Introduction
This devotional booklet, Journey of Faith: A 40-Day Devotional on Obedience and Reverence (Book 3) is a continuation of Books 1 and 2, which aims to guide teenagers in understanding the importance of cultivating good character, as emphasised in the Bible, for a purposeful and fulfilling life.
We will delve into two key virtues – obedience and reverence as mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Ephesians 4:1-4 – essential aspects of being a Christ-follower. Each devotional will explore the journeys of various individuals including contemporary people and Bible characters, in their obedience and reverence towards God and the authorities.
Following this, the Bible passage reflections will encourage you to apply these teachings to your daily life. Should you feel the need to converse with God, our prayer section provides prayers for your use, and offers space for personal or group prayers if you’re doing this with a group. Join us in this lifechanging exploration of character development and spiritual growth.
DAY21 On Our Hearts
Today’s Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 6:1–9
These commandments . . . are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. - Deuteronomy 6:6–7
After a young boy faced some challenges in school, his dad began to teach him a pledge to recite each morning before school: “I thank God for waking me up today. I am going to school so I can learn . . . and be the leader that God has created me to be.” The pledge is one way the father hopes to help his son apply himself and deal with life’s inevitable challenges.
In a way, by helping his son to commit this pledge to memory, the father is doing something similar to what God commanded the Israelites in the desert: “These commandments... are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).
After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the next generation of Israelites was about to enter the Promised Land. God knew it wouldn’t be easy for them to succeed—unless they kept their focus on Him. And so, through Moses, He urged them to remember and be obedient to Him— and to help their children to know and love God by talking about His Word “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (v. 7).
Each new day, we too can commit to allowing Scripture to guide our hearts and minds as we live in gratitude to Him.
By Alyson Kieda
Questions:
1. Why were the Israelites to obey God’s law (Deuteronomy 6:2-3)?
2. What can you learn about God from the verses you memorised (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)?
3. How can we hold God’s commandments in our hearts and make them a part of our daily lives (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for giving me each new day. Help me to keep Your wisdom in my heart and on my mind.
DAY22 Heart Food
Today’s Bible Reading
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Your words were found, and I ate them. - Jeremiah 15:16
I love food! I love to see it beautifully presented, and I love to savor the taste. If it were up to me, I would eat more often than I should—although it wouldn’t help my waistline! So, it’s a good thing my wife, Martie, knows when to lovingly remind me to eat healthful foods in the right amount.
Reading Jeremiah’s interesting thought—that when he found the words of God (even the words of God’s judgment) he “ate them” (Jeremiah 15:16)— makes me wonder if I ingest God’s Word as eagerly, as lovingly, and as often.
Clearly, Jeremiah did not actually eat God’s Word. It was his way of saying that he read and savored it in his innermost being. And that’s exactly where God’s Word is intended to go. The Word is heart food! When we ingest it, the Holy Spirit provides the power to help us grow to be more like Jesus. His Word transforms how we think about God, money, enemies, careers, and family. In other words, it’s really good for us.
So, “eat” God’s Word to your heart’s content! No doubt you will find yourself agreeing with the prophet Jeremiah when he said: “Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (15:16).
By Joe Stowell
Questions:
1. What kind of situation was Jeremiah facing, and how was he feeling (Jeremiah 15:15,18)?
2. What had Jeremiah done in the past in order to serve God faithfully and well (Jeremiah 15:16-17)?
3. What did God tell Jeremiah to do, and what did He promise Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:19-21)? Write down two commands and two promises below.
Prayer:
Lord, cultivate in me an appetite for Your Word. Thank You that the Bible is food for my soul. Lead me to read it, to savor it, to ingest it, and to know the strength that Your words can give to my oftenfailing heart.
DAY23 Self-Control in God’s Strength
Today’s Bible Reading
2 Peter 1:3–10
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. - 2 Peter 1:3
A 1972 study known as the “marshmallow test” was developed to gauge children’s ability to delay gratification of their desires. The kids were each offered a single marshmallow to enjoy but were told if they could refrain from eating it for ten minutes, they’d be given a second one. About a third of the children were able to hold out for the larger reward. Another third gobbled it up within thirty seconds!
We might struggle to show self-control when offered something we desire, even if we know it would benefit us more in the future to wait. Yet Peter urged us to “add to [our] faith” many important virtues, including self-control (2 Peter 1:5–6). Having laid hold of faith in Jesus, Peter encouraged his readers, and us, to continue to grow in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection, and love “in increasing measure” as evidence of that faith (vv. 5–8).
While these virtues don’t earn us God’s favor nor secure our place in heaven, they demonstrate—to ourselves as well as to all those with whom we interact—our need to exercise self-control as God provides the wisdom and strength to do so. And, best of all, He’s “given us everything we need [to live] a godly life,” one that pleases Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit (v. 3).
By Kirsten Holmberg
Questions:
1. What has God given us, and why has He done so (2 Peter 1:2-4)?
2. List down the Christlike qualities mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-8. Which of these qualities do you feel you need to develop more of, and how could you do so?
3. Why should we grow in these Christlike qualities (2 Peter 1:8-10)? Write down two reasons below.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, please grow in me the qualities that reflect Jesus so I might reveal Your goodness to the world around me.
DAY24 Gaining Respect
Today’s Bible Reading
Daniel 1:1-16
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. —Daniel 1:8
When a professional musician nicknamed “Happy” became a Christian, he quit playing in nightclubs and offered his services to a rescue mission. Some time later, he received a phone call from a club manager who wanted to hire him to do a show that would have brought in a lot of money. But Happy turned down the offer, telling the manager that he would be playing at the mission. Happy said, “He congratulated me. That surprised me. Here was a man who wanted me to play for him and he was congratulating me for refusing his offer.” The manager respected Happy’s decision.
Daniel was a captive in a foreign land, but he did not forget his religious principles. He could not in good conscience eat meat that had been dedicated to a pagan god and had not been slaughtered in accordance with Hebrew laws. He asked for a simple fare of vegetables and water, and the steward risked his life to honor his request. I believe he did this because Daniel’s noble conduct had earned his respect.
The world looks with disdain on Christians who do not live what they say they believe. That’s why we should remain true to our convictions. Consistency of character is what gains the respect of others.
By Herbert Vander Lugt
Questions:
1. What happened to Daniel (Daniel 1:3-7)? Try to put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if something similar happened to you?
2. What did Daniel do as he and his friends faced this situation (Daniel 1:8-14)? Why did he do this?
3. Would you have done something similar to what Daniel did that showed his reverence to God? Why or why not? What is one area in your life in which God is calling you to “dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone; dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known”?
Prayer:
Lord, help me live only for You and be consistent in my behavior, reflecting my faith in You.
DAY25 Fear and Love
Today’s Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 10:12-17
What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear [Him] . . . and to love Him. - Deuteronomy 10:12
Someone shared with me her observation about two bosses. One is loved but not feared by his subordinates. Because they love their boss but don’t respect his authority, they don’t follow his guidelines. The other boss is both feared and loved by those who serve under him, and their good behavior shows it.
The Lord desires that His people both fear and love Him too. Today’s Bible passage, Deuteronomy 10, says that keeping God’s guidelines involves both. In verse 12, we are told “to fear the Lord your God” and “to love Him.”
To “fear” the Lord God is to give Him the highest respect. For the believer, it is not a matter of feeling intimidated by Him or His character. But out of respect for His person and authority, we walk in all His ways and keep His commandments. Out of “love,” we serve Him with all our heart and with all our soul—rather than merely out of duty (v.12).
Love flows out of our deep gratitude for His love for us, rather than out of our likes and dislikes. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our fear and love for God enable us to walk willingly in obedience to God’s law.
By Albert Lee
Questions:
1. What are the five things that God requires of His people (Deuteronomy 10: 12-13)? Choose two of them and explain – what do you think they mean, and what could you do to meet those requirements in your own life?
2. How does Moses describe God in Deuteronomy 10:14-15, 17? List down three things about who God is or what He has done.
3. Given who God is as described in Question 2, what should the Israelites (and by extension, we Christians who are God’s people today) do (Deuteronomy 10:16)? What does this mean?
Prayer:
Lord, You are holy and Your thoughts are much higher than mine. I bow before You. Thank You for salvation in Jesus. I love You and want to obey You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.
DAY26 Because
Today’s Bible Reading
Job 2: 1-13
Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? - Job 2:10
One day, my toddler exclaimed, “I love you, Mom!” I was curious about what makes a 3-year-old tick, so I asked him why he loved me. He answered, “Because you play cars with me.” When I asked if there was any other reason, he said, “Nope. That’s it.” My toddler’s response made me smile. But it also made me think about the way I relate to God. Do I love and trust Him just because of what He does for me? What about when the blessings disappear?
Job had to answer these questions when catastrophes claimed his children and demolished his entire estate. His wife advised him: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Instead, Job asked, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (v.10). Yes, Job struggled after his tragedy—he became angry with his friends and questioned the Almighty. Still, he vowed, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (13:15).
Job’s affection for his heavenly Father didn’t depend on a tidy solution to his problems. Rather, he loved and trusted God because of all that He is. Job said, “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength” (9:4).
Our love for God must not be based solely on His blessings but because of who He is.
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Questions:
1. What kind of person was Job (Job 2:3)?
2. What happened to Job (2:7-8)? Why did this happen to him (2:4-6)?
3. How did Job and his wife respond to what had happened to them (Job 2:9-10)? What can we learn from that?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, when I have to go through suffering that seems undeserved, help me to take my eyes off my circumstances and to focus on who You are - Your goodness, Your love, and Your sovereign power. Help me to accept both joy and sorrow as gifts of Your grace, and let both these gifts draw me closer to you.
Amen.
DAY27 Drastic Measures
Today’s Bible Reading
2 Kings 23:3–7
The king . . . renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands. - 2 Kings 23:3
The ornate ceremonial bow and quiver had hung on the wall of our home in Michigan for years. I’d inherited them from my father, who acquired the souvenirs while we were serving as missionaries in Ghana.
Then one day a Ghanaian friend visited us. When he saw the bow, he got a strange look on his face. Pointing to a small object tied to it he said, “That is a fetish—a magic charm. I know it has no power, but I would not keep it in my house.” Quickly we cut the charm from the bow and discarded it. We didn’t want anything in our home intended for the worship of something other than God.
Josiah, king in Jerusalem, grew up with little knowledge of God’s expectations for His people. When the high priest rediscovered the Book of the Law in the long-neglected temple (2 Kings 22:8), Josiah wanted to hear it. As soon as he learned what God had said about idolatry, he ordered sweeping changes to bring Judah into compliance with God’s law—changes far more drastic than merely cutting a charm from a bow (see 2 Kings 23:3–7).
Believers today have more than King Josiah did—much, much more. We have the entire Bible to instruct us. We have each other. And we have the vital filling of the Holy Spirit, who brings things to light, large and small, that we might otherwise overlook.
By Tim Gustafson
Questions:
1. What did King Josiah do with the elders, priests, prophets, and people of Judah (2 Kings 23:3)?
2. What did King Josiah do after that, in order to be true to the covenant that he and Judah had renewed before God (23:4-7)?
3. Have you made a covenant with God to revere Him, obey Him, and worship Him alone? Is there anything that you should cut out of your life in order to be true to that covenant, like Josiah cut out the idolatry from the life of the nation of Judah?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, by the work of the Holy Spirit, help me steer clear of anything that’s offensive to You.
DAY28 Honoring God with Thanks
Today’s Bible Reading
Psalm 50:8–15
Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. - Psalm 50:15
The doctor wasn’t frowning, despite talking to my husband about his recent cancer diagnosis. Smiling, she offered a suggestion: start each day by giving thanks. “For at least three things,” the doctor said. Dan agreed, knowing that gratitude opens our hearts to find encouragement in God’s goodness. Thus, Dan starts each day with words of praise. Thank You, God, for a good night’s sleep. For my clean bed. For sunshine. For breakfast on the table. For a smile on my lips.
Each word is heartfelt. But could it sound trivial? Does our praise in life’s small details matter to Almighty God? In Psalm 50, David’s chief musician, Asaph, offers a clear answer. God has “no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens” (v. 9). Instead of these once-formal Israelite sacrifices of gratitude, God wants His people to give Him our hearts and lives in gratitude (vv. 14, 23).
As my husband experienced, whole-hearted gratitude helps our spirits flourish. Then when we call on the Lord “in the day of trouble,” He will “deliver” us (v. 15). Does this mean Dan will be healed, spiritually and physically, during his two-year treatment? Or not until after this lifetime? We don’t know. But for now, Dan delights in showing God he’s grateful for His love, and for who God is: Redeemer. Healer. Friend. And friends delight to hear these beautiful words: Thank You.
By Patricia Raybon
Questions:
1. What have the people of Israel done correctly (50:8)?
2. What does God need from us (50:9-13)?
3. In light of Question 2, why was it still right and good for the people of Israel to give burnt offerings and sacrifices to God (50:14-15)?
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for ____ (fill in the blank with three things you’re thankful for). Thank you that when I face troubles and difficulties, I can be sure that you are with me, and that you will deliver me in your own time and way. Help me to honour you with a grateful heart. Amen.
DAY29 Holy Is Your Name
Today’s Bible Reading
Exodus 20:1-7
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. - Exodus 20:7
One afternoon I was having a discussion with a friend I considered my spiritual mentor about misusing God’s name. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,” says the third commandment (Exodus 20:7). We may think this only refers to attaching God’s name to a swear word or using His name flippantly or irreverently. But my mentor rarely missed an opportunity to teach me about real faith. He challenged me to think about other ways we profane God’s name.
When I reject the advice of others and say, “God told me to go this way,” I misuse His name if all I am doing is seeking approval for my own desires.
When I use Scripture out of context to try to support an idea I want to be true, I am using God’s name in vain.
When I teach, write, or speak from Scripture carelessly, I misuse His name.
Author John Piper offers this reflection on what it means to take God’s name in vain: “The idea is . . . ‘don’t empty the name.’ . . . Don’t empty God of His weight and glory.” We misuse His name, Piper says, when we “speak of God in a way that empties Him of His significance.”
My friend challenged me to honor God’s name and to pay closer attention to using His Word carefully and accurately. Anything less dishonors Him.
By Randy Kilgore
Questions:
1. What is the foundational reason from which these rules (the Ten Commandments) flow (20:2)?
2. What are the three commandments listed in today’s reading (20:3-7)?
3. What do these commandments mean for us today? How can we live them out in obedience and reverence to God?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to glorify Your name and to honor You always in what I say and do.
DAY30 God’s Radiant Beauty
Today’s Bible Reading
Romans 1:18–25
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. - Romans 1:20
Lord Howe Island is a small paradise of white sands and crystal waters off Australia’s east coast. When I visited some years ago, I was struck by its beauty. Here, one could swim with turtles and with fish like the shimmering trevally, while moon wrasses drifted nearby, flashing their neon colors like a billboard. In its lagoon I found coral reefs full of bright orange clownfish and yellow-striped butterfly fish that rushed to kiss my hand. Overwhelmed by such splendor, I couldn’t help but worship God.
The apostle Paul gives the reason for my response. Creation at its best reveals something of God’s nature (Romans 1:20). The wonders of Lord Howe Island were giving me a glimpse of His own power and beauty.
When the prophet Ezekiel encountered God, he was shown a radiant Being seated on a blue throne surrounded by glorious colors (Ezekiel 1:25–28).
The apostle John saw something similar: God sparkling like precious stones, encircled by an emerald rainbow (Revelation 4:2–3). When God reveals Himself, He is found to be not only good and powerful but beautiful too. Creation reflects this beauty the way a piece of art reflects its artist.
Nature often gets worshiped instead of God (Romans 1:25). What a tragedy. Instead, may earth’s crystal waters and shimmering creatures point us to the One standing behind them who is more powerful and beautiful than anything in this world.
By Sheridan Voysey
Questions:
1. What can we know about God by observing the world He has made (1:20)? Explain what this means to you.
2. Why is God angry with human beings (1:18-19, 21-25)?
3. What can we do so that God will not be angry with us, and that we can be right with God instead?
Prayer:
Dear God, open my eyes to see You; to see Your reality, Your power, Your wisdom, Your creativity, Your goodness, and Your beauty as you show Yourself to me through this wonderful, beautiful world that You have created. Bring me to worship You and to put my wholehearted trust in You. Amen.
Acknowledgments
This book is a collaboration between Our Daily Bread Ministries Malaysia and The Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia.
Editorial: Celine Heo, Kiew Sieh Jin & Lim Wan Phing
Graphic Designer: Samuel Goh
Scripture taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2024 Our Daily Bread Ministries® odb.org • malaysia@odb.org
Produced in Malaysia.