ODJ: holding it together
He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together (v.17). READ: Colossians 1:15-23 From autumn 2008 through April 2009, the country of South Africa was run by temporary or acting officials. When President Thabo Mbeki quit, after being accused of interfering in a court case, an acting president was elected along with an acting [...]
ODB: tell it all
February 18, 2010
READ: Psalm 62
Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. —Psalm 62:8
A clerk who helped me purchase a small digital voice recorder told me that he kept one just like it in his car when he worked in California. “When I began driving home after work I switched it on,” he said, “and I talked about everything that happened that day on the job, good and bad. When I pulled into my driveway, I hit the erase button.” Then he smiled. After telling everything to his voice recorder, he apparently had no need to go over the day’s problems with his wife or family.
It reminded me of how often I needlessly rehearse my disappointments and problems to others instead of telling them to God. The psalmist wrote: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8). Twice he spoke of waiting silently for God, his rock and salvation (vv.1-2,5-7).
While there is great comfort in sharing our difficulties with a friend, we miss the greatest help if we fail to bring them to the Lord. Joseph Scriven said it so well:
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer! — David C. McCasland
No matter where we are, Jesus is only a prayer away.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...Beautiful Ugliness
By Hasyth A., 22, Sri Lanka “This is a poem I wrote about God’s love for me and the stages of life I have experienced. It talks about my internal battles and the person I became—not pleasant. But through all my struggles and all the rejections that I have put God through, He never let [...]
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: we have this day
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (v.24).
READ: Psalm 118:19-29
Debbie Middlemann was telling me about her mother, Edith, the 94-year-old widow of Francis Schaeffer. Francis wrote powerfully and often about the dangers of euthanasia and the gift of life, and now his wife and daughter were putting his beliefs into practice.
Debbie said that hospices in her country slowly euthanize their patients, giving them ever-increasing amounts of morphine as they prepare them for heaven. But Debbie would have none of it. She brought her mother home and insisted that she savor the life that was left—listening to her favorite albums and books and eating home-cooked meals.
When Edith noted that she was old and might not live much longer, Debbie reminded her that she had what any young person had—this day. None of us know if we will be alive tomorrow, but we do know that God has given us this day. What are we doing with it?
Life goes by fast, and its pace quickens as we age. An entire week now feels like a long afternoon did when I was a kid. Are we almost a decade removed from 9/11? Is my child already starting school? I graduated how long ago? “Your life is like the morning fog,” James says, “it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (4:14).
Solomon responds to the brevity of life with sound advice: “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, ‘Life is not pleasant anymore’ ” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
Now is our time. Don’t worry about tomorrow, for you might not be here anyway. Don’t put off until later what you can do now. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know that God has given us this day. How will you spend yours? —Mike Wittmer
What friend, task, or duty have you been putting off? Procrastination is a form of disobedience. Do the right thing, and do it now.
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: in the car wash
February 17, 2010
READ: Isaiah 43:1-13
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. —Isaiah 43:2
I’ll never forget my first experience using an automatic car wash. Approaching it with the dread of going to the dentist, I pushed the money into the slot, nervously checked and rechecked my windows, eased the car up to the line, and waited. Powers beyond my control began moving my car forward as if on a conveyor belt. There I was, cocooned inside, when a thunderous rush of water, soap, and brushes hit my car from all directions. What if I get stuck in here or water crashes in? I thought irrationally. Suddenly the waters ceased. After a blow-dry, my car was propelled into the outside world again, clean and polished.
In the midst of all this, I remembered stormy times in my life when it seemed I was on a conveyor belt, a victim of forces beyond my control. “Car-wash experiences,” I now call them. I remembered that whenever I passed through deep waters my Redeemer had been with me, sheltering me against the rising tide (Isa. 43:2). When I came out on the other side, which I always did, I was able to say with joy and confidence, “He is a faithful God!”
Are you in the middle of a car-wash experience? Trust God to bring you through to the other side. You’ll then be a shining testimony of His keeping power. — Joanie Yoder
A tunnel of testing can produce a shining testimony.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...What Do You Think Love Is?
We found this short film on the website of Bulls and Arrows—a Christian ministry based in Australia releasing short films tackling different topics and issues we all deal with in the schoolyard and on the street. What do you think love is? Could you identify with Hannah? Is there something from God’s Word you could [...]
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: detecting toxins
February 16, 2010
READ: Galatians 1:3-10
There are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. —Galatians 1:7
San Francisco and New York City are using bluegill fish to check for the presence of toxins in their water supply, which could be a possible target for a terrorist attack. A small number of bluegills are kept in a tank at the bottom of some water treatment plants because the fish are sensitive to chemical imbalances in their environment. When a disturb-ance is present in the water, the bluegills react against it.
Like these bluegills, Paul wanted the Galatians to beware of and react against any toxic disturbance in the “true gospel” that was being preached. The toxin was defined as the false principle that God grants acceptance to people and considers them righteous on the basis of their obedience to a set of rules (especially circumcision and dietary laws). In short, obedience to the law was needed, apart from faith in Jesus. This false teaching was a toxic disturbance of the truth and the Galatians were told to react strongly against it. Paul said that anyone preaching a gospel that is not based on grace through faith in Christ alone should be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9).
Let’s faithfully study the Scriptures so we can detect the toxins of false teaching and proclaim the truth of God’s wonderful salvation through faith in Jesus. — Marvin Williams
If you know the truth, you can discern what’s false.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: as we forgive
Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us (v.12).
READ: Matthew 6:12-15
As We Forgive, the award-winning documentary by Laura Waters Hinson, portrays the pain and hope of two Rwandan women as they face the men who brutally murdered their families during the 1994 genocide. Catherine Claire Larson, author of the film-inspired book bearing the same title, believes that these women possess a message that we all need to hear.
“If Rwandans can find the courage to forgive,” Larson writes, “then perhaps there is hope for us in those problems that seem to pale in comparison and in those that echo the horrors of genocide.”
When someone has wronged us by word or deed, forgiveness rarely arises naturally or willingly. We are commanded by Jesus, however, to forgive “those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12).
Forgiveness is an oft-repeated theme in the New Testament. In Matthew 18, Jesus stated that God requires us to “forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (v.35). The apostle Paul reiterated this exhortation: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13).
Author Jerry Bridges writes, “In order to forgive our brother, we must be satisfied with God’s justice and forgo the satisfaction of our own.” Bridges continues, “God is the perfect example of one who forgives. He is so rich in mercy, and ‘He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life’ ” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
As we forgive others, we reveal the forgiving heart of God. —Roxanne Robbins
Is there someone you’ve been struggling to forgive? How can God’s forgiveness help you to forgive this person?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Owner of Your Car
By Eugene Seah, Singapore In the mayhem, I busy myself Daily and constant In the mayhem, I lose You God Repeatedly in folly Still in my stubbornness, I persevere Like a car that just won’t park Always I toil and labor Though You’ve said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Always I [...]
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: defining failure
February 15, 2010
READ: Hebrews 11:24-34
Who through faith . . . out of weakness were made strong. —Hebrews 11:33-34
During the Great Depression, many people in the US lived in shantytowns made up of plywood, tarps, and blankets. These decrepit dwellings, known as “Hoovervilles,” housed those who had been evicted from their homes. Many blamed President Herbert Hoover for the economic woes.
Ironically, Hoover’s apparent ineffectiveness as a leader was in sharp contrast to his previous record. Earlier, Hoover’s expertise in geological engineering led to successful mining projects in Australia and China. He also effectively spearheaded humanitarian efforts. But when the stock market crashed in October 1929, President Hoover was in circumstances beyond his control. He would be forever tied with the economic depression of the 1930s.
One major fiasco, however, does not mean one’s whole life is a failure. What if we remembered Abraham only as a deceiver (Gen. 12:10-20), Moses as disobedient to God (Num. 20:1-13), or David as a murderer? (2 Sam. 11). Despite their sins, these men are remembered for their persevering faith: “who through faith . . . out of weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11:33-34).
Our life is not a failure if we’ve repented of our sins. God can still use us to serve Him. — Dennis Fisher
Success often rises out of the ashes of failure.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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