June 26, 2016
Welcome to Truth for Summer Sunday…
And Everyday …
“My SHEPHERD…God, Wants to be Known!
The Creator God, the Everlasting, Eternal, Forever God, this amazingly faithful God is the God who knows the hearts of His people, who answers their cries, who hears their prayers, who knows their need for a Leader, for a Protector, for a Provider, for a Promise-Keeper, for a Peace-Giver…for a Shepherd. A Shepherd who will lead them, protect them, provide for them, shelter them, renew them, restore them, retrieve and redeem the lost…you see, He carved that beautiful place in their hearts, in your heart and mine, which can only be filled by His beautiful Heart…the heart of a SHEPHERD GOD…
The Truth is that He wants to be Known…He wants you to know Him…He wants your precious ones to Know Him…and how wonderful that He KNOWS you…He KNOWS your precious ones.
Take a Look at the HEART…
In every aspect of life, in every generation, people in all times, we people, need effective, people-building leadership. This type of leadership is never outdated, never obsolete. In fact, people crave leadership, someone to help them to move forward, to direct, to guide, to escort, to go in front of, to serve them, to show them the way…even leaders need leaders…(some just do not know it)
But our faithful God, The SHEPHERD GOD knows this about the people whom He created…They need a SHEPHERD.
When God assigned Samuel the task of finding Israel’s new king following Saul’s disobedience, rebellion, and subsequent rejection, He gave Samuel specific directions and instructions for his quest for the new king. In 1 Samuel 16, we are told that God specifically instructed Samuel to ‘Take a look at the heart’ to find the leader whom God had called and prepared.
The Almighty God was and is interested in what He finds in the heart of a person…And He looked into the heart of the youngest son of Jesse, the young David and the LORD found a shepherd…He found the heart of a caring, compassionate, valiant shepherd…who would lead, direct, escort, serve, guide, protect…his own army of men as well as the people of Israel. The Bible clearly reveals to us, “He found a man after His own heart.” (1 Sam. 13:14), the Heart of a Shepherd.
“Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made you, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100
So They Will KNOW-The Heart of Our GOD
The heart of our SHEPHERD God came to live with us as Jesus, the GOOD SHEPHERD…The author of Grace, Mercy, Compassion, Provision, Protection, Leadership, Restoration, Redemption, the Author of Salvation…
Our GOOD SHEPHERD came to humankind to serve and to love and to save His people…His children…His sheep.
“Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” Luke 18:16
Several days ago, two of our grands spent the night with us. Bed-time for the almost four year-old granddaughter was going well…then took that turn which all parents and grands recognize and dread. I recognized the signs and diverted her attention to the painting on our wall…Jesus and the Children…”Look Charlee, let’s look at the picture of Jesus. What is He doing?” I asked her, scooping her up out of bed.
She studied the picture, and asked why we had the picture…which, gave opportunity to discuss how Jesus loves her and is always…always…always with her…which her shepherd-hearted parents tell her frequently.
Then, she asked who all of the children were. We counted the children and there just happened to be six children in the picture. I had her pick out which one she thought was her…then, I had her name each one of the grands, including her brother Samuel, and her four cousins, our son’s daughters, Liz, Caki, Ginny and Baby Mae…Jesus and our six grands…
As I placed her back in her bed, tucked her in again, prayed with her again, and reminded her of how much Jesus loved, adored, cherished, and adored children, He adored HER…she, curled up, nestled into her pillow, with Ellie, and Big E, and all the blankets-(minus the books)…and fell into her peace-filled sleep, as we talked about her compassionate Good Shepherd… Maybe she dreamed about her Jesus!
SO THEY WILL KNOW
I am constantly amazed at how God uses every circumstance in our lives to prepare us and to equip us for the future and the hope He has for each one of us. And He does that for our precious ones.
Just as God took David, the man after His own heart, from his days of shepherding his father’s flocks, and raised him up to be the mighty King of Israel, God used all of the circumstances from David’s life to prepare him for the future and the hope which God had ordained for him. The lessons David learned as a child shepherd served as equipment and preparation for the job he was called to do. You see, he was called to reflect the heart of the LORD God, Yahweh Roi and to lead and to serve the people of His Almighty God. King David learned as a child to care for his father’s sheep…and God, the Father prepared him and equipped him to care for His sheep…His people. May we teach our children to reflect the heart of their Heavenly Father…The Heart of a SHEPHERD. Faithful one, you are helping to prepare them for the future and the hope their SHEPHERD God has for them…
Today, on this Summer Sunday:
Tell your children and all those you love, the wonderful news…Our Mighty, Powerful, Everlasting God is also, our loving, compassionate, and tender God, our Shepherd. Remember faithful friend, every moment is a teaching opportunity…You are their shepherd-hearted parent…Tell them, So They Will Know!
Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation. Psalm 79:13
Sunday blessings to you and your precious ones!
Get this week’s daily devotions below!
Abundant Joy,
