Entries by YMI

ODB: Whose Side Are You On?

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December 3, 2014 

READ: Psalm 73 

It is good for me to draw near to God. —Psalm 73:28 

In the heat of the American Civil War, one of President Lincoln’s advisors said he was grateful that God was on the side of the Union. Lincoln replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

What a great challenge for us who assume that God is there to support our plans, our perspectives, our decisions, and our desires. However, Lincoln’s reply reminds us that even our best plans may not be near to what God desires.

Clearly the psalmist wants to be on God’s side when he pleads, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). When we follow the psalmist’s example to “draw near to God” (73:28), we can be certain that we are on His side, as His Spirit helps us measure every thought and action by His ways that are always right.

So, let’s ask ourselves: Are we on the Lord’s side? Being on His side means that we will reflect His love to the world around us in the way we interact with others. We will forgive, treat others justly, and seek peace. God’s ways are always best.

— Joe Stowell

Father, teach us to search Your ways so that we may
know how to be on Your side of the critical issues in
life. Thank You that when we draw near to You, You
draw near to us with gifts of wisdom and discernment.

When you draw near to God, you are sure to be on His side. 

ODJ: your mission statement

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December 2, 2014 

READ: Ephesians 5:1-2 

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ (vv.1-2).

Deep down, each of us longs to know what we’re here on earth to do—to have some sense of purpose and mission. Some people have a ‘life verse’ from the Bible that gives them succinct focus. If you don’t have one of those, perhaps today’s passage is a good one to adopt.

What’s your life’s mission? According to Ephesians, our life mission has three elements:

To live loved. Before there is any grand vision for you to pursue or great accomplishment to achieve, you’re to receive the love that God has for you. We’re His “dear children” (Ephesians 5:1; 1 John 3:1). Before we ever loved Him, He loved us (4:19). “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Before there’s anything for you to do, there’s something for you to be—loved by God.

To imitate God. Because you’re His child, you’re to imitate your Father as a child imitates her parent (Ephesians 5:1). Notice how this is stated more in character terms than in career decisions. We imitate Him by being kind, compassionate and forgiving to others—the way He’s been to us (4:32). He sets the standard, we follow. He’s the source of goodness, and we’re channels of it.

To love others. “Live a life filled with love,” Paul says, “following the example of Christ” (5:2). All the dreams we pursue, all the career goals we set, all the tasks we do are to reflect the great commandment of love for God and others (Matthew 22:37-39). And this love is measured in sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2). The love we’ve received from God, and watched Him live out, we now offer to those around us.

Live loved, imitate God, love others. That’s the ideal mission statement for your life. —Sheridan Voysey

365-day plan› Ephesians 6:10-20

MORE
Read Romans 5:5 and consider how God fills your heart with His love. 
NEXT
Do you ever rush to do something for God rather than be loved by God? How would your life be different if you did nothing but live out your ‘mission statement’ for a year? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Losing Our Way

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December 2, 2014 

READ: 1 Timothy 6:6-10 

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness. —1 Timothy 6:10 

An online survey conducted by a New York law firm reveals that 52 percent of Wall Street traders, brokers, investment bankers, and other financial service professionals have either engaged in illegal activity or believe they may need to do so in order to be successful. The survey concludes that these financial leaders “have lost their moral compass” and “accept corporate wrongdoing as a necessary evil.”

In mentoring young Timothy, the apostle Paul warned that the love of money and the desire to get rich had caused some to lose their way. They had yielded to temptations and embraced many “foolish and harmful” desires (1 Tim. 6:9). Paul saw “the love of money” (not money itself) as a source of “all kinds of evil” (v.10), especially the evil of trusting in money rather than depending on Christ.

As we learn to see that Christ is the source of all we have, we will find contentment in Him rather than in material possessions. When we seek godliness rather than riches, we will gain a desire to be faithful with what we have been given.

Let’s deliberately cultivate an attitude of contentment in God, and faithfully submit to Him, for our Provider will care for us.

— Marvin Williams

Father, it’s easy to see the problem that others have
with loving money. But I know I have my own
struggles too. I need Your help to learn thankfulness
for all that You have given. Grow in me an attitude of contentment in You.

To love money is to lose sight of the Source of life. 

ODB: Struggling With Addiction

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December 1, 2014 

READ: Hebrews 4:14-16 

God is faithful. —1 Corinthians 10:13 

Eric was struggling with an addiction, and he knew it. His friends and family members encouraged him to stop. He agreed that it would be best for his health and relationships, but he felt helpless. When others told him how they had quit their bad habits, he replied, “I’m happy for you, but I can’t seem to stop! I wish I had never been tempted in the first place. I want God to take the desire away right now.”

Immediate deliverance may happen for some, but most face a daily battle. While we don’t always understand why the temptation doesn’t go away, we can turn to God on whatever path we find ourselves. And perhaps that is the most important part of our struggle. We learn to exchange our futile efforts to change for complete dependence on God.

Jesus was tempted also, just as we are, so He understands what we’re feeling (Mark 1:13). He sympathizes with our struggles (Heb. 4:15), and we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (v.16). He also uses others, including trained professionals, to lean on along the way.

Whatever battles we may be facing today, we know this—God loves us much more than we can imagine, and He is faithful to come to our assistance.

— Anne Cetas

For Further Thought
Read Matthew 4:1-11 about how Jesus handled
temptations. Also read 1 Corinthians 10:11-13
to learn how He can help us when we are tempted.

We are not tempted because we are evil; we are tempted because we are human. 

ODJ: plastic soldiers and HVAs

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December 1, 2014 

READ: Matthew 2:13-23 

Don’t you realise that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? (26:53).more›

Our two young boys wanted a nativity set, so we got a small one to place in their room. One night my wife went to tuck them in bed, only to find that Liam (age 5) had posted little plastic soldiers to guard the nativity. “They’re making sure baby Jesus is safe,” he announced.

I couldn’t wait to share a pic of his work with some military buddies. “LOL,” one texted back. “Gotta protect those HVAs” (High Value Assets).

Liam’s trust in military strength may be misguided. It was soldiers, after all, who carried out Herod’s heinous command to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). But his concern for the child-Messiah melts my heart.

God has some unusual ways of caring for those He loves. With heaven’s armies at His disposal, He chooses surprising methods of leading us out of trouble—or into it.

In the case of baby Jesus, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” and told him to flee into Egypt (v.13). Herod’s soldiers couldn’t catch God’s Highest Value Asset. More than three decades later, however, there would be no divine escape plan, and Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Did the Father love Jesus less when He was grown? To Christ we are High Value Assets! That’s why He went to the cross.

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told the disciple who defended Him on the night He was betrayed. “Don’t you realise that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:52-54).

“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7)—the God who sent His Son to die for His HVAs. —Tim Gustafson

365-day plan› Ephesians 4:1-16

MORE
Read Matthew 26:36-56 to see Jesus’ struggle and resolve to go to the cross. 
NEXT
Are you more prone to fight or flee when you see trouble coming? How might God help you to stand your ground today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: For Sale — “As Is”

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November 30, 2014 

READ: Revelation 5:1-12 

For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood. —Revelation 5:9 

A house listed for sale “As Is” usually means the seller is unable or unwilling to spend any money to repair it or make it attractive. Any necessary repairs or desired improvements are the responsibility of the buyer after the purchase is complete. “As Is” on a real estate listing is equivalent to saying, “Buyer beware. Home may require significant further investment.”

How remarkable that when Jesus died, He paid the highest price for each of us, regardless of our condition. Revelation 5 describes a scene in heaven where only “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” is found worthy to open and read a sealed scroll (vv.3-5). He appears as a Lamb and becomes the object of praise in a new song, “For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (vv.9-10).

Jesus Christ willingly purchased us for God with His blood. We were bought “as is,” faults, defects, needed renovation included. By faith we are now under His ownership, in the process of remodeling for God’s glory. How wonderful that God knew us, loved us, and bought us just as we are.

— David C. McCasland

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow. —Hall

God knows us inside and out. No renovation project is too big for Him. 

ODJ: you’re beautiful

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November 30, 2014 

READ: 2 Chronicles 32:2-22 

There is a power far greater on our side! (v.7).

Ashley Munroe wrote the message “You’re beautiful” on nearly 2,000 notes and then placed one on each locker in her secondary school. Via surveillance cameras, school authorities saw Ashley distributing the notes. The principal assumed she was causing trouble and suspended her. Several hundred students, however, signed a petition to help Ashley avoid punishment. Perhaps her best reward was hearing from a girl who had planned to commit suicide that day but did not because of Ashley’s message.

Hezekiah used words to encourage the Israelites under his command as they faced an attack by the Assyrians. He began by saying, “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged” (2 Chronicles 32:7). Keep in mind that the Assyrian army, led by King Sennacherib, had pulverised their opponents in the past and expected to do so again (v.17).

The attackers may have had more experience, larger numbers and superior strength, but they did not have divine support. Hezekiah told the Israelites: “There is a power far greater on our side! . . . [the Assyrians] are merely men” (vv.7-8). In reality the battle was not between two physical armies, but between the flesh and blood of the Assyrians and the invisible influence of God Almighty.

King Hezekiah helped his people to see that they could meet the most vicious enemy with bravery because God was in their corner. The same is true for us as God’s people today. We may not struggle with ruthless warriors, but we may battle illness, discrimination or spiteful people. God is on our side, and He speaks straight to our hearts with messages of encouragement: I made you. I’ll carry your burden. I delight in you. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day plan› Ephesians 2:1-22

MORE
Read Romans 15:4-5 to see two sources of encouragement for believers. Look up Deuteronomy 3:28 to see a situation where encouragement was especially important. 
NEXT
What words might you use to support someone who is overly critical of himself or herself? How has God encouraged you during a difficult time? Through people, His Word, His Holy Spirit? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Happy Ending

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November 29, 2014 

READ: Revelation 21:1-7 

I saw a new heaven and a new earth. —Revelation 21:1 

In its “plot,” the story of the Bible ends up very much where it began. The broken relationship between God and human beings has healed over at last, and the curse of Genesis 3 is lifted. Borrowing images from Eden, Revelation pictures a river and a tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2). But this time a great city replaces the garden setting—a city filled with worshipers of God. No death or sadness will ever darken that scene. When we awake in the new heaven and new earth, we will have at last a happy ending.

Heaven is not an afterthought or an optional belief. It is the final justification of all creation. The Bible never belittles human tragedy and disappointment—is any book more painfully honest?—but it does add one key word: temporary. What we feel now, we will not always feel. The time for re-creation will come.

For people who feel trapped in pain or in a broken home, in economic misery or in fear—for all of us—heaven promises a timeless future of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. The Bible begins with the promise of a Redeemer in the book of Genesis (3:15) and ends with that same promise (Rev. 21:1-7)—a guarantee of future reality. The end will be the beginning.

— Philip Yancey

Beyond earth’s sorrows, the joys of heaven;
Eternal blessings with Christ my Lord;
Earth’s weeping ended, earth’s trials over,
Sweet rest in Jesus, O blest reward! —Gilmore

The gains of heaven will more than compensate us for the losses of earth.