Entries by YMI

ODB: Be Present

/in , , /by

December 26, 2013 

READ: Job 2:3-13 

They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. —Job 2:13 

After 20 children and 6 staff members were murdered in a Connecticut school, the entire nation was stunned that such a horrific thing could happen. Everyone focused on the tragedy and the questions surrounding it: What kind of person would do such a thing, and why? How can we prevent it from happening again? How can we help the survivors? Amid the chaos, an unlikely group moved in and made a difference.

From Chicago came dogs— specially trained golden retrievers that offered nothing except affection. Dogs don’t speak; they simply offer their presence. Children traumatized by the violence opened up to them, expressing fears and emotions they had not spoken to any adult. Tim Hetzner of Lutheran Church Charities said, “The biggest part of their training is just learning to be quiet.”

As we learn from the book of Job, people in grief do not always need words. Sometimes they need someone to sit silently with them, to listen when they need to speak, and to hug them when their sorrow turns to sobs.

God may not intervene to change circumstances and He may not explain suffering, but He comforts us through the presence of other believers (Col. 4:8).

— Julie Ackerman Link

He’s with us in the valley,
Amid the darkest night
He tells us in our sorrow;
Faith will give way to sight. —D. DeHaan

Listening may be the most loving and Christlike thing you do today. 

ODJ: shea butter promises

/in , , /by

December 26, 2013 

READ: Psalm 12:1-8 

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (Proverbs 20:6).

Pastor Kofi has helped to plant 25 churches in Ghana and Burkina Faso, as well as a home for orphans and a school with 1,000 students. But he doesn’t have much money to manage all this.

So he welcomed an opportunity to provide a family member with shea butter for sale in America in exchange for a share of the profit. This versatile product of the shea tree has medicinal and cosmetic properties and is also used in cooking. Although common in Ghana, shea butter is hard to get in America and is in demand by West Africans living there.

At about the same time, a pastor of a large church in America promised Kofi’s ministry $1,000 (US). Understandably, Kofi anticipated a windfall for his churches and school. The days piled into weeks, which grew into months, but still no money came.

Then one day his family member in America called with an excuse about “unexpectedly low returns” on the sale of the shea butter. No money would be forthcoming. Nevertheless, he wanted to know if Kofi would package more shea butter and ship it. (He politely declined.)

And the pastor of the large church? Kofi never heard from him again.

Surprisingly, this Ghanaian pastor’s attitude remains upbeat. “By His grace, I know that God’s work will go forward,” he says, refusing to dwell on the broken promises.

“Help, O LORD,” wrote the psalmist. “The faithful have vanished from the earth! Neighbours lie to each other” (Psalm 12:1-2). But the refrain to the song rings out: “The LORD’s promises are pure . . . We know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation” (vv.6-7).

People will fail us in this life, but there’s a Promise Keeper we can always rely on. —Tim Gustafson

MORE
In the Sermon on the Mount, what does Jesus say about making promises? (Matthew 5:33-37). 
NEXT
What motivates you to make promises? Why is it important for you to fulfil what you promise? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Christingle

/in , , /by

December 25, 2013 

READ: 1 John 1:1-7 

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. —John 1:9 

In the Czech Republic and other places, the Christmas celebration includes “Christingles.” A Christingle is an orange, representing the world, with a candle placed in the top of it to symbolize Christ the light of the world. A red ribbon encircles the orange, symbolizing the blood of Jesus. Four toothpicks with dried fruits are placed through the ribbon into the sides of the orange, representing the fruits of the earth.

This simple visual aid vividly represents the purpose behind Christ’s coming—to bring light into the darkness and to redeem a broken world by shedding His blood.

In John’s account of Christ’s life, the disciple describes Jesus as the Light of the world. He wrote of Christ: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9). Not only did Christ the Light come to penetrate our world’s darkness, but He is also “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (v.29).

Think of it! The baby of Bethlehem became the living, risen Christ who has rescued us from our sin. And so John instructs us to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). May all who have experienced His rescue find in Jesus the peace of walking in His light.

— Bill Crowder

Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in Thee tonight. —Brooks

The newborn Christ-child became the Light of the world and the Lamb of God. 

ODJ: silent night

/in , , /by

December 25, 2013 

READ: Luke 2:8-14 

Glory to God in highest heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased (v.14).

During the final home court basketball game in December, America’s Taylor University basketball fans practise a tradition they call “Silent Night”. Once the game starts, the crowd stays completely silent. All that’s heard are the echoes of the basketball bouncing on the court, the squeak of the players’ shoes and the occasional chatter among players and coaches. The gymnasium stays quiet until the team scores its tenth point. Once that happens—the fans cut loose and the place erupts!

Two thousand years ago a group of shepherds were sitting at night in a field outside the small Judean town of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8). Their sheep could be heard milling around the hillside. Perhaps the shepherds were chatting among themselves about the events of the day or their plans for the next. Over all, it was probably a quiet, uneventful night.

But in an instant everything changed. Firstly, an angel surrounded by bright light appeared out of the darkness and announced with great joy that a baby had been born in Bethlehem that very night (vv.9-12). The shepherds were terrified. Who could blame them? An angel was probably the last thing they expected to see that night.

Before they could catch their breath and take in all that the angel had told them about the baby in a manger, a crowd of angels joined the first and began praising God. It must have been an awe-inspiring scene (vv.13-14).

Just as that night turned out to be no ordinary, quiet night, the baby the angel spoke of was no ordinary baby. This baby who made the angels burst out in song was none other than Jesus. It’s His birth the world still pauses to celebrate all these years later, for He’s the Son of God who came to change and save the world! —Jeff Olson

MORE
Read what the prophet Isaiah wrote about Jesus several hundred years before His birth (Isaiah 9:6-7). 
NEXT
What does Jesus’ birth mean to you today? How will you break the silence this Christmas and tell others about Him? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: One Silent Night

/in , , /by

December 24, 2013 

READ: Luke 2:1-14 

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. —Luke 2:10 

Simon had emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States. His wife, Kay, and all three of their children had been born in the US. Then Jenny married Roberto from Panama. Bill married Vania from Portugal. And Lucas married Bora from South Korea.

On Christmas Eve, as the family gathered for a celebration, they began singing “Silent Night” in their native tongues—a sweet sound indeed for the Lord of the earth to hear as they celebrated the birth of His Son.

Two thousand years ago, the silence of a quiet night ended abruptly when an angel told the shepherds a baby had been born: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Then a multitude of angels began praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (v.14). Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world, was born!

God’s gracious gift, His Son, which was announced on that long-ago silent night, is still available to everyone—“every tribe and nation” (Titus 2:11-14; Rev. 5:9-10). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

— Cindy Hess Kasper

Silent night! holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia—
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born! —Mohr

Heaven’s choir came down to sing when heaven’s King came down to save. 

ODJ: the soul’s worth

/in , , /by

December 24, 2013 

READ: Matthew 6:25-34 

Aren’t you far more valuable to [God] than they are? (v.26).

O Holy Night” is a Christmas hymn we need to sing loudly. We need to sing it during Advent and Christmas—and if I had my way, we’d belt it out every month of the year. These lines tell us a deep truth:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

When God, in an act of ultimate humility, came to us as a mere child and then suffered as only Jesus could suffer, we learned something about the vast value God places on us. Christmas offers many truths, but surely this is one: you are of great worth to God.

Taking these cues, I bring you a prayer and a blessing: to all who’ve been dismissed or tossed aside; to all who, made bitter by the cracks in your story, now tremble or seethe at the mention of ”love”; to every weary-boned parent saddled with regret or loss or despair; to every child, grown yet still yearning for tenderness and acceptance; to every one of us who compulsively judge our reflection in the mirror or replay conversations over and over or carry every criticism to a dark, dark place; to each of us who are ashamed of our fears and our machinations and who hide the fact that in our own sophisticated ways we still have to leave the light on at night . . .

I pray that you will know, these beautiful days, the profound worth of your soul, the sturdy weight of your being. There is an astounding splendour in you—and I know this because the God of all beauty and power has called you into existence. And God delights in the sheer presence that is you. In these days I pray you sing this song aloud—and I pray you’ll sing it to one another. —Winn Collier

MORE
Reflect on the imagery of Matthew 6:26. Follow Jesus’ suggestions. Look at the birds in your yard. Consider how God cares for and values them. How much more does God value you? 
NEXT
Where do you find it difficult to believe that you possess deep value? Over the next week, sing “O Holy Night”—and sing it loudly! 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: God With Us

/in , , /by

December 23, 2013 

READ: Matthew 1:18-25 

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.” —Matthew 1:23 

His presence in the room was obvious. Everyone else was dressed rather formally. He had on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a weathered baseball cap. I couldn’t help but notice him as I addressed students that day in a seminary chapel in Bucharest, Romania. I have no idea why he didn’t conform to the norms of seminary attire, but I do remember his name.

At the close of the meeting he came up to introduce himself. When I asked him his name, he answered, “Immanuel.” I was surprised by his answer and asked if he knew what that meant; he unashamedly replied, “Yes—‘God with us!’”

I’ve often thought about that young man and how he stood out in the crowd. Just as Jesus came to bring the presence of God into our world—“Immanuel . . . God with us” (Matt. 1:23)—so too we are called to bring His presence into our world. Jesus made that clear when He said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

This Christmas, we can give the gift of God’s likeness through us. When our lives reflect the God who lives in us, we can be different from the world, and that difference can bless others with the transforming presence of His love and grace.

— Joe Stowell

His Spirit fill my hungering soul,
His power all my life control;
My deepest prayer, my highest goal,
That I may be like Jesus. —Chisholm

The gift of God’s presence through you is your gift to the world. 

ODJ: saved by a compass

/1 Comment/in , , /by

December 23, 2013 

READ: Psalm 119:105-112 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path (v.105).

During World War II, Waldemar Semenov (a retired merchant seaman) was serving as a junior engineer aboard the SS Alcoa Guide when a German submarine surfaced and opened fire on the ship. The American merchant ship was hit, caught fire and began to sink. Three hundred miles off the coast of North Carolina, Semenov and the other sailors lowered lifeboats into the water. Fortunately the lifeboats were equipped with a compass. Semenov and his crew used the compass to sail west by northwest towards the shipping lanes. After three days a patrol plane spotted Semenov’s lifeboat and the USS Broome rescued the men the next day. Thanks to that compass, Semenov and 26 other crewmembers were saved.

The psalmist reminded God’s people that their lifeboat was equipped with a trustworthy compass as well—God’s Word. He likened God’s Word to a lamp (Psalm 119:105). The flickering light cast by an olive oil lamp was only bright enough to show a traveller his next step. To the psalmist, God’s Word was such a lamp, providing enough light to illuminate the path of life for those pursuing obedience to God (vv.106,109). When he was adrift in the dark and chaotic waters of life, he believed God would provide spiritual longitude and latitude through His Word. In another psalm, the writer said God’s light and truth would guide him (43:3).

When we lose our bearings in life, we have the Bible as our compass, leading us into deeper fellowship with God and directing our lives to please Him. Because His Word is a trustworthy compass and has the ability to save our lives, let’s determine to read it, study it and obey it. It’s truly the “light for our path” (119:105). —Marvin Williams

MORE
Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and see why we should use Scripture to guide our lives. 
NEXT
When are you tempted not to follow the directions the compass of God’s Word provides? What are some practical steps you can take to continue to walk in obedience to God’s Word? 

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

ODB: Christmas Wonder

/in , , /by

December 22, 2013 

READ: 1 Chronicles 16:7-13 

Remember His marvelous works which He has done. —1 Chronicles 16:12 

After my first semester in seminary, my family was given airline tickets to fly home for Christmas. The night before our flight, we realized we had less than $20 for the trip. Parking, transportation, and other incidentals were certain to cost more than $20. Heartsick, we resolved to pray about it. Though our children were small (6 and 2), we included them in the prayer time.

As we were praying, we heard footsteps in the hallway of the apartment building, and then “whisk”—the sound of an envelope sliding under the door. Inside the envelope was an anonymous gift of $50.

The wonder reflected on our 6-year-old daughter’s face matched the wonder in our own hearts. Here was a mighty God writing His name on a little girl’s heart by hearing and answering our prayer in the same instant. And so we, like the psalmist David, could “talk of all His wondrous works!” (1 Chron. 16:9).

So it was that first Christmas night, when a mighty, all-knowing, all-powerful God wrote His name on the heart of humanity, stunning us with the generosity of forgiveness and the joy of unconditional love. The birth of Christ is the answer to our most fervent prayers for love and forgiveness. Can you feel the wonder?

— Randy Kilgore

Lord, restore to me the wonder of Christmas,
felt most keenly when I first met Jesus;
for I long to tell the story with all the
joy it brought me that day.

A wonder-filled life is ours when we know the Christ of Christmas.