May

03

A gracious helper

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Sheep are soft and cuddly but not too bright. Without a shepherd’s guidance or a sturdy fence, a flock of sheep can easily roam right out of the pasture and end up falling off a cliff. People are sometimes referred to as sheep. Though for the saved, we have a personal 24-hour shepherd who holds us in the palm of his hand—no fence required.

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 ~ John 10:14-15.

 Like a sheep, we know the Lord’s voice when we hear it. Whether it’s that still, small prompting or a verse from the Bible, God speaks to our hearts. As we know him better, we tend to trust and follow him more. We recognize when he’s talking to us because we’re open to his instruction and our ears are tuned to Him.

A believer should be forever grateful to be part of the Lord’s flock because of the great shepherd, the Rock of Ages, who guides us. Though we may need prodding, to be one of the Lord’s sheep is the most gratifying places to find oneself.

We were once like sheep who went astray, but the Lord saw fit to call us by name into his sheepfold where we will remain safe throughout eternity. Surely, he’s our help in all of life’s situations.

 

Apr

18

Be still my heart…

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Waiting on God and listening for his still, small voice is to empty ourselves of worldly chatter and allow his spirit to lend comfort to our souls. Through fellowship with Him, our blessed Creator can take prominence in our hearts and minds and is a sure balm for our spiritual and mental well-being.

 

In the midst of a sin-filled world where troubles don’t seem to quit, there’s no better remedy than knowing the Lord is on the throne and is the Master Physician for every ailment known to man. When difficulty rears its ugly head at us, the best remedy is to run toward the healing arms of Jesus, our prescription for abundant life.

 

Clinging to the rock of our salvation is the only fortress against the battles. When we stay close to our Lord and Savior, there is nothing to fear for we are in capable hands. What can mere man do to remove us from the safety of Jesus?

 

On the uphill roads of life when we feel we’re losing traction, keeping our faith strong in the Lord through meditation and prayer is our only defense. Our hope remains steadfast as we dwell in Him and his word. This is where we exchange our troubles for his peace and rest.

 

 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint ~ Isaiah 40:31

Apr

14

More than Conquerors

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No other stronghold is needed to keep a believer steady in the face of a storm than when we grab ahold of the rock of our salvation–our blessed Lord Jesus. The winds of defeat may rage all around us, but the buffeting blows can only threaten; they cannot take us down.

When a frightened David cries out for protection from the threats of Saul, David says, “You are my Lord…apart from you, I have no good thing.” In the midst of his situation, David knew that through his adversity, the only sure thing to keep him safe was his Lord.

When we place our trust in our Lord’s care, we know that we’ve entered a sacred place amid enemy territory. While the battle rages, we can be as sure as David and say, “My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure because you will not abandon me…”

There’s nothing that can separate us from the Lord, his love, and his protection. Though our worldly foes–the flesh and the devil–would wish it otherwise, their efforts cannot stand up to the Lord’s plans and purposes for us. Should we go through hard times in the midst of keeping with the Lord, it is all part of his honing and refining to make us into the image of his beloved son. There is nothing to fear.

While on earth, there will be trouble, but Jesus tells us to take heart because he’s overcome the world!

Apr

05

A perfect sacrifice

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Pierced, bruised, and crushed. An innocent lamb led to slaughter. That was our beloved Lord at the hands of the Romans on that fateful day. The imagery is raw. It breaks the heart. The sacrifice he made, the torture, the humiliation, and how he was mentally and emotionally brought down by the weight of humankind’s sin is brutal.

 

What the Lord went through is stirring in the deepest of ways because what he suffered was what we deserve. Though because of this miraculous feat, we are now set free. Set free spiritually from everything that besets our souls forever.

 

The compassion of God is truly greater than anything we’ll ever come to know. The more we dwell upon the flogging he endured… the stripes upon his back… the nails in his wrists, and the crown of thorns on his head, we more fully can understand the magnitude of his suffering. The greater meaning of it all, we’ll understand in heaven, but for now, we can rest in the truth of God’s word that these things were designed from the beginning for our good.

 

By His stripes we are healed. We take medicine for our physical ailments, but the only medicine to cure our souls is the blood of the perfect lamb.

 

Apr

03

Jesus plus nothing equals everything

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By His grace, God sent his only begotten Son to take the brutal penalty for all of mankind…for each and every one of us as it states in 1 Peter 3:18 … Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. Though it begs the question: If God is love, and he has an amazing compassion for us, they why doesn’t this grace cast everyone straight into heaven?

… God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth ~ 1Tim. 2:3-4

 Some would say his love doesn’t extend far enough to save everyone and that it’s only for the elect. That’s true, it is for the elect. Those who’ve made the choice to believe are the elect! And the choice is made to believe in Him through our faith. Can God’s loving desire for everyone to be saved be contradicted by anything other than rejection by man’s own choice?

 Moses said in Deuteronomy 30:11, Now, what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach… love the Lord your God…walk in obedience to Him… choose life. Joshua also exhorted Israel to choose whom to serve. It was a choice then and it’s a choice now.

Our finite minds cannot begin to comprehend the depth of God’s grace to mankind. Though Jesus’s finished work on the cross is a good place to start.