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David, a shepherd himself before he became king, knew that even he needed a shepherd. Why? He knew his own strengths and weaknesses and that he, like a sheep, was prone to wander from safety. “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Isaiah 53:6a David knew that in order not to wander, his shepherd, God Himself, would have to guard over him even as he had his own sheep.
You and I also are sheep, and like all sheep, we tend to go astray. We desperately need a shepherd, but unlike earthly shepherds who either care for their flocks or care less, we have a perfect shepherd, Jesus Himself, whose love was so encompassing, He gave His life for us: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15 All you and I need do is recognize our Shepherd’s voice and follow Him in trust, always remembering our Shepherd loves US with all His heart, and He demonstrates this in, oh, so many ways! He cares for us: “And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Luke 12:28 Have faith in God’s promise—that He will care for us at all times and in every circumstance; He provides for our every want and need. This does not mean material or physical want, but all we need to find joy and inward peace as we focus on Him, even during the toughest of times. John 10:10b He feeds us: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33 Wheat bread may sustain us physically, but the bread that God gives when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior is life everlasting. He quenches our thirst: “Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 As those caught in the desert long for water to quench their thirst, so each of us has a longing within to be filled with God. When we drink of Jesus, He fills us with streams of living water, bringing hope for today and eternal life for tomorrow. He removes worry and anxiety: “ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus urges us to cast away all that weighs us down, and when we do so, He gladly lifts our burdens. He fearlessly protects us from Satan and evil forces: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees.” John 10:11 Our Shepherd fights for us and will never leave our sides. Giving us armor for protection, He protects His own! (Eph. 6:10-18) He pursues the lost: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 God’s desire is that no man perish. When we wander, He pursues us. When He tugs on our spirits, we need to listen, repent, and run into His open arms! Jesus is our High Priest who intercedes for us: “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, Who was raised—Who is at the right hand of God, Who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 and “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:14-15 Jesus loves us so much and understands us so well that today, even as we go about our activities, whether in righteousness or sin, He intercedes on our behalf, asking God for compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Have you ever recognized Jesus shepherding you in the above ways? Take a moment and thank Him, then let Him know you look forward to His provision in the future. If, however, you’ve never felt the Lord’s guidance, listen! That’s your Shepherd’s voice calling you! He wants you as His own, so answer Him! Ask Jesus right now, this very moment, to be your Lord and Savior, then trust Him to shepherd you the rest of your days. Prayer: “Dear Father, thank YOU for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be my Shepherd. His words and example show me the true meaning of love as He guides me on the path to eternal life. Please help me daily drink Him in and feed on His food—not man’s bread, but Your Word as written in Scripture. Then help me be a shepherd to those in my life— loving, protecting, guiding, and teaching them to feast on all You are—Lord God—Savior! May I always bring honor and glory to Your name.” Next Week: Psalm 23:1b "I shall not be in want." Disclaimer: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! "The Lord is my shepherd." My shepherd...your shepherd. David did not write "our" shepherd; no, he wrote in deeply personal words. "My" shows relationship and trust. Sheep trust, so they follow their shepherd. When we believe, we become Jesus' sheep, and in trust we follow our Shepherd. Why? Who is our Shepherd, anyway? Can we trust Him with our lives? Is He worth following?
To have trust, we must be able to believe that the one we trust has the power to care for and guide us. Take a moment and think about who Jesus is, back in time before He became the Son of Man--back to, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3 NIV Stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon viewing its grandeur as it surrounds you with breathtaking colors, formations, and depths defying imagination; stand at the foot of the majestic Rockies rising high into the sky, their snow-capped peaks reaching to declare the glory of God; then stand beneath a cloudless, midnight's sky, studying the stars and galaxies, brilliantly shining forth light and shouting out the power of their Creator. Think of the One who spoke, and ALL became! Indescribable power, indescribable love...this is your Shepherd, who so desired your safety and well-being that He gave up heaven to become a man to save you...to save me. Is He powerful enough to be trusted and fulfill what He says will come to Pass? Definitely! Is He, therefore, not only a good shepherd, but the only shepherd worth following? Absoulutely! JESUS IS WORTH EVERYTHING! Verses: "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him." Colossians 1:16 ESV "By the Word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; He puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him! For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." Psalm 33:6-9 ESV "...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 ESV PRAYER: Thank you, Father, that You sent Your Son Jesus to be my shepherd and that when I accepted Him as my Savior, I was and will always remain saved. Jesus, if I ever begin to doubt this, remind me of Your creation and the power of Your words. Your words are reality, and You powerfully complete all You say. Thank You, Jesus, for being a promise keeper and my perfect, loving Shepherd! Next Week: More on our shepherd. Disclaimer: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is? These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other 'teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth!  When I think of the word "Lord," my mind wanders to bygone years--years when there were kings and castles and lords and peasants known as serfs. Did these lords get on their hands and knees to become like those peasants in order to care for and protect them? No! Rather, peasants were required to work several days a week for the lords, providing produce as well as homage in return for protection and a piece of property to cultivate as their own. Many were treated harshly, remained poor, and did not have the freedom of choice in most issues.
Then I think of our Lord, who did become like us, giving up all His heavenly reign, riches, and power to become human, not like Superman, but in humility as a baby. Later, in manhood, He did not demand that we work for Him in return for protection or reward; instead, He said, "Give me your worst, and I'll give you My best." (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:7b) So when we ask Jesus to be our Lord, we give Him our very worst, our blackness, our sins--and He gives us His best--His very own life, taking our sins upon Himself, turning our blackness to pure white and saving us from our eternal enemy. Then, rather than having life in the little and remaining poor, we gain life in abundance and the rich reward of living eternally with Him. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For our sake He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. PRAYER: "Lord, thank you for not demanding that I serve You, but freely offering Yourself to me so I may make a choice: Do I want YOU to be my LORD, or do I want to serve only myself or another master who would hold me in bondage? As before, today I again choose YOU! Thank you for taking my worst to give me Your best--hope in this world, then FOREVER, through all eternity, a life of JOY with YOU!" Disclaimer: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! As we begin our journey together, I would like you to read the following poem, taking several minutes to prayerfully and thoughtfully meditate upon the words: Ruth Guthrie Harding Deep in the heart of me, Nothing but You! See through the art of me-- Deep in the heart of me Find the best part of me, Changeless and true. Deep in the heart of me Nothing but You! What lies deep within my heart? What lies deep within yours? Is it Jesus? Can others see Him "through the art of me"--through my words and actions? Does He become the "best part of me" because He fills and consumes my heart, or do others only see "me" because the cares of this world--my home, my job, my health, and/or my relationships with others--take precedence over all else in what I say and do? Is my faith "changeless and true"? Do I exhibit trust in God at all times and in every circumstance, or do I doubt in times of illness, stress, persecution, and/or trial? Once more, I would ask you to take a few moments praying about these things, then answering them in truth. Now, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and listen! Do you hear the heartbeat of Jesus within? Can you hear His Spirit whispering, "I love you! I value you! I care so much that for you I knowingly and willingly gave my life! If you haven't before, I urge you to let Jesus in today...all the way, holding nothing back. Then, and only then, can you or I say, "Deep in the heart of me, nothing but YOU!" Psalm 73:26 "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever." NLT Psalm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD." NLT PRAYER: Dear Father, I desire with all my heart to reflect only You. May you always be the best part of me, filling me with Your Holy Spirit so that in everything I say and do, others see only You. Thank you being my God, pursuing me, lifting me from the mud and mire, and transforming my life. Truly, You have given me a new song to sing! King, Creator, Savior...forevermore, nothing but YOU! Next Week: We will begin looking at who our Good Shepherd is. Disclaimer: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! |
Author Candice Mary Thomas writes about loving God and loving people! Coming to Christ at age 32 and now in her 70's, Candice knows what a difference it makes living with or without Christ as one's personal Savior. Archives
December 2022
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