Entries by YMI

ODJ: let us love

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February 1, 2016 

READ: 1 John 4:7-21 

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us (v.12).

It was a great tragedy for our whole community. My daughter’s first-grade teacher died in childbirth, along with her baby. She was just 36 years old. It broke my heart to see her in a casket with the baby in her arms.

It just shouldn’t be. But because of mankind’s rebellion against God and its continued effects of sin in the world, tragedies like this happen every single day around the globe.

Something that inspired all of us who grieved was that this teacher was characterized by the love and joy she showered on everyone she met. She was fun, full of life, and good at her job. She loved children, parents, and community members whether they were believers in Jesus or not (1 John 4:7). She was winsome. She loved people even if they weren’t all she wanted them to be. God’s love was brought “to full expression” in her (v.12).

Her funeral was jam-packed. It was a real celebration. We even danced for a few minutes because we knew that’s what she would have us do. Her own family testified that she was the same person in private as she was in public. She was full of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and more (Galatians 5:22-23).

This woman loved everyone in her presence and made a lasting difference. She lived out God’s love—something we’re called to do as well (1 John 4:19). Love can be our legacy as we reflect God, for He is love (v.16). And “this is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us” (v.10).

Kind and compassionate, caring and serving—those qualities mark the heart of a person who “live[s] like Jesus” (v.17). May we also “give up our lives” for others as He works in and through us! (3:16).

—Marlena Graves

365-day-plan: Exodus 2:11-25

MORE
Reflect on John 13:34- 35. How did Jesus love His disciples? 
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Is God calling you to love a believer in Jesus who is hard to love? How can you more fully reveal God’s love to people you know? 

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ODB: Always Pray and Don’t Give Up

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February 1, 2016 

READ: Luke 18:1-8 

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1

 

Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains.

During an experience like that, I was reading the gospel of Luke and was astounded by the opening words of chapter 18:  “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). I had read the story of the persistent widow many times but never grasped why Jesus told it (vv. 2-8). Now I connected those opening words with the story. The lesson to His followers was very clear: “Always pray and never give up.”

Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way.

As we rely on God’s grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the process as well, we can keep coming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His wisdom and care for us.

Our Lord’s encouragement to us is clear: Always pray and don’t give up!

— David McCasland

Lord, in the difficulty I face today, guard my heart, guide my words, and show Your grace. May I always turn to You in prayer.

Prayer changes everything.  

ODJ: wait for him

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January 31, 2016 

READ: Psalm 130:1-8 

Be still in the presence of the Lord , and wait patiently for him to act (37:7).

Typically, I merely skim my Facebook feed. But today I found myself taking time to reflect on a friend’s post that read: “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” I know what it means to wait for a phone call, to wait in line, to wait for an answer from a friend or colleague. But it’s been a long time since I’ve grappled with what it means for my soul to wait for the Lord.

To begin unpacking this command, I read Psalm 130:5-6, which says, ”I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning” (NIV).

The Hebrew word for “wait” is qavah, a verb that describes the tension of enduring; waiting; looking eagerly for something to happen; to expect. To wait for God means to look to Him continually for assistance and salvation, and to trust that He will work things out “for the good of those who love” Him (Romans 8:28).

It takes strength, courage, and trust to wait on the Lordrather than to take things into our own hands (Psalm 130:7-8). As one commentator states, “The ability to wait on the Lord stems from being confident and focused on who God is and in what God is doing. It means confidence in God’s person: confidence in His wisdom, love, timing, understanding of our situation and that of the world. It means knowing and trusting in God’s principles, promises, purposes, and power.”

As we wait on the Lord we receive strength from Him, and we gain deeper understanding of the fact that His ways are perfect and higher than our own. He alone can provide the “hope” and “unfailing love” we need! (v.7). May we “be still” today and “wait patiently” for Him to act (37:7).

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day-plan: Exodus 1:8-2:10

MORE
What was King David delivered from when he “waited patiently for the Lord”? (Psalm 40:1-2). 
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What does God provide as you wait on Him? How can simply waiting help you grow as a believer in Jesus? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: He Came for You

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January 31, 2016 

READ: Luke 4:14-21 

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

Luke 4:18

 

In his novels The Trial and The Castle, Franz Kafka (1883–1924) portrays life as a dehumanizing existence that turns people into a sea of empty faces without identity or worth. Kafka said, “The conveyer belt of life carries you on, no one knows where. One is more of an object, a thing, than a living creature.”

Early in His ministry, Jesus went to a synagogue in Nazareth, stood up in front of the crowd, and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

Then Christ sat down and declared, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah had proclaimed these words (Isa. 61:1-2). Now Jesus announced that He was the fulfillment of that promise.

Notice who Jesus came to rescue—the poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind, and oppressed. He came for people dehumanized by sin and suffering, by brokenness and sorrow. He came for us!

— Bill Crowder

For those who sin and those who suffer. For those who suffer because of sin. For those who sin to alleviate suffering. Lord, have mercy on us. Robert Gelinas, The Mercy Prayer

No matter how impersonal the world may seem, Jesus loves each of us as if we were His only child.  

ODJ: ears to hear

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January 30, 2016 

READ: Matthew 13:3-23 

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand (v.9).

Joanne Milne experienced the world as a soundless place. Deaf for the first 39 years of her life, everything changed after she had cochlear implant surgery. The procedure enabled sound vibrations to rouse her auditory nerves. A nurse’s voice was the first noise she heard, and the experience brought her to tears. She said, “Hearing things for the first time is so, so emotional, from the ping of a light switch to running water. . . . I can already foresee how it’s going to be life-changing.”

Addressing His disciples, Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Matthew 13:9). He was speaking about the disciples’ ability to understand the spiritual truths He shared through parables. Jesus often took time to explain the meaning of His stories, yet His followers were “permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, [while] others [were] not” (v.11). Others might hear the sound of His voice, but they wouldn’t truly take it in or comprehend it.

Jesus explained that this disparity was the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy (vv.14-15). Isaiah, who declared the prophecy, described the spiritually deaf this way: “The hearts of these people are hardened” (v.15). A hard heart can exist in those who know of Jesus if they repeatedly disregard His identity as God’s only Son (John 3:16).

Anyone who wants to make Christ the king of his or her life will have “ears to hear” the truth in His teaching. The Holy Spirit helps with this, guiding believers “into all truth” (16:13). Like Jesus’ original disciples, we who know Him are blessed to be able to hear what “many prophets and righteous people longed to . . . hear” (Matthew 13:17).

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day-plan: Genesis 49:1-33

MORE
Read 1 John 2:20-21 to see how the Holy Spirit enables spiritual discernment. 
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When you encounter something in the Bible that doesn’t seem clear, what do you do? How often do you invite the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Bible? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Mention of His Name

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January 30, 2016 

READ: John 16:17-24 

I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

John 16:22

 

When the soloist began to sing during our Sunday service, the congregation gave him full, hushed attention. His mellow bass-baritone voice brought them the soul-touching words of an old song by Gordon Jensen. The song’s title expresses a truth that grows more precious the older we become: “He’s as Close as the Mention of His Name.”

We’ve all experienced times of separation from our loved ones. A child marries and moves far away. Parents are separated from us because of career or health. A child goes off to school in another state or country. True, we have texting and Skype. But we are here and they are there. And then there is the separation of death.

But as believers in Christ, we have His promise that we are never alone. Though we may feel alone, He hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s right here, right now, always and forever. When He left this earth, He told His followers, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). He also promised us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

The silent plea, the whispered mention of His name, even the very thought of Him brings us solace and reassurance. “He’s as close as the mention of His name.”

— David Egner

Jesus, thank You that You are near. I need You.

Jesus never abandons or forgets His own.  

ODJ: where’s your garden?

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January 29, 2016 

READ: John 18:1-11 

Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees (v.1).

My friend enjoys painting, but this sensitive soul often feels guilty when she’s working in her studio. She wonders whether she should be doing something more “Christ-like” with her time. How can I be taking up my cross if I’m doing something I enjoy? Have I become too focused on the stuff of this world?

She shouldn’t feel guilty for doing something she enjoys, for that wholesome pleasure was God’s idea first (Genesis 1:27-31). He came up with beauty, laughter, strawberries, and sunny days. And while God warns us against idolatry—the sin of putting our hopes and trust in any earthly pleasure—He has nothing against the pleasure itself. Even Jesus went out of His way to recharge His batteries with worldly beauty.

The week that Jesus died, He escaped the urban chaos of Jerusalem by crossing the Kidron Valley and retreating into a quiet stand of olive trees. He had made this journey so often that Judas knew right where to find Him. Judas “knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples” (John 18:2). Jesus’ garden respite was suddenly invaded by “blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons” (v.3), and the night became a microcosm of the battle that was taking place in the universe. Violence and betrayal had marched into God’s good world, and only one Man could save it.

Jesus defeated evil by His death and resurrection. Then He ascended to heaven and sent His Holy Spirit to continue the campaign through us. It can be exhausting to stand for love and righteousness in this evil age, so let’s follow Jesus’ lead and make time for refreshment in the pleasures of Earth. What beautiful spot inspires you? What activity energizes you? Where is your garden?

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: Genesis 45:1-28

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Read 1 Timothy 4:1-5 to learn what God thinks about earthly pleasure. 
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What wholesome pleasure does God want you to enjoy? What idol does He want you to destroy? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Her Father’s Zoo

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January 29, 2016 

READ: 1 Kings 4:29-34  

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Proverbs 12:10

 

June Williams was only 4 when her father bought 7 acres of land to build a zoo without bars or cages. Growing up she remembers how creative her father was in trying to help wild animals feel free in confinement. Today Chester Zoo is one of England’s most popular wildlife attractions. Home to 11,000 animals on 110 acres of land, the zoo reflects her father’s concern for animal welfare, education, and conservation.

Solomon had a similar interest in all creatures great and small. In addition to studying the wildlife of the Middle East, he imported exotic animals like apes and monkeys from far-off lands (1 Kings 10:22). But one of his proverbs shows us that Solomon’s knowledge of nature went beyond intellectual curiosity. When he expressed the spiritual implications of how we treat our animals, he mirrored something of the heart of our Creator: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. 12:10).

With God-given wisdom, Solomon saw that our relationship to our Creator affects not only how we treat people but also how much thoughtful consideration we give to the creatures in our care.

— Mart DeHaan

Father in heaven, when we think about the wonder and diversity of Your animal kingdom, please help us not only to worship You, but to care for what You’ve entrusted to us.

God is the real Owner of all of us.   

ODJ: mortality and eternity

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January 28, 2016 

READ: Psalm 90:1-17 

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom (v.12).

Mortality motivates and eternity influences. These two things motivated and influenced Puritan leader Richard Baxter, who is credited with These saying, “The face of death, and nearness of eternity, did much to convince me what books to read, what studies to prefer and prosecute, what company and conversation to choose. It drove me early into the vineyard of the Lord, and taught me to preach as a dying man to dying men.” Baxter’s mortality made him discriminating as to how to use his time. When we look at the Scriptures, it’s clear that they influenced his understanding.

The Bible affirms that mortality is a consequence of sin, universal, inevitable, and part of God’s judgment (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 5:12, 6:23). When people in the Bible realized that death and decay were part of the human experience, it led to extremes—oppressive thoughts and carefree abandon (Job 10:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:32). Mortality, however, was designed to elicit godly responses, not depressive or oppressive ones. Some godly responses include humility, and seeking and trusting God who knows and holds the future and “through all the generations [has] been our home!” (Psalm 90:1,12).

How should believers in Jesus respond to the fact that we’re mortal and have a limited amount of hours on earth? Among other things, we can acknowledge that we can’t afford to squander or lose even one day. Seek God and call upon His name, tell others about Jesus, look forward to our future hope, and be discriminating about what and who spends the currency of our time. Then we can experience more fully the One who satisfies us with His unfailing love (v.14).

—Marvin Williams

365-day-plan: Genesis 44:1-34

MORE
Read Psalm 39:4-6. What images does the psalmist use to describe our lives? 
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How does the truth that life is brief and fragile impact how you’re using time? What important thing do you sense the Holy Spirit is asking you to do today? What things should you remove from your schedule? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)