ODB: Papa Didn’t Say “Oh!”
October 18, 2011 READ: Ephesians 5:1-10 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. —Psalm 145:8 I have a friend who was working in his home office one evening, trying to get some necessary paperwork done. His little girl, who was about 4 years old at the time, was playing around his desk, puttering about, [...]
ODB: The Need for Tears
September 3, 2011
READ: Luke 19:37-44
As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. —Luke 19:41
Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, we were all overwhelmed by the images of devastation and hardship endured by the people of that tiny nation. Of the many heartbreaking pictures, one captured my attention. It showed a woman staring at the massive destruction—and weeping. Her mind could not process the suffering of her people, and as her heart was crushed, tears poured from her eyes. Her reaction was understandable. Sometimes crying is the only appropriate response to the suffering we encounter.
As I examined that picture, I thought of the compassion of our Lord. Jesus understood the need for tears, and He too wept. But He wept over a different kind of devastation—the destruction brought on by sin. As He approached Jerusalem, marked by corruption and injustice and the pain they create, His response was tears. “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41). Jesus wept out of compassion and grief.
As we encounter the inhumanity, suffering, and sin that wreak havoc in our world, how do we respond? If the heart of Christ breaks over the broken condition of our world, shouldn’t ours? And shouldn’t we then do everything we can to make a difference for those in need, both spiritually and physically?
— Bill Crowder
Source: Our Daily Bread
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ODJ: prison break
You will free the captives from prison (v.7).
READ: Isaiah 42:1-9
I absolutely know that in anybody’s eyes I was a traitor,” Mosab Hassan Yousef told the Wall Street Journal before the release of his book Son of Hamas. “To my family, to my nation, to my God. I crossed all the red lines in my society. I didn’t leave one that I didn’t cross.” By “traitor,” Mosab—the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founder and leader of the terrorist group Hamas—refers to his radical conversion from an extreme faith to Christianity. It also reflects his departure from Hamas after more than a decade of serving the terrorist group alongside his father. Though the terrorists he once served now threaten his life, Mosab considers himself a free man, a man depicted in Romans 6:19 who was previously a slave “to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin,” but is now a slave “to righteous living so that [he] will become holy.” “I converted to Christianity because I was convinced by Jesus Christ as a character, as a personality. I loved Him, His wisdom, His love, His unconditional love,” Mosab says. “I found that I was really drawn to the grace, love, and humility that Jesus talked about.” Mosab relishes following and proclaiming the God who sent His Son Jesus to “bring good news to the poor . . . comfort the brokenhearted . . . proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed . . . [bring forth] the Lord’s favor . . . give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3). A new man, Mosab now says, “My goal is not to defeat my enemy. It is to win over my enemy.” —Roxanne Robbins
Pray for your brothers and sisters around the world who are facing extreme persecution, even to the point of death, for following and proclaiming Jesus Christ. How will you proclaim the good news today?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: company you keep
We think of your faithful work, your loving deeds (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
READ: 1 John 3:16-19
O ne of the highlights of living in East Africa is meeting men and women from around the world who come through the region to participate in short or long-term missions. Today, for example, while sitting in a Kampala, Uganda, coffee shop, I met a young married couple from Charleston, South Carolina. Amanda and Michael recently moved to Uganda to help their church build a medical center in one of the country’s most impoverished areas. I enjoyed learning about the couple’s work and how the Lord had led them to leave home and serve in Africa. Our conversation reminded me that whether in our own neighborhood or abroad, it’s inspiring to hear about and spend time with people who have experienced God’s love and are in turn sharing it with others. Such individuals strive to live out the essence of 1 John 3 by enthusiastically . . . • Giving up their lives and comforts in behalf of their brothers and sisters around the world (v.16). • Demonstrating God’s love by sharing their money and resources with the poor—showing compassion to brothers and sisters in need (v.17). • Demonstrating love through their actions rather than merely professing love to others (v.18). • Letting their behavior convey God’s truth (v.19). In his bestselling book Today Matters, John C. Maxwell writes, “It’s a fact that you become more like the people you spend time with. If you desire to increase your faith, spend time with others who exercise theirs. Learn from them. Find out how they think.” And, I might add, how they act. As God nudges you to engage in service to others, be intentional about building friendships with people who are already doing so and who can lead you by their example. —Roxanne Robbins
Schedule a meeting with someone who is actively serving others. What steps should you take to serve others in a similar way?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: higher logic
The king called in the man he had forgiven and said, “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant?” (vv.32-33).
READ: Matthew 18:21-35
While Khalid Sheikh Mohammed awaited trial for plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks, some US citizens were nervous that he might be acquitted by an inept jury. Others hoped that that would be precisely what happened. If they had turned Khalid out into the angry streets, it wouldn’t have taken long for New Yorkers to exact their revenge. I certainly understand the reason why, but it overlooks the bigger picture. If you’ve ever been to the top of the Empire State Building, you know that—from God’s perspective—the people of New York City look like ants. If God is to us as we are to ants, imagine a colony of carpenter ants systematically chewing up the foundation of your house. You could call the exterminator, but for reasons that aren’t entirely clear you decide to stop their destruction by becoming an ant yourself. The ant leaders are threatened by your arrival, and not knowing what else to do, they incite a mob that mocks and then kills you. What they don’t realize is that you will come back from the dead—for you are more than just an ant—and that your death and resurrection will grant forgiveness and everlasting life to any ant who repents of his destructive ways and follows you (1 John 1:9). Now imagine that one of those ants that believes in you is bullied by another ant. The aggressive ant commits unspeakable acts that heap incalculable misery upon the redeemed ant. It would be normal for the victimized ant to strike back and get revenge. But what if she remembers the higher logic of the human who became an ant? We are that ant, and every time we are sinned against we get to choose: Will we live by the laws of the anthill or forgive as God has forgiven us? (Matthew 18:35). —Mike Wittmer
When you forgive someone, what consequences must you release and what ones must remain?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: all things are possible
He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (v.27).
READ: Luke 18:18-30
The movie The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless, quiet teen from a broken home. He flourished into an All-American college football player and first-round National Football League draft pick with the help of a compassionate woman and her family. The movie included two quick shots of what appears to be an arch entering the private Christian school that Oher attended. Inscribed over the arch were the following words, “With men this is possible, but with God all things are possible.” The phrase over the arch is clearly based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:26, but it’s not entirely accurate. Here’s what Jesus actually said: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” It’s anybody’s guess as to why the words were changed, but I would like to believe it was a deliberate attempt to acknowledge that while man is able to do some great things, only God can do the impossible. There are certain things that look absolutely impossible that only God can accomplish. That was Jesus’ point (Luke 18:27). Remember, He was referring to the rich young ruler who was unwilling to sell his possessions and give up his identity as a man of great wealth in order to follow Him (v.22). On the surface it seemed like an impossible sacrifice, like a camel walking through the eye of a needle (v.25). But with God all things are possible. All of us are in the same situation as the rich young ruler was. While our issues may be different, we all have things we cling to that, with God’s help, we can lay down in order to follow Jesus and become all He intends for us to be. It can be costly to follow Jesus, but it’s so worth the cost! (vv.29-30). —Jeff Olson
What is God asking you to lay down that seems impossible to surrender? How does Jesus’ example inspire you?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODJ: we’ve got answers
True wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His (12:13).
READ: Job 11:1-20
While in college, I volunteered at a center that provided emergency housing assistance. One winter day, a distraught woman called to complain about her negligent landlord. She couldn’t stay in her rental home because of severe maintenance problems. In a panic, she asked what she could do to care for her children in the cold weather. I gave the standard answer, which was to move into a hotel until the problem was resolved. Under our state’s consumer protection laws, she could bill the landlord. But she angrily hung up on me, believing I had failed to take her seriously. I may have known the textbook response to that woman’s question, but I didn’t grasp her real need. She needed someone to comprehend her fear and desperation. She needed to feel she was not alone in her dilemma. I had done nothing to address her heartfelt cry. In the Bible, Job stands as a paragon of patience. He too had a heartfelt cry. He had lost everything in a cosmic game no human being could comprehend (see Job 1-2). And he had friends with thoughtless textbook answers. “Can you solve the mysteries of God?” asked his friend Zophar, drunk on his own self-righteousness (11:7). “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to Him in prayer!” (v.13). Naturally, that only elicited a bitter retort from Job. “You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!” (12:1). We malign Job’s friends for their failure to see the big picture. But I’m no different. I’m quick with answers to questions I’ve never faced. “You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers,” says an advertising campaign. For life’s big questions, people do want and need answers. Most of all, they want to know someone truly cares. —Tim Gustafson
How have you been comforted by someone when you were hurting? Do you feel that you have the answers to everyone’s questions? How might this be misinterpreted by others?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...From Grief To Glory
By Sulare Fernando, 19, Sri Lanka I stare out into the sea beyond the horizon, The waves rise and fall across the blue ocean. I recalled one early morn six years ago, These waves thundered in, stealing everything I owned. Screams of despair sank beneath the water, The extent of tragedy was unveiled the day [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: compassionate anger
He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts (v.5).
READ: Mark 3:1-6
Some things make me angry. Newspaper columnists who belittle life-long marriage; radio hosts who rile against refugees; the big glossy advertisements for brothels in my local newspaper; climate-change proponents who label their critics ”deniers” to silence them; climate-change critics who label their opponents “alarmists” for the same reason. Yes, some things make me angry.
Jesus became angry (John 2:13-17;11:33). One Sabbath He was preaching in a synagogue when a number of His critics were present. In a provocative move, Jesus called to a man with a crippled hand and had him stand in front of the group. “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath,” Jesus asked, eyeing His critics, “or is it a day for doing evil?” (Mark 3:4). Silence. “Is this a day” (we can imagine Him speaking louder now), “to save life or to destroy it?” Still silence.
God made the Sabbath as a time for rest and renewal (Exodus 20:8), but by Jesus’ day the religious leaders had made its strict observance a sign of one’s righteousness. No work was to be done on the Sabbath, including, in the Pharisees’ eyes, the healing of crippled men. And Jesus was angry about that—angry at the Pharisees’ hard hearts.
But, astonishingly, we find Jesus being “deeply saddened” by them too (Mark 3:5). His anger at evil wasn’t accompanied by hatred for its perpetrators, but by sadness, grief, compassion.
I ask myself, to what degree do I feel compassion for that columnist, radio host, or brothel owner? Do I feel sad about that angry driver or climate-change critic? I’m not sure how much of my anger is the least bit righteous, let alone combined with compassion.
To feel anger is human. To feel compassionate anger is divine. I want to be more like Jesus. —Sheridan Voysey
Think of someone who made you angry recently. How can you show compassion to that person? If Jesus is the embodiment of God, how might Mark 3:1-6 help us understand God’s wrath?
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