Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.30.15

July 30, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture

“Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: How long until you stop talking? Show some sense, and then we can talk. Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight? You who tear yourself in anger — should the earth be abandoned on your account, or a rock be removed from its place? Yes, the light of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow. The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp beside him is put out. His powerful stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.
Indeed, such is the dwelling of the unjust man, and this is the place of the one who does not know God.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭18:1-7, 21‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray

Father I pray for peace within. Let me clarify. I desire the heightened energy within that brings passion for life, for living and doing my job as Your servant, and with that energy I would like peace not turmoil within me. Like the tree firmly rooted, I want the ability to stand up to the hardened weather, bending but never losing my footing, adapting but never giving up. I humbly pray for this blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Reflection

We become defensive and sometimes aggressively offensive when our bubble is burst, or our sensibilities challenged. Nature adjusts and adapts, yet humans struggle to embrace that reality. Consider what our lives would be like if we learned to live like plant life or other animals, taking only what is ours and only what is needed, not wasteful, obedient and aligned with God’s plan—never trying to circumvent Him. Ah the bliss we would experience.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Feel free to share your answers, prayers, comments, and reflections in the comment section below. You can also send me an email at: breakingbreadwithnatasha@gmail.com
Please also feel free to share this post with others. We’re never quite sure who needs to hear and see what, and when! It would be awesome if whenever you run across a prayer, message, or scripture that moves you, you would kindly share it with the rest of us. You can post it on this blog or send me an email.
Love always,

Natasha

Copyright 2013-2015. Natasha Foreman Bryant. Some Rights Reserved. All Prayers and Reflections are Copyright Protected by Natasha Foreman Bryant, unless otherwise noted. Prior posts from 2009-2013 are copyrighted under the name Natasha L. Foreman. breakingbreadwithnatasha.com
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible,

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.(www.Lockman.org)
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Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.29.15

July 30, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture

“Then Job answered: I have heard many things like these. You are all miserable comforters. Is there no end to your empty words? What provokes you that you continue testifying? If you were in my place I could also talk like you. I could string words together against you and shake my head at you. Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.
His anger tears at me, and He harasses me. He gnashes His teeth at me. My enemy pierces me with His eyes.
I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the scruff of the neck and smashed me to pieces. He set me up as His target;
My friends scoff at me as I weep before God. I wish that someone might arbitrate between a man and God just as a man pleads for his friend. For only a few years will pass before I go the way of no return.”
“My spirit is broken. My days are extinguished. A graveyard awaits me. Surely mockers surround me and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.
He has made me an object of scorn to the people; I have become a man people spit at. My eyes have grown dim from grief, and my whole body has become but a shadow. The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are roused against the godless.
My days have slipped by; my plans have been ruined, even the things dear to my heart. They turned night into day and made light seem near in the face of darkness.”

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‭‭Job‬ ‭16:1-5, 9, 12, 20-22 HCSB

Job‬ ‭17:1-2, 6-8, 11-12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
I pray for strength, hope, and unwavering love and trust. Thank You Father. Amen.

Reflection
Many people take life’s valleys, pits, and mountains as God’s personal attack against them. But why?
When life is supposed to be about serving God, why do we make it all about us?
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. At this point what do you hear Job saying to his friends?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.28.15

July 28, 2015Natasha 2 Comments

Scripture
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill himself with the hot east wind? Should he argue with useless talk or with words that serve no good purpose? But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you. Were you the first person ever born, or were you brought forth before the hills?
Do you listen in on the council of God, or have a monopoly on wisdom? What do you know that we don’t? What do you understand that is not clear to us? Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us, men older than your father.
Are God’s consolations not enough for you, even the words that deal gently with you? Why has your heart misled you, and why do your eyes flash as you turn your anger against God and allow such words to leave your mouth?
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭15:1-4, 6-14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray

Let wisdom be defined by You Father; measured as You see fit; for no book can make one wise, knowledgable yes, but wisdom is not likely gained through reading—since the words in the book are written, outlined and defined by the limited human.
I seek to have the necessary exposure to build me up to where You want me, not just where I want to go—to live the life that You seek, not the limited existence that I yearn for. In Jesus’ name I humbly pray. Amen.

Reflection
Rather than argue exhaustively with someone about God and their relationship with Him, why not pray that He expands their senses to be more receptive of Him, and helps them to understand that in human form they will never understand. Our role is to serve and reflect Him, not be served by Him.
The tangible gifts that we receive are temporal. It’s the intangibles that we will forever possess here and in the next level of existence, whether you call it heaven or something else. When your cup runneth over, you’re to pour it and share with others until it runs empty. Many of us sprinkle here and there, fearful of it ever being empty. We fail miserably to live fully.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.27.15

July 27, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture

“Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble. He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Since man’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on You, and since You have set limits he cannot pass, look away from him and let him rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand. There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die.
But a man dies and fades away; he breathes his last — where is he?
When a man dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes.
But as a mountain collapses and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place, as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil from the land, so You destroy a man’s hope.
He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭14:1-2, 5-7, 10, 14, 18-19, 22‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray

Even in pain may I find joy Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflection

When we’re tormented how often do we find, recognize, and praise the goodness in our lives? While in pain, how often are we testifying to the pleasures caused by God? We need to find the joy within even when we see and feel nothing but agony, emptiness and loss. Even a little light will make us feel full.
I believe that one thing that has always been a constant in my life is my ability to find light, joy, and laughter even during my darkest hours—immediately after the death of a loved one, while a loved one counts down the days until they take their last breath, death of one who never entered our world, during injuries and illnesses, loss of home and personal property, and so much more—I’ve still found within a laugh, a smile, and reason to keep believing, hoping, praying, and praising.
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Natasha

Saturday Bonus Scripture 7.25.15

July 25, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

“Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds? ”

“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that He who created them in the beginning made them male and female,” and He also said: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
“Why then,” they asked Him, “did Moses command us to give divorce papers and to send her away? ” He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning. And I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.””

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Matthew‬ ‭19:3-9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.24.15

July 24, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“Everything you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
But you coat the truth with lies; you are all worthless doctors. If only you would shut up and let that be your wisdom! Hear now my argument, and listen to my defense.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ash; your defenses are made of clay. Be quiet, and I will speak. Let whatever comes happen to me. Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands? Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways before Him. Yes, this will result in my deliverance, for no godless person can appear before Him.
Now then, I have prepared my case; I know that I am right. Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭13:2, 4-6, 12-16, 18-19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
Father I am still. Thank You!

Reflection
We ask “why” and “how” for what reason exactly? To make sense of something far greater than we could ever be, but in our limited thinking and capacity we still find possible.
Or is it that we just yearn to hear a majestic baritone voice, radiantly clear, rocking us to our core, until we surrender in obedience? We want from God something that we can’t even provide. We want Him to give even that which we won’t. How ironic is that?

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.23.15

July 23, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“Then Job answered: No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who doesn’t know the things you are talking about? I am a laughingstock to my friends, by calling on God, who answers me. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His. Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt; whoever He imprisons cannot be released.
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the strong. He reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deepest darkness into the light. He makes nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges nations, then leads them away. He deprives the world’s leaders of reason, and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. They grope around in darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunken men.”

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Job‬ ‭12:1-4, 13-14, 21-25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
Thank You for this day Father. I pray for and continue to thank You for Your patience as I go through this molding process. I don’t know if I will ever be as You need me, as You see me, but I will keep trying. I praise You Father. Amen.
Reflection
When I read the story of Job, every time I read it, I gain a new perspective and see a deeper message. I can feel Job’s pain, fear, and frustration.
I’ve been through a lot in my life and although I have wondered why, and have cried out in pain and horror, I’ve never gone so far as to expect to hear plainly from God. I’ve never called out to God and asked Him to explain Himself or to explain the circumstances that have caused me so much pain. I’ve always just assumed that there was a reason for it, something God was sparing me or my family from experiencing.
A sudden death, a death of a child, a miscarriage, cancer, car and motorcycle accidents, plane crashes, dismemberments, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and so much more—you wonder why, but how many of us really expect to receive answers from God that justify the incident and the results?
Oftentimes when answers are expected and you don’t hear them, or aren’t satisfied with what you heard, people tend to switch their vote from believers to non-believers.
With all of the good that God does in the universe, sometimes the small moments in a person’s life, seals the deal in their mind, and they begin to think that either God doesn’t exist, or that He may exist but He isn’t the loving and just God the masses want us to believe in and pray to daily.
I’ve wondered more than once about the life of Jesus, and if he really was who we believe him to be. I’ve also wondered if God is real. But oddly enough, neither of those pondering moments lasted long because I’ve always been enveloped by a feeling of warmth and protection, that has always made me feel that it was God’s loving presence.
I pray that no matter what I go through in life, and I know the tests will become even more intense as I grow older, I pray that I never stop believing in and loving God. He is why I have faith in humanity. When I see light and love in His children, I see and feel Him. I never want to stop experiencing that greatness.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.22.15

July 22, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

“Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a talker be acquitted? Should your babbling put others to silence, so that you can keep on ridiculing with no one to humiliate you?
He would show you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God has chosen to overlook some of your sin. Can you fathom the depths of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens — what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol — what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
But a stupid man will gain understanding as soon as a wild donkey is born a man! As for you, if you redirect your heart and lift up your hands to Him in prayer — if there is iniquity in your hand, remove it, and don’t allow injustice to dwell in your tents — then you will hold your head high, free from fault. You will be firmly established and unafraid. For you will forget your suffering, recalling it only as waters that have flowed by.
You will be confident, because there is hope. You will look carefully about and lie down in safety. You will lie down without fear, and many will seek your favor.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭11:1-3, 6-9, 12-16, 18-19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Pray

Thank You for another day Father. Your gift to me I can never fully repay, so I promise not to waste it. I love You Father. Amen.
Reflection

Zophar is angered by Job’s words, and in his anger he lashes out, yet wants Job to have a peace within while inflicted by something that even Zophar himself has never experienced. Where first is the empathy? Where first is the step to connect with Job during the lowest time in his life? Can we be so hardened in our perceived defense of God, Whom needs no defenders, that we forget to pour into others the same love that He pours into us.
Imagine if Zophar had taken a different approach, one less judgmental, one that listened and worked to get to the root of the message—sometimes in our self-proclaimed rightness we can be brutally wrong.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. In what ways did Zophar succeed AND fail to make clear the reasons why Job should not give up hope, turn his back on God, change his thinking?

Natasha

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Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.21.15

July 21, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“I am disgusted with my life. I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God: “Do not declare me guilty! Let me know why You prosecute me.
Do You have eyes of flesh, or do You see as a human sees?
“Your hands shaped me and formed me. Will You now turn and destroy me?
You gave me life and faithful love, and Your care has guarded my life.
“Why did You bring me out of the womb? I should have died and never been seen.
Are my days not few? Stop it! Leave me alone, so that I can smile a little before I go to a land of darkness and gloom, never to return.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭10:1-2, 4, 8, 12, 18, 20-21‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
Father thank You for this day. I’m not sure what You have planned for me, but I will try to remain present, aware, and receptive. I know that it is a joke to try to understand and make sense of Your ways, and only in my ignorance and weakness do I continue to try. Forgive me Father. Forgive me for my fears, worry, and complaints. Humbly I pray to You, giving You all the glory. Amen.
Reflection
It appears as though Job put some thought into the questions that he wanted to ask God, but would he truly be satisfied with the answers he would receive?
In Job’s limited capacity he thought that his questions were deep enough, sufficient enough, and specific enough to get the granular answers that would supposedly resolve his dilemma and explain why he was seemingly being punished. But I believe that even if God answered him in the specifics that he desired, Job would still have more questions. He’d still want to know, “why?” and “why me?” and “why was my level and depth of righteousness insufficient in Your eyes?”
Job did what most of us do, he defined and placed book ends and benchmarks on what he believed were the parameters of righteousness, goodness, and the path to heaven—all of which was done in his limited understanding of God and His requirements for man and woman.
The most difficult thing for us to comprehend and embrace is that only in our full surrender to God, in allowing whatever to happen whenever it needs to happen, and praising Him before, during, and after it happens—only then have we passed the multitude of tests.
No question, no doubt, no hesitation, no negotiation, just being an active participant and trusting that God will not only see you through but will reward you beyond your wildest imagination. The vast majority of us will fail this test. But God still loves us anyway. Our tests of the mind, heart, spirit, body, and soul, reveal everything about us.
Some of us are stronger and have more faith than others, but only a few go through the valleys, mountains, traps, pits, floods, storms, and fire—and during and after the tribulation God can still hear His praises coming from the mouths of His tested servants. I can’t say if I will be one of the few or one of the many. My focus today is being grateful for today, and praising God for this moment. If I fail any tests today, I pray that God sees in my heart what I believe to be there—love for Him and a desire to do right, live right, and be right in His eyes.
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. If you were in the same or similar situation as Job and considered it appropriate to ask God questions about your perceived “punishment”, what questions would you want God to answer?
4. If you asked God questions about why you were seemingly being punished, would you be satisfied with His answers, or would you find yourself asking more until exhausted?
5. Why do you think it is wise or unwise, justifiable or unjustifiable to question God?

Natasha

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Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.20.15

July 20, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture

“Then Job answered: Yes, I know what you’ve said is true, but how can a person be justified before God? If one wanted to take Him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times. God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed Him and come out unharmed?
How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him? Even if I were in the right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.
He batters me with a whirlwind and multiplies my wounds without cause. He doesn’t let me catch my breath but soaks me with bitter experiences.
Though I am blameless, I no longer care about myself; I renounce my life. It is all the same. Therefore I say, “He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” When disaster brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent. The earth is handed over to the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it isn’t He, then who is it?
If I said, “I will forget my complaint, change my expression, and smile,” I would still live in terror of all my pains. I know You will not acquit me. Since I will be found guilty, why should I labor in vain?
For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court. There is no one to judge between us, to lay his hand on both of us. Let Him take His rod away from me so His terror will no longer frighten me. Then I would speak and not fear Him. But that is not the case; I am on my own.”

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Job‬ ‭9:1-4, 14-15, 17-18, 21-24, 27-29, 32-35‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray

Father even in times when I may be weak and question You, wondering why something has happened or not, I pray that my questions never become cynical. I pray for the ability to understand that all that You do is far beyond my comprehension and imagination. I pray for the ability to understand that there is no one and no source capable of doing all that You do each and every day. With this prayer, I hope that You never see my weakness as disrespectful to You. In Jesus’ name, as a believer in Christ, I thank You for Your love and patience. Amen.
Reflection
When Satan spoke to God, he challenged God to test Job, and Job passed each test until the test of his own flesh. Job lost his cattle, material possessions, even his children, and he never cursed God. But when his own flesh was inflicted and he experienced physical pain, then he took it as a personal affront, a punishment by God.
Job saw himself as blameless and actually felt that he could measure his worth and commitment based on his own standards. Job went from seeing God as loving, his Protector, and never to be questioned—but now his description of God could be said to be as wicked as Satan, but with considerably more power.
His hope is gone.
A person without hope is extremely dangerous and their cynicism and negativity can spread like a virus.
Job has turned from a person who put God first, to a person who is putting himself first. Job has made it about God versus him. Imagine what Job probably would have counseled someone else going through the same thing, most likely it would be vastly different counsel than his words and actions now in his personal journey.
Job’s story proves that walking the walk isn’t as easy as we think. What is our breaking point? When do we cave in? When do we go from praising God to questioning God, and then from questioning Him to cursing Him?
Passing the test is only possible when we continue to praise Him. I’m still clay, still trying to get to that point where I can praise Him without fear, hesitation and question.
How about you?

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?

2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

3. Reading what Job had to say, how would you respond to him, and why would you choose that approach?

4. Job didn’t cave in under the pressure when he lost his material possessions and his children, but he did when his body was inflicted with disease and pain. At what point, can you honestly say that you would have given up and cried out in pain and anger to God, demanding an explanation?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.17.15

July 17, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: How long will you go on saying these things? Your words are a blast of wind. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? While still uncut shoots, they would dry up quicker than any other plant. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; the hope of the godless will perish.
Look, God does not reject a person of integrity, and He will not support evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with a shout of joy.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭8:1-3, 11-13, 20-21‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
Father I praise You. I pray that You let me hear and see clearly, be receptive, and patient. Slow me from dismissing messages that are meant to bring me peace, comfort, and/or positive correction. Humbly Yours. Amen.
Reflection
Bildad was seemingly exhausted by Job’s cynical remarks and outcry. He tried to plead with Job to see the err of his ways, to reconsider his verbal attack against God, but were his efforts impactful? Was he effective at getting through to Job?
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. How would you have addressed Job if you were Bildad?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.16.15

July 16, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“Lord, hear a just cause; pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer — from lips free of deceit. Let my vindication come from You, for You see what is right. You have tested my heart; You have examined me at night. You have tried me and found nothing evil; I have determined that my mouth will not sin. Concerning what people do: by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps are on Your paths; my feet have not slipped.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:1-5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray
Father I don’t know if I will ever be this person, free of deceit, evil, sin, violence, and fault. For I’m guilty of all in some way, and daily it is a desire to achieve the life You want for and expect of me. I fall short and sometimes very far from passing Your tests, and meeting Your standards. But You know my heart, and You know that if You bless me with another day I will rise to try again. Thank You for this day Father. Let’s see how I do. Amen.
Reflection
I type this message from a plane 30,000 feet above soil. As I reflect upon David’s words I’m stuck by a feeling that I can’t yet describe. So instead I’ve chosen to ask you a question.
How many of you can say honestly and without hesitation that you have lived and continue to live a life as declared and described by David in the above scripture?
If you declare to be like David, then you stand in your convictions as a person free from sin, violence, deceit, evil, and fault.
I won’t doubt you. I’m in awe of you. I salute you.
I of course, in my weakness, naturally wonder why you then subscribe to and read my Breaking Bread posts? Why tune in to a person who makes clear that she is flawed, a work in progress, daily being molded, and daily struggling with fear, pain, sadness, disappointment, and sometimes anger?
If it’s to be more like Jesus, turning to the weak and troubled, rather than hanging with the steadfast, I next wonder why I don’t hear from you ever, not in the comments section below my posts and not via email. As a flawless example, why aren’t you helping me and others to be more like you, and helping us through our journey?
If you’re not fully engaged with me and the Breaking Bread Family, and sharing words of wisdom that can help and heal, then what are you doing in and with all of your righteousness?
Please enlighten us and know that it comes without judgment from me. Because I truly would love and value your engagement on Breaking Bread. I would love to have moments of your time to ask and see how you live your life and how you steer clear of temptation and rebuke the enemy’s attempts to derail you. Please speak up and share. Please. We need you.
For the rest of you, the masses, if in all sincerity, you admit that just like me you are flawed and on a bumpy (and sometimes turbulent) journey towards wholeness, then I say to you, don’t give up, don’t stop believing, and don’t stop listening to and embracing God’s Word, Love, Joy, Peace, and Light.
If God didn’t know we could be what He wants, then He would’ve already cancelled our flight.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?

Natasha

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Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.15.15

July 15, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:”

‭‭Indeed, you have instructed many and have strengthened weak hands. Your words have steadied the one who was stumbling and braced the knees that were buckling. But now that this has happened to you, you have become exhausted. It strikes you, and you are dismayed. Isn’t your piety your confidence, and the integrity of your life your hope? Consider: who has perished when he was innocent? Where have the honest been destroyed?”
“See how happy the man is God corrects; so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty. For He crushes but also binds up; He strikes, but His hands also heal. He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven. In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle, from the power of the sword. You will be safe from slander and not fear destruction when it comes. You will laugh at destruction and hunger and not fear the animals of the earth.
You will know that your tent is secure, and nothing will be missing when you inspect your home. You will also know that your offspring will be many and your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will approach the grave in full vigor, as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season. We have investigated this, and it is true! Hear it and understand it for yourself.”
Job‬ ‭4:1; Job 4:3-7‬, Job 5:17-22, Job 5:24-27‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
Pray

Father let me see in me what You see. I pray to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Let me use the words that I share with others to strengthen and pick myself up when I stumble and fall. Let me hear, listen to, and embrace Your words no matter how You convey them; let me fully embrace Your words conveyed through one of Your servants when they remind me of who I am and to Whom I belong. Amen.
Reflection
Many of us realize that we have friends like Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar–but how many of us listen to these friends when they try to snap us out of our “funk” that clouds are thinking and blocks our blessings? How many of us sit back and find ourselves arguing with friends who see God within us at a time when all we see and feel is a growing darkness?
Shame on us.
When you are blessed to have even one of those friends, we are to praise God for providing us with yet another portal to Him. When we are blessed to have all three friends, well, that right there is priceless and words can’t describe how we should feel and what we should be doing to embrace those relationships and our amazing reality.
These people see something in you. They are drawn to you. They thrive with you. Because within you they feel, see, and hear God—except when you are fearful, negative, and unloving. You trouble them when you aren’t radiant. You may be the only Bible that they encounter on a consistent basis or ever, yet in your times of wary and worry you exude an energy and speak the words of something unGodly. Your emotional crumbling makes them look in the mirror and question self.
Rays of light aren’t ever darkened, even when eclipsed. Keep on shining. This test is almost over.
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. What do you think about what Eliphaz said to Job?
4. Have you had an Eliphaz in your life? Did you listen to that person or ignore them? What happened when you listened to them or ignored them?

Natasha

‭‭

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.14. 15

July 14, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
“My flesh is clothed with maggots and encrusted with dirt. My skin forms scabs and then oozes.
Therefore I will not restrain my mouth. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
I give up! I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. What is man, that You think so highly of him and pay so much attention to him? You inspect him every morning, and put him to the test every moment.
If I have sinned, what have I done to You, Watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I have become a burden to You? Why not forgive my sin and pardon my transgression? For soon I will lie down in the grave. You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.”
Job‬ ‭7:5; Job 7:11; Job 7:16-18; Job 7:20-21‬ ‭HCSB‬
Pray

Strengthen me Lord to praise You even in my worst of times; to see that another day of life even in pain and agony, is better than infinity in blissful ignorance. I gain more wisdom through these tests. I gain more insight as to my purpose in my present form. My experiences can be shared, studied, and learned by others. Hopefully my wrong turns and failures can be right turns and successes for others. It hurts Father, but I’m beginning to understand. Thank You for another day. Humbly I pray to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflection

We’re all tested. No one said life would be easy. We entered the world in shock, pain, chaos, and disarray. Why do we expect a lifetime of easy breezy tranquility, pain-free, test-free? There is not one person in the Bible that serves as an example of a carefree, rosy life.
Every man and woman in the Bible was tested, made sacrifices, and pushed to the limits (and oftentimes beyond), and that is why their lives were recorded in one of the oldest history books that our world possesses.
I am being tested. You are being tested. We’re all being tested. If we can’t make things work here in human form, how can we possibly thrive in our purest spiritual form in the next level of existence? God has given us a choice—praise Him always or curse Him always. The in between is a limbo state that keeps us conflicted, half-pregnant, on the fence, not fully committed, and deemed hypocritical-conditional-believers.
Do we believe or not? Do we have faith or not? It’s either versus or, but not both. We must choose and commit.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. In what ways do you relate to Job and his story?

Natasha

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.13.15

July 13, 2015Natasha Leave a comment

Scripture
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

“…a messenger came to Job and reported: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing nearby, the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you! ”

“The Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, and took them away. They struck down the servants with the sword…”
“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house…Suddenly a powerful wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people so that they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you! ”
“Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.”
“So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.
His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die! ” “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?”
“Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said. Now when Job’s three friends — Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite — heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.”
“…After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born.”
Job 1:8; Job 1:14; Job 1:15; Job 1:17-19; Job 1:22‬; Job 2:7-11‬; ‭‭Job‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬
‭
Pray

Father I know that we are all tested. The story of Job proves that Your most righteous and innocent are tested more than anyone else. To hear of Job’s tests I am humbled. My tests have never come close to the intensity of his, so I feel ashamed of and for my complaints, fears, and worry.
Father I know that You will never put more on me than I can handle. I just pray that I don’t disappoint You. In Jesus’ name and in Job’s honored memory I pray. Amen.

Reflection
I want to thank each and every one of you for your patience, love, and care while I took a hiatus from my Breaking Bread responsibilities. I’ve been facing down and walking through my own experiences and challenges, and I failed one test—to continue posting to Breaking Bread even during my mental and spiritual storm.
I’ve realized that when I’m going through a storm, that’s when I really need to buckle my seatbelt and remain focused on sharing God’s Word. Even if I don’t have the strength to type out a full message like this, I need to still share His Love through picture, poem, or something—anything. By going silent it is basically me declaring that my issues are bigger than God, and that my issues are more important than sharing His Word.
I started Breaking Bread via text message in 2008, via email in 2009, and via blog in 2010. This has been a long, yet short, journey. I failed many tests over the past couple of months, but this one is a doozy for me because it impacts all of you. Many of you have remained committed to taking this Breaking Bread journey for a few years, and I want to both thank you and apologize for abandoning you.
As God molds me I’m working on being a better servant leader. I don’t want to fail this test again.

Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of today’s message?
2. What would you like to add to today’s prayer and/or reflection?
3. In what ways do you relate to Job and his story?

Natasha

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Month: July 2015

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.30.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.29.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.28.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.27.15

Saturday Bonus Scripture 7.25.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.24.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.23.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.22.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.21.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.20.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.17.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.16.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.15.15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.14. 15

Natasha’s Daily Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection for 7.13.15

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