ODB: Like a Little Child

One evening many years ago, after saying a goodnight prayer with our two-year-old daughter, my wife was surprised by a question. “Mommy, where is Jesus?”Luann replied, “Jesus is in heaven and He’s everywhere, right here with us. And He can be in your heart if you ask Him to come in.”“I want Jesus to be in my heart.”“One of these days you can ask Him.

ODJ: Faith and Mystery

Much of human knowledge rests on realities we cannot see. Most people understand this when it comes to faith in God, who “no one has ever seen” (John 1:18). But did you know this is just as true in the realm of science?We might suppose science doesn’t require faith because so much of it explores concrete facts and the solid realities of our world, but that’s just at the sur

ODB: Joy

I’m fast approaching a new season—the “winter” of old age—but I’m not there yet. Even though the years are galloping by and sometimes I’d like to slow them down, I have joy that sustains me. Each day is a new day given me by the Lord. With the psalmist, I can say, “It is good to praise the Lord . . . proclaiming your love

ODJ: Poured Out

Water cascades from the top of the Taughannock Falls into a basin 215 feet below. The flow originates from an expansive trench in a wall of sedimentary rock. Trees fringe the top of the wall. During autumn, they adorn the scene with orange, yellow and red. In the winter, the waterfall’s spray coats the surrounding rock with ice, turning everything a shimmering silver and white.The powerful w

ODB: The Last Word

One day during a university philosophy class, a student made some inflammatory remarks about the professor’s views. To the surprise of the other students, the teacher thanked him and moved on to another comment. When he was asked later why he didn’t respond to the student, he said, “I’m practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word.”This teacher loved

ODJ: God’s Goodness

Some close friends recently went through a difficult season in which they struggled financially and emotionally. Yet when all was said and done, the trying time caused them to make positive changes to avoid catastrophe further down the line. Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, their challenge was an expression of God’s goodness.Similarly, Adam and Eve were recipients of God&rs

ODB: Holy, Holy, Holy

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” This cliché has no basis in fact, but experience makes it seem true.When life is pleasant, time passes all too quickly. Give me a task that I enjoy, or a person whose company I love, and time seems irrelevant.My experience of this “reality” has given me a new understanding of the scene described in Revelation 4. In the past,

ODJ: Playing God?

In March 2015, the magazine Australian Popular Science reported that a company is hoping to ‘resurrect’ people by the year 2045 through artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. Their goal is “to store data of conversational styles, behavioural patterns, thought processes and information about how your body functions from the insideout.” Then they’ll code t

ODB: True Hope

Not long ago I visited the Empire State Building with a friend. The line looked short—just down the block and around the corner. Yet as we entered the building, we discovered the line of people stretching through the lobby, up the stairs, and into another room. Every new turn revealed more distance to go.Attractions and theme parks carefully route their crowds to make the lines seem shorter.