Morning Devotional

July 30, 2005
"Preventive Measures" (Part 3)     
    by Don Emmitte

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"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren't his and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10:15 NLT).

In this series I have had a question, which I have been attempting to answer. The question is: “What do we do to prepare for the storms that will come in our life?” The premise under which I have operated is that Jesus is our model and that we need to follow His example. Jesus often disappeared from the crowds and the distractions of a busy life to spend significant time with God in prayer. Prayer seemed to strengthen Jesus for the trials and temptations He faced.

Certainly prayer is a necessary and vital part of our relationship with God. We need prayer to function in a fallen world. Before we can ever pray effectively, however, common sense would tell us that we need to have a relationship with God. It is much harder to communicate intimately with someone with whom we have no relationship.

Jesus could easily pray to His Father, because He was talking to someone He knew well. In fact, Jesus said He was always with the Father. You and I must grow and improve upon our personal walk and relationship with God if we want to really see prayer work for us.

I want to encourage you to grow in your relationship with God by beginning to understand more of who He is and learning His ways. As you and I spend time daily in God’s Word, learning His character and the way He loves and relates to His people, we will be better equipped to build a successful prayer life. As our prayer life grows and matures we will be able to trade our worries for prayer. Our time with God in prayer will become the sources of our strength and the method that prepares us for the storms on the horizon. We can prepare to face life through spending time alone with God in prayer!

Look again at our reading this morning. Do you see the impact of that declaration? He is our shepherd. That means that he will care for all our needs. He will provide for us the shelter, food, and protection we so desperately need. However, there is more in this passage. There is the absolute declaration that he knows us and will never desert us. In that darkest hour, when life is the most difficult and dangerous, he will be there! Rest in him today!