Entries by YMI

ODB: Heart Check

April 13, 2016 

READ: Luke 12:22-34 

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

 

When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests.

Our choices are always revealing. Of course, God doesn’t need to wait to see our choices in order for Him to know what’s in our hearts. But the things that occupy our time and attention are telling. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Regardless of what we want Him to think of us, the true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents. When we invest these resources in the things He cares about, then it reveals that our hearts are in tune with His.

God’s heart is with the needs of people and the advancement of His kingdom. What do your choices tell Him and others about where your heart is?

— Joe Stowell

Lord, I want my heart to be in tune with Yours. Forgive me for giving it to things of far less value, and teach me the joy of investing my time in opportunities to serve You. Thank You.

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Where is your treasure?  

ODJ: Single-Eyed Focus

April 12, 2016 

READ: Matthew 13:44-46 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field (v.44).

Luciano Faggiano bought a building to house his new restaurant venture. Unfortunately, sewage kept backing up through a toilet. So he and his sons began digging a trench in order to find the broken sewage pipe. After a week, they couldn’t find the problem. Frustration with the project quickly turned into excitement, however, when they unearthed an archaeological treasure. The men discovered an underground world of rooms, including tombs, a Franciscan chapel, and many other artifacts—some that predated Jesus. Oh, and eventually they did manage to fix the broken sewage pipe!

This story reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the hidden treasure found in Matthew 13. In the parable, a man discovers a hidden treasure in a field, buries it again, and then sells everything in order to purchase the field (v.44). Faggiano was determined to find the sewage pipe, but after he found treasure, he put all of his energy into searching for more. It took time and concentration. It was his priority.

After telling the tale of the hidden treasure, Jesus then shared this parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” (vv.45—46).

The man who found the treasure in a field and the pearl merchant provide examples of what it means for us to seek Jesus and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). We’re to be singleeyed, passionately loving Him and pouring out His love on others. That focus will determine our priorities. It will take time, energy, and concentration—all that we are.

God loves us with a single—eyed, perfect love. May we return that love with our own!

—Marlena Graves

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 1:28-53

MORE
Read Luke 9:51. It says that Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Think about the implications of Jesus’ resolution to be obedient. What implications did that have for Him? 
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In what areas of your life do you need to “sell all,” to be resolute in seeking the kingdom? How does God’s love for you inspire your love for Him? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Resisting the Trap

April 12, 2016 

READ: Genesis 4:1-8 

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7

 

A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug.

This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel.

Sin may try to entice us by tempting us with a new experience, convincing us that living right doesn’t matter, or appealing to our physical senses. However, there is a way for us to rule over sin instead of letting it consume our lives. The Bible says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). When we face temptation, we don’t face it alone. We have supernatural assistance. Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others. 

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear God, at times I let down my guard and indulge in sin. Please help me to listen to Your warnings and obey Your Word. Protect me from my own impulses and conform me to Your image. Thank You for Your work in me.

We fall into temptation when we don’t flee from it.  

ODJ: Never Beyond God’s Grace

April 11, 2016 

READ: Acts 9:1-22 

“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting” (v.5).

My springer spaniel was recognized as one of the most talented, hardworking dogs in our hunting community. He would go out on thin ice to retrieve game when other dogs would turn back. Pursuing a pheasant through the thickest bramble and thorn—areas that other dogs would not enter because it was so dense—wasn’t a problem. His determination was so great that he even made a retrieval immediately after breaking his leg! And yet, when he was just 18 months old, I wondered if he would ever be a good hunting dog. His determined personality seemed impossible to harness and I was ready to give up on him because it appeared he would never become an obedient companion.

Saul of Tarsus once appeared to be a lost cause too. Just look at the darkness of his heart when he “agreed completely with the killing of Stephen” (Acts 8:1). He stood by and nodded approval as an innocent man was battered to death. Then he sought assistance in attacking other men and women and throwing them in jail, simply because he hated what they believed (9:1—2). His determination to be cruel and hateful knew no bounds. Surely this was a man beyond the reach of God’s grace! Surely the best thing was to sit back and await His judgment, right?

Yet God transformed Saul (later known as Paul) in an instant! (vv.5—6). All the venom and hatred was washed away as he became one of the most influential believers of all time. He simply refused to keep quiet once he came to know Christ (vv.20—22).

Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the worst offenders become the most passionate followers? Perhaps this is because they know what they’ve been saved from (Luke 7:47). No one is beyond the reach of Jesus—no one!

—Russell Fralick

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 1:5-27

MORE
Read Acts 17:16—34 and see how God used Paul and his zeal to reach others. 
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Read Acts 17:16—34 and see how God used Paul and his zeal to reach others. 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Who Am I Working For?

April 11, 2016 

READ: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16 

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” Ecclesiastes 4:8

 

Henry worked 70 hours a week. He loved his job and brought home a sizeable paycheck to provide good things for his family. He always had plans to slow down but he never did. One evening he came home with great news—he had been promoted to the highest position in his company. But no one was home. Over the years, his children had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career of her own, and now the house was empty. There was no one to share the good news with.

Solomon talked about the need to keep a balance in life with our work. He wrote, “Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves” (Eccl. 4:5). We don’t want to go to the extreme of being lazy, but neither do we want to fall into the trap of being a workaholic. “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (v. 6). In other words, it is better to have less and enjoy it more. Sacrificing relationships at the altar of success is unwise. Achievement is fleeting, while relationships are what make our life meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable (vv. 7-12).

We can learn to work to live and not live to work by choosing to apportion our time wisely. The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.

— Poh Fang Chia

Lord, show me if my priorities are skewed and where I need to make changes. Thank You for the gift of family and friends.

To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity.  

ODJ: “He Is So Good!”

April 10, 2016 

READ: Ezra 3:1-13 

He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever! (v.11).

“I do not know whether anyone has ever succeeded in not enjoying praise. And, if he enjoys it, he naturally wants to receive it. And if he wants to receive it, he cannot help but being distraught at losing it. Those who are in love with applause have their spirits starved not only when they are blamed off—hand, but even when they fail to be constantly praised.” —John Chrysostom

Those words from an early church leader reveal that our heads can swell when we receive praise. And once we get a “hit,” we can begin craving even more. So should we ignore the kind words and commendations from others? No. But as we receive them, it’s vital for us to acknowledge the One who is worthy of all our worship.

Ezra wrote of a time when the Levites praised God. “With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: ‘He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!’ Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid” (Ezra 3:11).

Now wait a minute, you might be thinking. Didn’t the Israelites who returned from their captivity rebuild the temple foundation by expending their own blood, sweat, and tears? Well, yes . . . and no.

Instead of praising one another for a job well done, they knew that the Source of their accomplishment—the One who truly provided for and empowered the work—was God. Just as the people had been presenting “offerings” to the Lord even “before they had started to lay the foundation” (vv.2—6), they now offered Him a sacrifice of praise!

What a great example of what to do when we receive kind words—praise—for something we’ve done: Humbly thank God and give Him the glory. For “He is so good!” (v.11).

—Tom Felten

365-day-plan: 2 Samuel 18:1-18

MORE
Read John 12:43 and consider the dangers of desiring human praise more than God’s. 
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How do you normally respond when you receive praise from others? How can we appropriately thank others for their kind words while also honoring God forwhat He did through us? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Sweet Reminders

April 10, 2016 

READ: Exodus 3:7-17 

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

 

When the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922, it was filled with things ancient Egyptians thought were needed in the afterlife. Among items such as golden shrines, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and weapons was a pot filled with honey—still edible after 3,200 years!

Today we think of honey primarily as a sweetener, but in the ancient world it had many other uses. Honey is one of the only foods known to have all the nutrients needed to sustain life, so it was eaten for nutrition. In addition, honey has medicinal value. It is one of the oldest known wound dressings because it has properties that prevent infection.

When God rescued the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity, He promised to lead them to a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8, 17), a metaphor for abundance. When their journey was prolonged due to sin, God fed them bread (manna) that tasted like honey (16:31). The Israelites grumbled about having to eat the same food for so long, but it’s likely that God was kindly reminding them of what they would enjoy in the Promised Land.

God still uses honey to remind us that His ways and words are sweeter than the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10). So then the words we speak should also be like the honey we eat—both sweet and healing.

— Julie Ackerman Link

Read these verses about the use of words: Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 13:3; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8. Which truths might God want you to put into practice in your life today?

 

Spend time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.