Day 27- Our Shepherd
As I have expressed numerous times on this Faith Journey, raising our Ryan, who is Deaf, has brought us to depend on the sovereignty of Creator God continually. If not for the building up of my faith, I would be an utter and complete disaster. What’s worse, I would have imposed my mess on Ryan.
God has amazing plans for Ryan of which we have not even scratched the surface. He is now in college working toward a Media Design degree. He works with our tech team at church running our Facebook Live stream each Sunday. He is a HUGE University of Florida, Gators fan and is hopeful for a winning season this year. With Landon off at college, Ryan is adjusting to not having his best bud under roof every night.
As we approach the end of our Faith Journey together, I want to take the next few days to recap and encourage you as you motor on down the faith path in your relationship with Jesus.
I believe that one of the greatest lessons The Lord has taught me over the years is this… fight against complacency. While our God is never-changing, He is continually working. That means you and I are His perpetual workmanship. The circumstances surrounding our call might be tweaked but our calling remains unchanged…To know Jesus and make Him known to others. Ron and I understand this well.
About two and a half years ago, The Lord began to stir our hearts. Ron and I began to feel like God was getting ready to move us from our church home and family of twelve years. It is not something we actively sought. In fact, we prayed that God would literally “hit us over the head” if He wanted us to move.
Ron met Bob Perry, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church At The Villages at a conference led by Johnny Hunt two years ago. Pastor Bob asked if Ron would be willing to conference call with their leadership team on how to reach young adults and their families. They were primarily a senior adult congregation but felt God was leading them to reach younger families. Ron agreed…that was the beginning of God connecting their hearts. That God-connection led to First Baptist Church At The Villages presenting a call for Ron to serve on staff in April of 2017.
Leaving First Baptist Brandon church family was hard. Leaving our friends and the ministries we had been involved in, some we established, was heart wrenching. But, The Lord’s peace once again reigned in the decision process. The Lord worked out every detail, checked every box, and provided for needs we weren’t even aware we had. To stay…would have been outside of His will for our lives.
- Read Psalm 100
How are we to serve The Lord?
“We are His people and the______ of His pasture.”
We are His sheep, He is our great Shepherd. He leads us in ways everlasting. In verse 3, The LORD is translated Yahweh, the I AM. He is our all-powerful God and compassionate Shepherd especially in times of uncertainty and waiting.
Our callings can morph and bend over time as The Lord sees fit. However, there are a few things that he will never ask of us:
- Jesus will never ask us to do anything that is against His Word.
- He will never ask us to do anything contrary to His character.
- His call is never “me-focused,” “me-driven,” or “selfish.”
- Jesus is never the author of confusion…Satan is (1 Cor. 14:33)
Pray–If you are questioning The Lord’s call or you feel He’s leading you down a different path…stay on your knees in prayer and bathe yourself in His Word. Then, wait patiently for His answer. The Lord’s peace will rule in your hearts when He’s ready for you to step through a new door that He has opened.
Some of you have shared that you are in a “different season” of your life and Faith Journey. That’s okay…remember your Ebenezers and continue to proclaim, “Thus far The Lord has helped us.” AND, He will again…hang on to Jesus with all your strength. He’s working all things together for your good and His glory.
Praying for you! Crossroads within your Faith Journey provide an opportunity for The Lord to show His power and lead you in the right direction with loving kindness and compassion.
My sojourning sisters, remember this…
“Faith is not merely a journey for the feet, but a journey for the heart.” A.W. Tozer
**Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. Our baby boy will be home from college. Can’t wait to see his face! I will post again on Tuesday, 9/4.**
