Shepherd Daily Devotional

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Matthew 11:16

During one of His teaching sessions, Jesus compared the attitude of the people to a situation in the marketplace where some children sat down and complained that they had played the flute but the people did not dance. And when the kids went ahead and sang a funeral song, the people didn’t mourn. As at the time that Jesus made the statement, He was concerned with the way the people had responded to both His ministry and that of John the Baptist. That is, when John came and preached the message of the kingdom of heaven through an unusual method, the people ignored him and even called him a “demon”. And when Jesus Himself came and preached the same gospel but through a different technique from that of John the Baptist, the people also snubbed it and insulted Him.

My friend, know that whichever way you decide to pursue your purpose, you are going to be criticized. It doesn’t matter how talented you are; people are going to oppose you. This happens because anyone who is living a life of purpose belongs to a rare class of people called leaders. And by nature, leaders are individuals who stand out among many because they are driven by a sense of purpose. Their purpose is what actually makes them break the traditions. Recall that when John the Baptist showed up, He preached a unique message, and urged the people to repent. Unlike the Pharisees, he drank no wine, lived in the wilds and lived, eating locusts. Jesus on the other hand, interacted with people, even though He also preached the message of the kingdom. In contrast to the Pharisees, he mingled with “sinners”. So He was also criticized. But despite the oppositions, John and Jesus succeeded. You too will succeed in spite of the criticisms.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to face criticisms. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 11:1-19

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Mark 8:34

When Jesus began to teach the disciples about his suffering and death, the disciples became troubled. They couldn’t believe their cherished leader would say such negative things about himself. Peter in particular, seemed deeply troubled. He was so disturbed that he missed the better part of that prophecy. Although Jesus had said He would rise after three days, Peter ignored that part and instead, focused on the rejection, suffering and death. He probably wondered how “pain” and “gain” could ever match up. Possibly, what Peter had expected to hear was that Jesus would be a king. He probably thought that Jesus would establish His kingdom and then appoint his disciples as ministers. Peter didn’t want his beloved master to suffer any pain and suffering. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his master in a tomb. What Peter wanted was for Jesus to enjoy a smooth ride to the top.

Peter acted like most of us usually do. Most people like to think of life as easy and blissful, all the time. We think that life should always make way for us. Also, we want our loved ones to succeed, but we do not want them to suffer in the process. For that reason, we prefer to go places where we would be told nice things. We want to hear positive prophesies on how God is going to give us a great job or a beautiful car or house. Truly, God wants us to enjoy all the nice things of life. He also wants us to succeed in whatever we lay our hands to do. But He never promised that we would get all that we desire without hurdles. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to carry my cross. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 8:31-38

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Mark 8:31

One day, Jesus began to teach His disciples that He would suffer many things and even be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. Then He also told them He “must be killed and after three days rise again”. This didn’t go down well with the disciples. They probably wondered why Jesus would predict such a disaster on Himself. Here was a leader who had been doing great things before their very eyes. He had been preaching about this great kingdom of God that they believed will take them to a whole new level. Jesus had not only healed the sick but had raised the dead. Having been convinced that He was sent from God, Jesus was now telling them He would suffer many things and even be killed. Peter, the open minded disciple took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. But Jesus rebuked him also.

This story isn’t just talking about the suffering that Jesus had to go through. Most importantly, it also gives us a deep insight into the nature of God’s kingdom. Because, as Jesus rebuked Peter, he said to him, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” In other words, Jesus made Peter to understand that His imminent suffering and death, was part of God’s plan. It is important for us to realize that God often bring us glory through pain. God would not bring pain and suffering, but He often lets us go through it so as to transform us into the individuals He wants us to be. Jesus’s suffering and death wasn’t for nothing. It was for a glorious purpose. Without the rejection, Jesus wouldn’t have been killed. And without the death, He wouldn’t have risen. Your suffering will produce success!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, turn my suffering to success. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 8:31-38

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 1:2

Generally, we like to associate ourselves with light. Light is one of the most universal and widely accepted symbols. It is often considered as the leading force in every area of life. 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 is seen as illumination and intelligence. 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 Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Mark 7:29

While God can be described as unchangeable, He can also be seen as a God who changes his mind. Our God isn’t rigid. Although, He doesn’t change His image, word or promises, God changes His mind anytime He forgives. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Therefore, because our God is compassionate and merciful, He forgives. And forgiveness doesn’t take place until there’s a shift in the mind of the forgiver. But then again, forgiveness is only necessary whenever there’s an offense. In every circumstance, the person who has been offended is likely to get angry. This is why when we offend God; He gets angry, even though He doesn’t get angry all the time because He is slow to anger. But God’s anger doesn’t last forever. He replaces His anger with mercy, the moment we ask for forgiveness.

I have heard people say, “I won’t change my mind.” You hear that often whenever a person refuses to forgive. Such people think that being tough means they should be unchangeable. Possibly because they feel hurt by an offense, they never change their minds or attitude towards their offenders. Or they may think that by sticking to their convictions, they would be respected. So they think that their rigidity will make them powerful or shield them from pain. They refuse to change their minds even when it’s necessary. That kind of attitude is ungodly. In case, you still think that God doesn’t change His mind; recall what transpired between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. The woman begged Jesus to drive a demon out of her daughter. Initially, Jesus didn’t want to do it. But when He saw the woman’s faith, He changed His mind. Change your mind concerning that matter!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for my stubborn heart. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 145:8; Mark 7:24-30

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Romans 12:2

Does God change His mind? While there are Christians who would rather believe that God changes His mind, there are those who prefer to think that God does not change His mind. Remarkably, each of these groups backup their claims with scriptures. Those who believe that God doesn’t change His mind often support their claims with Balak’s oracle. Balak had said, “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind,” (Numbers 23:21). On the other hand, those who say God changes his mind make reference to the moment when God “repented” that He had made man (Genesis 6:6 – KJV). Or they may refer to the story of Jonah (Jonah 3:10). Interestingly, each of these contrasting positions is correct but then, they are often quoted out of context.

Anytime the Bible mentions God’s unchanged mind, it refers to His integrity or nature. God is by nature, unchangeable. Unlike man, God doesn’t mature or grow. Again, if God agrees to bless you, He would not renege because His integrity is intact. It was based on this context that Balak affirmed God’s unchangeable character. God is not like a man that would break a promise. So when David said, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” He was referring to God’s promise concerning Jesus. Indeed, God didn’t change His mind as Jesus eventually became our priest forever (Psalm 110; Hebrews 7:21-22). Therefore, God doesn’t change His mind each time He promises to bless. But when it comes to empathy and forgiveness, God often changes His mind. In the Bible, there are instances where God changed His mind after “sinners” repented. Do you act like God?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be like you. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Exodus 32:1-14

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 16:6

When Sarah asked Abraham to have a child with her maidservant, she actually thought it would solve their problem. Sarah’s suggestion was a sincere plan, intended to help her and Abraham fulfill their dream of having children. Sarah had said to her husband, “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Genesis 16:2). Apparently, Abraham wasn’t the only one that was concerned with having a family. As his wife, Sarah was also in need of children. And since she was aware that her husband also longed to have an heir, she presented a plan. But while Abraham was still hopeful that God would give them a child as He had promised, Sarah had gotten to a point where she now felt she wasn’t part of that promise. So she said, “The Lord has kept me from having children.” No doubt, Sarah had given up.

Although Sarah made the wrong move, we shouldn’t crucify her. Sarah couldn’t have had the kind of faith Abraham had because she wasn’t the one who held the vision. Possibly, if God had showed her the same thing He showed Abraham she wouldn’t have had a backup plan. Therefore, her suggestion to Abraham was faulty, not because she had evil intentions, but for the reason that she wasn’t the person who saw the vision. In your walk with God, you might encounter people who would play the same role as Sarah. They are often the closest to you. They would be a part of your dream because they are related or associated to you. Because they have ties with you, whatever vision God lays on you will affect them. These people will not understand God’s plan for you as you would do. So forgive them when they offer the wrong advice.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me tolerant heart. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-6

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 16:4

God did not only tell Abraham that he would be a father of many nations. He followed up that promise with a covenant. In other words, God made an agreement with Abraham and then sealed it with His word. This contract was actually made on the day Abraham cried out to God and demanded to know how God’s promises will be fulfilled in his life. In response, God had asked Abraham to present a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon for a sacrifice (Genesis 15:8-9). On that fateful day, God made a pact with Abraham. Obviously, the purpose of that covenant was to reaffirm God’s commitment in fulfilling His promises to Abraham. God had wanted Abraham to feel confident that he would surely have a son through whom the prophecy will be fulfilled. Normally, Abraham should have gone to sleep after that event. But he didn’t.

When Abraham agreed to have a child with Hagar, he tampered his agreement with God. By following his wife’s advice, Abraham ignored the terms of agreement. One could say that Abraham’s decision to have a child with Hagar was an attempt to help God fulfill His word. Since the promised child wasn’t forthcoming, they decided to have a child anyhow. When Sarah asked Abraham to sleep with her maidservant, the plan was to build a family through Hagar. Although their strategy bore Ishmael, it backfired in the end. Interestingly, what the old couple tried to do is exactly what we often do in our walk with God. Oftentimes, we begin our journey with God, with high hopes and commitment. But when things don’t work out as we expect, we allow doubt and other people’s opinion to get in the way. Please don’t sleep with Hagar. Wait on God!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I will wait on you. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-3

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 15:6

After God reassured Abraham that he would have his own son, “Abraham believed the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). But despite his faith in God, the child didn’t show up. Year after year, Abraham waited expectantly for God to fulfill his word, but nothing happened. Abraham might have pondered why his wife didn’t have a child in spite of God’s promise. He might have wondered if he actually understood God’s promise. If you’ve ever waited on God to fulfill his promises to you, you would understand what Abraham went through. Abraham had done what God had asked him to do by leaving his own country to a foreign land. Now that he was becoming old and still didn’t have a child, God was still reassuring him that he would have possession over the land he was renting. How could that be? Abraham must have struggled with his thoughts.

So when Sarah, Abraham’s wife came up with the idea that Abraham should sleep with her maidservant so they can build a dynasty through her, Abraham fell for it. At that time, Abraham was not only concerned with having a son that would inherit his wealth; he also wanted to start a family that would take possession over Canaan. But notice that although the idea came from Sarah, the final decision was made by Abraham who agreed without pressure. Therefore, we shouldn’t crucify Sarah because she wasn’t the one who God spoke to. She couldn’t have understood God’s instructions better than Abraham. Abraham, whom God had spoken to, should have known better. He was the one who heard from God, therefore it was his vision. What Abraham did, is what usually happens when we let others get in the way of our relationship with God. You will not make that mistake in Jesus name!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to stay focused. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 15:1-10; Genesis 16:1-3

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

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 15:3

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and go to a land He will show him, Abraham complied, but he didn’t do exactly what God asked him to do. God had said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Indeed, Abraham left his country but he didn’t completely separate himself from his people because Lot went with him. Why did he do that? Possibly, Abraham knew exactly what he was doing when he allowed Lot, his nephew to accompany him. Recall that when God called Abraham, he didn’t have a child of his own. Although he was wealthy, he didn’t have an heir. So, Abraham might have carried Lot along with him because he needed to feel safe that his wealth wasn’t going to be inherited by a stranger if he eventually died without a child.

Abraham was concerned about an heir even though he trusted God. Once, during a conversation with God, Abraham said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” At the time, Abraham had been separated from Lot. But God knew what was in Abraham’s heart. He knew the man was troubled that his separation from his nephew meant he might end up giving his wealth to a servant. Most likely, it was for this reason that God had to reassure Abraham. Immediately Lot left for Sodom, God had comforted Abraham that He would make his “offspring like the dust of the earth.” Obviously, Lot had been Abraham’s back up plan – a strategy intended to make him feel secure. Lot was Abraham’s half bread. Like Abraham, are you trusting God and at the same time worried that He might fail you?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, increase my faith. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 13:1-18

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