For those who have His word planted within themselves, we are already made clean and pruned to produce every good work that is pleasing to God. Not that our works save us from our sin or grant us any special favor with God, but rather God our Father–who is also the gardener in this parable–has saved us by His grace and made us “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

If today you hear your Shepherd’s voice, respond in your heart and mind. Turn back to your Shepherd. When you pray, pray that Jesus would shepherd your family and protect you from all kinds of harm, whether physical or spiritual. When you trust in Him, He promises to be with you always.

The Lord is slowly working in my heart to change my need to be recognized, rewarded and repaid, and replacing it with a desire to fellowship more deeply with Christ and experience gratitude in all circumstances. I pray you find encouragement today in the all encompassing lifelong journey of following Jesus.

When we give into the lie that we can find something better apart from God, we ultimately end up enslaved and unsatisfied. But, when we have a right view of God and the world around us we are actually able to engage with and enjoy the things of this world in the way God intended, with him at the center, instead of trying to make them something they are not. This is the redemptive advantage that allows us to live life to its fullest potential.

No matter what chaos surrounds us, what pests are destroying the garden or what the weather is like, where do our eyes go? Where are we looking for guidance, strength, and sustenance? Sunflowers have the answer. Look to the Son.

If you are still under the power and authority of the kingdom of darkness, I urge you to renounce your citizenship by turning to Jesus Christ and away from sin. He offers citizenship to all who call upon His name and acknowledge Him as King. If you have been rescued into the Kingdom of the Son, I exhort you to remember what Jesus has done for you and reaffirm your commitment and loyalty to Christ as King.

God intends for us to be sharp and fit for use as well. In fact, God’s purpose for His people is to make us useful for His Kingdom, according to His own good will and pleasure. One of the primary ways that God accomplishes this is through personal discipleship.

Do you love Jesus? Is He at work in your heart and life? If you do and if He is, then you will talk about Him. And when we talk about Christ our hearts will be increasingly stirred with affection for Him!

As we work here on earth, we really can take nothing with us. This is not to say that what God calls us to build and create here is without meaning, but we need to remember our priorities, and that God Himself is the source of all beauty, life, and wealth.

As we grow older, we tend to become jaded. Inevitably we are hurt by others and we become guarded. We are burdened by life's many responsibilities and forget how to play. We lose our desire to explore and get outside of our "norm", so we settle for a lifestyle of complacency. There is so much out there that God still has for you if you would come to Him with child-like faith.

I strive to treat the Bible with the same amount of ease and enthusiasm as my garden, maintaining my soul daily to avoid rot, damage, and pests. I don't often succeed at this, because it takes more effort for me to crack open the Word and take a good look at myself than it does to fix plants. But I know the results will be priceless.

When we disregard God’s commands and give into our sinful desires, it’s like staring into the headlights of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler and hoping not to crash. Whenever we allow our eyes to look upon the things that God clearly commands us not to look upon, this leads to patterns of unrighteous living, which eventually leads to death.

I had gone into the woods hoping to hear from God, but I think He was delighted for the opportunity I had to simply be with Him. The best kinds of relationships in life are not transactional. Sadly, I have a tendency to treat my relationship with God as if it was. The best and most intimate relationships are ones that don't require an agenda, or an outcome. God keeps gently reminding me that he didn't save me just so that I could serve him (although that is part of it). He saved me simply because He loves me and He wants me to be with him...Today, tomorrow and for the rest of eternity.

While we are running short on wisdom, inspiration, and direction, God never runs out. When our way seems dark, we must only hold tighter to His hand.

Through footprints unseen, we have confidence that God causes "all things to work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). With each passing wave, let these trials have their full effect: producing an enduring faith that makes us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It blows my mind that God is infinitely more generous and creative than this. I often don't pray for my dreams and desires, thinking God will discard them as pointless or unnecessary. However, Ephesians 3:20 says that God can do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." He knows how time, space, my finances, my family, and the world all fit together together like complex machinery, while I have no such perspective. Don't be afraid to ask God for your dream, the deepest desire of your heart. He may see a way where you see a wall.

The human heart is prone to wander which is why it is so important to remind ourselves of the truths of Jesus every day, every hour, every moment if need be. The gospel reminds us that Jesus is the only thing worth putting all faith and trust in. His love for us was proven at the cross, and for those who believe, it is not only what we fall back on, but the very thing on which we stand.

I've found that as these doubts arrive, God gives us sweet assurances of his grace as we continue to press into him. He is true to his word. He WILL work in and through us if we believe and obey Him. My prayer is that we will no longer be surprised, but never cease to be amazed that we serve a loving God who saves sinners, transforms lives and uses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish his purposes in a broken world.

As soon as you commit your life to Christ, you are not alone. Immediately, you are mortared onto the strongest, most unbreakable structure that ever was, a building that will only grow taller throughout eternity. It's easy to get bogged down in personal conflicts, the state of the modern church, or pain we've experienced from Christians in the past. But through all of that, do not forget - if we belong to Christ, we belong to the His building, along with all the prophets and apostles of old! We are unbreakable.

Regularly taking a moment to pause, praise and give thanks may seem insignificant, but I am convinced that our habits are constantly forming us into the people we are becoming. If you're like me and you tend to get caught up in the busyness of the day, take a moment now and ask God to grow in you a heart of constant gratitude! He hears your prayers and desires to help you!