Shepherd Daily Devotional

Don’t be frightened by storms. God is with you.

One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake”. Without knowing why, they got into a boat. Then a life-threatening storm came. The disciples were frightened and surprised at the same time. Here was a great storm, bad enough to take their lives. But Jesus lay quietly on the boat, sleeping!

Many of us have found ourselves in similar situations. Perhaps at one time, you were doing something you thought was important to you. Then came Jesus. But after following Him, you’ve now found yourself in what seems like a life-threatening storm. Like the disciples, you are now surprised that while you are being confronted by storms, it seems as if He is sleeping.

I’ve learned that God allows storms so He can test our faith.

Written by Ben Dankaka

While we can overcome certain challenges with our willpower, some problems require Heaven’s help.

One day as Jesus entered the synagogue, he was suddenly confronted by a demon possessed man, crying aloud. To shut the demon, Jesus commanded it to come out of the man. As is always the case, the demon complied but in the process of leaving, it drew the man on the floor.

Interestingly, even though the evil spirit flung the man, it came out without injuring him. It was a case of victory without injuries.

Life can overwhelm us with tough challenges. While we can overcome certain challenges with our willpower, such victories don’t often come without bruises. Instead of using your own intelligence to address certain problems, sometimes, it is wiser to seek Heaven’s help.

Written by Ben Dankaka

Increase your influence by serving others.

Fruit trees are endowed with seeds that produce fruits for the benefit of others. They do not eat their own fruit. Instead, they serve others with it. So, fruit trees fulfill their purpose by serving others.

Like fruit trees, man was created by God to be fruitful. But while we are all gifted, not many of us make it fruitful. That is, we don’t often serve others with it. For example, a person may be gifted in singing, but would never sing for others. When you are the only one who enjoys what your gift produces, then you are not fruitful.

Becoming fruitful is key because it attracts God’s favor. Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit”.

Written by Ben Dankaka

Prepare yourself for the opportunity ahead.

When Jesus was 12 years old, His parents temporarily lost Him after they went to Jerusalem for a Feast. After three days, He was found in the temple, sitting among teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Notice that Jesus wasn’t found in a farm. Instead, He was seen in a temple – at the very place where He could prepare Himself for His divine assignment.

The importance of preparation cannot be overemphasized. Abraham Lincoln said, “I will study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come.”

Written By Ben Dankaka

He transformed fishermen to fishers of men.

You might have noticed that Jesus used the words, “follow me” while He was selecting His disciples. Why does Jesus insist we follow Him?

You see, when we give our lives to Christ, He automatically becomes our Lord. Now the word, “Lord” means Master. It also means Owner. As our Master and Owner, we are expected to follow Him. Therefore, to accept Jesus as our Lord, does not only involve a declaration of our faith in Him. True acceptance happens when we follow Jesus.

But we cannot become true followers of Christ until we stop following others, including ourselves.  Jesus wants us to “follow” Him, not because He wants to enslave us but for the reason that He wants to transform our lives.

Written by Ben Dankaka

God wants to teach you.

One day, I closed from work, feeling terribly bad. On my way home, I got some biscuits for my two kids. On reaching home, my kids immediately snatched the biscuits. But just before I relaxed, my daughter (the younger one) returned the biscuits and asked me to open it for her. I quickly did.

Meanwhile, I noticed my older child still struggling to open his own biscuits. When he suddenly realized his younger sister had begun to eat hers, he hurried back to me and cried out, “Daddy, help me!” I laughed and opened his biscuits.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had been acting like my son. Instead of acting like my daughter who gave me back the gift so I could help her unwrap it, I was trying to maximize my gifts without God’s help.

Many of us fail to realize that God is a teacher who wants to teach us how to make the best use of the natural gifts He has given us.

Written by Ben Dankaka

Focus on what God wants you to do.

One day, Jesus compared the attitude of the Pharisees to a situation in the marketplace where some children complained because they played a flute but the people did not dance. And when they sang a funeral song, the people also didn’t mourn (Matthew 11:1-19).

Recall that when John the Baptist showed up, he drank no wine, lived in the wilds and lived, eating locusts. Jesus on the other hand, mingled. Yet, He was also criticized.

Whether you like it or not, people are going to say negative things about you. Get over it and focus on what God has called you to do.

Written by Ben Dankaka

Focus on your gifts!

One day, Jesus embarked on a journey to the Sea, so He could have a quiet time with His disciples. But a crowd of five thousand people followed Him.

Why would such a huge crowd of people, leave their villages and follow Jesus to a deserted place? According to the scriptures, the people had followed Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2).

To be a great leader, you would have to commit yourself to doing something that is of great value to others. The thousands that followed Jesus were mainly concerned with His miracles.

What can you do that will be of great value to others?

Written by Ben Dankaka

Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others.

Jesus once said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open” (Mark 4:2-25).

Also, whatever is concealed inside an envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is meant to be brought to the open. 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.

Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others. What are you doing with what you have received from God?

Written by Ben Dankaka

Not every solution is right.

While Paul and Silas were evangelizing, they got into trouble and were imprisoned. Confined in a prison cell, they began to worship God. Suddenly, a violent earthquake broke the prison doors. When the prison officer saw what happened, he tried to end his life, thinking the prisoners had escaped. But Paul stopped him (Acts 16:25-36).

One interesting thing about this story is the way Paul and Silas stayed faithful to their cause. The normal thing to do after the prison doors opened was to rush out, assuming it was God’s will. Instead, they remained in the cell and gained new converts.

Always stay focused on the big picture, regardless of the opportunities in front of you.

Written by Ben Dankaka