Entries by YMI

ODB: Positive Repetition

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March 17, 2016 

READ: Deuteronomy 30:11-20 

I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him.

Deuteronomy 30:16

 

A journalist had a quirky habit of not using blue pens. So when his colleague asked him if he needed anything from the store, he asked for some pens. “But not blue pens,” he said. “I don’t want blue pens. I don’t like blue. Blue is too heavy. So please purchase 12 ballpoint pens for me—anything but blue!” The next day his colleague passed him the pens—and they were all blue. When asked to explain, he said, “You kept saying ‘blue, blue.’ That’s the word that left the deepest impression!” The journalist’s use of repetition had an effect, but not the one he desired.

Moses, the lawgiver of Israel, also used repetition in his requests to his people. More than 30 times he urged his people to remain true to the law of their God. Yet the result was the opposite of what he asked for. He told them that obedience would lead them to life and prosperity, but disobedience would lead to destruction (Deut. 30:15-18).

When we love God, we want to walk in His ways not because we fear the consequences but because it is our joy to please the One we love. That’s a good word to remember.

— Poh Fang Chia

Dear Lord, as we read Your inspired story, may Your Spirit be our teacher. Help us to walk the path of obedience as we hear the voice of Your heart.

Love for God will cause you to live for God.  

ODJ: Growing like Jesus

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March 16, 2016 

READ: Luke 2:47-52 

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people (v.52).

Every so often my wife and I will flip through family pictures and note how much our two boys have changed. I’m amazed at how small and childlike they were not so long ago. We’ve lived through these years with them and have witnessed their development. Yet their transformation has been so woven into the rhythm of our lives, we don’t notice the changes until we look back.

When I read Luke’s account of the early years of Jesus’ life, I’m drawn to the simple observation that He “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (Luke 2:52). In many respects, this was an ordinary thing—Jesus grew over long stretches of time in His understanding and in grasping His place in the world. God the Father, as well as Jesus’ family and neighbors, watched as His Son became the man He was meant to be.

The words in Luke 2:52 follow the author’s presentation of how shocked Jesus’ parents were to find Him in the temple, and how shocked the religious leaders were at the depth of Jesus’ understanding (v.47). Yet, immediately after this, Luke tells us that Jesus needed to continue to grow up. And after that remarkable temple moment, He apparently did something any child would do: He returned home with His parents (v.51). He did His chores, honed His craft, and matured as a man.

Over the next few decades, we know precious little of Jesus’ life, likely because His life was (from the outside view) nothing extraordinary. Although divine, He had to grow up like all of us. Jesus had to grow into His calling. For all of us, following God is an invitation to grow and become our true selves—becoming the person God has in mind for us to be (Philippians 1:6).

—Winn Collier

365-day-plan: Ruth 2:1-23

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Read Ephesians 4:14-15 and consider what it means to grow “more and more like Christ.” 
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Where do you see growth in your life? Where do you think God wants to help you grow so that you can be the person you were meant to be? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Deeply Loved

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March 16, 2016 

READ: Matthew 6:25-34 

Your heavenly Father feeds [the birds of the air]. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

 

Years ago I had an office in Boston that looked out on the Granary Burying Ground where many prominent American heroes are buried. There one can find the gravestones for John Hancock and Samuel Adams, two signers of the Declaration of Independence, and just a few feet beyond that is Paul Revere’s marker.

But no one really knows where in this burial ground each body is buried because the stones have been moved many times—sometimes to make the grounds more picturesque and other times so lawn mowers could fit between them. And while the Granary features approximately 2,300 markers, closer to 5,000 people are buried there! Even in death, it seems, some people are not fully known.

There may be times when we feel as if we are like those unmarked residents of the Granary, unknown and unseen. Loneliness can make us feel unseen by others—and maybe even by God. But we must remind ourselves that even though we may feel forgotten by our Creator God, we are not. God not only made us in His image (Gen. 1:26-27), but He also values each of us individually and sent His Son to save us (John 3:16).

Even in our darkest hours, we can rest in the knowledge we are never alone, for our loving God is with us.

— Randy Kilgore

Thank You, Lord, that You never leave me alone and that You know all about me. Make me aware of Your presence so I may share that comfort with others who are feeling alone too.

We are important because God loves us.  

ODJ: Into the World

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March 15, 2016 

READ: Joshua 13:1-7 

This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites, and the larger territory of the Canaanites (vv.2-3).

Chinese Christians inspire me. Their slogan is “Back to Jerusalem,” for the Christian faith spread mostly west from Jerusalem through Europe and northern Africa to the Americas—lands that sent missionaries to Asia. Now Chinese believers aim to spread the gospel through the Middle East until the church reaches Jerusalem, where it all began. The task will be dangerous, but they’re willing to risk everything for Jesus.

God’s people haven’t always had such a vision. God chose Israel to be “a light to the Gentiles,” to “bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). But when Israel entered the Promised Land, they stayed mostly in the hill country. They didn’t conquer the coastal plain where the Philistines had settled. So they couldn’t access the international trade route that went along the flat coast of the Mediterranean, and they didn’t reach their world as God intended.

The early church did better. The disciples obeyed Jesus’ command to be His witnesses, first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, Samaria, and finally “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Paul himself sailed throughout the Roman Empire and may have made it all the way to Spain. But the job isn’t finished.

To what unreached people can you help bring the gospel? It will likely be difficult, requiring much prayer and many resources. If it were easy, we would have done it already. The easily accessible groups have been reached. Who’s up for a challenge?

Think locally. What are the “trade routes” where you live? Where are the opportunities to mingle with others and reach them for Jesus? It can be scary to stand tall for Christ, but it’s the reason God has you where you are. Speak up for Him today by His power.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: Ruth 1:1-22

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Read Revelation 7:9-17 to learn the goal of our mission in the world. 
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What are you doing to reach your world for Jesus? Is this a priority? Why should it be? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Looking Up

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March 15, 2016 

READ: Psalm 146:1-10 

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.

Psalm 146:8

 

An article in the Surgical Technology International journal says that looking down at a smart phone with your head bent forward is the equivalent of having a 60-pound weight on your neck. When we consider that millions of people around the world spend an average of 2-4 hours daily reading and texting, the resulting damage to neck and spine becomes a growing health concern.

It is also easy to become spiritually bowed down by the burdens of life. How often we find ourselves discouraged by the problems we face and the needs of those we love. The psalmist understood this weight of concern yet saw hope as he wrote about “the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—[who] remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous” (Ps. 146:6-8).

When we consider God’s care, His great power, and His loving heart, we can begin to look up and praise Him. We can walk through each day knowing that “the Lord reigns forever . . . for all generations” (v. 10).

He lifts us up when we are bowed down. Praise the Lord!

— David McCasland

O Lord, lift our eyes to see Your power and love today so we can raise our heads and our hearts in grateful praise to You.

Faith in God’s goodness puts a song in your heart.  

ODJ: Being Centered

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March 14, 2016 

READ: Psalm 63:1-11 

I lie awake . . . meditating on [God] through the night (v.6).

It’s winter in New York City. The air temperature hovers just above freezing. A man puts on his wet suit and prepares to ride the waves at Long Beach, an area southeast of Queens where he lives. As he faces the water, he meditates on avoiding danger and prays to the ocean gods. His surfboard—a 9-foot Hawaiian-made job—features a picture of his now-deceased spiritual guru. The man says of the image, “It keeps me centered.”

This idea of being “centered” is a popular way to describe a state of emotional and spiritual equilibrium. It’s the goal of many modern—yet misguided—belief systems. As believers in Jesus, our inner strength and security comes from God (Habakkuk 3:19). When we contemplate who He is, what He does, how He relates to us, and what His Word says, we can experience peace even amid adversity.

David reflected on God when he was hiding from his enemies in the wilderness of Judah. He said, “I lie awake thinking of you [God], meditating on you through the night” (Psalm 63:6). Alone in the quiet of the evening, David was choosing not to waver or fixate on how he was going to get out of the mess he was in. Rather, his spirit was full of praise, prayer, and joy.

Psalm 63 provides some attributes of God for us to ponder. David’s spiritual “centeredness” likely related to these tRuths: God is powerful and glorious (v.2); God’s love is unfailing (v.3); God can satisfy our souls (v.5); God helps us (v.7); and God’s strong hand holds us securely (v.8).

Whether we’re awake at night or distressed during the day, fixing our thoughts on God allows us to have the perfect peace that keeps us truly centered in this life (Isaiah 26:3).

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day-plan: Judges 16:22-31

MORE
Look up Psalm 19:14 to learn about how David strived for a life centered on God. 
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How does Christian meditation differ from other nonbiblical forms? What attribute of God comforts you the most when you feel discouraged or distressed? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: My Personal Space

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March 14, 2016 

READ: Luke 8:40-48 

We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15

 

An industrial design graduate from a Singapore university was challenged in a workshop to come up with a novel solution to a common problem using only ordinary objects. She created a vest to protect one’s personal space from being invaded while traveling in the crush of crowded public trains and buses. The vest was covered with long, flexible plastic spikes normally used to keep birds and cats away from plants.

Jesus knew what it was like to lose His personal space in the commotion of crowds desperate to see and touch Him. A woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for 12 years and could find no cure touched the fringe of His robe. Immediately, her bleeding stopped (Luke 8:43-44).

Jesus’ question, “Who touched me?” (v. 45) isn’t as strange as it sounds. He felt power come out of Him (v. 46). That touch was different from those who merely happened to accidentally touch Him.

While we must admit that we do sometimes wish to keep our personal space and privacy, the only way we help a world of hurting people is to let them get close enough to be touched by the encouragement, comfort, and grace of Christ in us.

— C. P. Hia

Lord Jesus, I want to be near You and know You so that when I’m in contact with others they can see You through me.

A Christian’s life is the window through which others can see Jesus.  

ODB: Self-Care

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March 13, 2016 

READ: Exodus 18:14-24  

Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.

Mark 6:31

 

After my husband underwent heart surgery, I spent an anxious night by his hospital bed. Mid-morning, I remembered a scheduled haircut. “I’ll have to cancel,” I said, raking my fingers distractedly through my straggly hair.

“Mom, just wash your face and go to your appointment,” my daughter said.

“No, no,” I insisted. “It doesn’t matter. I need to be here.”

“I’ll stay,” Rosie said. “Self-care, Mom. . . . Self-care. You’re of more use to Dad if you take care of yourself.”

Moses was wearing himself out serving alone as judge over the Israelites. Jethro cautioned his son-in-law Moses: “You will only wear [yourself] out. The work is too heavy . . . you cannot handle it alone” (Ex. 18:18). He then explained ways that Moses could delegate his work and share his heavy load with others.

Though it may seem paradoxical for the Christian, self-care is essential for a healthy life (Matt. 22:37-39; Eph. 5:29-30). Yes, we must love God first and love others as well, but we also need to get adequate rest to renew our body and spirit. Sometimes self-care means stepping away and graciously allowing others to help us with our burdens.

Jesus often slipped away to rest and pray (Mark 6:30-32). When we follow His example, we will be more effective in our relationships and better able to give care to others.

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Dear Lord, refresh my spirit today. Help me to bring balance to my life as I juggle my responsibilities. Thank You for Your love and care.

Don’t try to do everything—take time to refresh your body and spirit.