Category: devotions

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

John 10:14-15

“I am your shepherd. Few people in your society know what that really means; you aren’t familiar with the life of a shepherd. But I want you to know that I sleep where you sleep. I lead you – even drive you – where you need to go. Unless you willfully reject Me, I make sure you don’t stray too far from the path, though I let you wander freely within My pastures. When you get stuck in a ditch, I pull you out. When you fall into a ravine, I rescue you and heal your wounds. Without Me, you would wander aimlessly, scrounging for food wherever you happened upon it, and be vulnerable to predators all around you. You wouldn’t survive. I spend My days and nights with you because it is My responsibility to care for you. You can’t take care of yourself. You need Me. 

I like that arrangement. I enjoy shepherding. I develop a relationship with My sheep and teach you to recognize My voice above all others. You don’t know the significance of all the placed I take you or even why I take you there, but you can trust Me to guide you well. I may correct your course but I don’t punish you harshly. You’re sheep, after all. If you understood – if you saw the landscape as I do – you would never stray. But you don’t, and you can’t – not from your perspective. I know your weaknesses and am patient with you, much more patient than you are with yourself. 

You need to understand that sheep don’t worry about the future, obsess about their mistakes, or strategize their lives. And if you knew the heart of this Shepherd, you wouldn’t either. Sheep follow. That’s all I’m asking you to do.”

Jesus I know I can trust my Shepherd. You’ve proven that You will go to extremes to care for me. Help me to follow you well.

-Source: One Year Experiencing God Devotional by Chris Teagreen

Continue reading “John 10:14-18”

Even the strong lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10

Our God is a God of abundance. He experiences no shortages. There are instances in Scripture when He lacked something for a time, like in Isaiah when He looked for someone to intercede and saw no one, or when Jesus did only a few miracles in Nazareth because He found little faith among the people. But even when human responses are lacking, He still finds a way to accomplish His purposes. He can multiply bread to feed thousands, turn water into wine when normal supplies run out, and raise up laborers to go into the harvest. His only limits are the boundaries of His own character. Within His nature, all things are possible.

Why, then, do His people experience lack? If He is the God of abundance, why do we sometimes have trouble paying the bills? One reason may be that we can know Him as Provider only if we have needs that require His provision. We have to experience lack and depend on Him in order to see Him come through for us. Even so, there are delays in His provisions that we sometimes don’t understand and limits on what we can do because our supplies are short. Most of us don’t have unlimited income; our resources are a factor in determining our options. We see lack everyday. 

But that’s from our perspective, where we measure lack in terms of all our biggest desires. Whatever dream isn’t being fulfilled at the moment causes us to feel like we’re lacking in that moment. But God is always satisfying our needs and more. At any given moment, He is either providing or planning a provision. He may allow uncomfortable seasons, but He envisions no crisis of need in the lives of those who trust Him. We are promised His provision always. 

“Father I am trusting You for all I need, and I know You often provide much more. Please let me experience Your abundance in every area of my life.”

Source: The One Year Experiencing God Devotional by Chris Teagreen

Continue reading “Psalm 34:10”