Featured Devotionals

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ODJ: staying on track

In 2013 a train carrying 218 people derailed in Spain, killing 79 and injuring 66 more. Though the train’s engineer said he couldn’t explain why the accident occurred, video footage provided answers. The train was going as fast as 119 mph before it hit the deadly curve—more than twice the speed limit for that section of track. So it wasn’t just the speed that caused the accident.

ODJ: the road more travelled

Ever heard of “swarm intelligence”? Ant colonies use it to establish the quickest paths between food and their nests. Scout ants leave a trail of pheromones (a chemical substance) as they make their way to edibles. More ants follow, causing the scent on the trails to become even stronger. Over time, the best routes become more popular and scented, while the less-efficient paths steadi

ODJ: tears in heaven

One of my favourite songs is the 1993 Grammy Award winning Tears in Heaven. It’s an intimate song that Eric Clapton wrote to help him heal from the loss and pain of the accidental death of his 4 year old son. Rooted in tragedy and grief, Eric expresses the hope of seeing his son again. He wrote of a place beyond this world, a place beyond tears—heaven. This song has touched m

ODJ: for everyone

The very first time one of the apostles stood up and publicly addressed a crowd about the good news of Jesus, he wanted to make it crystal clear that what he was proclaiming was for everyone.
The New Testament book of Acts tells us that this happened on the day of Pentecost—an annual Jewish feast. The promised Holy Spirit had come and indwelt the believers in Jesus, filling them w

ODJ: gift of submission

I once wrote a book based on a collection of letters that François Fénelon (a French pastor from the 17th century) wrote to a younger friend who was serving in the morally corrupt court of King Louis XIV. Fénelon’s fatherly posture and his call for unflinching devotion to God captured me. Words like this are standard Fénelon fare: “Becoming a follower of God is hard because it requires tha

ODJ: underground serenade

I was wowed by a video clip in which seven singers performed an 800 year old hymn. They sang it a cappella in a German subway station where the underground acoustics created a haunting, beautiful sound. While the performance mesmerised me, I noticed that only a few people stopped to listen. With such a beautiful message and amazing delivery, I wondered why more people failed to attend the imprompt

ODJ: making Jesus angry

My wife rarely gets angry, and in that way she’s my complete opposite. But that also means that when she does get mad, I pay very close attention because only something significant gets her worked up.
In Mark 3 something similar took place. Jesus wasn’t simply annoyed with the Pharisees; He was enraged and grieved. His reaction wasn’t something that we find very often in the Gospels, so

ODJ: roots

My friend noticed that his maple tree was shedding leaves prematurely. The tree doctor told him his tree was suffering from a girdling root. It had taken 30 years, but the offending root had encircled the tree and was now slowly choking it. If my friend didn’t dig down and hack the root off, the tree would die.
The Pharisees had allowed the root of pride and jealousy to smother their love f

ODJ: hope

Today was a day of gladness; tonight has been difficult. A seemingly small event had unleashed a torrent of emotion in me. The day before, my husband and I had received difficult news. Being stirred with faith, during the daylight hours I had grabbed on to the inexplicable determination and joy God placed in my heart—even in that difficult place. As the day turned into evening, though,