Tag: guide

Our Shepherd, Jehovah Raah

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This name for God, Jehovah Raah, The Lord is my Shepherd is a bit different from God is the Good Shepherd. There the emphasis is on the goodness of God and His role as shepherd in our lives. The Lord is my Shepherd involves a declaration by the Sayer, that God is the Lord and Shepherd of their life.

We see this used by David in Psalm 23 as he declares that God is his shepherd. In this beloved psalm, David tells us of the qualities of his Lord and how He shepherds his life as no one else can.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures. God provides and guides David.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul. God restores.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; God protects and comforts, even in the scariest of times.
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies; God is with him and watches over him.
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. God blesses now and into eternity.

David, the shepherd boy who became king, remembered how he cared for his sheep and sees that quality of care and tenderness, protection and comfort in His God. David realizes that God is his protector and blesses him now and into eternity.

Jesus also spoke of himself as the good shepherd and as He is also Lord and Savior, He fits this description too. In John 10 Jesus describes his role as shepherd and Lord. He speaks of himself as the gatekeeper in John 10:3 and the door in John 10:9 which are both images of protection and care. In verse 11, He speaks of being the one who will lay his life down for his sheep, “ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” His precious promise in John 10:28-29 could only be made by the Lord himself, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the Lord Jesus as my shepherd and entrust my life now and in the future to Him! Thank you Jesus!

Linda

Wonderful Counselor!

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One of the most precious names for Jesus is written in Isaiah. He is called Wonderful Counselor. This is precious because one of the ways He helps us intimately and personally is by being our Counselor. Human counselors hear people’s woes, joys and sorrows along with giving them advice. Our Lord Jesus will hear our confession and give forgiveness, our troubles and offer comfort, our joys and rejoice with us and sorrows and offer peace. There is no counselor in life as wonderful as our Lord Jesus.

The Isaiah passage speaks of the coming Messiah. One who will come as a child and be many things to those who believe. He will be our counselor, God himself, eternal Father and our Prince of Peace. No one compares to the Lord Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The counsel of the Lord will be unmatched according to Job in 12:12-13 “Is not wisdom found among the aged?
    Does not long life bring understanding? 13 “To God belong wisdom and power;
    counsel and understanding are his. We can never find one to match the wisdom and counsel of the Lord. Trust in His counsel.

His Word will always provide needed counsel for us. Thank you Lord. Psalm 119:24 “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

As my Counselor, Jesus will be my guide and keep His eye upon me. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Another verse that speaks of God keeping his loving eye upon us is 2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” We can count upon His watchful eye which are consistent with his omnipresent character.

Lastly, I want to mention Psalm 16:6-8. This is one of my favorite verses as it speaks of the goodness of God and how in and through my praise He counsels me. Psalm 16: 6-8 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be counseled by God 24/7, guided and provided with the most magnificent wisdom in all the universe. Thank you Jesus for loving me this much.

Linda

4th Sunday of Lent, A Matter of Learning

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What is God teaching you during this Lenten season? Are you worrying less and trusting Him more? Are you repenting more quickly and learning to recognize your sin? Each season of life brings new challenges and new ways to walk with Him. The psalmist here in Psalm 37:7-9 is in a season of waiting, maybe you can identify.

Psalm 37:7-9 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices! Do you need to wait and not fret over evil? 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. Do you need to hold yourself more in check?
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. Do you trust God is in control?

Learning to walk with Jesus causes us to stop and listen to Him. Letting the Holy Spirit fill us and then allowing Him to help us practice self-control. Learn to let yourself lean into Jesus and trust Him for the outcome. I know this is easier said than done, but God has a plan and purpose for each of us, special things for us to do and we need to focus upon those things. Claim Jeremiah 29:11 -God has good plans for you! “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” and -God has work for you to do Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can walk with Jesus each day and be filled with His Holy Spirit to guide and direct me. He will lead me in His pathway if I listen to Him. Meditate on Psalm 37 and learn to Be Still before Him. Leaning into Jesus will bring results of the heart and mind.

Linda

Where do You Go for Guidance? Joseph looked to God!

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I love today’s scripture as it speaks to me of the guidance of God. Often we pray to God when in difficult circumstances, seeking His wisdom and direction. God tells us in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Well, Joseph found himself in a difficult position. He was betrothed to Mary which in their culture was more than an engagement as legal papers had been signed, and they were considered man and wife. Though they had not been together, as having relations during this waiting period was considered immoral. They could not sever this binding agreement except though divorce. Joseph was torn between causing shame for Mary by denouncing her or quietly divorcing her. Joseph needed guidance.

Luke 1:18-25 “ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

God intervened by providing an angelic dream to guide Joseph. He gave him many reasons to follow His leading: Mary’s son was conceived by the Holy Spirit – not by relations with a man, so she had not broken her vows, her son would be the one to save Israel from their sins- the long awaited Messiah, the babe would be God in the flesh come down to earth to bless and be with mankind, and his name would be Jesus-God with us. What a persuasive list presented by the angel! Joseph followed God’s guidance immediately and took Mary as his wife.

How have you known God as your guide? Being our guide, God lead us in the way we should go. His word teaches us how we are to live and think. He gives us the Holy Spirit to indwell us through our faith in Jesus which allows us to know His voice and follow Him. Jesus told us in John 10:4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” We can trust God’s guidance, for without His direction we will surely stumble and fall like people in the dark.

Some of the most beloved scriptures focus on God as our guide. Psalm 23:2-3 “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 25:5 “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.” John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” You can depend upon God’s guidance in all situations be they simple or complex like Joseph’s. God is good and will faithfully show us the way. We need to remember Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is high and lifted up, holy and perfect. We can always trust in His guidance. His ways are truth for our lives. We may not fully understand God and His ways, but we can trust them to be sure and perfect.

Be bold this week and seek God’s guidance through prayer and in the Word. Then let your boldness show your trust as you walk with Him in faith!

Linda

“I’m going to hold your hand”- God

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I love this next portion of Isaiah 41. God shows his love and compassion for His people Israel. He is their heavenly Father and treats them as His precious and special children. God knows they will be in captivity for 70 years and wants to encourage them during that time. Look at the “I”‘s in this passage. Whatever God says He will do, HE WILL DO! God keeps His promises.

Isaiah 41:13-14 “For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.
14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
    little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

These promises by God were to encourage the Israelites but they are meant for all God’s children. He loves and cares for each of us as His own. Romans 8:14 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Galatians 3:26 “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,” Through our faith in Jesus, we are children of God. We are precious to Him. Psalm 147:11 “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Be encourage by the love your heavenly Father has for you and how much He cherishes you. When He says, “I Will”, He means it as a promise to each of us.

There are important truths about God and lessons we can apply to our lives from just these 2 verses.

*God promises to personally lead, guide, comfort and help those who believe and trust in Him.

*By holding our hand, God shows He cares for each of us.

*God promises to help us. He knows our circumstances and how to resolve all our problems.

*Since God will attend to us personally, we can know that we mean something to Him and have value in His eyes. We,

each one of us, are loved by the God of the universe!

*God reminds us that He is Holy, His character is pure and blameless, and He is our redeemer.

Be encouraged today by God’s special love for you.

Linda

Thankfulness Day 5: we are well cared for!

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Gentle readers, I want to apologize for the typo in yesterday’s text- the reference was 1 John 1:5-7. I was able to correct or update the blog online but not to my followers. As much as one tries to avoid such errors, they happen and there does not seem to be a way to resend a correction. Thanks for following and know that I try to be as accurate as possible.

Today’s verse is one that is dear to my heart, Isaiah 58:11. “The Lord will guide you always;  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,  like a spring whose waters never fail.” I first encountered this verse during a bible study as it was our memory verse for the week. As I sought to imprint it upon my heart, I was captivated by Isaiah’s images of how God cares for me. I love to garden and the thought of always being well-watered with His living water always bolsters my spirit. The thought that He is watching out for me and will see that my needs are met when life gets hard, dry and seems to tax me to the limit. God will see that I do not flag in strength and He assures me that He is my guide. Lastly, the promise that His living water will always be there to quench my thirst for all eternity is amazing.

I pray that the thoughts and truths expressed by Isaiah in this verse will empower you to live more thankfully today.

Linda