Entries by YMI

ODJ: mortality and eternity

/in , /by

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? 
NEXT
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!)

ODB: Before the Phone

/in , /by

January 28, 2016 

READ: Psalm 18:1-6 

In my distress I called to the Lord.

Psalm 18:6

 

As a mom of young children I’m sometimes susceptible to panic. My first reaction is to call my mom on the phone and ask her what to do with my son’s allergy or my daughter’s sudden cough.

Mom is a great resource, but when I read the Psalms, I’m reminded of how often we need the kind of help that no mortal can give. In Psalm 18 David was in great danger. Afraid, close to death, and in anguish, he called on the Lord.

David could say, “I love you, Lord” because he understood God was a fortress, a rock, and a deliverer (vv. 1-2). God was his shield, his salvation, and his stronghold. Maybe we cannot understand David’s praise because we have not experienced God’s help. It may be that we reach for the phone before going to God for advice and help.

Surely God puts people in our lives to give us help and comfort. But let’s also remember to pray. God will hear us. As David sang, “From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (v. 6). When we go to God, we join David’s song and enjoy Him as our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.

Next time you reach for the phone, remember also to pray.

— Keila Ochoa

Dear Lord, help me to remember You are my deliverer, and You always hear my cry.

Prayer is the bridge between panic and peace.  

ODJ: resting in Jesus

/in , /by

January 27, 2016 

READ: Matthew 11:25-30 

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls (v.29).

American journalist James Surowiecki recently wrote this interesting quote: “Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, allowing us to do things more quickly and efficiently. But too often it seems to make things harder, leaving us with fifty-button remote controls, digital cameras with hundreds of mysterious features and book-length manuals, and cars with dashboard systems worthy of the space shuttle.”

How many of us would agree that the technology that was supposed to make our lives easier can make an experience that’s the exact opposite?

When I think about this phenomenon, Matthew 11 and the “rest” that Jesus offers us comes to mind (v.28). He invites all those who have “heavy burdens” to come to Him so that He can give them rest—but the rest He offers is a yoke, seemingly another burden! (v.29). How are we supposed to find rest by taking another burden upon our shoulders? There’s an implication we often overlook in this passage: that Jesus means for us to put down our burden and take up His in its place— discovering that His burden is easier and lighter in comparison! This sense of putting down our first burden is more clearly captured in 1 Peter 5:7, which tells us to cast or throw our burdens on Jesus because He cares for us.

This is so often why I fail to find rest in Christ—because I don’t lay down my worldly burden but try to carry both at the same time. And it’s little wonder that I feel weary in my life. But in order to experience the rest of Christ that is described here, I must put down my first burden and take up Jesus’ light yoke, resting in Him and His power. For He is “humble and gentle at heart” (Matthew 11:29).

—Peter Chin

365-day-plan: Genesis Genesis 43:1-34

MORE
Read Matthew 16:24-25 to see how we are supposed to gain our lives by first losing them! 
NEXT
Why is the yoke that Christ offers us light and easy compared to that of the world? What does it mean for you to lay down your burdens before Him? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: What Is It?

/in , /by

January 27, 2016 

READ: Exodus 16:11-31 

When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?”

Exodus 16:15

 

My mother taught Sunday school for decades. One week she wanted to explain how God supplied food for the Israelites in the wilderness. To make the story come alive, she created something to represent “manna” for the kids in her class. She cut bread into small pieces and topped them with honey. Her recipe was inspired by the Bible’s description of manna that says it “tasted like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31).

When the Israelites first encountered God’s bread from heaven, it appeared on the ground outside their tents like frost. “When [they] saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ ” (v. 15). The Hebrew word man means “what,” so they called it manna. They discovered they could grind it and form it into loaves or cook it in a pot (Num. 11:7-8). Whatever it was, it had a baffling arrival (Ex. 16:4,14), a unique consistency (v. 14), and a short expiration date (vv. 19-20).

Sometimes God provides for us in surprising ways. This reminds us that He is not bound by our expectations, and we can’t predict what He will choose to do. While we wait, focusing on who He is rather than what we think He should do will help us find joy and satisfaction in our relationship with Him.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear God, please help me to freely accept Your provision and the way You choose to deliver it. Thank You for caring for me and meeting my needs. 

Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.  

ODJ: Lottie’s legacy

/in , /by

January 26, 2016 

READ: Hebrews 10:23-39 

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (v.36).

The legacy of Lottie Moon lives on more than a hundred years after her death. Originally from the US, she traveled to China as a missionary and later established the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which has raised more than $1.5 billion (US) for missions since 1888. Many received salvation in Jesus during her years of ministry, but she endured difficult circumstances in the process. She suffered discrimination as a single woman and also faced illness, famine, and war. Lottie remained resolute, however, as she continued to share the good news and urged others to do the same.

God provided what Lottie Moon needed as she served Him on the mission field. It wasn’t easy, but she persevered by His power and strength.

When many of us first came to Christ, it’s likely we were eager to do His will and ready to endure much suffering for His sake (Hebrews 10:32-34). Over the years, however, we may become weary in our resolve as difficult circumstances leave us feeling disillusioned. The writer of Hebrews tells us to cling to our “confident trust in the Lord” (v.35). And as we patiently endure, we can “continue to do God’s will” and “receive all that he has promised” (v.36).

Be encouraged to hold tightly without wavering from your hope, for God can be trusted to keep His promises! And while we serve Him, we can also think of ways to motivate others to acts of love and good works (vv.23-24).

Just as Lottie Moon remained resolute in her calling to tell people about Jesus Christ, plant churches in China, and mobilize many to missions despite great opposition, may we also patiently endure all things, remaining true to God’s call in our lives. He is faithful and will provide what we need!

—Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

365-day-plan: Genesis 42:1-38

MORE
Read James 1:2-4 and consider what happens as we persevere through the challenges of life by God’s strength. 
NEXT
How have you been struggling to patiently endure in your faith and ministry for God? What encouragement and resources has He provided to help you press on in hope? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: When Questions Remain

/in , /by

January 26, 2016 

READ: Job 23:1-12 

He knows the way that I take.

Job 23:10

 

On October 31, 2014, an experimental spacecraft broke apart during a test flight and crashed into the Mojave Desert. The copilot died while the pilot miraculously survived. Investigators soon determined what had happened, but not why. The title of a newspaper article about the crash began with the words “Questions remain.”

Throughout life we may experience sorrows for which there are no adequate explanations. Some are catastrophic events with far-reaching effects while others are personal, private tragedies that alter our individual lives and families. We want to know why, but we seem to find more questions than answers. Yet even as we struggle with “Why?” God extends His unfailing love to us.

When Job lost his children and his wealth in a single day (Job 1:13-19), he sank into an angry depression and resisted any attempted explanations by his friends. Yet he held out hope that someday there would be an answer from God. Even in the darkness Job could say, “[God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (23:10).

Oswald Chambers said, “There will come one day a personal and direct touch from God when every tear and perplexity, every oppression and distress, every suffering and pain, and wrong and injustice will have a complete and ample and overwhelming explanation.”

Today, as we face life’s unanswered questions, we can find help and hope in God’s love and promises.

— David McCasland

For more on this topic, read Why Doesn’t God Answer Me? on discoveryseries.org/hp112

Just trying to find myself

/2 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Throughout life, we’re always on a quest to find ourselves. What makes us who we are? Which path will bring us a step closer to finding the answer? Why is identity so important to us? This month, we speak to different individuals and hear their stories–and struggles. Can you identify with any of these? Share with us what’s going on in your life.