Entries by YMI

ODB: Keep Calm And Carry On

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June 12, 2014 

READ: Ezra 5:7-17 

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. —Ezra 5:11 

Keep calm and call mom.” “Keep calm and eat bacon.” “Keep calm and put the kettle on.” These sayings originate from the phrase: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” This message first appeared in Great Britain as World War II began in 1939. British officials printed it on posters designed to offset panic and discouragement during the war.

Having returned to the land of Israel after a time of captivity, the Israelites had to overcome their own fear and enemy interference as they began to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:3). Once they finished the foundation, their opponents “hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose” (4:5). Israel’s enemies also wrote accusing letters to government officials and successfully delayed the project (vv.6,24). Despite this, King Darius eventually issued a decree that allowed them to complete the temple (6:12-14).

When we are engaged in God’s work and we encounter setbacks, we can calmly carry on because, like the Israelites, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth” (5:11). Obstacles and delays may discourage us, but we can rest in Jesus’ promise: “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matt. 16:18 nlt). It is God’s power that enables His work, not our own.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Thou art our life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive.
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour. —Psalter

God’s Spirit gives the power to our witness. 

ODJ: chaos monster

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June 12, 2014 

READ: Job 38:1-41 

For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. I said, “This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!” (vv.10-11). 

Ancient civilisations were terrified by the ocean. To them, the sea was a stormy, unpredictable place where swells swallowed up courageous sailors. So it’s not surprising that the religions of the Ancient Near East all contained accounts about how their god defeated the evil sea of chaos and its seven-headed monster—often portrayed as a dragon or serpent. Whether it was the Mesopotamian Marduk slaying Tiamat, goddess of the sea, or the Canaanite Baal cutting off the heads of the oceanic chaos monster, the ancients made a point of saying that their god had triumphed over evil.

Scripture uses the sea and the chaos monster to make an even better point about God. Yahweh demonstrated that He alone was God when He “dried up the sea” so His people could escape from Egypt (Isaiah 51:10). And Rahab confessed to the spies, “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea” (Joshua 2:9-10).

God reminded Job that He has placed limits on what the sea can do, and that He dominates the sea monster Leviathan (Job 38:8-11, 41:1-34). Asaph later wrote of God: “You split the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea monsters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan” (Psalm 74:13-14). God’s power is greater than any enemy we will face on earth—even the enemy of our souls.

Jesus promises to return and slay “the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil”, and He will create a new earth with no more sea (Revelation 20:2, 21:1).

I don’t know what ocean of chaos has buckled your knees, but give your chaos to God. He can tame it. —Mike Wittmer
365-day plan› Matthew 2:1-12

MORE
Read Genesis 1:1-10 and consider what this passage teaches about God’s relation to the chaos represented by the sea. 
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What person would you like to tell about God’s power over the ocean of chaos? How have you experienced God’s power over chaos? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: An Honest Heart

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June 11, 2014 

READ: Psalm 15 

I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. —1 Chronicles 29:17 

I came across an epitaph on an old gravestone in a cemetery the other day. It read, “J. Holgate: An honest man.”

I know nothing of Holgate’s life, but because his marker is unusually ornate, he must have struck it rich. But whatever he accomplished in his lifetime, he’s remembered for just one thing: He was “an honest man.”

Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, spent a lifetime in search of honesty and finally concluded that an honest man could not be found. Honest people are hard to find in any age, but the trait is one that greatly matters. Honesty is not the best policy; it’s the only policy, and one of the marks of a man or woman who lives in God’s presence. David writes, “Lord, . . . who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly” (Ps. 15:1-2).

I ask myself: Am I trustworthy and honorable in all my affairs? Do my words ring true? Do I speak the truth in love or do I fudge and fade the facts now and then, or exaggerate for emphasis? If so, I may turn to God with complete confidence and ask for forgiveness and for a good and honest heart—to make truthfulness an integral part of my nature. The One who has begun a good work in me is faithful. He will do it.

— David H. Roper

Lord, help me to be honest
In all I do and say,
And grant me grace and power
To live for You each day. —Fitzhugh

Live in such a way that when people think of honesty and integrity, they will think of you. 

ODJ: time and eternity

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June 11, 2014 

READ: John 12:20-26 

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity (v.25).

I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I haven’t found the time to take lessons. Since time is short, I would rather spend my time doing the things that I won’t get to do in heaven—stuff like helping a believer to mature in his or her faith or reaching out to someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. I say to myself, In heaven, I’ll have the whole of eternity to master that instrument!

Perhaps you’ve also set aside some personal pursuits in order to help others. And though you know it’s a good thing to do, somewhere from the back of your mind you ask yourself from time to time: Am I short-changing myself?

It’s understandable that we might ponder that type of thought. After all, time is like a relentless, flowing river moving our lives along with it. We feel the pressure to make the most of the time we’ve been given before it’s gone.

Shortly before Jesus went to the cross, He said these poignant words: “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity” (John 12:25).

Was Jesus telling us not to enjoy the many good things God gives us in this life? No, He was telling us to relish them with eternity in view. Don’t live for the present. Don’t hold tightly to comforts, pleasure, power, position or wealth. God must always be our top priority. As Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me” (v.26).

In light of the aeons of eternity, we know that some things can wait, while others can’t. Jesus’ priority was clear. He seized the day to reconcile man to God and to make disciples. How about you? —Poh Fang Chia
Luke 2:21-39 ‹365-day plan

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Consider the apostle Paul’s eternal perspective found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17. 
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What things can wait in this life and what can’t? How can you live practically with eternity in view?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Crowns Of Honor

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June 10, 2014 

READ: John 19:1-8 

The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head. —John 19:2 

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom are stored securely and protected within the Tower of London under 24-hour guard. Each year, millions visit the display area to “ooh and aah” over these ornate treasures. The Crown Jewels symbolize the power of the kingdom, as well as the prestige and position of those who use them.

Part of the Crown Jewels are the crowns themselves. There are three different types: the coronation crown, which is worn when an individual is crowned monarch; the state crown (or coronet), which is worn for various functions; and the consort crown worn by the wife of a reigning king. Different crowns serve different purposes.

The King of heaven, who was worthy of the greatest crown and the highest honor, wore a very different crown. In the hours of humiliation and suffering that Christ experienced before He was crucified, “the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe” (John 19:2). That day, the crown, which is normally a symbol of royalty and honor, was turned into a tool of mockery and hate. Yet our Savior willingly wore that crown for us, bearing our sin and shame.

The One who deserved the best of all crowns took the worst for us.

— Bill Crowder

Crown Him the Lord of life:
Who triumphed o’er the grave;
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save. —Bridges/Thring

Without the cross, there could be no crown. 

ODJ: a time to . . .

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June 10, 2014 

READ: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 

For everything there is a season (v.1).

When grocer William Straw died unexpectedly in 1932, the family of this man from Worksop, England, was devastated. In their grief, they chose to leave William’s red brick house precisely the way it was the day he died. Over the years, Straw’s two sons lived there, keeping the house in immaculate condition—leaving their father’s coats and hats by the front door, his soap in the bathtub and unopened cans of sardines and beans in the pantry. In 1991 the last surviving son died, leaving the house to the National Trust. The Trust now allows visitors to view William Straw’s house as an example of English life from 80 years ago.

The best we can do is preserve images and memories of the past because we can’t actually stop time from moving on. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there are many seasons in our life, and each has its place. There is “a time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. . . . A time to grieve and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:2,4). While we must use time wisely and discern how best to spend our days, we can’t control where time takes us.

We might want to hold tightly to seasons of joy or seasons of plenty, but the truth is that there will also be seasons of sorrow and need. In our culture we work desperately to hang on to our youth. Age, however, overtakes us all. There is, indeed, “a time to die” (v.2).

The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that we need not strive to control our lives or fear how few days we’ve been given. For “God has made everything beautiful for its own time” (v.11). When God is Lord of our days, we can receive each moment as a gift from Him and live it to the fullest. —Winn Collier
365-day plan› Luke 2:1-20

MORE
Read through Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:5 and reflect on how things change. Which changes are hard for you? Which do you embrace easily? 
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When you consider the future, what emotions do you experience? How does it make you feel to know that God has “made everything beautiful for its own time”? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Generous God

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June 9, 2014 

READ: Ephesians 3:14-21 

[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. —Ephesians 3:20 

When our family lived in Chicago several years ago, we enjoyed many benefits. Near the top of my list were the amazing restaurants that seemed to try to outdo each other, not only in great cuisine but also in portion sizes. At one Italian eatery, my wife and I would order a half portion of our favorite pasta dish and still have enough to bring home for dinner the next night! The generous portions made us feel like we were at Grandma’s house when she poured on the love through her cooking.

I also feel an outpouring of love when I read that my heavenly Father has lavished on us the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7-8) and that He is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (3:20). I’m so grateful that our God is not a stingy God who begrudgingly dishes out His blessings in small portions. Rather, He is the God who pours out forgiveness for the prodigal (Luke 15), and He daily crowns us “with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Ps. 103:4).

At times we think God hasn’t provided for us as we would like. But if He never did anything more than forgive our sins and guarantee heaven for us, He has already been abundantly generous! So today, let’s rejoice in our generous God.

— Joe Stowell

Lord, remind me often that You have been
exceedingly generous to me. Help me to extend that
generosity of spirit toward those around me, so that
they may know who You are and rejoice in You.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!