Entries by YMI

ODB: Growing Up

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February 28, 2016 

READ: Ephesians 4:1-16 

From him the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:16

 

Watching my young grandson and his friends play T-Ball is entertaining. In this version of baseball, young players often run to the wrong base or don’t know what to do with the ball if they happen to catch it.  If we were watching a professional baseball game, these mistakes would not be so funny.

It’s all a matter of maturity.

It’s okay for young athletes to struggle—not knowing what to do or not getting everything exactly right. They are trying and learning. So we coach them and patiently guide them toward maturity. Then we celebrate their success as later they play with skill as a team.

Something similar happens in the life of those who follow Jesus. Paul pointed out that the church needs people who will “be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2). And we need a variety of “coaches” (pastors, teachers, spiritual mentors) to help us all move toward “unity in the faith” as we strive to “become mature” (v. 13).

The goal as we listen to preaching and teaching and enjoy life together in the church is to grow up to maturity in Christ (v. 15). Each of us is on this journey, and we can encourage each other on the road to maturity in Jesus.

— Dave Branon

Lord, help me to strive for maturity. Thank You for equipping the church with men and women who can help me grow in my faith. Show me who I can encourage today.

There’s joy in the journey as we walk alongside each other.  

ODJ: full-circle compassion

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February 27, 2016 

READ: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 

[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others (v.4).

Following a tumultuous season in her life, Bethany Haley Williams battled with shame and brokenness. The journey was difficult, but through Jesus she experienced healing that transformed her life.

Prompted by the grace and mercy she received, Bethany formed Exile International, a nonprofit that implements art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care to restore and empower war-affected children—including children rescued from the dreaded Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa. In her book The Color of Grace: How One Woman’s Brokenness Brought Healing and Hope to Child Survivors of War, Bethany writes, “When your greatest heartache becomes your greatest ministry, grace comes full circle.”

Bethany now devotes her life to living out these words: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Regardless of where we live, our social status, or our circumstances, we can rest assured that God knows about our suffering and misfortunes. He’s with us in the pain. God is merciful, loving, and attentive to our needs. Whether our suffering comes from persecution, disease, or emotional hurts, He can use what we experience to lift up and help others who are in need. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “When we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you” (v.6).

No matter what we’ve done or what we’re facing, God is there to shower us with His unfailing love and compassion—gifts we can then share with others.

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day-plan: Joshua 1:1-18

MORE
Read Isaiah 41:10 and consider the comfort that God alone can provide. 
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How have you experienced God’s presence and comfort when you’ve gone through difficult times? Who can you comfort today—pouring out the comfort you’ve received from your heavenly Father? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Taking Notice

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February 27, 2016 

READ: Job 40:1-14 

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?”

Job 38:4

 

When I clean my house for a special event, I become discouraged because I think that guests won’t notice what I clean, only what I don’t clean. This brings to mind a larger philosophical and spiritual question: Why do humans more quickly see what’s wrong than what’s right? We are more likely to remember rudeness than kindness. Crimes seem to receive more attention than acts of generosity. And disasters grab our attention more quickly than the profound beauty all around us.

But then I realize I am the same way with God. I tend to focus on what He hasn’t done rather than on what He has, on what I don’t have rather than on what I have, on the situations that He has not yet resolved rather than on the many He has.

When I read the book of Job, I am reminded that the Lord doesn’t like this any more than I do. After years of experiencing prosperity, Job suffered a series of disasters. Suddenly those became the focus of his life and conversations. Finally, God intervened and asked Job some hard questions, reminding him of His sovereignty and of everything Job didn’t know and hadn’t seen (Job 38–40).

Whenever I start focusing on the negative, I hope I remember to stop, consider the life of Job, and take notice of all the wonders God has done and continues to do.

— Julie Ackerman Link

What has the Lord done for you this week? Share it with us at facebook.com/ourdailybread

When you think of all that’s good, give thanks to God.  

ODJ: power in His name

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February 26, 2016 

READ: Acts 4:1-20 

God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (v.12).

After dropping my kids off at school, I drove onto a busy road and turned on some Christian music. Worrying my way through a long to-do list, I started to feel overwhelmed. Just then, I saw a sign in the back window of a car that read JESUS. At the same moment, the name Jesus was sung by someone on the radio. Hearing and seeing “Jesus” in the same instant snapped me out of my anxious state as I considered the power and hope found in His name (Matthew 28:20).

Peter and John healed a crippled man by the power of Jesus’ name (Acts 3:6). But when they explained the gospel to the awestruck onlookers, religious officials soon came and arrested them. The next day, the disciples were put on trial and asked, “By what power, or in whose name, have you [healed this man]?” (4:7). Guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter answered, “He was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” (v.10).

Amazed at the disciples’ boldness, the religious officials demanded that Peter and John never speak or teach in Jesus’ name (v.18). Peter and John refused to obey but were finally released. They met with other believers and prayed: “O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (vv.29-30).

Jesus’ name is powerful—it means Savior. It’s the only “name under heaven by which we must be saved” (v.12). Through faith in His name, we can find help when we’re troubled, sick, oppressed, and harassed. By believing in Him, we “have life by the power of his name” (John 20:31).

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day-plan: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

MORE
Look up Matthew 1:18-21 to see how the naming of Jesus was a supernatural event. Read Philippians 2:9-11 for more on the significance of His name. 
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How important is it to pray in Jesus’ name? What could you do to share His name with someone today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: How to Grow Old

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February 26, 2016 

READ: Isaiah 46:4-13 

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

 

“How are you today, Mama?” I asked casually. My 84-year-old friend, pointing to aches and pains in her joints, whispered, “Old age is tough!” Then she added earnestly, “But God has been good to me.”

“Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Billy Graham in his book Nearing Home. “I am an old man now, and believe me, it’s not easy.” However, Graham notes, “While the Bible doesn’t gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth.” He then mentions some of the questions he has been forced to deal with as he has aged, such as, “How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but also actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?”

In Isaiah 46 we have God’s assurance: “Even to your old age and gray hairs . . . I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (v. 4).

We don’t know how many years we will live on this earth or what we might face as we age. But one thing is certain: God will care for us throughout our life.

— Lawrence Darmani

Lord, please teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (See Psalm 90:12)

Don't be afraid to grow old; God goes with you!  

Malaysia: Being part of a community to make a difference

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Malaysia is going through a season of change and many of us in this generation yearn to be the change for our nation and want to make a difference. But not many of us Christians would acknowledge the need to get down on our knees to pray for our nation as a church. We’re too busy with our own lives. We want to be used by God in mighty ways but only in ways that are convenient for us.

ODJ: the line between

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February 25, 2016 

READ: Galatians 6:1-10 

Be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself (v.1).

Two government agents were assigned the case of “Dread Pirate Roberts.” This “pirate” was the anonymous operator of “the Silk Road,” a website that sold illegal drugs by using the virtual currency Bitcoin. The agents caught their man, but not before becoming criminals themselves. They allegedly sold the information about their investigation and blackmailed the “pirate,” transferring big bucks to their own bank accounts. Their story demonstrates how thin the line is between good and evil.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once wrote, “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart.”

God knows this, and so He cautions us when seeking to restore a fellow believer in Jesus who’s wrestling with sin. We must “gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” lest we “fall into the same temptation” (Galatians 6:1). If we harshly rebuke or scoff at them, we’re declaring that we could never be so foolish. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Paul adds, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Peter didn’t believe he could deny Jesus—just hours before he did. David couldn’t imagine committing adultery and then murder to cover it up, but a series of bad decisions led him there. His first one was supposing that it couldn’t happen to him.

What believers in Jesus struggling with sin are weighing on your heart today? Gently confront their sin and call them to repentance. Do so humbly, knowing that you too could slip into the mire. Give them your hand, but keep your feet on the solid Rock.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

MORE
Read Psalm 139:1,23-24 to prepare yourself for dealing with the sin of a straying believer in Jesus. 
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Have you ever shaken your head at the foolishness of someone’s sin? What’s the best way to lovingly approach a believer in Jesus who is struggling? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Go Fever

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February 25, 2016 

READ: Numbers 14:39-45 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:7

 

On January 28, 1986, after five weather-related delays, the space shuttle Challenger lumbered heavenward amid a thunderous overture of noise and flame. A mere 73 seconds later, system failure tore the shuttle apart, and all seven crewmembers perished.

The disaster was attributed to an O-ring seal known to have vulnerabilities. Insiders referred to the fatal mistake as “go fever”—the tendency to ignore vital precautions in the rush to a grand goal.

Our ambitious human nature relentlessly tempts us to make ill-advised choices. Yet we are also prone to a fear that can make us overly cautious. The ancient Israelites demonstrated both traits. When the 12 scouts returned from spying out the Promised Land, 10 of the 12 saw only the obstacles (Num. 13:26-33). “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are,” they said (v. 31). After a fearful rebellion against the Lord that led to the death of the 10 spies, the people suddenly developed a case of “go fever.” They said, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised” (14:40). Without God, the ill-timed invasion failed miserably (vv. 41-45).

When we take our eyes off the Lord, we’ll slide into one of two extremes. We’ll impatiently rush ahead without Him, or we’ll cower and complain in fear. Focusing on Him brings courage tempered with His wisdom.

— Tim Gustafson

Before making a quick decision, consider why you want to make it quickly. Consider if it will honor God and what it might cost others. If you are afraid to make a decision, think about why that might be. Most of all, pray!

A moment of patience can prevent a great disaster.