Entries by YMI

ODB: Good Congee

September 14, 2024 

READ: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 9-14 

He went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him. 2 Kings 5:14

 

Jocelyn’s bestselling dish at her food stall was her congee. She’d stir the rice porridge very carefully until it had a smooth consistency. So, she was startled when a regular customer said, “Your congee tastes different. The texture isn’t as fine.”

Jocelyn’s new assistant had prepared it this time and explained why it was different: “I didn’t stir it as long as the recipe said since that’s how I do it at home. I also added more sesame oil. In my opinion, it tastes better that way.” She had decided to ignore the recipe and do it her way instead.

This is how I sometimes respond to God’s instructions. Instead of fully obeying His commands as given in Scripture, I subject them to my opinions and proceed my way.

Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was on the verge of making a similar mistake. On receiving God’s instruction through the prophet Elisha to wash himself in the Jordan so his leprosy would be healed, the proud soldier got angry. He had his own expectations for how his need ought to be addressed, believing his opinion was superior to God’s command (2 Kings 5:11-12). His servants, however, convinced him to listen to Elisha’s words (v. 13). As a result, Naaman was healed.

When we do things God’s way, we experience a peace that’s indescribable. Let’s work with Him in fulfilling His purposes.

— Karen Huang

How do you allow your opinions to compromise your obedience to God? How does this affect His work in your life?

Dear God, please help me to obey You in full, for Your command far surpasses my opinion.  

ODB: Kingdom-Shaped Workplace

September 13, 2024 

READ: Matthew 6:9-13 

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

 

The factories of Victorian England were dark places. Fatalities were high, and workers often lived in poverty. “How can the working man cultivate ideals,” George Cadbury asked, “when his home is a slum?” And so he built a new kind of factory for his expanding chocolate business, one that benefited his workers.

The result was Bournville, a village of more than three hundred homes with sports fields, playgrounds, schools, and churches for Cadbury’s workers and their families. They were paid good wages and offered medical care, all because of Cadbury’s faith in Christ.

Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This prayer can help us imagine, as Cadbury did, what our workplaces would be like under God’s rule, where our “daily bread” is earned and our “debtors” forgiven (vv. 11-12). As employees, it means working with “all your heart . . . for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). As employers, it means giving staff what’s “right and fair” (4:1). Whatever our role, whether paid or voluntary, it means tending to the well-being of those we serve with.

Like George Cadbury, let’s imagine how things could be different if God were in charge of our neighborhoods and workplaces. Because when He is, people flourish.

— Sheridan Voysey

What would your workplace or neighborhood look like under God’s rule? How could you pray and work toward this vision?

Loving God, please help me to see what my workplace or neighborhood would look like under Your rule, and empower me to bring change where I can.  

ODB: Retrieval Practice

September 12, 2024 

READ: Exodus 20:8-11 

Remember the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:8

 

Have you ever been in the middle of telling a story and then stopped, stuck on a detail like a name or date you couldn’t recall? We often chalk it up to age, believing that memory fades with time. But recent studies no longer support that view. In fact, they indicate our memory isn’t the problem; it’s our ability to retrieve those memories. Without a regular rehearsal of some kind, memories become harder to access.

One of the ways to improve that retrieval ability is by regularly scheduled actions or experiences of recalling a certain memory. Our Creator God knew this, so He instructed the children of Israel to set aside one day a week for worship and rest. In addition to the physical rest that comes from such a respite, we gain an opportunity for mental training, to recall that “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). It helps us to remember there is a God, and it’s not us.   

In the rush of our lives, we sometimes lose our grip on the memories of what God has done for us and for others. We forget who keeps close watch over our lives and who promises His presence when we feel overwhelmed and alone. A break from our routine provides an opportunity for that needed “retrieval practice”—an intentional decision to stop and remember our God and “forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

— John Blase

What tempts you to skip rest? How can taking time to rest draw you closer to God?

Dear God, please remember me and give me the wisdom to stop and remember You as well.  

ODB: Colors of Hope

September 11, 2024 

READ: Genesis 9:11-17  

I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Genesis 9:15

 

On September 11, 2023—the twenty-second anniversary of the attacks against the United States—a stunning double rainbow graced the skies above New York City. Home to the former Twin Towers, this city suffered the greatest losses in the attacks. More than two decades later, the double rainbow brought a sense of hope and healing to those who were there to see it. A video clip of the moment seemed to capture the rainbows emanating from the site of the World Trade Center itself.

Rainbows in the sky have brought an assurance of God’s faithfulness since the days of Noah. In the wake of God’s judgment of sin which resulted in unimaginable destruction, He set the colorful beacon as a visual reminder of “the everlasting covenant between [Himself] and all living creatures” (Genesis 9:16). After forty dark days of rain and months of flooding (7:17-24), one can only imagine how welcome the rainbow—“the sign of the covenant”—must have been to Noah and his family (9:12-13). It was a reminder of God’s faithfulness that “never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (v. 11). 

When we face dark days and tragic losses—whether due to natural disaster, physical or emotional pain, or the plight of disease—let’s look to God for hope in the midst of it. Even if we don’t catch a glimpse of His rainbow in those moments, we can be assured of His faithfulness to His promises. 

— Kirsten Holmberg

How has God revealed His presence to you during difficult seasons of life? Who might need to hear your story today?

Father God, please help me to see You in the midst of my struggles today.  

ODB: Spiritual Royalty

September 10, 2024 

READ: John 1:9-13 

To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

 

When Jay Speights of Rockville, Maryland, took a DNA test, nothing could have prepared him for the results he received. They contained a big surprise—he was a prince of the West African nation of Benin! Soon he boarded a plane and visited the country. When he arrived, the royal family greeted and showered him with a festive homecoming—dancing, singing, banners, and a parade.

Jesus came to earth as God’s good news announcement. He went to His own people, the nation of Israel, to give them the good news and to show them the way out of darkness. Many received the message with apathy, rejecting the “true light” (John 1:9) and refusing to accept Him as Messiah (v. 11). But unbelief and apathy weren’t universal among the people. Some people humbly and gladly received Christ’s invitation, accepted Him as God’s eventual sacrifice for sin, and believed in His name. A surprise awaited this faithful remnant. He “gave [them] the right to become children of God” (v. 12)—to be royal children of His through spiritual rebirth.

When we turn from sin and darkness, receive Jesus, and believe in His name, we discover we’re children of God, adopted as royalty into His family. May we enjoy the blessings as we live up to the responsibilities of being the King’s kids. 

— Marvin Williams

How should being a child of God affect you? What will you do this week to live out your status and responsibility as His child?

Father, it’s amazing that through Jesus’ death You invite me into spiritual royalty. I’m humbled and grateful.

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.  

ODB: Remaining in Jesus

September 9, 2024 

READ: Matthew 16:13-19 

I will build my church. Matthew 16:18

 

A fire burned Balsora Baptist Church to the ground. As emergency workers and community members gathered after the blaze subsided, they were surprised to see a charred cross standing upright amidst the smoke and ashes in the air. A firefighter commented that the fire “took the structure, but not the cross. [This is a reminder] that the building was just that, a building. The church is the congregation.”

The church is not a building, but a community united by the cross of Christ—the One who died, was buried, and rose again. When Jesus lived on earth, He told Peter He’d build His worldwide church, and nothing would destroy it (Matthew 16:18). Jesus would gather believers from all over the globe into a group that would continue throughout time. This community would face intense difficulty, but they’d ultimately endure. God would dwell within them and sustain them (Ephesians 2:22).

When we struggle to establish local churches only to have them stagnate and sputter, when buildings are destroyed, or when we’re concerned about believers struggling in other parts of the world, we can remember that Jesus is alive, actively enabling God’s people to persevere. We’re part of the church He’s building today. He’s with us and for us. His cross remains.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

In what ways might you support fellow believers? How does sharing the good news relate to God’s plan for the church?

Dear God, please strengthen Your people everywhere. Fill them with wisdom, protect them, and help them stay faithful to You.  

ODB: United at Last

September 8, 2024 

READ: Psalm 87 

All my fountains are in you. Psalm 87:7

 

In 1960, Otto Preminger provoked controversy with his movie Exodus. Based on Leon Uris’ novel, it provides a fictional account of Jewish refugees emigrating to Palestine after World War II. The film concludes with the bodies of a young European-Jewish girl and an Arab man, both murder victims, buried in the same grave in what would soon be the nation of Israel.

Preminger leaves the conclusion to us. Is this a metaphor for despair, a dream forever buried? Or is it a symbol of hope, as two peoples with a history of hatred and hostilities come together—in death and in life?

Perhaps the sons of Korah, credited with writing Psalm 87, would take the latter view of this scene. They anticipated a peace we still await. Of Jerusalem, they wrote, “Glorious things are said of you, city of God” (v. 3). They sang of a day when nations—all with a history of warring against the Jewish people—will come together to acknowledge the one true God: Rahab (Egypt), Babylon, the Philistines, Tyre, Cush (v. 4). All will be drawn to Jerusalem, and to God.

The conclusion of the psalm is celebratory. People in Jerusalem will sing, “All my fountains [springs] are in you” (v. 7). Who are they singing of? The One who is the Living Water, the Source of all life (John 4:14). Jesus is the only one who can bring lasting peace and unity.  

— Tim Gustafson

What conflicts, both global and personal, cause you distress? How will you trust God to bring about His peace?

I pray, Father, for the peace and unity of all people as they’re drawn to Your Son.  

ODB: Step Out in Faith

September 7, 2024 

READ: Joshua 3:7-17 

When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river. Joshua 3:8

 

The guest speaker spoke on the wisdom of trusting God and “stepping into the river.” He told of a pastor who trusted God and chose to speak the truths of the Bible in a sermon despite the new law of his land. He was convicted of hate crimes and spent thirty days in jail. But his case was appealed, and the court ruled he had the right to give a personal interpretation of the Bible and to urge others to follow.

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to make a choice too—either step into the water or stay on the shore. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Now they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage and dangerously high. But they took that step, and God caused the waters to recede: “As soon as . . . their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16).

When we trust God with our lives, He gives us the courage to move forward, whether choosing to speak the truths of the Bible or to take a step into unknown territory. During the pastor’s trial, the court heard the gospel through listening to his sermon. And, in Joshua, the Israelites crossed safely into the promised land and shared about the power of God with future generations (v. 17; 4:24).

If we step out in faith, God will see to the rest.

— Alyson Kieda

When have you faced a frightening situation and were afraid to take the first step? How did God help you to move forward?

Dear God, I need Your courage. Please help me to step out in faith.

For further study, read When Fear Seems Overwhelming.