teach us to pray
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…
May 17, 2010
What's a miracle God has performed in your life or in the life of someone you know?
the longing of God
Blaise Pascal once said the now-famous words: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which [can] be filled . . . only be filled by God.” St. Augustine once prayed, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” In Revelation 21 we see the end of human longing—the heart at rest in relationship…
in control
Flight 1549 was in trouble. After taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009, the jetliner struck a flock of geese. Some of the birds were sucked into its twin engines, causing them complete failure.
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger didn’t allow the chaos of the moment to overwhelm him. He didn’t lose control. The veteran pilot chose…
at His feet
Today I drank a peach milkshake and cried.
Far from being emotional over ice cream, I was flooded with memories. Though my dad has been gone 15 years, I still miss him. So when my kids and I went to get milkshakes, I couldn’t stop the tears as I sipped bits of peach through my straw. When he was in…
laughter
Chuck Shepherd oversees the Web site News of the Weird that reports all the strange, unbelievable stories crossing the newswires. Shepherd’s site will leave you scratching your head at the improbable or ludicrous happenings. The site boasts the tagline: “Proof that true stories are weirder than made-up stories.”
Often, people put God’s words in the same category. Are you kidding…
small and large
How big is the kingdom of God? Jesus said it begins small, like a mustard seed or a pinch of yeast, and it grows until it permeates “every part of the dough” (13:21). It’s large enough for birds to nest in. But it’s not so big that it overlooks details. Just as our immense sun illumines every corner of Earth,…
virtuous
So, when was the last time you heard someone being complimented for being virtuous? In Ecclesiastes 7:29, we read, “God created people to be virtuous.” So, what does this word mean? The Hebrew word for virtuous is chayil, which means “strength.” Throughout the Old Testament, we find that in the majority of cases this word refers to soldiers, to fighting…
May 10, 2010
What is your top motivation in life? How does it affect the way you live?
unclean, ungrateful, unusual
The husband and wife were desperate. Their only son had been in a coma for 2 months. The doctors weren’t sure what was slowly taking his life. Their brother-in-law, a believer in Jesus, brought them to his home church. The distressed couple heard the message of salvation and professed their belief in Jesus. They then asked the church to pray…
how soon we forget
The New Testament records the day Jesus fed 4,000- plus people with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. That’s some serious sushi! For 3 days, droves of people brought their sick and crippled to the Savior for healing (Matthew 15:29-31). When they ran out of food, Jesus pulled His disciples aside and pointed out the situation.…
childlike
Popular culture reveres pride. Celebrities bathe in their narcissism, only to gain even more fans. Kids on the playground imitate the self-promoting celebrations of their favorite athletes. Arrogance masquerades as “confidence,” while meekness becomes a dirty word.
But if personal pride is such a good thing, why is it that no one likes to live close to a proud person?…
read this! From a print version reader in Belgium . . .
An ODJ reader in Belgium writes: "I'm really happy because I'm one of those who 
receives ODJ quarterly. It means a lot in my whole life, for by reading ODJ every day, I found trust in Jesus. Now my desire is that My brother and sisters and their families will come to find trust in Jesus." Thank you for considering…
the kingdom of things
Since 1993, sales of luxury cars in my country— Australia—have doubled. Since the 1950s, Australian homes have doubled in size, yet the average family has decreased by a third. We’ve been on a pilgrimage to the “kingdom of things.” But, on arrival, we haven’t found fulfillment. Thirty percent of us take some form of mood-enhancing substance (like drugs, alcohol, sleeping…
