YMIblogging - A Christian Youth Blog » Devotional

ODB: Wings Like A Dove

YMIblogging — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:03:22 +0000

David sighed, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (Ps. 55:6). As for me, I’d build a cabin in the Sawtooths, or take a permanent post in a fire-lookout tower. When life weighs on me, I too yearn to fly away and be at rest.David wrote freely about his circumstances: Violence, oppression, and strife surrounded[...]

ODJ: pests we tolerate

YMIblogging — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:02:20 +0000

What kinds of pests would you tolerate in your home? A recent survey revealed some surprising results. Researchers found that people would pay for an exterminator when the following pests were found in their home: Twenty four percent would pay an exterminator to kill spiders; 27 percent would pay to get rid of ants; 56 percent would pay to banish t[...]

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ODB: Unanswered Prayer

YMIblogging — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:03:43 +0000

The apostle Paul had one overriding desire: that fellow Jews would embrace the Messiah he had encountered. “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart,” he said. “For I could wish that I myself were . . . cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers” (Rom. 9:2-3 NIV). Yet in city after city his fellow Jews rejected him and [...]

ODJ: roaches are forever

YMIblogging — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:02:33 +0000

For a small donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society, you can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after someone you love. This fundraising event targets sweethearts who want to pay tribute to the long standing nature of their love. The event claims that the cockroach symbolises resourcefulness and resiliency, and says, “Flowers wilt. Chocola[...]

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ODB: A Covenant With My Eyes

YMIblogging — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:03:55 +0000

Our friend is a computer “techie.” One night when our family was at his house, I noticed a verse taped to his monitor: “I have made a covenant with my eyes” (Job 31:1). Evidently, he understood the potential danger of spending hours alone in front of a computer with easy access to indecent images.Our friend’s “reminder verse” is a [...]

ODJ: before the eulogy

YMIblogging — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:34 +0000

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom, Huck Finn, and Joe Harper sneaked off for a few days away without telling anyone. Back home, their distraught loved ones assumed they had drowned, so they held a funeral. The boys—being boys—sneaked back into town and watched the funeral from the rafters of the church. There they enjoyed hear[...]

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ODB: Flawed

YMIblogging — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:03:51 +0000

A well-known actor commented that he enjoyed playing “flawed” characters in movies because people could relate better to an imperfect character. Most of us would agree that it’s easier for us to understand people who aren’t perfect because we know that we are imperfect.God included stories in the Bible of people who were deceitful, weak,[...]

ODJ: God’s love

YMIblogging — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:02:22 +0000

Seventeen year old Chris sits on the sofa looking sullen. His father tries to reason with him and tells him with tears that he’s greatly grieved with him. Chris’ dad feels wounded by the ingratitude he’s received, even after lovingly caring for his son. In response, the boy snorts, “Really? Prove it!” Sound absurd? Well, take a look at[...]

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ODB: Glorifying God in Life and Death

YMIblogging — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:03:08 +0000

It seems we most often think about how we can glorify God through our lives when we are active and strong. But I wonder if we should also consider how we might glorify God through our death.After Peter denied Jesus three times (John 18:15-27), the Lord gave him an opportunity to reaffirm his love (21:15-17). Three times, Jesus asked, “Peter, d[...]

ODJ: today

YMIblogging — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:01:46 +0000

The film Dead Poets Society introduced me to an old phrase from a Latin poem: carpe diem. It means ‘seize the day’, an urgent call to live life to the fullest, getting the most out of each and every day. Generally speaking, it’s good advice, especially for those of us who to tend to live passively and watch life pass us by. The writer of the[...]

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ODB: Just Because He’s Good

YMIblogging — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Joel and Lauren decided to move from Washington State back home to Michigan. Wanting to make one last special memory, they bought coffee from their favorite cafe and then stopped at their favorite bookstore. There they picked up two bumper stickers with a favorite motto of the town they were saying goodbye to: “It’s an Edmonds kind of day.�[...]

ODJ: umbrella

YMIblogging — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:02:17 +0000

Rhythm and blues artist Rihanna sang of the power of friendship to pull us through cloudy weather in her hit song Umbrella. “Now that it’s raining more than ever,” she sings, “Know that we’ll still have each other; You can stand under my umbrella.” An umbrella is a memorable metaphor for our need to help each other, but it also indi[...]

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ODB: Great is Your Reward

YMIblogging — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:03:25 +0000

Many businesses have “points programs” that offer rewards to loyal customers. You can stack up these rewards by using their companies’ services, like eating at local restaurants, staying at certain hotels, or flying on particular airlines. Choosing to spend your money this way makes a lot of sense.God has a rewards program as well. Jesus o[...]

ODJ: age old question

YMIblogging — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:02:18 +0000

Last spring, two 48 year old twin brothers chose not to help their mother after she fell and hurt herself. The duo simply left the injured woman in the entrance of the house they shared with her. Police were contacted after the mother hadn’t been seen by friends for several weeks. They found her body in the spot where she had fallen—3 m[...]

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ODB: Consider the Source

YMIblogging — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:03:14 +0000

I love cinnamon. I love cinnamon rolls, cinnamon graham crackers, cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon apples, and cinnamon pretzels. Cinnamon is one of those spices that makes other things taste better. However, it never crossed my mind to think about where cinnamon comes from. Then, on a recent trip to Sri Lanka, I learned that 90 percen[...]

ODJ: honoured

YMIblogging — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:02:34 +0000

The train was packed with rush hour travellers, and my family and I stood on the station platform waiting for the doors to open so we could board. Tired after a long day of sightseeing, we were already anticipating the refuge of our hotel room. I took my son’s hand and entered through the open train doors. As I looked for a hand rail to hold on t[...]

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ODB: Making Music

YMIblogging — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:03:13 +0000

On a lovely summer evening, a capacity crowd gathered in a beautiful outdoor venue for a concert by one of my college friends. It happened to be his birthday, so the emcee hinted that we might want to sing “Happy Birthday” to him. One by one, people started singing, each in a different key, each at a different tempo. As the jumble of notes a[...]

ODJ: fasting and faith

YMIblogging — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:02:36 +0000

When Gandhi wanted to capture the attention of the powerful and prompt them to act against injustice, he went on a hunger strike. A number of years ago when I was confused and heartbroken, I began a 3 day fast. We are physical creatures, and the state of our soul or the hopes of our heart require physical expression. Scripture suggests that our us[...]

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ODB: Six Degrees of Separation

YMIblogging — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:03:08 +0000

Eighty years ago, Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy wrote a short story he called “Chain-Links,” in which he proposed the idea that any two individuals in the world are connected through, at most, five acquaintances. The thesis has been revived today and is usually described as “Six Degrees of Separation.” It’s an unproven theory, of c[...]

ODJ: one lost lamb

YMIblogging — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:02:49 +0000

The Bible uses many metaphors to describe people who are not believers in Jesus: Harvest fields (Matthew 9:37-38), fish caught in the net (13:47), guests invited to a banquet (22:10), and sheep—most often as lost sheep without a shepherd (Psalm 119:176; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 18:12; Luke 9:36; 1 Peter 2:25). Phillip Keller, a shepherd, is the auth[...]

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