The Good Shepherd

His Sheep know His voice and He calls them by name. I have heard people say that if your not hearing the voice of the Lord calling your name then that must mean you are not His. I want you to be encouraged that the reason you might not be hearing Him right now might be because you have wandered a little too far and you are out of voice range. Be encouraged that God is with each of us every single day and every moment of the day. He lovingly leads and guides and shows us the paths we should take. We may veer off the path sometimes and find ourselves wandering in the darkness and feeling alone and afraid but do not be afraid my dear friend, for your good Shepherd is so very loving and merciful that when you call He will come and rescue you. And when He finds you, He will rejoice and lift you upon His shoulders and bring you back home.

I encourage you to stay close to Jesus my friend. Keep Him in your sight, don't get ahead of Him, but walk close by His side. He will always lead you beside the still waters and into the green pastures. When you stay close to Him you are free to frolic and play without fear. When you remain close to Jesus your heart will not be troubled for you will know His perfect peace that passes all understanding.

 

The Christmas Child

My Husband and I was doing a study yesterday on delighting yourself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4). In our search we found that the meaning of this can be summed up in four words: "Becoming as a child." The attitude of a child is delightsome and full of joy. He is prideless. He is delicate and fragile. He revels in joyful frolic and play. He's not ashamed to sport himself in pure joy.

Becoming as a child in our attitude toward God made me think of a child's pure delight on Christmas morning. He finds it hard to sleep Christmas Eve because he's to excited. He knows that in the morning he will behold the most beautiful sight in all the world. "Presents under the Christmas tree."

I remember when I was a child I would wake up real early on Christmas morning. It would still be dark outside. I would peek around my bedroom door and gaze upon the shaded images of presents around the Christmas tree. I would scan the living room the best I could with the help of the street lights and the glistening white snow shining through the living room window. I wouldn't dare leave that doorway and go into that beautiful room, at least not yet it wasn't time. A part of me didn't mind relishing in the excitement and anticipation a little while longer. As I gazed upon that beautiful Christmas tree, all the gifts and the snow outside I can remember my heart being filled with so much joy. It was like little happy bubbles rising up inside of me and filling me to overflowing. It took every ounce of strength I could muster to keep from yelling at the top of my lungs in pure joyful bliss! But alas, I would slip back into my bed and snuggle in my warm covers. Closing my eyes I would say to myself, that in just a short while I'm going to get to open some of the best gifts that have ever been given to me. Then I would drift off into sweet joyous slumber. Life was soo beautiful and perfect at that moment in time.

Yesterday, I found myself asking this question: "What happened to that child?" Haven't I been given the best gift of all by my Father in heaven? God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (Jn.3:16). Did my Father not say that He will continue to supply our every need and give us good gifts? Is it not our Heavenly Father's desire for us to receive from Him all that He has to give? He is a God that gives and gives and gives some more. Through the bad times and the good times God is faithful to give us His strength, His Joy, His Peace. He is faithful to supply every need according to His riches in Heaven. His plans for each of His children is good. Not to harm them but to give them a hope and a future. When we hear of God's great love toward us and the great gifts that He has given and still desires to give, do we rejoice as the little child and delight ourselves in Him? Do we take great joy in His presence as we worship and praise Him? Do we expectantly await and anticipate His return? Do we rejoice in the day that He has given us? Do we frolic in His love and care like a child would on Christmas morning? Do we happily receive the gifts He desires to bestow upon us? Or do we say to ourselves, I'm not worthy to receive? Do we truly sport ourselves in a pure child like joy in the Lord? Do we realize that as a child of God, His joy is our joy and our joy His?

This Christmas season and the days to come I'm going to truly delight myself in the Lord, and keep alive the child of Christmas morning. How about you?

"Self Saboteurs"

When I began this blog I wanted it to be a place where people could come and be encouraged and find hope and peace that is so desperately needed in this day and time. My desire, is that readers would leave this place inspired as well as equipped to reach out and take the hand of Jesus. To be lifted up out of the miry pit, to keep moving forward despite the storms of life. This is still my intention. I will continue this by the power of the Holy Spirit always striving to be uplifting in the words that I write in hopes that "if possible" lives can be changed. It has been a couple of years now since I began blogging and while on my journey, I am discovering that the Lord would have me to ask more questions. The explaining and expounding with encouraging words has it's place, but for a person to really learn there should be questions asked so as they can think on their own? So, coupled with uplifting words I am going to begin to ask more questions. I feel this is the direction that the Lord is leading me, so I'm going with it. Not only will this benefit you the reader to get you thinking, but it will also benefit and grow me. I never want to get to the place where I feel as though all wisdom will die with me and that I have all the answers. My desire is to remain teachable and to learn from what others have to say. Will I always agree? No, probably not, but that's okay because this is how we learn and grow as well as fine tune our beliefs when it comes to the Word of God.

So, before I present a question I have some thoughts that I would like to lay on the table.

It seems to me that in today's society I am seeing more "saboteurs of self." Those who seem to continually place themselves in harm's way. They make decisions and hold onto attitudes that are self-destructive which is not for their good. What's so frustrating about this, is that all the while they are clinging to their self-destructive ways, they know better. Yet they continue on this insane cycle of destruction. Which will undoubtedly lead them to more heartache and pain in their lives. These same people will come to you for help, counsel/advice or whatever but when you give them a ladder so as to climb up out of their miry pit they refuse to take the first step in climbing to their freedom. To be honest I have found myself somewhat frustrated with people who do this. I continue with every ounce of myself to remain encouraging. But eventually, in the end all I can do is just pray for them in hopes that they will begin to climb the ladders that have been placed all around them. Beginning their own journey to freedom, and arising to be a victor and not a victim. I can love them and cheer them to victory the best way that I know. But before they can arise victorious they have got to "want" freedom for themselves. My passionate desire has always been that people will know who they are in Christ Jesus. Pulling from His strength and power from within to be an overcomer. I hope that I am not sounding insensitive. I understand that people have been through some major storms in their lives. Some a lot worse then I have ever been through or will ever be. One thing I do know is that God is greater than any storm, and more powerful. When one finally realizes the power of God and His strength for their lives I believe that they can overcome and conquer anything. There are many testimonies from people that have gone through some mighty storms in their life but they made it. They are stronger today because of it. My husband is one of them. I am not going to go into the details of his storm but believe me when I say that he has overcome some major storms with the grace, power and strength of God in His life. My husband is a man that has never given up hope, despite the power of the storm, and I thank God and give Him all the glory for this and so does my husband.

It's now time for the question. Please give me your thoughts.

(1) Why do some continue to stay in a miry pit of defeat and or destructive behavior, when they have been given the answer on how to get out?

Obeying God's Word-vs-Obeying man's word

Do we as Christians "truly" listen and obey our Heavenly Father and His Word, knowing that His Word is what is right and true, or do we have a tendency to lean more toward man's word and believe what he has to say?

Some are quick to obey man's word before God's Word. They believe man before they believe God. They seek man before they seek God. They ask man before they ask God. They trust man before they trust God. They will search a self-help book written by man before going to the ultimate self-help book written by the Holy Spirit. And some will continue in the man-mode of obeying and never "truly" look to God for the answers concerning his physical as well as his spiritual life. Why is this?