Get ready for adversity.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Matthew 25:34

How do you prepare for adversity?  Are you able to set your feet and brace yourself for that next challenge?  How do you react to the highest of hurdles that present themselves along your journey?  When the dim flashes of upcoming problems become brilliant lightning bolts of tragedy into your life, where do you find strength?

Life’s challenges that take us from our comfort zones are somewhat different to an adult living in here in Normal or really, anywhere in the U.S. than to a child living in Haiti.  We can certainly try to prepare ourselves for such times, but we don’t want to because we would rather not experience these stressful times ahead.   While we hope for the best we also need to prepare ourselves spiritually, physically, financially and emotionally for the worst of times that may catch us off guard.

The children standing in front of the old man in the attached photo are in Ouanaminthe, enjoying the shade of the tree in the school yard, enjoying a time of merriment; a game of patty cake that breaks all language barriers and fills that void with endless smiles and contagious flowing steams of laughter.  Enjoying life on this planet under the shade of a tree; together in the shadow of the tree and also together in the shadow of the cross of Christ.

In my preparation for unforeseen problems along my journey, and how this child prepares for her future challenges in Haiti; together we stand at the foot of the cross, in the shade thinking about why God has placed us here and praying that no matter what happens to us we are always under His care and watchful eye.  And, when the days are over and our journeys have been completed, we have the promise of a heavenly home which was prepared for us since the beginning of time.

Until then we labor and continue to do His work, seeking and saving the lost by whatever means He has empowered us.  Thank you for being there for them, under that tree, in that shadow, responding to His call by blessing their life with your prayers, your blessings of a feeding program and your encouragement.  We all have different callings in our own journey, thank you for being such an integral part of these children in Ouanaminthe. 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

More foot washing.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.  And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.  When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:8-15

This passage about foot washing came up in a devotion yesterday and since I wrote about this topic just a few days ago, a few more thoughts came to mind after reading this again.  Does this ever happen to you?  Jesus gave a strong rebuke to Peter when He spoke those words.  Our Lord's rebuke introduces a convicting observation: being a servant is not a sign of inner weakness but of incredible strength.  Don’t you agree?

I’ve been rebuked by a few sinful humans in my lifetime, but I just can’t begin to imagine what Peter must have felt like.  There is no way to remove the gut punch from Christ's words to Peter.  He said, in effect, "If you do not allow Me to do this, that is it.  Get out!"  Anybody who lives under the false opinion that Christ was weak and always kind to a fault has overlooked such statements as this one.  Being a servant in no way implies there will never be a confrontation or strong words shared with others.

The Lord may choose to use the reproof of a servant who has earned the right to be heard even more often than that of an aggressive leader type.  It certainly worked with Peter.  We follow the story of Peter and know that he got the message when he blurted out, in so many words, "Give me a bath!" No Peter, that wasn't necessary, only your feet.

After Jesus brought back balance to Peter's overreaction, He sat down for a time of reflection and instruction among the disciples and asked; "Do you know what I have done to you?"  These disciples?  How often have we asked ourselves how ‘they’ didn’t realize what Jesus was telling them.  Obviously, they knew or witnessed what He had done in their time spent with Him.  He had washed their feet!  But He had so much more in mind than the obvious; Jesus always does.  He wanted them to think more deeply, to learn something very insightful and valuable as an obedient servant.  A learning point for us as well. 

He told you and I and these young missionaries in Haiti to wash one another's feet.  Humble yourself.  Just on Sundays.  No.  Every day.  Dear followers living in this fallen world; Jesus said it plainly. "I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you."  He was looking for action now.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Love with Time.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Pastor Keith Enko and his wife Kim drove from Nashville, TN to Bloomington last weekend to be the guest Pastor at my church.  There were several points from his message that I have been thinking about this week but one that really keeps sticking in my ‘pride side’ is how much this fallen world has and still sinks its talons into my life.  Time; stress trying to manage my time in this world.  It’s easy to go through life stressed and overloaded; we are encouraged by this world that its normal for everybody.  But getting your relationship with Jesus Christ right is one significant way to reduce the stress you feel.  The best expression of love is time.

You may think that love is spelled L-O-V-E.  But a better way to spell love is this: T-I-M-E.  When you love someone, do you know what gift you desire most from them?  Their focused attention.  When I love you, I want to see your eyes.  I want to talk.  I want to listen.  I want to commune.  I want to fellowship.  I want you!  The greatest gift you can give anyone is your time; because your time is your life.

Time is probably your most precious commodity.  You only have a certain amount of it; and as you read this, several grains of sand have slipped away through your life’s hourglass.  God has already decided the number of days you are going to live; you’re not going to get any more.  You can always get more money, but you cannot get more time.  When you give someone your time, you are giving that person a portion of your life that you will never get back.  That’s why your time is the greatest gift you can give.

Pastor Enko spoke about giving the Living Water to those who you care about and also those strangers who brush alongside of you during your life.  Many things can rob you of time.  Work can rob 40-60 hours from your time a week.  Social activities can steal even more hours.  Too much church involvement or ministry can rob your family of time.  Even hobbies, sports, cable TV and movies can rob others of spending an hour with you.

How can I find more time for those I love?  I’m sure you can probably find several ways.  Start by turning off the TV, unplugging the computer, and putting down your phone!  It’s amazing how many people spend so much of their valuable time in the virtual world while neglecting the people right beside them.  If you want to revitalize a dying relationship, a dying marriage, a dying friendship or be able to find that stranger in need of your time to share Living Water, start with investing more of yourself by giving the gift of your time.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Go a little crazy.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Some years ago, Sport Illustrated published a profile of Bill McCartney, who had just resigned as head football coach of the University of Colorado.  You may recall, McCartney was the founder of the Christian men’s movement known as “Promise Keepers”.  In the article McCartney said that he quit coaching to spend more time with his wife and to work more for the Lord.

The author of the article found that reasoning a little difficult to swallow.  He wrote, “What man gives up such power and prestige?  What man walks out on a $350,000 a year contract with ten years remaining, so he can spend time with his wife and his God?”  (A little reminder that $350,000 for a football coach in 1994 was a pretty good salary.)  The author used such terms as “radical”, “out of his head”, “consumed”, and of course, “a religious zealot”.

According to this article, apparently the zeal that is such an asset for football coaches, is considered a liability when it comes to faith in the Lord.  In other words, a little bit of God is acceptable, but a determination to seek God’s will at all costs makes one a little crazy.

There are many examples in Scripture of people taking that leap of faith and going a little crazy by seeking God’s will and following Him.  One of the best examples is Abraham.  In Hebrews it reads, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Heb 11:8)

So, what was it that made this 75-year-old man leave his country, his people, and his father’s household, and go to a different land?  According to Genesis 12:1-3, it tells us that God told Abram to go and He would bless him.  God would make of him a great nation.  The point is, God simply spoke to him and Abram went.  That’s pretty crazy.

Of course, we don’t know how God spoke to Abram.  Was it in a loud, clear voice, or in a dream or vision, or in that still, quiet voice in his heart?  We don’t know.  But somehow, in some way, God spoke to Abram.

Now, what ties this to faith is what happened next.  The very first thing that Abram did was listen.  Think about that.  When you are in prayer, or reading or studying Scripture, or in worship, do you ever just calm your spirit, open your heart and simply listen to the Lord?  We need to listen.

It doesn’t end with listening though.  As Abram shows us, after the listening comes the action.  The word “faith” is most definitely an action verb.  Verse 4 states, “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.”

Okay, does that sound crazy?  Maybe, to some; maybe to many.  But ask yourself, are you willing to go a little crazy?  Are you willing to act when God speaks to you?  Are you willing to uproot everything and follow the lead of the One who loves you more than anyone could ever love you; the One who died and rose for you; the One who has blessed you with forgiveness and life and has given you an inheritance that far exceeds the one that Abraham had in this world?

Obviously, things won’t always be clear.  But what I want you to think about is, are you willing to act on what you do know about God’s will?  Do you have the faith to go a little crazy?

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Washing feet.

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”  Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.  And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.” John 13:6-11

Back in the day during Lent at Christ Lutheran in Nebraska ‘we’ offered to wash the feet of worshippers at the noon service.  We had a basin of water, sponge and towels.  A few came to the chancel rail to have their feet washed.  As Jesus prepared to wash His disciples' feet in the above passage, He never said, "Men, I am now going to demonstrate servanthood; watch My humility."  No way.

That kind of obvious pride was the trademark of the Pharisees.  If you ever wondered whether they were humble, all you probably would have had to do was hang around them for awhile.  Sooner or later, they would announce it which explains why Jesus came down so hard on them.

Unlike the Pharisees, the Messiah slipped away from the table, quietly pulled off His outer tunic, and with towel, pitcher, and pan in hand, He moved quietly from man to man.  Back in those days, people reclined at a meal, actually leaning on one elbow as they lay on their side on a small, thin pad or on a larger rug covering the floor.  The table was a low, rectangular block of wood upon which the food was placed.  And they ate with their hands, not utensils.  This position meant that if your feet were not clean, your neighbor was very much aware of it.  It would be hard to ignore a face full of dirty feet and the aroma…oh the humanities.

As Jesus reached Peter, I am sure most of the small talk had quieted down.  By now, the disciples realized their wrong.  Guilt had begun to push its way into their hearts.  Peter must have drawn his feet up close to him when he said, in effect, "No! Not my feet.  Never, ever, ever will you wash my feet, from now 'til eternity!"  This reveals a second observation about having a gentle and humble heart: being a servant includes receiving graciously as well as giving graciously.

Peter wasn't about to be that vulnerable.  After all, Jesus was the Master.  No way was He going to wash the dirt off Peter's feet!  Is that humility?  You know it's not.  Being willing to receive sometimes takes more grace than giving to others.  And our reluctance to do so really exposes our pride, doesn't it?  During this season of Lent, may we examine our humility.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Are you in a hurry?

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

I don’t know what caused me to wake up around 1:30 AM a few days ago and chuckling to myself.  At the conclusion of a NyQuil nightmare I was dreaming about a Sunday School Christmas program practice a few weeks before the BIG day…back in the day.  Things weren’t going well; it seemed to resemble the Mayberry City Band before the professional subs arrived.  I was thinking about recruiting a few Baptist kids to fill the ranks in the 8th grade.  Our DCE Bob Ewell told me to not worry, the Holy Spirit would be there.  Everything would be fine.

When you get frustrated, get in a hurry and try your darndest to mold this world into what you see as being proper and God pleasing; slow down and have a talk with your creator.  If you want to slow down your life, you’ve got to learn to trust God’s timing.

When things aren’t happening as quickly as you hoped, it’s easy to get impatient.  But do you know what impatience really is?  It’s a lack of trust.  I didn’t trust the kids or their parents to help them learn their parts.  When you’re impatient, it’s like you’re saying, “God, I don’t really trust you.  I don’t think you have my best interest at heart.  I’m in a hurry for something, and I don’t believe you know when I need it.”  You get worried, you get hurried, and you start scurrying around in so many directions because you don’t trust God to do things at the right time and in the right way; your way.

If you’re like me and most people, when you want something, you want it fast, right now.  But is fast always better?  Not always.

God has a plan and a purpose for your life.  He created you with a one of a kind plan and purpose.  You probably know that already.  But he also has a timetable for your life.  Here’s the thing: God never explains his timetable.  And sometimes that can be really difficult to accept.

One of the most painful things in life is when you’re in a hurry and God’s not.  As you were growing up and maturing, you prayerfully learned the difference between “no” and “not yet” in your prayer life.  A delay is not the same as a denial.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have to learn the same thing: God’s delay is not His denial.  He has a plan and a timetable and His timing is perfect.

Has God given you a vision that hasn’t become reality yet?  It’s coming; but on God’s timetable.  In the meantime, slow down and trust Him.  I can tell you from experience as I think about the growth of the Trinity HOPE feeding programs in Haiti.  God is using people like you and me to feed His children attending Christian schools in Haiti; in His timing.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Our future is certain.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 ESV

We have all gone through times when we have faced an unknown future.  Perhaps the last obvious example of this occurred on September 11th, 2001.  Most of us remember where we were when we heard the news of the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.  What happened in New York, Washington D.C. and in that Pennsylvania field on that day created a panic throughout this country.  Suddenly, people were dealing with an unknown future.

I clearly remember a couple things I noticed as a result of this uncertainty.  First, attendance at church grew significantly for a solid two weeks.  Secondly, at least for the first few days after the attack, there were long lines at the gas station.  I know that may sound silly, but when people are frightened or anxious or uncertain about the future, they tend to worry about tomorrow and seek for a sense of security.

This brings me to what David wrote in the last verse of this Psalm.  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)

A repeated theme that we have seen throughout this Psalm is that we have no reason to fear, or to be worried, or to be stressed out.  Why?  Because the Almighty God, the Creator of all there is, the Savior of the world is indeed our Shepherd.  He walks with us and guides us to green pastures and still waters.  He restores our soul.  He takes the lead and brings us down those paths of righteousness.  He is even right by our side as we walk through that valley of the shadow of death, protecting us with His rod and guiding us with His staff.  What this Psalm shows us so clearly is that we have a future that is absolutely certain, where we will be with our Shepherd for all eternity.

What we are looking at in this Psalm is a very real and very close relationship with our Shepherd.  He loves us, His sheep, so much that He suffered, bled, and died, protecting us and saving us from our sins and from death.  He laid down His life on that cross so that we could be restored and make our home with Him for all eternity.  Isaiah puts it this way: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.” (Is 53:4-5)

Is there a greater love than this?!  Is there a greater God than this?!  Is there a greater Shepherd who walks with us today, tomorrow and throughout eternity?!

Understand, our future is not unknown, nor is it uncertain.  This truth needs to affect how we live today and every day.  For it is this truth that changes how we look at our life here in this world.  It is this truth that changes how we deal with the issues, the struggles, and the worries of this life.  It is this truth that changes how we deal with people and all the hurts and pains that are involved in these relationships.  It is this truth that changes how we deal with illness, disease, and even walking through that valley of the shadow of death.  This is a certainty!  When we truly trust in our Good Shepherd, our Lord and Savior, that is when we know, to the depth of our soul that; “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Experiencing healing.

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5b ESV

In the last devotion we looked at how to handle the hurt that others bring into our life.  When we are hurt our focus turns inward as we dwell on “what others have done to me”.  The result of this is self-pity, anger, animosity and so on.

The solution that David offers in the first part of verse 5 is that our shepherd is always there to protect us, and no matter what situation we find ourselves in, “He’s got this”.  This is where we need to place our trust.

Please understand, this doesn’t simply mean we have to “grin and bear it”.  There actually is a blessing that comes from this.  It is the healing that the Lord brings into our life.  David writes, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows”. (Ps. 23:5b)

There are two reasons why shepherds put oil on the heads of sheep.  First reason is ‘to sooth’ and the second is ‘to heal’.  One of the worst enemies of sheep are flies.  In fact, flies will bite sheep so much that they will start bleeding.  It really is amazing how little things can cause so much irritation?  What the shepherd does is he takes olive oil and mixes in a little sulfur and then puts the mixture on the head of the sheep as a kind of insect repellant.

The oil also used as an ointment.  When sheep have an open wound the shepherd puts oil on it to help the healing process and take away some of the pain.  This is what the Good Shepherd does for us.  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Ps 147:3 NKJV).  Sometimes that healing comes in worship, or in prayer, or in reading God’s Word, or even from others who God sends into your life.  But our Shepherd is always there to heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.  When our trust is in our Lord, our Shepherd, that is when we experience healing.

David also states, “my cup overflows”.  In the Bible, an overflowing cup is a symbol for total satisfaction.  It represents that all our needs are cared for, and we are totally blessed.  It does not mean being a little blessed, but abundantly blessed.  David is saying here, “My cup is filled up to the brim and spilling out.”

With this in mind, ask yourself, are you living an overflowing life?  Are you living in God’s abundance?  Are you living in God’s victory?  What the life-giving, life-changing Gospel proclaims so loudly and clearly is that if Jesus is your Savior, you can say with absolute confidence, “My cup overflows.” 

It overflows with HOPE; the hope of eternal life and heaven as our home.  It overflows with LOVE; the love that our God has for us.  It overflows with JOY; the joy that Christ fills us with simply by being our Shepherd and being with us.  It truly is our Shepherd who brings us healing and causes our cup to overflow with hope, love and joy.  When our trust is in Him this becomes a lifestyle for us.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Dealing with adversity.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” Psalm 23:4 ESV

One of the most well-known verses in Psalm 23 is where David writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (vs4).  This speaks of going through dark times, uncertain times, times of adversity.

What you might not know is that the “valley of the shadow of death” is an actual place in Israel.  In the rugged terrain of the Judean wilderness, east of Jerusalem, there is a very narrow, steep gorge known as WadiQuelt (Kelt). It goes along the road that travels from Jerusalem, down to Jericho and the Dead Sea.

The valley itself is about four-and-a-half miles long, with walls that, in some places, reach 1,500 feet high. The width of the floor at the bottom ranges from 10 to 15 feet.  The sun only hits the floor of the valley at high noon.  The rest of the time it’s a very dark valley.  What makes it even darker though, is that it is an extremely dangerous place.  The threat of flash flooding is very real.  It also has deep gullies, poor footing and even wild dogs who lurk in the shadow of the valley, looking for prey.

Still, to this day, because of the climatic and grazing conditions, shepherds still lead their sheep through this valley for seasonal feeding.  In fact, it is a very real possibility that David would have led his sheep through this valley when he was growing up, making him very familiar with this place.

This is a far cry from the green pastures and still waters that David spoke of earlier in this psalm.  It is a place of uncertainty and danger.  It is a place where you feel closed in and threatened.  It is a place where your first instinct is to be afraid, worried and in despair.  Every single one of us has been in that valley at one time or another.  Whether we were struggling with financial issues, relationship issues, health issues, spiritual issues, or even looking at death square in the face, we have all spent some time in that valley of deep darkness.

So, how do we get through this valley?  I believe that David gives us the answer to that.          David did not panic.  He says that he ”walks” through that valley.  He is not running or even shaking in his boots (sandals).  There is no sense of fear in his words at all.  He even states “I will fear no evil”.  That is a choice he is making.  He is choosing not to fear.  So, he is walking through that valley of deep darkness with confidence.  Why?  As he states, “For You are with me”.  Of course, David is referring to the Lord, His Shepherd.  Think about it, the Lord God, the Creator of everything that exists, is walking with him every step of the way.  David knew that.  He counted on that.  He trusted in that.

But wait, there’s more!  It wasn’t just that his shepherd was walking him through that darkness.  His shepherd was “packing”.  David writes, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.  The rod and staff are basic tools for the shepherd.

The rod is a short but thick stick kept under the shepherd’s belt.  It’s usually around two feet long with a knot at the end of it.  This was mainly used as a weapon against predators.

The staff was much longer with a familiar hook, or crook at the end of it.  The straight, bottom section was used to guide the sheep, while the hooked end was used to pull sheep from the danger or when it got stuck in thick, thorny bushes.  What David is emphasizing is that our Shepherd is faithful to walk with us, protect us, and guide us through every day and every valley.

We have all walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and there are probably more valleys ahead of us.  But what we need to take hold of, is that they are just shadows.  They Cannot Hurt Us!  Shadows may be dark, but they are just shadows.  Even the darkest shadow of death is still, just a shadow.

Our life is in Christ Jesus and that life is eternal.  What we must cling to is that we have this life right now.  This is a promise that Jesus has made to us.  Of course, this means that not even the power of death can touch us.  Because of Jesus, our Shepherd, death is just a shadow.

What great peace and joy and hope we have when we know to the depth of our soul that every day our Shepherd walks with us.  He protects us with His rod and He guides us with His staff.  So, no matter how dark the shadow of that valley is, we can trust in our Shepherd and walk confidently with Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Making choices.

“He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names’ sake.” Psalm 23:3

Every day each one of us makes numerous choices.  Most of those choices are inconsequential.  However, some choices are life changing for us.  So, if we choose wisely, most likely we will benefit from it.  If we choose poorly though, it will probably come back to bite us.

Sometimes choices can be very difficult. That’s when indecision can take hold of us, causing us a great deal of stress.  It’s like we’re a ping pong ball, being hit back and forth from one side of the net to the other.

In his letter, James put this a little differently.  He wrote, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind”. (James 1:6) He then writes, “He is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways” (v8).

In the New Testament Greek the word for “unstable” (akatastatos), means “unsettled”, “one who cannot be restrained”, “unruly”, and even “staggering”, like a drunk.  My point with this is that, when we cannot choose, when we are indecisive, we stagger through that decision and are left unsettled.  Sound familiar?

There is a phrase in verse 3 of Psalm 23 that offers a solution to such staggering.  It reads, “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names’ sake.” (v3) Basically this is telling us that our Good Shepherd needs to take the lead in our life so that we stay on the path He wants us to take.

Obviously, because of our human (sinful) nature, it can be quite a struggle for us to let the Lord take the lead in our life and actually follow Him.  It is so much easier for us to trust in ourselves, in our world, our society, and our friends, rather than to trust in the Lord.

When we do this though, we are behaving just like sheep.  We are wandering away from our Shepherd, going our own way and doing what is right in our own eyes.  This of course leads to sin.  When we choose to walk down that path, that is when we start to get tossed around by the wind and waves.  We become “unstable”, “unsettled”, “stumbling” and “staggering” like a drunk.  This makes it impossible for us to know our Shepherd and follow His lead in our life.

What needs to happen in our daily living is for us to place our complete trust in our crucified and risen Lord and Savior.  Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – everyone – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is 53:6).  Yes, we all have gone our own way and sinned more times than we can count.  But our Shepherd took every last one of those sins onto Himself and paid the penalty for them on the cross.  This is the great truth that we need to cling to and to trust in.  God’s grace is real!  God’s forgiveness is real!  God’s peace in our life is real!  This is not just a doctrine, a teaching.  This is real life living in the presence of our Shepherd.  This is having an authentic relationship with Christ Jesus that affects how we live each day.  This is where we learn to follow Him down that path that He wants us to take.

In John’s Gospel Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27).  Therefore, ask yourself, do you truly know the voice of your Shepherd?  Are you following Him down those paths of righteousness?  And remember, the choices you make everyday will show you whose lead you are following.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko