

Psalm 119:10-11 - With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
According to rumor, sheep like to wander, perhaps believing that the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. We are the sheep of Jesus our Shepherd and, as typical sheep, we have quite a bit of experience in wandering. We are often tempted to stray from the paths of righteousness on which our Shepherd leads us. We follow the tempting voices of the world and set out to see and do what we should not see or do. We use angry, unkind words to hurt others, and we do not love one another as we should. That kind of off-road wandering is spiritually dangerous.
Jesus knows that we love to wander. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His own life to save us. He calls us to repentance and in forgiveness and love brings us back to Himself. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). We hear the voice of Jesus in the Word, in Holy Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, with faith in Jesus, we recognize and believe that those sacred words are the words of our God and Savior. As we hear and read and study the Scriptures, we store up the treasured words within ourselves, so we remember all that our Lord has done for us and all that He has taught us. With those words in our hearts, we see more clearly the righteous ways that God has laid out for us to follow.
The Word of God, our Shepherd's sacred voice, is also the called the sword of the Spirit. We are sheep who fight back! We war against our foe Satan, who prowls around like a roaring lion. We are told in Scripture to resist the devil, and he will flee from us. We resist Him with the Word stored in our hearts, remembered and recited, just as Jesus used Scripture to resist Satan's temptations. The Word shows us the mighty acts of God as He saved His people. In Scripture we read and treasure the prophetic promises that foretold Jesus' birth. We see how God's promises were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior. Through the Word of God, we see and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, our Shepherd's voice calls to us. As we listen to Him, we store His Word in our hearts. As the prophet Isaiah said of the Lord's precious voice, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21a). With the Word stored up in our hearts, we set our feet on the Shepherd's path and keep walking.
WE PRAY: Lord, help me to treasure Your holy Word and lead me on paths of righteousness. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does seeing God's children as sheep with Him as their Shepherd provide a good illustration for understanding our relationship to Him?
2. How can we hear the voice of Jesus?
3. Memorizing Bible verses is a great way to strengthen our faith. Which ones have you memorized to recall when you're facing temptation?
Today's Bible Readings: Nahum 1-3 Acts 23:1-15
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