Called By Name

 

“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

John 10:3 (NIV)

 

Remembering faces has always been easy for me. Even faces that I haven’t seen for years. A student can move her kindergarten year from the school where I work and not move back until high school and I will see her and remember her from years before.

 

But remembering names is completely different. For some reason I struggle terribly when it comes to meeting people and keeping their names stored in my brain. I’ve tried all the helpful tips that I’ve been given, from saying the name the minute I am introduced to mentally rhyming it with something familiar or funny so it stays in my memory but nothing has worked.

 

As a new member of the work force, just out of high school, I learned an important lesson about remembering names. I worked at a savings association and it was imperative that we always remembered names when assisting customers with their accounts. We dealt with hundreds of thousands of dollars on a daily basis and were taught that acknowledging a person’s name helped the customer to see that we cared about their decisions and about them.

 

One particular elderly man – a frequent customer – came in to make a huge deposit of several thousand dollars . . . and I went blank. I recognized his face instantly but, as hard as I tried, could not remember his name. “Think quick, think quick,” I told myself and then it came to me. As I filled out the deposit slip, I smiled at him and said “I am so sorry, but I cannot remember how to spell your last name.” He smiled back and said “Oh, that’s okay. S-m-i-t-h.”

 

In John10:3, we read about a watchman who was hired to guard a sheep pen. In those days a watchman usually had several flocks in one pen at night. The walls of the pen were made of stones with a gate that was the entrance. When a shepherd came to the pen to collect his sheep, the watchman opened the gate. As the shepherd called his sheep, they recognized his voice and followed him out of the pen. He knew their names and they knew the voice of the shepherd.

 

How thankful I am that we worship a Father who not only knows our names, but calls us BY name as His children. We are not a number on a list or a face in a crowd to the Lord. We are loved by the Creator who knows the name of each one of His creations.

 

The gate is open. Are you listening for the voice of the Shepherd? He is calling you by name today.

 

 

Thank you, Father, for calling me by name and keeping my focus on you. Thank you for being my Shepherd and keeping me in your care. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever met an acquaintance and could not remember his or her name? How did you feel?

 

• Have you ever met an acquaintance who could not remember your name? How do you think they must have felt?

 

Apply

• Journal today’s Power Verses and replace “him” or “you” with your name.

 

• How does it make you feel when you realize that God knows you personally by name as His child?

 

Power

• John 10:3 (NIV) “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

 

• Isaiah 43:1 (NIV) “But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

 

• Isaiah 49:16 (NIV) “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

 

 

 

 

Correcting Autocorrect

 

 “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!”

Psalm 119:5 (NIV)

            My smartphone has autocorrect. It’s designed to help me when I am unsure about the spelling of a word or when I’m in a hurry.  I simply type a few letters and it “thinks” for me and finishes my words. That sounds great but there’s a problem: sometimes when it does that and anticipates what I am trying to text, it is not even close. It’s like autocorrect has a mind of its own.

            Need an example? I was texting a friend of mine named Linda. She is a fantastic wife and mother and I am in awe of how she balances home, career and family.

            On Linda’s birthday, I was texting “Linda, birthday blessings!” to her but my phone, for some reason, thought it knew better than me what I needed to text and it autocorrected to “Linda, birth control!” Now that may sound funny but here’s some additional information about Linda: she has ten children.

            Imagine my shock and embarrassment as I glanced down at my text just before I sent it! I quickly hit the delete button and made the changes immediately. Mercy!

            But it also triggered a thought in my mind. Do we ever “autocorrect” the Word of God? You know what I mean? We determine that what God says in His Word is not what He really means because it doesn’t match how we feel or believe so we “autocorrect” it to fit our lifestyle.

            Let’s see. Matthew 5:44 says to “love your neighbor” but we rationalize that God doesn’t mean MY neighbor so we autocorrect the word “love” to “tolerate.” After all, we tell ourselves, God knows how mean my neighbor is and He understands.

            What about Luke 6:28 where we are told “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” No way we shout! You cuss at me – I’ll cuss at you!

Exodus 20:14 says “Do not commit adultery” but OUR interpretation of that autocorrects to “unless you are unhappy, unsatisfied or just not in love anymore.”

All I have to do is decide that God is only giving opinions or suggestions and not commandments. That gives me the right in my eyes to believe whatever I want to believe. Oh the foolishness of man!

God set in place His guidance for how we live our lives for a reason: to protect us. He wants to keep us from the harm that the sin of disobedience causes. We learn trust when we obey and do what God has told us to do. We understand mercy when we fall and we are forgiven. We learn that His promises are true and that He loves us with a deep love that we cannot earn because it is a gift to us.

We must all check our motives for changing the Word of God. When we decide to autocorrect His Truth, we are not worshiping the Creator. We are worshiping ourselves. That is a dangerous path that only leads to eternal death separated from Him.

Father, forgive me when I foolishly decide that I am more wise than you and rewrite your Word to fit my life. I truly long to see less of me and more of you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Have you ever “rewritten” the word of God to fit your lifestyle or beliefs?

·         What was your motive in doing that?

Apply

·         Study the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:2-17 (NIV).

·         Write each one in your journal and note whether or not you have ignored or changed God’s meaning to fit your lifestyle. Ask the Lord to forgive you and help you refocus on Him.

Power

·         Psalm 119:5 (NIV) “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!”

·         Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV) “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

·         I Corinthians 1:25 (NIV) “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

 

Are You Going in Circles?

 

“Then the Lord said to me, “You have made your way around

this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

Deuteronomy 2:2-3 (NIV)

 

Finding the mall in a city should not be hard for any female with shopping on her mind. And not just one female, but three, bent on finding fantastic bargains for practically nothing. So my shopping trip began with my two daughters one Saturday morning.

 We didn’t get directions but were fairly confident that we could find the mall and scoop up one bargain after another. I am famous for getting lost everywhere I go (closets, bathrooms) but I felt certain that my daughters did not inherit that flaw. Wrong.

 After two hours of driving in the city, we decided that being “fairly confident” that we could find the mall was actually “overly confident.” Our conversations went like this: “Is that a prison?” “Yes. Wouldn’t it be scary to live in a city with a prison close by?”

 Forty-give minutes later: “Hey . . . isn’t that the prison again?” “It can’t be.” “Well, are there two prisons in this city?” “Not that I know of.” “Either there are two prisons or we are going in circles.” Silence. Then: “I vote for two prisons.”

 I understand Deuteronomy 2:2-3 completely. In the beginning of chapter 2, Moses reminds the Israelites about their years spent in the desert and the march to Canaan. Then he talks about journeying into the wilderness and around Mt. Seir for several days until the Lord says that they had gone in circles long enough and needed to change direction and go north.

 Moses also reminds them that, despite their complaining and disobedience, God had supplied their every need and had been faithful to His children every step on that journey.

 I could have been one of those Israelites. God has guidance and direction for my life but so often I think I can do everything on my own. So I travel in the desert, going round and round, never accomplishing anything and complaining every step of the way.

 Maybe my Mt. Seir is a disagreement with my husband over something he said or did. My arguing goes round and round when what I need to do is to “turn north.” In other words, take a deep breath and ask the Lord to direct my steps – and my tongue.

 I moan and whine when I step on the scales and see my weight. But I go round and round, hopping from one diet to another instead of seeking my Father’s face and asking Him to give me strength and will power in choosing my meals.

 Going in circles eventually leads to . . . nowhere! I encourage you to join me and decide today to stop wandering round and round, listen to the Lord and turn north.

 

Father, so many times I go in circles when I need to be listening to your voice and following a new direction. Thank you for being faithful and pulling me back to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

 

Reflect

• Have you ever had a situation that you tried to correct on your own without direction from the Lord?

 

• Did you find yourself going in circles with no solution in sight?

 

Apply

• Draw a circle in your journal. Write the situation that you are facing on the inside of the circle and around the outside, write the steps that you have taken so far.

 

• Now pray about the situation and draw a “turn north” line and write down the solution the Lord puts on your heart.

 

Power

•  Deuteronomy 2:2-3 (NIV) “Then the Lord said to me, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

 

• Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

 

• Psalm 120:1 (NIV) “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.”

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Content With What You Have?

“. . .  have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

 There was no extra money in our household. My husband worked outside the home, I worked as a stay-at-home mom, and our three children worked at messing up the home! Except for the “messing up the home” part, we were in agreement as a family that this arrangement would work out best for all of us. But we also knew that this meant a very tight budget so going to the movies or the swimming pool was a luxury.

We had to prioritize our money with necessities first and desires second and that even meant that some important things had to be put on hold in order to balance the monthly income. I remember a woman scolding me because I didn’t take my children to the dentist every six months.

 “What kind of a mother would neglect her children’s teeth?” she asked me. “A mother who thought it was a no-brainer to decide between putting food on the table or taking her kids to the dentist,” I wanted to tell her but kept it to myself.

 However, there were many positive aspects of watching our budget closely. One in particular stands out: our children learned an appreciation for and contentment with whatever they got. I remember clearly just how that appreciation was shown on a shopping day several years ago.

         I had taken our children to Wal-Mart with a list of groceries that we needed. But I had also budgeted for a couple of small items for each child. When I told them that they could choose two things, they were overjoyed. Each one carefully considered his or her purchase but my youngest knew exactly what she wanted: a bag of candy orange slices for 89 cents and a pair of flip flops for 50 cents.

 As I pushed my cart after the two older ones, I heard a precious little voice from behind me and turned around to hear my youngest as she prayed “Oh, Lord, Lord! Orange slices and flip flops in the same day! Thank you! Thank you!” and held the candy and shoes high above her head for Him to see.

 I just have to ask: are you thankful for the candy orange slices and flip flops in your life? Have you felt contentment, even though you don’t have Pierre Marcolini chocolate candy for $102.50 a pound or Jimmy Choo designer shoes for $695.00 a pair? In other words, no matter what you have, can you truly say as Paul did in Philippians 4:11 “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

 No, expensive candy and shoes will probably never be a part of my lifestyle but I wouldn’t trade a contentment with an orange candy slice and flip flops for anything in this world!

 

         Father, thank you for the many many blessings that you have given me. Help me to always remember that my contentment comes from knowing you are taking care of me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever felt like you appreciated what you had and then saw someone else with more?

 

• How did your perspective of what you were blessed with change? For the better or worse?

 

Apply

• Every time you see something someone else has that you don’t, immediately thank the Lord for what He has given you.

 

• Each morning before beginning your day, stop and name ten blessings that the Lord has given you because He loves you. Be specific.

 

Power

• Philippians 4:11 (NIV) “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

 

• I Timothy 6:6 (NIV) “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

 

• Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”