ODB: how to become rich
September 9, 2009 READ: Luke 12:13-21 Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. —Luke 12:15 I find it interesting that Jesus taught more about money than anything else. And He wasn’t trying to ratchet up the treasury. As far as we know, [...]
Our Awesome God
By Tracy Phua The sea was calm. We were in the middle of nowhere. Every person on board the ship was poised with his or her eyes locked on the surface of the sea. The silence was deafening. Then, it happened. In the far-off distance, a faint spout of water emerged from the water’s surface. [...]
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Loading ...ODJ: alone in the night
What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go (v.15).
READ: Genesis 28:10-22
In 1963, Darryl Hill endured scorn. A wide receiver for the University of Maryland football team, Hill was the first black player to break into the racially segregated Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Each week, Hill encountered hostile crowds, with some opposing fans dressed in white Ku Klux Klan robes or holding large dangling nooses. During one game at Wake Forest, Hill faced a particularly vitriolic atmosphere. Brian Piccolo, a Wake player, crossed the field to Hill and led him directly in front of the frothing Wake student section. Piccolo wrapped his arm around Hill—and just stood there with him. Almost instantly, the crowd went silent.
Simple presence with another can be a powerful and healing act. But the truth of God’s nearness to His people is something truly stunning and comforting.
Jacob experienced that nearness. Estranged from his family and out in the wilderness on a solitary journey, with no bed to curl up on, Jacob merely “found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep” (Genesis 28:11). What followed was an odd vision from God. Jacob saw stairs leading to heaven with angels moving up and down on them. God stood at the top of the stairs.
His powerful words to Jacob reminded him of his identity. They revealed Jacob’s place in his family’s narrative. God’s words declared the truth that He was the God who had always been with Jacob’s fathers. “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac” (v.13). And God assured Jacob, as he slept alone on a rock in the dark night, that He would always be with him as well. Always. “I will not leave you,” God said (v.15).
When we’re alone or tired or despondent, it’s easy to feel like we’ve been left entirely to ourselves. But that’s not true. For God is with us. —Winn Collier
When have you felt most alone? What would the impact have been if you had rested in the fact that God was there with you?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
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