Bible Reading
According to the Bible reading plan we are using, today there aren’t specific scriptures assigned. Use today to catch up if you are behind in your reading. Or, use today to read ahead. Read Psalm 29 & Proverbs 29 since it is the 29th day of the month.
Below Sis. Yoga has included many scriptures in her devotion. There are a vast number she could have added to this list. Dig a little deeper after reading her devotion and add some scriptures that will remind you that God is truly your Comforter and Strength!
Daily Devotion
My Comforter and Strength
By Yoga Raj
I was familiar with the term ‘ewe lamb’ from the renowned passage in 2 Samuel Chapter 12, where the prophet Nathan confronts David with a story, illustrating Uriah’s (poor man) love and care for his wife Bathsheba (ewe lamb). 2 Samuel 12:1-3 “So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little (ewe) lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.”
A few months ago, I was introduced to the term ‘bummer lamb’ while reading a devotional. Summary below.
“Bummer lamb is one that has been rejected or couldn’t be fed by its ewe mother. There are many reasons for this circumstance. The ewe mother may have passed away, failed to produce enough milk, suffered from sickness etc. The little bummer lamb will hang its head so low that it will look like something is wrong with its neck. Its spirit is broken. Unless the shepherd intervenes, it is hard for the lamb to thrive and become normal. So, do you know what the shepherd does? He takes that little one into his home, hand-feeds it and keeps it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up with blankets and will hold it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock. But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for it when it was rejected and alone. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first? That’s right, the bummer lamb! The bummer lamb knows his voice intimately. It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it. It just believes it because it has experienced that love, one on one.”
There are many scriptures in the Bible that show how much the Lord loves and cares for us, EVERYDAY.
Jehovah Raah – The Lord my Shepherd
Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will provide
Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is Peace
El Roi – God who sees
· Psalms 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
· Psalm 121:1-2 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
· Psalms 9:9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is there
· Psalms 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
· Psalms 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Jehovah Rapha – The Lord that Heals
· Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
· Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
Adonai – Lord & Master
· Isaiah 54:4,5 You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
· Psalm 68;5,6 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
In life, there would have been or will be times when we face rejection, loneliness, brokenness, depression, anxiety, fear or grief, just like the bummer lambs. But He is the good Shepherd that cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart so we can hear His heartbeat. We are deeply loved by the Shepherd. The Lord provides for the needy, strengthens the weak, comforts the depressed, heals the brokenhearted, frees the ones in bondage, delivers the oppressed, gives justice for the deprived, defends the abused, protects the rights of foreigners and minorities. With loss or separation, the Lord Himself becomes the Husband of the widow, He Himself becomes the Father to the fatherless, Jesus becomes the Head of that household.
Jesus came down to the earth with a mission.
Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
In my relationship and intimacy with Jesus, of all the traits the Lord possesses, the most I could relate to, is Him being my comforter and strength. I can depend on Him and trust Him, day by day, knowing that He will give me endurance to face everything that comes my way. Friends and acquaintances move on with their priorities, relationships end, our loved ones leave when it is time for them to be with the Lord, but Jesus will ALWAYS be with us. He has always been my comforter and strength and will always be. He is the BEST THING that has ever happened to me!
Lord, You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me – https://youtu.be/ZQ9x5F9hAE4