Entries by YMI

ODJ: Simple Things

May 2, 2016 in , /by

May 2, 2016 

READ: 1 Timothy 6:5-10 

So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content (v.8).

It was 2 a.m. and we’d just completed 26 hours of air travel—including connections. Lines of bleary-eyed passengers queued to get through customs. Most of us had just one thing on our mind—getting home and falling into bed.

In front of me stood a mother and her daughter. The girl, perhaps 2 years old, was wide awake and wandering around the terminal. Beckoned by her mother, she returned to the line as their turn at the customs desk neared.

I drifted off in a daydream for a moment, then returned to see the woman at the counter. But I couldn’t see the girl. Where was she? Glancing down, I found her. She had a red crayon in one hand, a yellow crayon in the other and was sitting on the terminal floor quietly drawing.

That simple scene spoke volumes to me. Surrounded by bedraggled adults weary from their travels (and perhaps from life itself), this little girl evidenced simple joy. It appeared to me that piece of paper and a couple of crayons was all she needed to be content.

Jesus spoke to the importance of true contentedness in life (Matthew 6:19-24)—that it isn’t found in simply having more and more (Luke 12:15). The apostle Paul said something similar, reminding Timothy that a love of money leads to ruin (1 Timothy 6:9-10), but contentment can be found with just food, clothing and godliness (vv.6-8).

In a world obsessed with stuff that will ultimately leave us empty, this is good news. Real contentment can be found in the simplest of things, like righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 15:13). Like sunsets, mountain hikes and unexplored country roads.

So let’s rediscover the simple things that bring deep contentment. Let’s thank God for all His perfect gifts.

—Sheridan Voysey

365-day plan: Esther 1:1-22

MORE
Read Hebrews 13:5 and consider where true contentment is found. 
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Have you become too obsessed with material things? What simple pleasures can you rediscover with God today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Shine Through

May 2, 2016 in , /by

May 2, 2016 

READ: Matthew 5:13-16 

Let your light shine before others. Matthew 5:16

 

A little girl wondered what a saint might be. One day her mother took her to a great cathedral to see the gorgeous stained-glass windows with scenes from the Bible. When she saw the beauty of it all she cried out loud, “Now I know what saints are. They are people who let the light shine through!”

Some of us might think that saints are people of the past who lived perfect lives and did Jesus-like miracles. But when a translation of Scripture uses the word saint, it is actually referring to anyone who belongs to God through faith in Christ. In other words, saints are people like us who have the high calling of serving God while reflecting our relationship with Him wherever we are and in whatever we do. That is why the apostle Paul prayed that the eyes and understanding of his readers would be opened to think of themselves as the treasured inheritance of Christ and saints of God (Eph. 1:18).

So what then do we see in the mirror? No halos or stained glass. But if we are fulfilling our calling, we will look like people who, maybe even without realizing it, are letting the rich colors of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control of God shine through. 

— Keila Ochoa

Lord, You are the light of the world. Thank You for wanting to shine that light in our lives. Cleanse me today so that I may let Your light shine through.

Saints are people through whom God’s light shines.  

ODJ: Thirsty?

May 1, 2016 in , /by

May 1, 2016 

READ: Isaiah 55:1-7  

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! (v.1).

It seems to me that there are three primary things in life that make people feel good about themselves: wealth, good looks and knowledge. With this trio a person can feel significant (because people will flock to you for good and bad reasons) and secure (because you think you have some semblance of control).

Since I don’t have loads of money and am unwilling to be touched by a plastic surgeon’s scalpel, I once pursued knowledge—the most attainable thing for me—to satisfy my yearning for significance and security.

But I was wrong. The prophet Isaiah points us to the only Person who can truly satisfy us and quench our thirst for significance. It’s not knowledge itself that truly matters, but knowing God (Isaiah 55:6).

God promises that those who come to Him “will find life”, and He “will make an everlasting covenant with [them]” (v.3). This “everlasting covenant” is God’s gifts of Himself and His love, realised in salvation through Jesus. We’re loved, accepted and declared significant by God who created us.

Pastor and author Tim Keller observes: “As long as you think there is a pretty good chance that you will achieve some of your dreams, as long as you think you have a shot at success, you experience your inner emptiness as ‘drive’ and your anxiety as ‘hope’. And so you can remain oblivious to the real depth of your thirst. Most of us tell ourselves that the reason we remain unfulfilled is that we simply haven’t been able to achieve our goals. And so we can live almost our entire lives without admitting to ourselves the depth of our spiritual thirst.”

Are you thirsty? Come to God—for His invitation extends to you too.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan: Nehemiah 8:1-8

MORE
Read John 4:1-14 and consider what Jesus says about living water. 
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What does it mean to “come” to God? How has God provided our identity and significance in Jesus? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Restoration Business

May 1, 2016 in , /by

May 1, 2016 

READ: Philippians 3:1-8 

I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —nkjv Philippians 3:8

 

Adam Minter is in the junk business. The son of a junkyard owner, he circles the globe researching junk. In his book Junkyard Planet, he chronicles the multibillion-dollar industry of waste recycling. He notes that entrepreneurs around the world devote themselves to locating discarded materials such as copper wire, dirty rags, and plastics and repurposing them to make something new and useful.

After the apostle Paul turned his life over to the Savior, he realized his own achievements and abilities amounted to little more than trash. But Jesus transformed it all into something new and useful. Paul said, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8). Having been trained in Jewish religious law, he had been an angry and violent man toward those who followed Christ (Acts 9:1-2). After being transformed by Christ, the tangled wreckage of his angry past was transformed into the love of Christ for others (2 Cor. 5:14-17).

If you feel that your life is just an accumulation of junk, remember that God has always been in the restoration business. When we turn our lives over to Him, He makes us into something new and useful for Him and others.

— Dennis Fisher

Are you wondering how to become a new person? Romans 3:23 and 6:23 tell us that when we admit we are sinners and ask for God’s forgiveness, He gives us the free gift of eternal life that was paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Talk to

Christ makes all things new.  

ODJ: Freedom from Stress

Apr 30, 2016 in , /by

April 30, 2016 

READ: 1 John 5:1-6 

Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith (v.4).

According to the American Institute of Stress, stress—related illnesses cost the US economy $300 billion in medical bills and lost productivity every year. Forty—four percent of Americans feel more stress than they did 5 years ago. Family relationships, job—related challenges, and even academic studies are a few stressors that weigh citizens down.

The believers in Ephesus were dealing with stress, but it was related to their faith in Jesus. Instead of offering humanengineered ways to chill and feel more relaxed, John pointed them to God and His resources.

The apostle was writing to a group of believers who were being socially ostracized and physically brutalized. Every day they lived with the stress of choosing Christ or losing their jobs and even their lives. Instead of giving in to the temptation of cowering under the pressure, they remained faithful to Jesus. What was their secret to dealing with the constant stress of being persecuted? Knowing that God was their heavenly Father, they found security in His love and knowing that they were “a child of God” (1 John 5:1).

They also found freedom in lovingly and joyfully obeying Jesus. In doing so, they weren’t defeated by the world’s hostility or compelled by it to turn from Christ (v.4). Because Jesus had already conquered the world, His followers could walk in that victory, casting all their anxieties on Him and finding His peace even in the midst of stress.

Peace is possible as we remember Jesus’ words, receive His love, and walk obediently in the victory He’s provided. His presence can cheer our souls, making it possible for us to experience freedom when stress comes calling.

—Marvin Williams

365-day-plan: Nehemiah 5:1—19

MORE
Read John 16:33. Why did Jesus say His followers could have peace? 
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How can knowing that God loves you unconditionally reduce the stress in your life and help you know peace? How can loving and obeying God help you to find the peace He has promised His children? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Doing Right in God’s Sight

Apr 30, 2016 in , /by

April 30, 2016 

READ: 2 Kings 12:1-15 

Joash did what was right . . . all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 2 Kings 12:2

 

“Cowboy builders” is a term many British homeowners use for tradespeople who do shoddy construction work. The term is bandied about with fear or regret, often because of bad experiences.

No doubt there were rogue carpenters, masons, and stonecutters in biblical times, but tucked away in the story of King Joash repairing the temple is a line about the complete honesty of those who oversaw and did the work (2 Kings 12:15).

However, King Joash “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 2) only when Jehoiada the priest instructed him. As we see in 2 Chronicles 24:17-27, after Jehoiada died Joash turned from the Lord and was persuaded to worship other gods.

The mixed legacy of a king who enjoyed a season of fruitfulness only while under the spiritual counsel of a godly priest makes me stop and think. What will our legacies be? Will we continue to grow and develop in our faith throughout our lives, producing good fruit? Or will we become distracted by the things of this world and turn to modern-day idols—such as comfort, materialism, and self-promotion?

— Amy Boucher Pye

Go deeper: How does this passage compare with Jesus’ letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2? How do these passages apply to your life?

For help in understanding and applying the Bible, read

ODJ: Portrait of Jesus

Apr 29, 2016 in , /by

April 29, 2016 

READ: Isaiah 52:13–53:12 

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him (53:2).

So what did Jesus look like? Did he resemble actor James Caviezel who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ? Probably not. Something like Warner Sallman’s famous portrait Head of Christ? Uh, no—don’t think so.

The Bible tells us very little about Jesus’ physical appearance. Perhaps we find a clue or two in Isaiah 53:2: “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.”

Jesus was definitely not G.I. Joe—more average Joe. If you bumped into him in a crowded marketplace, it’s likely you wouldn’t have given him a second look.

The last of the four Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1—9, 49:1—7, 50:4—11), Isaiah 52:13–53:12 doesn’t give us a physical description of Jesus. But it does paint a compelling portrait of Him—revealing who He is and what He’s done for us.

This song tells of Jesus’ humanity, His suffering and sacrifice for us, His death and burial, and His victory and majesty (53:10—12). Because Christ succeeded in His mission to save, He’s “highly exalted” and has been given “the honors of a victorious soldier” (52:13,15, 53:10—12).

But this was accomplished at a high cost. Jesus was “despised and rejected . . . pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins . . . beaten so we could be whole . . . whipped so we could be healed . . . oppressed and treated harshly . . . unjustly condemned [and] buried like a criminal” (vv.3—9). He was “so disfigured he seemed hardly human” (52:14).

But Jesus “had done no wrong” (53:9). So as we gaze at this picture of Jesus, we see the One who bore our sins so we could be right with God, the Son of God who died that we might live eternally (v.11). What an amazing portrait of grace!

—K. T. Sim

365-day-plan: Nehemiah 2:1-20

MORE
Read Matthew 26:47—67 and 27:11—54 to see how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53. 
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What did Jesus endure for you? How does the portrait you’re painting in life reflect the portrait Jesus lived out? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Fragrance of Christ

Apr 29, 2016 in , /by

April 29, 2016 

READ: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 

We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15

 

Which of the five senses brings back your memories most sharply? For me it is definitely the sense of smell. A certain kind of sun oil takes me instantly to a French beach. The smell of chicken mash brings back childhood visits to my grandmother. A hint of pine says “Christmas,” and a certain kind of aftershave reminds me of my son’s teenage years.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that they were the aroma of Christ: “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15). He may have been referring to Roman victory parades. The Romans made sure everyone knew they had been victorious by burning incense on altars throughout the city. For the victors, the aroma was pleasing; for the prisoners it meant certain slavery or death. So as believers, we are victorious soldiers. And when the gospel of Christ is preached, it is a pleasing fragrance to God.

As the aroma of Christ, what perfumes do Christians bring with them as they walk into a room? It’s not something that can be bought in a bottle or a jar. When we spend a lot of time with someone, we begin to think and act like that person. Spending time with Jesus will help us spread a pleasing fragrance to those around us.

— Marion Stroud

Lord, please shape my thoughts and actions so people may sense that I have been with You.

When we walk with God, people will notice.