People gripe about being overwhelmed. Work…kids…finances…politics. We’re bullied, bulldozed, and bludgeoned with anxiety. Or so we say. Whatever happened to that leisurely lifestyle we’re promised due to all the labor-saving devices just around the corner? The more digital ease we experience, the more that worry crowds out pleasure and enjoyment. Or so it seems. Some never get away from their infernal phones.

That’s when two verses from the book of Deuteronomy soothe my own weary soul–‘And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all the blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God’ (Deut. 28:1-2).

Overwhelmed…with blessings. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about getting more moolah as promised when you dig even deeper, giving to some greedy TV evangelist. Or some well-meaning writer of weekly devotionals! No. Hardly. But there does seem to be some correlation between leading a godly life and what comes our way. Not all the time. No guarantees. Or false promises. But on average.

However, even if I get nothing from the Lord, or tragedy knocks at my front door demanding entry and getting it, I want to obey Him. To love Him for being my God and Savior. No matter what. For when life turns bleak, especially then, I want to obey and love the One who loves me more than I can imagine. Again, no matter what, I’m all in for Jesus. Regardless, I’m His.

To be open and honest, that’s my resolve. What I’d like to happen. But I know how feeble my follow-through can be. That I straddle the fence too often. Half-hearted obedience, making up excuses for why I’m selfish, pig-headed, and insensitive. It must be from contracting polio as a toddler. Poor little me. Or how others have meanly treated me. Woe is me. That explains it. Or does it? No answer is required. No comments from Howdy Doody’s ‘Peanut Gallery’!

Frankly, Jesus has given me more blessings than I’ve deserved. Way more. And I thank Him for such generosity. It will take me all eternity to give Him the credit He warrants. Maybe I should start now? You think?

Forever begins this very second. Why not count your many blessings, seeing what He’s done for you? Sing them over and over again. Those showers of blessing. Blessed assurance that Jesus is mine. And that I’m His. What could be better?

Make this week overflow with daily thanks to the One who lives to give. To Jesus our Lord.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for everything. Amen.

I’ve been misreading the 23rd Psalm. The most familiar of all. Yet I’ve goofed in understanding it. How? You know the opening words–‘The Lord is my shepherd…’ (Psalm 23:1). And Jesus speaking–‘I am the good shepherd’ (John 10:11). Who’s the shepherd? Obviously, God. And Jesus, God’s Son. So where are my crossed wires? Lend me your ears.

When renting the 15th-century ‘Old Manor House’ in Droitwich, England, we’re thrilled that the owner allows sheep to graze on all the lawns of his multi-acre property, nestled behind a walled mound that was a Roman moat. We get a kick out of watching their ambling along and rambling around, eating away munching on plums and apples, lazily lying down, then getting up to follow the sheep leader to another part of the same field.

One day their shepherd comes to haul them all away. For our evening meal? Perish the thought. When I ask the shepherd, Roy, what he’s up to, he reassures me that it’s mating season. Is he crossing his fingers behind his back, giving us a line of hooey, placating a couple of weak-stomached Americans? Strangely, we never see him or them again. We wonder.

What becomes clear is how obedient those wooly lawnmowers are to their shepherd on that fateful day. When he whistles, they pull up stakes and scram right toward him, cramming themselves, nose to nose like canned sardines, in his van. No rebels in their ranks. No mutiny on the lawns. That’s where I must come clean.

My version of Psalm 23 starts like this: ‘ I am my Lord’s shepherd, I lead…I want…I, I, I.’ Get out of the way. Lightning’s about to strike! For I’m instructing the Lord what should happen. Like I know best. Right? Wrong!

Of course, we have requests of Jesus in our prayers. He loves to hear from us. It’s open season with our pleas. But sometimes I get out of hand with great advice for the Almighty, telling Him what to do. Also how, when, and where. My bad, as people annoyingly say today.

So, I’m trying to let the Lord be my shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd, in whose care we can relax. Trust Him wherever He’s leading. Go with His flow. Follow Him. Get out of His way. Confident in His timing. Keeping our eyes and ears attuned to Jesus. It’s much better this way. After all, it’s what He wants. What else matters, really?

Lord Jesus, thank you for being my Good Shepherd. Amen.

When Al Jolson stars in the 1927 movie ‘The Jazz Singer’ something amazing happens. Talkies get the show on the road. Jolson tells his cabaret audience–‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I tell ya, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!’. Then to the stunned moviegoers’ surprise, he knocks their socks off singing ‘Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye!’ And Jolson is right–that’s only day one. Sound, color, and now digits. But in 1927 they ain’t heard nothin’ yet!

Back in Moses’ day, in Deuteronomy 3, he recounts to God’s people hat wthe Lord has done for them. Yet he barely scratches the surface. For God gives so much to His own. Then and now– salvation, forgiveness, freedom, protection, care, and provision. Best of all? His love. You name it, and He gives it…and more.

Deuteronomy 3: 23-24–“And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?'” ‘…you have only begun to show…’ It’s only the beginning. ‘You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!’

However long you’ve believed in Jesus, there’s much more ahead, the likes of which we can hardly imagine. When Columbus discovers America, he knows nothing of the Rocky Mountains, the mighty Mississippi River, the plains and deserts, lakes, wildlife, and native folk. He has no idea. But as time goes by, others uncover the unfolding majesty of this land.

Know that God has much more in store for us. When the Apostle Paul experiences some ecstatic moment that he can’t talk about, which he can hardly put into words, it’s not about what he sees, but what he hears that shocks him–‘…and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter’ (2 Cor. 12:3). Just the sounds of heaven prove incomparable. ‘You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!’

Heard, seen, touched, smelled…all amplified to the nth degree–that will be heaven for sure. Can hardly wait. But there’s more to do this side of paradise. Maybe it’s something more than doing. Possibly it’s growing to be all that God made us to be.

Spending time with our Lord, developing and deepening our love for Him. Opening closed doors in our minds and hearts, airing things out, and asking God to clean us up. Using His vacuum to remove our sins, so to speak. To grow and mature as believers in Jesus. Be the love of His life.

And know that whenever it’s our time to approach heaven’s gates, ‘You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!’

Lord Jesus, thank you for all you have in store for me now and then. Amen.