The Lord’s commission to “Feed My sheep” is without exception for all Believers. But for all of you who have been around livestock and done chores, you know that it can be very frustrating moving and feeding animals. They don’t want to go where you want them to…they’re noisy, dirty, stinky and pushy. And on top of that, daily chores are mundane, boring, and at times unnerving when the animals act up. You find yourself saying, “I wish someone else would do this!” But “Feed My sheep” means much more than just giving nourishment. For God, it means shepherding, tending, guarding and leading a group of at times unruly people. People that you can tenderly lead to (Living) water, but then watch as they refuse to drink. That’s when discouragement can set in, but remember it’s not about you, so don’t take it personally… just continue to do the chores you’ve been called to.
Tag: inspirational daily devotional
John 4:11 ” ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.’ “
Jesus had just offered the Samaritan woman Living Water, but by her observation…He had no means of drawing water from Jacob’s well. We seem to quickly revert back to our humanness anytime we doubt that Jesus can really do what He says. We question if He’s in touch with reality or even realizes the gravity of our circumstances. Subjectively, our biased opinion says, “I can’t see how You can possibly do this Lord.” But if we put aside our humanness and instead take Jesus at His word…miracles will happen.
Isaiah 60:1 ” Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:14, paraphrases this verse in Isaiah when he writes, “Wake up O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” Jesus is the light of the world, and when this truth illuminates our being, we become painfully aware of just how deplorable our sinful life is. We clearly see ourselves for what we are…miserable, wretched humans…spiritually dead and doomed to eternal punishment. But both verses encourage us by saying, “Don’t wallow in sin anymore – a new day is dawning – rise up out of the muck and mire, and receive your salvation.”
I Kings 19:5 ” All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ “
In this verse, Elijah had just fled from Jezebel and her death threats into the desert. There in his fear and exhaustion, he prayed for the Lord to take his life. When suddenly a message carrier for the Lord appeared…not with some great vision or even an explanation of this predicament Elijah found himself in. Rather, the angel simply told him to eat, drink, and then sleep. Over the course of my 36 year Nursing career I’ve seen it happen way too many times…a patient is either critically ill or dying, but it’s the spouse’s or caregiver’s health that deteriorates. When we’re in crisis, we forget to do the ordinary things. We forget to get adequate nutrition…we don’t think to drink water…we don’t get enough rest. And the result is a caregiver with downward spiraling health. Care for the caregiver has become a focus for the Health Care Community, and something I advocated for wherever I worked. So if you find yourself a caregiver, please remember to treat yourself kindly, take time for yourself, and do the ordinary things. For you’ll be of no help to your loved one if you’re in the hospital.
Matthew 10:27 ” What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”
In those times of darkness… when unhappiness and turmoil have you crouched down in the valley of despair…God will speak truths softly to you. Precious truths that will encourage, exhort, and sustain you during that critical time…but it doesn’t stop there. God wants you to share with others these precious truths when the light of day finally shines again in your life. For after you have passed through the valley of the shadow of death, the truths God whispered to you then, become the lifelines for others who still remain in darkness.
I Samuel 3:10 ” The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening.’ “
If you have ever been part of a marriage conference or counseling…they teach you the art of active listening. Each has the others undivided attention as they converse back and forth…repeating back to the person what they heard and asking, “Is this what you meant?” There is much more listening done than speaking, and more unselfish attention given than self-centeredness. Listening to the Lord is a lot like that. It is not blabbering on incessantly about our own feelings and emotions…it’s listening with all our being…taking the time to be quiet…hearing and then heeding His voice.
Matthew 6:30 ” If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Jesus didn’t mince words with the Disciples. He used the phrase, “O you of little faith” many times throughout the book of Matthew in dealing with them. In Matthew 8:26 Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” In Matthew 14:31 He again asked, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Here were men who had witnessed miracle after miracle…bodies made whole, blind eyes receiving sight, dead bodies brought back to life…and they still hesitated to fully trust Jesus. If these men had trouble with their faith, why should it surprise me if I fall short? The Believer’s journey is taking that meager crumb of faith we’re given and growing it day by day…of being open and honest when we doubt…and asking the Lord to help us in our unbelief.
II Corinthians 3:18 ” And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit.”
Jesus spoke of this glory in John 17:22, when He said, “I have given them the glory that You gave Me that they may be one as we are one.” When we become Christians, we undergo a spiritual transformation…a invisible process, a metamorphosis if you will, where our very character is changed. And by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit we become a mirror, reflecting Jesus to others. But you’ll also notice that this Scripture says we are “being” transformed with “ever-increasing” glory…which means His work in us will never be completely done until that day we meet Him face to face.
Isaiah 45:22 ” Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”
The Lord says to you today…come back. Turn around and face Me, for it’s only by Me that you can be delivered from all the evil that still clings to you. You may have accepted Me in the past, but you are still a slave to things you have not been able to give up. You have been set free of those things, but you either don’t fully realize it or just don’t want to leave them behind. Change directions today… for those chains that have bound you in the past have been broken off – you are no longer a victim…you are a victor.
II Timothy 4:2 ” I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”
The term season in this Scripture doesn’t refer to a period of time …it refers rather to us. We need to be ready to share the Gospel with others whether we feel like it or not. If we only reached out to others with the Good News of Jesus when we felt ready and confident…we’ll probably not do it very often. And if we wait for some giant spark of inspiration or emotion to come upon us first…we’ll probably wait a long time, and meanwhile, miss many opportunities . One of my fondest memories of leading an elderly neighbor to the Lord was also during one of the lowest points of my life. Grief, sadness, and depression hung over me like a dark cloud when the Lord told me to go speak to this man. “Lord,” I asked. “I can hardly function as a human being, how can I possibly go and talk to this man about Jesus?” But I obeyed, and this man accepted Jesus into his life…only to meet his Savior later that day in heaven.
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