Following Jesus
1. "Follow Me, And I Will Make You Fishers Of Men"
I walked to the kitchen one day and heard the pitter-patter of little feet running down the hall after me. As I returned back to my room the steps were right behind me again, and little Lici exclaimed, "I'm following you!" "I know you are, 'cause I can hear your footsteps" I told her as I turned around and lifted her up in my arms. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all had her enthusiasm as we follow Jesus! As I thought about her words, the call of Jesus to some fishermen came to my mind. "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Let's look in the scriptures and find some ways we can follow Jesus.
2. To Follow Jesus We Have To Make The Choice
Jesus called to Peter and Andrew to follow Him, "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." Then He called to James and John, "And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." (Matthew 4:20 & 22) In Matthew 9:9 Jesus calls Matthew. "Follow me. And he arose, and followed him." To follow Jesus we have to make the choice, and believe on Him for our only hope of salvation. Have you made the choice to follow Jesus?
"16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)
3. "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus"
Hymns and songs have always been an important and enjoyable part of our church services. When we worked with the youth at church we taught them songs that we had learned as children. I couldn't find any authorship for this song, but it appeared in song books in the 1950s. Reading the lyrics brings back sweet memories of my children singing this song at church.
"I Have Decided To Follow Jesus"
1
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.
2
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.
3
The world behind me, the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me;
no turning back, no turning back.
4. Sheep Follow The Shepherd
I watched a short video clip once of a shepherd standing just outside his pasture with several people. He challenged them to call to his sheep and see if they could get them to come. He told them the word to call and one by one they called... but the sheep kept on eating. Then, he called to the sheep and each one raised it's head and went to the shepherd. Sheep know the shepherd's voice, and they only follow their shepherd. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. His sheep know Him, and praise the Lord, He knows His sheep! "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27)
"7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:7-16 & 24-29)
5. Trust In The Lord
I had been praying about something recently and asking the Lord to show me the right thing to do. Several little signs seemed to be pointing in the same direction, but I still wasn't sure. Then God opened my eyes to something totally unexpected, and I felt that He was giving me the answer. I just had to put my trust in Him. There were times when our children were young and we had a need, and the Lord would send it in a way that we couldn't have imagined. I remember one time we got a check in the mail from an overpayment on something, and I believe that was an answer from the Lord. We have also been blessed when dear Christian friends gave us gifts from the goodness of their hearts. God always provided our needs. And He continues to provide. He also continues to direct our steps. Following the Lord means trusting the Lord. When we choose to follow someone to get to a certain place, then we are showing that we trust that person to not only know the way, but we are also trusting them to show us the way. Jesus is the way! And when we follow Him we can be sure we will get there. And we can trust Him to take care of us and provide for us all the way! "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
6. Not All Followers Are Sincere
Stories on social media beg us to follow or subscribe to their site. It makes me feel like they judge their worth by how many followers they have. But, not all followers are sincere. In Judges 9:4 we see where Abimelech paid "vain and light persons" to follow him. "And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him." As I was thinking about following Jesus, I remembered what Jesus said after He fed the five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread. "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John 6:26) Jesus knows who follows Him in sincerity and love. We see this again at the end of the same chapter.
"64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve." (John 6:64-71)
7. Doing His Will
As He ended His Sermon On The Mount, Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) In John 14:15 and 15:14, He said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." James 1:22 tells us, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." There are some who believe they are following Jesus, but they are deceived. Know that you are saved and building your life on Christ, the Rock and our sure foundation.
"21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:21-29)
8. We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight
I have often said how easy it was for the Israelites to know which way to go after God delivered them out of Egypt. The Lord literally showed them the way in the day and in the night. "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." (Exodus 13:21-22) "In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire." (Psalm 78:14) Can you imagine looking for a job and God putting a neon light over the building to tell you where to go? Or, maybe if you were looking for the right girl to date and marry, God let you see a red heart floating over her head, to tell you, "Here she is"? That is not the way God leads us. He gave us His Word, which we can read and follow. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) David said, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:2-3) God will lead us as we read the Bible and pray and seek His face. As we follow Jesus we do so by faith that He will lead us. "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (II Corinthians 5:7)
9. Can The World See That We Are Following Jesus?
It is a blessing to me when the Lord shows me verses in my daily Bible reading that go well with our current devotional theme. I was reading in Daniel, chapter 6, and God spoke to me. King Darius set 120 princes over the whole kingdom, and 3 presidents, of whom Daniel was first and they all answered to Daniel. Daniel had been brought to Babylon as a Jewish captive and maybe that was why the other presidents and princes sought to destroy him.
"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." (Daniel 6:3-5)
All these men could see that Daniel followed God and that he did what was right. Can the world see that we are following Jesus? The jealous men lured King Darius into signing a decree that no one could ask a petition of any other source, other than the king for 30 days. Daniel didn't let this stop him. He continued to pray at his window, towards Jerusalem, three times a day like he had done before, and the men reported it to the king. Notice what the king says. He also recognized that Daniel served God continually and he believed Daniel's God would save him. "Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." (Daniel 6:16) Daniel's faithfulness to God stood strong and made a difference in the lives of others. Are we following Jesus so close that it makes a difference in the lives of others?
"25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian." (Daniel 6:25-28)
10. Women Also Followed Jesus
Jesus called the twelve disciples to follow Him and they were men, but we see in the scriptures that women also followed Jesus. There were some faithful women who followed Him to the cross where He died, and even to the tomb. Three times Luke speaks of the followers of Jesus at His death and he specifically mentions that the women also followed Jesus. Earlier in his writing Luke tells us that even the children were welcomed by Jesus to follow Him. "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:16) Jesus has given the invitation to all, men, women and children to follow Him.
"27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid." (Luke 23:27, 49, & 55)
11. What Shall We Have When We Follow Jesus?
When I was in school I was shy and I always sat with my hand down, hoping that someone else would ask the question I was afraid to ask. I wonder if the other disciples were glad to hear what Peter had to say in Matthew 19:27. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Some of them may have also wondered what they would gain by following Jesus. Jesus assured Peter that they would receive more in this life, and also life everlasting in the world to come.
"28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." (Luke 18:28-30)
The people of Malachi's day asked a similar question... "What profit is it...?" The Lord told them, and us, that "a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels;" I want to be ready when my Lord and Savior makes up His jewels!
"14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." (Malachi 3:14-17)
12. We Have Forgiveness
Let's look at Peter's question again, "What shall we have therefore?" and see some of the wonderful benefits that we receive when we follow Jesus. Along with our salvation, which is the greatest gift ever given, we get forgiveness of our sins. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:7) The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” (Jeremiah 18:2-4) In verse 6 the Lord said, “…Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand…” God’s message here was to the house of Israel. But we can apply this to our own lives. Our lives get marred. We fall into sin’s temptations. But I am so glad God doesn’t throw the clay away. He forgives us and molds us and makes us as He sees fit. Thank God for His mercy and grace. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
13. We Have A Home In Heaven
If you know someone is planning to come to your house for an extended visit, you would probably prepare a place for him or her. You would want to clean up and make sure you have food in the house. Well, we are on our way to spend eternity in heaven. And Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us. "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were no so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3) John describes heaven with a street of gold and gates of pearl in the book of Revelation. We have friends and loved ones that have gone on to heaven. We can only imagine how wonderful it will be. We can look around us and see all of God’s creation, which he accomplished in only six days. Imagine the wonders and glory of heaven that Christ is preparing for us. And He has promised to come back and take us there with Him. We may not live in the biggest house down here on earth, but Christ is preparing a special place for us in heaven.
14. We Have A Friend In Jesus
I am sure that there are many people who feel alone during these troubled times of Covid. The news media is causing people to live in fear inside their homes, afraid to go out and be around others. When more do you need a friend, than during times like these? Everybody needs a friend. A friend listens when you need someone to talk to. A friend helps you out when you are in need. “A friend loveth at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17) Proverbs 18:24 tells us “…there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Jesus is that friend. You will find no greater friend than Jesus. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) In John 15:15 Jesus continues, “Henceforth I call you not servants… but I have called you friends…” It is amazing that Christ would choose to be our friend. He loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. He gives us salvation, and we should be willing to serve Him, but He has called us to be His friends. Are you a friend of God? We read in James 2:23 “…Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Abraham was called the Friend of God. Would those around you call you a Friend of God? How do we become a friend of God? In John 15:14 Jesus says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Won’t you follow Him and be His friend?
15. We Have Living Water
Jesus left Judaea and departed again into Galilee, and John 4:4 tells us, "And he must needs go through Samaria." The next few verses tell us why He needed to go through Samaria. "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink... Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." (John 4:7 & 9) I am so glad that Jesus came to where I was, and saved me!
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:10 & 14)
The Samaritan woman went to the well to draw water and left saying, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29) Everyone is searching for something. The woman could not see the living water and said to Jesus, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep…” (verse 11) Do you remember feeling that way when you were lost in your sin? Did you long for something, but had no way to draw it to you? Did you reach out for something, only to find that the well was too deep and you could not reach it? Many today reach out for alcohol, drugs, or relationships trying to find life for their soul. Some give their all to their jobs, or to physical fitness. Each time they drink of those wells, they have to reach deeper and deeper. But Jesus has living water. Once you drink from His fountain, you no longer thirst for the things of the world. You want to say like the Samaritan woman, “Is not this the Christ?” Have you accepted the Lord’s invitation? “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) Come follow Jesus and let Him fill that thirsting of your soul.
16. We Have A Message
Today is the Lord's Day and many preachers and teachers have studied and prepared to give out the message God has laid on their hearts. That is great, and I appreciate every message I hear from our Pastor. But, we need to consider that we all have a message to proclaim. When Andrew met Jesus he went to get his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Jesus. “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus…” (John 1:41 & 42) When we meet Jesus we should tell our family and try to lead them to Jesus. When Jesus healed the man with the unclean spirit He told him to “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19) We should also tell our friends what great things the Lord has done for us. After His resurrection, Jesus told his disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 22:18) Then we are to proclaim the Gospel message to others. Even if we aren’t led to become missionaries, we can support them in prayer and through financial support. There are many in the Bible who proclaimed the message… The angel gave the message, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10 &11) John the Baptist was faithful with his message, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) The woman at the well went into the city proclaiming, “Come, see a man…is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29) We have a message. It is as simple as John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Are you doing your part to send the message? My purpose for these Daily Devotionals is to help send out the gospel message. I pray God will use it to glorify His name.
17. We Have A Sure Foundation
There are many things that we hear, read, and see today that we really can't be sure of. But, when we trust Jesus to be our Savior we have a sure foundation! "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (II Timothy 2:19) Jesus told the story of the wise man and the foolish man. The wise man built his house upon the rock and when the winds and rain came the house stood firm. The foolish man built his house on the sand, and Christ said, “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:27) We are all going to face stormy weather. We may have to go through financial struggles, sickness, or the loss of loved ones. Will you be able to stand when troubles come? What is your life's foundation? Are you standing on the solid Rock? We can’t put our trust in the things of this world. Build on the solid foundation. Our scripture tells us that the Lord knows them that are His and I had rather be known by the Lord than any person on this earth.
18. We Have The Seed
We have the seed, the Word of God. In three of the gospels, (Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8) we read the parable Jesus told about a sower that went out to sow seed. Some of the seeds fell by the way side where the birds ate them. Some fell on stony places where they came up, but had no deep soil for their roots and the sun scorched them. Still others fell among the thorns and the thorns choked them. But some fell on good ground where it grew and brought forth fruit. Jesus explained the parable to the disciples. The seed is the Word of God. Some hear God’s Word and don’t understand and the Word is snatched away from them. Some hear and receive it with joy, but have no root and when tribulation comes they are offended. Those in the thorns are those in which the cares of this world and deceitfulness choke out the Word. Finally some seeds fall in good ground. Those are the ones who hear, receive, and understand the Word and bring forth fruit. We are the sowers. We have the seed, the Word of God. It is our job to sow the seed. There will be times when the seed does not fall on good ground. But that should not stop us from sowing the seed. We have the promise of Psalm 126:6, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Some of the seed will fall on good ground and bring forth fruit. Keep sowing the seed.
19. We Have A Crown
There are several different crowns in the scriptures. I Peter 5:4 speaks to the elders which feed the flock of God, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” We also read of the crown of life in James 1:12. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” Paul tells Timothy, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (II Timothy 4:8) We are told to strive for an incorruptible crown in I Corinthians 9:25. In Revelation 3:11, we have the words of our Lord, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Hang in there. Don’t let Satan rob you of your crowns by falling to temptation. Then when we are gathered around the throne in heaven we can cast our crowns before the throne, and say with the four and twenty elders, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
20. We Have The Power Of Prayer
When my oldest son was about three years old we had a tire that blew out on the highway. I wanted to use the situation to teach him that God answers our prayers. So we prayed out loud for God to help us. Just as we finished praying our simple prayer a man pulled up and changed my flat tire. He then asked me about my salvation. He was a Gideon, who places the Gideon Bibles in hotels and such, and gave my son a New Testament Bible. God indeed answered our prayer in such a beautiful way. My son learned at an early age that God answers prayer. I once received a prayer journal as a gift. The upper sections of the pages were to record your prayers, and the lower portions of the pages were to record your answers. You could keep a prayer journal using a simple notebook. Jesus encourages us to pray in Matthew 7:7 & 8. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Call out to God in prayer today… and expect great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
21. We Have Joy
My Bible reading today carried me to the beginning of Luke's gospel. The second chapter is probably my favorite chapter in the Bible. This is where we find the Christmas story. This is where the shepherds first heard the "good tidings of great joy." "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11) Christ brings me joy! Christmas brings me joy! I read complaints on Facebook that it is too soon to show Christmas movies, or sing Christmas carols. I saw where some were excited that Christmas is less than two months away, and others commented, "Don't remind me." I could celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior every day of the year. I am sorry that your Christmas has brought you to the place where it no longer brings you joy. Instead of looking ahead to all the shopping and cooking and whatever else overwhelms you during the coming months, look to Jesus and ask Him to restore your Christmas joy.
22. We Have A Lily In Our Valley
Have you been in the valley of discouragement? In Numbers 21:3 the Israelites had victory over the Canaanites, but the very next verse says, “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.” Even the great prophet Elijah sat down under a juniper tree in discouragement after his victory over the prophets of Baal. (I Kings 19:4) We get discouraged because of the way. Maybe you are in the valley of decision. If so, you are not alone. “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14) And we can’t forget about Solomon, the wisest man and king over Israel in the valley of despair. “Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:20) Joshua 7 tells of the valley of disobedience and defeat. Or, you may feel like you are going through a valley of dry bones. The LORD carried Ezekiel to a valley of bones and “they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:2) Do you find yourself in one of these valleys? David said, “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.” (Psalm 23:4) Yes, we go through these valleys. But we have a Lily in our valley. He comforts us, He protects us, and He provides for us. “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Solomon 2:1) Jesus said, “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27) If you are in a valley, look around for the lily.
