Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Reflecting on why people tend to be entirely convinced they’re right—even when they’re not—author Julia Galef suggests that it has to do with a “soldier mindset.” When we approach the world with that mindset, we’re focused on defending what we already believe against what we see as threats. Galef believes that for much of life, a more helpful model is that of a scout—someone focused not primarily on eliminating threats but on seeking the complete truth: comprehending “what’s really there as honestly and accurately as you can, even if it’s not pretty or convenient or pleasant.” People with a scout mindset have the humility and integrity to continually grow in understanding as they learn new information. Galef’s insights bring to mind James’ encouragement that believers adopt a similar mindset—one where they’re “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (1:19). Instead of being driven by kneejerk reactions to others, James urges believers to remember that human anger doesn’t lead to God’s righteousness (v. 20). Growth in wisdom is only possible through humble submission to His grace (v. 21; see Titus 2:11–14). When we remember that each moment of our lives is dependent on God’s grace—not on us—we can let go of a defensive need to always be right. And we can choose instead to rely on His grace as we seek His leading for how to live and care well for others (James 1:25–27).

A hardworking clerk, Erin always did her job well. But after she was accused of dishonesty, Erin was put on leave while being investigated. She felt like quitting in protest but was advised to wait it out. “Leaving suggests you’re guilty,” she was told. So Erin stayed, praying for God to give her justice. Sure enough, months later, she was cleared. John Mark may have felt the same when Paul dropped him from the mission team. To be sure, the young man had left them earlier (Acts 15:37-38). But perhaps he had regretted this and was hoping to be included this time. He must have felt unfairly judged by Paul; only Barnabas believed in him. Years later, Paul would change his mind. “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry,” he said (2 Timothy 4:11). John Mark must have been relieved to have his reputation restored. When we’re unfairly judged, may we remember that Jesus understands how we feel: He Himself was judged a sinner though He wasn’t, and He was treated worse than a common criminal though He was the Son of God. But He continued to do His Father’s will, knowing that He would be vindicated and shown to be righteous. If you’ve been unfairly judged, don’t give up: God knows and will act in His time.

What if you could understand what your dog was saying? New technology uses “bark” recognition to help determine what feelings canines are expressing when they bark. The artificial-intelligence-enabled collars interpret the dogs’ barks for their owners using data from more than ten thousand barks to identify the emotion they’re expressing. Though the collars don’t enable a word translation, they do foster a greater understanding between owner and pet when something needs the owner’s attention. God used an animal to get Balaam’s attention, too. Balaam saddled his donkey to travel to Moab in response to God’s instructions to “go . . . but do only what I tell you” (Numbers 22:20) The donkey stopped when he saw God’s angel “standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand” though Balaam couldn’t see it (v. 23). Balaam continued to try to press forward, so God enabled the donkey to speak in human words. When Balaam’s eyes were finally opened to the danger, “he bowed low and fell facedown” (v. 31), admitting his inward intention to either collect a reward or curse God’s people contrary to God’s instructions (vv. 37–38). “I have sinned,” he said. “I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me” (v. 34). May we heed the instructions God gives us in the pages of the Bible, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and in the wise counsel of others—not just outwardly, but inwardly, too.

In April 1817, a disoriented young woman was found wandering around in Gloucestershire, England, wearing exotic clothes and speaking an unknown language. Assuming she was a beggar, authorities placed her in prison. However, she convinced her captors that she was Princess Caraboo from the island of Javasu. For ten weeks, the community treated her as royalty until a boardinghouse keeper revealed that the woman was, in fact, a servant girl named Mary Willcocks. We may wonder how this young woman deceived an entire community for almost three months. But the book of 2 John warns us that deception is nothing new as it mentions “many deceivers . . . who have gone out into the world” (v. 7). These are people who deny that Jesus Christ came “in the flesh” (v. 7), or those who go beyond what Christ taught (v. 9)—proclaiming that the Bible isn’t adequate for us today. Both these types of deceivers can cause us to not “receive [our] full reward” (v. 8 nlt) and can even trick us into helping them in their work (v. 11). No one likes to be deceived. The people of Gloucestershire didn’t lose much, just some clothing and a few meals. But the Bible says that the consequences of sin and deception continue to threaten us. As we engage with Scripture, God will help us avoid deception as we “walk in obedience to his commands” (v. 6).