So often in the daily grind of my life, I find myself faced with difficult choices and decisions. We all do! What to say, how to say it, where to go, what to do — What? When? Where? Why? How? These questions often turn into mind-boggling dilemmas. I often struggle with what I should do when I return home from work, where my children eagerly await my arrival, and a pile of unfinished projects is also calling for my attention. I must remember that my God and my family are first.

According to God's Word, we are to live our lives and base our decisions on His words — His facts. Jesus is, after all, the Way and the Truth. But in my weak human condition, I often decide what is right for me, according to what my heart says — my feelings.

STOP! Here is where we must all screech to a halt before choosing what road to walk down. Instead, let us ask what God says about our choices. Is it according to His will, or is it to satisfy ours? In Jeremiah 17:9, the Bible states, "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked." (NLT) Unfortunately, though, we are all going to make critical, life-altering decisions based on what this lying heart tells us, if we are not cautious.

I pray today that we will listen more closely to our heavenly Father's loving advice. May we tread carefully, consulting Him in prayer. May we read and meditate on His Word, memorizing Scriptures so that the truth becomes a part of our thinking process and our lives. Finally, may we seek wise counsel before impulsively making changes that may not be in our own, or our family's, best interests. God will direct our lives as we submit to Him and His methods for success: His Son, His Spirit, His Word, His people, and our prayers. Amen!

Prayer: O precious Lord, may our lives today be based on Your eternal truths and Your plan for living, rather than on our own false and fleeting feelings. May we learn to trust that You have our best interests in mind — always. Today, we dedicate our choices and decisions to You. May Your will, not ours, be done. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

When I came to the Lord many years ago, I was amazed that He could love and cherish a woman like me. At first glance, I might have been mistaken for the best friend, or maybe a roommate, of the Woman at the Well. That day, when I stumbled into the presence of Jesus, I had a difficult time looking at my own sin-stained image in the mirror. I had become that lone Samaritan woman to whom Jesus had offered His living water so many centuries before. My heart and my soul were deeply wounded by the world on many fronts — not to mention that I didn't have a very good track record of righteous living myself. I was parched, which made it easier for me to accept the gift of living water that Jesus so generously offered.

Over time, I have discovered that, in spite of our past mistakes, or even our present ones, we serve a God of second chances — a God who would rather die a painful death than lose even one of His precious sheep. Just like a shepherd lovingly cares for his sheep, our Lord tends to us. He washes our filthy wool, until we are each as white and soft as a little baby lamb. He feeds us with the bread of life — His Word — and satisfies our hunger. He allows us to drink from His living water and never thirst again.

Today, as we prepare to enter a not-so-kind world, we can rest assured that our Shepherd is by our side, guiding and directing His beloved flock. His love never falters or fails. Nothing, and that means nothing, can separate us from the love we have found in Christ Jesus, our Lord. If we fall down, and end up in a heap of rubble, or, worse yet, jump into a filthy puddle, our Shepherd will patiently clean our soiled wool, and cleanse our wounds. He once again places us on His solid ground, where we can walk boldly with the holy assurance that we are loved, always.

Romans 8:39 – Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we live in a world that is often against us. Help us to remember that in You we are secure. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from Your unfathomable love. Help us to rest assured that we belong to the most competent Shepherd ever. Remind us, if we fall in the mud today, not to wallow in it, but instead to return to You, and Your cleansing touch. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.