Featured Devotionals

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ODJ: crooked house

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Wobbly, woozy, unsteady. These words all describe the appearance of the Crooked House—the most photographed house in all of Poland. One observer commented that the structure looks as if it is “melting or sagging from exhaustion”. Designer Szotynscy Zaleski purposely created the exterior to feature few straight lines and the result is an architectural ode to a funho

ODJ: hope in death

In early 2013 James McConnell passed away at a nursing home in Southsea, Hampshire, in England. Mr. McConnell, a veteran of the UK’s Royal Marines, was 70 years old. Unfortunately he had no family and when the medical staff told Rev. Bob Mason that they feared no one would show up for the funeral, Mason sent the following note to the Royal Marines Association:

Mason was sh

ODJ: legacy

The book of Genesis is structured around the phrase, “This is the account of ...”. Its main divisions begin with: “This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 2:4), “of the descendants of Adam” (5:1), “of Noah and his family” (6:9), “of Terah’s family” (11:27), “of the family of Isaac” (25:19) and “of Jacob and his family” (37:2). These

ODJ: put to, put on

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Though it’s my job to be an actor, I have given my life to God. I am very comfortable and firm in that, but I still have to be on this [TV] show. It’s the number one [rated] comedy, but it’s very inappropriate and the themes are very inappropriate. I have to be this person I am not”.

When an actor said those words in 2012, they ignited a firestorm of well publicised contrastin

ODJ: more than boy meets girl

At our school reunion, friends were excitedly reminiscing about their past adventures and misadventures while I simply listened. I couldn’t join the conversations because most of my unscheduled school hours had been spent in the school library poring over one of Jane Austen’s novels! So it’s not hard to imagine that one of my favourite Old Testament books is Ruth.

Ruth was a da

ODJ: looking beyond calvary

The Mount Grace Priory is one of England’s best preserved medieval monasteries. For hundreds of years Carthusian monks lived there in solitude, devoting themselves to prayer. The priory’s ruins are impressive, but a more modern monument caught my attention on a recent visit to the site.

At the centre of the priory church stands a sculpture called the Madonna of the Cross. Crafted

ODJ: undeserved grace

Early in my walk with the Lord, a friend told me that as I came to understand more fully how undeserving I was of Jesus’ grace, I’d embrace it all the more. Many years later I still think about her exhortation when—on occasion—I move from acknowledging my sins and desperate need of a Saviour to wondering if perhaps I’m entitled to special treatment based on my ‘good works.’

ODJ: good conflict

Many Christians are masters at avoiding conflicts. Perhaps we confuse “blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) with “blessed are those who avoid unpleasant situations”. But conflict and confrontation weave their way throughout the fabric of the Bible.

As the children of Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River for the first time, they faced literal warfare. But first they

ODJ: restoration

After some knee surgery, I was unprepared for the level of physical therapy required to restore my range of motion. According to my physical therapist, the surgical procedure had caused trauma to my leg and my muscles had shut down. Years of physical movement had been undone in 20 minutes. But I had to commit to the process of healing. Some days were tedious, some were downright painful. But the