“That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.” Ephesians 2:19-22 MSG One word I often use to describe my life before Christ is “lost.” I didn’t understand what I felt during those years, but now that I look back, I was adrift and felt invisible. I am so thankful that I have found my home in God. I was welcomed in with open, loving, and forgiving arms, and because of that, I’ll never be the same. I have discovered purpose and I live life much more intentionally now that I understand that…

“He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’ ” Acts 7:8 NLT I struggle with having patience. I always open the microwave before it dings, coax along the red traffic light, and I hate being late. I feel like I am always in a state of busyness, rushing from one task to the next and never setting aside the time needed to listen and rest. The Message translation puts the above scripture like this “He told them, ‘You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business.’ ” How often I wish that I could accelerate God’s timing to better align with my own. The thing is, if that were possible, I would make a mess of things. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God isn’t taking His time just for the sake of taking His time. He isn’t dragging the process out, holding out on you, or withholding His favor. He knows what…

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalms 23:2 KJV While studying Psalm 23, I became fascinated with sheep. We are compared to sheep numerous times in scripture, so I decided to research information and facts about sheep. In my studies, I came across four needs that must be met before sheep lie down and rest. These facts are according to Phillip Keller, as written in his book “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.” One: Sheep must be free of all surrounding fear. Two: There mustn’t be any friction between other sheep in the flock. Three: The sheep must not be tormented by insects, flies, or parasites. Four: They must be free from hunger or thirst. The significance of this scripture becomes even more apparent when you discover where sheep would typically graze in ancient Israel. When thinking of green pastures, a vivid image of rolling green hills immediately comes to mind. This was not the case in ancient Israel though. Sheep were led to the Judean wilderness, which bears a stark difference from what we would call green pastures. In this area, moist wind blows from the west and falls…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 KJV We can read in 1 Samuel 16:11 that David was “keeping the sheep” and therefore not called in alongside his brothers to greet Samuel. It is important to note King David’s understanding of the role of a shepherd, for David was a shepherd before he was anointed king. David’s unique perspective meant that he understood the way of the wilderness and also the way of the palace. If the Lord is my shepherd, then I must be a sheep. Sheep are timid animals that scare easily. They require a shepherd to guide them to food, water, and places to rest. It is the shepherd’s responsibility to lead the sheep well, and it’s the sheep’s responsibility to follow. “I shall not want” in this scripture means “to lack, to be without, to decrease, to be in need.” If I make God my shepherd, I can trust that I will be led safely through life. I will never go without, and will never be in need. This does not mean my life will always overflow with material things such as wealth, status, and authority. It simply means I will never lack…