Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
July 1, 2021
Read John 10:11-15
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s because he isn’t the shepherd; the sheep aren’t really his. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 He’s only a hired hand and the sheep don’t matter to him. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep.
Good Morning! Stand Up and Bless the Lord!
The Lord, our God, protects and defends us against all kinds of adversity. Much evil is evident in our daily lives and it is easy to be deceived by those who wish to cause you harm. I am reminded of the story of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jesus is our shepherd who stands up to protect us. We are connected to Him through the binding of the Holy Spirit. As children of God, we have free will that allows us to make choices and experience things as we choose. Many of our choices lead us to fruitful endeavors, but sometimes we are tricked by that wily wolf. When we find ourselves down a path of destruction, Jesus is there to pull us back into the fold as soon as we cry out for help.
Our relationship with our Lord requires action on our part. From the first moment when we ask Christ to enter our lives at our baptism, Jesus is waiting for us. Remember the painting with Jesus knocking at the door, we must invite Him into our lives. This is our time of justifying grace where we open the door and invite Jesus into our lives. From there, Jesus wants to part of lives with regular times of communication. Think about those friends or family members from whom you only receive an occasional call. Just as we long to hear from our friends and family, Jesus longs to hear from us. He wants to share in our lives, in the good times and the bad times. Jesus loves us so much that He chose to lay down his life for us. For all eternity, as many times as it takes, Jesus is taking away our sins. Through Jesus, we are in direct communication with God. Hallelujah!
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Thank you for giving us your blessing to live our lives and make our own choices, but even more, thank you for being there to rescue us when we make choices that pull us away from you. May we never become too busy to share our lives with you daily. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Even when I choose my own way, God still loves me.
Speak with God today! Pastor Liz