Song: Finally Alive
written and performed by Asiri Fernando Finally Alive The wind blows wherever it pleases, You can hear its sound But you can’t tell where it’s coming from That’s the way it is with those who’re born of the Spirit They’re purified and set free Into pleasures forevermore *And now I’m alive because of you, I’m [...]
ODJ: the blue letters
I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? (v.4).
READ: Psalm 56
During an airline flight, a woman seated next to my friend pulled out a brand-new Bible—still shrink-wrapped. My friend pointed to the unblemished book and remarked, “Now that’s a new one!”
The woman smiled and explained that her old Bible, which she quickly retrieved from her carry-on bag, was “full.” The blue-ink notes and insights she had written in its margins had left little white space in the bulging, tattered book. So, she was cracking open a new one!
It’s obvious that my friend’s co-passenger is a woman who literally clings to God’s Word. She reminds me of David, who wrote in Psalm 56, “I praise God for what He has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised” (v.10). David wrote this song to recount his dreaded experience of being seized by the Philistines (v.1; 1 Samuel 21:11-15). He ended up having to fake being crazy to escape his enemies’ clutches. But God comforted him as he safely made it from captivity to freedom (Psalm 56:9).
Both the blue-letter woman—who expressed to my friend her great faith in Jesus—and David shared a common reason for holding on to God’s Word: Trust. “I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God” (vv.4,11).
You may not be big on writing in the margins of your Bible, but I hope you’re spending a lot of time in the Word. Without those trust-building moments of meditation, observation, and application, we can be left in a state of devastation when tough times come.
As he celebrated God’s deliverance from the Philistines, David wrote, “I can walk in Your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (v.13). Blue letters don’t just happen and neither does deep trust in God. Keep basking in the trust-building light of His Word (Psalm 119:105). —Tom Felten
What happens to your trust in God when you neglect the Bible? How will you increase your blue-letter times spent in His Word?
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Loading ...ODB: running a marathon
September 1, 2009
READ: Philippians 3:12-21
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:14
The Comrades Marathon, which began in 1921, is the oldest ultra-marathon. Covering 90 km (56 miles), it is held annually in South Africa. Bruce Fordyce completely dominated this marathon in the 1980s, winning it nine times between 1981 and 1990. His 1986 record of 5 hours 24 minutes and 7 seconds stood for 21 years before it was finally broken in 2007. It’s amazing to me that he has continued to run in this race every year.
In a sense, we as Christians are all in a marathon. It takes endurance to run and finish the race of life. When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he spoke of how he was “reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (3:13) and pressing on “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v.14).
Our Lord Jesus has set an example of how to run life’s marathon. The Bible tells us that Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Despite “hostility from sinners,” He completed His race (v.3).
The secret to finishing well is to look forward to the joy that awaits us after life’s race—eternal life with Him. — C. P. Hia
The Christian’s race is not a competitive event but an endurance run.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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