Knowing the Voice of the Shepherd

Mondaydevotions2work 26 October 2020
People of Hope: The Sheep

Many years ago I was experiencing a particularly difficult time in my life.  One day while listening to gospel music I saw a picture in my mind's eye of Jesus turning His back to me and walking away.  I misinterpreted this completely as I understood at that time that He is angry with me and is about to walk away.  Only years later I learned that in Israel the shepherd walks in front of His sheep and they follow Him because they know His voice.  I now understand that what Jesus wanted to say that day was simply "Follow me" but I did not know the Shepherd's Voice well enough then to understand the message.  It was a great relief when I found out that His intention was to say "Follow me" .  In John 10 the Word explains that the sheep knows the shepherd's voice.  

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. 

We live in times where we need to chart out new pathways on a daily basis.  Its easy to loose hope.  How will be find the right way?  We have to follow The Shepherd - He is The Way therefore, He knows The Way forward.  Sheep needs to learn to recognize and follow the Shepherd's voice.  I share with you a devotional from Seeds of the Kingdom and a video clip reminding us of exactly of this.  

My heavenly Baa Code  

Now look at this amazing illustration:

Do sheep only obey their master's voice?  

Lets worship:  Ps 23

Titles and Promotions

Monday devotions@work 19 October 2020
People of Hope: Part 24: Hushai the Archite

Today I share with you a "pearl to ponder" from my friend Priscilla Koegelenberg.  Enjoy!

Read it here:  Titles and Promotions

 

  Worship Video:  King (Friend of Mine) ICF Worship

 

 

 

 

 

The Ark is moving

Monday devotions @work 12 October 2020

People of Hope Part 23 The Ark is Moving

Joshua 3:3,7,15 and Joshua 4

3“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

7And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away. (AMP)

Israel aimlessly crisscrossed the wilderness for the past 40 years now they were facing a new beginning – they had to travel new ground, a way they have not passed on before. Moses died and Joshua was anointed to take over and he must lead the people into a new journey. On paths never travelled before and it starts with crossing a river that is in full seasonal flood!

Talk about being thrown into deep water! That is what Joshua quite literally had to begin with. God knew that he would need some encouragement, and that Joshua’s leadership must be established with the people. God tells Joshua that this is the day that He will make sure that the people know that He has Joshua’s back. That he is led of God, and that they can trust His leadership – not because Joshua is such an amazing leader but because God Himself will go before Him and they just must follow Him.

The Ark of the Covenant was not only Israel’s most precious possession, but it was the very symbol of God’s presence with them. The cloud by day and the fire by night rested on the mercy seat. It was the holiest of holy vessels in the tabernacle and later in the temple.  It carried the very presence of God. God tells Joshua to command the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant first into the river. I am sure Joshua had moments of thinking – did I hear right? Or moments of doubt – What if I make a mistake with this one? He, the priests, and the people had to believe that this is God speaking, the Ark is moving, and it is moving into the river and we must follow.

Try to imagine that moment as if you are standing there on the overflown banks of the Jordan. Can you feel the anticipation? The anxiety? But also, the determination and faith rising up inside you? The priests took the Ark and carried it out before the people and as the feet of the priests stepped into the water, the river dammed up and allowed the dry ground to be exposed so that the people could move through the river on dry ground. God honoured His Word and His Promise. The priests remained standing in the middle of the river until all the people passed through. Then twelve leaders of the twelve tribes took twelve stones from the place where the priests' feet stood, carried it to their camping place and they built a memorial for the generations to come. When their children asked, ‘what is this...?’ then they were to tell the next generation of God’s miracle of bringing the people through the flooded Jordan river into the promised land.

We too are faced with much uncertainty and surely there are ways ahead that we have not traveled on before, but when we keep our eyes focused on God who is moving before us, we will not get lost. He will guide and lead us into new territory with new strategies – we need to listen, hear, and obey in hope and faith.

Are we willing to get our feet wet in the hope and faith that the flood waters will subside?  

We have not passed this way before
It is exciting and terrifying all at once
God’s presence is going before us – will we follow in faith?

The Ark is Moving…

Come, cross the Jordan with Joshua.

Way Maker - Michael W Smith.

Hope in the fiery furnace

Monday devotions @work 5 October 2020
People of Hope Part 22: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego

In Daniel 3 we read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. King Nebuchadnezzar had built a huge golden statue and decreed that as soon as his musicians started with the blowing of the trumpets and playing music, then all of the people – all the nations, races and languages - must bow down and worship the statue. So when the king’s men realized that there were some of the Hebrews that did not adhere to this command, they went to the king and told him that some of them did not bow down and worship the statue. The king was furious and called Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego to be questioned. He asked them if it was true that they do not bow down and worship the statue – but what I find interesting is that he added the following sentence to his question:

“Do you think there is any god who can save you...?”

Everybody knew the penalty. The death sentence by being thrown into a fiery furnace – and the king was convinced that there was no god who could save them.

However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego had a very profound answer for the king. They answered:
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

They had faith and hope in their God. They unequivocally knew that He was able to save them from the fiery furnace – but even should He choose not to save them, they wanted it to be known that they will not worship the idol-god of the king!

We know the rest of the story – they were thrown into the fiery oven after it was made seven times hotter than usual. Those who threw them into the oven were killed because of the excessive heat. The king and everyone with him stood completely astonished because they suddenly realized that there were four men in the fire, and that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were very much alive in the fiery furnace. He called them out just to find that not only were they alive, but their clothes did not even smell like smoke!

Then the king changed the decree and commanded that nobody can speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have to face dire consequences because of our faith. Which idols are there that the world wants us to bow before? Are we compromising, or are we standing on principle and in faith? These three friends did not know whether God was going to save them. They knew He could – but would He? The crux of the matter was not whether God was going to save them or not, the crux of the matter was that come what may, they were not going to compromise and bow before the golden statue.

Sometimes we face difficult situations. Maybe not as extreme as this one, but if we cannot choose to not compromise in small things, how will we stand in the day we are faced with the fiery furnace? Let us pray for faith like this. Knowing that God can save us – but even if He does not – we will not bow before the worldly king. 

Come worship with Jeremy Riddle:  "Be Enthroned"  

 

 

 

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