Category: Shepherd Daily Devotional

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

But when he came to his senses, he bounced back.

In the parable of the lost son, Jesus shared a story of a man who had two sons. The younger one demanded for his share of inheritance and left home. After he had spent everything on reckless living, an economic recession hit his country. To survive, he had to work in a farm where he was assigned to feed pigs. Apparently, the money he earned from his boss wasn’t enough because he found himself longing to fill his stomach with the food of the pigs. This went on until one fateful day when he suddenly realized that while he was starving to death, the servants in his father’s house had enough food to spare. So he got up and returned to his father.

But according to the Scriptures, the lost son didn’t arrive at that decision until “he came to his senses” (Luke 15:11-32). This story illustrates the power of the mind. Nothing changes unless you change your thoughts. If the prodigal son hadn’t come to his senses, he wouldn’t have made the decision to return home. If he hadn’t changed his mind, he would have remained in lack. But when he came to his senses, he bounced back.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for my prodigal ways. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 41:13; Isaiah 40:29; Proverbs 16:9; Proverbs 23:7

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Your passion can either be related to your purpose or completely unrelated.

Purpose and passion are not the same. While your passion is what you love doing, purpose is what you were created to do. Your passion isn’t peculiar to you. For instance, if you love writing, you should be aware that there other people who also love writing. But your purpose is specific. It is what you’ve been set aside to do. Your passion can either be related to your purpose or completely unrelated. Even though what you love doing can be used to fulfill your purpose, it could also be used to achieve other things that aren’t connected to your purpose.

To fulfill your purpose, you need the help of the One who created you. Purpose isn’t conceived by man. Normally, the manufacturer of a product is the one who knows why his product was created. Therefore, God who created you knows why you are on earth. God didn’t bless you with talents so you could do whatever you want to do with it. Your talent is supposed to help you fulfill your purpose. Paul tells the Philippians, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me how to fulfill God’s purpose. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Philippians 2:13; Romans 2:28; 2 Timothy 1:9; Exodus 9:16; Proverbs 19:21

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

In Christ Jesus, our life’s journey has no end.

The fear of the unknown is what often makes people feel uneasy at the thought of dying. One thing we all know is that our body is going to be buried in a grave when we pass on. But where our soul and spirit will be is often considered as one of the greatest mysteries in the world. Atheists and scientists have come up with hundreds of thousands of books regarding man’s journey on earth. Yet, the answer to this famous question can be found in the most popular book on earth – the Holy Bible.

Interestingly, Jesus didn’t make the issue of death sound like it was something that should be feared. More than once, He referred to “death” as “sleeping”. Moments before He brought Jairus’ daughter back to life He said, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” When Lazarus died, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.” Jesus came so that we may not just have life but have it fully. So anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord, would not only become a son of God, but would also live forever. Therefore, in Christ Jesus, our life’s journey has no end.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; John 10:10; John 11:1-16

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Your life’s purpose is God’s original plan for you.

The first thing we learn from the Bible is that God is a Creator. That’s the dominant theme in the first two chapters of Genesis. But as God created the heavens and the earth, you would notice that everything He created was for a purpose. Light, which is the first thing that God created, was for the purpose of having times and seasons. Man, the last creation of God was also created for a purpose – to rule the earth. God didn’t create anything for nothing. Knowing why you were created is the most important discovery you would ever make.

Your life’s purpose is God’s ultimate plan for you. While He was on earth, Jesus focused on fulfilling His purpose. Like every other person, Jesus had several choices on how to live His life. He could have decided to be a carpenter like His earthly father; he could have accepted Satan’s offer by having control of the earthly kingdoms. But Jesus chose to do what God sent Him to do. Imagine what the world would have missed If Jesus had not fulfilled his assignment. Jesus was not the only with an assignment from God. You too have a divine assignment.

Prayer: Dear Lord, show me my divine assignment. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Luke 4:18-19; 42; John 3:38

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Knowing what the Bible teaches doesn’t make you a doer of God’s will.

Not many people know what it means to do God’s will. Generally, God’s will simply means, what God expects from us. But to discover what God requires of us, we need to study the Bible. The will of God is, therefore, not found in ANY other book. So one of the reasons why many people do not know God’s will is because they do not read the Bible. At the same time, one can read the Bible and yet fail to do God’s will. Knowing what the Bible teaches doesn’t make you a doer of God’s will.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This means, a person may know who God is, and not do God’s will. In other words, many would not make heaven NOT because they didn’t know Jesus, but for the reason that they didn’t do what He wanted them to do. It is like a lawyer who went to a law school but never practiced law. Doing God’s will isn’t about knowing the Bible; it is about doing what it says.

Prayer: Dear Lord, May I not only be a listener, but a doer of your word. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:21-24; Matthew 12:50

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