Written in Your book

All your plans for all my days

Your thoughts are precious.

-Psalm 139:16-17

Good news! This scripture is for YOU! Say this:

“I am very special! God has a specific purpose for me. He's written my future, and it is a great one. Hallelujah!”

Now say it again and mean it! Your days are written in His book. He thinks of you constantly. You are not a forgotten nobody. You are a precious lamb of God.

Some days we wonder, "Did God write this day? Seems like I'm off script." Days like that it’s tempting to break stride and slow down or stop. Resist that urge! Christians can fall into a trap of waiting and waiting and waiting until they turn into raisins on the vine, especially if we’ve missed it before. We become so concerned about not missing God that we don’t do anything. A teacher at school says it this way: Over analysis causes paralysis. We need to renew our mind with the Word.

Psalm 139:16 tells us He has a plan for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us His plan is good. 

John 10:3-4 tells us God leads us as a shepherd leads His sheep. "...He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice."

Picture a flock of sheep following their shepherd. He goes before them showing the way. As they follow, he's not watching each sheep to make sure every hoof hits the exact blade of grass it's supposed to hit. Can you imagine a shepherd saying to a sheep, "You don't get to eat tonight because you missed walking on a blade of grass earlier. I guess you'll do better tomorrow, huh?" Sometimes we picture God that way.

He's a good shepherd. He loves His sheep. As long as we keep our eyes on Him and move forward we're going the right way. If you're standing still you will lose sight of Him eventually. If you can't see Him, you may be walking the wrong way or you may have been standing still too long. If that’s you, be honest with God and start moving. He knows how to find you and get you back on track. Keep putting one hoof in front of the other, and stay close to the Shepherd.

If your confidence in yourself is low, have confidence in your Shepherd. Meditate on Psalm 23:1-3 and John 10:2-4. He loves you. He IS leading you. You DO know His voice. That's what the Word says about you. Agree with it.

Lovin' my Shepherd!
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Trust Him

I reverence the Lord.

The young lions suffer want.

I lack no good thing!

-Psalm 34:9-10

The young lions represent the strongest of the strong, the best of the best. Even the best and the strongest can't provide for themselves like my God provides for me. I reverence Him and walk the path He's put in front of me. I turn my face like flint in the direction He's given. I follow my Shepherd come what may. He's a good shepherd. He provides and cares for His sheep.

You promised, Papa

Bountiful harvest ahead

I trust You always

John 10:10-15

Shepherd calls my name.

I know Him, He knows me. Peace.

He goes before me.

-John 10:3-5

When God leads us, how do we know its Him and not our friends, family or our own logic or illogic? How do we know for certain that God said it?

The scripture assures us that when we are God's He leads us like a shepherd. John 10:3-4 says:

"The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

God's leading brings peace. What He's leading you to do may not be exciting or fun or comfortable, but in your gut you will have peace that it's the thing you should do. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. (Matt 4:1) That was not fun or pleasant, yet it was right. Paul knew he was to go to Jerusalem and Rome. He also knew he would be put in chains, yet he also knew it was right. Other people were freaked out by it, but Paul was not. He knew the voice of the Shepherd. (Acts 21:10-13)

Even though the road may look dangerous or difficult, follow the Shepherd. His voice brings peace to His sheep. He is the good Shepherd. He loves us. He laid down his life for us. Because He's God He also took it back up for us, so now we can become like Him and be with Him forever! What a life.

Praise God! John 10, Psalm 23, Romans 8:14, Philippians 4:6-7

Stormy waves and wind

No more boat, no safety net.

Water walking time.

Have you ever done something that makes no logical sense to anyone - including yourself? What gives us the courage to move forward in the face of impossible circumstances? Knowing the Lord is the One who gave the direction, knowing it's His will to step out of the boat and walk on a wave that two seconds ago you thought would kill you. Nothing else could move me out of the boat.

I'm a planner and a thinker. I've learned literally and figuratively to keep my cards close to my vest. I'm conservative. I learn by observing other people's mistakes as much as possible. But God.

God likes to take us outside our comfort zone. That means you WILL be uncomfortable. You will be stretched. You will be tested beyond what you thought you could possibly do. It will happen again...and again...and again...until you stretch your capacity to that new level. This is God's way of increasing our effectiveness by expanding our comfort zone. Once you've reached a new comfort with what was previously quite scary, you go through the process again. Why does it have to be so hard? God isn't a meanie! He knows our potential and wants to see us reach and exceed it.

I had a ligament replaced in my knee in 1999. They sent me home with a machine to get my knee flexible and a first appointment with a physical therapist. Every week I would go to the therapist and get new at home exercises and stretches. Every week they would stretch my knee for me at the end of our session. The last few weeks were pretty intense. I would literally tremble in pain as they bent my knee beyond what I could bear. I knew they were helping me and not harming me (even though it hurt). I really did do my homework every week. I really did stretch and bend my knee at home. But there is only so much that I can do on my own. Some things I can't put myself through, I need an experienced person who knows how far beyond my current capacity I can be stretched without hurting me.

That's God. He stretches us beyond our capacity for our benefit. It may hurt, but it doesn't harm us. It makes us more than we were before.

Psalm 34:8 - "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him."