“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25 ESV Read full chapter
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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“I have concluded based on my years of experience that sheep are stupid. Not just stupid but mind-numbingly stupid— sometimes I wonder how they manage to breath and eat.” Glenn Brunkow, Rancher¹
Somehow, that quote from Brunkow gives me comfort. God wants to lead us, feed us, and guide us. Our responsibility is to just obey.
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I’m re-reading a fascinating book by Phillip Keller called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.² Keller was a shepherd for years and explains many things about sheep that most people don’t know.The book is eye-opening and provides a deeper understanding of our relationship with the Lord, the Great Shepherd.
I memorized Psalm 23 as a young child and received a glow-in-the-dark cross for a reward. I can still recite it after all these years! I am thankful for my Sunday School teachers who required it and my grandmother who helped me learn it. I consider it a great blessing in my life. (If you haven’t memorized it, I highly recommend that you do!)
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalm 23 KJV
The shepherd watches over his sheep day and night. They cannot take care of themselves, and they get into all kinds of trouble. They will drink polluted water, wander off and be attacked by a wild animals, get stuck in the same fence repeatedly, etc.
” … he who watches over you will not slumber” Psalm 121:3 NIV
Sheep are fearful, timid, and skittish. A rabbit hopping by suddenly can send them into a panic. But they calm down when the shepherd walks into view, and they are comforted. So many times in my life, when I was in a panic, the Lord has comforted me and calmed my fears. That’s when I wonder how people who don’t know Him get through tough times.
We do “not want” because Jesus is always with us, in good times and in bad. Our joy and peace comes from His presence in our life, not in what we have or the way life goes. We are content to be led by Him, doing His will.
One thing I found interesting is the fact that like humans, some sheep refuse to follow the shepherd and instead do their own thing. (Ouch!) This can result in lots of serious problems for the sheep, problems they would have never experienced – if only they had followed the shepherd. (I could write a book about all the times I did my own thing instead of following the Good Shepherd. It never turned out well!)
Without a shepherd, the sheep blindly follow other sheep. When one walks over a cliff, the others follow right behind him!
Keller tells how he would lead his sheep to a clean, clear stream and a stubborn ewe would go off and drink from a polluted, parasite-infested puddle instead. Isn’t that what some people do? We choose the unclean ways of the world instead of the ways of God.
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38 NIV
A good shepherd provides good forage for the sheep, lush green vegetation, so that the sheep can have plenty to eat, grow, and thrive. However, some sheep will wander off and eat from barren, dry brush instead. Many times, we prefer to feed on the barren ground of the world around us instead of the peace and comfort that comes from dwelling in His Word and walking in His steps.
The final parallel I want to share is the most extraordinary. Sheep must have plenty of pure clean water. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to lead them to a lush green field heavy with morning dew.
The sheep can keep fit and hydrated for months just by grazing right before dawn when the field is heavy with dew. The sheep feed heavily and are most content at this time of day. A good shepherd will make sure his sheep have this opportunity to drink in the “still waters” of dew.
“In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident and able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word.” (Keller)
These are just a few of the many insights from A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller.
I don’t know about you, but it gives me great comfort to know that I don’t have to be smart to thrive. I need only to follow Jesus, the Great Shepherd. He leads us by His Word.
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Isaiah 53:6 NIV
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 NIV
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
¹https://www.agupdate.com/midwestmessenger/opinion/columnists/glenn_brunkow/the-questionable-intelligence-of-sheep/article_69540f07-7577-5559-bfde-a31ea95acc0c.html
²ISBN 0-310-26790-0 available on Amazon
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“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 NLT Read full chapter
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 NIV Read full chapter
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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“See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.” Colossians 2:8 NASB Read full chapter
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 NIV Read full chapter
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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Corrie Ten Boom was a prisoner and survivor of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. If anyone ever had an excuse to worry, it was her. Corrie, her sister, and their elderly father were whisked from their home and sent to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, “the deepest hell that man can create”¹ because they were caught hiding Jews during WWII. Following are some quotes on worry from Corrie.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. It does not enable us to escape evil. It makes us unfit to face evil when it comes. It is the interest you pay on trouble before it comes.”
“Worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps you busy but does not bring you farther.”
Corrie Ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place, had a profound effect on me as a young adult. Her faith and trust in Jesus Christ will encourage you through any trial you may find yourself in today.
Corrie lived her life, before and after Ravensbruck, serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” Philippians 4:6-7 AMP
So many times, people say, “I’m a worrier. I worry about everybody.” It’s as if they think it’s a badge of honor. It’s not! To worry means we are not trusting God. To please God, we must have faith. We must trust Him.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV
If I have learned anything on my Christian journey of 60+ years, it is this: Seek God with all your heart. Love Him with all your heart. Trust Him with all your heart. Obey His Word with all your heart. If you do that, He will take care of everything else.
With Love,
Cindy
This Is My Journey Unscripted.
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
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1The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Psalm 138:8 ESV
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word.”
A.W. Tozer
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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When I was a teenager, I participated in a seance with friends. They said there would be someone there who really knew how to do it. That night, I was overcome by an intense fear that I had never experienced before or since. I knew I was doing something I shouldn’t be doing.
I repented of this sin and I would never, never do it again. I learned my lesson well.
If you know someone who is troubled by unusual fear, make sure they are not opening the door to the occult in some way. If they are, they need to study the Scripture, pray, and repent.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV
Every Christian should know that divination is an abomination to God. But do they?
1 Chronicles 10 is the story of King Saul’s last day on Earth. He is wounded by the enemy and then kills himself to keep from being captured. The next day, the Philistines stripped him and cut off his head. Verses 13 and 14 say,
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”
There are many Scriptures that make it clear that all types of divination are a sin and an abomination to God. Here are a few.
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.” Deuteronomy 18:9-11 NIV
“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.” Leviticus 20:6 NIV
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31 NIV
God calls these things detestable. Yet people swarm to fortune tellers and psychics by the millions. According to an article by Paul Thagard, PhD in Psychology Today, “4 out of 10 people believe that psychics are effective and billions of dollars are spent yearly by people desperate to have psychics help them with their problems.”
Dr. Thagard explains the deceptive practices psychics use, but I’d like to point out that whether the psychics use trickery or not is immaterial. God says it is an abomination to consult them.
Christians should look to God for guidance, not demons. Consider these verses from Acts 16:16-18 (NIV):
“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.”
The devil will entice God’s people to sin any way he can. One of his favorite ways is to make the sin seem innocent. (It’s just for fun!) But it’s not innocent fun, and sin has consequences.
Some methods of divination include psychics, tarot cards, ouija boards, reading tea leaves, astrology, horoscopes, zodiac signs, the occult, fortune tellers, drug use and others.
I believe that people can open a door to evil spirits by participating in these things. (Paul associates fortune-telling with demons in Acts 16 above.)
Remember, sorcery of any kind is not innocent fun. God’s Word is our guide.
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6 NLT
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 NLT
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT
With Love,
Cindy
This Is My Journey Unscripted.
Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
realchristianwomen.blog
Paul Thagard, Psychology Today, Should You Believe in Psychics? April 24, 2019
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