Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled, What Is That to You, was written by Karen Huang.

Why do I get a strawberry lollipop when she has grape?

My six-year-old niece asked.

My nieces and nephew taught me early on that children often compare what they're given with what others receive.

This means that as the doting aunt, I'd better exercise good judgment.

I, too, sometimes compared the things God gives me with those he's given

others. Why do I have this and she has that? I ask God. My question reminds me of what Simon

Peter asked Jesus by the Sea of Galilee in John chapter 21. Jesus had just given restoration and forgiveness to Peter

for his previous denial of him and was now telling him that he'd glorify God by dying a martyr's death.

Instead of answering yes to Jesus' invitation to follow him, however, Peter asked,

Lord, what about John? Jesus answered, what is that to you? And added, you must follow me.

I believe Jesus would say the same to us. When he's already given us direction in an area

in our life, he desires our trust. We're not to compare our path with that of others, but we're

to simply follow him. For more than 30 years, the Apostle Peter followed God as a courageous leader of the early church.

Historical records also show that he fearlessly embraced death under the evil Emperor Nero.

May we too be steadfast and unquestioning in following God, trusting his love and direction.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John, chapter 21 21 verses 15 through 22.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon's son of John,

Do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, you know that I love you. Jesus said, feed my lambs. Again, Jesus said,

Simon, son of John, do you love me? He answered, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said,

take care of my sheep.

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