BETTER THAN BEFORE - All Our Daily Bread Daily Devotionals for 2026

Our Daily Bread - Monday, December 6, 2016
by RBC Ministries

Details

BETTER THAN BEFORE

READ:

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
-2 Kings 5:14

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Daniel 3-4
1 John 5

As infants, my children had nearly perfect skin. Their flesh was soft - they had no dry elbows or rough patches on their feet. Smooth and new, it contrasted with mine, which was marked by years of various scars and callouses.
As a mighty warrior and the commander of the Syrian army, Naaman may have had scuffed skin and battle scars, but he also had a serious skin disease - leprosy. When a servant suggested that the prophet Elisha could heal him, Naaman visited him. He followed Elisha's instructions, and his diseased flesh became "like the flesh of a little child" (2 Kings 5:14). This cure left Naaman better off both physically and spiritually. After being healed, he proclaimed, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel" (v.15). Through this miraculous experience, he learned that there is only one true God (1 Corinthians 8:6).
Like Naaman, we can learn important lessons about God as a result of our life experiences. Receiving a blessing may show us about His mercy and goodness (Matthew 7:11). Surviving or enduring a trial may help us see God's sufficiency and care. Growing in the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18) will always leave us better off spiritually than we were before.- Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Father, help me to learn more about You as I travel through this world. Let this knowledge inspire fresh praise in my heart and a desire to become more like You.

Lessons about God are embedded in life experiences.

More From Our Daily Devotional Archives

The Word for today
for Wednesday, January 29, 2014
by Bob and Debby Gass

Get God's Opinion (1)

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at' 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV
David's father didn't think he was qualified to be Israel's next king. So when Samuel came looking for a successor to King Saul, he presented his eldest son Eliab, who was a general in the army. Samuel was impressed. Samuel saw Eliab...More

Open Heavens
for Monday, August 23, 2016
by Pastor E.A Adeboye

THE ULTIMATE GOAL

Read:

Bible in one year:
Isaiah 49-51
Psalms 40:1-10

Hymn:
Sing hymn 4

God's eternal purpose for calling us into His kingdom is to make us a people that will be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. The moment we surrender our lives...More

The LORD is near
for Friday, October 2, 2021
by Jacob Redekop, Brian Reynolds, John van Dijk, Eugene P. Vedder Jr

Not I but Christ

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Mark 8:34

Not I but Christ
I have heard it said, "People should be allowed to be themselves." But I can find no scriptural basis to support this statement, for freedom "to be myself" is to...More