Entries by YMI

ODB: Promises Still Kept

/3 Comments/in , , /by

May 9, 2014 

READ: Genesis 15:5-21 

When the sun went down . . . there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. —Genesis 15:17 

In the ancient Near East a treaty between a superior (a lord or king) and an inferior (his subjects) was called a suzerain treaty. The ratification ceremony required animals to be sacrificed and cut in half. The animal parts were then arranged in two rows on the ground, forming an aisle between them. As the suzerain walked between the halves, he was publicly declaring he would keep the covenant and would become like the slain animals if he failed to keep his word.

When Abram asked God how he could be sure His promises would come to pass, God used the culturally significant symbolism of the suzerain treaty to affirm His promises (Gen. 15). When the burning torch passed through the pieces of the sacrifice, Abram understood that God was declaring it was His job to keep the covenant.

God’s covenant with Abram and His assurance of its completion extends to followers of Christ. That is why Paul repeatedly refers to believers as sons of Abraham in his New Testament writings (Rom. 4:11-18; Gal. 3:29). Once we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, God becomes the keeper in our covenant of faith (see John 10:28-29).

Because God is the keeper of our salvation, with renewed confidence in Him we trust Him with our lives.

— Randy Kilgore

He will never fail us, He will not forsake;
His eternal covenant He will never break.
Onward then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away. —Havergal

Our salvation is secure because God does the holding. 

ODJ: angels watching over me

/in , , /by

May 9, 2014 

READ: Genesis 28:10-22 

As he slept he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway (v.12).

Jacob was on the run from his brother. Frightened and alone, he walked as far as he could, then grabbed a rock for a pillow. Dreaming that God was standing on the top of a stairway, Jacob heard Him promise, “I am with you and I will protect you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15). He saw angels ascending and descending the stairway—going out to patrol the world and coming back to report what they had done (Job 1:6, 2:1; Hebrews 1:14).

Jacob’s vision of the angels inspired him for his gruelling journey; and the presence of spiritual beings also encourages us. Scripture doesn’t tell us much about angels—they appear on the edges rather than in the centre of the story—but it does tell us some of the ways they serve God and us:

• They reveal God’s will. Angels spoke God’s Word to Joseph, Mary and the shepherds (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-15).

• They battle Satan on our behalf. Michael tangled with “the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia” and fought Satan for the body of Moses (Daniel 10:12-14; Jude 1:9).

• They execute judgement upon God’s enemies. Angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the firstborn in Egypt and will one day destroy those who wear the mark of the beast (Genesis 19:1-13; Exodus 12:23; Revelation 14-16).

• They protect us (Psalm 34:7). This is particularly encouraging. Have you wondered if you have your own guardian angel? John Calvin wrote that it doesn’t matter, for all the angels are responsible to guard each one of us. And “if the fact that all the heavenly host are keeping watch for his safety will not satisfy a man, I do not see what benefit he could derive from knowing that one angel has been given to him as his especial guardian.”

Angels are watching out for you! —Mike Wittmer

365-day plan› Job 2:1-13

MORE
Read 2 Kings 6:8-23 to get a picture of the spirit world around you. 
NEXT
What does the reality that angels are watching over you inspire you to do today? Why do you believe God created angels?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Talking About Jesus

/in , , /by

May 8, 2014 

READ: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 

I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. —1 Corinthians 2:2 

Former major league baseball player Tony Graffanino tells of an ongoing ministry effort in a European country. Each year his organization holds a week-long baseball camp. During this week they also offer a daily Bible study. In past years, the leader tried to find reasoned ways to convince the campers that God exists so they would place their faith in Him. After about 13 years, they had seen only 3 people decide to follow Jesus.

Then they changed their approach, says Graffanino. Instead of “trying to present facts, or winning arguments for a debate,” they simply talked about “the amazing life and teachings of Jesus.” As a result, more campers came to listen, and more chose to follow Him.

The apostle Paul said that when we tell others about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should set “forth the truth plainly. . . . We do not preach ourselves,” he said, “but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor. 4:2,5 niv). This was Paul’s standard for evangelism: “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

We should be knowledgeable about the Bible and about the reasons for our belief, and sometimes we need to explain those reasons. But the most compelling and effective story we can tell puts Christ in the center.

— Dave Branon

Father God, please use me in the lives of others.
Remind me to talk about who Jesus is and His life
and teachings. And not to be dragged into debates,
but to share Jesus’ amazing life.

The risen Christ is the reason for our witness. 

ODJ: deflecting praise

/in , , /by

May 8, 2014 

READ: Judges 8:22-27 

Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!” (v.23).

We often celebrate a victory by heaping accolades and awards on the winners. Last week the Christian radio station where I work received an award for media excellence and we have a trophy as a reminder of our outstanding efforts throughout the year.

Gideon returned from battle, having triumphed over the Midianites. The Israelites rushed to honour him, shouting, “Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.” But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!” (Judges 8:22-23).

Gideon is a great example because he deflected the praise of a nation off himself and on to the true source of his victory: God. Gideon’s next request, however, led to the eventual downfall of his family and the entire nation of Israel: “I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.” “Gladly!” they said. So “Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshipping it and it became a trap for Gideon and his family” (vv.24-27). The ‘trophy’ was made for the nation of Israel as a symbol of the deliverance and the provision of God, but it became the object of their worship and a destructive snare.

Recently, a well known pastor’s wife declined an invitation to receive a life-time achievement award. At 75 she simply desired to seek God’s approval, not the approval of man. Like that woman, let’s be careful in the way we give and receive honour. As followers of Jesus, we need to seek the praise of God alone (John 12:43). —Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

Job 1:1-22 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Matthew 6:1-18, where Jesus gives us clear instructions on Christ-like giving, serving and prayer. 
NEXT
How can deflecting praise be a form of false humility? Why is it important for us to seek the approval of God alone? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: My Kind Of People

/in , , /by

May 7, 2014 

READ: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 

Such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. —1 Corinthians 6:11 

Years ago in a worship service, pastor Ray Stedman stepped to the pulpit and read the text for the day: “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 nlt).

Then he looked up, a bemused smile on his face, and said, “I’m curious: How many of you have one or more of these sins in your background? If so, will you stand?”

There was a young man there who had never been in a church before. He had recently been saved at a Billy Graham crusade and came with fear and trembling to church that Sunday, not knowing what he would find. He later told me that when he heard the pastor’s question, he looked around to see if anyone would stand. At first no one did, but then most of the congregation was on their feet. He said to himself, “These are my kind of people!”

We can all find ourselves in Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians. But when we confess our sin and accept the gift of eternal life paid for by the death of Jesus, we become a new creation saved by grace (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17).

— David H. Roper

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. 

ODJ: free to live the truth

/in , , /by

May 7, 2014 

READ: Galatians 5:13-26  

You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters (v.13).

When my son Wyatt was 10, we drove past a well known burger chain. “Dad”, Wyatt said, “I don’t like it that the commercials make the fast-food places look all joyful and happy. And then you go there and they’re sad and dirty.” Then he said, “And the bathrooms are nasty.”

Wyatt has discovered that not everything is as it seems. What we’re told may not in fact be the true story. In the bulk of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he encouraged the believers there to embrace the fact that Jesus’ power and life—secured on the cross and sealed by His resurrection—come as gifts of grace, not out of our works. We must know this: We do not create our righteousness. We’re righteous because Jesus Christ has determined to love us. We are loved. We are free. Full stop.

True freedom, however, doesn’t mean we’ve cast off all responsibilities and no longer need to consider what it means to live a life that exhibits goodness. Freedom comes as a gift, but we can make the foolish choice to surrender our freedom. Then we can become enslaved to whims and passions, addictions and trivial selfishness. We can, in fact, “destroy one another”, if we don’t intensely guard our freedom and love others well (Galatians 5:15).

To guard our freedom we need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and work. We must say “No!” to the old life (the flesh). We must commit to boldly love one another. We must courageously embrace the truth that we “who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of [our] sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there” (v.24).

The question isn’t whether or not Jesus has truly made us free. Rather, will we squander the freedom we’ve so lavishly been given? —Winn Collier

365-day plan› Esther 6:1-7:10

MORE
Read Ephesians 2:4-10 and consider what it reveals about God’s grace and our salvation. 
NEXT
How do you need the Holy Spirit to release you from bondage to the old ways of the flesh? Why is it important that the Holy Spirit provides both freedom from sin and conviction of it?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Heart Matters

/in , , /by

May 6, 2014 

READ: Proverbs 4:20-27 

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. —Proverbs 4:23 

Our hearts pump at a rate of 70-75 beats per minute. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back. A healthy heart can do amazing things. Conversely, if our heart malfunctions, our whole body shuts down.

The same could be said of our “spiritual heart.” In Scripture, the word heart represents the center of our emotions, thinking, and reasoning. It is the “command center” of our life.

So when we read, “Keep your heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23), it makes a lot of sense. But it’s difficult advice to keep. Life will always make demands upon our time and energy that cry out for immediate attention. By comparison, taking time to hear God’s Word and to do what it says may not shout quite so loudly. We may not notice the consequences of neglect right away, but over time it may give way to a spiritual heart attack.

I’m thankful God has given us His Word. We need His help not to neglect it, but to use it to align our hearts with His every day.

— Poh Fang Chia

Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand,
And grant me this, I pray:
That I through Your sweet love may grow
More like You day by day. —Garrison

To keep spiritually fit, consult the Great Physician. 

ODJ: eileen and esther

/in , , /by

May 6, 2014 

READ: Esther 4:1-17 

Perhaps you were made . . . for just such a time as this? (v.14).

Nine year old Eileen approached a pack of older boys in a schoolyard. They were beating an autistic student who was lying on the ground curled up in the foetal position. She asked the bullies to stop hurting the other student. The boys did stop, but only to push Eileen to the ground, where they cursed at her and stepped on her before fleeing. The local autism centre later honoured Eileen and said, “She defended this boy because of her courage.”

Eileen’s courage reminds me of Esther’s bravery. Esther was a Jew and a queen whose people faced the danger of annihilation (Esther 3:8-11). Her cousin Mordecai urged her to speak to the king to try to stop the persecution, telling her that “perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this” (4:14).

There was just one problem. The king’s court was off-limits to anyone he had not summoned. An uncalled visitor would be “doomed to die unless the king [held] out his golden sceptre” (v.11). The king hadn’t called for Esther in a month, so approaching him meant possible death. Still, Esther risked everything for her people, saying, “If I must die, I must die” (v.16).

Interestingly, Esther’s brave act came after some spiritual preparation. She asked Mordecai and her people to fast for 3 days and committed herself and her servants to the same discipline (v.16).

When God calls us to defend the disadvantaged or to speak out in favour of His goodness, we can prepare our hearts for the occasion by humbling ourselves, praying and seeking God’s face (2 Chronicles 7:14). He’s the source of true strength who prepares us for specific tasks (Psalm 59:17). Let’s follow His leading today! —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Esther 5:1-14 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Look up Psalm 59:6-10 to see how God goes before us as we face trying times. 
NEXT
Esther risked her life to defend her people. What, if anything, might be worth such a risk in your own life? How can you help the needy and powerless in your sphere of influence? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)