MORNING DEVOTION - He's always there
Where is He? Where is my beloved Jesus, I can't feel Him, touch Him, see Him.
He's always there. Psalms 16:8 says - "I know the LORD is always with me, I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me". So does that mean literally? Yes, it does. Matthew 28:20 says - "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age". You see He promises to never leave us, we simply must believe. Deuteronomy 31:8 says - It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed". Joshua 1:9 says - Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go". Yes, He is YOUR God. And He is with you. Today and always. So if someone is with you, do you acknowledge them and talk to them, yes you do.
Believing is only the first step today. Yes for sure you may believe He is with you, but today you are also going to have faith He is with you. To act on your believing. You are going to love on God. Talk to Him and acknowledge He is beautiful and magnificent. Let your heart run free with passion and excitement for all the hopes and dreams He has placed in your heart. Give Him glory and tell Him He is Holy, Holy, Holy and that there is none like Him. Today is the day you start singing to your beloved from your heart. Start with a hum. His ears are inclined to you.
Today is the day that the loving relationship you have longed for with God, grows deeper. Close your eyes and receive Him, sing the scriptures. Sing Psalms 139:7-8 to Him. I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to the heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave you are there". Sing this as a joyful song of love. A sweet revelation to your heart that there is nowhere you can go where He will not be with you. Sing it in thanksgiving that He loves you so very much, He never leaves you.
The enemy may have tried to start your day with whispers of separation and loneliness, but you know full well, that the promises of God are YES AND AMEN! He does not go back on His word, and He loves you. Your beloved died to save you from sin and give you eternal life, and you are washed clean in His precious blood. And in Hebrews 13:5 God has said to you, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you". Now go with Him and walk and talk, or lay on the floor in His presence. For to dwell in His presence is healing to your soul.
Today I pray over you in the name of your beloved Yeshua. "You are His bride and He is your bridegroom. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. I pray you hand over your burdens now in Jesus name, for He is saying to you, here take my yoke for it is light. In the name of Jesus may His light shine fourth within you, and may your day be filled with the spilling over of His glorious love and light to all you meet. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.
EVENING SCRIPTURE TEACHING - The Parable of The Good Shepherd
The Parable of The Good Shepherd found in John 10:1-8 and Luke 15:3-7 perfectly illustrates how Jesus never leaves or abandons us.
We see that Jesus describes Himself as devoted to us, showing himself as The Good Shepherd. He explains that a shepherd knows all his sheep, and he knows them by name. Unlike an employee who runs at the first sign of any problems, Jesus holds fast. Jesus promises to protect His flock, and we see that He even laid down His life for His sheep. He also assures us that whenever a sheep goes missing, off the track, He will leave the rest of the flock in a safe place, to go and search for the lost sheep until He finds it. Yes we have all been lost sheep and our beloved shepherd has come running for us.
Jesus is relentless in His pursuit of us. He will not let us go. So when you feel alone or you can't hear Him, say to Him...."my beloved I know you are looking for me to bring me back into your care safely". You see He has always been there, it is our heart that has wondered off, perhaps in unloving conversations, or gossip, or worry or wrong attitudes. Sin will put up barriers around our heart and we get lost in these thoughts. But Jesus in His word has shown us He is with us, and He will find us. Meet Him in His word, in His praises.
When life gets scary and dark and stormy...Jesus does not abandon us to the wolves. His protection for us is personal. He literally stays with us day and night like any good shepherd, but Jesus also acts as our shield and rampart, keeping watch for you constantly. All you must do is believe that.
John 10 New International Version
10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
PRAYER - Father if the reader right now is feeling alone, I prayer you swoop in now Holy Spirit as the comforter you are, and hold their heart in your hands as you have held mine. In Jesus mighty name. amen.