praying for haiti
The news of the devastation caused by the magnitude-7.0 earthquake in Haiti has caused me to call out to God in prayer. I grieve the loss of life and the painful injuries sustained by so many people. As I’ve been praying for all the people affected, one young woman named Cathy—a friend our family who is teaching in Port-au-Prince—has been especially on my mind. By God’s grace, we just learned that she was not physically harmed by the quake.
Please feel free to comment and share your personal prayer requests for people you know in Haiti or ideas for how we can help minister to all the people affected by this tragedy. Let’s call out to God together. (By Tom Felten, www.ourdailyjourney.org)
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Loading ...ODJ: staying seated
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers (v.14).
READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
The train car was packed with highly irritated people. We should have pulled into our station four hours earlier, but the train’s engine was stopped dead in a distant city. Exasperated, my husband and I cooked up a plan to get off the train, find a rental car agency, and drive the rest of the way home. We wanted to do something, anything but remain in our seats and wait.
The frustration of waiting sometimes compels us to take matters into our own hands—especially in matters of dating and marriage. The danger comes when we lower our standards instead of “staying seated” and waiting for God’s best.
Paul’s warning to the Corinthian believers can save us a lot of heartache if we apply it to our dating lives. He said, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
If you’re like me, you probably know some really nice people who think Jesus is just one of many ways to heaven. God calls us, however, to “come out from among unbelievers, and separate [our]selves from them” (v.17). So considering marriage with someone who doesn’t know Jesus is one sign that we should definitely stay seated.
When it comes to dating, we also need to avoid so-called believers who consistently act like people with no spiritual conscience. Paul advised us not to get involved with “anyone who claims to be a believer, yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people” (1 Corinthians 5:11). As tough as it is, we need to avoid romantic involvement with people who don’t walk the walk.
While no one likes to wait, it’s worth it to honor God’s standards for marriage. By doing so, you’ll be able to leap from your seat and run down the aisle if God leads you there. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
If you’re single, what changes, if any, is God asking you to make in your dating habits? Why is it important for a believer to marry another Christian who is walking closely with God? If you’re married, what marital advice could you give the singles
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: the sin buildup
January 14, 2010
READ: 1 John 1:5-10
We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. —2 Corinthians 4:7
For hundreds of years, windmills around the world have been used to pump water and to process grains. But in the last few decades, as wind turbines producing electricity have become more prevalent, a “fly in the ointment” unexpectedly occurred.
Researchers discovered that windpower generators worked fine at slow speeds, but at high-wind velocity, bugs on the blades reduced power output. Operators found that it was necessary to regularly wash off the buildup of dead insects to avoid having them slowly decrease the turbine’s power.
A buildup of sin in a Christian’s life can be a problem as well. God has provided a way to clear the accumulation of sins from our lives. First John 1:9 reminds us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But unless we do that often, we’ll be running on diminished power. That’s because the power for living comes from God and not us (2 Cor. 4:7). When we try to live the Christian life in our own strength, we’ll feel defeated—like windmills robbed of their energy.
God’s power can be more easily seen and experienced in our lives when we get rid of sin’s buildup every day. — Cindy Hess Kasper
Sin drains our spiritual power; confession restores it.
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