Featured Devotionals

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ODJ: the one who sees

I recently stumbled across an online thread titled “I Am So Freaking Tired of Being Hurt.” It’s part of a website that invites people to share difficult life experiences such as battling cancer or facing a marriage crisis.

Hagar certainly could have added her life story to this thread (Genesis 16:1-6). As an Egyptian slave girl, she already lived a difficult life. She was essenti

ODJ: beloved

Standing near the body of his older brother, his pain was visible. Adding to the weight of death was the knowledge that their relationship had been the closest thing he’d ever known to that of a father and son. His brother had always said, “I love you,” whenever they parted. But the differences in their lives, the jagged edges of their arguments and the absence of true intimacy left this gri

ODJ: rough waters

Palmer Chinchen, author of True Religion, tells of the time when he went whitewater rafting down the Zambezi River. As he and his brothers were preparing to make their way down the watery roller coaster, the guide gave them some very helpful advice: “When—not if—the raft flips, stay in the rough water. You’ll be tempted to swim toward the stagnant water at the edge of the

ODJ: the Trinity

Today, some churches will observe Trinity Sunday as a way to remember and honour the Holy Trinity—our triune God consisting of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three, and yet one God. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. But the New Testament reveals a triune God (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 14:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11, 12:3-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 3:

ODJ: a surfer’s heart

The film Noah’s Arc: The Noah Snyder Documentary tells the story of Noah Snyder and his unique journey from growing up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to establishing a professional surfing career. As my son and I watched it, we were moved by both the stellar surfing and the deep truths found in the story. It was inspiring to see Noah and several of his childhood friends mature fro

ODJ: imperfectly acceptable

When it is first read it seems like a love story. In truth it’s the record of what might have been one of David’s most heartless acts.

David had been at war with King Saul (2 Samuel 3:1). After Saul’s death, his field commander Abner decided to switch sides and support David’s claim to the throne (vv.8-10). “Make a solemn pact with me,” Abner said, “and I will help turn o

ODJ: chaos monster

Ancient civilisations were terrified by the ocean. To them, the sea was a stormy, unpredictable place where swells swallowed up courageous sailors. So it’s not surprising that the religions of the Ancient Near East all contained accounts about how their god defeated the evil sea of chaos and its seven-headed monster—often portrayed as a dragon or serpent. Whether it was the Mesopotamian Mardu

ODJ: time and eternity

I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I haven’t found the time to take lessons. Since time is short, I would rather spend my time doing the things that I won’t get to do in heaven—stuff like helping a believer to mature in his or her faith or reaching out to someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. I say to myself, In heaven, I’ll have the whole of eternity to master

ODJ: a time to . . .

When grocer William Straw died unexpectedly in 1932, the family of this man from Worksop, England, was devastated. In their grief, they chose to leave William’s red brick house precisely the way it was the day he died. Over the years, Straw’s two sons lived there, keeping the house in immaculate condition—leaving their father’s coats and hats by the front door, his soap in the bathtub and