Entries by YMI

ODB: Not Perfect

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August 4, 2016 

READ: Romans 7:14–25 

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18

 

In his book Jumping Through Fires, David Nasser tells the story of his spiritual journey. Before he began a relationship with Jesus, he was befriended by a group of Christian teens. Although most of the time his buddies were generous, winsome, and nonjudgmental, David witnessed one of them lie to his girlfriend. Feeling convicted, the young man later confessed and asked for her forgiveness. Reflecting on this, David said that the incident drew him closer to his Christian friends. He realized that they needed grace, just as he did.

We don’t have to act like we’re perfect with the people we know. It’s okay to be honest about our mistakes and struggles. The apostle Paul openly referred to himself as the worst of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He also described his wrestling match with sin in Romans 7, where he said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (v. 18). Unfortunately, the opposite was also true: “The evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (v. 19).

Being open about our struggles puts us on the same level with every other human alive—which is right where we belong! However, because of Jesus Christ, our sin will not follow us into eternity. It’s like the old saying goes, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.”

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Jesus, I worship You as the only perfect human ever to live. Thank You for making it possible for me to have victory over sin.

The only difference between Christians and everyone else is forgiveness.  

ODJ: Filled with Praise

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August 3, 2016 

READ: Psalm 117:1-2  

Praise him, all you people of the earth. For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever (vv.1-2).

When I was a young believer in Jesus, I was encouraged to keep a thanksgiving diary. It was a little booklet I carried with me as a means to capture the daily happenings that filled my heart with gratitude. Sometimes I would write my thanks items at the end of the week, following a time of reflection.

Carefully crafting a list of praise items is a good habit—one that I should probably re-establish in my life. It helps me to be mindful of God’s presence and to be grateful for His ever-present provision and protection.

The psalmist who wrote Psalm 117 celebrated God’s love and faithfulness with words of worship for his Creator. In the shortest of all the psalms, the writer encourages all people to praise the Lord because “his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever” (v.2).

As believers in Jesus, it’s our privilege to be people of praise because we worship a praiseworthy God. Here are some practical ways we can do just that: start the day by spending a few minutes with God. Read a portion of Scripture and focus your thoughts on how great He is and on what He’s done for you. Commit your day to Him in prayer. And if He puts a song in your heart, sing or hum it as you get ready for what lies before you.

Then, throughout the events of your day, pause often to focus on Him, to pray about challenges that come to light or to give thanks to Him for who He is. At night, as you get ready for bed, praise Him for His loving-kindness and faithfulness you experienced that day (v.2).

God draws us to consider Him and His awesome ways. As we take time to do so, our lives will truly overflow with praise.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan: Luke 11:14-32

MORE
Read Hebrews 13:15 to see how often we should praise our great God. 
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What can you do to remain Godfocused this week? How can you better understand and celebrate His unfailing love and faithfulness? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: More Than We Can Imagine

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August 3, 2016 

READ: Ephesians 3:14–21 

To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

 

What are the five best toys of all time? Jonathan H. Liu suggested the following: A stick, a box, string, a cardboard tube, and dirt (GeekDad column at wired.com). All are readily available, versatile, appropriate for all ages, fit every budget, and are powered by imagination. No batteries required.

Imagination plays a powerful role in our lives, so it’s not unusual that the apostle Paul mentioned it in his prayer for the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (Eph. 3:14–21). After asking God to strengthen them with His power through His Spirit (v. 16), Paul prayed that they would be able to grasp and experience the full dimension of the love of Christ (vv. 17–19). In closing, Paul gave glory to “him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (v. 20).

Often our experience limits our prayers—a situation we can’t picture being different; destructive habits that remain unbroken; long-held attitudes that seem to defy change. As time passes, we may begin to feel that some things cannot be changed. But Paul says that is not true.

By God’s mighty power working in us, He is able to do far more than we may dare to ask or even dream of.

— David McCasland

Dear Father, help us today to embrace all that You have given us in Your Son—forgiveness, hope, encouragement, and power to live a new life.

Never measure God’s unlimited power by your limited expectations.  

ODJ: Bodies Matter

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August 2, 2016 

READ: Genesis 2:4-25  

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person (v.7).

The Week magazine features a “What’s Next?” column based on current events. In a recent issue they asked readers to submit answers to a question based on this comment from chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain: “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” The question was: “What would be a good name for a theme park ride based on the typical American’s body?”

Here were some of the best answers: Cholester-Roll, Plumper Cars, Tunnel of Love Handles, The Tragic Kingdom, and SORRY—ride closed due to poor maintenance. Though funny, these answers focus on the fact that many people in America—as well as around the world—are poor stewards of their bodies.

The Bible, however, clearly calls us to honour God with our bodies. One primary reason is because He made them. He formed Adam from the “dust of the ground” and made him a “marvellous” living person (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 139:14). God’s creation of this first man established Him as the owner of Adam’s body as well as ours. And so He set the rules for the way Adam and subsequent generations should care for and use them.

Another reason to honour God with our bodies is because of the high price Jesus paid for our lives. He died, giving His body for the salvation of our whole person—including the physical part. We’re not our own; all that we are belongs to God.

Finally, since our bodies are the “temple of the Holy Spirit”, we’re obligated to use them to honour God (1 Corinthians 6:1920). This includes cleansing ourselves from everything that makes our bodies impure, devoting them completely to God to be used for what is good and right, and training them to do what they should—bring honour and worship to Him (Romans 12:1).

—Marvin Williams

365-day plan: Luke 11:1-13

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Read Matthew 6:25-32 and see what Jesus says about how we should care for our bodies. 
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On a scale of 1-10, how well do you honour God with your body? What are some things you should stop and start doing to better honour Him with it? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Never Give Up!

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August 2, 2016 

READ: 2 Timothy 3:10–15 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

 

Joop Zoetemelk is known as the Netherlands’ most successful cyclist. But that’s because he never gave up. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times—placing second five times before winning in 1980. That’s perseverance!

Many winners have reached success by climbing a special ladder called “never give up.” However, there are also many who have lost the opportunity to achieve success because they gave up too soon. This can happen in every area of life: family, education, friends, work, service. Perseverance is a key to victory.

The apostle Paul persevered despite persecution and affliction (2 Tim. 3:10–11). He viewed life with realism, recognizing that as followers of Christ we will suffer persecution (vv. 12–13), but he instructed Timothy to place his faith in God and the encouragement of the Scriptures (vv. 14–15). Doing so would help him face discouragement and endure with hope. At the end of his life, Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (4:7).

We too can allow the Scriptures to strengthen us to press on in the race marked out for us. For our God is both a promise-making and promise-keeping God and will reward those who faithfully finish the race (v. 8).

— Jaime Fernández Garrido

Heavenly Father, give me strength of character and perseverance to serve you better. Help me not to get discouraged when things get tough but to rely on You to see me through.

Faith connects our weakness to God’s strength.  

ODJ: Deep Wounds

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August 1, 2016 

READ: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18  

So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you (v.12).

The woman and her daughter approached me after I had spoken on the way God can transform pain into something good. The daughter, Kate, was too distraught to talk, so her mother spoke for her.

“Last year Kate’s husband was arrested on charges of indecent dealings with children,” she said, “including his own daughter. Since then Kate has lost her husband, her kids and many of her friends—no one wants to be associated with something like this. We’ve been touched by what you’ve shared today, but what good could possibly come from this?”

I prayed silently before I answered. The last thing Kate and her mother needed was false hope or some pious platitude.

The apostle Paul knew pain too well to treat it lightly. He’d been whipped, beaten and abused for following Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:5). His friends had abandoned him (2 Timothy 4:9-11). But in walking through this pain with God he had made a profound discovery: his suffering was uniting him with the suffering of Jesus, and through it Jesus’ resurrection life was being revealed through him (2 Corinthians 4:10). The “death” Paul faced was resulting in life for others (vv.12,14-15). His deep wounds were bringing healing to those around him.

“Kate,” I said, “your trust has been deeply broken by those closest to you. But if you were to walk through this pain with God and document what you discover as you learn to trust others again, you could help many people rebuild their trust after their own betrayals. That would be a powerful way your pain could be transformed into something good.”

Paul found that God redeems our pain in the same way He redeemed it for Jesus on the cross—by turning our deep wounds into deep healing for others.

—Sheridan Voysey

365-day plan: Luke 10:25-42

MORE
Read 2 Cor. 12:9 and consider what happens as we seek God’s grace in the midst of our suffering. 
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Do you view your wounds as God’s tools? How are you stewarding your pain and disappointments for the benefit of others? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Best Is Yet to Come

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August 1, 2016 

READ: Deuteronomy 34:1–12 

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

 

Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you? Our outlook on life—and our answer to that question—can change with time. When we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up. And once we’ve grown older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again. But when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!

Over the course of his long life, Moses witnessed the amazing things God did, and many of those amazing things happened when he was no longer a young man. Moses was 80 years old when he confronted Pharaoh and saw God miraculously set His people free from slavery (Ex. 3–13). Moses saw the Red Sea part, saw manna fall from heaven, and even spoke with God “face to face” (14:21; 16:4; 33:11).

Throughout his life, Moses lived expectantly, looking ahead to what God would do (Heb. 11:24–27). He was 120 years old in his final year of life on this earth, and even then he understood that his life with God was just getting started and that he would never see an end to God’s greatness and love.

Regardless of our age, “the eternal God is [our] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27) that faithfully carry us into His joy each day.

— James Banks

O Lord my God, I praise You for all You have done in the past. I look forward with thankfulness for all You will do in the future. And I thank You for today and all Your blessings.

When we walk with God, the best is yet to come.  

ODJ: God with Us

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July 31, 2016 

READ: Matthew 1:21-25  

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (v.23).

The chorus from the Grammy award-winning song From a Distance gives the impression that God keeps His eye on us from a long way off.

God does watch over us. For example, when He reminded Jacob of His promise to bless all the families of the earth through his family, God also promised to watch over them wherever they went (Genesis 28:14-15). To know that God is watching over us is a comforting thought. But He’s not watching from a distant place.

God is also with us. The Creator of heaven and earth is not peering over the edge of heaven—watching over us from a galaxy far, far away. The message of the Bible is this: God desires to dwell with us. That’s why the baby Jesus was to be named Immanuel. “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’ ”(Matthew 1:23).

Right from the beginning, God intended to dwell with His image-bearers. And even though we as human beings have repeatedly made it difficult for Him to do so, God, in His grace, always intervenes and draws us to Himself. This cycle is repeated in story after story found in the Scriptures.

Part of the good news of Jesus is that God can dwell with those who love Him by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6). And this time it’s for keeps. He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Because Jesus came to dwell among us and sacrifice His life for us, He also made it possible for us to be saved from our sins (Matthew 1:21).

May we celebrate and be comforted by the truth that the loving, saving God of heaven and earth is dwelling with us today. Yes, God is truly with us!

—Jeff Olson

365-day plan: Luke 10:1-24

MORE
Read Matthew 28:20 and consider what Jesus told His disciples before ascending to heaven. 
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What does it mean to you that the Bible so often reveals God’s desire to dwell with us? Why was it so important for Jesus to come as a man to earth? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)