Featured Devotionals

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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.

ODJ: Bible cyst

An acquaintance of mine recently went to have his doctor examine a cyst on the top of his wrist. The doctor told the man that it was a “Bible cyst.”

A ganglion cyst, sometimes called a Bible cyst, is a swelling or benign tumour that often surfaces on or around joints and tendons in the hand or foot. In the past, one way to treat a ganglion cyst was to strike it with a blunt obje

ODJ: breaking tradition

I didn’t realise how much my family’s Christmas traditions were ingrained in me until it came time for my husband and me to form our own. While we may have strong opinions about when to begin decorating or the best way to open presents, the real issue is deeper. In the ever changing flow of life, traditions bring a sense of stability. Even though no amount of Christmas baking, tree-decorating

ODJ: extravagant mercy

When we wrong someone, it’s normal for us to feel distance and shame. We might imagine that the offended person is stewing over our poor behaviour, replaying our thoughtless conduct or writing us off. We may even think there will be a complete disinterest in us until we return and effusively atone for our actions.

In Jesus’ culture the father’s actions would be seen as foolish or so

ODJ: filthy garments


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Can God use someone like me—a person with a bad past? This question was burning in the hearts of the returnees. The Israelites had come back from captivity—a result of their gross, persistent and unrepentant sins. The Promised Land laid in ruin, the temple destroyed. They realised that they had messed up big time. Can the holy God use us to reestablish the proper way to worship

ODJ: thank you cards

Today I read a eulogy written by a man in memory of his 6 year old daughter who died of leukemia. “Our daughter was full of gratitude for God and others,” the father shared. “She carried a little purse—containing paper and coloured pencils—with her wherever she went so she could write thank you cards when someone gave her a gift or did something nice for her.”

Whether it’s w

ODJ: just enough

In the film Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye talked very honestly with God about His economics: “You made many, many poor people. I realise, of course, that it’s no shame to be poor. But it’s no great honour either! So what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune? . . . Lord, who made the lion and the lamb, you decreed I should be what I am. Would it spoil some vast, eternal plan if

ODJ: blameless

Many people trust their pharmacists more than their pastors! According to a 2012 poll, respondents were asked to rate the “honesty and ethical standards” of 22 different professions. Seventy-five percent ranked pharmacists as high/very high. Car salesmen and members of congress were trusted least. Sadly church leaders ranked eighth, and only one in two said the ones they know are men of int

ODJ: wrestling with God

Often, on Saturdays in the 1980s, my brother and I watched professional wrestling on TV. We were mesmerised by the acrobatics and the seemingly super-human body slams that shook the wrestling ring. We rooted for the good guys and pointed at the screen exclaiming things like “Did you see that?” and “Ooooh, that had to hurt!” Fortunately we did not try (many of) those moves at home.