Sunday Blogvotional: The Shepherd's Voice

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.  John 10:27

Have you ever studied sheep?  They aren't the smartest of animals by any stretch and yet they know, without a doubt, the voice of their shepherd. They trust their shepherd with their lives.  When he speaks, they go to him.  They rely on him wholeheartedly.  For it is through him they will get their food and be led to their safe shelter.

The Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep.  He lovingly directs and guides us.  But our success and safety is determined by how well we listen and how well we know His voice.  In our busy lives it's hard to hear when His voice gets drowned out by all the other noises and voices around us?  How well we know His voice is determined by how much time we spend with Him (away from distractions).

If we don't know our Shepherd's voice how will we be able to distinguish between His voice and someone far less trustworthy?  Will we know which way to go or will we get lost?  Or will we simply follow the sheep next to us because we're sure it was listening? 

Wisdom says we can't rely on the knowledge of other sheep in our flock.  We must be able to hear and distinguish our shepherd's voice on our own.  The direction He sends to one sheep may not be the same direction He's sending us.

Listen to the Shepherd's voice like your life depends on it because it does.

Encouragement for the week: Spend some time listening for God's voice.  The more you listen for it - the more you will recognize it when He speaks to you.  Consistently being in prayer and reading God's Word will help you learn His voice (His cadence).  Once you know His style of speaking it will be easier to recognize His voice.

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 19

Good Monday morning to you all!  I hope all you moms out there had a great Mothers' Day.

This week's verse reminds us that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, God transforms us.  He graciously gives us a new heart and a new spirit.  It may not always be immediately evident to us or to those around us but rest assured we have been renewed.

Growth and change do take time but what this verse assures us is that we have the tools with which to work.  God has given us a new heart and a new spirit.  It's our job to nurture them.  The more we let love in - the more our heart grows and the more love will flow out of us.  The more we use the spirit, namely the fruit of the spirit - the more they will expand and grow inside of us and flow out of us.

Without this wonderful transforming gift from God our hearts would remain as stone with no life or love flowing through them. But thankfully, by God's love and grace, we are made new with a "spirit of power, of love and of discipline". (MVC Week 12)

 
See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.
See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: A Son's Love

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Luke 19: 25-27

This is one of those touching moments in the Bible, not one between Christ and mankind, but one between a son and his mother.  It’s fair to say Jesus was going through a lot of pain at that moment.  He was, after all, hanging on a cross.  But sometimes it’s easier to deal with your own suffering than deal with someone else's suffering.  Jesus understood what was happening to him and why it had to take place.  The situation wasn’t so easily understood by those who loved him dearly.  

There is little doubt that as he looked into his mother’s eyes he saw deep pain – the pain only a mother has watching her child suffer and unjustly about to die a horrible, brutal death.  The pain in not being able to do anything to stop this fate from happening.  The pain in losing one so close to her heart – one who loved unlike any other.

I can only imagine the pain that hurt Jesus most at that moment as he hung on the cross wasn’t the physical pain but the agony he knew his mother was going through.  Despite what was happening to him, he wanted to reach out to her and protect her.  One of his last acts before he died was to place her into the disciple John’s care knowing she would be well looked after.  A loving tribute between a mother and her son.  A man who treats his mother with such love and respect will treat others that way as well. 

It is said that during times of trial our true character is revealed.  This is one of the many, many instances in the Bible where Jesus’ character – his love and compassionate heart is revealed to us.  He is The Great Example.  Love conquers pain, love conquers anger, love has the power to defeat a great many things if we only let it fully dwell in our hearts.

Encouragement for the week:  First of all - love on your mamma:-)  Then remember the compassion Jesus had for his mom is the same kind of love he has for each and every one of us.  Let that amazing love into your heart so that you may share it with all those around you.

Memory Verse Challenge: Week 18

Good morning everyone!  I hope you are all having an amazingly blessed day so far.

This week's verse is close to my heart.  It touches on two subjects I struggle with quite a bit in my faith walk.  One is trust and the other is submission.  It's easy to say we trust God but harder to live out that trust when we're faced with roadblocks and difficulties.  When God doesn't handle things the way we think He should our trust in Him can waver.  I'm not sure why it's so easy for us to forget He knows more than us.

As far as submitting goes, well...I've fought God long and hard over my plans and my dreams for many years.  I hope I'm finally understanding that submitting to God means living a more peaceful life.  It's more enjoyable to live on the offense with God than on the defensive without God.

How are you doing on your Memory Verse Challenge?  I hope you're seeing the benefits of planting God's word in your heart.  The other day I came across a situation where one of the verses came to mind. It proved to be a valuable weapon in the midst of a battle.  And that's what this challenge is about...equipping us with weapons to fight and to stand strong in our faith. 

See more about the Memory Verse Challenge here.

See the complete list of Challenge verses here.

Sunday Blogvotional: Teach Me Your Ways

Teach me your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth. Psalm 86:11

We all have heard the warning… “Be careful what you ask for because you might get it!” It feeds our anxiety because there is a good chance we're not ready or willing to handle what we are asking God for. 

In the verse above, the Psalmist opens himself up to God in a most vulnerable and submissive way.  For we all understand that God’s ways are above our ways.  Yet the Psalmist asks with confidence because he trusts that knowing God’s ways will automatically and correctly define his paths. He doesn’t say “I could walk” or “I might walk”.  He says “I will walk in your truth."

We can be confident when we sincerely send this powerful prayer to God that even though He might teach us something we're not expecting, our transformation, as difficult as it might be, will be godly.  Once we know His ways we will walk in His truth. Walking in truth will lead us down a path to true joy and peace (everlasting).

Encouragement for the Week: Pray daily that God reveals his ways to you. Then release your desire to plan out every aspect of your life. Let God and His truth show you that submitting to His ways and walking in His truth will give you the life your truly desire.