Entries by YMI

ODJ: The Last Stop

April 17, 2016 

READ: John 13:1-38 

He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end (v.1)

My friend says our lives are like trains. We make various “stops” for school, college, job, marriage, and family. At each stop we spend time with others who have stepped off. When we graduate or change jobs, we say goodbye to the people at that junction and step back onto the train. Only a handful of people stay with us all the way to the end. These are the most important people in our lives, the people who receive most of our time and attention.

I thought of this as I attended my cousin’s funeral. He was a godly man, and his funeral was attended by more than 200 people. This gathering of family, friends, church members, and neighbors represented the significance of his life. It made me think, Look who is with you at the end, and you’ll see what your life meant.

Almost, that is. If that were the only criterion, then Jesus’ life could seem unsatisfactory. Consider who He invited to His Last Supper. A last meal is for those who mean the most, those who stuck with you till the very last stop. Jesus’ guest list included only a handful of people, yet one would deny Him and another would betray Him. No matter. Jesus “had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end” (John 13:1). He noticed their feet were dirty from the dusty streets, so he knelt beside each disciple—including Peter and Judas—and washed and dried their feet. When Peter asked why He was performing the work of a slave, Jesus said He must cleanse everyone who belonged to Him (vv.6—8).

Consider who will ride with you to the end. Love and serve them well. And know that our faithful God will be with you to the last stop and for all eternity.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 12:1-24

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Read Acts 20:16—38 to learn how to love and say goodbye to those who mean the most to you. 
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Who do you think will be riding with you to the last stop? How are you showing them the love of God? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Chameleon Crawl

April 17, 2016 

READ: Acts 2:42-47 

Every day they continued to meet together. Acts 2:46

 

When we think of the chameleon, we probably think of its ability to change color according to its surroundings. But this lizard has another interesting characteristic. On several occasions I’ve watched a chameleon walk along a pathway and wondered how it ever reached its destination. Reluctantly, the chameleon stretches out one leg, seems to change its mind, attempts again, and then carefully plants a hesitant foot, as if afraid the ground will collapse under it. That was why I couldn’t help laughing when I heard someone say, “Do not be a chameleon church member who says, ‘Let me go to church today; no, let me go next week; no, let me wait for a while!’”

“The house of the Lord” at Jerusalem was King David’s place of worship, and he was far from being a “chameleon” worshiper. Rather, he rejoiced with those who said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1). The same was true for believers in the early church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . . Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts” (Acts 2:42, 46).

What a joy it is to join with others in worship and fellowship! Praying and worshiping together, studying the Scriptures together, and caring for one another are essential for our spiritual growth and unity as believers.

— Lawrence Darmani

Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. John Fawcett

Worshiping together brings strength and joy.  

ODJ: Worry & Anger

April 16, 2016 

READ: Ephesians 4:17-31 

For anger gives a foothold to the devil (v.27).

There’s a children’s song that goes, “Don’t you worry and don’t you fret, you know God has never failed you yet.” The same God who delivered the Israelites out of slavery can be trusted to go ahead of us—never failing or abandoning His children (Deuteronomy 31:6).

But what happens when the stuff of life begins to sap our joy and fear comes calling? We can begin to worry and fret; and sometimes as we weary of trials or suffering, we can even become angry. Sadly, anger only adds to our pain and turmoil. Speaking from personal experience, it has never led to freedom, healing, or peace. In fact, worry—fueled anger results in lost tempers, which then “only [lead] to harm” (Psalm 37:8).

Pastor Adrian Rogers once stated, “When you are quick to get angry, you can lose so much—your job, friends, children, wife, health, testimony—there is nothing more debilitating to your Christian testimony than for you to fly off the handle.”

Rogers offered the following advice for responding to anger when it begins building inside of you:

Confess: Bring your anger and its root cause (including worry and lack of faith) to God and experience His forgiveness and healing.

Consider: Determine why you’re filled with anger and seek God’s provision to be free of it (Ephesians 4:31).

Control: “ ‘Don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil” (vv.26—27). Instead, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within you will provide what’s needed to “renew your thoughts and attitudes” (v.23).

As we rest and trust in God, worries melt away, anger subsides, and our lives can reflect His “righteous and holy” ways (v.24).

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 10:1-13

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Read James 1:19—20 and consider what it says about anger and how it can negatively affect our lives and testimony. 
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How have you experienced worry turning to anger? What’s at the core of your fears and worries? How can you deal with them so that you don’t become anxious and angry? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Apple of His Eye

April 16, 2016 

READ: Zechariah 2 

Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8

 

A friend’s baby was suffering seizures, so they sped to the hospital in an ambulance, her heart racing as she prayed for her daughter. Her fierce love for this child hit her afresh as she held her tiny fingers, recalling too how much more the Lord loves us and how we are “the apple of His eye.”

The prophet Zechariah employs this phrase in his word to God’s people who had returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. He calls them to repent, to rebuild the temple, and to renew their hearts of love for the true God. For the Lord loves His people greatly; they are the apple of His eye.

Hebrew scholars suggest this phrase from Zechariah 2 denotes one’s reflection in the pupil of another’s eye, with the word “apple” emerging because it’s a common spherical object. So with eyes being precious and fragile, they need protecting, and that’s how the Lord wants to love and protect His people—by holding them close to His heart.

The Lord who dwells in our midst pours out His love on us—even, amazingly, far more than a loving mother who does all she can for her ailing child. We are the apple of His eye, His beloved.

— Amy Boucher Pye

Father God, You love us so much that You gave us Your only Son to die that we might live. May we receive Your love this day and live in it.

A parent’s love for a child reflects our Father’s love for us.  

ODJ: Shaming Shame

April 15, 2016 

READ: Genesis 3:7-12 

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves (v.7).

I wet the bed until I was 12 years old. words the agony of those moments when I would wake up in the middle of the night and find my clothes and sheets It’s hard to put into were soaked. Ashamed, I would scurry about, trying to quietly change the sheets and my clothes—doing my best to hide the evidence. But it was found out each time, and I felt a deep sense of worthlessness, failure, and disapproval.

I tried using a lot of soap, water, and lotion to hide my struggle. Over and over, I prayed that God would give me a dry night. But many mornings I awakened with my prayers unanswered. I had a shameful secret, and I was afraid that it would be exposed for all to see.

Long before I fought to hide my shame, Adam and Eve did their best to hide theirs. From the beginning, shame wasn’t a natural emotion for human beings to experience: “The man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25). Adam and Eve enjoyed the beauty of a shameless state. But after they disobeyed God’s command, they experienced for the first time a bitter new emotion—shame. Unlike my battle, theirs was the result of disobeying a loving, holy God. Their sin caused them to exhibit shamebased behaviors: creating coverings, hiding, fearing, deflecting responsibility, and blaming one another (3:7—12).

God was the only one who could cover their shame (v.21). And He alone can cover ours (Revelation 3:16—18). When Jesus died on the cross and forgave our sins, in essence He shamed shame (Hebrews 12:1—2). We aren’t obligated to put it on ever again. Because of what Christ has done, we can exchange “beauty for ashes” and “praise instead of despair”! (Isaiah 61:3).

—Marvin Williams

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 6:1-38

MORE
Read Psalm 51:10 and consider what David did with his shame. 
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In what area of your life has shame kept you in bondage? What part of your past do you need to surrender to Jesus, the only One who can free you from your shame? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Great Sacrifice

April 15, 2016 

READ: Hebrews 10:5-18 

The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us. Galatians 1:3-4

 

W. T. Stead, an innovative English journalist at the turn of the 20th century, was known for writing about controversial social issues. Two of the articles he published addressed the danger of ships operating with an insufficient ratio of lifeboats to passengers. Ironically, Stead was aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. According to one report, after helping women and children into lifeboats, Stead sacrificed his own life by giving up his life vest and a place in the lifeboats so others could be rescued.

There is something very stirring about self-sacrifice. No greater example of that can be found than in Christ Himself. The writer of Hebrews says, “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God . . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12,14 nkjv). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul opened with words describing this great sacrifice: “The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Gal. 1:3-4).

Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us. That willing sacrifice continues to rescue men and women and offer assurance of eternity with Him.

— Bill Crowder

God of love and grace, words can never capture the wonder of the sacrifice that Christ offered on our behalf. May our love respond to You with faith and worship—for Your Son who was slain is worthy of our praise.

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Jesus laid down His life to show His love for us.  

ODJ: Jesus Stayed Here

April 14, 2016 

READ: Luke 2:1-7 

While they were there, . . . [Mary] gave birth to . . . a son. She . . . placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (vv.6—7 niv).

Raffles Hotel in Singapore is a legendary 5—star hotel that boasts a long list of distinguished former guests, including King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and the King of Pop Music—Michael Jackson. Immortalized by writers like Rudyard Kipling and Ernest Hemingway, there are suites named after personalities who were associated with the hotel: Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Joseph Conrad, Noel Coward, Pablo Neruda, and W. Somerset Maugham, who is reputed to have spent his days writing at the hotel.

Joseph and Mary once looked for some lodging in the little town of Bethlehem (Luke 2:1—4)—a relatively unknown, small Judean village (Matthew 2:6). Nothing in town was really worth a visit. But from that night onward, it became famous. Bethlehem, meaning the “house of bread,” became the birthplace of the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Surely, there would be someone kind enough to give up a room for a woman in labor, right? After all, many of the people who lived in or were returning to Bethlehem were related to Joseph (Luke 2:3—4). But none were prepared to give them a place to stay. There was no room for King Jesus!

Eventually, the couple chose to take shelter where some animals were kept, probably a cave. And as the animals munched their hay, the Son of God came into this world.

It’s interesting that the God of all creation would choose such a humble place for His Son’s first appearance on earth. Paul wrote that Jesus “gave up his divine privileges; [taking] the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” What’s more, “He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7—8).

What an amazing, humble Savior we serve!

—K. T. Sim

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 3:16-28

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Read 1 Corinthians 1:18—29 to see how God carries out His plans in ways that surprise and amaze us. 
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Consider that this world had no room for God when He came for a visit. Have you made room for Jesus in your heart? If you have, how has His presence changed you? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: This Is the Day

April 14, 2016 

READ: Psalm 118:19-29 

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. —nkjv Psalm 118:24

 

In 1940, Dr. Virginia Connally, age 27, braved opposition and criticism to become the first female physician in Abilene, Texas. A few months before her 100th birthday in 2012, the Texas Medical Association presented her with its Distinguished Service Award, Texas’ highest physician honor. Between those two landmark events, Dr. Connally has enthusiastically embraced a passion for spreading the gospel around the world through her many medical mission trips while living a life of service to God and to others—one day at a time.

Dr. Connally’s pastor, Phil Christopher, said, “Every day for her is a gift.” He recalled a letter in which she wrote, “Every tour, trip, effort, I wonder if this will be my last and ultimate? Only God knows. And this is enough.”

The psalmist wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24 nkjv). So often we focus on the disappointments of yesterday or the uncertainties of tomorrow and miss God’s matchless gift to us: Today!

Dr. Connally said of her journey with Christ, “As you live a life of faith, you’re not looking for the results. I was just doing the things that God planted in my life and heart.”

God made today. Let’s celebrate it and make the most of every opportunity to serve others in His name.

— David McCasland

Lord, thank You for today. May I embrace it as Your gift, celebrate Your faithfulness, and live this day fully for You.

Welcome each day as a gift from God.  

ODJ: Surprising Victory

April 13, 2016 

READ: Ephesians 1:15-23 

Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come (v.21).

At the climax of the film Superman II, it looked as if villain General Zod had beaten the world’s superhero. Zod had coerced Superman into a crystal chamber that was designed to expose him to sunrays from their home planet Krypton—rays that would neutralize his superpowers. But Superman secretly reconfigured the chamber so that the power—draining sunrays were released on General Zod and his Kryptonian cronies instead!

When Jesus’ story came to its God—ordained climax, it looked as if the powerful Roman government and Jewish religious hierarchy had scored a decisive victory. The One who had healed the sick, calmed stormy seas, and even raised the dead back to life was unmistakably dead and buried (Mark 15:37,42—47).

But as time passed, by counsel of the Holy Spirit, followers of Jesus began to recognize that His unjust and brutal crucifixion was not a crushing defeat. It was a surprising victory for God’s kingdom over the world’s powers. As one of Jesus’ earliest followers wrote, “[It was God’s] mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Ephesians 1:19—20).

Through the power of sacrificial love, Jesus neutralized the corrupt “rulers and authorities” and established God’s worldwide reign. God was truly in charge, and the world was set to undergo a change just as radical as the events surrounding Jesus’ death itself.

We who claim Jesus as our Savior have access to the same power that turned the horrors of the cross into a stunning victory (vv.21—22). This same force that raised Jesus from the dead 3 days later is the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells and enables us to live for God’s kingdom today (Romans 8:2,11).

—Jeff Olson

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 3:1-15

MORE
Read Colossians 2:15 and consider what it says about Jesus’ victory for us. 
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What did you do or say recently that proclaimed the reality of God’s kingdom in the world around you? How has the power of the Holy Spirit been made evident in your life? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)