Daily Devotion for September 28, 2010
Prayers
Scripture
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
In the morning, when I rise,
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus.
Chorus:
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone, give me Jesus.
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die, give me Jesus.
Music and Lyrics by Fernando Ortega
Prayer for the Day Ahead (from an old Prayer Book)
Almighty God, my heavenly Father, who declares your glory and shows forth your creation in the heavens and in the earth; Deliver me, I pray, in whatever work my hand may find today, from the service of mammon; and assist me, that I may do the work which you have given me to do, in truth, in beauty, and in righteousness, with singleness of heart as your servant, and to the benefit of my fellow men; for the sake of him who came among us, humbling himself to serve all who came to him and received him, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dwell with Me
Alone with none but thee, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when thou art near O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
So dwell in me, I pray to thee, ’til breath shall pass away.
Meditation
[Am I temperate in my work and recreation?]
Benediction
May I go in peace, with God and with his other children, and may we love one another as Christ taught us. May I follow the example of good men of old, and may God comfort and help me and all who believe in Him, both in this world and in the world which is to come.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
John 10:11-21 (ESV)
Jesus the Good Shepherd [Part 2]
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Notes on the Scripture
esus continues to flesh out the metaphor of the good shepherd, speaking of how a good shepherd does not run from a wolf. He is anticipating his sacrifice, for his time has come. He is letting his disciples know, in the most roundabout manner, that as their shepherd, he will have to stand fast in the face of certain death.
He also treats a theme which will cause some dissension, telling the listening Jews that he has “sheep that are not of this fold,” that is, people who are not Jews. He is very clear about this: There is to be one flock, consisting of Jews and Gentiles alike, and one shepherd, Jesus Christ.
People speak of “churches,” and they may mean a building, or a congregation, or a denomination. But there is only one church, the flock of those who have been saved by their belief in Christ, and Christ himself tells us this without any room for doubt.
Notice that this chapter is a continuation of Chapter 9. He is still lecturing those Jews who have assembled to question him about healing the blind man. Now, though, the ones who “hear” him are also beginning to be convinced, not only by the healing miracle, but also by his words.
