Entries by YMI

ODJ: loving God, loving others

/in , /by

February 9, 2016 

READ: John 13:31-35 

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples (v.35).

While watching the orbit of Uranus, astronomers noticed that the planet didn’t seem to orbit as expected, almost as if there was another unknown planet nearby whose gravity was pulling Uranus toward it. Using mathematics, the scientists were able to compute both the position and the mass of this unknown object and then observed it for the first time in 1846: the previously unknown planet Neptune. Math allowed them to identify Neptune before they could even see it!

This reminds me of how unbelievers can see God in us before personally recognizing His reality themselves. But how? For we don’t receive a badge or jacket proclaiming to the world that we’re Jesus’ disciples when we become believers in Him. Some might choose to make this identification based on whether a person goes to church or not, but we all know it’s not that easy. It can be quite difficult to identify whether someone is a true disciple of Christ.

But in John 13, Jesus reveals how—even without any kind of outward sign—we can identify someone as a true believer: by the way they love one another. Jesus said, “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (v.34).

This shouldn’t surprise us, given how central love is to our faith in Him. Consider that love is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) and the ultimate fulfillment of the entire Law (Romans 13:8). Love is also the evidence that Christ is Lord over our lives. “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples,” the Savior declared (John 13:35).

Our love for one another truly reveals our love for God!

—Peter Chin

365-day-plan: Exodus 11:1-10; 12:29-36

MORE
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 for another reminder of how important love is. 
NEXT
How do you typically identify someone as being a believer in Jesus? Who is Godcalling you to love? How is He calling you to truly love them? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Secret Menu

/in , /by

February 9, 2016 

READ: John 4:31-34 

I have food to eat that you know nothing about.

John 4:32

 

Meat Mountain is a super-sandwich layered with six kinds of meat. Stacked with chicken tenders, three strips of bacon, two cheeses, and much more, it looks like it should be a restaurant’s featured item.

But Meat Mountain isn’t on any restaurant’s published menu. The sandwich represents a trend in off-menu items known only by social media or word of mouth. It seems that competition is driving fast-food restaurants to offer a secret menu to in-the-know customers.

When Jesus told His disciples that He had “food” they knew nothing about, it must have seemed like a secret menu to them (John 4:32). He sensed their confusion and explained that His food was to do the will of His Father and to finish the work given to Him (v. 34).

Jesus had just spoken to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well about living water she had never heard of. As they talked, He revealed a supernatural understanding of her unquenched thirst for life. When He disclosed who He was, she left her water pot behind and ran to ask her neighbors, “Could this be the Messiah?” (v. 29).

What was once a secret can now be offered to everyone. Jesus invites all of us to trust His ability to satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts. As we do, we discover how to live not just by our physical appetites but by the soul-satisfying Spirit of our God.

— Mart DeHaan

Father, we praise You for revealing Your truth to us. Help us live each day in the power of Your Spirit.

Only Christ the Living Bread can satisfy the world’s spiritual hunger.  

ODJ: singing through sadness

/in , /by

February 8, 2016 

READ: Lamentations 3:19-24 

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease (vv.20-22).

Our young daughter has developed the habit of singing whenever I cut her toenails. Her musical expression seems to shift her focus from the instinct to pull her foot away to the joy of happy melodies. Research has proven the physiological, neurological, and emotional benefits of singing. So belting out your favorite tune will help elevate your mood, boost your immune system, and benefit your brain.

On the other hand, a lament is a sad song or poem set to music—a passionate expression of grief born out of regret or mourning and, although gloomy, can also bring hope and peace. The prophet Jeremiah, often referred to as the weeping prophet (Jeremiah 9:10), expressed laments following the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of his people to Babylon (Lamentations 1:1-4).

Jeremiah admitted that his nation’s deliberate disobedience led to the awful consequences faced by the people of Judah and Jerusalem (v.5). He frequently warned them of God’s wrath, urging repentance and a turning back to Him (Jeremiah 6:10-11; 18:11-12). But they refused to listen and so found their city destroyed and their families taken into Babylonian exile (1 Chronicles 9:1).

The prophet cries until the tears will no longer come. His heart is broken and his spirit poured out in agony as he sees the desperate plight of his people (Lamentations 2:11). Jeremiah experiences hope, however, as he remembers God’s faithful love that never ends and His mercies that never cease (3:22-24).

In your darkest hour when all hope seems lost, sing and make music in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). Even a lament will remind you to put your hope in a faithful God who’s working everything together for your good (Romans 8:28).

—Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

365-day-plan: Exodus 9:8-10:29

MORE
Read the laments found in Psalms 13 and 30, and see how the psalmist encourages us to put our hope in God no matter the circumstances. 
NEXT
What song of hope will you sing to God today? How can you help others see the hope we have in Jesus? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Can’t Take It Back

/in , /by

February 8, 2016 

READ: Galatians 5:13-26 

The fruit of the Spirit is . . . gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

I couldn’t take my actions back. A woman had parked her car and blocked my way of getting to the gas pump. She hopped out to drop off some recycling items, and I didn’t feel like waiting, so I honked my horn at her. Irritated, I put my car in reverse and drove around another way. I immediately felt bad about being impatient and unwilling to wait 30 seconds (at the most) for her to move. I apologized to God. Yes, she should have parked in the designated area, but I could have spread kindness and patience instead of harshness. Unfortunately it was too late to apologize to her—she was gone.

Many of the Proverbs challenge us to think about how to respond when people get in the way of our plans. There’s the one that says, “Fools show their annoyance at once” (Prov. 12:16). And “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel” (20:3). Then there’s this one that goes straight to the heart: “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (29:11).

Growing in patience and kindness seems pretty difficult sometimes. But the apostle Paul says it is the work of God, the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). As we cooperate with Him and depend on Him, He produces that fruit in us. Please change us, Lord.

— Anne Cetas

Make me a gentle person, Lord. One who doesn’t quickly react in frustration to every annoyance that comes my way. Give me a spirit of self-control and patience.

To study more about the fruit of the Spirit, read Live Free by Const

God tests our patience to enlarge our hearts.  

ODJ: shine brightly

/in , /by

February 7, 2016 

READ: Philippians 2:12-18 

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people (v.15).

Shane (name changed to protect his identity) took a big job at a well-known company. Within a few months of overseeing its operations, he discovered some dark financial secrets. Doing his job, he delved into a morass of monetary fraud. As he exposed the impropriety, an unexpected thing happened. He was brought before the board of the company and threatened. Shane, a believer in Jesus, stood his ground. His integrity shone brightly even though he was released by the company’s board under false pretenses.

The church at Philippi knew only too well what it felt like to be persecuted for doing the right thing. Paul, under house arrest for preaching the good news, penned an encouraging message to the suffering Philippian believers. He told them:

Stay strong in Jesus. The apostle wrote, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). As they relied on God, they could claim the promise that His power and presence would strengthen and help them do the right things.

Shine brightly for Jesus. “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people,” Paul wrote (v.15). How do we do that? Paul implored the believers at Philippi to “hold firmly” to the good news that he had brought them and that they had believed (v.16).

What Paul shared wasn’t some pie-in-the-sky ideal; he had triumphantly faced the bitter sting of persecution many times. And yet even under house arrest he rejoiced in his suffering, and he desired that the Philippians “share that joy” (v.17).

May Jesus give you joy as you stay strong and shine brightly for Him—even if you’re persecuted for doing the right thing.

—Tom Felten

365-day-plan: Exodus 7:15-9:7

MORE
Read John 15:5 and consider what God does in and through us as we live surrendered, brightly shining lives for Him. 
NEXT
What’s keeping you from shining brighter for Jesus? How can you experience His power and presence more fully this week? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Factory of Sadness

/in , /by

February 7, 2016 

READ: John 16:28-33 

[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Revelation 21:4

 

As a lifelong Cleveland Browns football fan, I grew up knowing my share of disappointment. Despite being one of only four teams to have never appeared in a Super Bowl championship game, the Browns have a loyal fan base that sticks with the team year in and year out. But because the fans usually end up disappointed, many of them now refer to the home stadium as the “Factory of Sadness.”

The broken world we live in can be a “factory of sadness” too. There seems to be an endless supply of heartache and disappointment, whether from our own choices or things beyond our control.

Yet the follower of Christ has hope—not only in the life to come but for this very day. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Notice that without minimizing the struggles or sadness we may experience, Christ counters them with His promises of peace, joy, and ultimate victory.

Great peace is available in Christ, and it’s more than enough to help us navigate whatever life throws at us.

— Bill Crowder

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Horatio G. Spafford

Our hope and peace are found in Jesus.  

ODJ: fighting temptation

/in , /by

February 6, 2016 

READ: Matthew 6:9-13 

Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one (v.13).

Mimi began working at a brothel in her early 20s. The big money began funding a lavish lifestyle, but working nights meant she lost touch with her friends. Soon things began spiraling out of control.

“I fell pregnant to a client,” Mimi told me. “I realized I couldn’t raise a child in that environment, so I left. I married the father, but he couldn’t forget my past so we broke up. I went from having lots of money each week to having little. All my social connections were gone and I felt isolated. That’s when I started contemplating suicide.”

Instead, Mimi cried out to Jesus. “That was only 6 weeks ago,” she said, “and ever since, the depression has gone.” But with money tight, Mimi was feeling tempted to return to her old life. “If the options are raising my child on instant noodles or getting good money where I was, maybe I’ll go back.”

Mimi’s experience reveals the strategy that the evil one, Satan, uses to trap us. First, he exploits our weakness with an enticing offer, then he isolates us from the people we need, and finally he enslaves us.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). It’s an important request. All of us are vulnerable to distorted desires (James 1:13-15), the destructive ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17), and the evil one who plots our downfall (1 Peter 5:8-9). But when we pray this prayer, we call our Father in heaven who is greater than those powers (Matthew 6:9). He alone can rescue us.

The Lord’s Prayer is to be prayed both for ourselves and for others. So consider praying this: Don’t let Mimi or me yield to temptation, Lord. Rescue us from the evil one!

—Sheridan Voysey

365-day-plan: Exodus 7:1-14

MORE
Read Matthew 26:41 and see why it’s so important to pray to God when we’re in special need of His power and strength. 
NEXT
When are you most vulnerable to temptation? How can God help you prepare for those moments? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: What Will Be

/in , /by

February 6, 2016 

READ: Revelation 22:1-5 

No longer will there be any curse.

Revelation 22:3

 

You and I have something in common. We live in a mixed-up, tarnished world and we have never known anything different. Adam and Eve, however, could remember what life was like before the curse. They could recall the world as God intended it to be—free of death, hardship, and pain (Gen. 3:16-19). In pre-fall Eden, hunger, unemployment, and illness did not exist. No one questioned God’s creative power or His plan for human relationships.

The world we have inherited resembles God’s perfect garden only slightly. To quote C. S. Lewis, “This is a good world gone wrong, but [it] still retains the memory of what ought to have been.” Fortunately, the cloudy memory of what the earth should have been is also a prophetic glimpse into eternity. There, just as Adam and Eve walked and talked with God, believers will see His face and serve Him directly. There will be nothing between God and us. “No longer will there be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). There will be no sin, no fear, and no shame.

The past and its consequences may cast a shadow on today, but a believer’s destiny carries the promise of something better—life in a place as perfect as Eden.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear God, help me to remember that even though this world does not measure up to Your original design there is much to enjoy and much to do for You and others. Thank You for the promise of life with You in a perfect setting.

One day God will put everything right.