Entries by YMI

ODB: Who Are You?

/in , /by

March 29, 2015 

READ: Matthew 21:1-11 

When [Jesus] had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” —Matthew 21:10 

From time to time, we read of people who are offended at not being treated with what they consider due respect and deference. “Do you know who I am?” they shout indignantly. And we are reminded of the statement, “If you have to tell people who you are, you probably really aren’t who you think you are.” The polar opposite of this arrogance and self-importance is seen in Jesus, even as His life on earth was nearing its end.

Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of praise from the people (Matt. 21:7-9). When others throughout the city asked, “Who is this?” the crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee” (vv.10-11). He didn’t come claiming special privileges, but in humility He came to give His life in obedience to His Father’s will.

The words Jesus said and the things He did commanded respect. Unlike insecure rulers, He never demanded that others respect Him. His greatest hours of suffering appeared to be His lowest point of weakness and failure. Yet, the strength of His identity and mission carried Jesus through the darkest hours as He died for our sins so that we might live in His love.

He is worthy of our lives and our devotion today. Do we recognize who He is?

— David C. McCasland

Lord, I am in awe of Your humility, strength, and love. And I am embarrassed by my desires for self-importance. May knowing You change every self-centered motive in my heart into a longing to live as You did in this world.

When once you have seen Jesus, you can never be the same. —Oswald Chambers 

ODJ: believing in Him

/in , /by

March 28, 2015 

READ: John 3:1-21 

Everyone who believes in [Jesus] will have eternal life (v.15).

Marcus Mumford wouldn’t call himself a Christian. At least he declined to do so during a Rolling Stone magazine interview. In that conversation, the award-winning songwriter and musician said that the word Christian is linked with religious images he doesn’t like. He compared himself to people who claim to love Christ and say that Jesus is awesome, but who are not Christians.

A writer once wrote, “Any belief in Jesus Christ—however small—is far better than any belief about Him.” Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher who interviewed Jesus, clearly knew facts about Him. He correctly identified Jesus as a teacher, and said, “Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you” (John 3:2).

Jesus responded, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (v.3). In other words, it’s not possible to gain admission to heaven by simply knowing the right facts about Christ. Even Satan’s henchmen correctly identified Him as the Son of God! (Luke 4:41).

According to Jesus, true salvation involves an encounter with the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life” (John 3:6). And, the Bible says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Genuine faith in Christ means having a relationship with Him, not simply admiring Him. With this relationship comes the assurance that Jesus hears and responds to our prayers. He accepts our praises, empowers us to resist temptation and provides eternal life. True believers in Jesus have a spiritual connection with Him. They have a “faith . . . far more precious than mere gold” (1 Peter 1:7). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day plan: 1 Samuel 17:32-58

MORE
Read Titus 3:4-6 to learn more about salvation through Christ. Read John 7:40-52 and 19:38-39 to see how Nicodemus was involved with Jesus after his first encounter. 
NEXT
How might you explain the difference between knowing about Jesus and believing in Him? If someone asked you how to establish a relationship with Christ, what would you say? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Trail Trees

/in , /by

March 28, 2015 

READ: Isaiah 53:4-12 

They pierced My hands and My feet. . . . They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. —Psalm 22:16-18 

In recent years, my daughter has become fascinated with the history of the indigenous people in northern Michigan where she lives. One summer afternoon when I was visiting, she showed me a road that had a sign designating “Trail Trees.” She explained to me that it’s believed that long ago the Native Americans bent young trees to point the way to specific destinations and that they continued to grow in an unusual shape.

The Old Testament serves a similar purpose. Many commands and teachings of the Bible direct our hearts to the way the Lord wants us to live. The Ten Commandments are great examples of that. But in addition, the prophets of the Old Testament pointed the way to a coming Messiah. Thousands of years before Jesus came, they spoke of Bethlehem—Jesus’ birthplace (see Micah 5:2 and Matt. 2:1-6). They described Jesus’ death on the cross in striking detail (see Ps. 22:14-18 and John 19:23-24). And Isaiah 53:1-12 points to the sacrifice Jesus would make as the Lord “laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (v.6; see Luke 23:33).

Millennia ago, God’s Old Testament servants pointed to God’s Son—Jesus—the One who has now “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). He is the way to life.

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Thank You for the simple message of salvation. Jesus, You are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank You for giving Your life for me. I love You.

Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. 

ODJ: give God your dreams

/in , /by

March 27, 2015 

READ: Genesis 22:1-18 

Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you (vv.16-17).

All of us have dreams for our lives—aspirations to do something great or become someone worthwhile. When shaped by the purposes of God, dreams guide us to meaningful living.

Abraham had a dream—two dreams, in fact—and both were God-given. Old and childless in a culture of large families, he dreamed of having a son (Genesis 11:30,15:3). God promised that this dream would come true and added one more. Not only would Abraham have a son, he would have a nation (12:2, 15:5, 17:5). Two big dreams indeed!

And that’s one reason we find Genesis 22 so baffling. Isaac is born—the fulfilment of the first dream and a glimpse of the second (21:1-3)—and Abraham is called to sacrifice him! (22:2). God was asking to have back what He had given. Abraham was to give up both his fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams.

The preparation would have been agonising. Abraham gathered his son, servants and supplies, and walked for days to the sacrifice site where he laid what was most precious to him on the altar (vv.3-9). And just as the knife was poised to plunge, God intervened and gave Abraham back his dreams (vv.11-14). Abraham learned two important lessons that day: the true God is not like the gods around him who revelled in child sacrifice, and nothing—not even a God-given dream—comes before Him.

Have you given your dreams to God—both the fulfilled ones and the unfulfilled? It’s the only way to ensure that our dreams are under His hand, and that they don’t become gods themselves. As He did with Abraham, God may well give your dreams back to you or give them back in a new form.

But whatever He does with your dreams, you can be sure it will come accompanied by a blessing (vv.15-18). —Sheridan Voysey

365-day plan: 1 Samuel 17:1-31

MORE
Read Proverbs 16:9 to see how God might sift your dream. Read Psalm 105:19 to see what He might be doing while you wait for a dream to be fulfilled. 
NEXT
What dream do you have for your life? Have you offered it back to God? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Foley Artists

/in , /by

March 27, 2015 

READ: John 16:7-15 

Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14 

Crunch. Crunch. Whoosh! In the early days of film, Foley artists created sounds to support the story’s action. Squeezing a leather pouch filled with cornstarch made the sound of snow crunching, shaking a pair of gloves sounded like bird wings flapping, and waving a thin stick made a whoosh sound. To make movies as realistic as possible, these artists used creative techniques to replicate sounds.

Like sounds, messages can be replicated. One of Satan’s most frequently used techniques is that of replicating messages in spiritually dangerous ways. Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” Paul is warning us about false teachers who turn our attention away from Jesus Christ and the message of His grace.

Jesus said that one purpose of the Holy Spirit living in us is that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). With the help and guidance of the Spirit, we can find the safety of truth in a world of counterfeit messages.

— Bill Crowder

We need You, Holy Spirit, to help us discern truth from error. We can be easily deceived by others or even by our own hearts. May we be open to learn from You and not be led astray.

The Holy Spirit is our ever-present Teacher. 

ODJ: shaken back to life

/in , /by

March 26, 2015 

READ: Judges 15:5-14 

Don’t you realise the Philistines rule over us? (v.11).

One time when I was high up a mountain in Norway, God chose to rescue me from an untimely death. At the time it felt anything but pleasant, but God knew that I was in spiritual bondage and that I needed to be saved—largely from myself. He was aware that I was spiritually dead and needed to wake up to my predicament. So he sent a series of extremely uncomfortable events my way in order that I might see what I truly needed—Him!

Samson was often impulsive and impetuous. Yet God used his character, complete with its flaws, to rescue Israel from her spiritual death. The strong man did some dubious deeds in order to bring out the fierce hatred and retribution of Israel’s enemy, the Philistines (Judges 15:5,8). By his actions, he orchestrated a confrontation that Israel didn’t want (vv.10-11). But God wanted to bring His people out from under the oppression of the Philistines, even though they resisted His way of rescue. They were content to be ruled over (v.11).

God rescued His disobedient people by using a man who was powerful, yet flawed. He used Samson to rescue His people from their oppressed state, and they hated the strong man for it. They even tied him up and brought him to the Philistines! (v.12).

Sometimes God allows us to go through tough times in order to wake us up. When our spiritual discernment is low, and perhaps we’ve gone cold in our relationship with Him, God sometimes uses alarming circumstances or uncomfortable situations to bring us back to life.

Will you try to make these opportunities go away, as the people of Judah did, or will you embrace them as a loving wakeup call from your Creator? He wants you to experience life in Him to the fullest! —Russell Fralick

365-day plan: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

MORE
Read Isaiah 52:1-12 and see what God said to His people and what He promised to do for them. 
NEXT
What wakeup call do you need to accept from God? How does it make you feel to know that God’s love won’t permit you to remain in complacency? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Definite Choice

/in , /by

March 26, 2015 

READ: Joshua 24:15-24 

We will serve the Lord! —Joshua 24:21 

Coming from someone who used to value ancestral gods, my 90-year-old father’s statement near the end of his life was remarkable: “When I die,” he spoke laboriously, “nobody should do anything other than what the church will do. No soothsaying, no ancestral sacrifices, no rituals. As my life is in the hands of Jesus Christ, so shall my death be!”

My father chose the path of Christ in his old age when he invited Jesus into his life as Savior. His contemporaries mocked him: “An old man like you shouldn’t be going to church!” But my father’s choice to follow and worship the true God was definite, like the people Joshua addressed.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” Joshua challenged them. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). Their response was resolute—they chose to worship the Lord. Even after Joshua warned them to count the cost (vv.19-20), they still resolved to follow the Lord, recalling His deliverance, provision, and protection (vv.16-17,21).

Such a confident choice, however, calls for equally confident actions, as Joshua strongly reminded them: “Put away the foreign gods . . . and incline your heart to the Lord” (v.23). Have you made a choice to live for God?

— Lawrence Darmani

Teach me all it means, Lord, to choose You. I want my words, actions, and attitudes to show the love for You that I have in my heart. You are worthy of far more than I could ever do.

A definite choice demands definite actions.