Entries by YMI

ODB: Think Of Them No More

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September 13, 2014 

READ: Isaiah 43:22-28 

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. —Isaiah 43:25 

My early years as a believer in Christ were laden with foreboding. I had the impression that when Jesus comes back, all my sins will be portrayed on a giant screen for everyone to see.

I know now that God chooses not to remember against me a single one of my transgressions. Every sin has been buried in the deepest sea, never to be exhumed and examined again.

Amy Carmichael wrote, “A day or two ago I was thinking rather sadly of the past—so many sins and failures and lapses of every kind. I was reading Isaiah 43, and in verse 24 I saw myself: ‘You have wearied me with your iniquities.’ And then for the first time I noticed that there is no space between verse 24 and verse 25: ‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.’”

Indeed, when our Lord comes back He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). On that day our works will be tried and we may suffer loss, but we will not be judged for sin (3:11-15). God will see what Christ has done for us. He “will not remember [our] sins.”

— David H. Roper

Where no far-reaching tide with its powerful sweep
May stir the dark waves of forgetfulness deep,
I have buried them there where no mortal can see!
I’ve cast all thy sins in the depths of the sea. —Anon.

When God saves us, our sins are forgiven forever. 

ODJ: first half, second half

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September 13, 2014 

READ: 2 Chronicles 26:1-23 

O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Ready for a Bible quiz? Which king attained national influence at age 16; was a genius in military deployment and national security; invented new military weapons; had true vision for commercial and business development; and possessed the Midas touch in husbandry and agriculture?
Who was he? King Uzziah—whose name means “The Lord my strength”. The chronicler tells us the secret of the king’s success. Uzziah was concerned about doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and he truly followed after Him. He also wisely received instructions from a godly man (2 Chronicles 26:5).

Sadly, however, his story ended badly. When he became powerful, he also became proud; one day he went against God’s ordinances for temple worship, and when he was rebuked, he became furious (vv.16-19). His heart was too proud to receive correction. God brought swift discipline for his disobedience (v.20). Uzziah died a leper.

After years of useful leadership, it’s tragic that Uzziah’s legacy was that of failure. What’s scary is that his story can be ours if we stop walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

Use the following questions to evaluate yourself today: Are you truly concerned with doing what’s right in the eyes of God? Are you still seeking Him? Are you ready to receive instruction from godly people?

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Considering that verse, here are some thoughts from a Bible teacher: “Christians are like stamps. We fulfil our purpose only when we remain attached to the envelope till we reach the destination. Our key focus is not achievement, but attachment. We must remain attached to Christ till we reach heaven.”

That’s the way to have both a good first half and second half of life!

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan› John 13:21-38

MORE
Read John 15:1-9 and consider what it says about the source of real life and fruitfulness. 
NEXT
How are you walking closer with God this year than the year before? What are you doing intentionally to seek God and do what’s right in His eyes? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Small Giant

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September 12, 2014 

READ: 1 Samuel 17:32-37 

The Lord . . . will deliver me. —1 Samuel 17:37 

The towering enemy strides into the Valley of Elah. He stands 9 feet tall, and his coat of armor, made of many small bronze plates, glimmers in the sunlight. The shaft of his spear is wrapped with cords so it can spin through the air and be thrown with greater distance and accuracy. Goliath looks invincible.

But David knows better. While Goliath may look like a giant and act like a giant, in contrast to the living God he is small. David has a right view of God and therefore a right view of the circumstances. He sees Goliath as one who is defying the armies of the living God (1 Sam. 17:26). He confidently appears before Goliath in his shepherd’s clothes, armed with only his staff, five stones, and a sling. His confidence is not in what he has but in who is with him (v.45).

What “Goliath” are you facing right now? It may be an impossible situation at work, a financial difficulty, or a broken relationship. With God all things are small in comparison. Nothing is too big for Him. The words of the hymnwriter Charles Wesley remind us: “Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, and looks to that alone; laughs at impossibilities, and cries it shall be done.” God is able to deliver you if that’s His desire, and He may do so in ways you don’t expect.

— Poh Fang Chia

Not to the strong is the battle,
Not to the swift is the race;
Yet to the true and the faithful
Victory is promised through grace. —Crosby

Don’t tell God how big your giants are. Tell your giants how big your God is. 

ODJ: crashing down

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September 12, 2014 

READ: Obadiah 1:1-14 

Even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down (v.4).

“We got really good,” Raleigh Becket bragged. He and his brother piloted a “Jaeger”, a huge battle robot that fought massive, dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju as depicted in the movie Pacific Rim. In their arrogance, the brothers defied orders and went on a reckless mission battling a huge Kaiju alone. The massive beast destroyed their Jaeger, causing it to come crashing down in defeat. Raleigh’s brother was then killed by the monster while his brother could only watch in horror.
The prophet Obadiah knew all about arrogance. Called by God to deliver words of condemnation to the nation of Edom (Obadiah 1:1), he proclaimed, “You have been deceived by your own pride” (v.3). The people of Edom lived “in a rock fortress . . . high in the mountains”. But God revealed that even the perceived security of their lofty lair couldn’t save them. “I will bring you crashing down,” He told the Edomites (v.4).

God was angry with Edom, for they had failed to help His people in Judah when they were defeated and Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. The people of Edom lived in a land near Judah and were descendants of Esau (the brother of Jacob whose 12 sons and their descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel), so God said that they had betrayed their “close relatives” and “stood aloof, refusing to help them” (vv.10-11).

God’s prophetic words came true. Just 33 years after Jerusalem fell to Babylon (aided by Edom), the Babylonians burned the Edomite cities to the ground. The not-so-mighty had fallen.

Pride will ultimately destroy you even if you think you’re “really good”. Don’t test God—humble yourself under His “mighty power” today (1 Peter 5:6).

—Tom Felten

365-day plan› John 13:1-20

MORE
Read Proverbs 29:23 and consider what it says about the divergent destinations of the prideful person and the humble one. 
NEXT
What does pride do to your fellowship with God? How can you seek to stay humble even when things are going your way? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Born To Rescue

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September 11, 2014 

READ: Mark 10:35-45 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. —Mark 10:45 

After the terrorist attack and the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001, Cynthia Otto took care of the search-and-rescue dogs. Years later she established a Working Dog Center where young pups are put through specialized training to prepare them to help victims of disaster.

Otto made this comment about these rescue animals: “There are so many jobs now that dogs are being used for . . . and they can save lives.” Otto said that these puppies will one day give vital aid to people in life-threatening circumstances. They are “born” to rescue others.

The Bible tells us of the Messiah who was born to rescue humanity from the penalty of sin. What He did rises above all earthly comparison. Two thousand years ago, God Himself became human in order to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. When Jesus became a man, He understood and proclaimed that He was born to rescue (John 12:27). “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Let us praise our wonderful Savior—Jesus Christ—who was born to save all who will accept His offer of salvation.

— Dennis Fisher

Use us, Lord, and make us humble,
Rescue us from foolish pride;
And when we begin to stumble,
Turn our thoughts to Christ who died. —Sper

Christ came to seek and to save the lost. 

ODJ: God of the living

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September 11, 2014 

READ: Luke 20:27-40 

So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him (v.38).

The Sadducees were more interested in politics than religion—accepting only the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) as their Scripture. Being materialists in their thinking, they didn’t believe in angels, nor in the resurrection (Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8).
The Sadducees gave Jesus a hypothetical situation (Luke 20:28-32) involving levirate marriage—where the surviving brother of a childless, deceased man would marry the widow to provide for her needs and preserve the deceased brother’s family line (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). This showed that a resurrection was both impossible and absurd (Luke 20:33).

Jesus responded, “Marriage is for people here on earth” (v.34), meaning that while it’s supposed to be permanent on earth, it’s not a forever fixture in God’s eternal purpose (v.35). The exclusiveness of marriage will be replaced by perfect fellowship with God and all believers (Matthew 8:11; Revelation 21:1-4). Since there will be no death and therefore no need to replenish the human race, there will be no need for marriage and procreation. When people are resurrected, they will be transformed into a glorious immortality like that of the angels (Luke 20:36).

Then, citing the writings of Moses (v.37), whom the Sadducees revered as their authority, Jesus referred to the burning bush episode (Exodus 3:1-10), where God told Moses, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (3:6). Moses wrote of God being their God in the present tense, “long after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had died” (Luke 20:37), to prove that the patriarchs were still living (v.38). With only one passage from Moses, Jesus affirmed what the Sadducees denied—the existence of angels and the reality of the resurrection (v.36).

—K.T. Sim

365-day plan› Luke 22:1-13

MORE
Read John 5:28-29 to see what it reveals about the resurrection of two groups of people—those who rise to experience eternal life, and those who rise to experience judgement. 
NEXT
How does Luke 20:38 help as you grapple with your own mortality? How does the way Jesus handled His doubters’ questions give you encouragement for talking with the doubters in your life? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: One Amazing Letter

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September 10, 2014 

READ: Psalm 119:9-16 

I will not forget Your word. —Psalm 119:16 

Once in a while my wife and I open the mail to find a letter with no words on it. When we take the “letter” out of the envelope, we see a piece of paper with nothing more on it than a colorful mark made with a felt pen. Those “letters” warm our hearts because they’re from our preschool granddaughter Katie, who lives in another state. Even without words, these letters tell us that she loves us and is thinking about us.

We all cherish letters from those we love and those who love us. That’s why there is so much encouragement in the fact that our heavenly Father has given us a letter called the Bible. The value of Scripture goes beyond its words of power, challenge, and wisdom. Amid all of the stories, teaching, and guidance this Book provides, the overriding idea is that God loves us and has planned our rescue. It tells us of His love in overseeing our existence (Ps. 139), meeting our needs (Matt. 6:31-34), comforting us (2 Cor. 1:3-4), and saving us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus (Rom. 1:16-17).

You are loved beyond imagination. God says so in His inspired and inspiring message to you. No wonder the psalmist wrote, “I will not forget Your word” (Ps. 119:16). It is one amazing letter!

— Dave Branon

Lord, help me to examine the Bible’s pages,
understand its truths, and apply its teachings to my
life. May I be as excited about Your letter to me as I
am about a letter, email, or Facebook posting by a friend.

The love of God for us is revealed in His letter to us—the Bible. 

ODJ: not bored

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September 10, 2014 

READ: 1 Samuel 2:12-36 

So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD’s sight, for they treated the LORD’s offerings with contempt (v.17).

The picture in my news magazine showed a Moscow circus bear that was shuffling across a tightrope in preparation for its next performance. More interesting was the woman sitting in the background, slumped over, with her head resting on one hand, as if she had seen this act before. She couldn’t have looked more bored.

She reminded me of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Nature”, in which he declares how excited we would be if stars came out once every thousand years. As that day approached, we would gather our friends together and stay up all night. But stars come out every night, so we close our curtains and go to bed.

She reminded me of Eli’s sons, who grew up in the presence of God. But familiarity often breeds contempt, and they “had no respect for the LORD or for their duties as priests” (1 Samuel 2:12-13). They slept with the women who served in the tabernacle and stole the meat that worshippers offered there (vv.12-17,22).

She reminded me of B.B. Warfield, who warned his Bible college students that their “constant contact with divine things” might make them “seem common”. He noted that this danger was also a great privilege, stating, “Think of what your privilege is when your greatest danger is that the great things of religion may become common to you!” But, all the same, it’s still a danger.

She reminded me of us. Are you blessed with multiple Bible translations? Do you read inspirational books and blogs? Is worship music part of the soundtrack of your life? What a privilege! What a danger!

Let’s be like little Samuel, who never got used to the fact that he “grew up in the presence of the LORD” (v.21). He heard God’s voice because he was already listening (3:10).

—Mike Wittmer

365-day plan› Matthew 25:31-46

MORE
Read Psalm 119:97-120 to learn how much God’s Word should thrill (not bore) us. 
NEXT
What spiritual blessing have you begun to take for granted? How would you treat that blessing today if you knew you might lose it tomorrow? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)