Age Doesn’t Matter
By Melvin Wong, Germany During my recent holiday in Laos, I rented a motorbike to discover the northern side of this country. I drove from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, then to Phonsavan and back to Vientiane. The total distance covered was several hundreds of kilometers and the bike I drove was a bit old. It [...]
ODB: He Guards Me Well
October 23, 2011
READ: John 10:7-15
I lay down My life for the sheep. —John 10:15
During the quiet moments before a Sunday morning service, the organist played a hymn that was new to me. I turned to the page noted in the hymnal and read the words of the song “The Lord My Shepherd Guards Me Well,” a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23:
The Lord my Shepherd guards me well,
And all my wants are fed:
Amid green pastures made to lie,
Beside still waters led.
My care-worn soul grows strong and whole
When God’s true path I tread.
No matter how often we read or hear the familiar 23rd Psalm, it seems to come with a fresh message of God’s care for us.
Though I should walk in darkest ways
Through valleys like the grave,
No evil shall I ever fear;
Your presence makes me brave.
On my behalf Your rod and staff
Assure me You will save. (© Hope Publishing Co.)
This image was familiar to the people who heard Jesus say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Unlike a hired person who runs away from danger, the true shepherd stays with the sheep to protect them. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd . . . sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees . . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep” (vv.12-14).
No matter what you’re facing today, Jesus knows your name, He knows the danger, and He will not leave your side. You can say with confidence: The Lord my Shepherd guards me well!
— David C. McCasland
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...ODJ: sexuality and the Bible
He created them male and female, and He blessed them and called them “human” (5:2).
READ: Genesis 1:26-28
In his booklet What the Bible Says—and Doesn’t Say— about Homosexuality, Mel White makes the following claim: “The Bible is a book about God, about God’s love for the world and the people of the world. It is the history of God’s love at work rescuing, renewing, empowering humankind. It was never intended to be a book about human sexuality. Certainly, you will agree.”
Respectfully, I disagree with a part of Mel’s claim. Thankfully, the Bible is a book about God and His plan to rescue and restore the world through Jesus Christ. But from Genesis forward it is also a book about human sexuality. The very first chapter of the Bible says God created human beings “in His own image” as “male and female” (Genesis 1:27).
Human sexuality begins with gender. Jesus even pointed back to this most important aspect of our sexuality, “‘Haven’t you read the Scriptures?’ Jesus replied. ‘They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female’” (Matthew 19:4).
Gender isn’t an incidental footnote about humanity. The Bible isn’t saying, “Oh, by the way, the Creator God made people in His image as male and female.” Both the Old and New Testament draw attention to gender because it is foundational to the message of God’s Word.
Contrary to what some in our culture proclaim, gender isn’t a man-made social construct. Masculinity and femininity are not the result of social engineering. Gender is one of the most basic and enduring aspects of God’s design for our lives. Natural sexual attraction for the opposite sex arises out of a God-given gender identity. And the more we walk in who we are as men and women, the more we can know the joy and purpose of reflecting the strength and compassion of our Creator (Psalm 62:11-12). —Jeff Olson
What does being a man or a woman mean to you? Why is it vital that people truly understand the Bible’s instruction on sexuality?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: So Long
October 22, 2011
READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
[Do not] sorrow as others who have no hope. —1 Thessalonians 4:13
My grandfather refused to say “goodbye”; he felt the word was too final. So, when we would drive away after family visits, his farewell ritual was always the same. Standing in front of the green ferns that lined his house, he would wave and call out, “So long”!
As believers, we never have to say “goodbye” to the ones we love, as long as they have placed their trust in Jesus as Savior. The Bible promises that we will see them again.
The apostle Paul said that we should not “sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13), because when Jesus returns, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves and—together with the believers who are still alive—will meet the Lord in the air (vv.15-17). We have confidence that one day in heaven there will be “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Rev. 21:4). It’s in that wonderful place that “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).
Christians have the hope of an eternal reunion with Christ and with believing loved ones who have passed away. That’s why Paul exhorted us to “comfort one another with these words” (v.18). Today, encourage someone with the hope that allows us to say “so long,” instead of “goodbye.”
— Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: wealth of wisdom
The fear of the Lord is true wisdom (v.28).
READ: Job 28
Australian volunteer worker Paul Hol found a treasure while sorting through hundreds of donated books. He unearthed a first edition copy of the novel 1984, penned by George Orwell in 1948. The book still sported its original dust jacket in the color red—the rarest color for that print run. Paul’s find eventually sold for nearly $2,000 at a private auction.
The book of Job describes a different kind of highly regarded treasure. It says, “Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. . . . The price of wisdom is far above rubies” (Job 28:17-18). Wisdom is so precious because life is full of decisions. Should I marry this man? What should I say to a friend who betrayed me? Can I afford this mortgage? We need wisdom in every situation.
Fortunately for us, “God alone understands the way to wisdom; He knows where it can be found” (v.23). And He doesn’t require us to take part in a private sale—doling it out only to the highest bidder. “[Wisdom] cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver” (v.15). The Bible says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you” (James 1:5).
In addition to asking God for good judgment, the Bible says, the “fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Fearing God involves living in awe of Him. This ongoing state of reverence should prompt us to renounce evil and to align ourselves with God’s ways and His views (Hosea 14:9).
Are you facing a difficult decision today? Don’t overlook the wealth you have in God’s wisdom. Ask Him to make you aware of it. Let your respect for Him determine your decision, and trust that “wise choices will watch over you” (Proverbs 2:11). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
How does fearing God help us to respect His rules, and how might that affect our decisions?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: One Heart At A Time
October 21, 2011
READ: Philemon 1:12-22
. . . no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother. —Philemon 1:16
Quaker John Woolman was an itinerant preacher who waged his own personal campaign to end slavery in colonial America. Woolman met with slave-holders to speak of the injustice of holding other human beings as property. Although Woolman did not eradicate slavery completely, he did persuade many masters to free their slaves. His success was due to individual, personal persuasion.
The book of Philemon contains a similar one-on-one appeal. Onesimus was a runaway slave who had escaped from his Christian master Philemon. Onesimus had come to faith through Paul’s ministry, and now Paul was sending him back to Philemon with these words: “Perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (vv.15-16). Although we don’t know if Onesimus was set free from slavery, his new faith in Jesus had changed his relationship with his Christian master. He was now also a brother in Christ. Paul was influencing his world one heart at a time.
By the transforming power of the gospel, people and situations can change. Like Woolman and like Paul, let’s seek to influence our world one heart at a time.
— Dennis Fisher
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: tale of two rich men
Everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over (vv.29-30).
READ: Luke 18:18-30, 19:1-9
Many of us are familiar with the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” (as the Sunday school song goes) who climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus passing by. However, Luke sets Zacchaeus’ story in close context to the story of another rich man—a young and wealthy leader who visited Jesus. The proximity of the two narratives highlights stark contrasts: • The young rich man believed he was righteous, stressing how he had “obeyed all [the] commandments” since he was young (18:21). Zacchaeus, however, said that if he had “cheated people on their taxes, he would give them back four times as much” (19:8). • The people believed the young rich man to be righteous and were sure that if he wasn’t close to God, nobody was (18:26), while nobody believed Zacchaeus was righteous, calling him a “notorious sinner” (19:7). • The young man wanted his wealth more than he wanted God. When Jesus invited him to give his money away and follow Him, he “became very sad, for he was very rich” (18:23). When Zacchaeus encountered Jesus, however, he “quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy” (19:6). The only similarity between the two seems to be that they were both wealthy. Everything contrasted from there. And it becomes obvious that the primary issue wasn’t their money, but their heart. Jesus asked the young rich man to give away everything (an extreme request for a proud man who needed to see he wasn’t as righteous as he considered himself to be). But He didn’t ask Zacchaeus to give up anything. His only request was for an invitation to eat at his house.
After encountering real love and true righteousness, Zacchaeus repented willingly. —Winn Collier
Are you more like the rich young man (self-dependent) or Zacchaeus (quick to receive mercy)? Would God ask you to give away everything or to invite Him to dinner?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Fast Feet
By Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain While in Chile for a Bible conference, I was resting at the hotel when a rugby match came on the television. Though I don’t fully understand rugby, I enjoy it, and admire the courage it takes to play such a dangerous game. During the game, one of the French [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: My Fingernails Or His Hand?
October 20, 2011
READ: Psalm 37:23-26
The Lord upholds him with His hand. —Psalm 37:24
Tough times can cause us to get our perspective turned around. I was reminded of this recently as I talked to a fellow-griever—another parent who, like Sue and me, lost a teenage daughter to death suddenly and without warning.
She told me she had been missing her daughter terribly, and she told God she felt as if she were hanging on by her fingernails. Then she felt as if God reminded her that His hand of protection was there to hold her up—that she could let go, and He would catch her.
That’s a better perspective, isn’t it? This picture reminds us that when troubles come and we feel least able to hold on to our faith, it’s not up to us. It’s up to God to support us with His mighty hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 says: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord . . . . Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” And Psalm 63:8 tells us: “My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”
In tough times, we can become so preoccupied with our role in “clinging to God” that we forget about His promised protection. It’s not our fingernails that sustain us—it’s His loving, upholding hand.
— Dave Branon
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: a thousand words
Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves (v.22).
READ: James 1:18-25
In a cartoon strip, a typist asks an artist: “Why is a picture worth a thousand words?” The artist replies, “Hmm, how fast do you type?” “About 25 words per minute,” answers the typist. “That’s it! When I finish my drawing in 40 minutes . . . you would have already typed 1,000 words.” That’s funny, but (obviously) it’s not what the adage means. Rather, it refers to the idea that a complex concept can be conveyed with just a single, still image.
The Bible presents numerous “still images” to illustrate its wisdom: lamp/light (Psalm 119:105); hammer and fire (Jeremiah 23:29); sword (Hebrews 4:12); silver and gold (Psalm 119:72); food (Job 23:12); and milk (1 Peter 2:2).
James used three metaphors to describe what God’s Word is and does. The Bible is God’s “true Word” (James 1:18), resonating with what Jesus taught earlier: “Your Word . . . is truth” (John 17:17). Reflecting perhaps on the parable of the sower (Luke 8:5-15), James next spoke of “the word God has planted” (v.21; Luke 8:11). And finally, James likened the Bible to “a mirror” (James 1:23).
James also used three metaphors to describe the Bible’s role in our salvation. Using a word picture from nature, James said that God’s Word ”give[s] birth to us” (v.18). Our new life is everlasting because “it comes from the eternal, living word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). From the world of agriculture, the implanted word “has the power to save [our] souls” (James 1:21). God had made good His promise to write His Word deep within our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). And speaking aesthetically, God’s Word is the mirror showing us what we are, enabling us to correct the flaws it reveals (James 1:23-25).
God’s Word gives us a new life, and it helps us live it out. But we will have to “do what it says” (vv.22,25). —K.T. Sim
What is God’s Word telling you to do today?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...
