Daily Devotional: Thursday, Sept 3
Speaker: Ben Sigman Theme: Myth: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves; Truth: God Helps Us When We Can't Help Ourselves Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Over the World by Matt Redman; Holy Is the Lord by Chris Tomlin; For Who You Are by Hillsong; Cover Me Down by Marcus Jones; You Saw Me by Hillsong. Read: Matthew 18:10-14 Think: It happened last winter, when I was alone in an unfamiliar city. Someone broke into my truck and stole my GPS from the dashboard. Among the many negative feelings I had, I must admit that one of the strongest was a sense of being lost - I didn't know how to get where I needed to be. The feeling of helplessness was unnerving. I thought of that experience when Pastor Ben talked about how we need God's help because we are lost on our own. In order to communicate his passion for helping the lost, Jesus used a very simple - yet powerful - image. He told of a shepherd seeking out a stray sheep. Now, ninety-nine percent safe would seem pretty good to me. But to the Great Shepherd, it's not good enough. He loves us enough to pursue each one of us when we are lost, and to lead us back to safety under his care. Sometimes it's easy to admit we're lost. At other times, we don't really notice, or don't want to admit it. But the truth is that no matter where we are, or where we are going, we are lost without God's help. The good news is that we don't have to stay lost. Jesus - our loving Shepherd - is always seeking us out, ready to lead us to safety. Do: Ask someone - a child, perhaps - if they have ever been lost. Try to remember the feeling of relief that comes when you're back where you belong. Pray: Lord, I know what it's like to be lost, and I don't like it. Thank you for finding me. I know I have a tendency to wander away. Help me stay found. Amen. The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |
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