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DAY 22 OCTOBER 4, 2015 _____________________________________________________________
"I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST;
IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME;
AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH
I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD,
WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME."
(Galatians 2:20)
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RAISE UP THE STANDARD!
"To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious Presence without fault and with great joy - to the Only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 24)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 10:11
During our devotional time yesterday we caught a glimpse of heaven as we read about our glorious eternal home with the Lord. This morning, as we place our feet back on earthly ground our heavenly Father does not want us to become discouraged or disheartened; He wants us to look up and place our trust in our Good Shepherd who is faithfully guiding us through this life. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). We have a good shepherd who tenderly and compassionately cares for His sheep. How dearly He cares for, protects, and provides for His children. He is a superior shepherd who has given us everything we need, including what no other shepherd would - His own life! It is because He willingly gave His life for us that He is able to give us eternal life. How great is His love that He has lavished upon us. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us" (1 John 3:16a).
Beloved sheep of the Good Shepherd, let us take time today to meditate on the goodness of our God. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows" (James 1:17). How dearly blessed we are to be called His sheep! "I am your shield, your very great reward" (Genesis 15:1b). We are being led by a loving and good God who will not harm us or lead us astray - there is "no one good - except God alone" (Mark 10:18b). Bask in the beauty of His goodness, dear one, His love is extravagant towards you! As we spend intimate time with Him in His Word and in prayer may we acknowledge that He has His best in mind for us. Let us draw near to Him so we will not miss out on all the good He has for us today. And let us walk instep with our good Shepherd so we can imitate His goodness in everything we do and say. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). As we pray, let us graze a little longer in the rich, fertile pasture of God's Word before we face the world today, so we will be prepared to share the vast goodness and love of our Shepherd's heart with those who come across our path: "He is good; His love endures forever" (2 Chronicles 7:3b)
"The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made." (Psalm 145:8-9) "Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!" (Psalm 147:1) "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:2-5) Heavenly Father,
"You are good, and what You do is good,
teach me Your decrees."
(Psalm 119:68)
"I will praise You for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (Psalm 52:9)
Lord, how great Your goodness is towards me. I don't deserve the countless ways You show Your love to me. You have spared nothing to show me Your love, and have given the very best of Yourself to me. May my life, in some small way, bring You delightand bless Your heart today. May You see Your good revealed in me as I daily walk in Your way. Thank You for the tender way You have cared for me today. Be glorified in my life today, I pray.In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read Isaiah 11:2; Luke 11:11-13
As defenseless sheep, who are prone to wander and get lost, we need a shepherd who will watch over us, protect us, and guide us. Left to ourselves we will always choose the wrong course and end up missing out on God's best for us. He created us and therefore knows exactly what we need - what we need is Jesus! How blessed we are to have Him as our Good Shepherd who not only leads us, but also gives us all good things. As our Good Shepherd, the Lord doesn't give us just anything, He gives us His very best. One of God's greatest gifts to His children is the gift of His Holy Spirit. "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13). The Lord has given us the Spirit of Counsel (reference Isaiah 11:2) to guide us down the paths of His goodness as we learn to walk with Him and learn from Him each day. Praise God He knows what's best for us and has given us exactly what we need. "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27).
It is vital we stay close to our good Shepherd so we can learn all the good He has for us to learn, and be equipped to do all the good He purposed for us to do. "Listen and hear My voice; pay attention and hear what I say...His God instructs him and teaches him the right way...All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom" (Isaiah 28:23, 26, 29). We cannot lead others where we haven't been ourselves. We, by nature, are not good, nor can we do good apart from God. We need the Holy Spirit of God to guide us to make good decisions, to walk in God's goodness, to pray and ask for those good things He wants to distribute to His people so we can accomplish His good in the world. "This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance" (Isaiah 28:29).
Some of the greatest heroes of the Bible were shepherds: Moses and David were called to become shepherds of God's people after they were shepherds in His fields. They learned first hand the care and attention that sheep need, and how important it was that they have someone to lead and watch over them. The Lord wants us to experience that kind of intimacy with Him, so we can learn from Him and be used of Him to show others His goodness and His tender loving care. May we stop our wandering in the world and learn instead to abide in the Lord, and trust our good Shepherd to be the one to meet our every need. May our lives so reflect His goodness that others will desire what we have and want to follow the good shepherd as well. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).
"He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
(Micah 6:8)
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RESTORE PRAISE! "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!" (Revelation 7:12) Evening Devotion: Focused on His Praise - Read Psalm 23
Known as "The Shepherd Psalm," the twenty-third Psalm is another most beloved Psalm of the Bible, and the most quoted chapter of the Old Testament. It is debated whether David wrote this Psalm as a young shepherd boy while he was still tending his father's flocks in the fields, or later in life after he had faced many difficult trials and challenging circumstances as he walked with the Lord. Either way, this Psalm offers encouragement to any saint who may be suffering through sorrows or facing great battles.
This next week as we dig a little deeper into folds of Psalm 23, going verse by verse each day, let us rest in the tender fold of our good Shepherd and allow Him to shower us with His loving care as we learn to trust Him more each day to meet our every need. May we let Him lead us to the rich pastures of His goodness where we will find comfort and peace in our time of need. Meditate on Psalm 23 this evening and offer up a prayer of praise for how gracious and good He is. God is good, all the time! All the time, He is good! Thank You, Jesus, for how good You are to me!
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations."
(Psalm 100)
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