My Dad is bigger than your dad!

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.  I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28 NIV)

I remember as a child there were bullies in my neighborhood and especially down the street at the park where we used to play. I was usually afraid to anger them, as I would often find myself the brunt of their taunts.  I tried to stay out of the way, go unnoticed, so there would be no trouble.  We often had those, "my dad is bigger than your dad," moments.  To protect myself from these 10-year old thugs, I would tell them my father was a policeman. It worked for a while. Then it didn't.

I was reminded of this story when Jesus said, "no one can snatch them out of my hand." Isn't it a great feeling to know that there might be bullies in our world, but Jesus has us firmly seated in the palm of His hand?  Jesus will scoop us up and deposit us far out of harm's way. All we need do is call upon Him to help, cry out to him in our pain and our challenge, and He is there.

As an adult I find I still have moments like those from my youth when I am exploring new territory. I pray about what to do in order to get out of a fix I find myself in.  My mind takes me back a long time ago when I only had to run to my house and get into my own yard to be out of danger.  The bullies wouldn't dare follow me there.  I was safe.

I am safe in Jesus' arms too. He is the Good Shepherd and I am often that lost sheep He goes after. I thank God I know His voice.

John 10:22-30

Psalm 27

Prayer is Waiting

We wait in line at the grocery store. We wait in traffic. We wait to be seated at restaurants, then wait to give our order, wait to be served, wait for our check, wait for our change, and then wait to exit the parking lot so we can wait at the traffic light for our turn to go, so we can get to the next intersection and wait some more.

We accept this waiting because it is a must if we are to get what we want and remain safe.

Psalm 27: 1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:4-5 “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”

In this fast food, express line world, we forget what it is we are called to do. Psalm 27: 14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

He will give us what we desire, and He has promised to keep us safe. We can count on that promise. Our grocery stores, restaurants, and cars may offer us momentary satisfaction, but our true source of peace and contentment can be found only in the Lord.

As we conclude this series in Psalms, please remember that this book is a wonderful source of encouragement and comfort when this world beats us down. Psalms holds truth and hope for all of us. Turn to Psalms when you are tempted to close off the rest of the world and have yourself a pity party. Open the book of Psalms when those you thought were friends disappoint you. Rest in the book of Psalms when your heart is broken. His word is always there for you, and His promises remain.

Strength Will Rise As We Wait Upon The Lord!

Listen to “Everlasting God” by Chris Tomlin

Listen to/Read Psalm 27