No one likes failure, and everyone strives to achieve success. Tucked away in James 4 is a suggestion to help us find true success.
True success comes from the Lord, and finding it requires allowing the Lord in our lives. This means…
Nothing will detour Satan faster than a close relationship with the Lord, so if you’re looking for true success, start by submitting to the Lord.
Taking care of sheep was a commitment, not just a job. Sheep required around-the-clock care and protection. A good shepherd would care deeply for his sheep, and he would tend to their needs in a compassionate way. The Bible teaches Jesus is our good shepherd.
In John 10:11 and 14, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” This means Jesus acts toward us as a good shepherd acted toward his sheep. Here are just a few of the characteristics that make up a good shepherd.
A good shepherd knows his sheep. He knows everything about them. To many, sheep all look the same, but to their shepherd, they are unique.
Jesus knows us. He knows our thoughts, hurts, passions, and everything else about us.
Jesus says in John 10:4, “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them and they follow him because they know his voice.” A good shepherd goes ahead of his sheep to keep them out of danger. He leads them to water and green pastures so their needs are met. As our good shepherd, Jesus guides are lives.
Standing between the sheep and their predators is the shepherd, and he is willing to give up his life to save theirs.
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Standing between us and the penalty of sin is Jesus. He laid down his life to save ours. He is our good shepherd.
David writes in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want.” And, the Lord is a good shepherd. He knows us and he tenderly and compassionately cares for us. Take a moment today to thank him for being the good shepherd.
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“When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies” (Psalm 118:5-7).
“Between a rock and a hard place” is how a lot of folks may describe their current circumstances. They may not see a way out, but Psalm 118 reminds us of the Lord’s power.
The Psalmist says he was hard pressed; he was having a difficult time, so he cried out to the Lord and the Lord brought deliverance.
As the day begins, you may share those same feelings. You may feel hard pressed, fearful, and defeated, but the Lord offers the same deliverance to us. Follow the Psalmist example of crying out to the Lord.
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Peace and strength are always in demand!
We need peace as we navigate the always changing landscape of life. .
We need strength to walk toward the unknowns of the future.
The Bible tells us the Lord will give us both. Psalm 29:11 says, “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”
This is the same Lord described in Psalm 29 as powerful and majestic. He spoke creation into existence; everything came from nothing simply by his voice. He calms storms; nature acts as his symphony. His power and majesty are greater than any other, and he grants you and me peace and strength.
Take a moment today to reflect on the Lord’s power and majesty. Allow the Lord to give you strength and bless you with peace today.
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As you begin today, you may have a lot of anxiety. It may be caused by stress at work or in your personal relationships. Perhaps money is tight this week as you push through to pay day. I don’t know the cause of your anxiety, but I know Scripture makes a terrific promise to us.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Think about this invitation for a moment. Cast – THROW – your anxieties on the Lord because he cares for you. The stress we’re feeling today can be thrown on the Lord. He will help us carry the load and get through the day.
As anxiety builds today, remember, you can throw it on the Lord, and he will help you carry it.
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One morning there was no food to eat at the orphanage. The director went ahead and gathered the children and workers together to give thanks as they did every morning. There was a knock on the door a moment later. The local baker was bringing bread. He had been prompted the night before to bake bread for the orphanage. The baker was just leaving as a local farmer came up to the door. He had an abundance of milk which he would like to share with the children. The director of the orphanage had faith the Lord would provide, and he remembered to give thanks.
Luke 17 tells of a man, afflicted with leprosy, who had faith and remembered to give thanks.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and as he enters a village, there are 10 men with leprosy standing there. “Crying out, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us,” says Luke 17:13.
What a scene. These 10 outcasts of society have formed their own little community. Perhaps their only commonality was the indiscriminate and incurable leprosy. As Jesus approaches, they attempt to grab his attention. The affects of the disease would have been obvious. Disfigured hands, lumpy foreheads, and damaged vocal cords scrambling for Jesus to look their way. They knew their need, and they had heard Jesus could help them.
We too have needs.
Like these men, our crying out to him will easily gain his attention. And, like Jesus did for these men, he will help us.
Verse 14 says, “He looked at them and said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.”
Jesus gave these men instructions and sent them on their way. He did not provide instant cleansing. The men had to trust Jesus and follow his instructions to get what they needed. It took faith on their part.
It takes faith on our part as well. Not every day is a good day. Some days are simply a struggle. Yet, Scripture encourages us to continue trusting the Lord. He will help us with our need.
Remember the director of the orphanage. It was his trust which prompted him to go to the Lord in prayer, and remember to give thanks.
Luke 17:15-16 records, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus shouting, ‘Praise God!’ He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet thanking him for what he had done.” Verse 19 goes on, “And Jesus said to the man, ‘Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
This man relied on Jesus and his needs were met. Our reliance on Jesus will also meet our needs. Relying on Jesus can help us with our heartaches and struggles. It can replace fear with confidence, and give us the assurance of eternal life. Jesus told the man it was his faith that saved him.
Like this man, we need to remember to give thanks.
10 men received cleansing that day, but only 1 returned to offer thanks. The other 9 must have quickly forgot the source of their blessing. Needs met, these men could move on with life. They could return to their families. They could continue pursuing their dreams and desires, so they quickly forgot how the Lord helped them.
Often, the busyness of life can consume our thoughts. Our phone’s calendar is filled with dots. We have to be here at a certain time, and there a short time later. Sometimes, we even need to be two places at once. We can quickly forget the source of our blessings. Giving thanks is pushed out of our minds by the thoughts of the day’s activities.
So, here is a challenge. Make yourself part of the 10% of Luke 17. Take time each day to thank the Lord for the abundance of blessings you have received. Take time to thank him for what you know he will do even before he does it.
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I was standing at the kitchen sink. The sun was coming in the window as it was a sunny, but windy day. I could hear the wind blowing and for just a second, the noise level increased. Thinking it was just a gust of wind, I went on washing dishes. Then from the next room comes, “The tree fell!”
A seemingly nice evergreen tree in our neighbor’s yard had been toppled by the wind. The tree’s root system was weak, so it couldn’t handle the force of the winds.
Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-7, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him, then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
How is your faith’s root system? As a deeply rooted tree is less likely to be toppled by the winds, a deeply rooted faith in the truth of God’s Word is less likely to be toppled by the winds of life. Scripture encourages Christians to fertilize our faith’s root system by spending time in God’s Word and in prayer, and by overflowing with thankfulness.
When we realize how we have been blessed and the source of our blessings, the resulting response should be giving thanks. We are encouraged in Colossians to continually and habitually offer thanksgiving. We know the winds of life will blow, but a firmly rooted faith can help us stand tall. Even amid a storm in life, Christians have reasons to be thankful. There’s always a reason to give thanks.
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown feeds Snoopy on Thanksgiving Day. He gives the pooch his usual dog food. Snoopy looks at it and says, “Dog food again. That’s all I ever get is dog food. Everyone else is having all kinds of food today, but I just have my dog food. Oh well, at least I’m not the turkey.” There’s always a reason to be thankful.
Thankfully, the tree that fell did so in an almost perfect way. Across our neighbor’s yard into our yard. The only thing the tree hit was an old, ugly bush at the corner of our yard. We wanted the bush removed and the tree knocked it over, so mark that off the to-do list. There’s always a reason to be thankful.
Challenge yourself to spend time fertilizing your faith’s root system.
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How full is your calendar today? If you are like me, it is pretty full. Between work, getting the kids to school, and running errands, there is just not a lot of time for anything else. Especially worry about tomorrow. That’s why it is encouraging to find this nugget of wisdom tucked away in Matthew 6.
Jesus says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries of its own” (Matthew 6:34)
As we think of all that is coming and all that may happen tomorrow, it is easy to let worry creep into our lives. However, Jesus encourages us not to worry about those events and days in the future. We are reminded the Lord has our back. He is going to take care of tomorrow. After all, today’s agenda is full; there’s no room for worry about tomorrow.
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It sneaks up on us and steals our time. It can take a minute hear and a minute there, or it can rob us of a whole day without our realizing it. It is the plague of worry, and it steals much of our time.
According to a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati, the average person spends about 1 hour and 50 minutes per day worrying. This adds up to a total of about 12 hours and 50 minutes per week or 672 hours (or 28 days) per year. That is a when our peace is robbed from us.
This is why it is important to fight the plague of worry. As worry creeps into your day, try challenging yourself to remember the words of Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6 reminds us birds don’t worry, and flowers don’t fret. Jesus promises the Lord will take care of birds and flowers, and will take care of us as well.
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Change. Do you find it stressful or invigorating? I’m somewhere in the middle; change can be good, but for the most part, I don’t like it. No matter how much we dread change, it is unavoidable.
The world around us is always changing. Society is always evolving. Employers are always “improving systems” and having their teams work differently. As you and I go through life, change may be forced upon us, but there is one constant.
The Bible reminds us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
So when faced with change, choose to stay encouraged and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. With Him by your side, you can navigate any change with confidence and hope because Jesus is unchanging.
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