Featured Devotionals

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ODJ: sin-eaters

Many years ago, sin-eating was practised in parts of the UK and America. A sin-eater was normally a poor, hungry person who was brought to the home of a dead person, where he was given some bread to eat and a drink to consume. After having his fill, he would then ritually pray over the deceased. This curious custom supposedly absolved the dead person—and sometimes a whole family—of si

ODJ: faith at the finish

She burned down her house and lives off the land in Africa. Her name is Jja Ja Nakibuuka. Leprosy has claimed her fingers and toes. She owns nothing, so children sometimes offer her food and small presents. When she greets the children and their mothers, Jja Ja Nakibuuka always says the same thing: “God is good, and He is coming back.”
The Bible encourages us to anticipate the moment when

ODJ: dad, mum & me

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour when I was 15 years old. When my dad found out, he was heartbroken because of his differing religious beliefs. He couldn’t sleep well for the next several nights. He felt that he had failed as a father because he couldn’t keep his family together. His daughter had deserted the family tradition and chose to follow a “Western god”.
I love my dad, bu

ODJ: in the café

Crystal stares out of the café window, wondering if life will ever improve. Five men, two kids, all by 29 years old. She’s lonely and wonders if man no. 6 will make things better.
Jesus walks through the café door and sits down at Crystal’s table. “I could really go for a coffee,” He says with a smile. “Uh, excuse me,” Crystal says, “do I know you?” “Not well,” Jesus say

ODJ: clear communication

Many battles in life stem from false assumptions that are made due to lack of communication. For instance, we share a wall with our neighbours and—since moving in 6 months ago—they’ve been redecorating. The garden, the garage, the bathrooms, the bedrooms; nothing has escaped a hammer, an electric power tool or a paintbrush.
Recently I took an important online exam at home and needed abs

ODJ: powerful shaft of light

When the Nazis overran Poland, Father Maximilian Kolbe transformed his friary into a covert refugee centre. Before the SS troops discovered Kolbe’s plot, the men had hidden more than 2,000 Jews. The SS shipped Kolbe to Auschwitz, prisoner #16670. Though beaten, forced into hard labour and given sparse food, Kolbe’s gentleness never waned.
After three prisoners escaped the camp, Auschwitz

ODJ: pass the bacon

As Peter was waiting for lunch, he slipped into a trance and saw a sheet drop from the sky full of unclean animals. The image must have startled him—Why was a good Jew like him having a filthy dream like this? What he heard next shocked him: “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure an

ODJ: safe

Overwhelmed with work and tired from a busy weekend of ministry, I couldn’t stop the tears when I came home to a leak in the kitchen ceiling of our new house. Hardly an insurmountable problem, especially since our house is under warranty, I still felt my vulnerability anew. Not only had we recently encountered the challenges of moving to a new town, we had also faced considerable agitation from

ODJ: playing the part

Last year a teenager in China got in some hot water for playing the part of a stewardess. The 13 year old bought a uniform that resembled those worn by stewardesses and even put together some fake credentials. Then she camped out at the local airport terminal, trying to sneak her way onto a jet. When police escorted her away, she begged them to bring her back, saying, “I am truly in love with th