Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"No Need Too Great"
July 25, 2020
The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
What glorious strength these four short words, "I shall not want," offer every believer throughout this world. While your life may be burdened with sin and regret, there is nothing that can take away the Savior's gracious redemption for you. He earned it on Calvary, sealing His eternal victory by rising from the dead three days later, defeating sin, death, and Satan.
And this victory is for you.
If you are wracked by the fear you have committed the unpardonable sin, grasp your Savior's hand all the more closely, trust His Word all the more firmly, and you can declare with confidence: "Jesus is my Shepherd! He has had compassion on me. With Him I shall not want of pardon, grace, peace, or mercy."
In His Name and by His promise I tell you that, if from this day on you accept Him as the atonement for your sins, He will assure you—as He did the apostle Paul—"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9b). He will fill with you with His Holy Spirit so that as you "fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12a), you will be able to resist evil, spurn temptation, and live in triumph.
You may think, for whatever reason, that this great salvation is not for you, but that could not be further from the truth. Jesus wants you to accept Him as your personal Savior. He is not content to be Shepherd of only a select few; He pleads for your life, your heart, and your soul. He isn't only God of patriarchs like Abraham and Moses, the Redeemer of kings like David and Josiah, the Ransom of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, the forgiveness for evangelists like Matthew and Mark, or the atonement for apostles like Peter and Paul—He came to save all of us.
Please don't postpone accepting this divine pardon won at great cost for you and me! This day the Good Shepherd wants to be the Lord and Savior in your life.
God grant that the Holy Spirit has awakened the fire of an unquenchable faith in your heart by which you kneel before your Savior to confess your sins, but to declare: "O Jesus, crucified for me, risen for me, You are my good and gracious Savior Shepherd. Indeed, I shall not want, in either this moment for the timeless length of eternity, for You are mine, and from this moment I am Yours.
May God guide each of us to this divine and magnificent glory, for Jesus' sake, the Good Shepherd of the world.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You that all our wants are fulfilled in Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have (m)any big needs (not wants) in your life?From "America, Turn to Christ!" a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier, the first Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. What do you think of when you think of Jesus as your Shepherd?
3. Are there people for whom you would be their "shepherd"? If so, how does that play out in your life?
Do you have (m)any big needs (not wants) in your life?Do you have (m)any big needs (not wants) in your life?
No comments:
Post a Comment