Entries by YMI

ODJ: leaving old things behind

June 22, 2015 

READ: Joshua 5:5-12 

The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again (vv.11-12).

The New Year can be a great time for a fresh start. That’s why 45 percent of people in North America make New Year’s resolutions. The problem is that by June—six months down the road—only 54 percent will have kept their resolutions, and the percentage drops to a dismal 8 percent by December!

Part of the problem is that while new beginnings can be easy, leaving behind old practices can be hard. Before the Israelites could experience a fresh start in the Promised Land, they had to leave two old things behind: flesh and old ways. God commanded all the young men to be circumcised, for their fathers had turned from Canaan in fear and then neglected to circumcise their sons in the wilderness. So the lack of circumcision represented their lack of faith and obedience, both of which dishonoured God, and had to be left behind before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 5:6-9).

But that’s not all the Israelites had to do. They had to leave old ways behind. Joshua 5 marked the end of manna, the mysterious heavenly food that God had daily provided (v.12). Eating manna wasn’t sinful, but it had been the way He fed the Israelites in the wilderness. Now they were in Canaan and God was providing for them in a new way—through the fruit and crops of the land. So they had to leave the manna behind.

—Peter Chin

365-day-plan: John 4:43-54

MORE
Read Luke 5:36-39 and consider what Jesus said about new garments and wineskins. 
NEXT
Do you ever find yourself praying or yearning for a fresh start in life? What has held you back from that fresh start in the past? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Challenge of Transition

June 22, 2015 

READ: Joshua 1:6-11 

Be strong and very courageous. Joshua 1:7 

After former professional athlete Chris Sanders suffered a career-ending injury, he told a group of military veterans that although he had never experienced combat, “I understand the pressures of transitions.”

Whether it’s the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage, a serious illness, or a financial setback, every major change brings challenges. The former athlete told the soldiers that the key to success when you are transitioning into a new way of living is to reach out and get help.

The book of Joshua is recommended reading whenever we find ourselves in transition. After 40 years of wandering and setbacks, God’s people were poised to enter the Promised Land. Moses, their great leader, had died, and Joshua, his assistant, was in charge.

God told Joshua to “be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Josh. 1:7). God’s words of direction were to be the bedrock of Joshua’s leadership in every situation.

The Lord’s charge and promise to Joshua apply to us as well: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v. 9).

He is with us in every transition.

— David C. McCasland

Father, I’m bringing You my trials and frustrations. You know each and every detail. Please comfort me as only You can, and provide exactly what I need for today. Help me give my unfulfilled expectations to You, trusting You’re working out a plan

God remains faithful in every change. 

ODJ: the offence Jesus brings

June 21, 2015 

READ: John 6:53-69 

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe . . . you are the Holy One of God” (vv.68-69).

In 2014 in America, a man opened fire with a handgun during a meeting with his caseworker and psychiatrist at a hospital. Sadly the caseworker was mortally wounded, while the psychiatrist—who returned fire with his own handgun—received minor injuries. The gunman, who was subdued at the scene, indicated that he opened fire because he’d been offended by the hospital’s “no guns” policy.

Jesus once offended a crowd of disciples with some difficult words (John 6:61). Many of His followers “turned away and deserted him” (v.66). What caused them to bail? Jesus stated that only those who would “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood” would receive eternal life (v.53). Perhaps stunned by His cannibalistic-sounding words or upset that Jesus wasn’t going to be the militant, conquering Messiah they had expected they turned away, unwilling to surrender to Him completely.

Jesus, of course, wasn’t speaking of literal flesh and blood. He was simply exposing the deserters’ lack of faith and their unwillingness to accept His life and ways as their own (v.64). As He watched the doubting disciples walk away, He “turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave?’ ” (v.67).

That’s a question we must all answer: will we turn away from Jesus when His words and truth offend others? Will we deny His teachings to avoid conflict, pain or embarrassment?

Peter replied, “To whom would we go?” (v.68). Jesus is the true Son of God who alone provides eternal life.

—Tom Felten

365-day-plan: John 4:1-42

MORE
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-13 and consider what Paul says about suffering for Jesus. 
NEXT
What hard teachings of Jesus do you have difficulty accepting? What will help you to not bail on Him—even when others take offence? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: A Loving Father

June 21, 2015 

READ: Psalm 103:7-13 

As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13 

The parents were obviously weary from dragging their two energetic preschoolers through airports and airplanes, and now their final flight was delayed. As I watched the two boys running around the crowded gate area, I wondered how Mom and Dad were going to keep the little guys settled down for our half-hour flight into Grand Rapids. When we finally boarded, I noticed that the father and one of the sons were in the seats behind me. Then I heard the weary father say to his son, “Why don’t you let me read one of your storybooks to you.” And during the entire flight, this loving father softly and patiently read to his son, keeping him calm and focused. 

In one of his psalms David declares, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:13). The word pities refers to showing love and compassion. This tender word gives us a picture of how deeply our heavenly Father loves His children, and it reminds us what a great gift it is to be able to look to God and cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).

God longs for you to listen again to the story of His love for you when you are restless on your own journey through life. Your heavenly Father is always near, ready to encourage you with His Word.

— Bill Crowder

I rejoice in Your presence and Your love for me, Lord. Today I choose joy in knowing Your love is constant and unchanging, forever fixed.

God’s great love for His child is one of His greatest gifts. 

ODJ: with hope full

June 20, 2015 

READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 

We want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope (v.13).

Taking his dark, weathered hands in mine, we bowed to pray. As a custodian (him) and as a teacher (me), our different life experiences intersected in my tiny office this week. His mother had been sick for some time, and the disease that had previously been confined to one area had now spread to her entire body. Confident of God’s ability to heal, we prayed for Him to restore her body—and we also asked for the miracle of comfort that supersedes death. Tonight, her son sits by her bedside and knows he will soon have to say goodbye. For now, anyway.

Keepsakes, memories, final words. Death is never easy, even when we have months to prepare. We do all we can to hold on to those we love for just a little longer because, even for the believer, the separation brought on by death feels so permanent in light of our grief. We were designed for the eternal; we were not made for loss.

Something inside us cries for everlasting life and hope.

How beautiful is hope for believers in Jesus: “Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever” (1 Thessalonians 5:10). We can have confident hope in the One who made and sustains us (Revelation 1:8, 4:11).

Our security isn’t in what we can see any more than in what we can control. Relive the places of laughter, remember the arms that used to encircle you with strength, and hear again the voice that sweetly said, “I love you.” And comfort other believers with this truth: Jesus is alive, and “whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever” (1 Thessalonians 5:10). In Christ our hope is full!

—Regina Franklin

365-day-plan: John 3:22-36

MORE
Read Psalm 116:1-19 and consider how its words provide a framework for grieving. 
NEXT
How can we bring comfort to someone who’s uncertain about the eternity of a loved one who has died? What gives you hope today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: A Missing Sheep

June 20, 2015 

READ: Luke 15:1-10 

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3 

Laura loaded a borrowed goat and sheep into a trailer to transport them to church for a rehearsal of a live nativity. The animals head-butted and chased each other for a bit and then settled down. Laura started for the church but first had to stop for gas.

While pumping the gas, she noticed the goat standing in the parking lot! And the sheep was gone! In the commotion of getting them settled she had forgotten to lock one of the latches. Laura called the sheriff and some friends who searched frantically along a stretch of businesses, cornfields, and woods during the last daylight hours. Many were praying that she would find the borrowed animal.

The next morning Laura and a friend went out to post “Lost Sheep” flyers at local businesses. Their first stop was the gas station. A customer overheard them asking the cashier about posting a flyer and said, “I think I know where your sheep is!” The sheep had wandered to his neighbor’s farm, where he had put it in the barn for the night.

The Lord cares about lost sheep—including you and me. Jesus came from heaven to earth to show us His love and provide salvation (John 3:16). He goes to great lengths to seek and find us (Luke 19:10).

When the sheep was found, Laura nicknamed her Miracle. And God’s salvation of us is a miracle of His grace.

— Anne Cetas

Heavenly Father, as we care for the things dear to us, how much more do You care for us, Your children! Thank You for answered prayer and for the miracle of Your grace.

The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep. John 10:11