Entries by YMI

ODJ: work and leisure

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April 6, 2014 

READ: Exodus 20:8-11 

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (v.8).

Sunday’s here. Hurrah! Let’s go to church in the morning and then catch up on all those things that we couldn’t do during the week. Is that how you view the Lord’s Day? Personal confession: that’s often the way I feel after a busy work week. But is that wrong?

Of the Ten Commandments given by God, only the fourth commandment about observing the Sabbath isn’t repeated in the New Testament. Many have concluded that since we’re no longer under the restrictions of the Sabbath, we’re also under no obligation to respect the Lord’s Day. This simply isn’t so. There are timeless principles found in the fourth commandment that are still relevant today.

The commandment tells us that while we should be involved in productive labour, we should also take time to rest (Exodus 20:9-10). The principle is simple: work for 6 days and rest for 1.

A Bible commentator states, “The reason why men do not wish to stop what they are doing is most often that they have not finished. The fourth commandment deals with this problem by instructing the Israelites to plan to be finished by the end of the sixth day and to see to it that they do finish.”

Also, it takes time to be holy. Ancient Israel’s cessation of normal work was to facilitate her worship. We’re not simply to “take a day off”—we’re to “[keep] it holy” (v.8). So what activities are appropriate on the Lord’s Day? Christians will come to differing conclusions about what this means in practice, but our submission to Jesus Christ’s lordship is primary (Romans 14:5-9).

The general principle: the Lord’s Day should be set aside to worship God with His people and to rest your mind and body. —Poh Fang Chia

2 Samuel 12:1-25 ‹365-day plan

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Read Colossians 2:16-17 and note what Paul says about the Sabbath. The ultimate Sabbath rest is when we come to rest in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.  
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Are there attitudes or activities that you need to change so that you can better honour God on the Lord’s Day? Why is rest so important? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Not Counting

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April 5, 2014 

READ: Matthew 20:1-16 

The last will be first, and the first last. —Matthew 20:16 

The play Amadeus tells of a composer in the 18th century seeking to understand the mind of God. The devout Antonio Salieri has the earnest desire, but not the aptitude, to create immortal music. It infuriates him that God has instead lavished the greatest of musical genius ever known on the impish Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The play poses the same question as the book of Job, only inverted. The author of Job wonders why God would punish the most righteous man on the face of the earth; the author of Amadeus ponders why God would reward someone so undeserving.

Jesus’ parable of the workers and their grossly unfair paychecks confronts this scandal head-on. Some people who have been idly standing around are hired by a landowner at “the eleventh hour” (Matt. 20:6-7). The other workers, who have been serving him all day long, are shocked when each receives identical pay. What employer in his right mind would pay the same amount for one hour’s work as for 12!

Jesus’ story makes no economic sense, and that was His intent. He was giving us a parable about grace, which cannot be calculated like a day’s wages. God dispenses gifts, not wages.

— Philip Yancey

Lord, I forget sometimes that my efforts cannot earn
Your love or grace or forgiveness.
You have lavished grace on me as a gift
and not a wage. Thank You.

In the realm of grace, the word “deserve” does not apply. 

ODJ: the bottom line

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April 5, 2014 

READ: Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart (v.2).

While in university, the great missionary Adoniram Judson lost his faith when he fell under the spell of Jacob Eames, a deist who believed that God never interferes in our lives. When he was on a trip, Judson stayed at a village inn next door to a man who was dying. The man’s groans kept Judson awake and he began to think about death. Was he ready to meet God? The next morning Judson learned that the man had died. He asked the innkeeper if he knew who the man was. “Oh yes. Young man from the college in Providence [USA]. Name was Eames . . . Jacob Eames.”

Judson was shaken. He realised that deism had failed Eames, just as it would fail him in his moment of death. The time was up for intellectual games. He needed to live for the One who had beaten death.

No one likes to think about death, but if we don’t talk about it we’ll have nothing to say when we talk about Jesus. Hebrews 2:14-15 explains that Jesus came to defeat death. He became a man so He could “break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”

If you have never feared dying, there’s little chance you’ve given your life to Jesus. Why would you? You aren’t troubled by the problem that He came to solve. But if you’ve been bothered by the thought of death—realising that it’s the demonic intruder that has come to destroy you—then it’s likely you already know that your hope is found in Jesus alone. No one else even claims to have conquered death on your behalf. “Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). —Mike Wittmer

365-day plan› 2 Samuel 11:1-27

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Pray Psalm 23 to the Lord. What truth from this psalm will you lean on today?  
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List the enemies that Jesus has defeated for you. How might these victories encourage you in the problems you still face?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Check The Oil

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April 4, 2014 

READ: Psalm 5 

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. —Psalm 5:3 

When I helped our daughters learn to drive, I included a little instruction on basic auto maintenance. We visited a local service station where they learned to check the oil every time they put fuel in the car. Today, years later, they often remind me of my six-word slogan, “Oil is cheap; engines are expensive.” Adding a quart of oil is nothing compared to replacing an engine.

Maintenance is also important in our spiritual lives. Taking time each day to read the Bible, pray, and listen to God is a key element in avoiding a breakdown. In Psalm 5, David wrote, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You” (v.3). In the following verses he poured out his heart in praise, thanksgiving, and requests to God.

Many people find it essential to begin every day with the Lord. Before checking email, catching the news, or eating breakfast, they find some quiet moments alone to read a portion of God’s Word, praise Him for His greatness, thank Him for His love, and seek His guidance. Others spend time reading and praying at different times of the day.

It’s not magic—it’s maintenance, as we ask the Lord each day to fill our hearts with His presence on the road of life.

— David C. McCasland

Give me a strong desire, O Lord, to look into Your
Word each day. Help me hide it in my heart so that
I might not stray from Your truth. Feed me and
teach me about Yourself and Your will for me.

The roots of stability come from being grounded in God’s Word and prayer. 

ODJ: connected

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April 4, 2014 

READ: John 15:1-8 

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (v.5).

Assigned with keeping up my mum’s garden while she was out of town, my kids and I headed into her garden to see the anticipated jungle. Walking out from the patio, we were greeted by a messy bed of veggies as some of the string-bean tendrils stood out like cowlicks in an otherwise orderly row. As we worked, my son explained the necessity of coaxing the wayward tendrils onto the runners: left unsupported, the weight of the growing beans would pull the vine to the ground where it would become more vulnerable to pests and its produce would be damaged.

In John 15:5, Jesus tells us, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Clearly He is our all-sufficient source of life and any fruit we bear comes from Him. He calls us into relationship with others, as He places us within the framework of His body, the church. We were not created to develop spiritually on our own. He made us to be connected to something beyond ourselves (v.4).

While no individual should ever replace our dependency on the Word or Holy Spirit, God places people in our lives to provide a framework of support for our spiritual growth. Jesus showed us that true discipleship happens within the context of relationships.

Becoming humble enough to learn from others isn’t easy, whether the instruction comes from brothers beside us or leaders above us (Philippians 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). But the more we stay connected to other believers in Jesus, the greater the opportunity we have to bear much fruit. —Regina Franklin

2 Samuel 9:1-13 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and consider how godly relationships can train us not only to engage, but also to defeat the enemies of our faith.  
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On a scale of 1 to 10, how connected are you to your local church? In what ways are you actively seeking to be discipled within the body of Christ? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: What’s In A Name?

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April 3, 2014 

READ: John 1:35-42 

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. —Matthew 16:18 

My friend wrote a letter to his newborn child that he wanted him to read when he was older: “My dear boy, Daddy and Mummy wish that you will find and stay focused on the Light. Your Chinese name is xin xuan. Xin means faithfulness, contentment, and integrity; xuan stands for warmth and light.” He and his wife carefully chose a name based on their hopes for their baby boy.

When Jesus renamed Simon as Peter/Cephas (John 1:42), it wasn’t a random choice. Peter means “the rock.” But it took a while for him to live up to his new name. The account of his life reveals him as a fisherman known for his rash ways—a shifting-sand kind of guy. Peter disagreed with Jesus (Matt. 16:22-23), struck a man with a sword (John 18:10-11), and even denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-27). But in Acts, we read that God worked in and through him to establish His church. Peter truly became a rock.

If you, like Peter, are a follower of Jesus, you have a new identity. In Acts 11:26, we read, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The name “Christians” means “Christ-ones.” You now are one of the Christ-ones. This title lifts up who you are and calls you to become what you are not yet. God is faithful, and He will complete His good work in you (Phil. 1:6).

— Poh Fang chia

Dear Father, thank You for the incredible privilege
of being called Your child. May we understand
more fully what it means to be identified with Your
Son, Jesus Christ. Work in us and through us.

We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children. 

ODJ: Jesus weeps

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April 3, 2014 

READ: Luke 19:41-44 

As [Jesus] came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep (v.41).

It happens often at weddings. The mother of the bride can be seen quietly sobbing. Her tears are a fitting response to her daughter’s ‘coming of age’ and the memories of the years she had nutured her.

The Jews were celebrating the coming of their long-awaited king (Luke 19:35-38). Yet Jesus was weeping, the second time He had wept openly. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus wept (John 11:35). Here He was crying audibly (Luke 19:41).

But why? His people had rejected Him. They sought political freedom. But Jesus came to deliver them from their sins and to offer them peace with God by way of the cross—not the crown.

Jesus looked at their past. God had raised many prophets, calling His people to repent. But they had killed the prophets (Luke 11:48, 13:34). Jesus looked at the present religiosity and piety that had accomplished little. The city was filled with pilgrims commemorating a sacred festival, but it was empty worship. Their temple had become a den of thieves (19:46). Jesus looked at the future. He saw the death, destruction and devastation that would come to the people and city (vv.43-44).

The Lord had lovingly and persistently pursued them, but they “were not willing!” (Luke 13:34 NIV). Jesus wept because His own people had rejected Him as their Messiah (19:14; John 1:11). Israel had wasted and exhausted her opportunities. “Now it [was] too late” (Luke 19:42). “Because [they] did not accept [their] opportunity for salvation” (v.44), only the fearful prospect of judgement was in view. Forty years later, the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

Jesus weeps for you if you haven’t received His free gift of salvation. But it’s not too late! —K.T. Sim

365-day plan› 2 Samuel 5:1-12

MORE
What is your response to God’s appeal in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 and Hebrews 3:7-15? 
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How does the fact that Jesus wept affect your view of Him and His love for you? What will you do to bring honour and glory to Him this week? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: You’ve Got A Friend

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April 2, 2014 

READ: Psalm 23 

[Jesus said,] “I have called you friends.” —John 15:15 

One of the ironic consequences of the sweeping growth of social media is that we often find ourselves more personally isolated. One online article warns: “Those who oppose leading one’s life primarily or exclusively online claim that virtual friends are not adequate substitutes for real-world friends, and . . . individuals who substitute virtual friends for physical friends become even lonelier and more depressive than before.”

Technology aside, all of us battle with seasons of loneliness, wondering if anyone knows, understands, or cares about the burdens we carry or the struggles we face. But followers of Christ have an assurance that brings comfort to our weary hearts. The comforting presence of the Savior is promised in words that are undeniable, for the psalmist David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4).

Whether isolated by our own choices, by the cultural trends that surround us, or by the painful losses of life, all who know Christ can rest in the presence of the Shepherd of our hearts. What a friend we have in Jesus!

— Bill Crowder

I’ve found a Friend; O such a Friend!
He loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to Him. —Small

Those who know Jesus as their Friend are never alone. 

ODJ: on solid ground

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April 2, 2014 

READ: 1 Kings 18:19-39 

How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? (v.21).

In the film High Fidelity, a character named Rob Gordon lamented his history of passivity. “I guess it made more sense to commit to nothing, keep my options open,” he said. “And that’s suicide by tiny, tiny increments.”

It’s a prevalent human temptation to hold off on firmly attaching ourselves to any opinion or belief. It’s a good thing to pursue humility and to be always open to correction, but it’s a foolish and debilitating practice to neglect committing ourselves to truths that will guide us.

Elijah confronted Israel for their uncertain, wavering posture. Israel’s King Ahab had led the people into idolatry and their abandonment of God along with their position as His people. As a result, God zipped up the rainclouds and dried out the land. There hadn’t been rain for 3 years and Elijah decided it was time for a showdown. “Summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel,” Elijah told Ahab, “along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel” (1 Kings 18:19).

When Baal’s prophets and the people of Israel were standing on Mount Carmel, Elijah confronted them with the question: “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions?” (v.21). The word for “opinions” carries the image of a set of crutches. So a literal reading of his question could be, “How long will you go limping around on crutches?” Whenever we refuse to commit ourselves to truths we believe, we go lame. We don’t stand for anything. We’re never solid.

Elijah concluded his challenge, not with an appeal for blind faith but rather for a commitment to the truth: “If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” (v.21). —Winn Collier
1 Samuel 28:1-25 ‹365-day plan

MORE
Read all of 1 Kings 18. How did Elijah’s actions support his appeal for the people to make a decision? How did God respond? 
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How have you been wavering between opinions? How has this practice kept you from a stronger relationship with God and others?  

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)