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: guilty as charged

I recently read of the acquittal of a teenage girl who had been accused of blasphemy under her country’s strict blasphemy laws. If she had been convicted, she would have been imprisoned for life. It was found, however, that a religious teacher had promoted false evidence to frame her.

As I thought about her plight, I asked myself: “If I were arrested for being a Christian, would the

ODJ: what kind of sorrow?

In the wake of numerous public confessions by fallen politicians, sports figures and business executives, Paul Wilkes references Susan Wise Bauer’s helpful distinction: “An apology is an expression of regret: I am sorry. A confession is an admission of fault: I am sorry because I did wrong. I sinned.” Wilkes goes on: “Apology addresses an audience. Confession implies an inner change . . .

ODJ: a good worker

Do you think God views you as a good worker? This is a difficult question to answer. Some of us feel that we could never be good enough to deserve such a commendation; others confess that seeking His approval is not exactly our priority. Moreover, it’s easy to be unduly modest or self-deceptively positive. So, how do we even begin to assess ourselves correctly?

Thankfully, the apostle

ODJ: being messed with

I played football, baseball and golf at school. I’ve had multiple exercise routines over the years and now run 5 or 6 days a week. No one would ever call me limber, however. For years, trainers have encouraged me to stretch and coax my muscles to be more flexible. I agree with the idea, but I’ve never wanted to endure the pain and inconvenience required to follow the advice. Stretching hur

ODJ: don’t be dumb

There’s nothing new under the sun.

King David, the most respected man in Israel, committed adultery while his soldiers were fighting for their lives (2 Samuel 11:1-5).

Not long ago, a highly respected military leader in America was found to be in an adulterous relationship that began while he was commanding soldiers during the war in Afghanistan. He was enticed by the fla

ODJ: a better plan

Many years ago my wife and I felt that God wasmoving us out of our comfort zone to ignite a new work within an established ministry. When we met with the ministry’s leadership, however, our plans were rejected. In essence, they said our vision was good, but our timing wasn’t. We were disappointed and asked God, “Why?”

A short time later we discovered that I had cancer. Extensive

ODJ: the Rock

In 2003 the 635 tonne Old Man of the Mountain—a 40 foot tall natural outcropping of granite ledges in New Hampshire’s White Mountains in the US—crumbled and slid down to the base below. Some of the residents responded to the incident with deep emotional sadness and devastation. One man said that he had lost the oldest member of his family. Since the rocks rolled, local businesses have also s

ODJ: living differently

Several years ago my husband and I made the decision not to purchase cable TV. The benefits of our decision went far beyond saving money. In fact, having recently lived with a family while building our new home, we discovered what we hadn’t been missing. We knew the toxicity of television, but now with everyday access, we saw in high definition the brazen sexuality and carnal worldview that perm

ODJ: peace work

As we bumped slowly down the rain-ravaged, two-track ‘road’, we inched past weathered dwellings where skittish chickens dodged barefoot children. Simple fences framed gardens that sprouted low-yield corn and tomatoes. Wiry farmers prodded lumbering buffaloes as they tilled larger fields.

Suddenly a mansion, sprawling and fortress-like, loomed in the distance. It was the mayor’s h