Entries by YMI

ODB: Outrunning Cheetahs

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April 18, 2015 

READ: Isaiah 40:6-11,28-31 

The grass withers, the flower fades . . . . But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. —Isaiah 40:7,31 

The majestic African cheetah is known for reaching speeds of 112 kph (70 mph) in short bursts, but it doesn’t do so well over distances. A BBC news item reports that four members of a northeast Kenyan village actually outran two cheetahs in a 4-mile footrace.

It seems that two large cheetahs had been feeding on village goats. So the four men came up with a plan to stop them. They waited until the hottest part of the day and then gave chase to the cats, tracking them down when the animals couldn’t run any farther. The exhausted cheetahs were safely captured and turned over to the Kenyan wildlife service for relocation.

Can we see ourselves in the cheetah? Our strengths might seem impressive, but they are short-lived. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us, we are like wildflowers that soon wither under the heat of the sun (40:6-8).

Yet it is at the end of ourselves that our God offers us comfort. A surprise rises up to meet those who wait on the Lord. In His time and ways, He can renew our strength. By His Spirit He can enable us to rise up on “wings like eagles” or to “run and not be weary, [to] walk and not faint” (v.31).

— Mart De Haan

Lord, forgive us for the many times that we rely on our short-lived strength. Help us see that all good gifts come from You, and that You are the never-failing source of our strength, hope, and joy.

When we draw near to God, our minds are refreshed and our strength is renewed. 

ODJ: knowing God’s power

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April 17, 2015 

READ: Psalm 27:1-14 

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident (v.3).

My first—and very brief—job after university was with an after-school mentoring programme that trained children in woodworking. When I was asked during the interview if I could teach woodworking, I responded in the affirmative: “Sure!” How hard can it be? I thought to myself. But I had never worked with wood. So when I attempted my first project and mangled a piece of fine wood with a belt sander, my boss took one look at it and fired me on the spot! Clearly, I had no idea what I was talking about.

King David knew what he was talking about when he wrote Psalm 27. He wrote that even though an army surrounded him, he wouldn’t be afraid (v.3). We might think that this was nothing more than a hyperbolic boast on David’s behalf, but it wasn’t. In 1 Samuel 23 we read how Saul had besieged David and his men, intent on killing them. So when David said that he found courage in God while being surrounded by an army, he really meant it!

And this isn’t the only example in God’s Word. When the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11 that he had learned how to be content in every situation, he didn’t state this merely for effect. He had been stoned and imprisoned, shipwrecked and bitten by a snake, and still experienced peace in Jesus. And when Christ said in Matthew 19:26 that all things are possible with God, He knew what He was talking about, for through the power of God Jesus was raised from the dead after He had been crucified and then buried for three days!

—Peter Chin

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 12:1-24

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Read Exodus 15:1-18 for another example of words of praise that were inspired not just through creativity, but by a very real work of God. 
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Do you ever find yourself wondering if the promises of Scripture are real? Why do you think they’re difficult to take seriously? How can you remind yourself to apply the real events of the Bible in your daily life? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: We’re A Community

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April 17, 2015 

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 

[The Lord] gave some . . . for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. —Ephesians 4:11-12 

A pastor’s wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. That put the family in a difficult, stressful situation. The pastor wondered how he was going to be able to take good care of her while he still had responsibilities for his church family. But he needn’t have worried because church members stepped up and volunteered to assist him with meals and some of her care.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the purpose for which the Lord gave them their spiritual gifts. Before he listed the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, he reminded them that “a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (v.7 nlt). God does not give His spiritual gifts for our own selfish use but to serve others, and in so doing, we serve Him.

We are all given different gifts to be used at different times and in different ways. But they are all to be used in love for the “edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Wherever God has placed us, we can use what He has gifted us to do as we see the need, remembering that we are all part of the church—the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13-14).

— C. P. Hia

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful gifts You have given Your church. Help me to understand how You have gifted me to encourage other believers, and to spread the message of Your love to the world.

Use your gifts to exercise care for others. 

ODJ: willing to ask

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April 16, 2015 

READ: Proverbs 2:1-8 

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life (19:20).

A Chinese aristocrat by the name of Kung Yu, who lived several hundred years before Jesus was born, was known for his intelligence and diligence in his studies. Yet, he was humble and unafraid to ask questions of people who were not as well-educated. After his death, the Duke of Wei awarded him the honourable title of Wen (which means “refined” and “literary” in Chinese). So he became known as Kung Wen Zi.

Someone once made this insightful observation: “Wisdom is worth all the humiliation of acting as a learner when others confidently paraded themselves as experts. The ‘experts’ remained where they were. They did not think they needed to learn. The humble learners, on the other hand, did not look too confident in the crowd. But their commitment to learn helped them keep climbing so that, at the end, they had reached heights ‘confident’ people could never hope to reach.”

Proverbs 2:3-4 encourages us to “cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.” God’s wisdom is found among the highly educated people as well as among those with little formal education—for true wisdom is found in Jesus. And God “grants a treasure of common sense to the honest” (v.7). There’s much we can learn from others—especially those whose lives display Christ-like attributes. It doesn’t matter if they have a degree or not.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 10:1-13

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Read Luke 2:46-50 and note Jesus’ insatiable desire to learn. 
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What are the traits of a good learner? How does our pursuit of wisdom and knowledge glorify God? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: The Best Fishing Holes

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April 16, 2015 

READ: Revelation 22:1-5 

He was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words. —2 Corinthians 12:4 

My friend Gus passed away a few months ago. Gus was a fellow trout fisherman. Weekends usually found him in his little boat on a nearby lake, casting for fish. I got a letter from his daughter Heidi the other day. She told me she’s been talking about heaven with her grandkids since Gus went to his home in heaven. Her 6-year-old grandson, who also loves to fish, explained what heaven is like and what Great-Grandpa Gus is doing: “It’s really beautiful,” he mused, “and Jesus is showing Grandpa Gus where the best fishing holes are.”

When Paul reported his God-given vision of heaven, words failed him. He said, “I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words” (2 Cor. 12:4 nlt). Words cannot convey the facts of heaven—perhaps because we humans are unable to comprehend them.

While we might gain some comfort from knowing more details about heaven, it is not the knowledge of heaven that assures us; it is our knowledge of God Himself. Because I know Him and I know how good He is, I can leave this life and everything in it with utter confidence that heaven will be beautiful and Jesus will show me “where the best fishing holes are”—because that’s the kind of God He is!

— David H. Roper

Let us beg and pray Him day by day to reveal Himself to our souls more fully, to quicken our sense, to give us sight and hearing, taste and touch of the world to come. —John Henry Newman

Nothing on earth compares to being with Christ in heaven. 

ODJ: privileged

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April 15, 2015 

READ: Psalm 15:1-5 

Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? (v.1).

I joined the line inside the bank and waited to talk with the clerk. Within minutes it was my turn and the clerk asked if I was a “privileged customer” of the bank. It dawned on me at that moment that I was in the wrong line. Soon I was standing at the back of a long line of regular customers. I simply lacked the credentials to get priority service.

What ‘credentials’ has God provided for us? The psalmist wrote, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1). According to David, only the blameless and the righteous are qualified to come into God’s presence. The righteousness given to us by Christ enables us to worship our great God well!

David wrote that “those who are not holy will not see the LORD” (Hebrews 12:14). So he described what holy people look like in their works and words: godly people do what is right and speak truthfully and honestly (Psalm 15:2). They are sincere, open and transparent. Righteous people don’t slander, discredit or harm neighbours or friends (v.3). They also honour those who fear God, and they keep their promises even if it isn’t advantageous for them to do so (v.4). Not taking advantage of others, godly people act justly and fairly. And they are not only qualified but also privileged to stand before God, to worship Him and to enjoy fellowship in His presence forever! (v.5). We can’t do any of these things on our own—God alone by the work of the Holy Spirit provides what we need to radiate His ways and grace.

You may not experience every privilege on earth, but in Christ we experience the joy and privilege of being made holy in God’s sight!

—K.T. Sim

365-day-plan: 1 Kings 6:1-38

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According to Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:12-13 and Hebrews 4:14-16, what qualifies us to enjoy the privilege of coming into God’s holy presence? 
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Of the various descriptions of the godly worshipper (Psalm 15:2-5), what characteristics describe you best? How can you live a more holy life in Jesus? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Too Much For Me

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April 15, 2015 

READ: Matthew 26:36-46 

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. —Matthew 26:39 

“God never gives us more than we can handle,” someone said to a father whose 5-year-old son had just lost his battle with cancer. These words, which were intended to encourage him, instead depressed him and caused him to wonder why he wasn’t “handling” the loss of his boy at all. The pain was so much to bear that he could hardly even breathe. He knew his grief was too much for him and that he desperately needed God to hold him tight.

The verse that some use to support the statement “God never gives us more than we can handle” is 1 Corinthians 10:13, “When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (niv). But the context of these words is temptation, not suffering. We can choose the way out of temptation that God provides, but we can’t choose a way out of suffering.

Jesus Himself wanted a way out of His upcoming suffering when He prayed, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. . . . O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:38-39). Yet He willingly went through this for our salvation.

When life seems too much to bear, that’s when we throw ourselves on God’s mercy, and He holds on to us.

— Anne Cetas

Father, I feel vulnerable and weak. I know You are my refuge and strength, my help in trouble. I call upon Your name, Lord. Hold on to me.

With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead.