Animals Grazing

We have all seen the pictures and you can see them in your mind right now. Hundred's, if not Thousand's of animals grazing in green pasture. The animals are at complete peace. They graze, then look for more luscious pasture, but in most cases the pasture is all the same, a wonderful, beautiful green waving in the wind. When the animal is full it lays down to rest on the soft pasture. Two verses remind me of this pasture that God has put before us, and how we are to approach it. Let's take a look.

Scripture

John 10:9 I am the gate. whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.

Psalms 23:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Observation

The Greek translation of pasture is "he shall not want the needful supplies for the true life".

The Hebrew translation is to "make habitation, to abode". Would that describe me? Am I in a place where I do not want the needful supplies for a true life? Where do I put my value of this lift; things in this world or the supply from heaven(my pasture)?

Application

As humans we search a lot. We come in and go out. We look for love, search for peace, try to create success(whatever that means) and try to figure out the meaning of life. So we do alot of what verse 9 says, BUT we don't do it all. It tells me that Jesus is my gate keeper, that I will go in and out, but that I WILL FIND Pasture. I will find that place where the grass is high and rich in nutrients, and will provide coolness when I want to lie down in it. So what is the pasture and how do enjoy it? Won't it come from communicating more with God through his word, his Holy Spirit and his Son? Consuming and resting in the ways of the Lord. That is my desire and pursuit: to go Grazing.

Prayer

Father, we tend to make this life much more complicated than you ever designed it. Thank you for provided a Good Shepherd to lead me, to protect me and to provide for me. Your pasture, your place of supply and rest are plenty and all I need. I pray that my eyes, and my desires would be satisfied with what you provide. That nothing else will be even a whisper of a temptation, because all other things are a lie and lead to death. Your pasture, your provision is the place of peace that I need. Amen.

The Great Escape

Scripture

John 8:34-36 (New International Version)
34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Observation

What a wonderful way to start the week. The Scripture making it so very clear, that I was a slave to sin but because of Jesus I have been set free.

Application

Live like a freed slave today. Being set free from a life of bondage and slavery, into a life of freedom should make me kick my heels up, run around the yard, enjoy the air more, BUT most of all it should make me worship the God to planned my escape. Back in 1963 there was a movie about the Great Escape. Forget about a simple movie plot, God put everything into motion, through Christ, to come into the prison(this world), show us the plan of escape(his death/burial and resurrection) and then expose the route of escape(to believe him and follow him only). So all praise goes to the Father for being God, and also for what he has done for me.

Prayer

Father, How thankful I am that you devised a plan and executed it for my escape. Your plan was not for me to held captive in this world-like a slave, but to live freely. The plan was not without a cost and sacrifice and I thank you for baring that cost for me. May the life I walk today, represent the freedom you have provided for me, and that it would give you all the praise. Amen.

Feasting

Scripture

John 6:57

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

Observation

Jesus is giving me instructions on how I am to live and what leads to eternal life.

Application

As I read this a thought crossed my mind. We sit down at least three times a day to eat. We go to buffet bars with 100's of choices of foods, we spend hours preparing meals...just to feed this body which is going to die and decay. Why do we put so much time and energy into a worthless cause? The physical answer is that we NEED it to live, I get that, but the comparison comes to how much time am I feasting at the banquet table of God versus feeding a dieing vessel? Jesus tells me that I need to feed on him. So what does that mean? For me it means to follow what he has said, and do it. Know him and his ways in such a manner that when faced with "something" my reactions will mirror those of our Lord. As with physical eating, "I am what I eat". So it should be in my spiritual walk. My life should be a representation of what I am eating spiritually.

Prayer

Father, you have provided me with real food and real drink so I may live. Help me today to come to the table to feast off of you. Let me take the time to sit and savour the wonderful fragrance of the food you have prepared, to feed off the platters set before me, and to drink the redeeming blood of Christ so that it is your life that is running through my veins. Amen.

Give It All Away

John 6:8-11 (New International Version)

8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish

Just some thoughts today.

5,000 men plus women and children were following Jesus. One family had something to eat and they may have given the 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish to the eldest son. The group stops, its time to eat, the mother and father sit the family down and ask the eldest to get the food out. In the mean time, Andrew is looking around to see any of the 10000 brought food. No. He only sees a boy getting some food out of his hand sown bag. I want to ponder a few things: There is NO place to buy food up on the mountainside-a person had to provide for themselves, so how did the transfer of food take place. In verse 11 it says that Jesus took the loaves. So the boy gave all he had, but did he just hand it over? Did the family/father tell him to put it away so they could eat it later, and not to let any one know he/they had it? If you were on a mountain side and someone came up and took the food you had, would you fight them and have a "UFC battle royal on the hill"? I think I would. But that didn't happen. A boy, a family gave it all away. Why? Obedience! "Jesus, the Christ, has asked for it, I don't know why or what is going to happen but the Master needs it so I have it to give. Here, I release my hands of the only food I have".

God has given me everything I have. But it is not mine. If he asks for it, in whatever way, I need to do as the boy and his family did and give it all away. Amen.

Where Shall We?

Scripture
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.


Observation
I love this about God. He knows what he is going to do in our life and situation, but he really wants to know who we are going to trust. Phillip tells Jesus that is would take 8 months worth of wages to feed all these people, he was in a panic because of what he saw and the challenge before him. Then Peter tells them that there is a little something here, but how far will that go? Jesus steps in and tells everyone to sit down, calm down, things are going to be OK.


Application
Psalms 121:1-2 says, where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. There it is-simply put. My help comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth. What I bring is incredibly small, just like the 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Yeh right, that's going to feed close to 10,000 people. I know that Americans are over eaters, but the average American eats 4.7 pounds of food a day. The 5 loaves and 2 fishes probably didn't weigh that much together, and there are 10,000 people to keep. But no worries, God is there. Did he want Phillip to go into a rant about how much it was going to cost to feed all these folks, or did he want Phillip to turn to him and pronounce his inability to deal this overwhelming situation, but to declare, "I don't have the resources myself to buy all the food for the crown, but Jesus, I know that because you are with me, that we can figure something out together." Where was Phillip looking to get his help from?-Phillip or the Maker of Heaven and Earth? Where should I look today? Me? The Bailout Government? or The Maker of Heaven and Earth?


Prayer
Father, Your word is clear that your desire is for us to seek you first, because that is where all good things come from. To know you. Today, I pray that I would look to you first in all areas of my life, because you are my helper. The government won't help me, but you will. I really can't help myself because I have nothing to give, except me. So I give you myself, and ask that you would continue to make me who you want, and to do your will.

Am He

John 4. The story is about Jesus stopping to get some water, where the Samaritan's got their water. The Jews and Samaritans did not "hang out" together. But Jesus starts a conversation with a woman and explains to her the difference between his living water and the earthly water that we constantly thirst for. He told her about the 5 husbands she had had, and that she was living with a guy now. Let's' pick up the story in verse 25

Scripture

25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[b]?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him

Observation

The well is over a mile from town. When Jesus told her that he was the Messiah, all she wanted to do is tell the people in town....a mile away. Forget about the water, she just met the Messiah.

Think about it. It is in the middle of the desert, she/her family needs water for the day and she leaves the water jar behind ( will another Samaritan steal it while she is gone) what type of response will she get from those back home? Where's the water? Where's the jar? What are you doing? The only answer she could utter, after rushing back to town was, "Come, see a man who told me everything, could this be the Christ?

Application

The challenge for me is; do I react this way? When I sat down today to have an encounter, a life changing engagement with Christ did I think about who I should tell and let them experience this living water, or did I think about mowing the yard later? Each time I open the scriptures and encounter Jesus, what is my response? Is it..."Oh that's nice" or is it "my mind just went completely blank as to MY agenda, because I have just had living water poured in and on me, I have eaten and will not hunger again and so what do I need to do about this life altering encounter I just had with Christ Al-Mighty?" What would have happened had the Samaritan woman just said that it had been nice meeting you Jesus, hope you have a nice day, then got her water and carried it back home? What will I do today? Pack the water home, or leave it all behind because I have met "The Christ"?

Prayer

Father, you have given Christ to this dying world. He did not come just so I could say "that it was nice to meet him", but he came to change me, to radically move things around in my life, so my priorites would change, so your kingdom would come on this earth like it is in heaven. Help me today to live like I have met Jesus today for the first time. That I would not consider things of this world, but that I would leave my things behind, like the water jar, and do things that may seem "crazy" to those around, but they are not because I am being obedient. Amen.