Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

Reflection: This is a classic text which summarizes the relationship between God's Word, which is sharper than a double edged sword penetrating the depths of our soul and spirit. And Jesus, the incarnated Word, who came to free us from bondage to sin. The Word convicts us of our need for a merciful high priest, who has been tempted in every way yet without sin. In fact, it was God's Word that Jesus quoted when he was in the desert and the tempter tried to get him to rely on himself rather than this same Word. Since Jesus knows us, has been through what we have been through, and has accomplished for us what we could not do for ourselves, the writer of Hebrews tells us we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Is this Good News or what? We don't have to cower in fear or shame when we have gotten off course, but we can go to God in confidence and find mercy. Mercy is getting what we don't deserve and it is what makes Christianity different from any other re...

Reflection: On the Seventh Day God rested from all He created. And He has been in this rest since the dawn of Creation. In Hebrews, the author reflects on God's desire for us to enter into His rest. Because the people rebelled against God, He declared in His anger that they would never enter into His rest. What kind of rest is he talking about? The 4th commandment tells us to "Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy." This is a challenge for many of us who live busy lives, filled with lots of activities and responsibilities. The Sabbath Day was meant to be a gift to the Israelites, but over time they lost the meaning of it and it became laden with all kinds of rules about what it meant to keep the Sabbath or disobey it. So what can this mean for us today? Although we don't have a dichotomy of work being bad and rest being good, there is a balance here. We can serve God through our vocation/work, but we also honor God by taking a day of rest to worship (literally...

Reflection: The author of Hebrews compares Jesus to Moses, who led the Jews in the wilderness and was God's messenger bringing them the Ten Commandmens down from Mt. Sinai, after he met with The Lord. Though God powerfully worked through Moses, they still rebelled against him and developed a hardened heart, which the author calls a sinful, unbelieving heart. Jesus came to be an incarnation and fulfillment of the same Law that Moses brought. But the author warns the Hebrews to be careful not to, in a similar way, being hardened by sin's deceitfulness. As an antidote to this attitude and mindset, the author tells them to encourage each other while it is still called "today". Note a sinful heart doesn't happen over night, but it happens gradually with little choices here and there. That is the deceitful nature of it characterized by the thought process, "a little here a little there it doesn't matter." This shows us why we need to be in meaningful co...

Reflection: The book of Hebrews is specifically written to a Jewish audience, with a focus of showing how Jesus fulfilled the promises made to Abraham, Issac and Jacob that they would be a blessing to many nations. The word “Hebrew” is ambiguous in terms of its origin, but the root of the word means “wanderer”, and usually refers to the nation of Israel’s wanderings before it became a nation and took over the land of Canaan. Since every Jew would be steeped in this heritage, the author uses much imagery and language from the Jewish culture to show that Jesus is indeed the son of God and the Son of man, as promised through the line of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Hence again we see how important it is for Christians of all backgrounds to understand the importance of the Old Testament, and especially the Covenants God made with the people. In today’s readings we have some very important verses: “ 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order tha...

Reflection: In Hebrews, the writer (there is not clear consensus on who the author was) reflects on Psalm 8 where it says, “Who is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him.” The writer posits that though human beings are a little lower than angels in the sense that we are made of flesh and blood, through the Son of Man (Jesus) everything will be subject to them. Importantly it says, “ Though at the present time it is not clear that everything is subject to them.” The concept is that Jesus has brought in God’s kingdom when He came to earth and made it available to us as his followers, yet it is not fully consummated. When Jesus rose from the dead He ascended to the right hand of the Father and will come again to judge the living and the dead; and we will inherit it with him as God’s children. The main issue though is that we have to believe in this by faith, because we cannot see what we will inherit or understand the full implication of that. The ...

Reflection: Psalm 106:13 says these words, "But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold." Despite all of the amazing intervention on the part of the Israelites The Lord did, they were quick to forget what he had done. Jeremiah is still dealing with this in his day as the people want to go back to Egypt even though God had promised to re-plant and restore them as a faithful remnant. But the people are so intent on doing what they want to do they disregard Jeremiah's prophecy to their own destruction. And lest we be too hard on them, isn't there a part of all of us in regard to God's dealings with us that we have a what have you done for me lately attitude. Despite what God did on the cross for us by sending His Son Jesus, we often wonder is God still for me?? One of the reasons the apostle Paul could withstand all of the suffering and persecution he faced, is that he knew God was for him so who could be against him! When we nee...

Reflection: Paul uses the word "prisoner of Jesus Christ". Ironically in the Jeremiah passage, the Jews were prisoners of the Babylonians, and we see the conflict between those willing to be subject to their rule and the infighting between puppet rulers and assassins like Ishmael. Jeremiah, the prophet, is set free by the Lord's decree, but many of the other Israelites were in bondage to their Babylonian captives. And of course for Israel slavery is a deep part of the history being in enslaved in Egypt and then set free. Paul uses the word in a different sense, as one who has willingly laid down his life and rights as a disciple of Christ. He frequently uses the word "doulos" which means "bond-servant". And in this passage, he urges merciful treatment of Onesimus, who Paul calls his son while he was in chains. Evidently Paul befriended this person in prison, and he became a believer and now Paul is calling for favorable treatment of him as a f...