The Lord Jesus placed a calling on Mariel Davenport’s life to know Him with increasing intimacy and to make Him known through His Word. It is not surprising that when the Lord Jesus first captured her heart it was through His written Word. Since that time the Lord has coupled Mariel’s passion for Him and her gift of teaching to make Himself known through her. Mariel’s delight in the Lord Jesus and His Word is evident in her teaching and her writing. She is a Proverbs 31 Ministry She Speaks graduate and the founder of Growing in Godliness Ministries based on 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
. Her first published Bible study, Knowing God Through His Names, is available for purchase. Mariel and her husband Mike are blessed with two sons, who they enjoy home schooling. They make their home in Wake Forest, NC.
Acts 2:36
"So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!"
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
tells us that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ. This verse teaches us that He came not only to save us from the depravity of sin, which He absolutely did. Jesus is the Messiah sent to save us from our flesh nature and our inner desire towards sin. But He came for something even more personal ... He came to be Lord, too. The Greek word used in this verse is kyrios meaning owner and master. Our Creator did not only send His Son to redeem His creation, but to take ownership over it. He came to be our Master and Lord over every single area of our lives. Are we willingly turning over every area of our lives to Him?
Now there are some areas of my life I am very thankful to have Jesus be Lord over. I am thankful He is Lord over my parenting. I could NOT do it without Him and at times I even go to Him and remind Him that He called me to parenting and to homeschooling. I ask Him for the grace to do it His way, as I know I often fail. He is Lord over that and I am thankful.
But there are areas I often keep from allowing Him to be Lord over. I hold on to the lordship myself. These areas can be as hidden as my own thoughts. No one, but the Lord, knows I am not turning it over to Him. Oh, but He does. There are places of my own heart that I fear turning over to the Lord. What will He demand of me? But recently the Lord has been reminding me that with His Lordship comes peace.
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
tells us that the peace of God rules in our hearts. His authority brings peace. The Lord has opened my eyes lately to the fact that the areas of my mind and my life where I lack peace are the very areas that I lack His Lordship. The places where I struggle with turmoil in my decisions and my thoughts are the areas I need to turn over to the Lord. When we try to manipulate or control our own lives, we will lack true peace. Trials will still come and pain is inevitable in this life. But there is a peace that surpasses understanding. It is a peace that you and I can have in every part of life-- in our parenting, in our marriages, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods and in our relationships.
When I am lord over my thoughts and allow them to go where they will, then discord and contention has authority. But when my mind is fixed on the Lord, peace rules; even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Our circumstances may be painful, trying and stressful. But our God sent Jesus to be both Lord and Christ over every area of our life. Let's give Him His rightful authority and experience the peace it brings.
Do you get the sense God is possessive of His sheep, as He nurtures and cares for them?
The Amplified Bible gives us three points of need the shepherd met for his sheep and that our Shepherd meets for His own…
“The LORD is my shepherd [to feed, guide and shield me]” Psalm 23:1 (AMP)
This is a generalization of the chores of a shepherd. The Psalms will paint a more vivid picture as you read through it, but based on these three points, I asked myself, "If my Shepherd is offering to feed, guide and shield me, then how am I choosing to receive that?"
• What am I feeding on … watching, reading, and meditating on? Is it truth from my Shepherd? (1 Peter 2:1-3
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
)
• What is guiding me? What am I looking to for direction? Is it the Lord and His Word? Am I spending time in prayer as I look to be guided by Him? (Psalms 16:11
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.*
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
)
• Do I really believe that God is a shield around me? Or am I spending time fretting and worrying about my protection and provision? (Psalms 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
)
God, the Good Shepherd, is a perfect Shepherd who extends His grace for you and me today. He is introducing Himself as YOUR Shepherd; will you trust His feeding, guiding and shielding?
Let us fix our eyes on Him alone, knowing His provision is enough, His grace abounds and His love is personal.
My young son had the faith to pour his little heart out to God in thanksgiving for even the smallest treasures, and now could rest secure in the love of the Father. I wondered why I often fail to do the same.
Why do we allow the spirit of discontentment and selfishness to rob us of true thankful rest in the Father’s care? Why do we focus too often on what we lack rather than what we have? My baby was able (for the moment) to glance around at his life and overflow in thankfulness for a God who abundantly provides.
Colossians 2:6-7
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
(NIV) urges believers to do the same, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
What a beautiful example of this was demonstrated in living color before my eyes. He had absorbed the blessings around him to the point he could no longer contain it in his little heart. He spilled over with thankfulness and it unveiled the lack of thankfulness in my own weary soul.
Too often, burdened by the cares of the world and life in general, I focus on the negative rather than pour out words of praise and thanksgiving to my God. Based on the example of my little one, I am seeking to empty pitchers of praise before the feet of my Heavenly Father.
As this season of Thanksgiving approaches, let’s shift our focus and allow our own weary hearts to be lead by a child (Isaiah 11:6
In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
b) as we thank our faithful God for the many blessings around us — both big and small. Then we can rest peacefully in His care!
CBN.comWhat are you carrying today that doesn't belong to you? What worry, concern, burden, anxiety are you carrying that only Jesus can carry? Our Good Shepherd has a request to make of us today. But I fear we may not be ready to obey...not because it is something we don't want to do, but rather it is something we struggle to do. Oh, I really would love to be able to do it, and I'm sure you would too...
As I dug into the original meaning of the verb here (makes me lie down), I could sense the demand in it. It is not a suggestion: "He asks me to lie down” or "He suggests I lie down."
No, the word 'rabas' in Hebrew is a command meaning to rest; lay something down; to lay down in rest, security and safely. God is commanding you and me to lay down our burden and spiritually rest our souls in Him. (Not necessarily take a nap...though a good nap always helps!)
The place of rest He desires to place us is also very telling. The Judean landscape is not naturally a green place. It is dry, parched, and sandy. A shepherd has to put much time into working the field; tilling it, cultivating it and planting it...in order to grow the young, tender, green shoots of grass the sheep like best. Then the shepherd could graze his sheep on his finished work.
The Shepherd of our souls desires you and me to graze on His finished work on the cross. If He could save us, He can certainly handle whatever worries us and burdens us!
Right now, in the midst of that worry or issue or concern...the God of the universe is asking you to turn it over to Him. Let Him think on it and work it out in His timing and His perfect way! We need only turn our minds on Him and meditate on his word and His completed work.
"Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
The word translated 'rest' here in the NASB is a word that literally means 'tranquility in the midst of labor.' Jesus wasn't telling the disciples to take the week off, though He does command us to physically rest 1/7th of our time (i.e., the Sabbath).
The implication here and in Psalm 23 is to spiritually be still before Him. Meditating on His word in the midst of screaming kids, spend time talking to Him over a sink full of suds and dishes, as you fold laundry, or handle the mundane tasks of your day.
Our Father does not intend for us to carry the burdens He alone can shoulder. I am choosing to make a list of burdens that I will lay down at His feet and leave there! Then I will choose instead to meditate on Psalm 23 and trust my Shepherd afresh today. How will you release your burdens to the Father?
The Lord Jesus placed a calling on Mariel Davenport’s life to know Him with increasing intimacy and to make Him known through His Word. It is not surprising that when the Lord Jesus first captured her heart it was through His written Word. Since that time the Lord has coupled Mariel’s passion for Him and her gift of teaching to make Himself known through her. Mariel’s delight in the Lord Jesus and His Word is evident in her teaching and her writing. She is a Proverbs 31 Ministry She Speaks graduate and the founder of Growing in Godliness Ministries based on 1Timothy 4:7-8. Her first published Bible study, Knowing God Through His Names, is available for purchase. Mariel and her husband Mike are blessed with two sons, who they enjoy home schooling. They make their home in Wake Forest, NC. Visit her website www.growingodliness.com . Send your comments to Mariel.
The Lord Jesus placed a calling on Mariel Davenport’s life to know Him with increasing intimacy and to make Him known through His Word. It is not surprising that when the Lord Jesus first captured her heart it was through His written Word. Since that time the Lord has coupled Mariel’s passion for Him and her gift of teaching to make Himself known through her. Mariel’s delight in the Lord Jesus and His Word is evident in her teaching and her writing. She is a Proverbs 31 Ministry She Speaks graduate and the founder of Growing in Godliness Ministries based on