Entries by YMI

ODJ: where’s your hope?

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September 17, 2015 

READ: Psalm 71:1-24 

But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more (v.14).

Yesterday I received a double dose of bad news. In the span of 5 minutes, the words in two emails left me disappointed and doubting that a project I had worked on for years would come to fruition. I wanted to quit. What’s the use? I felt like going back to bed and starting the day over again.

Then I remembered Psalm 71. The psalmist (who might be David) complained that his enemies were conspiring to take him out in his old age (vv.9-10). “They say, ‘God has abandoned him. Let’s go and get him, for no one will help him now’ ” (v.11). His strength had left him. He couldn’t fight back. Should he simply curl up and die?

Yet the psalmist remembered his God, who had been faithful to him from childhood. He wrote, “From my mother’s womb you have cared for me” (v.6). The God who had been faithful his whole life would remain faithful now and into the future. He didn’t know how his present battle would turn out. He might lose. But considering his death, he wrote that God will “restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth” (v.20). The same God who was faithful in life could be counted on—even in death.

I still feel sad this morning, but I’m choosing to hope in God. I have several reasons to quit my project, but I have one large reason to press on that trumps them all. I believe Jesus will return and raise my body from the grave. He will reward every good thing I’ve ever done, so how can I cease my work for Him? (2 Corinthians 5:10).

—Mike Wittmer

365-day-plan: John 15:17-16:4

MORE
Read Isaiah 40:28-31 to learn where our true hope is found. 
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Where have you lost hope? How might hoping in God empower you to keep going? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Doesn’t God Care?

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September 17, 2015 

READ: Habakkuk 1:1-11 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

 

Why does the intoxicated driver escape an accident unharmed while his sober victim is seriously injured? Why do bad people prosper while good people suffer? How often have you been so confused by things going on in your life that you have cried out, “Doesn’t God care?”

Habakkuk struggled with this same question as he saw the distressing situation in Judah where wickedness and injustice were running rampant (Hab. 1:1-4). His confusion drove him to ask God when He would act to fix the situation. God’s reply was nothing short of perplexing.

God said that He would use the Chaldeans as the means of Judah’s correction. The Chaldeans were notorious for their cruelty (v. 7). They were bent on violence (v. 9) and worshiped nothing but their military prowess and false gods (vv. 10-11).

In moments when we don’t understand God’s ways, we need to trust His unchanging character. That’s exactly what Habakkuk did. He believed that God is a God of justice, mercy, and truth (Ps. 89:14). In the process, he learned to look at his circumstances from the framework of God’s character instead of looking at God’s character from the context of his own circumstances. He concluded, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).

— Poh Fang Chia

Lord, it is easy to let my circumstances change how I understand You. Help me to remember that You are good and faithful, even though I can’t see everything and may not understand how You are working.

Our situation may look very different from God’s point of view.  

ODJ: shine like stars

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September 16, 2015 

READ: Philippians 2:14-18 

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticise you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people (vv.14-15).

I’m not exactly what you would call a stargazer, but I’ve spent my fair share of clear nights gazing up into the heavens. I’ve learned enough about the star field to point out constellations such as the Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt or Aquarius. And I’ll never forget the time that locating the North Star was the only thing that saved me from spending the night lost in a cold, wet swamp. I used it to find my way out of the inky darkness.

Every now and then I find myself awestruck by the enormity of the star-filled sky. Even though the naked eye can see only a small fraction of the universe God has created, the myriad of twinkling lights in our field of vision can be stunning.

The vastness of this piece of God’s handiwork makes me feel small—as it should. It’s a striking reminder that there is a Creator-God and we are His creation (Nehemiah 9:6). But when I consider the night sky through the lens of Scripture, I find myself invited by our Maker to be a part of something as big and bright as the stars themselves.

The apostle Paul used the stars to describe our mission as believers in Jesus. He wrote that God calls us to “shine among [unbelievers] like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16 NIV). Stars stand out like bright lights and draw people’s attention. In the same way, God calls us to shine brightly for Christ so that the world living in darkness will see it and be drawn to the “word of life”—Jesus Himself.

The next time you find yourself gazing up at a brilliantly lit night sky, remember that the One who hung those bright lights calls you to shine as a beacon of hope and life for the sake of a dark and dying world.

—Jeff Olson

365-day-plan: John 15:1-16

MORE
Read Matthew 5:15-16 and consider what it means to “let your light shine before others”. 
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What can prevent you from shining for Jesus? How will you help others see His light today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Feeling Forsaken

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September 16, 2015 

READ: Psalm 22:1-21 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

 

In his book The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis records an imaginary conversation between a senior devil and a junior devil as they discuss how to properly tempt a Christian. The two devils desired to destroy the believer’s faith in God. “Be not deceived,” the senior devil says to the junior. “Our cause is never more in jeopardy than when a human . . . looks round upon a universe in which every trace of [God] seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

The Bible gives us many examples of people who acted with faith despite their feelings of abandonment. Abram felt that God’s promise of an heir had gone unheeded (Gen. 15:2-3). The psalmist felt ignored in his trouble (Ps. 10:1). Job’s troubles were so great that he thought God might even kill him (Job 13:15). And Jesus from the cross cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). Yet in each instance God was shown to be faithful (Gen. 21:1-7; Ps. 10:16-18; Job 38:1–42:17; Matt. 28:9-20).

Although Satan may try to tempt you to think you are forsaken, God is always near. He never forsakes His own. “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ ” (Heb. 13:5). We may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (v. 6).

— Dennis Fisher

Lord, although clouds and darkness sometimes shroud me, I know that You are close by my side. Thank You.

God is always near in spite of our fears.  

ODJ: deadly perspective

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September 15, 2015 

READ: Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 

A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time (v.4).

During the Middle Ages, some monks kept a skull on their desks to remind them of their mortality and eventual death. The bony paperweight was a vivid reminder that life is fleeting and that they needed to keep their priorities in line.

While the monks’ practice of staring at skulls and keeping their deaths ever before them seems depressing, both the psalmist and the teacher connect the practice of considering the fleeting nature of life with gaining true wisdom (Ecclesiastes 7:4). The psalmist prayed, “Teach us to realise the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (90:12). So does that mean we should be morbid and depressed all the time? No, the exact opposite!

The wisdom of remembering how little time we have on this earth enables us to love and cherish others and to be grateful for the moments we share with them (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Remembering our death can motivate us to celebrate life and to make good choices, to accept God’s plans and the things He allows to enter our lives (vv.13-14). Ideally, the practice of remembering the brevity of our lives will guide us in filtering out what’s important from what is not. It should drive us to Jesus and experiencing the abundant life He has provided to flow in and through us (John 10:10).

Have we been unwisely and perhaps ungratefully using our precious time on things that don’t really matter—that are “meaningless”? (Ecclesiastes 7:6). Instead, since we don’t know how many days we’ve been given, let’s ask ourselves, “What will we do with the life God has given us today?” For as James reminds us, “[Our] life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14). Now that’s perspective.

—Marlena Graves

365-day-plan: John 14:15-31

MORE
Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and consider what Moses said about life and death. 
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What impact has the brevity of life been having on your priorities? How can thinking about death be good or bad? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: God’s Compass

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September 15, 2015 

READ: Psalm 119:105-112 

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

 

During World War II, small compasses saved the lives of 27 sailors 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Waldemar Semenov, a retired merchant seaman, was serving as a junior engineer aboard the SS Alcoa Guide when a German submarine surfaced and opened fire on the ship. The ship was hit, caught fire, and began to sink. Semenov and his crew lowered compass-equipped lifeboats into the water and used the compasses to guide them toward the shipping lanes closer to shore. After three days, the men were rescued.

The psalmist reminded God’s people that His Word was a trustworthy “compass.” He likened it to a lamp. In that day, the flickering light cast by an olive oil lamp was only bright enough to show a traveler his next step. To the psalmist, God’s Word was such a lamp, providing enough light to illuminate the path for those pursuing God (Ps. 119:105). When the psalmist was wandering in the dark on a chaotic path of life, he believed that God, through the guidance of His Word, would provide direction.

When we lose our bearings in life, we can trust our God who gives His trustworthy Word as our compass, using it to lead us into deeper fellowship with Him.

— Marvin Williams

Heavenly Father, it is difficult to navigate life. I drift sometimes, but I will trust in You. Lead me and guide me by the faithfulness and reliability of Your Word.

God has given us His Word to help us know and follow Him.  

ODJ: holy ground

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September 14, 2015 

READ: Exodus 3:1-6 

You are standing on holy ground (v.5).

As a teenager I travelled from America to London on a school trip. Just 14 years old, I regrettably paid more attention to my meals and classmates than to the impressive sights around me. One day, however, I encountered the ruins of a Roman wall. I was awestruck, and my attention was temporarily diverted from typical teenage interests. It was humbling to touch something so ancient. The moss and stone seemed sacred, and I felt as if I were standing on holy ground.

Moses once stood on truly sacred soil. It happened one day as he was watching his sheep in the wilderness. What’s that? A bush engulfed in flames, yet not consumed! He approached the flaming shrub and heard the voice of God: “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). This moment in Moses’ life ignited a series of dramatic events that God used to prepare him to lead his people out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land (12:31-32; Deuteronomy 34:1-4). But before embarking on his adventure, Moses humbled himself before God. He “covered his face”, motivated by reverent fear (Exodus 3:6; see also Proverbs 1:7).

Have you experienced a moment like that? It can be so good for us to be humbled before God and to experience reverent fear. Let’s face it—we can get a bit too comfortable with His presence in our lives. We fail to see His power and majesty. But when God’s presence is undeniably palpable—when we’re awestruck by His holiness—we can’t help but bow down and worship Him!

Yes, God is great, far greater than weathered Roman walls (Psalm 86:10). He alone is worthy of our reverent fear and passionate worship (130:3-4).

—Andy Rogers

365-day-plan: John 14:1-14

MORE
Read Hebrews 12:28-29 and consider what it says about God and our need to worship Him “with holy fear and awe”. 
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When have you been awestruck by something ancient or sacred? How will you worship God reverently and passionately today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)