Entries by YMI

ODB: Overshadowed

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November 22, 2013 

READ: Luke 1:26-38 

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. —Luke 1:35 

The assassination of US President John F. Kennedy stunned people around the globe 50 years ago today. The day after the shooting, an article in The Times (London) spoke of the reverberations being felt throughout world financial markets. It carried the headline, “All Other Events Overshadowed by US Tragedy.”

There are times in our lives when a death, a tragedy, or a sudden turn of events eclipses everything else. It happened to an unmarried young woman who was told that she would become the mother of the promised Messiah, God’s Son (Luke 1:26-33). When she asked how this could happen, the angel Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you” (v.35).

The impossibility in Mary’s life was overshadowed not by darkness but by the brightness of God’s glory and power. Her response continues to leave us in awe: “Let it be to me according to your word” (v.38).

In the coming weeks, as we read again the Christmas story and consider the birth of Jesus into our world, it’s worth pondering the word overshadowed. It speaks so powerfully of the Lord’s presence in our hearts and His ability to outshine the darkest moments.

— David C. McCasland

I’m overshadowed by His mighty love,
Love eternal, changeless, pure,
Overshadowed by His mighty love,
Rest is mine, serene, secure. —Ironside

In every situation, we are overshadowed by God’s mighty love and power. 

ODJ: life or death


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November 22, 2013 

READ: Galatians 6:7-10 

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life (v.8).

In early 2013 a man was arrested for stealing his father’s corpse. The man’s 93 year old beloved dad had died and his body had been laid in a casket and placed on cemetery grounds, being readied for burial. The son of the deceased, however, had other plans. He stole the casket and brought it home. The reason? He was hoping his father would be miraculously resurrected. Um, that didn’t happen. Instead of seeing his dad’s life restored, the man reaped possible imprisonment and the death of a dream.

In Galatians 6, the apostle Paul describes the life or death that each of us will reap. Noting that we “cannot mock the justice of God,” he states, “You will always harvest what you plant” (v.7). In other words, based on what we do in this life, we’ll either face His eternal rewards or our own bitter consequences (Job 4:8; Proverbs 22:8).

Paul says that if we live to fulfil our own sinful desires, we’ll “harvest decay and death” (Galatians 6:8). If we willfully choose to continue in our sin, our lives will be marked by spiritual death. Our fellowship with God will fall into decay.

We can’t transform a lifeless corpse into a vibrant, living person. If we “live to please the Spirit,” however, we will “harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (v.8). When we turn to God and receive Jesus as our Saviour, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. His life giving power is found within us (3:3, 5:16).

Paul concludes his thoughts by encouraging us to live out our life in Jesus by doing good. One day, he says, “we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up” (6:9).

Today you can choose to pursue life or death. Turn from your sin and let the Spirit do good things in and through you. —Tom Felten

MORE
Read John 3:6-8 and note the contrast between following our flesh and following the Holy Spirit.  
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How have you been living to satisfy your own sinful desires? What will help you walk in the life giving power of the Holy Spirit today? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: That Name

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November 21, 2013 

READ: Philippians 2:5-11 

God . . . has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. —Philippians 2:9 

Our little granddaughter Maggie and her family were back home in Missouri after visiting with us in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her mom told us that for a few days after returning home, Maggie walked around the house happily saying, “Michigan! Michigan!”

There was something about that name that attracted Maggie. Could have been the sound of it. Could have been the enjoyable time she had. It’s hard to tell with a 1-year-old, but the name “Michigan” had such an impact on her that she couldn’t stop saying it.

This makes me think about another name—the name of Jesus, “the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). A song by Bill and Gloria Gaither reminds us why we love that name so much. He is “Master” and “Savior.” Yes, what depth of meaning there is in the names that describe our Lord! When we mention the great name of Jesus to those who need Him as Savior, we can remind them what He has done for us.

Jesus is our Savior. He has redeemed us by His blood, and we can give our lives wholeheartedly to Him. Jesus. Let all heaven and earth—including us—proclaim His glorious name!

— Dave Branon

The most precious name is Jesus! 

ODJ: pursued

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November 21, 2013 

READ: Luke 15:1-7 

Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost? (v.4).

In the Middle East, where the Bedouin culture is alive and well, you’ll find shepherds who care for their sheep with great tenderness and watchfulness. I once observed some of these men at work, and I was amazed at their intimate care for their flocks. They protect their woolly friends from storms and predators, disease and hunger. And if one of the fluffy creatures ever goes missing, they’ll search until it’s found.

Jesus revealed that this is God’s posture towards us. He’s the Good Shepherd, and His love compels Him to come after all who are estranged or lost. The biblical narrative reminds us that we’re all lost—needing to be found. “All of us,” says Isaiah, are “like sheep [and] have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6). But God won’t leave us to ruin. He comes after us.

In His parable, Jesus put the question this way: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do?” (Luke 15:4) Well, anyone who knows a true shepherd knows the answer: the shepherd will brave the weather, brave the dark night and—at great cost to himself—search for the lost sheep.

This is precisely what God has done for us in Jesus. He didn’t leave us to our own devices. He didn’t push us away after our rebellious wanderings. Instead, at great cost to Himself, God pursued us. His love moved Him to act.

God’s love isn’t merely for those who obey or who behave properly. His love is also for those who have strayed. And Jesus reveals that “there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than [over those who] haven’t strayed away” (v.7). What an amazing God and Good Shepherd we have! —Winn Collier

MORE
Return to the Isaiah 53 passage, reading verses 1-6. What other expressions of God’s pursuing love do you find there? 
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Where are you now? Are you lost or found? How do you sense God pursuing you? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Genuine Concern

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November 20, 2013 

READ: Philippians 2:1-5 

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4 

On the first night at family camp, the camp director informed the families of the schedule for the week. When finished, he asked if anyone else had anything to say. A young girl stood up and made a passionate appeal for help. She shared about her little brother—a boy with special needs—and how he could be a challenge to care for. She talked about how tiring this was for her family, and she asked everyone there to help them keep an eye on him during the week. It was an appeal born out of genuine concern for her brother and her parents. As the week went on, it was great to see people pitching in to help this family.

Her appeal was a gentle reminder of how easily we can all get wrapped up in our own world, life, and problems—to the point that we fail to see the needs of others. Here’s how Paul described our responsibility: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). The next verse reminds us that this is part of the example of Christ: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Our caring displays a Christlike concern for people who are hurting. May we rest in God’s grace, trusting Him to enable us to serve others in their seasons of need.

— Bill Crowder

Lord, open my eyes to the hurts, needs, and struggles
of a world that is so desperately in need of Your love.
Help me to be Your instrument to inject
that love into hurting lives.

Nothing costs as much as caring—except not caring. 

ODJ: feast or famine

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November 20, 2013 

READ: Amos 8:11-14 

Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the Lord’s word (v.13).

You can walk into a Christian bookshop today and find rows and rows of books on the shelves. And without stepping into a church, you can listen to thousands of podcasts and sermons online. The massive amount of biblical resources available at our fingertips is astounding. So, is it possible during this age to experience a famine of God’s Word? Do we need to heed the warning for the prophet Amos (8:11) or was that relevant only for ancient Israel?

Answering these questions is critical because the consequences for ignoring God’s Word are devastating. Essentially God has said, “If you keep shutting Me out, eventually I’ll turn silent. When that day happens, you’ll understand that ‘people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord’ ” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

God’s Word provides spiritual nourishment and refreshment. When it is unavailable, even the young, strong and beautiful will languish from spiritual malnutrition (Amos 8:13). The warning through Amos came because of Israel’s complacency, idolatry and oppression of the poor. Are we guilty of that today?

It’s helpful to note that Jesus said something similar to His disciples. He taught, “To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them” (Matthew 13:12).

This doesn’t mean that God will remove all copies of the Bible from us, but that when we seek help, advice or comfort from Him, we will not get it. The only way to avoid this famine is to feast on His Word and obey it. — Poh Fang Chia

MORE
Read Psalm 1 to remind yourself of the blessing or curse for living or not living by God’s Word. 
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What might a famine of God’s Word look like in your life? What will help you feast on Scripture this week? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Traveling Companion

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November 19, 2013 

READ: Psalm 39 

For I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. —Psalm 39:12 

I looked up the members of my seminary graduating class recently and discovered that many of my friends are now deceased. It was a sober reminder of the brevity of life. Three score and ten, give or take a few years, and we’re gone (Ps. 90:10). Israel’s poet was right: We’re but strangers here and sojourners (39:12).

The brevity of life makes us think about our “end”—the measure of our days and how fleeting they are (v.4), a feeling that grows more certain as we draw closer to the end of our lives. This world is not our home; we’re but strangers and sojourners here.

Yet we are not alone on the journey. We are strangers and sojourners with God (39:12), a thought that makes the journey less troubling, less frightening, less worrisome. We pass through this world and into the next with a loving Father as our constant companion and guide. We’re strangers here on earth, but we are never alone on the journey (73:23-24). We have One who says, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20).

We may lose sight of father, mother, spouse, and friends, but we always know that God is walking beside us. An old saying puts it like this: “Good company on the road makes the way to seem lighter.”

— David H. Roper

My times are in my Father’s hand;
How could I wish or ask for more?
For He who has my pathway planned
Will guide me till my journey’s o’er. —Fraser

As you travel life’s weary road, let Jesus lift your heavy load. 

ODJ: measuring ourselves

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November 19, 2013 

READ: Romans 12:3-5 

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us (v.3).

We have a tendency to overestimate ourselves and inflate our positive qualities. Recently researchers asked nearly a million secondary school pupils to assess their leadership skills. Seventy percent rated themselves as above average, while only 2 percent rated their leadership skills below average. In another study, 94 percent of university professors rated their work above average. Psychologists call this the “illusionary superiority” effect—where we think we’re better than we really are.

This flawed self-assessment is nothing new. The apostle Paul warned the believers in Rome about this ‘above average fallacy’ long ago. He began by reminding them of his apostolic authority, laying a foundation for instruction he wanted them to accept and apply (Romans 12:3). He reminded them that God had granted each of them spiritual gifts and that they were to use them to be a blessing to others in the body of Christ (vv.4-5). And so that they didn’t simply assume that they were worthy of these gifts, Paul warned them that the “illusionary superiority” effect could disrupt the unity of the body as they exercised their spiritual gifts.

Instead, the Roman believers were to strive to have a well balanced evaluation of themselves. Then they would be able to use their gifts for the benefit of one another as they served side by side, functioning interdependently (v.5).

As living sacrifices, we’re to preserve the unity of the body of Christ by rejecting an attitude of pride or status and accepting a realistic view of ourselves. This will renew the realisation that the gifts we’ve received have come from God, and it will inspire us to use them to be a blessing to others. — Marvin Williams

MORE
Read Philippians 2:3-8 and note how Jesus’ example should guide our view of ourselves and our relationship with other believers.  
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Why do we tend to compare ourselves with others and have a flawed self-assessment? Why is it important not to compare ourselves with other believers in the body of Christ? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Welcome Back

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November 18, 2013 

READ: Nehemiah 9:7-21 

You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful. —Nehemiah 9:17 

Jim decided to follow Christ at the age of 10. Fifteen years later his commitment had faded. He had adopted a live-for-the-moment philosophy and developed some bad habits. Then his life seemed to fall apart. He had problems at work. Three family members died almost simultaneously. Fears and doubts began to plague Jim, and nothing seemed to help—until one day when he read Psalm 121:2, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” These words cut through the fear and confusion in his heart. He turned back to God for help, and God welcomed him.

Jim’s spiritual journey reminds me of ancient Israel’s history. The Israelites had a unique relationship with God—they were His chosen people (Neh. 9:1-15). However, they spent many years rebelling and ignoring God’s goodness, turning away to follow their own path (vv.16-21). Yet when they returned to Him and repented, God was “ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness” (v.17).

These divine qualities encourage us to draw near to God—even after we have wandered away from Him. When we humbly abandon our rebellious ways and recommit ourselves to God’s ways, He will show compassion and welcome us back to closeness with Him.

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me. —Thompson

God’s arms of welcome are always open.