Hello sisters!
Yet another day I can be back to edify you to the glory of God! He is indeed our hope and without Him life must be...no, it is...so hopeless. Rejoice in hope each day sisters!
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.Romans 15:13
It's good to think about this in the morning when we are getting ready to start another day doing the same things! It is pleasing to the Lord to be faithful in all our duties which are good, pure, and true. In many ways, God's ways are not man's and He does things the opposite! But think of all the riches just in hope, in peace, and in joy!
I was thinking about how the Lord guides and we sure need Him to! He doesn't force us to serve Him or to obey. I'm thankful for His Word and Spirit to guide us along with our conscience and His chastisement which all His children are partakers of. And we grow in His wisdom and also through all the experiences we go through!
Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
Exodus 15:13
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Psalm 25:9
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 31:3
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Psalm 32:8
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 48:14
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Psalm 73:24
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:79
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:13
We sure need the help! God is good to help us. Let us submit to His guidance! We are not our own are we either but He bought us with a great price!
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.1 Corinthians 6:20
I was pondering on the thieves and hirelings Jesus talked about here.
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.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
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.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John 10:10-14
It's a good contrast to highlight our good Shepherd who cares about His sheep and gives His life for them! That's indeed very precious and God is so good! I'm thankful also about all the spiritual truths God gave us in physical form in parables and relations to common things people knew. I know some things are lost today as the sheep and shepherd relationship is not the same today on modern farms but either way we can ponder it all and be thankful God told us all He did!
This is a great scripture too!
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15:4-7
There is rejoicing in heaven over a sinner that repents! That's amazing to think about something happening in one soul on earth makes heaven rejoice!
We know Jesus is the only way we can enter the sheep fold! We must believe in Him with our whole heart, repenting of our sins and that which displeases Him. We leave behind the ways that are of the adversary and the flesh and He makes us new creatures! And what do sheep do? They follow the Shepherd! This means we listen to His voice...His Word and Spirit guiding us from it. We want to endure to the end and one day the Lord will separate all people like a shepherd separating his sheep from the goats.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:31-34
Oh we want to be called to inherit the kingdom and not sent away! Let us follow our Shepherd sisters. He will save us!
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.Ezekiel 34:12
That's a good chapter to go read on sheep and shepherds as no doubt those Jesus was talking to knew about that scripture. It's interesting too, seeing many things being either fulfilled or spoken of and expounded on in the new from the old!
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.John 10:16
Reminds me of this scripture too...
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Ephesians 2:12-19
Praise the Lord for that!
Keep pressing on in His ways my sisters! Be faithful unto death!
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:10-12
Love to you in His Name,
Sister Chayil
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