ODB: Money Worries
March 24, 2011 READ: Luke 12:22-31 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. —Luke 12:32 Of His words recorded in the Bible, Jesus has more to say on money than any other topic. Luke 12 offers a good summary of His attitude. He does not [...]
ODJ: who do you trust?
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble (v.1).
READ: Psalm 46:1-11
Our world is suffering from a crisis of authority. The grown-ups in charge seem to be either incompetent or evil or both. Bankers and traders so ruined the world’s financial system that economists still aren’t sure how to fix it. Leaders of governments have become politicians, delivering long-term pain for short-term gain in order to win enough votes and stay in office.
Who can we trust? Scientists? Those impartial researchers were caught cooking the books on climate change. The church? Pastors cheat on their wives, say they’re sorry, and simply move on to another church. Our parents? Their generation has saddled us with so much debt that our financial future looks bleak.
It’s easy to become cynical, to angrily rebel against those who are ruining our future. After all, they have it coming, right? You might think, We should organize, using the power of the Internet and the ballot box to demand competent and moral leadership. But if we’re not careful, our anti-authoritarian attitudes can harden into anarchy, with each of us looking out only for ourselves and damning everyone else. And isn’t that how we got into this mess?
The key to avoiding anarchy is to place our trust in God rather than ourselves. If we believe that God remains on His throne, then “we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea” (Psalm 46:2 Our sovereign God calms the waters so that “the sea and everything in it shout His praise!” (96:11).
Please don’t get me wrong. We must hold our leaders accountable. But let’s act from faith rather than fear. If “the God of Israel is our fortress” (46:7), then even when our “nations are in chaos” (v.6) we can “be still, and know that [He is] God!” (v.10). —Mike Wittmer
Why is even a bad government better than anarchy or no government at all? How does our faith in God give us hope for the future and enable us to avoid falling into the trap of desperation and despair?
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Loading ...ODB: Gracias!
March 23, 2011
READ: 1 Chronicles 16:7-10,23-36
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! —1 Chronicles 16:8
When I visited Mexico, I wished I knew how to speak Spanish. I could say gracias (thank you), muy bien (very good), and hola (hello). But that was about it. I grew tired of just saying gracias to everyone who talked with me or did something for me.
But we should never grow tired of giving words of thanks to God. David knew the importance of saying thanks. After he became king over Israel and had a tent constructed to house the ark of the covenant (where God’s presence dwelt), he appointed some of the Levites “to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord” (1 Chron. 16:4). Many people remained there to offer sacrifices and give thanks to God daily (vv.37-38).
David also committed to Asaph and his associates a song of thanks (1 Chron. 16:8-36). His psalm gave thanks for what the Lord had done: “His deeds among the peoples” (v.8), “His wondrous works” (v.9), “His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (v.12), and His “salvation” (v.35). David’s song also gave praise for who the Lord was: good, merciful, and holy (vv.34-35).
Like David, we should never grow tired of saying gracias to God for who He is and for all He’s done for us. Take time today to offer your sacrifice of praise to Him.
— Anne Cetas
The heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: say “L” for love
So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of Mine. . . . Teach them to your children (11:18-19).
READ: Deuteronomy 6:6-23
Most moms scold their kids for sticking their tongues out, but not me. I encouraged my son to do this when I was teaching him how to pronounce the letter “L.” Like many toddlers, every time he tried to make the “L” sound, it came out sounding like a “W.” Although my heart melted every time he said, “I wuv you, Mommy,” I realized that it was my job to teach him the right way to speak.
As Christian parents, it’s our job to teach our kids the right way to live. God spoke through His prophet Moses as He urged the Israelites to teach His laws “again and again to [their] children” (Deuteronomy 6:7). They were instructed to keep them highly visible in their homes as reminders (vv.8-9).
Like the Israelite parents, we have to do more than just help our kids memorize a list of divine do’s and don’ts. Moses said, “Your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations?’” (v.20). We have to explain God’s laws so that our kids will be able to live them out. We’re supposed to talk about God’s rules when we’re at home, on the road, going to bed, and getting up (v.7).
The Israelites were to tell their charges about how God had rescued them from slavery, about His signs and wonders, and about His provision of land (vv.22-23). For, as Moses said, “Your children . . . have never experienced . . . [God’s] greatness and His strong hand” (11:2). We too need to share the firsthand experiences we’ve had with God’s grace and power.
Our children need to know what God’s Word says, what it means, and what it looks like in the world around them. Then they’ll be able to “do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight” (6:18). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Why is it important for you to take responsibility for your children’s knowledge about God? How have you been discussing God and His commands with your children?
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By Ian Gustafson, 19, Michigan USA What is it like to travel out of my homeland? Just how different is the rest of the world from my own culture? These were questions that bobbed in my head as I prepared to leave America and take up residence in Singapore for three months. I knew the [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: How to Bloom
March 22, 2011
READ: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings. —1 Peter 4:13
My family and I live in an apartment, so our “flower garden” consists of what we can grow in indoor pots. For a long time our plants would not flower despite watering and fertilizing. Then we discovered that the soil had to be raked and turned over if the plants were to bloom. Now our potted plants are a pure joy to look at with their healthy leaves and blooming flowers.
Sometimes we need a little raking and turning in our own lives to make us bloom. Writing to the harassed believers in his day, Peter said, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice” (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Like the soil in our potted plants, these Christians were having their lives “turned over.” God’s purpose in doing that was to allow their faith to result in praise and glory to Him at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:7).
God wants to loosen the things that can choke our lives and that prevent us from radiating joy. To do this, He sometimes has to allow pain and trouble—trials that help stir up the soil of our lives. If this is what you are experiencing today, rejoice. Surrender to His touch and acquire a joy and fruitfulness you never imagined possible.
— C. P. Hia
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: righteous risks
The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities” (v.21).
READ: Matthew 25:14-30
Most of us learned two lessons early in childhood: Avoid hot surfaces and sharp objects. They can hurt you. These were good words of wisdom to follow as kids, but now that we’re adults, it’s important to learn a couple more. For God sometimes calls us to pursue things that are (figuratively speaking) fiery and edgy. Some of life’s greatest rewards are found in taking risks.
To illustrate the significance of taking risks, Jesus told a story about a landowner who took an extended journey. Before he left, the man entrusted three different sums of money to three servants, “dividing it in proportion to their abilities” (Matthew 25:15). While he was away, two of the servants wisely took a risk and invested the cash their master had entrusted to them. The investments paid off! They each doubled their portion of the landowner’s wealth (vv.16-17). And when the master returned, they were each handsomely rewarded for their bold business moves (vv.19-23).
The third servant took a safer approach. Rather than running the risk of an investment going bad, he hid his money in the ground (v.18). Although he didn’t steal or lose any of his master’s wealth, he received a severe reprimand for not going for it! (vv.24-27). It can be tempting to play it safe as did the third servant. Instead of faithfully taking what God has entrusted to us and doing something risky for His kingdom, we can slip into the take-no-chances routine of attending church, giving a few bucks, and maybe serving (out of guilt) as an usher or nursery worker.
Don’t hold back! Take some wise risks and use what you have for God. Although the outcome may be uncertain, you can suffer deep loss by simply playing it safe. —Jeff Olson
What is something you’ve always wanted to do for Jesus but have been too afraid to begin? How can you distinguish between a risk that’s wise and one that’s foolish?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Free Compliments
March 21, 2011
READ: Proverbs 16:20-30
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. —Proverbs 16:24
During a time of economic crisis and depressing news, two students at Purdue University decided to lift the spirits of people on campus with some encouraging words. For two hours every Wednesday afternoon, Cameron Brown and Brett Westcott stood along a busy walkway holding a large “Free Compliments” sign and saying nice things to everyone who passed by. “I like your red coat.” “Cool snow boots.” “Very nice smile.” Some students said they deliberately walked past “the compliment guys” every Wednesday just to hear a kind word.
I was struck by these two young men who looked at people with the goal of commending them, rather than finding fault or being critical. Is that how I, as a follower of Christ, view others each day?
Instead of being like the person who is focused on evil and whose speech is “like a burning fire” (Prov. 16:27), we can take a different approach, knowing that what we say begins deep inside us. “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (vv.23-24).
Kind words may be free, but they give a priceless lift of spirit. Why not encourage someone today?
— David C. McCasland
Source: Our Daily Bread
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: the spirit, the kingdom
Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom? (v.6).
READ: Acts 1:1-9
One of the many juggling acts parents perform is deciding when to give information to their children. If I know a trip or a family fun time is on the horizon, I want to tell our boys early enough so they can enjoy the anticipation. If I tell them too soon, however, their agony of waiting (and my agony caused by their constant questions of “How much longer?”) is readily apparent!
For hundreds of years, Israel had waited for the arrival of God’s kingdom—the moment when they would be free from tyranny. Jesus’ disciples thought their Master intended to launch this kingdom. But then He died on a cross. Astoundingly, He rose back to life! When He met with His disciples again, Jesus voiced the same message: The powerful arrival of God’s kingdom reign was nearing. “[Jesus] appeared to the apostles . . . and He proved to them . . . that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
It’s understandable then, that Jesus’ disciples would ask if now (finally) the kingdom would actually come. Jesus reminded them that they were not in control of such things: “The Father alone has authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know” (v.7). Jesus quickly hinted, however, at a signal of God’s approaching kingdom: Soon they would all “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes” (v.8).
The focus of the Spirit’s arrival was not intense, miraculous signs (new languages spoken, healings, etc.). Rather, it was the unleashing of the kingdom of God.
This is how we know God’s Spirit is active among us—when the kingdom of God is breaking free. Whenever hearts are awakening to God’s life and whenever transformation is happening, we know that the Spirit is bringing us God’s kingdom. —Winn Collier
Where do you need God’s kingdom to appear in your life? What are some signals that God’s Spirit may already be working there?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Do Not Bother, God!
By Damanik, Indonesia One day, I encountered someone who looked like he was having trouble carrying a pile of books. Thinking that he could do with another pair of hands, I offered to help. But he replied: “Oh don’t bother. I can help myself”. Wow, what an independent boy! I said to myself. Unlike those [...]
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