Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

Life can cause you to worry and be shaken. Between work and family, there will always be something to worry about throughout the day. But, Jesus and the Bible both say to not hold on to your worries, but to give them to the Lord, because He doesn’t want you to have to carry those burdens alone. He also doesn’t want your worries to break you, to hinder you from living, many people in today’s world find themselves chained by worry or anxiety with no hope. How will you break the chains of worry today?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for carrying the burdens of my worries. I know that at times I can forget that You’re there to support me and I lose sight of that, letting worry weigh me down, but You are always patient and You are always there ready to pick up my worry once I release my hold and ask You to help. I pray this thank you in Christ’s name, Amen.

The post Daily Devotional: February 7th, 2020 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

Today we aim to try something different, let us review the words of Psalm 25, read them throughout the day as a prayer to God. Find peace in the words that were written.

In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust.
I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good.
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
For the sake of your name, LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, LORD, is in you.
Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

Psalm 25

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Praise the Lord.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

Psalm 149:1-2

Did you KNow?

Zebra finches are teaching scientists about how humans learn to sing. Like human babies, new finches start out babbling. Through trial and error they eventually learn the rhythms and syllables of their parents’ vocalizations. Almost all animals make sounds instinctively. A cat raised by a dog will still meow. A deaf dog will still bark. But some animals must learn to sing.

Some animals must learn their vocalizations. These include bats, whales, and three types of birds (parrots, hummingbirds, and songbirds). Zebra finches songs are easy to study because they are short and simple and do not change. When a zebra finch is hatched, it has about 4 to 12 weeks during a “sensitive” period in which to learn “Dad’s” song (only the males sing). It listens to the song and then babbles. After awhile it begins to piece together parts of the song correctly but still has errors. Eventually, it will sing the song perfectly and will never change its tune.

But if a zebra finch is raised by a bird from a different species (cross fostering), it will learn a new song, though it will have an “accent” similar to its own species. There is some genetic influence, but experience shapes the wiring of the brain. The finch can learn to sing a new song. Of course, the younger you are, the easier it is for your brain to re-wire itself.

Our heavenly Father has songs to teach us. Our personal experiences with God provide a rich new repertoire of music that we can use to praise the Lord. David writes, “Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King” (Psalm 149:1, 2).

Someday we will stand on the sea of glass and sing praises to Jesus. Let us practice singing those new songs on this Earth so we will be ready to lift our voices in praise in heaven.

The post Daily Devotional: January 26th, 2020 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

It’s early morning and you’ve just got up and are trying to wake up. You brew a cup of coffee and sit down to enjoy the ritual that typically wakes you up. How are you spending that time? Do you read the newspaper? Watch the News? Scroll through Facebook?

How about spending your first 5 minutes of your “Coffee” time with a conversation with Jesus? Take a moment to prepare for the day, reflect with Jesus to prepare your heart, mind, body, and soul for the day to come. Read a small devotional or a few passages from the bible during this time, just use it for building a relationship with Jesus.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalms 90:12

The post Daily Devotional: January 9th, 2020 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

Stress can cause a ton of issues in our lives, within our family, our work, and our relationship with God. As we let stress overcome our lives it becomes the central focus for us. How do you get yourself out of the throws of stress and leverage your relationship with God to carry the weight of that stress?

Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2 shows us that God ultimately is the one that decree’s things here on earth. We have the free will to impact events in our lives, to try and take control of it all, but we always end up falling short with that mindset. God can take that stress from you, he can put ease into your mind and provide you guidance. Focusing on God first allows for you to set a priority list from there.

Reflection

Take a breath. Let God know what’s weighing down on your heart, what’s causing you stress in your life. Ask him for guidance and help to carry that burden. Focus on taking moments out of your day to remind yourself and pray for that guidance as you work through the stress.

The post Daily Devotional: December 28th, 2019 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

Praise the Lord.^[a]
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power;
praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise Him with the harp and lyre,
praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
praise Him with the strings and pipe,
praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

REFLECTION:

Who do you most identify with in the Christmas story – Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, the Shepherds, or the Magi? Each character worshiped God in their own, unique way. How do you best worship God?

The Advent season is our chance to celebrate the wondrous moment when God entered our world to make things right. It is a season of worship.

ADVENT CONSPIRACY, chapter 3

The post Daily Devotional: December 1st, 2019 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Psalm 37:3

Do we pray daily for God to help us focus on Him?

As a church body we must ask ourselves what is the mission of the church and for whom is that mission? How do we prepare for the future of Good Shepherd UMC and the people we serve? How do we let our light shine and best serve the Lord in the future? The answers will come as we trust in the Lord and cultivate faithfulness in our lives.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, we can lean on You and not on ourselves. Help us find Your will, not ourselves. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The post Daily Devotional: November, 26th, 2019 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.

I don’t know about you, but when I pray I sometimes wonder if what I’m praying for or about is in alignment with God’s will. One way to have more confidence that my prayer is in agreement with God’s will is to pray scripture over the situation.

I learned a long time ago that there is always perfect alignment among God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God the Son (Jesus) is referred to as “logos” the Word (John 1:1-5). The Word of God and the Holy Spirit will never contradict each other. That is one way to test something that you feel you are being told by the Holy Spirit. If it contradicts scripture, it is likely not being understood by you or it is not from the Holy Spirit.

This capital campaign we are about to complete is not about paying off a debt or a building, but is about being better able to minister to the needs of our community. It would be very difficult to do Feed the Need or Room in the Inn if we did not have the space to provide these ministries. We could not all sit down together for a meal without the space needed.

At any rate, when we pray the Scriptures, we can be assured that we are praying according to God’s will. There are hundreds of promises to be found in the Scriptures, but you may not know where they are. If you have a concordance you can look up a word or phrase and see the scriptures that contain that word. Many Bibles have a concordance in the back of the book. If you use an online Bible, there is usually a “search” function that works much the same way as a concordance.

There are also dozens of “Bible Promises” booklets, brochures and even bookmarks.

Here are some scripture promises regarding charity, hospitality and money. I got these from a little book called “New International Version: The Bible Promise Book” published by Barbour Books of Westwood, New Jersey.

CHARITY

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak, the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life, he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

Psalm 41:1-2

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he had done.

Proverbs 19:17

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

          Notice it doesn’t say what he has decided in his head, but in his heart.

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withhold unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:24-25

A prayer using these scriptures could go like this: “God, you are the Father of charity, when I was yet a sinner, you sent your Son to pay the price for my sins. I pray Father that you will prompt me to give freely and generously so that I might refresh others. I pray that you would open my eyes to the weak and poor in the world and in my community, maybe even in my church or family. I ask you to watch over me and my family and continue to bless us. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.”

HOSPITALITY

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the lover of God be in him?

1 John 3:17

Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13

A prayer using these scriptures could go like this: “Father God, I cannot help but think of the welcoming attitude our Lord Jesus had with people. He did not hang out with the ‘religious’ people, but with the sinners, the sick, the children and those who were often rejected by their communities. Help me to look out for the weak and to take pity on those in need. Help me to put that pity into action and to share what I have, the gifts and graces I’ve received from you. Help me to share your love with those who stand in need. In the name of our Savior, Jesus, Amen.”

MONEY

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Deuteronomy 8:18

Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:2

A prayer using these scriptures could go like this: “Oh, Father, you know how consumed I can be with gaining wealth and success in this world, but your word reminds me that my hope is truly in You, that you will provide for my needs and my comfort. Thank you for your loving kindness to me. Help me to share that loving kindness with others. It is by your gifts and graces that I can do all that I do and I am forever grateful to you for your generosity. Help me to remember that you are the creator and Father of all, rich and poor and that you love us all the same. Help me to love others the way you love. In the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.”

The post Daily Devotional: November 21st, 2019 appeared first on Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.