HOME Chapter 5: Pg 21-24
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ODJ: healing the wounds
One of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him (vv.49-51).
READ: Luke 22:39-53
Jesus prays on the mountain, His anguish heightened as His death draws near. The disciples, having fallen asleep, are startled as Judas and his angry crowd charge toward their friend. Judas plants his ghastly kiss on Jesus’ cheek, the guards step forward, and fear ripples through the disciples’ chests.
I wonder what I might’ve done if I were in the disciples’ predicament that evening? “If you don’t have a sword,” Jesus had said, “sell your cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36). Would I also have missed the metaphor and taken Him literally? If I were bleary-eyed and startled by the horde, would my hand have reached for the sword hilt? If I were Peter, would I also have lunged at the High Priest’s servant, slashing in defense? (v.50, 18:10).
Peter’s sword strikes Malchus, and in an instant a follower of the Prince of Peace becomes guilty of attempted manslaughter. “No more of this,” Jesus commands. He kneels down to Malchus and miraculously heals his severed ear (v.51). And in an instant the Prince of Peace heals a wound inflicted by His follower.
Many are the wounds of Jesus’ followers today. Hypocritical evangelists, judgmental believers, and zealots who misinterpret the Word of God all leave their scars in the Good Shepherd’s name. Maybe you’ve suffered personally. Your faith, once vibrant, is now dulled; your heart, once joyful, is now jaded. You wonder
what kind of God would have these kinds of followers.
Jesus cries, “No more.”
His followers may fail to live like Him, but Jesus is always consistent. Look again at His face. Watch Him walk toward you, watch Him kneel before you, and feel Him touch your deepest wound. He can heal you of the damage done by His defenders—if you will simply welcome His touch. —Sheridan Voysey
How have you harbored bitterness toward those who’ve done damage to you? What healing could Jesus bring to your heart?
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Loading ...who is deaf?
July 22, 2009
READ: Isaiah 42:1-4,23-25
The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save . . . . [But] your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. —Isaiah 59:1-2
A man told his doctor that he thought his wife was going deaf. The doctor told him to conduct a simple test. When the man reached the front door of his home, he called out, “Darling, is dinner ready?” Hearing no response, he walked inside and repeated himself. Still no reply. On the third try, when he was just behind her, he finally heard her say, “For the third time, yes!”
Similarly, the ancient Israelites thought God was deaf when the problem was actually with them. Isaiah was a prophet sent to warn God’s people about impending judgment, but his message fell on deaf ears. Instead of being God’s covenant people, who were to bring light to those in darkness and release them from the dungeons of sin (42:7), they refused to hear Him. “They would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law” (v.24).
The prophet explained why their prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears: “The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isa. 59:1-2). One reason for not receiving answers from God is that sin may be blocking our hearing. Let’s examine ourselves carefully.
Our God isn’t hard of hearing. — C. P. Hia
God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Interview: Anne Cetas
1. What is a day in your shoes like? My size 9 shoes are under my desk most days, while I’m editing, proofing, writing, or evaluating devotional articles. 2. What does your job require you to do? Evaluate new material according to established guidelines, interact with fellow editors, research and write devotionals, read whenever I [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: what you ain’t got
The peace I give is a gift the world cannot give (v.27).
READ: John 14:23-29
Harrison Ford’s career embodies success. His movies have earned more than $6 billion (US). But in a recent interview, Ford made this profound, albeit ungrammatical comment: “You only want what you ain’t got.” The interviewer asked him what it was he wanted. Ford gave a one-word reply: “Peace.”
How do you define success? Perhaps an elusive goal beckons just around the corner. If only I had “that,” you think, everything would be all right. But the truth is, that’s a lie. There is no thing out there that makes everything better.
On the night before He was crucified, Jesus gave His disciples the path to real peace. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” He said. “Trust in God, and trust also in Me” (John 14:1).
Jesus based this peace on several things. He was preparing a permanent place for them (vv.2-4), and He would not leave them without an Advocate, the Holy Spirit (vv.16-17). He promised them eternal life with Him. “I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you,” He said. “Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you” (vv.18-20). Although the disciples did not fully comprehend His words, they would recall them in the future and find the peace they would need to carry out Jesus’ commands.
“I am leaving you with a gift,” Jesus concluded, “peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (v.27).
The one thing we all want is one thing we cannot arrive at without divine intervention. There is no peace without the peace that Jesus gives.
—Tim Gustafson
List your top three goals. What kind of success would they bring if you reached them? How will they help you find peace?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...eternity in our hearts
July 21, 2009
READ: Ecclesiastes 3:9-17
He has put eternity in their hearts. —Ecclesiastes 3:11
I once came across a scene of beauty outside Anchorage, Alaska. Against a slate-gray sky, the water of an ocean inlet had a slight greenish cast, interrupted by small whitecaps. Soon I saw these were not whitecaps at all but whales—silvery white beluga whales in a pod feeding no more than 50 feet offshore. I stood with other onlookers, listening to the rhythmic motion of the sea, following the graceful, ghostly crescents of surfacing whales. The crowd was hushed, even reverent. For just a moment, nothing else mattered.
The author of Ecclesiastes would have understood the crowd’s response. He sees with dazzling clarity the beauty in the created world and that God “has put eternity in their hearts” (3:11). Such an elegant phrase applies to much in human experience. Surely it hints at a religious instinct. Our hearts perceive eternity in ways other than the religious.
Ecclesiastes presents both sides of life on this planet: the promise of pleasures so alluring that we may devote our lives to their pursuit, and the haunting realization that these pleasures ultimately do not satisfy. God’s tantalizing world is too big for us. Unless we acknowledge our limits and subject ourselves to God’s rule, unless we trust the Giver of all good gifts, we will end up in despair. — Philip Yancey
To make the most of today, keep eternity in mind.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: now and then
Encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind (vv.6-7).
READ: Titus 2:1-15
You have to love the creative ways people show God’s love to others. Recently, I was impressed as I learned about a friend’s compassionate ministry to college students. The teens and 20-somethings come over to her home for meals, for guidance, and to learn from her godly example. With their homes being far away, they now have a “home” and “mother” nearby.
When I complimented my friend for serving the students, she explained that her efforts were all about now and then. She’s loving and encouraging these kids now the way she hopes some other believers in Jesus will love her own kids then—when they’re attending college.
Paul “took in” a young protégé, Titus, and showed him the “ropes” of loving and guiding others. He emphasized that this young leader on the Island of Crete must “be an example to [other believers] by doing good works of every kind” (Titus 2:7).
The apostle’s aim was for Titus to teach and disciple more and more believers in Jesus of all ages (vv.2-4,6) and to do the works of a mature believer so that they in turn would “do them” (v.15). This “multiplication” plan was originally put in motion by Jesus Himself when He established the Great Commission of the church (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). As the concentric circles of believers in Christ continue to expand, more and more people become believers and start making their own waves—teaching others and doing the things that flow from authentic faith (Titus 2:11).
What waves have you been making? Who are you encouraging to dive deeper into spiritual truth? As we love and lead others to Jesus and teach them His ways, we’re doing what my student-loving friend is up to—building into young believers now, so they can disciple young believers then. —Tom Felten
How exciting would it be to have someone you’ve discipled disciple your child one day? What will you do today to love and disciple others for Jesus?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...small step – giant leap
July 20, 2009
READ: Ephesians 4:17-24
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. —Ephesians 4:23
In July 1969, I was at Fort Benning, Georgia, training to become a US Army officer. Infantry Officer Candidate School was intense and highly regimented with only rare moments of free time. Surprisingly, on the evening of July 20, we were ordered to our company Day Room, seated in front of a flickering television set, and told simply, “This is history.”
Amazed, we watched Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first human to set foot on the moon as he said, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Our usual curfew was suspended and we talked late into the night—not only about what we had witnessed but about life, God, and eternity. Our demanding routine had been interrupted, and our attention was shifted to what truly matters.
All of us need to shift our focus on a daily basis. Maintaining a regular time alone with God allows us to step away from our demanding jobs, break the routine, and concentrate on Him through the Bible and prayer. Our thoughts and actions will change as we follow Paul’s urging to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).
What may seem like a small step can be a giant leap each day in our life of faith in Christ. — David C. McCasland
Each small step of faith is a giant step of growth.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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ODJ: time to obey
The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey My commands and instructions?” (v.28).
READ: Exodus 16:1-29
My wife, Miska, and I like to talk things out with our boys (ages 6 and 4). Often, we ask them what they’re feeling or if they understand instructions we are giving them. Even when they evidence a bad attitude, we will talk them through the moment. Not always, however. Sometimes, the time for talk has passed; the time to “zip the lips and obey” has arrived.
God must feel similar emotions as He deals with us. During the Exodus, the Israelites began to complain and whine for more food. God replied with an improbable response, saying He would drop manna (a sweet waferlike food) and quail from the sky. God intended to use this miraculous feeding to teach Israel to trust in His power and in His generous intention to provide for their every need. To that end, He gave clear instructions for the people to gather only enough food each daybreak for that day’s need and no more. Unfortunately, “some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning” (Exodus 16:20).
Next, God instructed the people to gather double the normal day’s amount at the end of the week, allowing the people to rest on the Sabbath. But, once again, “some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day” to scrounge around for food that—they would discover—wasn’t there (v.27).
God’s reply evidenced His frustration. When will My people simply obey? (v.28). God is always open to our questions. He is long-suffering and merciful and kind and knows full well our human imperfections. But there comes a time when our questions merely become a way of hiding from the risk and danger of disobedience. There comes a time when we need to silence the excuses or the fears and simply obey—the time is now. —Winn Collier
In what way do you need to obey God today? How will your obedience affect your relationship with Him?
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