“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Ezekiel 34:11-12

Years ago, I was in a bad place.

It was dark and cloudy as I pursued my own sinful pleasures. Angels were not dispatched that day, but the Lord himself sought me out. I wasn’t looking for him when he found me.

Sheep are prone to wander and become vulnerable. They have no claws to defend themselves. Sheep can drown if their wool gets too wet as they wade in to get water to drink.

We are like sheep and have gone astray, as Isaiah 53:6 says. We need a shepherd. Thank goodness God is not far away from each of us (Acts 17:27).

The shepherds in Ezekiel’s day led the people with force and cruelty. Jesus is different. He strengthens the weak and binds up the broken. He seeks out what was lost. He called my name that day and led me out of a black dungeon.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish” (John 10:11, 27-28).

What about your life? Are you in a bad place?

Quit following strangers who don’t care about you. They run as soon as the wolf appears.

Follow the Good Shepherd.

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:4).

Thank you, Lord, for having an interest in me and searching for me when I was lost. I praise you for your goodness and for giving up your life for me so I can live with you forever. Be my shepherd and teach me to follow you. Amen.

By Rich Vega
Used by Permission

Are you at a place in your life where you want to know Jesus – walk and talk with Him?   You can start a life surrendered to Christ today. This is a sample, simple prayer, but the words are powerful and full of meaning.  If  you believe them Christ will make something beautiful out of your life:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask You to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

It starts now!

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The Way Out of Trouble

The 101 Things that Might Happen

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“…I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

‘You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.’ Song of Solomon 4:7

In her poem ‘What to do with bits of string’, poet Luci Shaw writes, “Women in Africa roll old magazines into beads, varnishing them for sale in other worlds, jewels from junk.” When I read those words, I recalled the roadside stand in an African country where a young girl sat selling ornaments made by her mother and aunt. Earrings, shiny red metal cut into small circles with the Coca Cola  logo clearly visible. Bracelets made from newsprint rolled tightly into cylinders only a quarter inch in diameter. Brooches crafted from fallen bits of woods, rubbed shiny and with a safety pin glued to the back.

I wear bits of jewellery like these and love to tell stories of their creation when people offer their compliments. Some women have even asked how they can learn to make such baubles to earn extra spending money although many grow silent and somewhat pensive when I explain that the mere pennies I paid will buy rice for a family’s supper that evening.

Too often we see ourselves only as ordinary junk. Perhaps we have not grown up with affirmation or, much worse, we have been abused and heard shouts that we are nothing but junk. We compare ourselves to those who possess more, who have attained more, who appear more beautiful or handsome. We see ourselves as mere bottle caps, bit of discarded wood or newsprint.

Then God breaks in with the message He declared at creation:  “This is VERY good!” And as He works in our lives to re-create us after sin’s damaging work, He says: “I know what I’m doing…You are altogether beautiful…I have plans to take care of you…” In a very real sense, God is taking the raw material of our lives, polishing us, shaping us into not mere baubles, but into valuable gems to tell the world that we are jewels, not junk.

Lord, is it unseemly, prideful to call myself a jewel? Or is a statement that gives you all the glory for loving me so much? Help me see myself—and others—as beautiful because of your great love.

Spend time today thanking God specifically for the way He has created you. Then look for someone who needs an affirming word that they, too, have been created as precious jewels.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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Have you ever considered the strength of a cedar tree? How does it stand strong in every windstorm? How can it rise so high to the heavens without toppling over? What causes its limbs to stretch out boldly with strength and beauty seemingly all its own?

It’s depending on hidden resources.

Its roots run deep.

We, too, have hidden resources—a refuge, strength, and help when all around us should push us to the ground, stunt our growth, and weaken our hands and knees.

God is our Refuge. Psalm 46:1a

Everyone has a refuge. What’s yours?

What do you run to when things get difficult?

Tonight, my coworker ran to hers and suggested I join her. Some things aren’t necessarily harmful on its own, forbidden in Scripture, or permanently damaging. Some are.

But the only true, lasting shelter from the storms of life is found in the only One who can give inner peace—an inner peace, like a root of a giant tree holding us strong and steady.

God is our Strength. Psalm 46:1b

Are you pressed down by the weight of life that threatens to leave you weak-kneed and unable to stand?

Our powerful God promises to strengthen the weak (2 Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 40:31).

Our powerful God spoke this world into existence and raised Jesus from the dead.

Our powerful God is the living God who doesn’t hoard His strength but gives it to those who ask.

Like a root system hidden and quietly powerful, the strength that comes from dependence on our powerful God will keep us from falling.

God is our very present Helper. Psalm 46:1c

God loves to hear us acknowledge our need and call to the only One who can truly help. He hears those prayers. He is a hidden Source, ready and willing and able.

A very present Help.

What is the result of a life quietly depending on this 3-fold root system?

“We will not fear.” Psalm 46:2

We will become like that cedar tree strong, reaching to the heavens, with arms stretched wide in boldness and beauty, no matter the storms of life.

Do your roots run deep?

The LORD of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:11

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

by Bethany Hayes
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Strengthening Your Roots

Roots That Grow

Keep Training

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“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.” – Isaiah 53:3

It was a familiar hymn that I had sung many times, but when I sang it recently, it spoke to me in a new way about how it applies to our culture today. “The Old Rugged Cross” is a popular hymn written in 1912 by American evangelist and song-leader George Bennard. Troubled by a contemporary disregard for the Gospel, Bennard said he had a vision where he saw the Christ and the cross as inseparable.

What is the meaning behind “The Old Rugged Cross”? He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. The lyrics of “The Old Rugged Cross” reflect a life that has been changed by the Gospel truth that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.”

What stood out to me were the words “despised by the world.” How appropriate that is in today’s world. John 15:18-27 predicts that those who follow Christ faithfully will experience hatred and persecution from the world. The intensity of this experience has varied according to time and culture, but the non-believing world is generally hostile to authentic faith, and perhaps today it is more pronounced than ever.

by John Grant
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney.

FURTHER READING

Seeking God’s Face

Scorned Like the Master

Perfectly Weak

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In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

The ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on May 3 1915. He wrote it after witnessing the death of his friend on the battlefield the day before. It is a solemn reminder of the atrocities of war and an admonishment to steadfastly remain vigilant even when faced with terrifying adversity.

On this day we honor those who bravely fought for freedom and justice, and many of whom bravely gave their lives for the noble cause. It goes by different names in different places, including Remembrance Day, Veteran’s Day, Poppy Day, and Armistice Day, but the sentiment is the same: Not to glorify the tragedy of war, but to commemorate the valor of those who fought to defend their country.

Brigadier General (retired) Robinson Risner, a veteran pilot who fought in World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, is one of those brave military soldiers who we should remember today. Despite being shot down twice over enemy territory, and being captured and tortured, each time it happened he wasted no time taking to the skies again, ready to serve his country.

by Darren Hewer
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Remembrance Day ‘Daddy’s Poem‘
•  Soldier’s Psalm – Prayer
•  Salvation Explained

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“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24

He squealed with delight, “Papa thank you! These are perfect, thank you!” Who would have guessed a pair of super hero pyjamas would generate such appreciation and delight? It warmed my heart.

Isn’t it a special treat to bring joy into the lives of others we love?

Sometimes it is so simple, like knowing my grandson was into super heroes. At other times, knowing how to bring happiness to someone’s life is a little more complicated. It’s really helpful when they simply let you know what gives them pleasure.

As satisfying as it was to see my grandson’s pleasure at my choice of a birthday gift, I know pleasing God as an act of love is even more rewarding. God states very clearly in the passage above what gives him pleasure. He delights in seeing the people, who love him, mirror his character through kindness, justice, and righteousness to others. It brings God pleasure to see us live a life that reflects his Spirit to our world, which desperately needs to experience the aroma of God’s love and justice in their lives.

When we strive to act as God would, we fulfill the exhortation,

“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”  1 Corinthians 10:31

Then our lives point other people to God and they find the true source for all their deep longings. The bonus is we have that special treat of seeing people transformed as they come to know God’s loving kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth through us. It’s truly just what they wanted in the first place.

Father in Heaven, I long to know you deeply and that you are delighted in me because I know you and reflect your kindness, justice and righteousness to the world around me. I desire that more and more people would find their deep longings met in you! Amen.

By Mike Woodard
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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FURTHER READING

What Are You Bringing?

Jesus’ Touch, Blessing, and Joy

Boomerang Blessings

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Soldiers

To those who fought and never came back
And those who came back broken
To those who wondered why
And those who never questioned

No one asked them what they thought
Of policies and platforms
They only did what they had to do
And thanks was long in coming

On a day we honor the dead and the living
Who know the real cost of war
And those still trapped inside their heads
Who can’t get outside the door

Who can know the awful truth
Of what they must have seen?
And who has lived to tell it
Yet know they never will

Reasons that the journalists
And politicians won
Will never be the same as those
On this side of a gun

So on this day we lay aside
Our arguments and advice
And thank the Lord for those who gave
The ultimate sacrifice

By John Fischer
used by permission

Related Reading

Soldiers’ Psalm and Prayer

Remembrance Day ‘Daddy’s Poem’

The post Soldiers appeared first on Thoughts About God.

God’s Highest Purpose

Most Christians only engage in spiritual warfare with a hope of either relieving present distresses or attaining a “normal” existence. However, the purpose of all aspects of spirituality, warfare included, is to bring us into the image of Christ. Nothing — not worship or warfare, neither love nor deliverance — is truly attainable if we miss the singular objective of our faith: Christlikeness.

Let us recall that when the Lord delivered the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt it was so He could bring them into the Promised Land. Likewise, we are delivered out of sin, not that we might live for ourselves, but so we might come into Christlikeness. What we call “salvation” is the first phase of being conformed to Christ. If we fail to see this we easily become entangled in the same sins that oppressed us in the first place.

While we may not want to hear this, many of our spiritual conflicts simply are not going to cease until the character of the Lord Jesus is formed in our hearts. The Father’s goal in delivering us is much more than simply seeing our burdens taken off our backs. Indeed, God is working all things in our lives to conform us “to the image of His Son.” The Father’s purpose in our salvation is that Jesus would become “the first-born among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). In other words, to realize God’s ultimate victory we must reach toward God’s ultimate goal, which is complete transformation into the likeness of Christ.

When we are born again, the actual presence of the Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, enters our lives. To the degree that we cooperate with God’s will, God’s glory will advance within us. Indeed, Jesus likened our salvation to the lighting of a lamp. He said, “If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays” (Luke 11:36).

This immediacy of the Lord’s presence produces an indestructible defense, a fortress within us in which we are hidden from evil. Through Him, we enter the excellence of His ways in our relationships both with the Father and one another, thereby walking in immunity from countless satanic attacks. Indeed, as His fullness within us increases, then that which is written is fulfilled: “As He is, so also are we in this world” and “He who was born of God keeps [us], and the evil one does not touch [us]” (1 John 4:17; 1 John 5:18).

We must realize that it is not Satan who defeats us; it is our openness to him. To perfectly subdue the devil we must walk in the “shelter of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1). Satan is tolerated for one purpose: the warfare between the devil and God’s saints thrusts us into Christlikeness, where the nature of Christ becomes our only place of rest and security. God allows warfare to facilitate His eternal plan, which is to make man in His image (Genesis 1:26).

Once we realize that the Father’s goal is not just to save us but to transform us, we will continually find that God has one answer to all our spiritual problems: appropriate the nature of His Son!

Are you troubled by fear or doubt? Submit those areas to God, repenting of your unbelief, and then yield yourself to Christ’s faith within you. Are you troubled with spirits of lust and shame? Present those very areas of sin to God, repenting of your old nature, drawing upon the forgiveness of Christ and His purity of heart. It is a great truth that once the devil recognizes his assault against you has not pulled you from God but toward Him — once he perceives that his temptations are actually forcing you to appropriate the virtue of Christ — the enemy will withdraw.

Remember: your victory begins with the name of Jesus on your lips, but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in your heart.

By Francis Frangipane
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Above All

Why “Father” God?

The True Foundation

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

There was a time not so long ago when I let the doors that slammed shut in my face slam my self-esteem with crushing blows. I had not learned yet that closed doors were simply part of God directing my paths.

I had not learned yet that closed doors were an integral part of God’s design to lead me to the plans He has for me. It was God’s way of saying, “No, don’t go there. That’s not part of my plan for you. No, don’t go there either, it’s not time yet.” I eventually learned when God put a stop in my path that He was sometimes doing it to say, “No, don’t go there, I am preparing you for something else.”

The Lord reminded me to trust Him and to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. He promised me a time will come when a door will be opened, and then I will understand why He had to close a few other doors before opening the very special door He had prepared for me. My heavenly Father reminded me over and over that I must completely, wholly trust Him. He repeatedly reminded me—because I was guilty of being a slow learner—but I did gradually learn this important truth He was teaching me.

He also reminded me to look beyond the closed doors, beyond the circumstances that confused me, and look ahead and know that what lies ahead was appointed for His purpose to be accomplished in His perfect time.

When we believe that God has a plan for our lives, it is easier to understand the doors He closes for reasons we may never be made aware of and watch for the open doors He has waiting for us as we continue to live our lives fully surrendered to His ways.

There comes a day when we are glad for the doors God has closed, and He shows us once again how perfectly He orders our steps to fulfill the plans He’s made for the open doors.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

God Has a Plan  by Mary Pinckney

God Has a Plan by Max Lucado

God Has a Plan by John Grant

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“All eyes look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16 HCSB)

The distinction between coincidence and God’s activity in your life is important because it will affect your ability to thank God for the many things he provides. If you think in terms of coincidence as opposed to God’s activity in your life, you will miss the truth that God is providing for your every need.

Let me give you an example of one way God deepened my faith in this area. Because I have bipolar II disorder and also live alone, my doctor encouraged me to get a dog. Feeding and walking a dog helps build structure and routine into the day. But I was at a place in my life where I wasn’t sure I could afford a dog, especially the shots and veterinarian visits that would be required.

But I went ahead and asked God to provide me with a dog. I love dogs and have had several, so I was specific in my prayer. “Father, I am grateful for what you can provide but this is what I’d like:

• One that is hypoallergenic, because I am allergic to dogs that shed. I’d really like a cockapoo — a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodle.
• One that is older and already trained.
• One that is female, because my last dog was a very territorial male.
• One that is around 30 pounds.
• One that I can afford to keep.”

I found a rescue dog that seemed to fit my criteria at a place just around the corner from my house. But, when I walked the dog around for a while, there just didn’t seem to be a connection. When I brought the dog back in to the rescue center, the woman at the front desk asked, “What are you looking for?”

I said, “I really was hoping to find a cockapoo.”

She said there was someone who had recently called about a cockapoo. She gave me a card and said, “Give this woman a call and see if she has the right dog for you.”

I called Laura West, who owned Pumpkin, a 4-year-old female cockapoo who weighed around 30 pounds and was current on all her shots. When I asked her how much she wanted for Pumpkin, she said, “I just want her to have a good home!”

I told Laura how I’d prayed specifically for this dog. Was it a coincidence that I just happened to walk into the rescue looking for a dog at the same time Laura, who is also a believer, had called the rescue about Pumpkin?

I think Pumpkin, also known as Jasmine, is my God dog, and so I can say with confidence that God is working to meet your needs as well. Thank God, from whom all blessings flow!

What is a way God has provided for you this past year?

What are the things for which you have to be thankful?

You can read more about how God can work through the worst of circumstances in my new book, “Breakfast with Bonhoeffer.” “Gut-wrenching honesty, real world faith, not just another ‘feel good’ Christian story,” this book shows how God works through the worst of circumstances, including disease, divorce, and financial downfall.

by Jon Walker
All rights reserved.
Used by permission.

FURTHER READING

Prayer Journey

Asking Specifically

God Hears Your Prayers

The post Does God answer specific prayers? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Matthew 20: 32

Jesus was on the way to Jericho and as usual there was a crowd following Him.  Two blind men were sitting beside the road and when they heard Jesus was passing, they called out to Him, “Lord have mercy on us.” Jesus heard them and stopped and asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”  “We want to see,” they answered.  And Jesus, in pity, touched their eyes and their eyes were opened and they could see.

When I read that story last week, it seemed that the question Jesus asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” became a question He was asking me. “What do you want me to do for you?”

Last week, when I was facing a problem I couldn’t fix or met a challenge too big for me – Jesus would ask me, “What do you want me to do for you?” I would stop what I was doing and tell Him what I wanted Him to do.  And He would provide a solution.

Dorothy emailed me one morning and said they were leaving for Bolivia with a ministry team the next day, but the ticket for one member of the team had gone missing.  Jesus’ question came to my mind and in a reply to her I wrote a prayer. “Jesus, we want you to find the ticket.”  Thirty minutes later, Dorothy emailed and said the ticket was found.

Today and every day, Jesus is saying to you, “What do you want me to do for you?” What will your answer be?

Jesus, thank you for caring about our needs and wants.  Thank you, for asking us what you can do for us. Thank you for solving our problems.  Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

How to be sure God listens to your Prayers

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

You Asked God for What?

The post What Do You Want Jesus to Do for You? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

You need to be easy to talk to, friendly, and a good listener.
They are great qualities to draw someone to Christ!

JoAnna Ward has these qualities.  And, she’s bold about her faith.
She drives a big Hummer with a license plate that reads OBEY GOD.
She ministers to people on the streets of Atlanta.  JoAnna shares God’s love wherever she is.

While she was exercising at a local gym, a woman approached her.
The woman wanted to leave her current lifestyle and knew JoAnna was a Christian.
It didn’t happen instantly, but as JoAnna ministered in her life,
the woman received Christ into her heart through prayer.
The woman’s lifestyle changed.  Now she, in turn, ministers to others.

Friend, be friendly – and listen.  God will use you to reach others for Christ!

by Vonette Bright
Used by Permission

Further Reading

How to Find Friends

Thoughts about Salt

Friendships

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