Entries by YMI

ODJ: messages made public

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November 28, 2015 

READ: James 3:1-12 

A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And . . . the tongue is a flame of fire (vv.5-6).

Hackers broke into the servers of a major film studio and leaked large amounts of confidential information. They released films, scripts, salaries and loads of indecent emails. Mortified executives quickly apologised for their racist riffs and disparaging remarks about film stars. But the damage had been done. One celebrity, having learned she was called a “minimally talented, spoiled brat,” said she could not promote her film because she suddenly had the chicken pox. Worse, the leaked emails left the company vulnerable to blackmail. The hackers promised to release more gossipy texts unless the studio stopped the release of a controversial new film.

What would happen to our friendships and working relationships if some of our emails and texts were made public? We’re constantly communicating across a variety of platforms, and the more we type the greater the opportunity to sin. Proverbs 10:19 warns us that “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

When talking online, it’s important to remember that the virtual world is still real. Living people with real feelings will read what we’ve written, perhaps even the person we’re writing about. It takes only one click to forward or copy someone else on an email, so never write something you wouldn’t want the whole world to see. A negative word “can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:6).

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: Galatians 5:13-26

MORE
Read Philippians 1:1-11 to learn how to communicate in a positive tone. 
NEXT
What safeguards can you put in place to prevent you from sending emails and texts you’ll later regret? How can you honour God better with your words today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Seeing Ourselves

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November 28, 2015 

READ: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 

Everyone ought to examine themselves. 1 Corinthians 11:28

 

Long ago, before the invention of mirrors or polished surfaces, people rarely saw themselves. Puddles of water, streams, and rivers were one of the few ways they could see their own reflection. But mirrors changed that. And the invention of cameras took fascination with our looks to a whole new level. We now have lasting images of ourselves from any given time throughout our entire life. This is good for making scrapbooks and keeping family histories, but it can be detrimental to our spiritual well-being. The fun of seeing ourselves on camera can keep us focused on outward appearance and leave us with little interest in examining our inner selves.

Self-examination is crucial for a healthy spiritual life. God wants us to see ourselves so that we can be spared the consequences of sinful choices. This is so important that Scripture says we are not to participate in the Lord’s Supper without first examining ourselves (1 Cor. 11:28). The point of this self-examination is not only to make things right with God but also to make sure we are right with one another. The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of Christ’s body, and we can’t celebrate it properly if we’re not living in harmony with other believers.

Seeing and confessing our sin promotes unity with others and a healthy relationship with God. 

— Julie Ackerman Link

Dear Lord, help me to be more concerned with the reflection of my heart than with my physical reflection. Change me through the power of Your Spirit.

When we look into the mirror of God’s Word, we see ourselves more clearly.  

ODJ: the God who will come

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November 27, 2015 

READ: Mark 13:24-37 

Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory (v.26).

My wife and I have arrived at that poignant age when we can’t believe how quickly time has passed—especially while looking at one of my favourite videos of our oldest son, taken when he was just 2 years old. Miska and I had gone out for a date, and the babysitter shot a short video of our boy clinging to the bottom ledge of the living room window. He was just tall enough to peek over the edge. As he watched us get in our car and drive away, he said, “Mumma. Dadda.” There was an anxious longing in his voice. Our son was sad to see us go and eager for us to return.

Mark wrote his gospel to tell others about Jesus. The Saviour had ascended to the Father, and now some wondered if they might be left to fend for themselves. Some were anxious and uncertain of His care for them. Mark wrote words that must have helped soothe his readers’ troubled minds, stating: “You can know that [Jesus’] return is very near, right at the door” (Mark 13:29).

The precise meaning and intricate details of Jesus’ words have confused many (myself at the top of the list), but the one thing that seems most certain is this: Jesus has never abandoned His world or His people. And He never will. In Jesus, God came to the world with a brilliant display of grace and power. And this same Saviour is the One who, even now, rules “with great power and glory” (v.26). God hasn’t abandoned us. Rather, Jesus has proven that He is Lord over all.

—Winn Collier

365-day-plan: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

MORE
Read Mark 13:34-36 again. What does this short parable tell you about God’s faithfulness? What does it tell you about what we’re to do as we wait? 
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How does Jesus’ promise to come to you again speak into your fears or loneliness? How is He present with you even as you wait for Him to return? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Help from the Outside

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November 27, 2015 

READ: Jeremiah 17:7-13 

God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20

 

On a business trip, my husband had just settled into his hotel room when he heard an unusual noise. He stepped into the hall to investigate and heard someone yelling from a nearby room. With the help of a hotel worker, he discovered that a man had become trapped in the bathroom. The lock on the bathroom door had malfunctioned and the man trapped inside started to panic. He felt like he couldn’t breathe and began yelling for help.

Sometimes in life we feel trapped. We are banging on the door, pulling on the handle, but we can’t get free. We need help from the outside, just like the man in the hotel.

To get that outside assistance, we have to admit that we are helpless on our own. Sometimes we look inward for the answers to our problems, yet the Bible says “the heart is deceitful” (Jer. 17:9). In truth, we are often the source of our problems in life.

Thankfully, “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20). Because of this, He knows exactly how to help us. Lasting heart-level change and real progress with our problems originate with God. Trusting Him and living to please Him means we can flourish and be truly free.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Heavenly Father, I humble myself before You. I can’t solve my problems on my own. Please help me to seek Your help and perspective.

God helps those who know they are helpless.  

ODJ: red bombs

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November 26, 2015 

READ: Matthew 22:1-14 

Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

The bubbling of the steamer warming the milk and the humming of our office’s coffee machine created a relaxing symphony of sounds. I was enjoying the bliss when fellow Our Daily Journey author K.T. Sim dropped what some people call a “red bomb” on me.

The “red bomb” is actually a wedding invitation. In Chinese culture, receiving one means you must now ‘bleed money’ (we give red envelopes with cash inside to the wedding couple as a blessing). So receiving a “red bomb” is—in jest—something undesirable.

In Matthew 22, Jesus told a parable about some people who spurned a king’s royal wedding invitation. “They all refused to come” and “went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business” (vv.3,5). Some even “seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them” (v.6). Such indifference and hostility to a royal invitation seems rather odd, doesn’t it?

There could be only one possible answer: they didn’t honour the monarch as their king. Instead, they wanted to simply go about their own enterprises and pursue their own interests rather than share in the king’s joy.

Jesus shared this parable to illustrate that the King of kings is reaching out with a loving invitation to His royal feast. Today, He’s still extending His invitation to the world. Will you come? Will you come wearing the robe of righteousness provided as a gift by God to those who believe in Jesus and receive Him as Saviour? (vv.11-12).

I look forward to attending the royal banquet to be provided by God! (Revelation 19:9). It will be a time of joy and celebration in His presence. Until then, may we extend His invitation to others, for it’s His desire that all will come and dine at His table.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day-plan: 1 Corinthians 15:42-58

MORE
Read Revelation 19:6-8 to learn more about the great marriage feast that awaits all believers in Jesus. 
NEXT
Why is it so important to dress appropriately for the wedding feast? How can you help others know that God has invited them to be part of His wedding feast one day? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: No Peas!

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November 26, 2015 

READ: Psalm 118:1-14 

In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

 

When our kids were young, one of them bluntly said “no” when we passed him some peas for dinner. To which we replied, “No what?” We hoped he would say, “No, thank you.” Instead he said, “No peas!” That led to a discussion about the importance of good manners. In fact, we had similar discussions on numerous occasions. 

Beyond good manners—which are external—our Lord reminds us that we are to have a heart of gratitude. Scripture contains dozens of reminders that expressing gratitude is of primary importance in our relationship with God. Psalm 118 begins and ends with the exhortation to “give thanks to the Lord” (vv. 1, 29). We are to give thanks when we come into His presence (100:4). And the requests we bring to Him are to be wrapped in a spirit of thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). Such an attitude of gratitude will help us remember our abundant blessings. Even in the midst of trouble and despair, God’s presence and love are our constant companions.

It’s no wonder, then, that the psalmist reminds us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Ps. 118:1).

— Joe Stowell

Lord, Your goodness is enough to make me thankful every day. Teach me to live with a thankful heart and remind me to regularly thank You for Your goodness and steadfast love.

It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer  

ODJ: diligent to avoid distraction

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November 25, 2015 

READ: Deuteronomy 6:1-20 

Be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt (v.12).

I want to use my young gundog for deer hunting. This requires, however, that he not be led astray by the distractions of pheasants or other game birds which also inhabit the woods and forests we hunt in. So I keep training him on deer scents and tell him “no” firmly if he starts to pursue anything else. This takes a lot of time, patience and diligence, for he’s having to learn to do the type of hunting that I want him to do, not the wide variety of interesting pursuits that he would like to engage in.

God provided His people with a special land filled with plentiful food (Deuteronomy 6:3,11). But after so many years of wandering in the wilderness, they now also faced the obstacle of hostile enemies intent on destroying Israel, and the temptation to worship other gods and pursue sensual satisfaction from earthly desires (v.14). Therefore He wanted to prepare them by making sure that their focus was on Him all the time (v.3). Moses said, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength” (v.5). God alone deserved the people’s worship and devotion.

Moses declared that the worship of God wasn’t confined to one day a week, nor was it the role of only a select group of people (vv.6-7). It was the duty of everyone to focus on and worship God every day as a way of life. This was the only way His people would stay pure and not be led astray by an easy life or the lure of other cultures.

As we grow in our dependence on God, the One who is worthy of our true devotion, we’ll learn to steer clear of distractions and follow Him. He lovingly provides what we need to love and worship Him in return.

—Russell Fralick

365-day-plan: 1 Corinthians 15:1-20

MORE
Read Philippians 3:7-14 and consider Paul’s true devotion to Jesus. 
NEXT
Do you see Bible study as a chore or as a gateway to freedom and life? How do you reveal your love and commitment to God in your words and actions? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: With Us and in Us

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November 25, 2015 

READ: John 14:15-21 

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. John 14:16

 

My son had just started nursery school. The first day he cried and declared, “I don’t like school.” My husband and I talked to him about it. “We may not be physically there, but we are praying for you. Besides, Jesus is with you always.”

“But I can’t see Him!” he reasoned. My husband hugged him and said, “He lives in you. And He won’t leave you alone.” My son touched his heart and said, “Yes, Jesus lives in me.”

Kids are not the only ones who suffer from separation anxiety. In every stage of life we face times of separation from those we love, sometimes because of geographical distance and sometimes because of death. However, we need to remember that even if we feel forsaken by others, God hasn’t forsaken us. He has promised to be with us always. God sent the Spirit of truth—our Advocate and Helper—to dwell with us and in us forever (John 14:15-18). We are His beloved children.

My son is learning to trust, but so am I. Like my son, I can’t see the Spirit, but I feel His power as each day He encourages me and guides me as I read God’s Word. Let us thank God for His wonderful provision, the Spirit of Christ who is with us and in us. We are certainly not alone!

— Keila Ochoa

Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit who lives in me.

We are never alone.