Hello everyone! I wanted to make this post a month before officially leaving for my 11-month mission trip with The World Race. If there is one thing I’ve learned over the past few weeks while preparing for this journey, as funny as it is, it’s that humans are dumb. Without a leader, we are unable to go on the proper path. We are sheep, in desperate need of a shepherd.
I was browsing Pinterest, as a girl would, looking for a new lock screen. Something aesthetically pleasing. I found a photograph of a field, with a black sheep, and a shepherd with an aura around his head. The line “My cup overflows” was in the corner, with Psalm 23. The verse held significance for me during my first mission trip to the Dominican Republic this past summer. On top of that, I like being reminded of God every time I look at my phone, but I didn’t pay enough attention to the deeper meaning of the sheep. I just really liked the photograph.
In Psalm 23, David states, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, I will not fear evil because you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me throughout my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Later that night, I attended my final FCA service at my college before graduating. We had the honor of listening to Brad Jones of Passion City Church. His entire sermon revolved around the question of “Is the Lord your shepherd?” Are you allowing him to direct your path and every move? Funny enough, the verse we examined was Psalm 23, talking about how we are sheep. We cannot do much for ourselves. And Jesus will leave the ninety-nine for the one. He clings to the ill. I looked down at my phone and smiled. It’s incredible how the Lord is constantly moving in our lives. The Holy Spirit is real, and he is continuously trying to reach us. We simply cannot live this life alone. When we follow and trust the good shepherd, we are filled back up when our cup runs empty. We cannot fill other people’s cups when our own is empty. And where is the source? Its fountain is Jesus Christ, the shepherd, and the living water. I needed reminding of that at FCA that night.
Another important lesson that I’ve learned is the simplicity of our salvation. I know some people don’t feel worthy, prepared, or ashamed of their background and are hesitant to approach God. “Jesus says, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick'” -Luke 5:31-32. God clings to the ill. He wants us to lay down our burdens on the altar. The truth is that we are all rotten sinners. We simply cannot carry out the Ten Commandments as instructed in the Old Testament. With sin, we are dead. Even if you were flawless from now on, it would not be enough to atone for the sins you have already committed. But, GUYS! The Good News of Jesus Christ fulfills that. Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life and die on the cross so that we could live in freedom. We are alive in Him. He wakes us up from death. Accepting Jesus as Lord and letting the Holy Spirit reside in you is the path to salvation.
The beauty of Christianity is that we are saved through faith rather than good deeds or works, so no one can boast. The Lord knows you better than anyone else. He is waiting to have a relationship with you, with open arms. Our actions do not make Jesus any more or less proud of us. When we think about it through the lens of needing to do good works, so God will be more proud of us, That’s like looking at Jesus on the cross and thinking it’s not enough. Thinking we need to add to his work. You cannot earn what has already been paid for. Accepting Jesus brings an outpouring of love. The overflow of grace is what motivates me to go out into the world and spread the good news!!!!!
Thank you for reading this, and the next time I post will be on the field!
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