ODJ: what God requires
Oswald Chambers once said, “It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide.” So after we receive Jesus as our Saviour, what is it that God requires of us? What should we be doing?Moses provides the framework to help us in this en
ODJ: a class act
There’s something within the human condition that seems to enjoy seeing others fail, especially if those who fail were previously successful. For instance, we might celebrate seeing a top sports team fall from their lofty perch after a long period of success. About time too, and other phrases come to mind.So it is when we read about Saul—the man chosen as king over Israel and
ODJ: whining and trusting
Imagine having such a reputation as a whiner that your name becomes a synonym for complaining! That was the case with the prophet Jeremiah. His name provides the basis for the English word jeremiad, which means “lament” or “complaint”.Jeremiah was no whiner, but it seemed that way to Jerusalem. God had called the prophet to take His complaints to the people. His me
ODJ: the end of all wars
In 1893 the inventor of the machine gun was asked if his invention would make wars even more devastating. He replied that he believed they would make wars impossible. Many inventors and great scientists have said similar things over the years, only to discover that this was not the truth. Scientific progress has not slowed the beat of war, but has only made it far more deadly than it had ever been
ODJ: my wake-up call
It’s been a tiring week. Filling in for the Breakfast Show radio host meant that I set my alarm for 4:40 each morning, ensuring that I’d be at the radio studios by 5:30. I was looking forward to waking up later on Saturday, but at 4:40 I heard the buzz of an alarm. Annoyed at what I thought was my husband’s alarm, I begged him to turn it off and then realised it was my own alarm
ODJ: leaping from the enclosure
The African impala is a deer-like creature that can jump to a height of 3 metres (nearly 10 feet) and cover a distance greater than 11 metres (36 feet) in one bound. Yet the impala can be kept in a zoo enclosure with just a 1 metre high wall. Why? Because it isn’t tall enough to peer over the barrier, and it won’t jump if it can’t see where its feet will land.That’s like a
ODJ: our sure foundation
The workers knew something wasn’t right. A crack in the exterior wall of an 8 story building in Bangladesh was a tell-tale sign that the edifice, still under construction, was pretty sketchy. Sadly the structure tumbled down the next day, resulting in the death of more than 150 people and injuring more than a thousand others. Eventually, it was determined that a faulty foundation contributed
ODJ: painful pruning
Last summer we planted rosebushes in the garden in honour of my Abuelita—my grandmother. She was like a mother to me, and even though she died 10 years ago I still miss her terribly. Wild and sweet-smelling roses grew around her house. The roses I was planting would be a beautiful and constant reminder of her—a tribute.But soon after I planted the bushes, I was distraught whe
ODJ: eager to listen
A young boy and his stepdad had trouble connecting with each other due to the fact that they were complete opposites. The man was outgoing; the boy was reserved. The man loved to get up early to fish; the youngster loved to sleep in and play video games all day.The stepdad, attempting to bond with the boy, took him on a week-long fishing trip. The boy hated every second of it, but he couldn&rsquo