pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: protect


by Leave a comment

Faithful and True

Have you ever done something or ventured somewhere with a guide or expert that you never would have alone?  If I were to go white-water rafting or skydiving or up Mount Everest, I would want a pretty skilled guide right there with me, leading and showing the way.  Imagine stepping to the door or the airplane and hearing your guide say, “Hope I packed the parachutes right, today was my first time packing a chute.”

In your walk of faith have you ever stepped outside of your comfort zone or made a ‘leap of faith’?  When we do these things we do so with the confidence that He is right there with us.  He walks right alongside of us – ready to catch us when we stumble, ready to show us the way when we feel a little lost, ready to whisper in our ear just what needs to be said, ready to give us courage when we begin to have doubts.  He is our rock, our comforter, our expert guide.

Knowing He is always by our side gives us the confidence and knowledge to step up or out for Him.  He will never leave us, He will never forsake us.  May we walk boldly, for He is faithful and true.


by Leave a comment

At the Gate

Jesus is often known as the ‘Good Shepherd’.  On one level it is an odd choice – in Jesus’ day it was one of the lowliest jobs you could have.  It was hard work.  It was lonely work.  It was thankless work.  It was dangerous work.  Your sheep were in almost constant need of care and protection.  You lived outside with them day in night, in the cold, in the rain, in the wind, in the scorching sun.

Yet in many ways the analogy makes perfect sense.  Tending to a fellow Christian can be hard and lonely work.  In parts of the world it can be dangerous.  Some people require lots of care.  You may have to go out in the middle of the night or during a snowstorm to be with them.

Yet I have a feeling that none of this would have even slightly bothered Jesus.  Anytime, anywhere, anyplace is His motto – He loves us that much.  His love is so great that He would lie down His life for us – again and again and again.  Like a shepherd lying down before the gate each day to keep his sheep safe, Jesus lays down at the door to our heart each day and says, ‘Satan, you shall not enter.  This one is mine’.  And safe and secure, we say ‘Thank you Jesus!’


by Leave a comment

This Is Our Jesus

The shepherd of the famous 23rd Psalm is our Jesus.  What are your green pastures or quiet waters?  Are they just these things or is it a quiet bike ride or some time with a good book?  Is it early in the morning or late at night with your Bible, devotional, and journal?   It is wherever you find restoration of body, mind, and soul.

Do you feel the guiding hand?  Do you sense the rod and the staff protecting and keeping you?  Do you feel His lead in keeping you on the right path and comforting you in your times of sorrow and trial?  This is our Jesus.  He is there for us in every aspect of our lives.

Does He sit with you when you are in the presence of your enemies?  Does He go so far as to bless you in their presence?  He is willing, for this is out Jesus.

What comes of following this Jesus?  Surely goodness and love.  Hardships and trials too?  Surely.  But we do not walk through them alone.  For He is with us.  This is our Jesus.


by Leave a comment

Always Ready

Does anyone watch over you at night?  In a sense the police watch over the town as we sleep at night, but they do not guard each individual house.  A security company protects the church at night, but in reality they are only there a fraction of the night-time.  We tend to rely on locks and alarm systems to keep watch over us at night.

When the psalmist penned #121 it was a different culture but some things existed then that exist now.  Thieves and robbers broke into houses and people were concerned about being safe at night.  And like us today, they lived in and among people who followed other religions and worshipped different gods.  But in contrast to God, the people around the Israelites believed in gods that slept at night or even for a whole season.  They worshipped gods that had to be appeased or bought.  For the psalmist, for the Israelites, and for us, we worship a God who is always there.  We worship a God who never sleeps, who always watches over us, and who keeps us from harm.  Our God is always present.

Yet how often we bounce between God and our own personal gods!  We can easily stay late at work with an eye on that possible promotion or we can jealously eye the neighbor’s new car with a thought on how we could afford a new car too.  We can plop down on the couch in front of the TV instead of at the table with our Bible.  Even in these times God is with us.  Perhaps a little sad but still right there with us.  And always ready.  Always  ready to guide us, to guard our heart, to protect us, to love us, to welcome us home. Continue reading →