***Note! The “target audience” for this posting is for my precious family and close circle of friends. Feel free to read of course, just wanted you to know who I had in mind while writing.

This week I heard a story that moved me and I wanted to share it with you.

There was a certain dinner pary going on with several guests. One of the guests in attendance was an actor. After the meal, the actor stood and entertained the guests by reciting the 23rd Psalm. He executed his performance with perfection. When he was done, the guests clapped with wild enthusiasm. Shortly thereafter, another guest rose. He was an elderly gentlemen and with quiet sincerity and mounting emotion, he too quoted the 23rd Psalm. Unlike the first reciting, the guests did not clap or cheer. The room went completely silent and then the tears began to fall. Quiety the actor spoke. His words were profound. He looked at the older man and with conviction said, “Sir – I know the Psalm but you know the shephard.”

That line has stuck with me all week. There is an enormous difference between knowing the words and knowing the heart of the one who authored the truth isn’t there?

For this reason I write to you. I do not write this to be critical or condescending. I write this to encourage you. I think many people who I love and hold dear in my own circle of family and friends know the Psalm better than the Shepherd and I want to petition you to step up.

Lately, I have been studying the life of Paul. What an incredible man he was. Paul was humble yet forthright. He was the strongest when he was the weakest because he truly knew how to be dependent on God and allow himself to be carried. He understood trials on a level that few of us could ever dream. Here is his list of afflictions that he writes about in 2 Corinithians:

He was flogged with forty lashes minus one five different times (that is nearly to the point of death by the way).
Jailed many times.
Three times beaten with rods.
Stoned once.
Three times shipwrecked.
Spent a night and day in the open sea.
In danger from rivers, bandits, own countryman, gentiles, from the city, the country and at sea and from false brothers as well.
He was given an affliction (never named) that he begged with God three times to remove. God did not. You know what Paul later said about? Thank You – for in my weakest I am made strong.

While the bible does not make an account for Paul’s death, history suggests that Paul was beheaded about AD 60 during the reign of Nero. Ever read about the Roman Empire during the time of Nero? If anyone thinks we have it rough now, try being a 1st century Christian!!! Do you know how many Christians died in the arena’s? Helps you understand why Paul was so passionately ministering to the new converts. The arenas were a huge threat. Gives the movie Gladiator whole new meaning. Paul himself had been guilty of killing Christians before Christ called Him. A man under deep shame, lived forgiveness and grace on a level few ever understand. If shame gets in your way of being who you were called to be, the time has come to set that aside. Paul gives us no excuse for that.

Paul was a tent maker by trade. While culture and tradition would have dictated that he could have accepted 100% missionary support from the churches that he ministered too, he chose not to accept it from the majority. Why? Because he was concerned that if he accepted money that he would be accused of insincerity. Instead, he worked from the crack of dawn and then ministered throughout the day. He had one guiding principle of life…all for the glory of God. He understood very well the temporal state that we now live. He knew that all of this is truly for eternity.

When I read the words of Paul, I am continually reminded to store up my treasures where they count. Sometimes life is hard…very very hard. We never received any promise that it wouldn’t be though. We spend so much time trying to get God to change His plan that we miss the boat entirely. Every moment of our life is intended to be for His ultimate glory yet we don’t often live out those moments wisely do we? That is burdening my heart. I want my life to be pleasing to the Lord. Being a loving and godly wife, mother, and friend are all important but being a woman who brings glory to God is far more important. Each moment of my life counts. It counts towards things that are eternal.

There is a song by Everybody Duck that I love called “Use Me Here”. The words that capture me in this song are: “Use me here. Where I am. Not gonna pray anymore that you’ll change your plans. Despite my fears I lay my life in your hands. The future can’t wait. Tomorrow might be too late. Lord use me here.”

Are you in a situation right now where you are so discouraged with your circumstances that you have chosen to abandon your calling? It isn’t too late. I have said it again and again. Today is a new day.

Do you KNOW your shephard? Do you know and understand his words to you? How familiar are you with the scripture?:

Who are Priscilla and Aquila?
What did the apostle Luke do for a living?
What does Paul have to say about being a stumbling block?
Who was Solomon’s mother?
How many parables that Jesus gave could you cite off the top of your head?
What is the book of Ecclesiastes about?
Ever notice how many books of the NT start out “I Paul”… so many NT books were letters of instruction and encouragement to the early christian churches.

Just a few trivia questions off the top of my head. Why ask? Because I would guess that most of us don’t really really know our shephard. For those of us raised in church and discipled by godly people, it goes without saying that we have some form of foundation. However, if your knowledge of the bible does not extend beyond the basic Old and New Testament stories that you have learned in Sunday School than I have to ask you why not?

Please understand this is not coming from a heart of legalism. It is coming from a passion inside of me to help those I love step up their game and truly know and fall in love with your savior. We can’t claim to really love and know him when we don’t spend the time reading his letters to us. Am I the best bible trivia gal around? No. I am working on it though. Not because I want to know the trivial, because I want to memorize the truth. I want to know the ins and out and the why’s and what fors. I love the role that Priscilla and Aquila had in Paul’s life and I love that Priscilla (as a woman) had such an important teaching role in the life of so many. I think it is interesting to consider that Luke was a doctor when I read his account of the life of Jesus. I want to raise the bar in my own life when I read Paul’s words about the higher accountability that Christians have in leading in guiding the less mature in Christ. I love Bathsheba and David’s story. It helped me understand grace. Solomon was the gift that came after the heart ache. I love how Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes about essentially being too smart for our own good. Our own intelligence can be futile when we are full of our selves. The smartest can be the dumbest at times because they are the first to not be able to see the forest through the trees (I have seen this in my life). I love so many of the parables of Jesus because they demonstrate his heart of love and grace. Have you read I John? What a great book about love and accountability! It is short so you can read it everyday for a month to let it just sink in!

If not now, when? When will be the right time? When will life be so much different and afford you the opportunity and time to study? It won’t. There are always going to be challenges to our time. It comes down to what we prioritize. Do you want to be a sold out Jesus freak? Do you want to be a man/woman of incredible godly character? Do you want your savior to look at you and say “Well done thou good and faithful servant?” That needs to be our end goal…every single day. If you are just caught up in “living”, please take a moment today to get on your knees and ask Him what He would have you do. Have you found a church where you can be discipled? Are you taking it upon yourself to spend time in prayer and serious study? Are you continually thinking about what you can change in your life that would honor and glorify God? Is HE your reason? Your reason for everything?

I will be the first to say, that I am not setting myself up to be your example although it is my hearts desire to be a godly example. I have been burdened to the point of tears over this lately. Sometimes it seems to me that it takes a hunger. A deep deep craving insatiable hunger for God that creates the desire to really know Him. Even though, I am not always faithful to my calling, I know I have that hunger. I am trying to do what I can to make my life reflect the passion of my spirit…to really know him. I just felt compelled to write this to you because in my heart I believe there may be a few others that are wanting to make decisions in their life to step up and be who they are called to be and I just wanted to encourage those precious few – now is the time! Let’s do it!

As Steven Curtis Chapman would say “Will you abandon it all for for the sake of the call?”

With love – Doni