Featured Devotionals

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ODJ: waking to our hunger

When our boys come home from school or return to the house from playing, they utter predictable words amidst moans: “I’m starving. I’m going to die if I don’t eat”. They descend on me and my wife like vultures, insisting they’ll keel over at any moment if food doesn’t arrive. Usually, however, as we list the healthy snacks available to them (nuts, fruit, yogurt), they brush each poss

ODJ: when gods die

France Nouvelle, the newspaper of the French Communist Party, stated this after Stalin died: “The heart of Stalin . . . has ceased beating. But Stalinism lives on and is immortal. . . . To Stalin we shall remain faithful for evermore. Communists everywhere will endeavour to deserve, by their untiring devotion to the sacred cause of the working class . . . the honourary title of Stalin

ODJ: remember

My wife and I recently checked out the Titanic exhibit at our local museum. As we walked among the artifacts, watched videos and viewed photos, the events of 15 April 1912—the day the Titanic sank—became real to us. One particularly moving account involved an older woman and her husband. When Ida Straus was asked to board a lifeboat with other women, leaving her husband behi

ODJ: true salvation

What must one do to be saved? For the answer, turn to the book of Galatians. The problem that arose in the churches in Galatia remains a question that many Christians battle with today. Are we truly saved by our belief in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us, or is something more necessary on our part?

The apostle Paul took pains to help believers understand that we’re

ODJ: harvest of generosity

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In East Africa I’ve found that a little goes a long way. For example, my colleagues and I are able to help feed 20 children in Uganda for far less than it would cost to feed 20 children in some western parts of the world.

I love giving and then seeing smiles spread across the faces of the ladies and children we serve in the sub-Sahara region. When I consider the joy I experience in h

ODJ: sacrifices—good and bad

Jess likes money. In her brief 4½ years on the planet, she has already learned that she can play her aunts and uncles for spare change. Cuteness and intelligence comprise a formidably lucrative combination. Her parents, quite naturally, are concerned over this. “Don’t ask for money,” they tell her. “You should earn it by doing chores.”

One day Jess discovered that a friend

ODJ: unaffected

Not all influence is the same. A piece of coal and a diamond vastly differ in their make-up and value, though both contain carbon. Coal’s stubborn, black residue marks anything it touches. A diamond, though stronger and more costly, doesn’t transfer its brilliance. Carry a bag of coal or a bag of diamonds and the lesson is visible—only one influences by proximity.

Sin and holin

ODJ: give what you have

Last year a few foreign exchange students from Saudi Arabia celebrated Christmas with our family in America. When they arrived they told us they had never experienced a Christmas in America and were looking forward to it with great anticipation.

When it came time to exchange gifts, we carefully explained to our guests that the tradition of giving gifts to those we love was one way we

ODJ: no more prejudice

Many years ago it was assumed that women could not play the French horn better than men. Their thoughts were challenged and disproved, however, when Julie Landsman auditioned for the role of principal French horn for the renowned Metropolitan Opera. During her audition, Landsman sat and played behind a screen—and played beautifully. After being declared the winner of the lead chair based on sou