SPRING FORTH NOW 2024

Monday, September 9, 2024

And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

Deuteronomy 6:10-18

The Good Shepherd does for His flock not because they will do everything right and get nothing wrong, but simply because of His deep commitment to their growth, security, and future prosperity.  God models this sense of unconditional commitment for us so that we too may represent in all of creation for whatever responsibility He gives to us; leaders for those who follow them, parents as they raise their children, mentors as they pour into their mentees.  Thus, the least we can do is to return gratitude, not as someone who is forced but in honor of the unconditional commitment given that serves as an incentive to be well and prosperous in our endeavors.  Remember, God is a jealous God and He desires for you to show forth His praise in your life that flows from your gratitude to and for Him.  Likewise, we too as leaders, parents, mentors, etc. must understand that our pouring out and into others must be from a position in which we are deeply committed to their well-being and prosperousness in their endeavors, reflecting our witness.  You and I are called to be God’s witnesses, the crown of His glory, His revelation to share our light for those, who are in darkness, that they may also come into the marvelous light of God’s promises for their life and life more abundantly.