Time Out! Devotions

(devotional written by Max Lucado from MaxLucado.com)

The sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. — John 10:3

WHEN I SEE a flock of sheep I see exactly that, a flock. A rabble of wool. A herd of hooves. I don’t see a sheep. I see sheep. All alike. None different. That’s what I see.

But not so with the shepherd. To him every sheep is different. Every face is special. Every face has a story. And every sheep has a name. The one with the sad eyes, that’s Droopy. And the fellow with one ear up and the other down, I call him Oscar. And the small one with the black patch on his leg, he’s an orphan with no brothers. I call him Joseph.

The shepherd knows his sheep. He calls them by name.

When we see a crowd, we see exactly that, a crowd. Filling a stadium or flooding a mall. When we see a crowd, we see people, not persons, but people. A herd of humans. A flock of faces. That’s what we see.

But not so with the Shepherd. To him every face is different. Every face is a story. Every face is a child. Every child has a name. The one with the sad eyes, that’s Sally. The old fellow with one eyebrow up and the other down, Harry’s his name. And the young one with the limp? He’s an orphan with no brothers. I call him Joey.

The Shepherd knows his sheep. He knows each one by name. The Shepherd knows you. He knows your name. And he will never forget it. “I have written your name on my hand“ (Isaiah 49:16).

Quite a thought, isn’t it? Your name on God’s hand. Your name on God’s lips. Maybe you’ve seen your name in some special places. On an award or diploma or walnut door. Or maybe you’ve heard your name from some important people—a coach, a celebrity, a teacher. But to think that your name is on God’s hand and on God’s lips . . . my, could it be?

Or perhaps you’ve never seen your name honored. And you can’t remember when you heard it spoken with kindness. If so, it may be more difficult for you to believe that God knows your name.

But he does. Written on his hand. Spoken by his mouth. Whispered by his lips. Your name. And not only the name you now have, but the name he has in store for you. A new name he will give you . . .

When God Whispers Your Name is a book of hope. A book whose sole aim is to encourage. I’ve harvested thoughts from a landscape of fields. And though their size and flavors are varied, their purpose is singular: to provide you, the reader, with a word of hope. I thought you could use it.

You’ve been on my mind as I’ve been writing. I’ve thought of you often. I honestly have. Over the years I’ve gotten to know some of you folks well. I’ve read your letters, shaken your hands, and watched your eyes. I think I know you.

You’re busy. Time passes before your tasks are finished. And if you get a chance to read, it’s a slim chance indeed.

You’re anxious. Bad news outpaces the good. Problems outnumber solutions. And you are concerned. What future do your children have on this earth? What future do you have?

You’re cautious. You don’t trust as easily as you once did.

Politicians lied. The system failed. The minister compromised. Your spouse cheated. It’s not easy to trust. It’s not that you don’t want to. It’s just that you want to be careful.

There is one other thing. You’ve made some mistakes. I met one of you at a bookstore in Michigan. A businessman, you seldom came out of your office at all and never to meet an author. But then you did. You were regretting the many hours at work and the few hours at home and wanted to talk.

And the single mom in Chicago. One kid was tugging, the other crying, but juggling them both, you made your point. “I made mistakes,” you explained, “but I really want to try again.”

And there was that night in Fresno. The musician sang and I spoke and you came. You almost didn’t. You almost stayed home. Just that day you’d found the note from your wife. She was leaving you. But you came anyway. Hoping I’d have something for the pain. Hoping I’d have an answer. Where is God at a time like this?

And so as I wrote, I thought about you. All of you. You aren’t malicious. You aren’t evil. You aren’t hardhearted, (hardheaded occasionally, but not hardhearted). You really want to do what is right. But sometimes life turns south. Occasionally we need a reminder.

Not a sermon.

A reminder.

A reminder that God knows your name.

From When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Revelation 2:9-11 (NCV)

⁹ I know your troubles and that you are poor, but really you are rich! I know the bad things some people say about you. They say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue that belongs to Satan. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.

Everyone would like to feel good and live comfortably, but pain is part of life — and it is not easy to suffer, no matter what the cause. Jesus commended the church at Smyrna for their faith in the midst of suffering. He then encouraged them that they need not fear the future if they remained faithful.

If you are experiencing difficult times, don’t let them turn you away from God. Instead, let them draw you toward greater faithfulness. Trust Him and remember your heavenly reward (Revelation 22:12-14). God is especially near to those who suffer for Him.”Ten days” means that although suffering may be intense, it will be relatively short. It has a definite beginning and end, and God remains in complete control.

The message to the church at Smyrna is to remain faithful throughout their suffering because God is in control and His promises are reliable. Jesus never says that by being faithful to Him we will avoid troubles, suffering, and persecution. Rather, we must be faithful to Him in our sufferings. Only then will our faith prove itself genuine. We remain faithful by keeping our eyes on Christ and on what He promises for us now and in the future (Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:8).

(from the Life Application Bible)

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

John 14:1, 3 (NIV)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. … I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Mark 5:36 (NIV)

Jesus [said], “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Luke 1:37 (NIV)

For nothing is impossible with God.

Psalm 116:1-2 (NIV)

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 65:5 (NIV)

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

2 Corinthians 4:8, 17-18 (NIV)

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Matthew 6:32-33 (NIV)

Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

1 John 4:18 (NIV)

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Psalm 34:7-8 (NIV)

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

James 5:13 (NIV)

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

Romans 8:31 (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

PSALM 92

¹It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, LORD Most High!

²It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are.

³I enjoy praising your name to the music of harps, ⁴because everything you do makes me happy, and I sing joyful songs.

⁵You do great things, LORD. Your thoughts are too deep ⁶for an ignorant fool to know or understand.

⁷Though the wicked sprout and spread like grass, they will be pulled up by their roots.

⁸But you will rule over all of us forever, ⁹and your hateful enemies will be scattered and then destroyed.

¹⁰You have given me the strength of a wild ox, and you have chosen me to be your very own.

¹¹My eyes have seen, and my ears have heard the doom and destruction of my terrible enemies.

¹²Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.

¹³They will take root in your house, LORD God, and they will do well.

¹⁴They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful, even when they are old.

¹⁵And they will say about you, “The LORD always does right! God is our mighty rock.”

Throughout the Psalms, we are reminded and even commanded to give thanks to the Lord. Thanksgiving Day should never become a substitute for the daily expression of gratitude to God for all that He has done.

Because our culture is largely characterized by ingratitude, we need to work at developing a grateful heart. Even in prayer, we can become self-centered and drift from one petition to another without a word of praise to God. Giving thanks refocuses our attention onto the Lord as we remember His love and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.

Thanksgiving refreshes our souls as we spend time with God, concentrating on His goodness and grace. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and despondency with joy. If you wake up each morning and thank the Lord for deliverance from the power of sin, provision for all your needs, and guidance for the day ahead, what is left to cause worry or discouragement?

Gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the past increases faith and strengthens trust in Him for the future. Remember how He carried you in times of pain, helped you in periods of weakness, and supplied all your needs. You can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.

To establish a habit of thanksgiving, recall God’s lovingkindness in the morning, and recount His faithfulness at night. Thank Him for blessings—and also for the deep work He is doing in you through difficulties. As you start to see situations from His perspective, your gratitude and trust will grow.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from the November 2009 issue of In Touch devotional magazine)