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Shepherd Daily Devotional

Who am I?

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

You may not even be who you think you are.

“Do you know who I am?” This question is often followed with claims about one’s physical strength, achievements, wealth, influence or mental or spiritual prowess. But the Bible has a different answer to that question. In the book of Psalms, the Psalmist cried out, “I said, ‘you are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High’ (Psalm 82:6). Is there anyone other statement that defines us better than this verse? Many people are afraid of accepting this truth because they don’t think of God as their Father.

The allusion that we are “gods” is intended to make us realize that we are sons of God, not His equals. You are not the kind of god that idolaters worship. You are a god because the Spirit of God dwells inside of you. When Jesus was accused of calling God, His father, He used the same verse to make His point. What people say or think of you is often not true. You may not even be who you think you are. But the one thing I know for sure is that you were created in God’s image. Be godly.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for creating me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 82; John 10:34-38

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional

God’s Family

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

We are members of God’s family.

After God indicated His interest to create man in His likeness, the Scriptures say, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Since the dust was created by God, we can trace our roots to God. Note that it was after God breathed His spirit into the body that man came alive. So both our body and spirit came from God. Linking our parentage to God is vital because it is through Adam that we all came into this world.

When people fail to link their lineage to God, they would likely worship their ancestors or idols. When Paul saw a lot of idols in Athens, He said to the people, “From one man he (God) made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.” In other words, Paul reminded them that they were God’s children. Therefore, in the real sense, we are not from any country. We cannot limit our roots to a race because we are members of God’s family.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for creating me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:16-29

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional

Fulfill God’s Will

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The real secret to fulfilling your divine assignment is found in the scriptures.

Paul said, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This statement reiterates God’s original plan for us. Recall that when God created Adam His plan was for man to rule the earth. Like every other thing that God created, man was created to influence the world. Paul needed to stress this point because man has been held captive by the wicked ways of this world. In contrast to doing good works, man has been preoccupied by evil and meaningless endeavors.

The real secret to fulfilling your divine assignment is found in the scriptures. The Bible is the manual for fulfilling God’s will for our lives. Just as people have to study laws before becoming lawyers, we all have to study the scriptures in order to learn how to fulfill God’s specific plan for us. So the Bible is not just a book that talks about the history of a people. Also, don’t think of the Bible as a book containing a set of laws for religious people. The Bible is God’s instructive manual aimed at helping you fulfill His will.

Prayer: Dear Lord, reveal your purpose for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 2:1-10; Genesis 1:26-28.

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional

Knowing God’s Will – Part 2

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

God’s will – whether it is God’s word or God’s plan for us, is important.

Each time God’s will is mentioned in the Bible, it is either referring to God’s word or God’s purposes. While we can interpret the will of God as those instructions contained in the Scriptures, God’s will also means His plans for us. For instance, when Jesus came into the world, He said to the Father, “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (Hebrews 10:9). The will of God in this context means God’s plan for Jesus. But when David said, “I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8), he was referring to God’s word.

God’s will – whether it is God’s word or God’s plan for us, is important. Fulfilling God’s plan for us is as important as doing what is written in the Bible. God does not expect us to follow what is written in the Bible, become holy and then do nothing until we die. Also, God does not expect us to focus on fulfilling our purpose while we ignore the instructions in the Bible. As Christians, we are expected to do what is written in the Bible and fulfill our life’s assignment at the same time.

Prayer: Dear Lord, reveal your purpose for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 John 2:17; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Titus 3:14

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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Shepherd Daily Devotional

Knowing God’s Will – Part 1

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Doing God’s will also means doing what God called you to do.

To understand God’s will, follow the teachings of Christ. Jesus approached the subject of doing God’s will in two different ways: First, Jesus taught that doing God’s will is about hearing His words and putting it into practice. Chapters five, six and seven of the book of Matthew captures the main teachings of Christ. In those chapters, Jesus spoke on a wide range of subjects. After His sermon, Jesus instructed us to do the will of the Father in heaven. Then He added, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Therefore, doing God’s will has to do with following the teachings of Christ.

On another occasion, Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” When Jesus made that statement He wasn’t speaking of God’s will in the context of doing what the Bible teaches. He was referring to His divine assignment of bringing eternal life. And so, doing God’s will also means doing what God called you to do. Spend time, meditating on God’s will.

Prayer: Dear Lord, reveal your purpose for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:21-24; John 6: 38-39

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.