspeakably powerful about capturing the truth of grief—both the devastating reality of it and the wa

Anne Cetas Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Longing for a Home Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 Today's Scripture & Insight : Psalm 62:1–8 Anne, the lead character in the Anne of Green Gables stories, longed for a family. Orphaned, she had lost hope of ever finding a place to call home. But then she learned that an older man named Matthew and his sister Marilla would take her in. On the buggy ride to their home, Anne apologized for chattering on and on, but Matthew, a quiet man, said, “You can talk as much as you like. I don’t mind.” This was music to Anne’s ears. She felt no one had ever wanted her around, much less wanted to hear her chatter. After arriving, her hopes were dashed when she learned the siblings had thought they were getting a boy to help as a farmhand. She feared being returned, but Anne’s longing for a loving home was met when they made her a part of their family. We’ve all

Kimya Loder Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission A Heart for Service Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God. 2 Corinthians 9:13 Today's Scripture & Insight : 2 Corinthians 9:12–13 A ministry in Carlsbad, New Mexico, supports their community by offering more than 24,000 pounds of free food each month to local residents. The leader of the ministry shared, “People can come here, and we will accept them and meet them right where they are. Our goal is . . . to meet their practical needs to get to their spiritual needs.” As believers in Christ, God desires for us to use what we’ve been given to bless others, drawing our communities closer to Him. How can we develop a heart for service that brings glory to God? We develop a heart for service by asking God to show us how to use the gifts He’s given us to benefit others ( 1 Peter 4:10 ). In this way, we offer “many expressions of thanks to G

Mike Wittmer Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord. Jeremiah 44:16 Today's Scripture & Insight : Jeremiah 44:16–18, 20–23 Chemotherapy reduced the tumor in my father-in-law’s pancreas, until it didn’t. As the tumor began to grow again, he was left with a life-and-death decision. He asked his doctor, “Should I take more of this chemo or try something else, perhaps a different drug or radiation?” The people of Judah had a similar life-and-death question. Weary from war and famine, God’s people wondered whether their problem was too much idolatry or not enough. They concluded they should offer more sacrifices to a false god and see if she would protect and prosper them ( Jeremiah 44:17 ). Jeremiah said they had wildly misdiagnosed their situation. Their problem wasn’t a lack of commitment to idols; their problem was that they had them. They told the p

Sheridan Voysey Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Sing Again Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Zephaniah 3:14 Today's Scripture & Insight : Zephaniah 3:14–20 Australia’s regent honeyeater bird is in trouble—it’s losing its song. Though once an abundant species, just three hundred birds now remain; and with so few others to learn from, the males are forgetting their unique song and failing to attract mates. Thankfully, conservationists plan to rescue the honeyeaters by singing to them. Or, more precisely, play them recordings of other honeyeaters singing so they can relearn their heart song. As the males pick up the tune and attract females again, it’s hoped the species will flourish once more. The prophet Zephaniah addressed a people in trouble. With so much corruption among them, he announced that God’s judgment was coming ( Zephaniah 3:1–8 ). When this later came to pass through capture and exile, the people too

Marvin Williams Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Bitterness of Stolen Sweets Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.  Proverbs 20:17 READ  Proverbs 20:11-17 LISTEN ONLINE Thieves in Germany stole a truck’s refrigerated trailer filled with more than twenty tons of chocolate. The estimated worth of the stolen sweetness was $80,000. Local police asked anyone who was offered large quantities of chocolate via unconventional channels to report it immediately. Surely those who stole the massive amount of sweets will be facing bitter and unsatisfying consequences if they’re caught and prosecuted! Proverbs confirms this principle: “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel” (20:17). Things we acquire deceptively or wrongfully may seem to be sweet at first—seasoned with excitement and temporary enjoyment. But the flavor will eventually wear off and our deception w

Elisa Morgan Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Family Matters Make every effort to live in peace with everyone.  Hebrews 12:14 READ  Hebrews 12:14-17 LISTEN ONLINE My sister, brother, and I flew from our separate states to our uncle’s funeral and stopped to see our ninety-year-old grandmother. She’d been paralyzed by a stroke, had lost the ability to speak, and had only the use of her right hand. As we stood around her bed, she reached out that hand and took each of our hands, placing one atop another over her heart and patted them in place. With this wordless gesture, my grandmother spoke into what had been our somewhat broken and distant sibling relationship. “Family matters.” In God’s family, the church, we can grow apart as well. We might allow bitterness to separate us from each other. The writer of Hebrews references the bitterness that separated Esau from his brother (Hebrews 12:16) and challenges us as brothers and sisters

Amy Boucher Pye Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Eyes to See I . . . will make you to be a covenant for the people and . . . to open eyes that are blind.  Isaiah 42:6-7 READ  Isaiah 42:5-9 LISTEN ONLINE Genevieve had to be the “eyes” for her three children, each born with congenital cataracts. Whenever she took them into their village in the Republic of Benin of western Africa, she strapped the baby onto her back and held on to the arm and hand of her older two, always looking for danger. In a culture where blindness was thought to be caused by witchcraft, Genevieve despaired and cried out to God for help. Then a man from her village told her about Mercy Ships, a ministry that provides vital surgeries to honor Jesus’ model of bringing hope and healing to the poor. Uncertain if they could help, she approached them. When the children woke up after their surgeries, they could see! God’s story has always been about coming alongside t

Winn Collier Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Joy in the City When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.  Proverbs 11:10 READ  Proverbs 11:1-11 LISTEN ONLINE When France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, it was an incredible contest that many dubbed the “greatest World Cup match in history.” As the final seconds ticked off in extra time, the score was tied 3-3, sending the soccer teams to penalty kicks. After Argentina made the winning goal, the nation erupted in celebration. More than a million Argentineans overwhelmed downtown Buenos Aires. Drone footage spread across social media showing this raucous, happy scene. One BBC report described how the city quaked with “an explosion of joy.” Joy is always a wonderful gift. Proverbs, though, describes how a city, a people, can experience joy that goes even deeper and lasts far longer. “When the righteous prosper,” Proverbs says, “the city rejoices” (11:10). When thos

Patricia Rybon Our Daily Bread Ministries https://odb.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission Our New Nature in Christ Put on your new nature, created to be like God.  Ephesians 4:24  nlt READ  Ephesians 4:17-28 LISTEN ONLINE Our blue spruce was dropping pinecones and needles. The tree doctor took one look at it and explained the problem. “It’s just being a spruce,” he said. I’d hoped for a better explanation. Or a remedy. But the tree man shrugged, saying again, “It’s just being a spruce.” By nature, the tree sheds needles. It can’t change. Thankfully, our spiritual lives aren’t limited by unchangeable actions or attitudes. Paul stressed this liberating truth to the new believers at Ephesus. The gentiles were “darkened in their understanding,” he said, their minds closed to God. They possessed hardened hearts containing “every kind of impurity,” and sought only after pleasures and greed (Ephesians 4:18-19). But “since you have heard about Jesus” and His truth, the apostle w