Category: Shepherd Daily Devotional

Just as we go to school to be trained, God also enrolls us in His training program.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Joseph was a young man whom God had preordained to be a great leader.  But he was a small Jewish boy who didn’t have the right qualifications. He only knew how to take care of sheep and run errands for his father. Joseph didn’t even have the toughness of a leader because his father pampered him. To prepare him for the opportunity ahead, God had to let him go through some challenges. At first, his brothers sold him into slavery, then his master’s wife framed him and he was sent to jail. But while he was in prison, a situation arose which led to him, fulfilling what God had originally planned for him. When he reunited with his brothers, he didn’t curse them. Instead, he said “God sent me before you”. Joseph had realized he had been a student in God’s training camp, all along.

Just as we go to school in order to prepare ourselves for opportunities, God also enrolls us in His training program. But unlike our school’s training program, God’s training takes place without our permission. When God enrolls us in his training camp, we don’t have to pay any money. The cost is patience. In God’s training camp, you may not understand what He is teaching you until He finishes the training. While your school’s training program may focus on building your professional skills, God’s program is often about building your character. Just as you will be tested in school, God will allow life to test you with trials. It is after you have proven to your school that you can pass every test that you would be deem fit for graduation. In a similar way, God will make you sure you are strong enough to pass and withstand every test before He will promote you.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to pass the test. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 105:17; Genesis 45:7

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

Your achievements are the things that draw people to you.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Too often, we want to be celebrated the moment we start pursing our dreams. You may have a great project in mind; you may have an idea that could make you and others rich, but if the idea is still in your head, people aren’t going to support you as you would expect them to do because people are more interested in what you have done than in what you intend to do. Several years ago, when I told people I wanted to start an NGO, I didn’t get the support I needed. Within the first few months, my volunteers abandoned my project when they didn’t see any meaningful results. At that time, the ideas I had about the project was inside my head and I couldn’t convince others that it was profitable. Later, when my project was selected and honored with an award, people began to show interest in the project.

People prefer to support an idea that has been tested. What you intend to do isn’t what people want to hear. Your achievements are the things that draw people to you. When Saul was made king, there were some Israelites who didn’t embrace the idea of having Saul as king because they didn’t know what he could do. In other words, they saw him as an idea that hadn’t been tested. So they despised him. But Saul was wise. He didn’t try to convince them. Instead, he kept silent and waited for an opportunity. Soon afterwards, his people were threatened by Nahash the Ammonite. Saul seized the occasion to prove himself. After leading a successful war against the enemies, the people discovered what he could do. That is, he became an idea that had been tested. So they decided to support him by reaffirming his kingship.

Prayer: Lord, enable me to prove my critics wrong by my achievements. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 Samuel 11: 1-15; John 20:28-31

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

Don’t try to run away from trials.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Job is one of the most inspirational characters in the Bible. When he was prosperous, he stayed faithful to God. When he lost everything, including his children, he remained committed to God. And as he held on, he got discouragements. First, his wife asked him to curse God and die. Then his friends tried to make him think he was suffering for his sins. But Job knew he was innocent. At the same time, He was aware that God wasn’t the architect of his predicaments. But then again, he still couldn’t figure out why he was surrounded by many troubles. What Job didn’t know was that he was going through a test. His trials were intended to test his commitment to doing God’s will. Like Job, maybe you are overwhelmed by the crisis in your life. 

Don’t think you are under a curse. If you’ve already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t be deterred. Not all problems are caused by sin or mistakes. As we have seen in the case of Job, even the rich and the most righteous person can be overwhelmed by indescribable challenges. If you are determined to follow God’s will, you will be tested with troubles from the enemy. Don’t try to run away from trials. Instead, make up your mind to be an over-comer. When Jesus prayed for his disciples, He said, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Obviously, Jesus doesn’t want you to run away from trials. He wants you to be an over-comer. When Jesus reminded us that we will have trouble in this world, He quickly advised us to stay strong because He has overcome the world. Stay strong in Jesus!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to overcome my challenges. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Job 5:17-19; John 17:15; John 16:33

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

If life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong!

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

We like to associate ourselves with light because it is one of the most universal and widely accepted symbols. Light is the principal force in the spiritual world. In religion, those who get revelations as a result of their understanding of God’s word are seen as the light of the world. In the secular world, light represents knowledge. We like to think of light as the source of goodness and the ultimate symbol of progress. Therefore, light represents leadership because the symbolism of light is used to show direction. We’ve been taught to believe that you cannot advance if you don’t have light. So those who represent light in our lives are seen as leaders. We follow them because they radiate our environment with their light. In other words, they make us see.

While light is considered a symbol of joy, immortality, higher power and of life-giving power, darkness is seen as a representation of death and destruction, in almost every religion. By reason of that, we often embrace light and then try as much as possible to avoid anything associated with darkness. But in reality, darkness plays an important role in the making of light. Indeed, light is a positive force but one cannot have light in any area of life without going through darkness. This means that darkness begets light. Before God created light, darkness was over the surface of the deep. Light, was therefore created out of the dark. Isn’t it amazing that we cannot see the break of dawn until we’ve passed through the darkness of the night? My friend, if life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong. You light will show up at the right time.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to pass through the dark. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 23

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The crisis you’re going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be.

We don’t have to always blame ourselves for every crisis that shows up in our lives. You don’t have to make mistakes before getting into trouble. A crisis may come into a person’s life in the form of a strange illness through no fault of theirs. Or it may come through a sudden incident that occurred in a person’s business or career. For instance, a fire incident or the sudden death of a colleague or business partner can bring about a crisis. You may also find yourself in a financial crisis because of an economic recession. You are not the reason why your country is in recession, but somehow you are affected by it. So, crises are actually problems that come into our lives unexpectedly. Crises are uninvited troubles. There are times that troubles would meet you even while you were minding your own business.

If you are currently going through a crisis, as long as you stay strong and determined, you would overcome it. Crises do not come to stay; they always have an expiration date. While crises can be painful, they also have some benefits. Crisis comes to shake up certain things in our lives. No one goes through a crisis without growing. The crisis you are going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be. Don’t let the crisis you are going through kill you. Use it as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The crisis in your life has come to wake you up. Above all, the troubles you are facing will bring you closer to God. David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). Like David, you will be grateful in the end.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to stay strong. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 119

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

                                             Written By Benjamin Dankaka

You need knowledge in order to create anything.

One of the principles of success is creativity. Hardly is there any career leader who doesn’t depend on creativity. Creativity is not only required in the arts but in every business. Even if you are into retailing, you will need to be creative. Former richest man in America, Sam Walton, and founder of Wal-Mart Stores used a creative business formula that most retailers ignore. He bought a wide variety of products in bulk across his network of stores so he could pass savings on to his customers. As a result, people flocked to his stores.

Fortunately, everyone is creative. You might not be creative in your current work, but there’s definitely a place where you can be creative. You see, God created the heavens and the earth, and then He created man in His own image. Since God is a Creator, you are also a creator. But you need knowledge in order to create anything. The Bible tells us that God made the heavens and earth by His understanding. In other words, by His knowledge, He created the heavens and the earth. In the same way, for us to be able to create anything, we have to use our knowledge.

Prayer: Lord, teach me your ways.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 136

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Unseal the hidden message in you.

Jesus said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open”. What Christ said is exactly what the senders of the mails do. The senders of mails hide their message inside an envelope and like Jesus said, the hidden message is meant to be disclosed. Whatever they concealed inside the envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is to be brought to the open. Now Jesus was, in fact speaking about the messages He had been depositing in the minds His disciples.

Jesus had wanted His disciples to know it was their job to bring out the messages He had hidden in their hearts. Just as the sender of the message in an envelope expects the receiver to expose the hidden message, Jesus expects us to unravel and make use of the messages He has hidden in our hearts. The message that God has hidden in us is His word as well as our natural gifts. Inside every person; inside every Christian, is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others. Unseal the hidden message in you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift you placed inside of me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 4:2-25

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Realize that not every solution is appropriate.

While evangelizing, Paul and Silas were arrested. However, a miracle happened as they were in prison. The normal thing to do was to rush out of the prison cell, assuming it was God’s will. Instead, they ignored the freedom but, took advantage of the opportunity to gain new converts. In the end, their patience paid off as they were released by the magistrates, the next day. One interesting thing about this story is the way they stayed faithful to their cause in the middle of a crisis.

David found himself in a similar situation when he miraculously got the chance to kill Saul. His associate, Abishai said to him, “Today, God has delivered your enemy into your hands…” But David declined, preferring to spare Saul’s life. By doing so, he forfeited the freedom he would have had at that time. Later, God’s promise to him came to pass as he became a king without having Saul’s blood on his hands. Realize that not every solution is appropriate. An inappropriate solution might come as a counsel that appears to be sensible. The wrong solution might be a test or a temptation capable of getting you off track. Stay on track.

Prayer: Lord, help me keep my eyes on the big picture. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 16:25-36; 1 Samuel 26:1-10

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To select the right thing from a group of choices that equally seem to be good isn’t an easy thing to do.

To select the right thing from a group of choices that equally seem to be good is not as easy as picking a good thing out of a cluster of bad things. For instance, when David got the chance to kill Saul; his associate suggested they should kill Saul. That seemed like a good thing because Saul had been trying to kill David.But David realized that the right thing to do was not to lay a hand on Saul because he was God’s anointed. But there are times when the right thing may not even cross your mind or it may seem like the wrong decision and in the process, you may erroneously think the good thing you are about to do is the only right decision. In such situations, you will need God’s help.

When Joseph discovered that the woman he was about to marry was found to be with child, he had in mind, not to disgrace Mary but to quietly divorce her. That seemed like the only right decision. But when he got a revelation, he realized that what he thought was right was actually wrong. Always seek God’s guidance.

Prayer: Dear Lord, guide me as I make decisions.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 4:11-13; 1 Samuel 26:8; Matthew 1:18-20; Genesis 11:1-9

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

Over the years, I have learned that achieving goals do not guarantee success. There are times you may set goals and then succeed in realizing them, but just as you are about to celebrate, you may suddenly discover the goals shouldn’t have been set in the first place. The scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals. So they spend their entire lives pursuing the wrong. They never realize their mistakes until they get to the end.

To avoid such mistakes, I implore you to always involve God as you set your goals. The Bible says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purposes that prevails”. Another verse also says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps”. Indeed, God has given us the right and the ability to make plans, but if we want those plans to be on the right path, we ought to seek God’s guidance because He purposes always prevail.

Prayer: Lord, direct my steps. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 14:12; 16:3-25; 19:21; 16:9

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