Entries by YMI
ODJ: what’s your goal?
April 13, 2015
READ: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength (v.5).
Some poll results from a few years back reveal the big goals on the minds of Generation Y. A survey asked 18 to 25 year olds what they felt was their generation’s most important goals in life. Eighty-one percent said that getting rich was the most important or second-most important life goal for the group. And 51 percent lifted up becoming famous as the most important thing to achieve for a Millennial.
At the risk of seeming contentious, I don’t think either of these goals should top the list of those who are believers in Jesus. They can be byproducts in our lives, but they don’t possess the right stuff to be our primary goal. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have never been the ultimate aim for Christians. The world tells us to look inward and satisfy ourselves, but the example of Jesus, in both word and deed, was one of self-sacrifice and of always putting others first.
Our most important goals in life? Jesus said, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength” and “you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18), as recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). All of these verses state that our goals in life should be centred on God and others, not on ourselves.
The really great news is that God provides for our every need and helps us follow and seek after Him (Matthew 6:33). It’s His power that enables us to accomplish His purposes—His plans. Our heavenly Father knows what is truly needed in our lives and His goal is to see us become more and more like Jesus. What an amazing goal from one amazing God!
—Russell Fralick
365-day-plan: 1 Kings 3:1-15
Look at Paul’s words in Philippians 1, especially verses 20-21. He was thoroughly focused on God and the risen Jesus. They meant everything to him, and his joy was complete as a result.
What are your priorities in life? Is God at the centre of them? Is your joy as complete as Paul’s was?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
ODB: Pray First
April 13, 2015
READ: 1 Samuel 23:1-5
David inquired of the Lord. —1 Samuel 23:2
When my husband and I supervise our son’s piano practice sessions, we begin by asking God to help us. We pray first because neither my husband nor I know how to play the instrument. Together, all three of us are coming to understand musical mysteries such as the meaning of “staccato” and “legato” and when to use the piano’s black keys.
Prayer becomes a priority when we realize that we need God’s help. David needed God’s assistance in a dangerous situation as he considered fighting the Philistines in the city of Keilah. Before engaging in battle, “David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go and attack these Philistines?’” (1 Sam. 23:2). God gave His approval. However, David’s men admitted that the enemy forces intimidated them. Before a single sword was lifted against the Philistines, David prayed again. God promised him the victory he later claimed (v.4).
Does prayer guide our lives, or is it our last resort when trouble strikes? We sometimes fall into the habit of making plans and then asking God to bless them, or praying only in moments of desperation. God does want us to turn to Him in moments of need. But He also wants us to remember that we need Him all the time (Prov. 3:5-6).
— Jennifer Benson Schuldt
God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. —Oswald Chambers
ODJ: completely good
April 12, 2015
READ: Romans 8:17-25
If we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently (v.25).
As I watched the news of a commercial flight that had been downed by a missile last year, my heart sank. Why would people wantonly take the lives of 298 people? Why? This small, three letter word sits at the root of all our experiences with pain and suffering. It lingers, and sometimes even haunts to the point where faith and understanding collide in crisis.
Suffering exists, and our position as sons and daughters of God doesn’t buy us an exemption from pain (Matthew 5:45). God existed, however, before the creation of this world, and He was good, loving and just then—as He still is now. Sin opened the door for death and all of the suffering that accompanies it. Adam and Eve’s (and our own) choice to sin didn’t change God; it changed mankind (Romans 5:12).
How many times, though, have we put God on trial to prove otherwise because we’ve defined His character based on the pain of this world? (See Numbers 23:19.)
Just as the brokenness of this world can’t define the nature of God, neither can we let it direct our belief in what He can or should do (Isaiah 55:8; Matthew 6:10). I will not expect God to pour out His goodness if I do not believe He is good (Nahum 1:7). We may never see the answer to our “whys” on this earth (Romans 11:33). But this we know: He is a God who never ceases in His acts of redemption.
—Regina Franklin
365-day-plan: 1 Kings 1:28-53
Read Luke 21:12-13 to see the connection between the trials we face and the power of our testimony.
Why are faith and suffering not contrary to one another? How can difficult experiences derail our pursuit of intimacy with God if we don’t have an appropriate view of suffering?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
ODB: That Is Mine!
April 12, 2015
READ: Ezekiel 29:1-9
I am the Lord; that is My name. —Isaiah 42:8
The Nile of Africa, which spans 6,650 kilometers (more than 4,100 miles) and flows northward across several northeastern African countries, is the world’s longest river. Over the centuries, the Nile has provided sustenance and livelihood for millions of citizens in the countries it passes through. Currently, Ethiopia is building what will become Africa’s largest hydro-power dam on the Nile. It will be a great resource for the area.
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, claimed to be the Nile’s owner and originator. He and all Egypt boasted, “My River is my own; I have made it for myself” (Ezek. 29:3,9). They failed to acknowledge that God alone provides natural resources. As a result, God promised to punish the nation (vv.8-9).
We are to care for God’s creation, and not forget that everything we have comes from the Lord. Romans 11:36 says, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.” He is the One who also endows humanity with the ability to manufacture and invent man-made resources. Whenever we talk about a good thing that has come to us or that we have accomplished, we need to remember what God says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.”
— Lawrence Darmani
To God be the glory—great things He has done!
ODJ: not about me
April 11, 2015
READ: 1 Chronicles 29:1-16
Wealth and honour come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength (v.12).
How much money does a person have to make to be a success? How many awards must an individual receive in order to be deemed successful? According to New York Times columnist David Brooks, even if you achieve Hall of Fame success status like some great athletes, it might not be enough. Brooks said some athletes simply can’t see past themselves:
Self-preoccupied people have trouble seeing that their natural abilities come
from outside themselves and can only be developed when directed towards something else outside themselves. Enclosed in self, they come to believe that their talents come from self [and are for themselves]. . . . Locked in a cycle of insecurity and self-validation, their talents are never enough, and they end up devouring what they have been given.
According to the writer of 1 Chronicles, David didn’t have a problem seeing that all he had came from outside himself and that his fame was to be directed towards Someone outside himself. After the people gave generously towards the construction of the “holy Temple” (29:3), David praised God (v.10). The king declared that God was eternal, all-powerful and sovereign over all (vv.11-12). In spontaneous gratitude, David thanked and praised the Lord as the source of all personal and corporate greatness, strength and wealth—acknowledging the insignificance of those things and his dependence on Him. Then he assured God that He could rejoice over His people, for the resources the people had given flowed from hearts motivated by integrity, willingness and joy (v.17).
—Marvin Williams
365-day-plan: 1 Kings 1:5-27
Read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23 to see a king who became filled with pride and what God did to humble him.
When are you most tempted to forget that God is the source of the good and success you have enjoyed? For what gifts, abilities, wealth, success and achievement will you thank and praise God right now?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
ODB: When We’re Let Down
April 11, 2015
READ: 1 Samuel 17:33-50
The Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands. —1 Samuel 17:47
On August 4, 1991, the MTS Oceanos cruise ship ran into a terrible storm off the coast of South Africa. When the ship began to sink, the captain decided to abandon ship and left with his officers, failing to notify those onboard of any problem. Passenger Moss Hills, a British musician, noticed that something was wrong and sent out a Mayday signal to the South African coast guard. Then, taking matters into their own hands, Moss, his wife Tracy, and other entertainers on board helped organize the evacuation of all passengers by assisting them as they were lifted into helicopters.
Sometimes those we look to for leadership can let us down. When King Saul and his officers faced the belligerent insults of the Philistine giant Goliath, they responded with fear and timidity (1 Sam. 17:11). But a young musician and shepherd boy named David had faith in God that transformed his perspective on this threat. David said to Goliath, “You come to me with a sword . . . . But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts” (v.45). David defeated the enemy and turned the tide of battle (v.50). He did not look to earthly leaders for his strength but to the living God.
When others let us down, God may be calling us to provide leadership in His strength and for His honor.
— Dennis Fisher
Only as we follow Christ can we lead others in the right direction.
When Nothing Makes Sense
Written By Leslie Koh After spending a number of years in the media, Leslie finally decided to move from working with bad news to good news. He believes in the power of words (especially when they’re funny). He works as an editor in Our Daily Bread Ministries. Have you ever found yourself in a situation […]