Entries by YMI

ODJ: The Art of Joy

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July 9, 2016 

READ: Philippians 4:1-4,9-11  

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (v.4).

I recently called a friend who has endured more than his share of hardship and weariness. People dear to him, people he loves, have made choices that have caused themselves pain and brought him heartache. When my friend answered the phone, however, his voice was bright.“How are you?” I asked. His answer was quick. “I’m actually doing great. I’m listening to an album from a rhythm and blues singer...and it’s impossible to listen to his music and feel sad.” I was glad to hear that my friend was doing well. I also knew that I needed to acquaint myself with this music that pushes away the dark clouds of sadness.

The truth is that there are seasons for us to learn to feel our sadness, and other times for us to learn the art of joy. It’s a reality we can embrace even in the midst of sorrow. Paul (writing from prison) instructed us to have joy “in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4). Joy comes from the deep confidence that no matter what trial, suffering or evil we encounter, our God is with us and sustains us.

Joy doesn’t come because we’ve accomplished our goals or because circumstances have come out in our favour. Rather, true joy arises when we recognise that we are loved by God and held by Him. This is why Paul could say that he had learned to be content with whatever he had, because he trusted that God would always give him whatever he needed (v.11).

Joy allows us to have the right measure of self-forgetfulness and a carefree playfulness, shaped by the truth that our life isn’t actually ours to maintain. When we grasp that our life is in God’s hands, we can find joy in every twist and turn. This must have been why C. S. Lewis referred to joy as “the serious business of heaven”.

—Winn Collier

365-day plan: Mark 4:1-29

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Read James 1:2-3 and consider why James concluded that trials can bring joy. 
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What has hindered you from experiencing joy this week? Why is joy such a powerful tool in dealing with life’s ups and downs? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Everything We Need and More

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July 9, 2016 

READ: 2 Peter 1:1–10 

[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. 2 Peter 1:3

 

In a field on the English countryside, G. K. Chesterton stood up from where he had been sitting and exploded with laughter. His outburst was so sudden and so loud that the cows could not take their eyes off him.

Just minutes before, the Christian writer and apologist had been miserable. That afternoon he had been wandering the hills, sketching pictures on brown paper using colored chalks. But he was dismayed to discover he had no white chalk, which he considered to be essential to his artwork. Soon, though, he began to laugh when he realized that the ground beneath him was porous limestone—the earth’s equivalent of white chalk. He broke off a piece and resumed drawing.

Like Chesterton, who realized he “was sitting on an immense warehouse of white chalk,” believers have God’s unlimited spiritual resources within reach at all times. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him” (2 Peter 1:3).

Maybe you feel you are lacking some important element necessary for godliness such as faith, grace, or wisdom. If you know Christ, you have everything you need and more. Through Jesus, you have access to the Father—the one who graciously provides believers with all things.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Lord, forgive me for overlooking Your power and trying to live in my own strength. I can’t do it. Thank You for providing everything I need.

God has unlimited power.  

ODJ: What a Friend!

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July 8, 2016 

READ: 1 Samuel 20:30-42  

Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever (v.42).

Soldiers who have fought together will tell you that the relational bond they share with their fellow soldiers is incredibly strong. In fact, some veterans report that the friendships they share with fellow veterans, although different in character, are as important to them as the relationship they have with their spouse. This doesn’t minimise the importance of marriage, but points to the depth of friendships forged in the crucible of sacrifice.

This reflects the fullness of Jonathan and David’s friendship. They were fast friends who fought alongside one another on behalf of Israel. Because of this, their bond was unbreakable. When it became clear to Jonathan that his father wanted to kill David (1 Samuel 20:30-31), he risked his own life to protect his friend (vv.32-33).

This is all the more remarkable when we remember that Jonathan was the heir to the throne of Israel, a position that was threatened by David’s rapid ascension (v.30). Still, nothing could break Jonathan’s loyalty to his friend, not even the thought of losing the throne, because their friendship had been made even stronger by the fire of adversity.

Believers in Jesus share a powerful, loving friendship with Jesus, as He declared in John 15:15. Similar to the relationship between Jonathan and David, this is an unbreakable friendship that has been refined through hardship and sacrifice (Romans 3:25), so perfectly exemplified by Jesus’ death on the cross. So when we call Jesus our “friend”, this doesn’t mean someone we simply hang out with. No, as seen in the friendship between Jonathan and David, Jesus is a friend who gave His life for our own—One who will never leave our side.

—Peter Chin

365-day plan: Matthew 12:22-50

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Read Proverbs 18:19-24 to see how we can maintain godly and lasting friendships with other believers in Jesus. 
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What does it mean to you to have a friend in Jesus? How can you grow your friendships with believers in Jesus—seeking to sharpen and encourage one another? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Our Chief Task

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July 8, 2016 

READ: Matthew 7:12–23 

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

 

When a British scholar called on the world’s religions to work together for worldwide unity, people everywhere applauded. Pointing out that the major religions share a belief in the Golden Rule, she suggested, “The chief task of our time is to build a global society where people of all persuasions can live together in peace and harmony.”

Jesus cited the Golden Rule in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12). In the same sermon, He said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (5:44). Putting those radical commands into practice would indeed go a long way toward peace and harmony. But immediately following the Golden Rule, Jesus called for discernment. “Watch out for false prophets,” He warned. “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (7:15).

Respect for others and discernment of the truth go hand in hand. If we have the truth, we have a message worth telling. But God extends to everyone the freedom to choose Him or reject Him. Our responsibility is to lovingly present the truth and respect the personal choice of others just as God does.

Our respect for others is vital to winning their respect. It’s an important step in gaining an opportunity to convey the message of Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

— Tim Gustafson

Father in heaven, help us to see each individual as uniquely made in Your image and worthy of our love and respect. Show Your love through our lives in some small way today.

Love people; love the truth.  

ODJ: Lessons from the Young

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July 7, 2016 

READ: Psalm 8:1-9  

You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you (v.2).

On the way home from football practice last week, my 12 year old son busily jotted his thoughts onto a notepad he had brought with him. When he finished, he handed it to me and said, “This is what I [created].”

He had drawn a basic timeline of God’s creation and had written a brief summary of the gospel message. My son wrote, “Christ is crucified, but rose the third day. He paid for our sin. Then Christ ascends to heaven and tells us to be His disciples and that He will be with us till the end of the age. [God] did this so He could have a relationship with us.”

To seek the understanding of people coming from different belief systems, my son added, “Question for [those who deny God as their Creator]. How did you create yourself and why?”

Psalm 8:1-2 states, “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.”

Time and again, when my son (or anyone who has received salvation in Jesus) testifies of God’s strength, my most relentless foes—worry, fear, despair and hopelessness—are silenced. Doubts that oppose the truth of God’s goodness, fear that opposes the truth that He is our faithful provider (Philippians 4:19) and despair that goes against the limitless hope Christ offers (Romans 15:13) all lose their voice when we place our confidence in God’s strength.

When a child tells of God’s strength and majesty, we should listen and thank God for what the child has grasped by faith and for what God has done. May we, with the young, proclaim, “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!” (Psalm 8:9).

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day plan: Luke 7:36-8:3

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Read Matthew 18:1-3 and consider Jesus’ response when He was asked who would be the greatest in heaven. 
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How have you been encouraged by a much younger person recently? Why is it vital to praise God when doubts threaten our faith in Him? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Important Reminders

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July 7, 2016 

READ: Deuteronomy 6:1–12 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Deuteronomy 6:6

 

Anthropologist Anthony Graesch says that the outside of a refrigerator reveals what’s important to people. During a research study of families in Los Angeles, Graesch and his colleagues noted an average of 52 items posted on the fridge—including school schedules, family photos, children’s drawings, and magnets. Graesch calls the refrigerator “a repository of family memory.”

The Lord may use a tangible item like a photo, keepsake, or Scripture verse to remind us of His faithfulness and the call to obey His Word. When Moses addressed the Israelites just before they entered the land of Canaan, he urged them to keep all the commands God had given them. “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road . . . . Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates”  (Deut. 6:7, 9). 

Giving God’s Word a visible place of honor in their homes and lives was a powerful daily reminder to “be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you . . . out of the land of slavery” (v. 12).

Today the Lord encourages us to remember that as we obey His Word, we can depend on His faithful care for all that lies ahead. 

— David McCasland

Father, we are grateful for every reminder of Your faithfulness and loving care. May we honor You by obeying Your Word. 

How do you nurture your relationship with the Lord? Share with us at Fa

In.visible

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In.visible is a project made in collaboration with five women on their experiences with sexual assault, abuse and rape. This project led me to be in conversation, over the course of a year, with them while I lived in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. I interviewed them, spoke with them in their homes, had meals with them and saw firsthand how they lived their lives in the light of sexual abuse and rape.

ODJ: Faithful

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July 6, 2016 

READ: 2 Timothy 4:5-8  

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful (v.7).

My wife was quiet and sincere—a behind the scenes kind of person. She taught and mentored students in her home church in the 1980s and 1990s. But she chose not to retire from that ministry. And over the past 10 years, she continued to teach and mentor the children of her former students. In fact, she ministered to two generations of believers in Jesus within the same family. All in all, 40 years of faithful service.

Since October 2012, my wife bravely fought late-stage cancer. After two major surgeries and many rounds of chemo, she finally succumbed to the dreadful disease. On 2 August, 2015, Lay Keng, my wife, companion and friend for the past 29 years, took her last breath and entered Jesus’ presence.

The 3 years Lay Keng battled cancer were very difficult and filled with pain. But she didn’t stop caring for others—even in the midst of her sickness and suffering. Clear-minded about the work God had given her, she remained steadfast, for she wasn’t afraid to suffer for her Lord (2 Timothy 2:5). She strived to serve Him faithfully because she loved Him deeply.

Lay Keng’s favourite Bible verse was 2 Timothy 4:7. It truly dictated how she chose to live her life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful.” Lay Keng did her best to fulfil those words, something we should all aspire to do: Be faithful to the end.

Rejoice with me. My wife is now with the God she so loves. No more pain. No more sickness. No more suffering. God Himself has wiped away every tear from her eyes (Revelation 21:4). Lay Keng may have had cancer, but cancer didn’t have her. God held her in His hands and now has her in His arms! What a faithful, loving God He is.

—K. T. Sim

365-day plan: Matthew 11:1-30

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Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. What is God’s promise and comfort for us as we come to terms with the frailty of our physical bodies? 
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What gives you hope today as you face suffering in this life? How can you learn to be more faithful to the God who deeply loves you? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)