ODJ: the joy in (not) being God
There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God (v.2).
READ: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
In her novel Gilead, author Marilynne Robinson lets us in on the letter an aged Anglican priest named John Ames writes to his young son. The entire narrative is actually one long—almost rambling—letter. Married in his sixties to a much younger woman, Ames finds himself in poor health and realizes he will soon be dead. As the letter’s pages turn, we hear this dying father attempting to do what every father should—help his son know his own identity, who he is.
We all need to know who we are, whether we have a dad to help us or not. The first step to knowing who we are, though, is to know who we aren’t. We are not God. And for most of our history, we humans have struggled with this point. In Eden, Adam and Eve sinned because they failed to believe there was a fundamental difference between God and them (Genesis 3:1-4). Later, when God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, He intended these directives to be the primary principles for them to understand their base identity. It’s important to note, then, that the initial four commandments centered on declaring how God was “other” than them, above them—and must be reverenced as such (Exodus 20:1-11).
We hear this truth again when Hannah rejoiced because God did the impossible. He gave the infertile woman a son. She knew she was helpless to fix herself, that her hope was based in a God who was far greater than she was (1 Samuel 2:2).
Scripture invites us to declare God as our sovereign Lord. Once we rest in the conviction that we are not God, we begin to discover in turn who we actually are—and we find joy in our dependence on God’s kindness and mercy.
—Winn Collier
Why is it vital that you understand that you’re not God? How does recognizing that God is above you bring joy and freedom?
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Loading ...ODB: unique privileges
March 14, 2010
READ: Romans 8:12-17
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. —Ephesians 1:5
In Forever Young: My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, Jr., Billy Noonan recalls the life experiences he shared with the son of President John Kennedy.
In 1980, as one of the stories goes, John Jr. and Billy were invited aboard the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. On a guided tour of the ship, the two young men and their guide inadvertently entered a restricted area. When an officer stopped them, the guide pointed to John and said, “This is his father’s ship.” Snapping to attention, the officer saluted John. He explained his understanding that when a US Navy ship is named for someone, it is considered that person’s ship. Thus, as the son of the man for whom the ship was named, John Jr. had unique privileges.
This illustrates a vital spiritual principle. As adopted children in God’s family, we who have been saved possess the position of sonship. Paul wrote that as believers we are “predestined . . . to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself” (Eph. 1:5). By virtue of this sonship, we have the unique privileges that belong to the children of the King of kings.
In life’s challenging voyage, we can take courage that our “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15) owns the ship and shares all with us. Praise God, we are joint-heirs with Christ! — Dennis Fisher
A Christian’s inheritance is guaranteed forever!
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: right in front of you
Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves (v.22).
READ: James 1:22-27
When the economy went bad, many sensed impending disaster. Pastor Bob Johnson saw opportunity. He had been on mission trips, and he’d seen some of the vital work going on in various corners of the world. But he wanted his church to make a difference in their community. This was the chance.
He scheduled a meeting with his city’s mayor and asked, “What can we do to help you?” The mayor was astounded. Usually, people came to him for help. Together, the mayor and the pastor came up with five ways to provide assistance. In one local county, more than 20,000 seniors went an entire year without a single visitor. The church could definitely do something about that.
Foster care presented a dire need as well. Hundreds of children needed a family to take care of them. And many kids with a mom or a dad still needed tutoring that their parents couldn’t provide. Some needed more substantial, one-on-one mentoring to help them stay out of gangs and out of trouble. And the community had numerous military families that needed assistance when Mom or Dad was deployed.
It’s telling that the writer of James singled out widows and orphans as objects for the attention of the church. “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (1:27). It’s reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Matthew: “When you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me” (25:40). He was speaking of those who had helped the needy, not knowing they were really helping Christ Himself.
Don’t stress out about the endless needs in our world. Put your Christianity into practice. Do something about the need right in front of you. —Tim Gustafson
How well are you respecting the elderly and caring for the needy? Is it time to step out of your comfort zone and visit a nursing home? What child in your life could use some time and help?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: a safe pair of hands
March 13, 2010
READ: Psalm 138
Your right hand will save me. —Psalm 138:7
Edwin van der Sar, goalkeeper for the Manchester United soccer team, had a “safe” pair of hands. He kept the ball from entering his team’s goal for 1,302 minutes, a world record in one season! That means that for almost 15 games of 90 minutes each, no one was able to score even one goal against his team while he was guarding the goalposts. But one goal by an opposing team in March 2009 ended his record.
The psalmist David found comfort in the safest pair of hands—God’s hands. He wrote of God’s protection in Psalm 138, “You will stretch out Your hand . . . and Your right hand will save me” (v.7). Like David, we can look to God’s safe hands to keep us from spiritual danger and defeat.
Another assurance from God’s Word for followers of Christ is Jude 1:24-25: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” That doesn’t mean we’ll never stumble. But it does mean we won’t stumble so badly that God cannot pick us up.
God’s safe pair of hands can never fail—ever! — C. P. Hia
No place is more secure than to be in God’s hands.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: uncertainties
You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (v.7).
READ: Philippians 4:6-9
Due to the recent economic downturn, the university my brother-in-law attends will no longer provide any paid academic teaching or research opportunities for students who have been in the program for more than 5 years. This change has affected him big-time. He was set to graduate with his doctorate degree next year. But now new plans have to be made.
My sister referenced Romans 8:28 as she wrote in an e-mail: “Though these are uncertainties, we have peace in our hearts as we know that God works for the good of those who love Him.”
It’s evident that believers in Jesus can have peace in the midst of uncertainties. But how? In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells the believers in Philippi not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. Why? The heavenly Father loves His children and cares for their needs (Matthew 6:25-34). We can bring all our concerns to Him with an attitude of thankfulness—trusting Him to meet our needs.
To say the peace of God surpasses all understanding reveals that we can’t explain it, but we can experience it as He guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). The word guard means to set up a sentinel or “to watch over.” God not only guards our hearts from anxiety, He also guards our minds from spiraling downward.
In verses 8 and 9, Paul gives us 10 things to focus on and do that replace worry. We are told to “fix our thoughts” on them, and to “keep putting [them] into practice.”
Our peace comes from being confident that God is in control. He alone provides the peace that settles our nerves, fills our minds with hope, and allows us to relax even in the midst of changes and challenges. —Poh Fang Chia
Do you lack peace in some area of your life? What will happen if you fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise?
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(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: united goal
March 12, 2010
READ: 1 Cor. 1:10-17
I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you. —1 Corinthians 1:10
The spotted owl has been disappearing in the US. Originally it was believed that old growth logging was its greatest threat. But research shows that one of the owl’s relatives may be the problem. For the past 15 years, the barred owl has been rapidly migrating westward. Barred owls, which used to live exclusively east of the Mississippi, compete for the same food as spotted owls but are more aggressive and adaptable.
In a similar way, our greatest spiritual conflict often comes not from outside the church, but from other Christians. This was happening in the church of Corinth, and Paul took some time to address the divisive spirit that had grown in this congregation. This spirit threatened the unity of the church. Paul, with a pastoral nudge, encouraged the Corinthians to agree on the essentials and not be divided over the nonessentials. People were quarreling because they were aligning themselves with different Christian leaders—Paul, Apollos, Peter, and even Christ. In creating these divisions, they were valuing their favorite leader above unity in Christ.
Paul said the one essential that should unify the church is preaching the good news. That should be our united goal as well. — Marvin Williams
A united church is a strong church.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: hedging bets
Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” (v.21).
READ: 1 Kings 18
Millions of people say they believe in God, but to guarantee the good life they also put their trust in capitalism, science, or immoral pleasures. Recently, however, we’ve seen further proof that these gods cannot deliver. Free markets have collapsed, sending the economies of most countries into deep recessions. Scientific breakthroughs have produced cloning and greenhouse gasses. And the sexual revolution left us with AIDS and increased divorce.
Our predicament is not unlike Old Testament Israel, which hedged its worship of Yahweh by betting on Baal, the god of fertility. Baal was the storm god who, with lightning in one hand and thunder in the other, promised to send rain on the Israelites’ fields and make them rich.
God responded by striking Israel at their point of compromise. You worship Baal for the rain he provides? Then “there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” (1 Kings 17:1).
After 3 years of drought, the parched Israelites agreed to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel for a faceoff between Baal and Yahweh. The prophets of Baal shouted and cut themselves, but they couldn’t persuade Baal to drop a lightning bolt and burn their sacrifice. Elijah scoffed that perhaps the pagan god was “daydreaming” or “relieving himself,” “Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” (1 Kings 18:27).
When the exhausted Baal worshipers had finally given up, Elijah called down fire on his waterlogged sacrifice, a fire so intense that it consumed even the stones of the altar. Then Elijah seized the prophets of Baal and slew them.
Capitalism, science, and sex are good gifts from God. But if we put our trust in them (instead of Him), He may use these very things to destroy us.
—Mike Wittmer
How can you know when something such as science or money has taken the place of God, instead of being used to serve Him? Why does God take such drastic measures to end idolatry?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODB: God’s mercies
March 11, 2010
READ: Genesis 32:3-13
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies. —Genesis 32:10
Less than the least of all God’s mercies.” This was the motto 17th-century English poet and clergyman George Herbert engraved on his signet ring, and it was the phrase with which he signed his letters and books. Jacob had spoken these words when he pondered God’s goodness despite his own sin and shame: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant” (Gen. 32:10).
The word “mercies” is from the Hebrew word chesed, meaning “God’s enduring love.” I think it is significant that it rose from the heart of one who saw himself as utterly unworthy.
Relying solely on God’s faithful love, Jacob cries out: “Deliver me!” What an odd combination of thoughts: “I am not worthy . . . . Deliver me” (vv.10-11). Unlike some who seem to have it all together, Jacob knew that everything he brought to God had been ruined by sin. He thought of himself as a man undeserving of God’s grace. But his hope lay not in his worth but in the promise of God to look with favor on those who throw themselves on His mercy. Humility and contrition are the keys that open the heart of God.
As He did with Jacob, God hears us when we humbly cry out to Him for mercy. — David H. Roper
Mercy is an unearned blessing bestowed by God on an unworthy recipient.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: numero uno?
But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant (v.26).
READ: Luke 22:24-27
Consider this scenario. You’ve invited the 10 most important people from church to dine with Jesus, people whom you would consider VIPs—your pastor, elders, deacons, or lay leaders, for example. As host, you’re in charge of the seating arrangement. Assuming you have a round table that seats 12 people, where will Jesus sit? And since Jesus’ left- and right-hand sides are places of highest honor, whom would you assign to sit next to Him?
As the disciples entered the upper room to eat the Passover meal, they were all intent on sitting in the places of honor. This was not the first time they had fought over who was numero uno (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 9:33-35,10:35-37; Luke 9:46). And the jostling surfaced yet again in the midst of the Passover meal (Luke 22:20,24), barely hours before Jesus was crucified.
It was not uncommon for Jesus’ disciples to vie with one another over who would sit at His right and left. But as Christ’s followers, we’re to be different. Those who are truly great Christian examples take the lowest rank and become like a servant (v.26). Jesus Himself “got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him” (John 13:4-5). Paul later commented, “Though He was God . . . He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave” (Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus showed us what it takes to be truly great.
When people look at you, do they see a leader in high position exerting authority? Or do they see a servant serving in humility? —K.T. Sim
Revisit the dinner scenario in today’s article. Where would you be sitting? Would you be sitting on Jesus’ right—in the place of honor? Why or why not?
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