The Lord Is My Shepherd

 Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;  I shall not want.

 

Jesus is reason for Christmas and part of the Christmas story is about shepherds being in the field and watching over their flocks by night. (Luke 2:11)

 

When we belong to Christ we are His sheep and we are under His protection even in the dark of night and the darkest of times. Be encouraged today that the Lord is indeed  the Good Shepherd and is watching over you! Trust in His love and guidance. Rest in the truth of His word. Bask in the love of His light.

 

Let's be aware of those who are struggling to find the joy of this season and lift them up in our prayers.

 

 

 

 

 

*Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 

* John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

 

*Psalms 95:7 For He is our God,  And we are the people of His pasture,  And the sheep of His hand.

 

 

Who's Skin Are You In?

 

Have you ever heard of someone being referred to as "thin-skinned,"? That means the person is overly sensitive, they may be offended easily and are especially sensitive to criticism.  Maybe you know some one who is of that nature.

 

But we don't have to be thin-skinned. We don't have to be people pleasers. In fact as followers of Christ Jesus, we for the most part, not be people pleasers.

 

Jesus said in John 15:5 I am the Vine and you are the branch. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing. *(emphasis mine) 

 

Did you catch it? The key is to abide, live in Jesus and allow Him to live in us. That is a super-natural protection. It doesn't mean our feelings will never be hurt. Of course they will. But if we abide; (live in constant fellowship with Him through prayer), in Jesus essentially He is our skin! And as He lives in us, through the  Holy Spirit and the Word we are empowered to let those criticisms roll off of our natural skin! We will bear sweet juice, joy, peace, patience, etc.

 

 

* Psalms 119:165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.Psalms 1

The Partners of Faith And Works

The Apostle Paul said that faith without works is dead.  Many people have taken that to mean that in order to have the hope of heaven we must do good works. That is incorrect. Works alone will not save you. Faith is an active thing. It isn't just wishing. It is putting legs to our prayers, walking them out if you will.

 

You may be going through a physical trial that requires you to do things that are uncomfortable, even painful, such as physical therapy.* You may have a broken heart. You may be burdened for a loved one.  You must do something! Follow that course of therapy. Keep to the regimen of diet for diabetes. If you have a broken heart, encourage someone else. When you are burdened hand it over to Jesus! And no matter what the situation, bathe it in prayer and stand on the Word. Get into the Word and get the Word into you!

 

 

 

 

*Physical therapy and diabetes  is how I can relate to this!

*James 2:20-22 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

Is Jesus Calling Your Name?

In our Bible Study we are learning from the 6th chapter of Luke.  In verses 12-13 we find Jesus calling and naming His disciples/apostles by name. He knew that Peter would deny Him and that Judas would betray Him. He knew Nathaniel would be skeptical.

 

 He called Zacchaeus down from the tree, He called Martha away from her distractions. He called Matthew away from the tax collectors and He called Lazarus out of the grave.

 

Is Jesus calling your name? Is He prompting you to do something?  Is He calling you away from distractions or things that may hinder your relationship with Him. Is He drawing you  to Himself for emotional and spiritual rest, or is He  calling you out of complacency. He may even be giving encouragement for something we are about to go through. No matter what the scenario is we can take comfort knowing that Jesus knows our name and we belong to Him!

 

 

 

 

 

*Isaiah 43:1But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,  And He who formed you, O Israel:“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. (emphasis mine.

 

A Roll of the Dice

Many times throughout the Bible the casting of lots was used to make important decisions about uncertain situations. What does casting lots mean? Well mostly it would be like a roll of the dice or a coin toss. Who could be certain if decisions were made by man or God without taking the chance of supernatural intervention?

We are about to select a new president. All are encouraged to vote their convictions. But really even though we all have our own ideas, still it amounts to a coin toss. One candidate will win and one will lose, or some other unprecedented thing might occur. But one thing is for certain. We either believe the Father is in control or He isn't. *

By voting we are expressing our faith that God is in control.*




*I Kings 18:21  Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

*Proverbs 16:33 NLT We may throw the dice,but the LORD determines how they fall.

Iron Sharpening Iron

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

It is inevitable that in our lives there will be friction. It is just bound to happen. We can be unbending, demanding that our way is the right way with no exceptions or we can use it as an opportunity to grow and encourage others.

 

There are times when I just need to be reined in. I am opinionated and stubborn. But I am blessed with a Lord who is always with me and ready to forgive. I am also blessed with a few close friends/sisters.

 

These are the people I can share my frustrations with. We are able to speak freely amongst ourselves. We listen, pray and encourage each other. Sometimes the words prick our hearts and even make us a bit angry but they always bring us back to the Living Word, the sword of the Spirit, the Prince of peace. That's how the iron gets sharpened.

 

It is my sincere prayer that anyone who reads this is blessed with a friend who loves Christ!

 

Faith Comes By Hearing - Romans 10: 17

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I've always been of the mind set that this passage means that faith comes by hearing means strictly by hearing the word being preached or taught. But what if it's more than that?

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would remind us of the things He said and that He would be our teacher.* Well, how can we be reminded of something we don't know in the first place?  How could we hear  and learn from the Holy Spirit  if we don't recognize His voice?

Here is an example. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed, before it happened. How could Peter be reminded if he didn't first hear the Word speak to him?

The psalmist said, Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You. What would be the point of memorizing the Word if he didn't know he would have to recall it?

It is still true that we need pastors and teachers who will teach us. But it is up to us to have a personal relationship with the Living Word in order to hear Him by faith.





John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Psalms 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

Isaiah 30:21Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand  Or whenever you turn to the left.

Fightin' Words or Fishin' Words

  Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And he that wins souls is wise.*

 

With all of the unrest in our world today it is a knee jerk reaction to strike back when our ideals are challenged. But harsh words only stir up anger.  Conversely kind words promote peace.

 

Jesus said that we would be known as His followers by the love we share. It is only by our loving behavior that we can represent Jesus effectively.

 

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

 *Proverbs 18:21 The tongue can bring death or life;those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

*Proverbs 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

Observing the Signs of The Times - What's the Point?

 

The signs of Jesus's return are everywhere. Look around, there are natural disasters, there are wars and rumors of wars. Nations  are rising up against each other and violence is rampant. We are told by Jesus to understand the signs of the times. But what is the point if as followers of Christ we are so divided among ourselves and caught up in the media fed negativity? As followers of Christ our focus should be warning against the horrors of hell and sharing the gospel of Christ and the hope of heaven.

 

 

II Timothy 3: 1- 5a You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.

 

John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

 

 

 

 

The Burden Indecision

Some of us are control freaks. We want to know the answer to every question or what to do in every situation and when we don't it makes us crazy! It's exhausting!

 

Seasoned saints may feel inadequate because they don't seem "spiritually-minded" enough to figure things out. The beauty of it is we don't have to! In fact if we take a look at Proverbs chapter 3:5-7 we can see that indeed we are not to trust in our own understanding, but talk to our Father about everything and then rest in Him. He is the One who is  Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent!

 

The answers we seek will come when we let go of whatever is bothering us, sit at His feet and let Him hold us for a while.

 

 

 

*Proverbs 3:5-7(NLT)  Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

 

*Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Intercession Begins With Self Examination

When we pray for others it is essential that we are not willing to pray for anyone to be corrected by "godly" wisdom unless we are willing to ask the Lord for us to be corrected the same way. For example, does so and so need patience? Than we should also be willing to ask the Lord to give us patience. Do we see someone who needs to have their heart softened? Does our heart also need to be softened? Do we see someone who needs wisdom? Can't we also use some wisdom?  Jesus tells us to do unto others as you  would have them do unto you. He also tells us not to judge lest we be also judged.  This is the beginning of true intercession. We can't possibly know what someone is going through or how we would respond unless we walk a mile in their shoes.

 

 

 

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”

 

Isaiah 55:9

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

 

Ps. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 

This Means War!

Let's face it. Satan is a relentless foe. He wants us to fail. He wants to kill us and our endeavors and steal our peace and is always looking for ways to destroy us. He is the accuser. He is the father of lies and  most often uses people to get under our skin and create conflicts. It is important to remember though, that we are not fighting people, but rather the forces that control them.

 

 II Corinthians 10:3-4 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments

 

How the Shield of Faith Works

Those who've followed Jesus for just about any length of time know that we are in a constant state of battle. How many times a day is our faith challenged? How many times do we have fear or doubt?

 

One part of our armor is the shield of faith. If you've ever seen a sword fight in a movie or even a fencing match you will see that the shield is something that must be held and is in constant motion. The shield is used to block the opponents jabs.

 

Our "opponent" , Satan is constantly seeking to cause fear, worry and doubt. But using that shield of faith we win every time.

 

 When we are faced with fear or doubt hold onto that shield of faith with all of your strength and realize that faith comes through the hearing of the Word of God. That's exactly how Jesus handled it when Satan tempted Him in the dessert. He said, "It is written...!"

 

Proverbs 30:5 Every Word of God is flawless, He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. (Emphasis mine)

 

 

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

*The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of wisdom and conduct.  I use it as a devotion frequently as there is one chapter for every day of the month!

 

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks....Or Can You?

Anyone who owns a dachshund can tell you they are stubborn and difficult to train. However, they are also very bright, affectionate, loyal companions, and... highly food motivated! They love to be rewarded for good behavior! Just like people though, they can get set in their ways and training is an ongoing process. Sometimes the training methods have to be changed. They get bored very easily.

We as people can get very set in our own ways. We do it physically, emotionally and spiritually. We get bored and to be honest we can get lazy. Then the Lord may have to change up some different situations and allow us to go through different kinds of trials. But we should not be discouraged. Today is a new day with new lessons and new mercies!

We can only grow in the Lord if we pray and take in the Word. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to continually feed us and fuel us. But consider how much He wants to reward us! He loves us! Oh how He loves us!

Daschund praying



Lamintations 3:22-23  Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning;  Great is Your faithfulness.

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

What's Your Motivation?

Okay I will admit it. It frightens me to drive on the interstate. But in order to get to my daughter's house, drive on the interstate I must. Today I left during rush hour. As I listened to the traffic reports there were multiple crashes right in the direction I was heading. So...I chickened out and got on a road I was familiar with and began to pray.  I told the Lord I was afraid and confused. What route should I take? Then a thought popped into my head,"What motivated you to change your route in the first place?" Fear. The entrance to the interstate kept catching my eye and since I'd already asked the Lord for direction, I took it. Yes it was congested. Yes it was slow at times. But something was different. I had peace and I knew I had followed the Lord in faith.

The point is sometimes  fear is our motivation to change courses. When that happens perhaps what is best is to slow down and pray. Then trust the Lord to answer you and give you direction and peace.


Romans 14:23(b.) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (emphasis mine)

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Dangers of Spouting Off

 When I am in a hurry I tend to pour the water into my coffee maker fast. Invariably it ends up spilling water all over the counter top, creating a mess. It finally occured to me why that is. The spout on the caraffe is pretty narrow and it can't handle that sudden rush of water. And the same holds when pouring the coffee, only then it's hot!

Anger is like that.  We can get so angry and upset that we end up saying things that we are sorry for later. Sometimes the mess can be cleaned up. Sometimes it can't.





Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 18:19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.
Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

Proverbs 29:11 Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

The Divine Coupon

I have to confess I am not a coupon user. Oh I know coupons would save me money. I just never bother with them. And I guess that may be the reason why I struggle with the term, "Redeemer".  But I have pondered often about it. I think by the Lord's grace I'm beginning to understand the concept.

When we redeem a coupon in essence that coupon reduces the cost of the item purchased. Just think about how many coupons are used! And each person uses different ones, tailored to their personal needs and wants.

Jesus is our Redeemer! He went before us to pay the price of our soul, spirit, mind and heart! But there is more! He knows each of us by name. He knows what we need and even what we what would be blessed to receive. He gives each of us spiritual and natural talents. 

He loves us O how He loves us! His mercies are new every morning!



Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.


Matthew 7:11

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!     John 16:23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

So Why All The Questions?

 When God asks a question, He already knows the answer.  Let's take a look at a few of His questions:

1) Genesis 3:9-11 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
 
2 ) John 6:5; 9 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 

Jesus already knew what He would do. When He asked where, it was a challenge to obey Him in faith. 

 

3) Matthew 6:15;  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it*

 

 

1) The Lord knows the answer to all of His questions. He knows where we are.  He knows we will sin.

 

2) He requires us to do things with faith.

 

3)  We need to know who He is and realize that He knows our strengths and weaknesses.

 

 

 

The main point? God is always calling us to Himself no matter what we've said or done. He loves us!  Oh how He loves us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah.[You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone.)

 

*John 36:24 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

 

Little Things

I have two grandsons that I learn a lot from. For instance they are constantly talking. They ask lot's of questions and they love to share information. But they are also very obedient. They listen to instructions... for the most part anyway.

Jesus said that we must have childlike faith to enter the kingdom of God*

Prayer is having a conversation with the Lord. We inquire, praise and study. But then we need to remember that He has something to say too! That is unbroken fellowship.

Have you lost your keys or something else you really need and have forgotten where you put it? Talk to Jesus about it. Then when you have an idea, check it out. He wants to answer our prayers. Even the little ones.


*Mark 10:15 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
*John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

A Time To Weep

How do you comfort someone who has a broken heart? Do you try to be merry? Do you sing songs of joy? Do you feel uncomfortable being quiet and try to fill the quietness with conversation?

The apostle Paul gave us the right way to handle grief. Weep with those who weep.

Even Jesus cried when Lazarus died. Why? He knew He was going to raise him from the dead. But Martha and Mary were broken hearted. I think His heart was broken for them.

 Even the very best intended words can inadvertently cause pain. "With time you'll get over it." Probably so, still not appropriate for a broken heart. There will be a time to speak words of encouragement. But wait till the weeping ends!


Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season,  A time for every purpose under heaven:
Ecclesiastes  3:4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;

Minutia - Unbroken Fellowship

Minutia is defined as the small, precise, or trivial details of something. "the minutiae of everyday life"

The Lord cares about all of the details of our day.  He longs for unbroken fellowship with us. We are instructed to pray constantly. Paul said to the Galatians, "In Him we live and move and have our being." Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branch. He doesn't want us to be separated from Him even for a moment. And even if we don't pray aloud we can ask the Lord to make us aware of His presence.

It is a challenge to be sure, but if we do pray continually He will constantly direct us and manifest Himself to us!

He loves us! O how He loves us!






*John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
*I Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually,
*Mark 12:30

‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.   **See also Proverbs 3:6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.   John 14:20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  *John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

A Pure Heart

King David was a man after God's own heart. Simply put David loved the Lord. He sinned many times, just like we all do, but he was quick to repent.  King David  truly wanted to please the Lord and knew He needed God's word in order to do that. He spent time in prayer and asked the Lord to give him a clean heart. And then He hid the word in his heart to keep him from straying.

If we truly love the Lord we must spend time in prayer and hide His word in our heart.




*Acts 13:22 “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

* Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

*Psalms 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,  That I might not sin against You.

The Wrong Kind of Spark

Words can wound and they can heal. They can stir up anger or they can bring peace.

Just one little spark; (of anger), can cause a huge forest fire in the lives of the people within our sphere of influence.

There are times when we all struggle with our words but there is hope!

Spirit-filled believers have the fruit of self-control. It behooves us to pause when we are tempted to say words that may harm others.

Prayer: Father let the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our minds be pleasing in Your sight.





*Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

*James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

It's the start of a new year. We set goals and make resolutions. We want to loose weight, be blessed financially, physically and spiritually. Setting goals and plans are not bad things in and of themselves.  After all if we have no goals or plans we won't do anything!

The trouble comes when we approach things without humility, or being poor in spirit. We must realize our need for the Lord desperately in every thing we do. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, comforter and helper and all we have to do is come to the Lord in prayer, with childlike faith.






*Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
*Isaiah 2:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,  Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”