Entries by YMI

ODB: Lesson From A Toothache

/in , , /by

June 8, 2014 

READ: Hebrews 12:3-11 

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. —Hebrews 12:7 

When I was a child I often had a toothache,” wrote C. S. Lewis in his classic book Mere Christianity. He continued, “and I knew that if I went to my mother she would give me something that would deaden the pain for that night and let me get to sleep. But I did not go to my mother—at least not till the pain became very bad. . . . I knew she would take me to the dentist the next morning. . . .  I wanted immediate relief from pain, but I could not get it without having my teeth set permanently right.”

Similarly, we might not always want to go to God right away when we have a problem or are struggling in a certain area. We know that He could provide immediate relief from our pain, but He is more concerned with dealing with the root of the problem. We may be afraid that He will reveal issues that we are unprepared or unwilling to deal with.

In times like these, it is helpful to remind ourselves that the Lord “deals with [us] as with sons” (Heb. 12:7). His discipline, though perhaps painful, is wise, and His touch is loving. He loves us too much to let us remain as we are; He wants to conform us to the likeness of His Son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29). God’s purposes of love can be trusted more than any of our emotions of fear.

— Poh Fang Chia

Thank You, Lord, for showing me my hidden
faults, for You treat me as Your dear child.
Help me surrender to Your cleansing work
till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

God’s hand of discipline is a hand of love. 

ODJ: changeless

/in , , /by

June 8, 2014 

READ: Hebrews 13:1-16 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (v.8).

She said to him, “I don’t want to try to fix our marriage. It’s over.” What had started with such high hopes and evident love was now a cold, lifeless thing. My friend desired to see renewal and restoration in their relationship, but his wife made it clear that the two of them had changed and that their marriage would soon end.

Sadly, human relationships are often fickle and lack permanence. But the writer of Hebrews tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What’s more, the writer reminds us that God’s commitment to us is also changeless: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (v.5; Deuteronomy 31:6,8).

When change in life causes pain, God doesn’t change. When relationships go wrong, He is still with us. These twin truths provide hope and peace when we feel like our lives are spinning out of control. Instead of being paralysed by fear, we can claim this calming reality: “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (v.6; Psalm 118:6).

Like my friend, do you have a relationship that is sadly drawing to a close? Are you experiencing the challenge of a good family bond that has gone bad? Are you feeling shamed and rejected? Consider this: if you’ve suffered change because of your love for Jesus and desire to please Him, you are “[bearing] the disgrace he bore” (Hebrews 13:13). You have linked your decisions and ways to One who isn’t fickle, who never changes and who is always there for you.

You might not be able to praise your situation, but lift your head and “offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God” (v.15). His unchanging ways are worthy of all our praise! —Tom Felten
365-day plan› Luke 1:57-80

MORE
Read Psalm 102:25-27 and reflect on what it says about God and His ways. 
NEXT
How does knowing that God never changes bring you encouragement today? How can God’s unchanging ways help you grow and strengthen your relationships on earth?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: What Do We Want?

/in , , /by

June 7, 2014 

READ: Psalm 73:1-3,21-28 

There is none upon earth that I desire besides You. —Psalm 73:25 

My friend Mary tells me that she doesn’t always sing all the words to the hymns and choruses in a church service. She says, “It doesn’t seem honest to sing, ‘All I want is Jesus’ when my heart wants many other things too.” I appreciate her honesty.

In verse 25 of Psalm 73, Asaph sounds like a spiritually minded man who wants God only: “There is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” But that’s not how he began this psalm. Initially, he admitted that he wanted the prosperity that others around him had: “For I was envious of the boastful” (v.3). But when he drew near to God, he recognized that he was foolish to be envious (vv.21-22,28).

Even when we know God, we are often distracted by the prosperity of others. C. S. Lewis wrote, “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. . . . We are far too easily pleased” with lesser things than Him.

What do we learn about God in this psalm that might help when our desires distract us from God’s best? Well, we see that even though we may be tempted to envy what others have, He is continually guiding us and bringing us back to focus on Him. He “is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v.26).

— Anne Cetas

Lord, we do believe that You are the place where
true satisfaction is found. But we’re weak and sinful
and easily distracted from Your best. Teach us to
draw near to You, and may You, in turn, draw near to us.

A daily dose of God’s wisdom will heal the heart disease of envy. 

ODJ: white knuckles

/in , , /by

June 7, 2014 

READ: 1 Samuel 17:31-51 

This is the LORD’s battle (v.47).

When I moved near to the big city where I now live, driving on unfamiliar roads made me feel uneasy. Merging into heavy traffic elevated my heart rate. I dreaded becoming boxed in by other vehicles. Cars and lorries streamed by me, making me feel that I needed to speed up. During these moments, my knuckles became white as I tensely gripped the steering wheel.

We can adopt the same ‘white knuckle’ response in stressful life situations. We often grit our teeth and depend on our own determination to accomplish a task.

David responded differently to his nerve-wracking encounter with Goliath, however. Because he relied on God rather than himself, he told king Saul, “The LORD who rescued me from [wild animals] will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:37). Relying on God, David refused to wear the cumbersome armour Saul offered, and took just five small stones and a sling into battle (v.40). As David trusted in God, He ignored Goliath’s trash-talking and told the giant, “The LORD will conquer you. . . . This is the LORD’s battle” (vv.46-47).

When the battle began, David didn’t cower and clutch his weapon with white knuckles—“[he] quickly ran out to meet” Goliath (v.48). David’s courage came from a solid sense of God’s presence and power. In the end, God used David to defeat Goliath. The victory provided a critical message for the Israelites: “The LORD rescues his people” (v.47).

Today, we have the assurance that we’re God’s people, and He will watch over us in any battle we face (Romans 8:37-39). Instead of approaching daunting situations with fear, we can march out to face them with confidence, knowing that God is on our side (Psalm 118:6). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Luke 1:26-56 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Psalm 91:4-6 to see a picture of God’s powerful, compassionate protection. 
NEXT
Why do we sometimes doubt God’s presence and power during difficult circumstances? How might fearful situations improve our walk with God? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: D-Day

/in , , /by

June 6, 2014 

READ: Joshua 24:2,13-18 

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15 

Recently I asked my older sister, Mary Ann, if she remembered when our family moved into the house where we lived for many years. She replied, “You were about 9 months old, and I remember that Mother and Daddy stayed up all night packing boxes and listening to the radio. It was June 6, 1944, and they were listening to live coverage of the Normandy Invasion.”

Today marks the 70th anniversary of what has become known as D-Day—a military term for the day on which a planned operation will begin. Over the years, D-Day has also come to mean a moment of decision or commitment in our personal lives.

At one point in ancient Israel, their leader Joshua, now an old man, challenged the people to another kind of D-Day. After years of struggle to possess their inheritance in the land God had promised them, Joshua urged them to faithfully serve the One who had been so faithful to them (Josh. 24). “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” he said. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (v.15).

The day we decide to follow the Savior is the greatest turning point in our life. And each day after, we can joyfully renew our commitment to serve Him.

— David C. McCasland

Lord, what a privilege it is to say “yes” to You each
day. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me.
Guide me in all my choices today and
help me to serve You faithfully.

Life’s biggest decision is what you do with Jesus. 

ODJ: storytellers

/in , , /by

June 6, 2014 

READ: 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me (v.3).

Every two years in Wales, hundreds of people gather for an international story festival called Beyond the Border. The festival is an effort to celebrate the world’s rich heritage of oral tradition.

Oral tradition is the passing on of stories—specifically historical, cultural accounts—by word of mouth. Once upon a time it was the primary way that history was preserved and passed on from one generation to another.

Oral tradition has played an essential role in accurately telling the good news of Jesus. Near the end of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle reminded his readers of the good news he first preached to them a few years earlier (Acts 18:1-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1). Using verbiage that reflected the regular practice of oral tradition (“what was most important”), Paul described the contents of the words that he had spoken (vv.1-4).

Most historians are confident that the oral summary of the gospel accounts that Paul is quoting in verses 3-4 is an early Christian creed of some sort that was being proclaimed orally in the church at that time. This is important, as modern sceptics of the New Testament claim that the story of Jesus was a tale invented by His desperate followers—something that snowballed into a legend over a long period of time. But Paul’s reference to the account passed on to him is another piece of strong evidence that the details of Jesus’ death and resurrection are true. What took place was documented and widely circulated among the early believers in Christ.

Whether oral or written, Jesus’ life story is credible. It’s another reason we can be confident storytellers of the good news today! —Jeff Olson
365-day plan› Luke 1:5-25

MORE
Read Paul’s account of the death and resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15 and consider that it is the earliest account we have in written form.  
NEXT
Who can you show the love of Jesus to today? What can you say about what He has done for them?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Reframing The Picture

/in , , /by

June 5, 2014 

READ: Deuteronomy 32:7-12 

As an eagle stirs up its nest, . . . spreading out its wings, . . . so the Lord alone led [Jacob]. —Deuteronomy 32:11-12 

For 3 months I had a ringside seat— or should I say a bird’s-eye view—of God’s amazing handiwork. Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a family of bald eagles, and online viewers were allowed to watch.

When the eggs hatched, Mama and Papa Eagle were attentive to their offspring, taking turns hunting for food and guarding the nest. But one day when the eaglets still looked like fuzzballs with beaks, both parents disappeared. I worried that harm had come to them.

My concern was unfounded. The webcam operator enlarged the camera angle, and there was Mama Eagle perched on a nearby branch.

As I pondered this “reframed” picture, I thought of times when I have feared that God had abandoned me. The view in the forest heights of Virginia reminded me that my vision is limited. I see only a small part of the entire scene.

Moses used eagle imagery to describe God. As eagles carry their young, God carries His people (Deut. 32:11-12). Despite how it may seem, the Lord “is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). This is true even when we feel abandoned.

— Julie Ackerman Link

Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him—I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me and I am His child. —Cushing

Because the Lord is watching over us, we don’t have to fear the dangers around us. 

ODJ: the best deal

/in , , /by

June 5, 2014 

READ: Luke 18:18-27 

He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (v.27).

When I was a kid, my mum and I would often go to the supermarket together. As she taught me how to compare prices to find the best deal, she would stroll up each aisle with a list of items in one hand and a calculator in the other. She knew how to make each penny count and how to find the best deal. Now, as my husband and I step out into the unknown as church planters, I face a palpable fear of the uncertainties—some of which are financial. No matter how tightly I hold the calculator, however, I can’t control the future.

The wealthy religious leader mentioned in Luke 18 had been serious in his pursuit of God’s law from a young age (v.21). Unlike the pharisaical people who troubled Jesus with manipulative questions and derisive comments (Luke 11:53-54), this man came to Jesus for answers. He even asked, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?”—a question that indicates a belief in something beyond this world.

Loving Jesus is an appealing idea to embrace. We treasure the sense of belonging, understand the benefits of fidelity and find it exciting to be part of a kingdom that moves in strength. But there’s a difference between wanting to love Jesus and actually following Him.

In the end, the young man left unsatisfied with Jesus’ answer to trust Him above all else. He couldn’t embrace both intimacy with Jesus and his dependence on material things (Matthew 6:24).

More than a warning about the dangers of wealth, the young man’s story highlights this truth: as we journey with Jesus, the best deal is dependency on God more than what we can hold in our hands (Luke 18:22-23). —Regina Franklin
John 1:1-18 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Matthew 6:19-21 and consider what Jesus says about the nature of true treasure. 
NEXT
Identify any areas where you’re depending on yourself or others more than on God for your provision (financial or otherwise). What does it look like for you to trust in God alone for all you need? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)