Entries by YMI

ODB: Image Consultants

Apr 30, 2015 in , /by

April 30, 2015 

READ: Colossians 3:1-11 

[You] have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. —Colossians 3:10 

In our media-saturated age, image consultants have become indispensable. Entertainers, athletes, politicians, and business leaders seem desperate to manage the way they are perceived in the eyes of the world. These high-priced consultants work to shape how their clients are viewed—even if sometimes there is a stark contrast between the public image and the real person inside.

In reality, what people need—what all of us need—is not an external makeover but an inner transformation. Our deepest flaws cannot be corrected cosmetically. They are directly related to who we are in heart and mind, and they reveal how far we have fallen from the image of God in which we were created. But such transformation is beyond any human ability to accomplish.

Only Christ offers us true transformation—not just a facelift or an outward adjustment. Paul said that those who have been raised to eternal life in Christ “have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:10).

New! What a tremendous word full of hope! Christ transforms us into new people in Him—people with a new heart, not just fixed up to look good on the outside.

— Bill Crowder

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17

The Spirit develops in us the clear image of Christ. 

ODJ: what’s my motivation?

Apr 29, 2015 in , /by

April 29, 2015 

READ: 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 

Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life (v.14).

If you’ve ever watched an actor at work or tried acting yourself, you may have heard the expression, “What’s my motivation?” It’s a question that’s an important part of method acting, for knowing your motivation will lead to it being done well.

We might ask the same question of the apostle Paul. When he wrote that he and others “[worked] hard to persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11), what was his motivation? Was it anger and resentment against those who dishonoured Christ and persecuted the church? Or was it competition—that he felt the need to shout all the louder due to the vast amount of ideologies and beliefs of the time? Or was it fear, seen in verse 11 where he said he owed “a fearful responsibility to the Lord”?

No, Paul made it crystal clear that above all else his motivation was love. He writes in verse 14 and in the following verses that it was Jesus’ love, so perfectly demonstrated on the cross that controlled or compelled him to share the gospel with others.

This is a crucial reminder to all of us, for our modern context is not much different from Paul’s. Our culture is filled to overflowing with beliefs and philosophies, many of which are opposed to the way of Christ. And in such a context, it’s easy for us to be motivated in our Christian life by anger or competition, a desire to simply win rather than winning others over.

Our motivation should always be the same as Paul’s. As it says so perfectly in 1 John 4:19, “We love each other because he loved us first.” And even more, we read in Romans 5:8 that God Himself is motivated by love.

It’s never anger nor hate but love—love that flows from God Himself—that compels us to shout His goodness to all who would hear!

—Peter Chin

365-day-plan: Nehemiah 2:1-20

MORE
Read John 13:34-35 and 15:12 to see how Jesus connects His love for us with our love for others. 
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Why do you suppose it’s better and even healthier to be motivated by love than by any other emotion or compulsion? Do you ever feel yourself being motivated more by anger or competition than by love? What do you think is the reason? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Access To God

Apr 29, 2015 in , /by

April 29, 2015 

READ: 1 John 5:6-15 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —Hebrews 4:16 

Technology is a blessing in so many ways. Need a bit of information about a health problem? All you have to do is access the Internet where you instantaneously get a list of options to guide your search. Need to contact a friend? Just send a text, email, or Facebook post. But technology can also be frustrating at times. The other day I needed to access some information in my bank account and was asked a list of security questions. Unable to recall the exact answers, I was blocked from my own account. Or think of the times when an important conversation is cut off because of a dead cellphone battery, with no way to reconnect until you find a plug to recharge it.

All of this makes me delighted with the reality that when I need to access God in prayer, there are no security questions and no batteries required. I love the assurance that John gives when he says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

God is always accessible, for He never slumbers nor sleeps! (Ps. 121:4). And thanks to His love for us, He is waiting and ready to listen.

— Joe Stowell

Lord, thank You for desiring communication with me and for the reassurance that You are indeed listening and ready to help in time of need. Teach us to come to You with confidence in Your attentive love for us.

God is always accessible in our time of need. 

ODJ: decision default

Apr 28, 2015 in , /by

April 28, 2015 

READ: Joel 2:12-32 

“Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate (v.13).

Steven and his dad regularly took their motorcycles for a ride along the East coast of South Africa, past the bathers and the fishermen, till they reached the deserted sand and sea. One day, after climbing their favourite sand dune, they competed to see who could make it back down in the least amount of jumps. On the 18th jump, Steven heard a bloodcurdling scream from behind. His father had landed on a hidden tree stump and sheared off part of his heel. The experience has left Steven cautious with his own children, allowing them to play on sand dunes, but warning them never to jump down one.

On average, we consciously make 70 decisions each day. In the midst of our regular comforts and the success we enjoy, we often forget to seek the Lord in these decisions and, instead, we default to previous experience alone. Steven and his father had climbed up and down that sand dune many times but neither of them knew what lay unseen, just beneath the sand.

The people of Judah had become complacent in their relationship with God. They were prosperous and secure but they relied on their personal abilities and had become lax in their lifestyle (Joel 1:5). The prophet Joel warned that the day of reckoning was coming when their confidence in conventional wisdom would be shaken (1:15, 2:11). He prophesied that a great plague of locusts would strip them of everything they valued. And he called on them to humbly repent and return to the Lord who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and eager to relent and not punish (2:12-13).

—Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

365-day-plan: Ezra 3:7-13

MORE
Read Philippians 1:9-11and consider Paul’s prayer regarding making decisions based on godly wisdom. 
NEXT
What’s your decision default? Rather than relying on insight based on experience alone, how can you intentionally begin to seek God and His wisdom? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: In The Same Boat

Apr 28, 2015 in , /by

April 28, 2015 

READ: Matthew 8:23-27 

When He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. —Matthew 8:23 

When the cruise ship pulled into port, the passengers got off as quickly as possible. They had spent the last few days enduring an outbreak of a virus, and hundreds of people had been sickened. One passenger, interviewed as he disembarked, said: “Well, I don’t mean to complain so much. I mean I know everybody was in the same boat.” His seemingly unintentional pun made the reporter smile.

In Matthew 8, we read about another trip on the water (vv.23-27). Jesus got into the boat and the disciples followed Him (v.23). Then a terrible storm arose, and Jesus’ disciples feared for their lives. They awakened a sleeping Jesus, who they assumed was unaware of the crisis.

While Jesus was literally in the same boat as His followers, He was unconcerned about the weather. As the all-powerful Creator, He had no fear of a storm. “He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (v.26).

But we are not all-powerful, and we are oh-so-prone to fear. So what are we to do when the storms of life rage around us? Whether they quickly blow over or last for a long time, we can be confident in this: We are in the same boat with the One whom even the winds and the sea obey.

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Heavenly Father, this life is full of uncertainty. But You have promised us Your unfailing presence. May we see You today—especially when we are tempted to panic or to do things in our own strength.

No danger can come so near the Christian that God is not nearer. 

ODJ: a terrible kind of lonely

Apr 27, 2015 in , /by

April 27, 2015 

READ: Isaiah 44:21-28 

I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget you (v.21).

The Great Andamanese is one of the most ancient people groups, a collection of 10 tribes tracing their lineage directly back to the first people who migrated out of Africa. These tribes have slowly dwindled over the past few centuries. One of the tribes had only one survivor remaining, Boa Sr.—a woman with no children and failing eyesight. After Boa’s husband died, she was no longer able to speak to anyone in her native language (Bo).

Anvita Abbi, a linguist professor, communicated with Boa through a local Hindi dialect and an amalgamated version of all the tribal languages. Though Boa was proud to be the surviving remnant of her tribe, she felt alone and longed for her traditional life, her ways, her people. Professor Abbi remembers how “[Boa] always said she wanted to go back to the place where she was born.” Sadly, in February of 2010, Boa died, and the Bo language (along with an entire people) vanished.

In her last years, Boa’s sadness and isolation must have been an awful burden, a terrible kind of loneliness. For many, the experience of being alone—having no one who truly knows and understands them—yields deep sorrow. The death of a parent. The end of a marriage. The dissolution of a friendship. There are so many ways to feel alone.

—Winn Collier

365-day-plan: 2 Kings 22:1–23:3

MORE
Read Hebrews 13:5. What do these words speak into your heart? What’s the connection between God’s presence and real satisfaction? 
NEXT
Name the places and the moments where you’ve felt (or currently feel) most alone. How does it make you feel to know that you’ll never be truly alone because of God’s presence? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Love And Light

Apr 27, 2015 in , /by

April 27, 2015 

READ: Deuteronomy 11:8-15 

The land which you cross over to possess is a land . . . for which the Lord your God cares. —Deuteronomy. 11:11-12 

Friends are starting to plan their summer vegetable gardens. Some get an early start by planting seeds indoors where they can control the conditions and provide the best environment for sprouting. After the danger of frost has passed, they will transplant the seedlings outdoors. Once the garden is planted, the work of weeding, feeding, watering, and guarding against rodents and insects begins. Producing food is a lot of work.

Moses reminded the Israelites of this before they entered the promised land. While living in Egypt, they had to do the hard work of irrigating crops by hand (Deut. 11:10), but in the place where God was taking them He promised to ease their work by sending spring and autumn rains: “I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains” (v.14 niv). The only condition was that they “faithfully obey the commands” He gave them—“to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (v.13 niv). The Lord was taking His people to a place where their obedience and His blessing would make them a light to those around them.

God wants the same for us and from us: He wants our love to be displayed in our obedience so that we might be His light to people around us. The love and obedience we have to offer, though, is far less than He deserves. But He is our provider, blessing us and enabling us to be a light that the world will notice.

— Julie Ackerman Link

Loving God doesn’t make life effortless, but having His strength makes it easier.