Devotion
Compassionate Shepherd
David Jacobs
The world seems more divided with each passing day. Every difference is multiplied and magnified, making it seem like we truly cannot get along with others.
In Jesus' time, people were set against one another in a similar fashion, but he chose to be the bigger person and accept all the people. In this verse, Jesus sees the masses of people that are non-believers, ones that he might not take pity on and have compassion towards, and he, of course, does what most of us would not be able to do. He can see how lost they are without a shepherd, and knows that he will never be able to lead them without help.
What Jesus does directly after this verse is telling: he tells his disciples that they need to get to work. "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). He knows that he will be unable to touch everyone himself in the short amount of time that he has left. He knows that humans must work together in order to make the world a better place, and we must love and trust each other in order to live a life that is godly. The people that Jesus were talking about were people that had seen and heard him and still chosen not to follow or believe, and yet he still shows them compassion.
Additionally, Jesus feels compassion and pity on the crowd for how they are living their life. They are scattered abroad, fainting, lost and without a leader. He could easily try to forget them, thinking that they are in too deep and lost with or without him, but he doesn't. I wish I could say that I acted with similar compassion with people that have starkly different views that I do, but alas, I am but a mere mortal.
Prayer
We must challenge ourselves to be more compassionate to all people, not just those that agree with us and those that we know and love. All people. Trust in the good ways of Jesus Christ, as he has trusted us to act as his disciples. Will we answer his call?
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
