Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of Mia Fieldes singing Fearless… declaring our need to be fearless in the face of the unknowns in this world.
Highlight Passage: Numbers 14:9 [NKJV] …
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
… No need to fear when the Lord is with us … and He always is.
============
Highlight Context – Numbers 13 - 14:1-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… No need to fear when God is with us …
============
Reference Passage #1 - Psalm 23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Out from the valley of the shadow of death to dine with our Savior in His pastureland.
Reference Passage #2 - Proverbs 3: 5-6; 28:1 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… If we trust in God, He will lead us - even through lion country.
Reference Passage #3 - John 10:7-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our Good Shepherd cares for His flock; … yes, even in lion country.
Reference Passage #4 - 1st Peter 5:6-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Yes, the Devil is real; and he roars; … but we need not fear when our trust is in God.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson, used a personal story to illustrate how we need not fear when we trust in God He wrote: When I was young, my dad would “scare” us by hiding in the bush and growling like a lion. Even though we lived in rural Ghana in the 1960s, it was almost impossible that a lion lurked nearby. My brother and I would laugh and seek out the source of the noise, thrilled that playtime with Dad had arrived. … One day a young friend came for a visit. As we played, we heard the familiar growl. Our friend screamed and ran. My brother and I knew the sound of my father’s voice—any “danger” was merely a phantom lion—but a funny thing happened. We ran with her. My dad felt terrible that our friend had been frightened, and my brother and I learned not to be influenced by the panicked reaction of others.
Now, there’s no doubt that there are things in our world to respect with a healthy fear … and even avoid to protect us. Scripture even says (see 1st Peter 5 linked above) that Satan operates like a roaring lion (see attached photo), trying to devour God’s flock by scattering us with his roar. But as we walk as Christians, believing and following our Good Shepherd, in His flock, Jesus Himself told us (see John 10:7-10) that He would watch over and protect His lambs (that’s you and me!).
Therefore, in this scary world, we need to have the faith and courage of Joshua and Caleb, who stood in the face of 10 other spies who advised God’s people to stay away from the Promised Land and reported that God’s chosen could move into the land because God was with them [see Numbers 14:9].
There’s a lot of scary things going on out there; and Satan is most certainly roaring his head off these days, trying to scare Christians and cause us to bolt and run from God’s flock. So, … let’s stay close to the Good Shepherd. He’ll bring us through the bushes of lion country, and out into His pastureland (I think you know Psalm 23).
So, … please take in the linked song today and mediate on the truth of God’s truth above; and when you do, I know you’ll join me in my prayer today.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … we follow You, our Good Shepherd, Lord, in spite of the lion roaring. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment