“I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.” Ezekiel 34:16a NLT
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 NLT
Search and rescue teams are sent out to find people who have encountered distress and possible danger and are lost due to a tragic event. These could include those lost at sea, adventurous mountain climbers and cave explorers, those working in mines around the world after an accident, survivors of major storms in need of rescue, lost hikers who become detached from their group, and many other situations where an individual or group of people are lost. The mission of the search and rescue team is to look diligently to find the lost and rescue them from the danger around them.
Many Christians today have lost their way and find themselves in need of being rescued by the Lord. Sadly, most do not realize it. The ways of the world take preference over the things of God. Over time, even a seasoned Christian will begin to drift away and suddenly find themselves lost. But the Lord God, the great shepherd, searches for those who are His and brings them back bandaging the wounds they incurred following the things of the world. The Lord never gives up on His people.
You may be one today who knows you are lost. You got in that boat just to fish around a little and found yourself drifting further and further from the shore and away from Lord Himself. Storms of life are starting to rise, and you can’t seem to make your way back. You have lost your sense of direction, and know you are lost. You may not know where you are right now, but God does, and He is on a search and mission rescue. When you sense His presence nudging you, don’t dismiss it. He is walking on the water towards you. Let Jesus into the boat. He will lead you back to shore through the storm healing your self-inflicted wounds and will strengthen you.
“One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-20 NLT
Have you ever done anything on the spur of the moment? Perhaps you were prompted or had a sudden urge and without thinking about it, you did it. How did that work out for you? Perhaps it worked out or perhaps not. It’s too late now to reverse course, what’s done is done. The New Testament story of Jesus calling His first disciples is hard to explain in our 21st century world. On the spur of the moment Peter and his brother Andrew and later James and John, dropped everything, left their livelihood, and decided to follow Jesus.
Scripture doesn’t reveal what were in the minds of these four new recruits for Jesus’ ministry. There have been many sermons preached on the immediate response of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. How would we respond if we were in their shoes? Would we react as they did? Would we leave our jobs, our careers, and our families as James and John to follow Jesus? That could be a hard sell for most people. The point is are we willing to give up all to follow Christ.
It seems a lot easier for us today to make that decision than the first disciples. We have so much more information through the completed Word of God about Jesus, His life, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. But even with all that knowledge of Christ many still refuse to follow Him. It still takes a spur of the moment decision to follow Jesus Christ as the first disciples had. Jesus says in the gospel of John, “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.” (Jn.6:44a nlt) If you feel the Spirit of God drawing you today, accept Jesus as your savior and begin to follow Him. “For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2Cor.6:2 nlt) Join the first four disciples who left it all and followed Jesus on the spur of the moment. This one will work out.
There is an old hymn entitled “Count Your Blessings.” The chorus goes, ‘Count your blessings-name them one by one; Count your blessings-see what God hath done; Count your blessings-name them one by one; Count your many blessings-see what God hath done.’ (2) I’m sure most of us have see God’s blessings in our lives. If we take the time to count them, we will be overwhelmed in all God has done for us. With so many blessings we probably even forgot one or two. God not only blesses us for ourselves, but to share His blessings with others.
What has God blessed you with? What has He and gifted you with that can help present the gospel and be shared with others? The Lord may have blessed you with musical talent. Are you using that talent to the best of your ability to serve Him? The Lord may have blessed you with a brilliant mind in science, are you using it for His glory? You may be blessed with leadership skills, are you a part of an organization or company that can benefit having a Christian working among them. Whatever recognizable talent God has blessed you with can be and should be used for Him.
Some of you may feel you’re a small cog in a big wheel, but that cog is extremely vital. You’re a small piece of the puzzle, but without that piece, the picture is not complete. Take note how God has blessed you and use what he has given you to serve Him and others. School districts need crossing guards and hall monitors, not only science teachers. Churches and concert venues need ushers and set up crews for the service or concert to run smoothly. All organizations and companies need hands-on individuals who support the work through whatever their responsibilities are.
Count your blessings naming them one by one using and sharing them for God’s glory whether in public, your neighborhood, or in the home. They are yours to use or to lose. “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.” (Mt.25:28 esv)
(1) Bennett, Arthur. The Valley of Vision. East Peoria: Banner of Truth Trust, 2023. Pg 20, Union with Christ.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
Life is a journey. When on a journey we travel many roads. Some roads are exciting and adventurous. There are roads in life that lead us into confusion and uncertainty. Others take detours along the way setting us off course. These detours are those unfamiliar roads we must travel and usually when we least expect it. But we do not travel that road alone.
In life’s journey we will at one time, or another find ourselves on a road we never thought we would travel. It may be a life-threatening illness, recovery from an accident, a major upcoming surgery, the breakup of a marriage, losing a child, financial ruin, loss of employment, and at this point you can fill in the blank_____. Unfamiliar roads of this nature are filled with uncertainty, confusion, discouragement, and outright fear. We need someone to tamp down the fear and uncertainty with what is on the road ahead.
The nation Israel was on the verge of entering an unfamiliar road leading to the Promised Land. On this road were powerful nations that had to be eliminated. It was a road the people of Israel didn’t expect. They were afraid, and understandably so. The Lord God told Moses to say to them that God would be going ahead of them on that unfamiliar road, and they need not be afraid. The Lord would be with them and would not abandon them.
Whatever unfamiliar road you are on, remember the Lord God is ahead of you. The road is not unfamiliar to Him. God knows every detour occurring in your life and He is already there. This may be an unexpected detour to you, but not to God. He is already on the road ahead of you!
“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10 NLT
There are many verses in Scripture that refer to giving thanks. Jesus Himself set an example in giving thanks to His Father while on earth. The angels expressed thanks to God and to His Son. Thanks are to be given in private and public worship to God and for all things, and especially as a part of our daily prayers.
One of the greatest examples recorded in the Bible of giving thanks in private worship and daily prayer is found in Daniel chapter 6. The very familiar story of Daniel in the lions’ den comprises this 6th chapter of Daniel. Daniel was faced with certain death if he continued praying to God, praising Him and giving thanks. King Darius inadvertently signed an edit that sealed Daniel’s fate. Any person found praying to any divine object or human, except the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. It was Daniel’s daily routine to pray with his windows opened towards Jerusalem three times a day giving thanks to God.
Paul wrote, “pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.” (1Thess.5:17-18a) Daniel is indeed an example of Paul’s words. He prayed continually and although it must have been hard to give thanks for his situation, the Bible said he gave thanks to God. Yes, it is sometimes hard for us to see pass our circumstances thanking God for them. But God does not allow anything to come into our lives He hadn’t ordained to happen. We need to thank Him, for He knows all things and what is best for us.
So let us not be saving up our thanks for Thanksgiving Day, but may we be like Daniel, praying and giving thanks to God daily and in everything.
“Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.”
As we are nearing the close of our study in the book of Nehemiah on ‘godly leadership’ we are beginning to see a complete picture of those God places before us in leadership roles. We have seen their courage, wisdom, prayer life, planning and organizing, their justice, ability to stay focused and lead the people in spiritual matters. Part of the picture we noticed last week is with all these positive attributes, godly leaders are still human with sin a nature. But we also pointed out that true godly leaders confess their sins and help lead others into confession and repentance. This week we take another look at godly leaders leading.
Chapter 11 is another listing of those who were selected or volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem. We looked at this several weeks ago after the completion of the wall, but the resettlement was not yet complete. It was put on pause and now it has resumed. “The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were. And the people commended everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem.” (Neh.11:1-2 nlt)
The city was populated with 10% of the Jews living in the surrounding cities and villages moving to Jerusalem. It is thought by one commentor that 10% represented a tithe of the people in not rejecting the house of God. This is very likely for chapter 10 ends by saying, “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” (Neh.10:39b nlt) The new residents were chosen by sacred lots that were cast. We call it throwing the dice and that is exactly what it is. But it’s not a lot by chance, but of the Lord. The Lord honored it, for it was His decision. Proverbs 16:33 says, “We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.” (nlt) Jerusalem now had a sizable population with those chosen and those who volunteered to resettle on their own in the holy city.
One final step was still to be taken, the dedication of the rebuilt walls that surrounded God’s city and the Temple of God. History doesn’t give us an exact date as to when the dedication took place. It is estimated that it could have been seventeen years or more after the completion of the walls. Dedication of buildings and projects are common in our day. Sometimes they occur in a timely manner, and then there are times when the wheels move slowly for whatever reason, and it is much later. Perhaps the wheels were a little slow in Jerusalem, but it was worth the wait.
Nehemiah along with Ezra and other leaders prepared and organized the dedication and the celebration that was to follow. They first called the Levites from around the land to come and participate. “They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.” (Neh.12:27b nlt) Music was an extremely important element of the dedication. We have witnessed in our day talented musicians and singers who are included in dedication ceremonies. The priests and Levites then went through a ritual of purification to remind them of God’s holiness and moral purity. “The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.” (Neh.12:30 nlt)
Nehemiah then led the leaders to the top of the wall and organized two great choirs. Two processions would take place going in opposite directions on top of the wall, one led by Ezra and the other by Nehemiah. The order of each procession was Levitical singers first, then princes, followed by priests with trumpets, and last the Levites with stringed instruments. Ezra’s company going counterclockwise and Nehemiah’s company proceeding clockwise until they met and entered the Temple to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Just a follow-up note on the size of the wall and how wide it had to have been for that kind of procession to take place. And they completed that wall in 52 days. Amazing work through amazing leadership.
Imagine the site from the ground as the people watched and celebrated with the two processions encircling the wall leading to the worship service at the Temple. “Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.” (Neh.12:43 nlt) The people continued to bring their offerings to support the priests, Levites, and the work of the Temple.
The godly leadership of Nehemiah, Ezra, the priests, and Levites is noticeably successful. The people responded with joy, and praise to God. They contributed to the work of the Lord. The people along with the leaders celebrated and worshiped God together.
It takes godly leadership to lead in a way that encourages others to come along side one another and do the Lord’s work. Godly leaders can’t do it all. The old saying, 20% of the people (leaders in this case) are doing 80% of the work is not an effective way to do ministry. It needs to be 100%. It takes all of us today to accomplish God’s redemptive plan. May we pray for leaders to lead by inspiring and encouraging those under their care to work towards the building of the kingdom of God. That will be a celebration!
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV
It is true nothing stays the same. Some changes that come along are good, others not so good, and it is one’s perspective if it’s good or not. What is good for some may not be good for others. The sporting world has seen its share of changes throughout the years. Of course, the older you are, the more changes you’ll observe during your life, and I have seen a few. Most changes in professional sports are made for safety, making the game more enjoyable and exciting, and keeping up with fan interests, although they have never asked me! Nevertheless, change is inevitable, and I will deal with it.
Collegian sports have changed over the years for the same reasons as professional sports as far as the game itself, but a concerning change has taken place in the last few years with student athletes. There has been a debate for years whether college athletes should be paid. Never mind the dollar amount of the scholarship programs providing free education each semester for these athletes. The cry is that universities are making millions of dollars through their highly successful sports program, and that cannot be denied. Student athletes were feeling used and being taken advantage of in the marketing of their talent without any compensation. An agreement was reached on the creation of N.I.L… The student athletes will now be paid for their name, image, and likeness used by the schools they represent.
What has made it more complicated is the extension of the transfer portal with thousands of students seeking a better deal or more playing time. According to NPR, “NCAA statistics show that between August 2021 and July 2022, more than 20,900 Division I student athletes entered the transfer portal. And the numbers are building. The 20,900 student athletes in 2021-2022 was up from 18,000 the previous year.” (1)
College sports and education opportunities for student athletes are changing in a big way. They are beginning to see the fruit of these changes with diminished opportunities to be molded into successful men and women as many high-profile coaches are finding it difficult to continue their style of coaching. A good number have left over the last few years as they have seen this coming. The latest surprise was Tony Bennett, head basketball coach at the University of Virginia, who stepped down right before the start of the season. A report from AP News quotes Bennett’s reasoning for stepping down, “I looked at myself and I realized, I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program, if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in. You’ve got to have everything. And if you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men. That’s what made me step down. The game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot,” Bennett said. “And there needs to be change. I think I was equipped to do the job here the old way. That’s who I am and that’s how it was.” (2)
So, what is the Chrisitan Perspective on N.I.L.? Christian student athletes have a tremendous opportunity not only to represent their school with N.I.L. but also Jesus Christ. There are serious issues now with the NCAA, and Christian students should not shy away, but represent Christ in a way that brings honor and glory to God. Bear His likeness noting that it is not about me or the money, but this is where God has placed you.
All Christians have the same opportunity, in fact it is our new likeness. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Cor.5:17 esv) We are to be image bearers of our Lord and Savior. Our name, image, and likeness are not us, but Jesus Christ. It is worth more the any N.I.L. package, and we did enter the transfer portal. We were transferred from death unto life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (Jn.5:24 esv)
‘“Repent and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die,’ says the Sovereign LORD. ‘Turn back and live!’” Ezekiel 18:30b-32 NLT
Sin has a way of ruining our lives. You can bet, if you’re involved in some illegal activity long enough, you’ll get caught and pay the price. Illicit sexual behavior will result in broken homes, broken relationships and broken individuals. Habitual lying disgraces your reputation where you can’t be trusted even when you are telling the truth in an urgent manner. Yes, sin is known to ruin us, for the author of sin is Satan, the father of lies and all things contrary to God.
The prophet Ezekiel prophesized to the remaining people left in Judah to repent of their sins as they were about to be destroyed by the Babylonians. There was still a chance for them to escape the same fate their predecessors faced if they repented their sins and turned to the Lord. The Lord speaking through Ezekiel says, “Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?” (Ez.18:31 nlt) A holy God must judge sin, and the people of Israel were guilty on all counts, and judgement was coming. But God also said, ‘“I don’t want you to die, says,’ the Sovereign LORD. ‘Turn back and live!’” (Ez.18:32 nlt)
The Lord God gives us the same message today, ‘I don’t want you to die, turn back and live!’ God is a merciful, just and holy God, and because He is just and holy, He must judge sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Ro.6:23a nlt) All of us die physically due to our sin nature. Our spiritual death is just payment for our sins and rejecting Christ as savior. But God is also a merciful God who does not want us to die spiritually and be separated from Him, but to turn to His Son Jesus and live eternally. “But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro.6:23b nlt)
Sin does have a way of ruining lives, and if not dealt with can bring about deadly destruction and even an early death. But even more tragic is the deadly destruction of your soul if you haven’t repented and accepted Christ as your savior There will be an eternal separation of spiritual death from God the Father and eternity in heaven. Don’t go another day without making it right with the Lord, He wants you to live.
“The Lord shall be thine everlasting light.” Isaiah 60:20 KJV
Promise Box
I have a ‘promise box’ sitting on my desk. It was a Christmas gift from a neighbor a few years back, a little plastic box in the shape of a loaf of bread with ¾ x 2 ¾ inch cards with a daily Bible verse printed on both sides. It’s called a ‘promise box’ because it contains God’s promises right from Scripture. The daily bread we need to sustain us in our spiritual walk each day is found in every verse pulled from that bread box. The card I pulled out today contained the following verses, “The Lord shall be thine everlasting light.” (Is.60:20 kjv) and “The Lord thy God…keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him.” (Dt.7:9 kjv)
Some days the verses I get are just what I needed for that day, either for something I am going through or inspiration for the next devotional I write. And then there are days when they don’t seem to fill a pressing need. I came to realize that in those days I am looking more at the card than at God. Every verse contains His Words and promises to me whether I think it’s what I need or not. Every verse of Scripture God sends our way is truthful, helpful, encouraging, and contains a promise we need if we take the time to read it carefully.
Isaiah 60:20 is an encouragement for living in a dark world with uncertainty. God is our everlasting light. A light that will always be there, and we need not fear that we will walk in darkness, we won’t, that’s a promise. Deuteronomy 7:9 is a promise that God will be faithful to keep His covenant and show lovingkindness to those who love Him. We can be assured that God’s continual love and mercy will always be upon us. What a comfort that should be for all of us every day.
I encourage you to come up with a ‘promise box’ of some sort if you don’t already have one. Place it somewhere you frequent daily to see it and take in God’s promise to you for that day. You may be surprised it may be exactly what you need for that day.
I’m sure you have the cry, ‘we need a revival in our land,’ or ‘we need a revival in the church.’ I would agree with both of those cries and have heard them many times. Have you ever heard the cry within yourself, ‘I need a revival?’ I can’t say I have heard that too often to my shame. Probably my sense is I don’t need revival, and maybe you don’t either. But if revival doesn’t start with us individually, where will it start.
Revival needs a spark to set ablaze those around them hungry for a spiritual awakening. As I write this, the northeast corner of the United States has numerous wildfires that have started from a spark of some kind due to the dry conditions from lack of rain. They only need a little spark to ignite the dry brush and send the flames along its path. Spiritual revival works much the same way, a little spark from you or me can ignite those around us who are dry spiritually. A spark in a dry forest is dangerous and deadly, but a spark to an individual dry soul, dry souls within the church, and dry souls in the land where you live is refreshing and lifesaving.
The response to the saying, ‘May there be peace.’ is ‘let it begin with me.’ May our response to ‘We need a revival in our land and in our church,’ be ‘let it begin with me.’ The different Psalmists used the words ‘revive’ or ‘quicken’ in this sense fourteen times in the book of Psalms. They were aware of their need to be revived from time to time to live in obedience to God. We are all in need of revival, so may we cry out to the Holy Spirit to put a spark within us and ignite an individual revival in our souls to spread across His church and across the land.
Word for the Soul 