Featured Devotionals

Check out all of YMI’s content pieces tagged under Featured Devotionals. We hope you’d benefit from the written and visual content we have under this topic: Featured Devotionals.

ODJ: anchor of hope

When we think of retirement it may be that visiting exotic islands, lying in hammocks and enjoying endless days of leisure come to mind. Well, that’s not Estella Pyfrom’s idea of retirement. Pyfrom, a retired teacher and daughter of migrant farm workers, spent all of her retirement funds to serve others. She bought a bus, decked it out with computers and desks and now drives throughout the di

ODJ: in the beginning

In the film, The Sound of Music, Sister Maria sings: “Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A-B-C. When you sing, you begin with do-re-mi.” Where do we begin in understanding what life is all about? Genesis, the book of beginnings, provides the answer.

Genesis 1 begins with the presupposition that God exists. I

ODJ: a dad for Christmas

Most children will ask Santa for an extensive list of toys and treats this Christmas. A study of 2,000 British parents revealed, however, that the majority of children in the UK put a new baby brother or sister at the top of their Christmas list, closely followed by a request for a real life reindeer. The 10th most popular Christmas wish on the list was a “Dad.”

In his writte

ODJ: Jesus changes everything

If Jesus hadn’t entered our world, two things would be true. Firstly, those with the most _________ win. (Fill in the blank with whatever you or your culture happen to value most.) In ancient times it was those with the most camels, wives or gold. Today it includes those with the most cash, toys or Facebook friends. Either way the goal is the same: get all you can while you can.
<

ODJ: strangers and foreigners

Last summer my son and I were heading to a connecting flight at Chicago’s International Airport. As we walked briskly from one terminal to another, Wasswa said, “Look, Mummy, a Dinka!”

Dinkas comprise the largest tribe in South Sudan. They’re considered the tallest people group in Africa and with their beautiful, deep skin colour are fairly easy to recognise if you’re some

ODJ: warped view

Recently I was talking with a friend who has been scarred by sin—things done to him by others. The effects linger, even though the actions occurred long ago. He was struggling, trying to see beyond the lies that caused him to feel unworthy of God’s grace. He felt powerless and weak, which left him vulnerable to the temptation to assuage his pain through wrong means. His identity in Jesus had b

ODJ: God of surprises

Were the angels surprised when God sketched out the universe? Surely they were—as surprised as when they saw the first bird take flight and the first humans blink their eyes. As surprised as when they watched God Himself sew garments to cover the fallen humans’ shame (Genesis 1-2; 3:21).

God surprised Abraham with a promise, Sarah with a child and Moses with His presence as he knel

ODJ: burned

Pepperoni, fresh garlic, black olives. When I agreed to try my friend’s favourite pizza toppings, I had no idea they would smell so divine. The aroma prompted me to take two pieces. “It’s gonna be hot,” my friend said. Stupidly I bypassed her warning and sunk my teeth into a steaming slice. You know what happened next. Lavalike cheese burned the top of my mouth and the rest of the meal was

ODJ: exclusively inclusive

Was Jesus a nice guy? Consider this: He made some shockingly exclusive claims about Himself and nice guys just don’t do that. When Peter told Him, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus blessed him (Matthew 16:16-17). To a Samaritan woman, Jesus plainly declared, “I AM the Messiah!” (John 4:26). And He announced to His followers, “I am the way, the truth and the life.