ODJ: being sure of the cause
It has been determined that the Son of Man must die (v.22). READ: Luke 22:1-38 John Calvin once said, “All the exhortations which can be given us to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ and in defence of the gospel will have no effect if we do not feel sure of the cause for which [...]
ODB: I shall not want
May 22, 2010
READ: James 4:1-10
The world is Mine, and all its fullness. —Psalm 50:12
Before they were a week old, the eaglets were fighting over food. Neither was strong enough to hold up his head for more than a few seconds, so the pair looked like fuzzballs with bobble-heads attached. But whenever the parents brought food to the nest, the bigger eaglet was quick to peck down his brother to keep him from getting a single bite. His aggression would have been understandable if food was scarce, or if the parents couldn’t be trusted to supply what he needed. But nothing could be further from the truth. The eaglets were being fed fish many times their size; there was more than enough for both of them.
The greedy eaglet reminds me of our own foolishness when we try to get for ourselves something that belongs to someone else (James 4:1-5). Conflicts erupt because we want something that God has given to a friend, colleague, relative, or neighbor. Instead of asking God for what we need, we try to get what He’s given to someone else (v.2). But God has something good for each of us. We don’t need what belongs to anyone else. And we certainly never need to harm anyone to get what we need.
Our loving heavenly Father has more than enough for everyone. —Julie Ackerman Link
Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Loading ...Faith
By Bharathy Singaravel, 20, India “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1 This verse helped me understand the essence of what faith is. It is in stark contrast with the popular saying that “seeing is believing”—a belief which I have unwittingly adopted. [...]
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: shared happiness
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer (Acts 2:42).
READ: Genesis 2:18-25
The 2007 film Into the Wild tells the true story of Chris McCandless. Upon graduating from college in the early 1990s, McCandless had become disillusioned with his conventional life. Without saying a word to his family, he sold all his belongings, disappeared into the back country of the western United States, and eventually ventured deep into the Alaskan wilderness—alone.
McCandless underestimated the rigors of the Alaskan wilderness and was found dead months later. Before his tragic death, he appeared to have a change of heart regarding his decision to live alone. These were his final words scrawled in his journal: “Happiness only real when shared.”
Being a loner is not what it’s cracked up to be. It was one of the first experiences God spotted as unhealthy—“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’” (Genesis 2:18).
God wired us with a dual need for companionship with Himself and with other human beings. Sustaining healthy relationships with family and friends is a central part of being created in the image of a Triune God who enjoys a level of togetherness that’s beyond our comprehension. We can’t escape how our Creator made us. The truth is, there can be no real joy in life outside of relationships.
The early church had this down. The book of Acts states, “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity” (Acts 2:46).
God meant for us to share life with others. As Paul wrote, relationships were a source of great joy to him (2 Timothy 1:4). The only thing worse than dying alone is living alone. Share your life with others. —Jeff Olson
How do the relationships within the Trinity inspire you in your relationships? Why is going it alone a bad decision in God’s eyes?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: I, me, mine
May 21, 2010
READ: Philippians 2:1-11
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. —Philippians 2:3
In 1970, the Beatles began work on a documentary intended to show how their music was made. But instead of revealing the process of musical creativity, the film pulled the curtain back on a display of self-interest and bickering. The band members were more concerned about their own songs than the advancement of the group. Shortly after the project was completed, the group dissolved in disharmony and broken friendships.
It’s an age-old problem. In the first century ad, the apostle Paul feared that the believers in the church at Philippi would fall into the trap of selfishness. He knew that when the desire for personal advancement overrides concern for one another, attitudes quickly become disruptive and divisive.
To counteract this dangerous tendency, Paul wrote, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
What would a documentary of your life reveal? Selfishness or selflessness? We must look out for one another, for selfless concern will prevent division and build unity in our church families. —Bill Crowder
A heart that is focused on others will not be consumed with self.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: God’s patience
Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on (v.18).
READ: Luke 20:1-19
Nearly one-third of the recorded teachings of Jesus in the Gospels are parables. It’s said that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” Jesus was the Master teacher who taught with simplicity, clarity (Matthew 13:54), and great authority (7:28-29). So much so, that the leading priests, teachers of the law, and elders asked Him, “By what authority are you doing all these things?” (Luke 20:2). Jesus responded by telling a parable of the evil tenant farmers (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12). Jesus spoke of:
• The sinfulness of humanity (Luke 20:9-15). Jesus drew from Isaiah 5:1-7, where the vineyard refers to the nation of Israel (v.7). The Jews, despite their favored nation status, had rejected God’s authority. The tenant farmers are a vivid representation of man’s rebellion and rejection of God.
• The long-suffering patience of God (Luke 20:10-13). Despite the cruel treatment of all His messengers, the landowner relentlessly reached out to the tenants. He even sent His cherished son. For He is “the God of compassion and mercy . . . slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The landowner is a clear picture of God’s patient endurance with people (2 Peter 2:9, 3:15).
• The severity of God’s judgment on those who reject the Son (Luke 20:13-16). There’s a mistaken idea that a loving God can’t get angry. But God said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever” (Genesis 6:3 NKJV). There is such a thing as “the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16). This is a warning of judgment on everyone who rejects the Son.
The teachers and leading priests knew that Jesus was telling the story against
them—they were the wicked farmers (Luke 20:19). What was Jesus saying to you and me in this tale? —K.T. Sim
Jesus will come back again as Judge. Are you ready to meet Him? Have you presumed on God’s grace and patience, or are you living a pure and blameless life? (1 Peter 3:16).
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: a worthy offering
May 20, 2010
READ: Genesis 4:1-7
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. —Genesis 4:7
Iwas delighted when a mutual friend gave my neighbor a Bible. But my neighbor told me she stopped reading it because she couldn’t understand why God would be so unfair as to reject Cain’s offering. “After all,” she said, “as a farmer, he simply brought to God what he had. Did God expect him to buy a different kind of sacrifice?” Sadly, she had missed the point.
It wasn’t that God didn’t like vegetables. Rather, He knew that Cain’s offering was masking an unrighteous attitude. Cain wasn’t fully committed to God, as expressed by the fact that he wasn’t living according to His ways.
It’s easy to worship God on the outside while stubbornly keeping territory from Him on the inside. Jude writes about outwardly religious people who use religious activities to cover the reality of their sinful lives: “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain” (Jude 11). We can faithfully serve God, sing His praises, and give sacrificially to His work. But God doesn’t want any of that without our hearts.
Does the Lord take priority over our plans and dreams? Is He worth more than the sin that tempts us? When we express to Him that He is more worthy than anything or anyone else in our lives, it’s an offering He won’t refuse. —Joe Stowell
God won’t refuse a heart that is surrendered to Him.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: the humanitarian veterinarian
Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to (v.6).
READ: Philippians 2:1-11
Steve Goldsmith is a veterinarian who performs humanitarian work in difficult locations around the world. It’s humanitarian work because in poverty-stricken regions healthy animals can spell the difference between life and death for the people!
Recently, Dr. Goldsmith went on a medical mission to war-ravaged Afghanistan. One family cow didn’t take kindly to being stuck with a needle. The bad-tempered beast managed to kick free of her handlers. In the process, she kicked up a helping of—you guessed it—fresh fertilizer. The flung dung splattered across the vet’s face. Yuck!
The crowd of curious kids that had gathered found this highly amusing. And Dr. Goldsmith? He laughed heartily with them. “I won them over with that,” he recalls. “It broke down the barriers.”
The classic example of barrier-breaking is Jesus Himself. Author Philip Yancey notes that when Jesus came to earth, “He played by the rules.” Yancey means that Jesus didn’t come as divine royalty but as a humble baby, totally reliant on His mother, fully vulnerable to life’s pain. The apostle Paul writes of Jesus: “He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being” (Philippians 2:7). Jesus did this to rescue us from the penalty of our own willful disobedience. “He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (v.8).
Our first reaction to unpalatable situations is to preserve our own comfort and dignity. Jesus offers a stunning contrast. “Because of the joy awaiting Him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). We all face things we’d rather avoid. Remember, we serve One who has endured far worse for our sakes. —Tim Gustafson
What’s the worst situation facing you right now? How can Jesus use it to show others His humility through you?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: secondhand faith
May 19, 2010
READ: Judges 2:6-12
Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. —Judges 2:10
When I was growing up in Singapore, I remember that some of my school friends were kicked out of their homes by their non-Christian parents for daring to believe in Jesus Christ. They suffered for their beliefs and emerged with stronger convictions. By contrast, I was born and raised in a Christian family. Though I didn’t suffer persecution, I too had to make my convictions my own.
The Israelites who first entered the Promised Land with Joshua saw the mighty acts of God and believed (Judg. 2:7). But sadly, the very next generation “did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (v.10). So it was not long before they turned aside to worship other gods (v.12). They didn’t make their parents’ faith their own.
No generation can live off the faith of the previous generation. Every generation needs a firsthand faith. When faced with trouble of any kind, the faith that is not personalized is likely to drift and falter.
Those who are second, third, or even fourth generation Christians have a wonderful legacy, to be sure. However, there’s no secondhand faith! Find out what God says in His Word and personalize it so that yours is a fresh, firsthand faith (Josh. 1:8). —C. P. Hia
If your faith is not personalized, it’s not faith.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: teach us to pray
Jesus said, “This is how you should pray” (v.2).
READ: Luke 11:1-13
My biggest problem with ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ ” wrote Helen in response to an online post, “is knowing which version we’re using. . . . It’s always assumed we know it by heart, but I first learned trespasses, then learned sins and now am confronted by debts and debtors. So, when ‘we will now say the Lord’s Prayer’ is announced, instead of being able to pray and mean it, I’m nervous and wondering which version to use, which rather defeats the point of saying it together aloud.”
Like Helen, you might find your mind and heart distracted from the essence of prayer for any number of reasons. Be it choice of words, varying Bible translations, or conflicting philosophies about liturgical readings, the topic of prayer, particularly the Lord’s Prayer, garners much discussion and theological debate.
By taking a closer look at Luke 11:2-4, we can see that much confusion over this passage stems from Jesus’ preamble, in which He tells His disciples, “This is how you should pray.” Many interpret His instructions to mean this is the only way you should pray. To the contrary, throughout the New Testament Jesus builds on His suggested framework of prayer. In the Gospel of Luke, for example, He directs us to:
• Pray for those who hurt you (6:28).
• Pray continually and with persistence (18:1-5).
• Pray that you will not give in to temptation (22:40,46).
Scripture emphasizes that there is power in prayer. Respectively, Jesus wanted His disciples and wants you to experience deeper fellowship with the Lord through an enriched prayer life.
Ask God to give you renewed appreciation for the Lord’s Prayer, to grant you fresh insights into the verses, and to help you find joy as you meditate on the words and lift them up to God. —Roxanne Robbins
Pray the Lord’s Prayer throughout the day today. Journal about what God teaches you in response.
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
