Lambs in the shepherd's care

Emily Eckley originally wrote this message for young children as the intended audience, but the message is appropriate for all of us, at any age.  We never cease to be little lambs in the care of our good shepherd.

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I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb

by Emily Eckley

Isaiah 40:11  “He tends his flock like a shepherd;  he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.”

Did you know that sheep are not very smart animals?  A sheep cannot find its own food or water.  It cannot protect itself to stay safe either.  That is why sheep and their lambs need a shepherd to take care of them.  The shepherd shows his love for his sheep by leading them to new fields with fresh grass to eat and clean water to drink.  He also protects the sheep from danger, like wild animals who may want to hurt the sheep, and keeps them from wandering away or getting lost.  The sheep trust their shepherd because he does such a good job taking care of them.

We are Jesus’ little lambs.  He is our shepherd and we need him.  You and I cannot do much for ourselves, but Jesus gathers us in his arms and carries us close to his heart.  Jesus takes care of our earthly needs by blessing us with food and water and other necessities.  More importantly though Jesus takes care of our spiritual needs.  We, like all people, were born sinful and still sin every day.   There’s nothing we could do to earn God’s love.  But thank God! Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.  Our shepherd Jesus lovingly brought forgiveness to his lambs.  That includes you and me and the rest of the world. 

Having Jesus as our shepherd makes our hearts thankful and glad.  Sometimes sickness or trouble causes stress in our lives.  That’s when we need to lean on Jesus our shepherd the most.  God’s promises in Jesus enable us to overcome sadness and fear, putting a smile back on our faces because we know and trust that nothing on this earth, not even death, can take our shepherd’s gift of heaven away from us.  Nothing can make us happier.  Praise the Lord that we are Jesus’ little lambs!

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, we thank you for being our loving shepherd and carrying us in your arms close to your heart.  Please help us and all of your lambs to live free from fear with a smile on our faces knowing that no matter what troubles we face on this earth, you will take us to be with you in heaven one day.  Amen.

 

I am Jesus' little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need, and well provides me,
Loves me every day the same,
Even calls me by my name.

Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my Staff and Stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, he bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.

Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd's lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By his angel host attended,
He shall fold me to his breast,
There within his arms to rest.

(The Lutheran Hymnal 648)

Lifted up

This week's message, from Naomi Unnasch, looks at how God's promises speak to us even in our darkest moments -- especially in our darkest moments.  The LORD lifts us out of the mud and mire and sets our feet on a rock (cf. Psalm 40:2).  We have a "firm place to stand" (Psalm 40:3) when we stand on "the Rock of our salvation" (Psalm 95:1), Jesus Christ.

Out of the Pit

by Naomi Unnasch

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s  (Psalm 103:1-5).

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A year ago, the life of someone I loved was hanging in the balance. A deadly cycle of untreated depression, addiction, and self-injury was drowning him in the bottomless loneliness of self. After having unexpectedly discovered his cutting habit, I spent night after night tossing and turning, barely sleeping through harrowing nightmares. I awoke every morning wondering if I’d get a phone call that day telling me he was gone.

I happened across Psalm 103 one of those days. I’d read it before, of course. Praise the LORD, O my soul, praise the Lord, praise, praise... how often had I sung those words or mindlessly recited them? How mundane they’d seemed.

Now those words came to life, juxtaposed absurdly against the ugly picture of a rotting disease and a black, miry pit. Praise the LORD... but how could I, drowning as I was in fear and doubt? Praise the LORD... but how could my friend do that from the darkness of his depression?

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We don’t know exactly when David was moved to write this psalm, but we do know this: David understood what it was to inhabit the bottom of a pit. His life was riddled with troubles--troubles even of his own making. If anyone was qualified to write about sin, suffering, and regret, it was David.

What’s at the bottom of your pit? Empty bottles? A failed marriage? Crippling loneliness? Shame over a past sin?  Forget about it. Leave it at the bottom. Your Father is calling, and he’s not leaving.

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A year ago, my days and nights were endless variations on the same prayer. Gone were the wordsmithing and formality I’d foolishly felt a prayer required. Instead, my relationship with God had become a wrestling match. I poured myself into his promises, and I thrust those promises into the very face of God, reminding him to be faithful.

As if he needed reminding.

God heard and delivered. Though it was by no means an easy recovery nor a short one, my friend now thrives in joy and vitality. He’s committed himself to hard work and a healthy lifestyle, and he praises his deliverer by reaching out to individuals from all walks of life. While he bears scars--both physical and emotional--he understands grace better than most. His Savior pulled him from the pit. 

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No matter the depth of your pit or the ugliness of your disease, your Father calls. Despite the length of the list of your sins, he calls. And even if you close your ears to him, he will still be calling, relentlessly, lovingly pursuing you.

Your Father is a God of grace--of lavish, undeserved, faithful love. He will deliver you. Count on it and praise him. 

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Naomi’s friend also offered her this note when giving approval to publishing this message on The Electric Gospel.  He offers these thoughts to us:

“God is not only calling us, but is reaching out for us, and never gives up on us. For people such as this, I think that it’s extremely important to know that there is still someone who hasn’t given up on them.

“There is a common myth that cutting is a strong sign of suicide or attempting suicide. This is not (usually) the case. Cutting is an addiction, much like alcohol, to endorphins in your body. When someone cuts, and cuts a lot, it releases a lot of endorphins and gives a sense of relief. It is similar to alcohol because it is not something you can be completely cured from. It is always an option and an easy route.

“If you ever come across something like this (and I pray you don’t), the last thing to do is to take it to someone else. Cutters do not [cut] for attention, and that attention puts more pressure on them and can overall make things worse. I would advise [you] to talk to that person first in order to understand better why [they are cutting]....

“This is an important thing to me that I want other people to know about, so I have no problems answering questions or sharing my story with others. If it will benefit someone else, I’m all for it.”

The one who suffered is with us in our sufferings

I have a friend who's going through some challenges right now.  I sent my friend this little note today ... and thought maybe it worth sharing more widely with others of you here.

- David Sellnow

(Maybe you've noticed, the main posts on this blog tend to happen toward the end of the week, on Fridays or Saturdays.  But usually around Tuesday or so I like to offer you some small extra point of contact here.)

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Faithful in Affliction

"I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me" (Psalm 119:75).

That word of prayer is hard for me to say, hard for you to say.  When we are afflicted, when things get hard, our first instinct is to say, "God, you're not fair.  This is ridiculous!  How could you possibly ask me to put up with this?"

But we keep praying, we keep leaning on God.  Maybe people here on earth have treated us unfairly.  Maybe situations here on earth will twist and contort us way out of our comfort zone.  But the LORD our God is never unfair.  And he doesn't let us go through any ordeals or "valleys of the shadow of death" without going through it all with us, right by our side.  Our good shepherd has his rod and staff in hand, to battle for us and pull us out of trouble, and we are comforted (cf. Psalm 23:4).

Lord, forgive us for thinking you are unfair in your dealings with us.  We know that even in our afflictions, you remain faithful and true to us always.  Your ways are righteous.  In faithfulness you allow us to suffer, but you walk with us through every detail of the suffering -- and no one knows suffering better than you do, Lord Jesus.  You walked the road to your own execution, a cross crushing your shoulders, thorns piercing your skull, whip lashes oozing blood from your back.  

You walked the path of affliction for us.  Now, when we are afflicted, walk with us.  We trust you.

The Body of Christ

During the summer, The Electric Gospel has been featuring items written by participants in the summer 2014 Devotional Writing workshop.  This week's main post finishes that series.  Tracy Siegler urges us to be more open and genuine with one another in our Christian relationships.

I'd like to express my appreciation to the participants in the 2014 writing workshop.  Clicking on their names will take you to their featured devotions, if you missed any of them.  Gina Grove, Dawn Schulz, Justin Slominsky, Ben Bain, Jenni Mickelson, Carl Heling, Mike Peek, and Tracy Siegler.

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Body-Building

by Tracy Siegler

It is Sunday morning.  In church entryways and fellowship halls around the world, Christians are greeting one another.

“Good morning!” 

“Good morning!  How are you?” 

“Fine, how are you?” 

“I’m good.” 

“Do you think that storm they’re talking about is going to hit us?” 

“I hope not, we have a picnic to go to this afternoon.” 

That’s a pretty typical exchange.  How often do the conversations in your church entryway stay at that level?  Do you ever see people hugging in your fellowship hall?  What about tears?  Is there much exuberant laughter in the lobby of your church?  Do people have a look of earnestness in their eyes as they speak to their brothers and sisters in the Lord? 

Our Lord tells us, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Cor 12:27)  We are the body of Christ?  That sounds a little strange at first, but it’s actually quite a beautiful analogy God uses in his Word to describe how his believers on earth are connected to Jesus and to one another.  Christ is described as the head, and we the members are each a unique and essential part of his figurative body.  “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4:16)  What a wonderful picture!  There is support. There is love.  There is work.  There is connectedness.  All of it is from Christ, our head.

It gets even better!  The head of our body doesn’t just direct and connect.  He also sacrificed.  “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Eph 5:25-27)  Christ really did that for us – even if that’s not the immediate impression we get when we look around in the fellowship area.  We are full of stains of sin and wrinkles of worry and blemishes of bad decisions.  But by his amazing grace, even as we continue to struggle with sin and worry and bad decisions, we are radiant, holy, and blameless in Jesus!  He makes each one of us a perfect, unique, essential part of his body.  With that in mind, our conversations can get a little deeper and more personal.  We might make ourselves a little more vulnerable.  We might get a little more invested. 

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, how are you?”

“I’m good – just tired.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine – it’s just that yesterday the kids were bickering and fighting all day long. By the time they were finally in bed we were so exhausted and frustrated that we stayed up way too late watching a movie.  I hope I don’t start nodding off during the sermon.”

“Ugh.  We’ve had days like that.  They are exhausting.  Should we sit behind you and poke you in the shoulder from time to time?” 

(laughing) “Maybe you should!  Hey, whatever works, right? Anyway, what about you?”

“Doing well.  We are really excited to go to a picnic this afternoon.  Did I tell you about that neighbor of ours who has been going through cancer treatment?”

“You did.  How is he doing?”

“He’s good!  He finished his treatment.  His most recent scans were clear.  The treatment was successful.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!  So many answered prayers…”

“Yup, so this afternoon they are having a picnic to celebrate, and we are planning to go.  I just hope it doesn’t rain…”

Jesus, our head, gives us opportunities to build one another up, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  (Eph 4:13)  As we express genuine interest in our fellow believers, and as we share our own hopes, fears, joys, and struggles in a way that is more intimate than casual, we are building up the body of Christ!  

When we talk to each other about how God’s word applies to the intimate details of our lives, the word of Christ dwells in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. (Col 3:16)  Encouraging one another in our lives of faith through the Word, the Holy Spirit works in us.  The body of Christ increases in unity, in knowledge of the Son of God, and in maturity.  Day by day, the body of believers grows closer to attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Together we look forward to the day when we enter into our heavenly fellowship hall, and that process will be complete.

Suggestions for Prayer

... Praise God for his beautiful design for the family of believers.

... Confess times when you have not taken the time or risked the intimacy of investing yourself in your brothers and sisters in Christ.

... Thank Jesus for making you a member of his body, for giving you the other parts of the body for mutual support and encouragement, and for his sacrificing headship.

... Ask the Lord to work within the body of believers so that we grow in unity, knowledge of him, and maturity.

A snack for your soul

A young friend, Grace Williams (daughter of dear family friends), attends a big city public high school and unabashedly shares her faith in Jesus.  She regularly writes and circulates a text message to her friends that she calls the "Spiritual Snack of the Day."  With her permission, I'm sharing one of those "snacks" with you here on The Electric Gospel blog.

Mental and Spiritual Toughness

by Grace Williams

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“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
(2 Timothy 1:7 – NKJV)

For the past few days, I have been hearing the phrase “mental toughness” very often.  As an athlete, coaches often encourage me to be “mentally tough.”  But what does this mean?  Mental toughness is best described as a measure of where you stand in times of challenge and controversy.  As Christians, we are persecuted and pressured daily and need this mental toughness.  But we also need spiritual toughness to face these trials.  God has promised us that he HAS given us this spirit, for he is our strength and our light.  It is our faith in him that gives us hope, power and wisdom, and the ability truly to love.  Therefore rejoice, and have no fear!  For what can man do to us when we are in God’s hands?  Alleluia!

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”
(Psalm 118:6 – NIV 2011)

Calling on the name of the LORD in our homes

During these summer weeks, The Electric Gospel is featuring items written by participants in the summer 2014 Devotional Writing workshop.  This week, Mike Peek urges families toward worship and time in the Word as part of the routine in our homes.

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Family Altar

by Michael Peek

Abraham was a very notable figure in God’s plan of salvation. Abraham lived about 4000 years ago. This was a time before churches, synagogues, temples, or tabernacles, so where could Abraham and his family worship?  “He built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 12:8). Abraham built several altars as he traveled from place to place. These altars were his places of worship. We are not told exactly what was involved in his worship, but we are told he “called on the name of the Lord.” When this phrase is used in the Old Testament it not only refers to praise and worship, but also to the preaching of God’s Word.  Can you just picture Abraham gathering his household together (both family and servants), leading them in worship and faithfully preaching God’s word to them?

Gipson Family at Prayer, National Archives, via Wikimedia Commons 

As a Christian family, you too can build your own family altar in which you regularly worship the Lord. The setting and activities of your family altar can vary. You do not need a designated place to do this. The family altar is the practice of worshiping God together.  It can be formal or informal. You might choose the kitchen table one day, the couch another day, and the poolside another time.  The activities can include sharing your faith in a very personal way, praying together, reading and studying God’s Word, or even simply talking about God’s love and how you see it present in your lives. 

Is a family altar present in your home? All too often this type of family worship is simply absent. The devil and the world lure us in other directions.  Even our own sinful nature wants nothing to do with worship in our homes.  According to this sinful nature, we want to be as far away from God’s voice as we can get.  We are enemies of God and do not want to be in this kind of close intimate relationship with him. In fact, we also shy away from having an open and honest relationship with our own family members. 

May we be driven to repent of that kind of thinking and look to God for his forgiveness—forgiveness which his Son Jesus won for us through his life of perfection and his death for our sinfulness. God has completely changed our lives around. We are no longer enemies of God. Instead he has made us his children.  We are spiritually healthier when we are in deep relationship both with God and with our families in Christ.

As children of God, we will take the opportunity to be with our God in worship.  And we'll want that worship in our homes too -- not just on Sundays in church.  A place where we as a family can give praise to God for all that he has given to us. Is this intimidating to you? Do you feel that you really do not have the qualifications to do it? I can assure you that you do not need to be a pastor or teacher to do this. As God’s children and heirs of everlasting life, you have the qualifications that are necessary. Look to God and his strength and power to accomplish this and not your own. Here are some thoughts that will hopefully help you get started.

●     Pray together as a family at bedtime and mealtime.

●     Set aside time for yourself to study God’s Word.

●     Set aside a specific time each day to study God’s Word with your family.

●     Pray to God to bless your efforts in setting up your family altar.

●     Keep your focus on Jesus. The purpose of the family altar is to grow in your faith in him.

●     Make God’s Word the central tool that you use. “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

●     Start by reading the Psalms or one of the Gospels. As you read, think about what God wants you to learn, what sins he wants you to see in yourselves, and what great things he has done for you for which you can be thankful. 

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, we marvel at your great love for us—love that drives away sin, death, and the devil, love that is with us every day despite our lack of love for you, love that moves us to worship you with our whole self.  Please bless the family altar in our homes. Help us to share our faith in you with those who we hold most near and dear to our hearts.  It is in Jesus’ precious name that we pray. Amen.

A resource recommendation

I'd like to alert readers of this blog to another project which involved writing by students of mine.  I supervised and served as editor for a Bible study project that recently was published by Northwestern Publishing House.   "Everyday Videos and Bible Studies for Teens" was a project of WELS Youth and Family Ministry commission (on which I serve as an advisory member).  Joel Nelson and Jeremy Bakken served as executive producers for a number of video vignettes (over 90 of them) addressing various issues.  Then I was tasked to get college students to write Bible studies to go with those videos.  At my invitation and instruction, 70 different individuals contributed Bible studies to the project, which I then edited.

The final project is available as a computer file resource from NPH, in either DVD version or Flashdrive version.  

You might want to recommend this resource to your congregation's pastor or youth leaders.

A cry from the depths of one's heart

During these summer weeks, The Electric Gospel is featuring items written by participants in the summer 2014 Devotional Writing workshop.  This week, Carl Heling shares with us a prayer from his heart, leaning on God in the midst of frustrations with life.  His lament echoes what psalmists have cried -- and what our own hearts often feel.

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A Prayer, a Lament – From my Heart to God

by Carl Heling

O Lord, God, maker and preserver of all things, hear me as I come to you. Listen to my cry.  As I sit here pondering on my life, I realize time and again how wretched and lowly and poor a human being I am.  Surely, I do not deserve the gracious blessings you have given to me nor to be called your child, but you still do so continually.  Oh, how my heart can’t fathom your love!  

As I lie here, I feel lost in a world of chaos and uncertainty.  Every day I labor and toil long hours to make a dollar, pay the bills, help the family, go to school, and give to church.  I do so with my best effort, knowing that it is my duty to do so as a citizen and member of the family and because that is what you desire from your children.  Yet I am unhappy, full of grief and pain.  I am disappointed and uncomfortable with myself and my doings.  Things never seem right or good enough.  I could have done this better.  I should have done that better.  O Lord, my heart is plagued and overrun with grief and pain on account of the sins and failures I commit every day of my life!

As I sit here, Lord, every day feels so futile.  I feel lost and powerless in this large world of chaos.  I don’t know how I am to best serve you with the unique talents and abilities that you have given to me. “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:1).  I am filled with urgent desire for knowing your Word, and yet despite that still find myself feeling as if everything I do is useless and fruitless.  And so I am filled with grief and sorrow.  Along with this, I feel sorrow on account of always feeling grief and sorrow!  I sorrow for the things I should or could have done better.  I grieve over all the sins and failures I have done in my everyday tasks.  And I sorrow and grieve about how much I sorrow and grieve.

Oh, how I long to be with you and with all the saints in heaven!  Heal this broken and plagued heart and mind of mine, Lord.  Invigorate my mind, body, and spirit with your strength and grace.  Forgive me of all my sins and failures and lead me to do better.  Ultimately, give me true, godly wisdom and understanding, as well as a steadfast and true heart set on your ways and your heart.

This is my cry, O Lord.  In your mercy in Jesus, hear me.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

²     Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,

    Lord, who could stand?

⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,

    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

    and in his word I put my hope.

⁶ I wait for the Lord

    more than watchmen wait for the morning,

    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

    for with the Lord is unfailing love

    and with him is full redemption.

⁸ He himself will redeem Israel

    from all their sins.

(Psalm 130)