Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  John 10:27

“What’s most important?” That was the question going through my mind while I was running errands on my day off. The answer was suddenly obvious: “Visiting Mary!” I’d been meaning to visit Mary, a member of my church who had returned home from the hospital a few weeks earlier, but I hadn’t gotten around to it. I changed course and headed for Mary’s house.

That afternoon, Mary told me of her love of reading and as a child riding the trolley to the town library. She asked me to read to her on my next visit, and I volunteered to read in the remaining time I had that afternoon. The book I read captivated us both, so I continued reading past the time I should have, finding it difficult to stop even then. I promised to come by every Friday afternoon to read to her and eagerly looked forward to my next visit.  Two days later, I was devastated to learn that Mary had died the day after my visit. There would be no more stories of Mary’s childhood, no more afternoons of reading together. But I am grateful to God for that afternoon. How many times have I known what is right and not acted upon it? Because I responded to God, my day took an unexpected turn — one that has helped me to remember what is most important: listening to God.

Dear God, help us to hear your voice and to obey your promptings. Amen.

My dear brothers, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.  James 1:19

Did you catch the rhythm in those verses? One quick; two slows. Most of us go through life, though, with the order of this passage reversed. We’re quick to anger, faster still to speak and slow to listen. But James is telling us that effective communication doesn’t work that way.   A lot of people have LDD—Listening Deficit Disorder. We’re so busy trying to say what’s on our minds that we miss out on what others are saying. But by interrupting, over-talking and dominating every conversation, we’re missing out on what God wants us to experience; we’re missing opportunities to grow and learn.  It is virtually impossible to listen when you’re talking. When your mouth is running, the listening stops. And the same thing can happen when it comes to our relationship with God. Don’t get so busy telling God what you want him to do that you miss listening to what he’s trying to tell you.

Dear God, I know that you have a rhythm for my life. And I know that part of that rhythm includes me slowing down long enough to listen. Help me to listen to you each and every day. And as I do, help me experience all that you have in store for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

When temptation deceives us, it not only disguises its appearance, but also its origin. If it were obvious that a sinful thought had Satan’s name brand on it, we’d be less likely to follow it through. So how can we be sure that what we want to do is from God and not the evil one? 

First of all, God’s good gifts will display his prominent label—we will see God’s handiwork. Secondly, God’s blessings do not have to be kept a secret. They will be those things we can share and do and embrace in the light, not those things that have to take place in the shifting shadows.

God will never tempt you to lie, exaggerate or sin in any way in order for you to receive his blessings. His way is right, constant and true. He will never contradict Scripture or comprise the character of the Holy Spirit living within you. Recognize that God always has your best interests in mind and he wants you to experience the ultimate fulfillment in life by living in the light of his Word.

Dear Lord, as my heavenly Father, I know you only have my best interest in mind. Help me to not be deceived and to seek your guidance through prayer and your Words in the Bible whenever temptation comes into my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Repent, … and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.   Acts 3:19

In years past, when I owned horses, I would go and harvest hay each fall. It was a hot and dirty job. We picked up the bales from the field and stacked them on a truck and ultimately into the barn. Inevitably, hay particles would rain down on me as I stacked the hay. The dusty debris would find its way into my clothing, my hair, and often my eyes. It would irritate my hot, sweaty skin. Oh, how I would long for a refreshing shower to wash the dirt and debris from my body!  Sin makes our soul just as dirty — and also breaks our relationship with a holy God. (See Isa. 59:2.) This reading is a prayer of repentance. King David prayed this prayer after being confronted by Nathan the prophet about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. David recognized that his sins had separated him from God. As the psalm tells us, David understood that sincere repentance restores our relationship with God and brings times of refreshing.

At times we all have spiritual dirt in our lives. But when we examine ourselves and seek God’s forgiveness, we too can experience “times of refreshing.”

Wash away our sins, dear God, and restore to us “the joy of your salvation.” (Ps. 51:12.) Amen.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  Isaiah 53:5-7 

Sometimes, as we read the Bible, it’s hard to wrap our minds around it and make sense of it all. But as we look closely at the entirety of the Bible, we can see that God has a plan for our salvation throughout every page.  The book of Isaiah was penned hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth, and it stands as a testament to God’s overarching plan for our lives today. The arrival of Jesus was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; God had a plan for our salvation all along.  Isaiah prophesied Jesus’ death in graphic detail, hundreds of years before the actual crucifixion took place. He described Jesus as a lamb, which is exactly what Jesus became when he was sacrificed for our sins. God fulfilled his perfect plan at the perfect time. 

Since God took such painstaking time to fulfill his plan, it must be a plan worth trusting. When you see the details in all that God has done and said, use that to build your trust in him. Don’t miss the genius of his master plan. Instead, realize that God’s plan throughout Scripture continues in your life today. And in the perfect time, he will take you where he wants you to go.

Lord, sometimes reading the Bible can be confusing. I don’t understand everything I read. But I know that your plan is superior and that you have a plan for me as well. Help me to keep my focus on you and help me to trust in your plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.  Matthew 6:34

Modern technology allows us to both speed up time and slow it down. In a television-makeover program, a garden or home is transformed in minutes. But in real life beautiful gardens take years of hard work, and redecorating is not as easy as it looks on TV. On the other hand, modern technology can also slow down time, as we see in the endless slow-motion replays of decisive moments in sporting events. The past is gone; the future comes at its own pace. In reality, we cannot rewind or speed up our life.  We may look back with regret, anger, and resentment at all our dashed hopes, at all our “if onlys.” Or at times we may consider the future bleak and want to rush past it. But we cannot alter time. What we have is God’s gift of today and the freedom to choose how to live it.  The Apostle Paul gave us an example when he wrote, “Forgetting what is behind … I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). Like Paul, we can take each day’s opportunities to use the gifts that God has given us.

O God, help us choose to use our time wisely, always grateful for all your gifts. Amen.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.  Colossians 3:23

After working with a title of “minister” for many years, I now because of my disability, work outside the church as a counselor. Even so, I don’t feel any less a minister; my approach to this is that of a Christian serving the Lord. Each person I see is a child of God. When I work with that in mind, my work becomes my ministry. Whatever job we have, whether a church job or a job in a secular field, we have opportunities to share the love of God.  In my current place, I see many people who would never enter a church. Because of this my ministry is more far-reaching than before. One day a friend asked me how I could talk with one of her clients, who at times are belligerent, with such patience and kindness. I answered, “Because I’m doing it for God.”  Each of us can look for opportunities to work for God in the way we do daily tasks.

God of opportunities, open our eyes to those around us who need to experience your love. Make our behavior a witness of your love and grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?  Isaiah 29:16

I have to admit that I have trouble with the concept of being clay and not having a voice in my development. It’s not that I’m rebellious and want my own way; it’s just that I want some say in what happens to me. Okay, I admit it. I’m afraid that God’s plan for me won’t suit me. What if I would make a great ceramic bowl to be displayed and admired, but instead I get molded into an ashtray? All right, maybe being a display bowl is too pretentious. But what if I would make a great serving dish that could be useful in many ways, but I get molded into a chamber pot? (In that case, I think I’d rather be an ashtray.)  In my mind, I know that God wants not only what is good for me but also what is best for me. Still, I have trouble feeling that truth in my heart and living it in my life, especially when people around me treat me like I am an ashtray or worse.  I’ve learned that when I do what God wants me to do, I am being who God wants me to be. I won’t have to worry about how that might look to me or to anyone else.

Father, help us be who you want us to be, wherever we are. Help us to joyfully participate in what you are doing. We pray this through Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:61-62

What would you do if you were offered the opportunity of a lifetime? Think about the one thing that you would love to do above anything else would you immediately take advantage of the opportunity? Or would you go consult your family and friends to see what they would say first?  This is exactly what happened to the man in today’s Scripture. Jesus personally offered him the greatest opportunity of his life, yet he told Jesus to wait while he went back to say good-bye to his family. He was given the chance to walk with Jesus and learn from his words, yet he hesitated. He started thinking about other things in his life, and was left in limbo. 

The Bible says that our life here on earth is just a vapor compared to the big picture of eternity. Nothing on this earth will last—not our family, not our relationships, not our possessions. But there is one thing that we can do on earth that will affect our eternal life. And that is to make the decision to wholeheartedly follow Christ.  You have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t linger in indecisiveness. Instead, commit to passionately follow Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the invitation to follow you. Sometimes, the things of this world distract me from passionately committing to you. It’s easier to straddle the fence than it is to take a stand. But today I come off of the fence and I choose to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:28-30; 33

Nearly every major city is undergoing construction. New buildings, shopping centers and homes are popping up everywhere. But in the midst of all of this development, there are unfinished construction projects scattered throughout our urbanized world.  But the physical world isn’t the only place we find unfinished projects. Jesus knew that a spiritual life could easily become like an unfinished building—empty and wanting. And that emptiness happens when we don’t follow through with our commitments to God and to others.

As you walk with Christ, think about what all you’ll have to do to fully embrace the life God has for you. And remember that God wants to empower you to carry out the commitments you have made.

Lord, search my heart and show me the areas of my life that are unfinished. Help me to focus on doing what I need to do as I follow you. And give me the strength to always be a true follower of your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.