Entries by YMI

ODB: Taking Refuge

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December 20, 2013 

READ: Proverbs 18:1-10 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. —Proverbs 18:10 

In the medieval world, farmers would care for their crops until an enemy appeared on the horizon. Then they would flee with their families to their fortified city for protection from the marauders.

The city of Carcassonne has been a refuge for generations. Built in the 5th century bc, this stone fortress has provided protection for Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, Franks, and French. Its sprawling size and majestic watchtowers and battlements gave confidence to those hiding inside its protective walls.

As believers, we can take refuge in the presence of the living God. The book of Proverbs tells us: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). “The name of the Lord” refers to God’s character—abounding with faithfulness, power, and mercy. The term safe means “set on high out of danger.”

We all face threats at times that make us want to run for cover. Some seek security in material wealth or relationships. But the Christ-follower has a more secure refuge. Because of who God is and what He can do for us, our best protection ultimately rests in Him. If you are facing a threat today, go to the Lord, who is a strong tower. You will find refuge in His care.

— Dennis Fisher

In the times of greatest struggle,
When the angry billows roll,
I can always find my Savior,
Christ, the Refuge of my soul. —Woodruff

In good times and bad, God is our safe resting place. 

ODJ: away in a manger

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December 20, 2013 

READ: Luke 2:1-7 

She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them (v.7).

According to a recent Poll, “Away in a Manger” was voted the second most popular carol. Although some of what we sing isn’t mentioned in the Bible (for example, cattle present at Jesus’ birth or Jesus not crying), the carol affirms some deep theological truths.

We’re told that “[Mary] gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them” (Luke 2:7). Why would Luke mention that Jesus was placed in a feeding trough for animals? Why was it significant that Jesus was laid in a manger?

The song “Away in a Manger” reveals His condescension from glory into poverty (Philippians 2:6-8). The King of kings, placed not in a cradle of gold but a manger of hay. Paul commented, “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

“Away in a Manger” declares that Jesus is fully human; He experienced life’s trials and tragedies. “It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us . . . so that he could . . . offer a sacrifice that would take away [our] sins . . . Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested . . . [He] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:15).

“Away in a Manger” says this world has no room for Jesus. Not much has changed in 2,000 years. Jesus has been rejected and evicted from schools, campuses, communities and many other places that previously welcomed Him.

May He find room in our heart! —K.T. Sim

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(see John 1:10-14). 
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What does it mean for you to open your heart to Jesus? Why is our culture continually trying to move Jesus to the margins? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Son Is Given

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December 19, 2013 

READ: Luke 1:26-33 

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. —Isaiah 9:6 

One of my favorite portions of Handel’s Messiah is the joyous movement “For unto us a Child is born,” from the first part of the oratorio. I especially love how the chorus rises to the phrase, “Unto us a Son is given.” Those words, of course, are taken from Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Handel’s majestic music soars with adoration for the Son who came to us in human flesh that first Christmas.

The New Testament clarifies even further who this Son is. In Luke 1, the angelic messenger appeared to Mary and identified the Christ-child in four ways. He would be the son of Mary, making Him fully human (1:31). He would be the Son of the Highest, which made Him fully divine (1:32). He would also be the Son of David, giving Him royal lineage (1:32). And He would bear the title of Son of God (1:35), giving Him equality with the Father in all things. All of the roles the Messiah was called to fill are made possible in these distinct expressions of His Sonship.

As we worship Him this Christmas, may our celebrations be filled with joy and wonder at the fullness of what it means. Our heavenly Father has given us His perfect, sufficient Son. O come, let us adore Him!

— Bill Crowder

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. —Wade

God’s love became incarnate at Bethlehem. 

ODJ: Christmas kindness

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December 19, 2013 

READ: Romans 12:7-9 

If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly (v.8).

My son spent his first decade of life in a warm East African climate. For his 10th birthday I used frequent flier miles and took him to the western part of America to experience snow.

Friends graciously opened their home to us while they were away for the Christmas holidays. When my son and I arrived we had just a garage door opener code to get in, but a fluke power outage prevented the door from opening. It was 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve . . . and we were stranded. Sheepishly, I knocked on the neighbours’ door and explained our situation. To my surprise, the family invited us to spend the night with them.

Like Job, the family opened their doors to complete strangers (Job 31:31-32), blessing us big time! When we walked in, they immediately whisked us to their garden to roast marshmallows over a crackling fire. Yum! Later my son and I stayed in their lovely guestroom and we woke up on Christmas morning to a huge breakfast and stockings filled with gifts from our thoughtful hosts (see Romans 12:7-9).

I love the Wikipedia definition of kindness: “Good and charitable behaviour . . . concern for others. It is known as a virtue . . . Research has shown that acts of kindness not only benefit the receivers of the kind act, but also the giver.” Kindness is also included in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). When we extend kindness to others, we glorify the Lord who “is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness” (Psalm 145:17).

This Christmas, like my new friends in Utah, choose to display the wisdom of Proverbs 3:3 and “never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.” —Roxanne Robbins

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How have you found Proverbs 11:17 to be true? 
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How has God shown kindness to you? What happens when we live out this character quality before others? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Not All Empty

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December 18, 2013 

READ: Psalm 107:1-9 

He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. —Psalm 107:9 

Our granddaughter Julia spent the summer working in an orphanage in Busia, Uganda. On the final day of her internship, she went to the children to tell each one goodbye. One little girl named Sumaya was very sad and said to her, “Tomorrow you leave us, and next week the other aunties [interns] leave.”

When Julia agreed that she was indeed leaving, Sumaya thought for a minute and exclaimed, “But we will be all empty. None of you will be left!” Again, Julia agreed. The little girl thought a few moments and replied: “But God will be with us, so we won’t be all empty.”

If we are honest with ourselves, we know that “all empty” feeling. It is an emptiness that friendship, love, sex, money, power, popularity, or success can never assuage—a longing for something indefinable, something incalculably precious but lost. Every good thing can remind, beckon, and awaken in us a greater desire for that elusive “something more.” The closest we get is a hint, an echo in a face, a painting, a scene . . . . And then it is gone. “Our best havings are wantings,” said C. S. Lewis.

We were made for God, and in the end, nothing less will satisfy us. Without Him, we are all empty. He alone fills the hungry with good things (Ps. 107:9).

— David H. Roper

Dear Lord, fill me with Your goodness and love.
I desire nothing in heaven and earth but You.
Without You, I have nothing. Thank You for the
abiding satisfaction that we can find in You.

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there. —C. S. Lewis 

ODJ: what to do?

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December 18, 2013 

READ: Nehemiah 3:1-32 

Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house (v.28).

You might be in one of those times in life where you’re not sure what to do. Do I go to school? Do I get a job or pursue another career? In his book The Way I Was Made, songwriter Chris Tomlin writes, “Right now, the God who made you knows your heart, knows your desires, your strengths, your limitations . . . and this God has only good in mind for your future.” Chris points to Jeremiah 29:11 which reveals that God has good plans for us.

You might not know the next step to take, but take some counsel from Nehemiah and the wall builders (sounds like a rock band!). Nehemiah had received permission from King Artaxerxes of Persia to return to Jerusalem to oversee the continued rebuilding of the city that Ezra had started decades before (Ezra 1:2-4; Nehemiah 2:1-6). He and other formerly exiled members of God’s people returned and tackled the rebuilding of the city walls first (vv.17-19).

I’m guessing this crew must have felt overwhelmed—not sure what to do upon arrival. They could have been paralysed by indecision and the unknown that lay ahead. But here’s what happened: regardless of their backgrounds or abilities, they simply joined in and served. They had the high priest and other priests (3:1,22,28), a city leader and his daughters (v.12), goldsmiths (vv.8,31-32), other merchants (v.32) and even a man who worked with perfumes (v.8), all hoisting rocks and digging in the debris. And, as they worked with all their heart, something amazing happened—the crew rebuilt the entire wall in just 52 days! (6:15).

Regardless of where you are in life, you’re part of Jesus’ kingdom-building work. Your next opportunity might be simply “across from [your] own house” or with that team at church. Serve God with all you have wherever you are today (Colossians 3:23). —Tom Felten

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Note the differing people groups and the common bond that allowed them to build one another up in Colossians 3:11. 
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What can you do for Jesus today, even as you face questions about some big issues in life? How can questions and indecision keep us from serving Jesus with all our heart? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Love And Support

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December 17, 2013 

READ: Philippians 4:10-18 

I thank my God . . . for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. —Philippians 1:3,5 

I received this note from a friend serving in an orphanage in a developing country: “Yesterday, as I was sitting at my office desk, I noticed a trail of ants on the floor. As I followed it, I was shocked to see that thousands of ants had blanketed the walls of our office building—inside and out. They swarmed everything. Fortunately, one of the workers . . . set to work. Less than an hour later, the ants were gone.”

After telling this insect story, my friend wrote, “So, how was your day at work?” Sometimes we need reminders of the needs of those who have left behind the comforts and conveniences of home. God calls each of us to different paths of service, and some paths are bumpy. Working in an office that is overrun by ants doesn’t appeal to anyone, but my friend is not there for the perks.

She and many other believers have had their hearts captured by Christ and think that abandoning “essential” comforts and conveniences is a small thing to do to honor Him who loves us. They need our support in the way Paul depended on his friends in Philippi—for fellowship (Phil. 1:5), for finances (4:16), and for care (4:18). When we encourage our friends who have left their familiar environments to serve God elsewhere, we show our love for the One who sent them.

— Dave Branon

Dear Lord, give me wisdom to know which of Your
workers in the fields of the world need my help.
Show me how my family can surround them
with encouragement and support.

The glory of life is to love, not to be loved; to give, not to get; to serve, not to be served. 

ODJ: love does

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December 17, 2013 

READ: 1 John 3:11-18 

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions (v.18).

The news came on Christmas Eve. My wife put down the phone, walked into the bedroom and burst into tears. We were living in Australia then and had been visiting family in Brisbane, but after the call we decided we needed some time alone. So we packed our bags and started the 12 hour drive home to Sydney. That phone call put an exclamation point on a 2010 full of broken dreams.

We withdrew by ourselves for a few days, trying to heal. Then, on a Saturday morning a few days later, we started replying to the emails of our concerned friends. “Is there anything I can do?” my friend Darren wrote. “You’re one of the few people I could handle talking to right now,” I replied. “Got any time for a coffee?” Darren lived 2 hours away. “I’ll be there by midday,” he said.

Darren and I met in a coffee shop. I recounted the sad saga and he listened to my pain and anger for the rest of the afternoon. He came back to our place for dinner, prayed for my wife and me, then left in the evening for his long journey home.

Darren is a busy man with a wife and kids and plenty of things he could’ve been doing with his Saturday. But he relinquished it for a friend. Echoing Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, he gave up his will to do another’s (Matthew 26:39; 1 John 3:16). His love wasn’t offered in word only, but in action.

Love doesn’t think, speak or even pray, alone. It does (v.18). Love listens, spends, carries, helps. It buys groceries and brings meals, washes dishes and pays overdue bills. It jumps into a car and drives for hours to see a friend in need.

True love acts. Real love does. Just like Love Himself. —Sheridan Voysey

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Read John 15:12, 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 and consider what God’s Word describes as true love. 
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What act of love can you do today? How has God revealed His true love for you?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Living Backward

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December 16, 2013 

READ: Matthew 16:21-28 

Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. —Matthew 16:25 

The Chicago River is unusual because it flows backward. Engineers reversed its direction over a century ago because city-dwellers were using it as a dump. Dishwater, sewage, and industrial waste all funneled into the river, which emptied into Lake Michigan. Since the lake supplied drinking water for the city, thousands grew sick and died before city authorities decided to redirect the river to flow backward, away from the lake.

When we look at the earthly life of Jesus, it may seem backward from what we would expect. As the King of glory, He came to earth as a vulnerable infant. As God in the flesh, He endured accusations of blasphemy. As the only sinless man, He was crucified as a criminal. But Jesus lived on earth according to God’s will (John 6:38).

As followers of Christ, to clothe ourselves with Jesus’ attitudes and actions may appear “backward.” Blessing our enemies (Rom. 12:14), valuing godliness over wealth (1 Tim. 6:6-9), and taking joy in hardship (James 1:2) seem to oppose worldly wisdom. Yet, Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25).

Don’t worry if living your life sometimes means operating in reverse. God will give you the strength to honor Him, and He will propel you forward.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear God, please give me the strength to go
against the flow of this world. Help me to resist
what is wrong in Your eyes and to act in ways
that please You, for the glory of Your name.

Clothing ourselves with Jesus’ attitudes and actions shows His presence in our lives.