Author: David LaFrance

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 34-36, Psalm 86, John 12

 ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.

In the middle of this chapter, God speaks to the shepherds of Israel who have been unfaithful in loving and caring for His people. Our God knows our shortcomings. He knows our weakness in obedience when shepherding. At the end of this chapter, God says to His people, “You are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord. (verse 31)

Today, these verses serve as a reminder. Whatever you are walking through, whatever struggles you are enduring, whatever challenges you are facing, God is with us! He knows every single one of those challenges, things that are heavy on your heart and your mind, the things that you are facing right now. Not only does He know, but He is the shepherd in the middle of it all.

God, our shepherd, is committed to leading us as our personal Shepherd, guiding us, and making us lie down and rest in His leadership over our lives if we let Him.  Psalm 23 shows how He will lead us with goodness and mercy throughout our lives.  Psalm 23 says,

” Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Our Shepherd will lead you today, tomorrow, and the next day.  All the days if you Seek Him with all your heart.

Psalm 86

Lord,

Only You know where everyone is at. May we know how much You love every day.  God gives us the strength we need in our weakness.  Lord, I pray Psalm 86, which says:

Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

 

 

Today’s Readings: Ezekial 4-6, Psalm 82, John 2

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Where does your belief come from? Where does your unbelief come from?

I think about the miracles we read about in John 2. I had read before that one of the first miracles Jesus performed was filling the wine vases. How amazing. Maybe believing would involve seeing the paralyzed man healed or raising Lazarus?

Many believed based on these miracles, but many still didn’t. I didn’t see the miracles we read from the Bible, but I think of my wife, Jennifer, and three kids: Jackson, Marshall, and Gianna.  I think of my profession God has blessed me to do or even my health, which I wake up to daily.

Even with all the daily miracles we are blessed with, this does not guarantee eternal belief. The most critical decision in worldly life is to know God. Amid life and all our circumstances, we aim to believe, trust, be obedient, and continue to know and understand Him.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

The miracles You show us every day we are so thankful for.  Help us to understand Your love more each day. Help us to realize how we need to be obedient and how Your Son Jesus died for us. Lord, help us know You better each day.  Amen

Psalm 82:8 provides a reminder on Election Day.

Come, O God, and rule the world; all the nations are yours.

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 21,34,37 Psalm 79, James 5

This last weekend, I was in Detroit, Michigan, for one of my son’s hockey tournaments.  Along the drive, I was grateful to observe the beautiful colors of the fall foliage in Michigan.  On the way there, the route showed delays throughout the interstate route . I knew I couldn’t do the traffic, so I took the back route, which presented as only a few more minutes.  Most of these additional minutes would be spent behind farm vehicles harvesting the fields. For me It was the perfect ride.  This drive made me reflect on James who uses numerous metaphors and illustrations to make his point very similar to the way Jesus would.

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

The ride also helped me think about the loss of one of our close friends ( Heidi Zell), who was our neighborhood mother and/or grandmother to many.  To me, she modeled kindness, care, and love for many. There was a lot of tears in our family and loss ow words.  The only words I could use for my 13, 9, and 6 year old is that God loves us more than anything and He decides when we spend eternity with Him.

James shairs with us that the lives of those who believe should be marked by a peaceful assurance of His returnand faithful efforts to increase the harvest of souls for the Kingdom. Just as the farmers I saw understood to wait patiently for the crop to grow, so we should all be patient in waiting for Him to com once again.

 

Enjoy being with our Lord in Heaven Heidi! Thanks for showing His love through the love and kindness you gave to everyone. Luke 23:43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

 

 

I’m thankful for the Scripture teaching us all we need to know about life. How if we decide to listen and follow it can provide answers even in our darkest times.

Do I invest in eternity? Is my stewardship for me or for Him and His Kingdom?

2 Corinthians 8:8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

The principles of stewardship with integrity are personal and practical. Is my stewardship voluntary and from my heart? That answer will be between God and I one day and one I can wrestle with now with my personal reflection.   How much do you want to be blessed with a peace and richness that only He can provide us.

All my intentions can seem in vain without action. Wherever we are at will we understand the richness to finish strong not knowing when that day will come.

Father,

We thank you for Your Word.  Words that instruct us how we should live while we wait for Your return.  Lord, help us in our ways that point to eternity in Heaven not because of biblical reasons but through faithful reasons.  Lord, I pray to continue to work on our hearts because we desire to stand in peace by Your side. Amen

Today’s Readings: 2 Corinthians 8, Psalm 74, Zephaniah

 

 

Today’s Readings: Isaiah 1-3, Psalm 9, and Matthew 22

At the center of it all is God. Sometimes, this realization is not my reality, and my life shows it.  As the earthly world speaks to us daily, we can lose direction and go a path we think is right based on a temporary feal. We believe this is right, or we can look for a shortcut to move at the pace we wish our lives would go.

This reminds me of the maps I use on my phone. When I drag to where I think I want to go, I can lose touch with where I need to start, where God desires our lives. I have needed to hit the re-center button many times in my life. As I travel through the hills and valleys, I need always to keep God at the center of my journey.

Today, Isaiah reminds us that no matter how off course you have been, He is still next to you, ready to re-center your life. When life has you feeling a little lost, find direction in Him.

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
²⁰ but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

When we venture off course, an obstacle usually gets in the way, or we want to get there quicker than what was provided.  We make our own decisions by speeding, changing routes, or doing whatever we need to reach our desired destination. I’m reminded that our journies are never alone.  We find life and hope in Him alone.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Reading Matthew 22 humbles me. It reminds me that I need to stay centered in all things with Him.

²⁹ Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

Lord, help me trust Your presence, Your love, Your Forgiveness, and the direction You have for my life. Help me be centered on You.  Amen

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.

Reading through Ecclesiastes, you will find all the pleasures available to all of us.  I can find myself spending a lifetime if I’m not aware of chasing them.  What are you after today? Am I chasing the pleasure that offers moments of happiness or chasing an eternal Kingdom with Him?

“Pleasures are meaningless” is a phrase that appears in the Bible in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. Remember the following lines:

“I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless”

“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them”

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil”

“I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth”

 

Today’s Readings: Ecclesiastes 1-3, Psalms 45, 2 Timothy 1