SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME

Today’s Text: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re focusing on just the first part of this text. Goodness and mercy are following us. Do you know what that means?! That means that we’d have a hard time trying to get away from them. That means that all we have to do is turn around and they’re ours. God wants us to return to Him, He wants us to turn around and accept His goodness and mercy. He hasn’t sent them to follow us for nothing. He loves us. He cares about us. He is offering His goodness and mercy to each one of us right now. Please turn around and accept them – they won’t stop following you. God’s goodness and mercy is always available, it will always be within reach.

Today’s Testimony: I’ve mentioned before that the Lord is my Tutor for my studies. He is so patient with me. I am a “professional” procrastinator but He always intervenes with my assignments and exams. He has been, and is working on me and my bad habits, but He has always been so merciful to me. He truly is so good, when I really don’t deserve it. He has never said, “I’m sorry child, but this time you’ll have to bear the consequences.” But I know that I do need to stop procrastinating so much, and so, as I said, the Lord and I are working on the problem.
Do you remember the two year modules that I mentioned before, and their rather complicated second assignments (Day 49)? I said that I’d share about the complications and God’s intervention with the other one at a later stage, and I’m going to share that now.
The other assignment had five tasks of which I had to do three. The first task was compulsory, and then I had to choose the other two. That was the first complication. One of the tasks required me to design a poster. I usually submit my assignments online, but if I chose the poster I had to either send my assignment via post or take it directly to UNISA. At first I thought that I wouldn’t do that task, but then the Lord and I started designing one in my mind for fun. I really liked our design, so I decided that I would choose that as one of my tasks after all.
My step-dad was going to take my assignment in to UNISA, and the night before, I sat filling out the assignment cover that had to go with my assignment. I wasn’t used to filling one in because it isn’t necessary when submitting online. Once I’d filled in all my details, I saw a spot that said, “Affix your student number barcode here”. I couldn’t think what they were talking about, and decided to go to bed and ask my sister in the morning.
When I asked her she said, “O, that’s those barcode stickers that UNISA gave you.” I had never used them, and had no idea where I’d put them. I had completely forgotten all about the sheet of stickers. My step-dad was going to have to leave for work soon, so I had a problem. I prayed!!!
I started looking, and then the Lord said to me, “Lindy, it’s in that box.” I looked a bit in that box, but thought, “This isn’t a box of papers, it won’t be in here.” I kept looking everywhere else, and the Lord kept saying, “Lindy, it’s in that box.” Finally, when I’d searched thoroughly everywhere else that I could think of, I decided to take a good look in that box. …I didn’t need to look very far at all, it was right near the top.
God is so good and so merciful!!! He always intervenes for me, even though I do have a terrible procrastination problem. But like I said, “He’s working on me.” But in the meantime – He is so patient! And then on top of that, He didn’t give up on me when I wasn’t listening to His voice telling me where those stickers were. My God is so merciful and so good! Is He your God too?

Today’s Task: Turn around and accept God’s goodness and mercy. He is truly so good and so merciful. No matter what you’ve done, if you return to Him, His arms are open; He is more than willing to forgive you. Please don’t disappoint Him, He wants to spend eternity with you. He loves you so much. Please turn to Him today.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You that You never give up on us. I thank You that Your goodness and mercy follow us. Please help us to fully surrender to You. We need You. I thank You for Your patience with us. I thank You that You love us so much. I praise You and thank You in Christ’s name, Amen.

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

Today’s Text: A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. (Proverbs 28:20)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to take a look at the last part of Psalm 23:5. When our cups run over, it means that God has poured far more than we need, and that He still has excess. God owns everything. He can bless us with what we need, and with far more than we need. He wants to bless us. He wants us to realize just how much He loves us. If we are faithful to God He will faithfully take care of us and even bless us more abundantly than we could ever imagine. We just need to place our trust in Him. Nothing that we could ever gain ourselves can compare to what God can give us.

Today’s Testimony: Today is day 61. That means that I’ve shared 60 testimonies so far – my cup runneth over. God has blessed me so much. I asked the Lord what He wanted me to share with today’s text, and He told me to share how He has blessed me so abundantly with Bibles – I’m crazy about Bibles. Don’t ask me why, but for some or other reason I just like them.
I have so many different Bibles. I had a few of my own, and then my gran gave me many different translations that had belonged to my grandpa. He had worked at a publishing house and also loved Bibles and books. Another thing that I love is language, and Afrikaans is the only other language that I can kind of understand, so I have two Afrikaans Bibles. But I probably wouldn’t mind having Bibles in any other languages either.
At one stage I was looking for a small KJV Bible that could fit in my handbag. I went into the Bible shop and found two piles of two different small Bibles. I can’t remember if they weren’t the translation that I was looking for, if they were not within my price range, or just not exactly what I was looking for, but I didn’t want to buy one of those. But the Lord impressed me to look through both piles of Bibles. Buried in the second pile of Bibles was exactly what I was looking for. It was a small, soft-cover KJV Bible for only R30. God is so good! He knew what I was looking for, and He knew just where I could find it.
On another occasion we went to a second-hand book shop. We were there for quite a while, but I got no further than the Bible section. Just think – all sorts of different Bibles to look at! (I told you I’m crazy about Bibles). I scanned the shelves, looked at a few, and then sat on the floor to look through the piles of smaller Bibles and related books that were on the floor. So many of them were the same, but I looked through each pile. In amongst all those Christian books was a small English dictionary. It looked like one of the Bibles that there were a lot of, and had obviously been mistaken for one. I was so excited! I bought that and a small Afrikaans Bible for only R5. I got my second Afrikaans Bible for free from the same place on another occasion, that one is the normal size. God is so good!!!
I also bought a Bible key-ring a while ago for about R6. I’ve wanted one for years, and I was finally able to buy one at a reasonable price. God is so good! He has blessed me so abundantly with so many blessings. He truly does love His sheep!
God blesses us with what we need, but also sometimes blesses us with special little things simply to say, “I love you child!” I love Him too!

Today’s Task: Count your blessings. Your cup is running over – you just may not have noticed yet. If you are going through a rough time ask the Lord to show you your overflowing cup. He cares about His children. Praise Him for all His blessings – big and small. He deserves our praise!

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You for all Your many blessings! I praise You that you overflow our cups every single day. Please help us to notice. Lord, please remind us to always praise You for every blessing. I thank You that You love and care about each and every one of us. We love You too! Amen.

THOU ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL

Today’s Text: Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. (Isaiah 41:9)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re looking at the third part of Psalm 23:5. When God chose David as King of Israel He had the prophet Samuel anoint him with oil. This anointing was a symbol that God had chosen him, and called him to do a great work for him. God can, and has, called each one of us to do a great work for Him. He has asked us to be witnesses for Him. He has asked us to work for Him. He may call us out of a life of pride and ease to be His servants – we need to obey. The life that God can give us is far more worthwhile than any life that this world can offer. God has chosen us to be His sheep, He will not cast us away – He loves us far too much.

Today’s Testimony: Today I’d like to share another one of my songs. This one speaks about the Lord hand-picking us. He loves each and every one of us, and He’ll find us no matter where we are. We just need to allow Him to be our Shepherd.

More Than The Extra Mile

You came and found me when I sought You not
You came and bought me when death was my lot
You picked me up as broken as I was
And now I praise You simply because…

You went more than the extra mile for me
You went beyond the call of duty
You did not owe anything to anyone
Lord I stand in awe when I think of all that You have done
For me
And then I praise Thee

You were my Saviour before I was born
You were my Healer before I was torn
You paid my price when I deserved to die
And now I praise You and this is why…

You went more than the extra mile for me
You went beyond the call of duty
You did not owe anything to anyone
Lord I stand in awe when I think of all that You have done
For me
And then I praise Thee

You went more than the extra mile for me

Today’s Task: Allow the Lord to pick you up as His own. And when He has anointed you, go and work for Him. Be a powerful witness for your Shepherd. Tell the world what He has done for you. Show the world what Christ is really like. Make your Master proud. Go the extra mile for Him – He went more than the extra mile for you.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You so much that You were prepared to go more than the extra mile for us. We do not deserve to be saved, but You could not bear to see us lost. Please help us to accept Your gift of Salvation. Lord, we don’t want to disappoint You by choosing our own paths and not making it to spend eternity with You. Help us to work for You so that all that would accept You will have that opportunity. Lord I thank You that You have chosen and called us. Help us to make You smile. Amen.

IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES

Today’s Text: He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. (Psalm 18:48)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re looking at the second part of Psalm 23:5. The Lord can prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. He can bless us so abundantly right before our enemy’s eyes. He can deliver us from our enemies and leave them speechless. He can lift us up above those that try to belittle us. God is our Shepherd – our enemies are God’s enemies – He will intervene.

Today’s Testimony: I only really have one enemy, and that’s Satan himself. He does all sorts of things to interfere with the tasks the Lord gives me. I’ve mentioned before that Satan hates this ministry and I’ve mentioned some of the things he does to interfere, and then how God intervenes. Today I’m going to share some more, and then tell you how God does not let that stop His purposes – He still glorifies His name.
When I went to update Today’s T’s blog after e-mailing the previous one, I somehow managed to accidently delete the entire archive page (that’s where all the past Today’s T’s are available for downloading or simply to view). I emailed my technical manager and he was able to recover up until Day 38. I had to redo the other 20. It didn’t take too long and I didn’t get chucked out of Blogger while fixing the archive page. God is so good!
Now let me share some of the blessings about blog views. The biggest blessing is that there is a certain website that has Today’s T’s blog as the first recommended site to visit while waiting for their service. Many people have visited the blog through that avenue. As for who has viewed the blog, let me simply share all the places that have viewed so far. Firstly, the most views have been from South Africa. Then we have quite a few views from the United States. We have then had views from the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, Russia, Iran and Indonesia. And most of those places have viewed more than once. God is so good! Probably a lot of those people had no idea that they were going to visit a Christian site, but I hope that what they read or saw spoke to their hearts. The whole world needs a Saviour, and only Christ can save them.
Satan keeps trying to attack this ministry, but God keeps blessing it. My biggest blessing lately was when I received an e-mail from someone who is now a good friend of mine. He shared his testimony and how much Today’s T’s means to him. After I read his e-mail I was left praising and saying, “That’s what Today’s T’s is for!” It’s to reach those who really need it. His testimony really gave me an extra boost of strength to go on. God knew I needed some encouragement, so He impressed a Today’s T’s recipient to e-mail me. God is so good!!! He sets a table full of blessings before me, in the very presence of Satan. Our Shepherd cares about His sheep!

Today’s Task: Trust in the Lord. He can deliver you from all your enemies and all your trials. He will never leave you to fight the battle on your own. Ask Him to set your table in the presence of your enemies. Then be sure to let them know that it’s your God that has blessed you – they need Him.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You that You are God, and therefore can save us from any enemy. Please bless us and let our enemies see and know that we serve an absolutely amazing and loving God. Help us to use each and every blessing as a powerful witness for You. I thank You that You will fight against our enemies. Please help us to trust in You completely. Amen.

THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME

Today’s Text: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:5)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to focus on just the first part of this text: Thou preparest a table before me; then tomorrow we’ll discuss the table that’s set in the presence of our enemies. God blesses us in so many ways. He provides for all our needs. He spreads a whole table full of blessings before us, just as a shepherd takes his sheep to a whole pasture full of lush, green grass. We do not need to worry about our needs being met – Our Shepherd is in control of that. He’s the one that gives us everything we have, and He will make sure that our table is always prepared with what is best for us.

Today’s Testimony: This morning while I was thinking what I could share today, the Lord said to me, “Lindy, I prepare a table before you every day full of all the blessings and testimonies that you could share, we just have to choose one. Share that.” The Lord truly has blessed me in so many ways. I still have so many testimonies to share, and the Lord still continues to bless.
Sometimes I’ll sit and page through my prayer-diary to find the perfect testimony for that day. Other times the Lord will bring one to my mind, and if it’s recorded in my prayer-diary He’ll help me to find it so I can double-check some of the details or quote from it.
Then the Lord will help me to find the perfect text to share with that testimony. He prepares a whole table full of all the testimonies I could share, and then He has a whole Bible full of texts that He helps me to choose from.” I encourage you to read His Word – it’s full of blessings.
At the moment it’s a little bit more complicated because I’m working up-side-down. Instead of finding a testimony and then looking for the perfect text, my text is chosen for me or I have to look for a text to fit in with the portion of Psalm 23 that we’re sharing for that day, and then I have to find a testimony to fit with the text. God has blessed me in so many different ways though, the table is always full.
When I started working on Today’s T’s the Lord blessed me with so many more experiences to share. He said, “Lindy, I’ve provided for your financial needs, your study needs (exams and assignments), and for so many other needs – I will provide you with testimonies to share. Move forward, you will not run dry.” God is so good!!!
Your table is full of blessings too, just stop and take the time to look. God blesses us every single day. There are so many blessings that we take for granted, until we don’t have them anymore. And then there are so many blessing that we are totally unaware of. God loves us so much! Please love Him back.

Today’s Task: Count your blessings. And then thank the Lord for each one. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to His blessings. If you are in need of anything, ask the Lord to provide, He will prepare a whole table before you. Remember that He cares about you so much. And then please, remember to love Him back.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You so much for Your providence! I thank You that You prepare a table full of blessings for us each and every day. Help us to stop and look at our tables to see all the blessings that You have provided. I thank You so much for every single blessing – those we count, those we over-look, and those we are unaware of. You are so good Lord and I praise You! Amen.

THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME

Today’s Text: Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to take a look at the last part of Psalm 23:4. A shepherd uses his rod to protect his sheep from wolves and other enemies. He uses his staff to support himself when leading His sheep. For sheep, knowing that their shepherd is there, and fully able to protect them from danger, and to guide them along, sometimes dangerous, paths is a huge comfort to them. They have no need to fear. It’s the same with the Lord. We should be comforted in knowing that our great God is present and fully able to protect and guide us no matter who or what the enemy. We can hide ourselves safely in the Lord. Our hearts will be left with songs of deliverance. Our God is fully able and prepared to deliver us from all harm.

Today’s Testimony: Let me share the behind the scenes of Today’s T’s.
Some friends of mine had drifted a bit from the Lord, and I heard two people talking and the one said, “If only someone would send them a Scripture text or something every day.” A while before, I had been sending a friend a Scripture text and my thoughts on the text every single day, including weekends, for a total (there was a pause for a while in between) of six months, so I thought, “I could do that.”
The Lord then started unwrapping exactly what he wanted me to do – “I want you to send a text and call it Today’s Text, just as you did for your friend. Then I want you to send the thoughts on that text that I give you, and call it Today’s Thoughts….” I can’t remember exactly how it all unfolded, but you all know what the end result was. The Lord led with what to include, and what to call this ministry.
Being me, I was standing in awe and so excited. I started working on one the very next morning. I didn’t allow myself enough time to really think it through: “Lindy, are you crazy?!!! You are planning to send all that, every day. Isn’t that a little bit daunting?!” I don’t know, it was the same with Praise Corner – the Lord often has to choose people who are crazy enough to do what He asks without evaluating the sacrifice, and ignorant enough not to know that the task “cannot be done” (according to human standards).
Only one person that I spoke to has said, “It’s not easy.” It definitely isn’t, but there’s no way I’m turning back. I know that the Lord has called me to do a work for Him, and I’m going to do it for as long as I am able. I knew that my Shepherd would be with me through it all. I knew that He is fully able to protect me when Satan tries to discourage me; I knew that my God is fully able to guide me along the path that He has chosen for me, and therefore I followed His leading. And for the same reason, I hide myself in Him, and press forward. His rod and His staff they comfort me.

Today’s Task: Hide in the Lord from all your troubles. Remember that He is fully able to protect and guide you. Do not fear when troubles come, know that your powerful Shepherd is right there with you. Trust in His care.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You that You are fully able and willing to protect us from all danger, and to guide us in all paths, no matter how rocky. Lord help us to trust in You and hide ourselves in You as our Refuge. I thank You that You are such a good Shepherd. Lord help us to praise You for Your protection, guidance, care and deliverance. We love You Lord. Amen.

FOR THOU ART WITH ME

Today’s Text: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:7)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re focusing on the forth part of Psalm 23:4. God is ruler over everything. He owns everything. He has hosts of angels that He can send to help us in times of need. He is also the same God who was with Daniel in the lions’ den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. That same God, the God of hosts of angels and people, is the God who can be with us right now. He can be a place of safety to each one of us no matter what evil and trials we may face in life – we just need to make Him Lord in our lives.

Today’s Testimony: I’ve mentioned before that Satan hates this ministry. Today I’m going to start by sharing some of the complications, and how the Lord was still with me to give me strength and help. God will not let this ministry die – it is making a difference in too many lives.
Let me start with the strangest complication. At the moment I type Today’s T’s on one laptop, and then take it on a flash-stick to the other laptop and send it from there. One morning I put my flash-stick into the first laptop and was given the option to scan it for viruses. I decided that I would and then once the scan was complete I decided that I would clear some items off my flash-stick. For some or other reason the flash-stick was no longer registered as being in the lop-top. I then had to take it out and reinsert it.
The most frustrating hiccup is when I’m updating Today’s T’s blog and I get chucked out of Blogger. One day after updating the archive page, before clicking to publish the page, I decided I’d close the place where I got the links from. I’d normally leave it open until I was totally finished. That day, when I clicked “publish page” I got chucked out of Blogger and had to reopen the place where I got the links. That was the first and only time I’ve been chucked out while updating the archive page. That’s also the first and only time I’ve closed the place where I get my links before I was done.
Adding the new posts is where I have the most trouble. I have to change quite a bit before I can publish the post – colour, word size, format etc. But so often when I’m finally finished and click “publish post” I get chucked out of Blogger. I then have to start from scratch.
For some of the more complicated problems I have to contact my technical manager ; but no matter what the hiccup, God always intervenes. He gives me the patience daily to deal with all the necessaries and complications.
Yesterday I couldn’t think what text and testimony to share. I had quite a few texts pasted on stand-by, and then I had quite a few thoughts typed out. Then the Lord intervened as he did with my assignment (Day 15). He said, “Use this text”… “Say this”… “Delete that”… “Move that here”. God helps me every day to know what He wants me to share. Satan wants to destroy this ministry, but God is with me every moment intervening. Whenever I need help, I know I can run to Him. Whenever Satan tries to discourage me, I know I can take refuge in My Shepherd and He will give me strength to press on. No matter what evil comes my way, I know that my God is with me.

Today’s Task: Take refuge in the Good Shepherd no matter what evil comes your way. He cares about His sheep. He knows what you are going through and He is right there to be a strength and a comfort to you. His peace is available – accept it.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You are very present when we are in trouble. I thank You for the strength, comfort and peace that You give when we need it. Lord I pray that You will give us the patience we need to endure every trial. Help us to run to You as our refuge from the storms of life. I thank You that You are always with us and care for us so much. Amen.

I WILL FEAR NO EVIL

Today’s Text: The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? (Psalm 118:6)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re looking at the third part of Psalm 23:4. No one wants to be hurt or killed, but our greatest concern should be that we are saved. We may have everything that we need in this life, but if we do not have the Lord, what does all the rest of it really matter. Knowing God is the most important thing in life. Man can hurt us and even kill us, but no matter what happens to us in this life, nothing and no one can take away our Lord from us. They may take away our Bibles and even forbid us to worship our God, but no one can truly take Him away, or destroy the relationship that we have with Him. God is the only constant in our lives. All else is uncertain – even life itself. That’s why it is so important to know the Lord. Then we will have no need to fear no matter what happens to us. And through all our pain and heartache, God will be with us. Don’t ever forsake your God, He loves you so much.

Today’s Testimony: One day in my youth class we were discussing persecution. My youth leader said, “If they threatened to pluck your toe-nails off one by one until you forsook your God, what would you do?”
I know that Satan is already persecuting so many of God’s people, but I also know that persecution will heighten and all God’s true followers will be affected and have to choose between God’s truth and Satan’s error which is portrayed as God’s truth. That’s why Jesus Himself was persecuted – the priests thought that they were doing a good work for God, but they were really working for Satan.
Persecution is always horrific, and the torture is never desired, but the question to ask when facing persecution is not, “Can I bear the torture?” but, “Am I willing to forsake my God?” And the answer to that should be a definite, “No!”
When I presented the week-of-prayer that I mentioned a while ago, I sang one of my songs to close each evening. I’d like to share the words to the one I sang on the last evening. I want to stand for my God at all costs. What have I truly gained if I spare this earthly life for a few days, but lose out on spending eternity with my loving Shepherd?!

I Will Stand

They’ll come with fire and sword
And take away God’s word
But still I will stand
They will threaten me with death
But I will take my last breath
Knowing that I’m safe within God’s hand

I will stand, no matter what the cost
I will stand, for I refuse to be lost
When hardships come
Though I may be the only one
I will stand; Lord I’ll stand, for You

When things get rough
We may be tempted to give up
But still we must stand
Though we think we’re on our own
We will never stand alone
For God will be holding our hands

I will stand, no matter what the cost
I will stand for I refuse to be lost
When hardships come
Though I may be the only one
I will stand; Lord I’ll stand, for You

I will stand; Lord we’ll stand, for You

Today’s Task: Remember that the Lord is your Shepherd and that you do not have to fear. No matter what Satan uses to attack you, he can never take away your God. When Satan attacks – cling to your God, He will give you the strength you need. Do not fear evil, it will only last a little while longer – our Saviour is coming back. Make sure that He is your God – that’s all that matters. I invite you to take hold of the Lord’s strength and endure persecution – your reward will be an everlasting life of peace with your Shepherd.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that no one can take You or Salvation away from us. I thank You that You will be with us in every trial, and that You will give us strength to endure. Lord help us to realize how valuable it is to know You, and that nothing else is more important. I thank You that we do not need to fear. Help us to trust in You. Amen.

OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

Today’s Text: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. (2Corinthians 4:8, 9)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re focusing on the second part of Psalm 23:4. Yesterday we spoke about the average valleys of life; today we’re going to speak about the more serious ones. For some of us we cannot always say the words found in today’s text – when we’re troubled on every side, we get distressed; when we are perplexed, we sink into despair; when we are persecuted, we feel forsaken; when we are cast down, we have no hope to live for. But God wants us to be able to cling to Him so tightly that we can always say the words in this text – no matter how dark the valley. He is always there for us to turn to. We can place our hope in Him, and He will carry us through the valley.

Today’s Testimony: If you’ve always been totally satisfied in life and never ever wanted to get out of a certain situation, you’re probably one in a few, if not the only. At some stage in life, we all wish we could get out. Some people turn to the temporary and fake relief of alcohol and cigarettes and all the other “distress-masks” that Satan offers. Even worse, some people take their lives because they see no hope to live. If you face times like these, please find your source of relief in The Good Shepherd.
Today I’d like to share two pieces from a book that I found encouraging when I was sick of life. They are both found in the book “Prophets and Kings” by the author E. White. The context in which these sections are found is the story of Elijah when he ran away from Queen Jezebel in fear for his life. He then wished he could die. The story is found in 1Kings 19. Here are the two excerpts:

Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement – days when sorrow is the portion, and it is hard to believe that God is still the kind benefactor of His earthborn children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life. It is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of unbelief. Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning of God's providences we should see angels seeking to save us from ourselves, striving to plant our feet upon a foundation more firm than the everlasting hills, and new faith, new life, would spring into being. (Prophets and Kings pg. 162)

For the disheartened there is a sure remedy – faith, prayer, work. (Prophets and Kings pg. 164)

Have you ever felt like that? Just think, God cares so much about us that He sends His angels to try and save us from destroying ourselves. He wants us to find the peace that only He can offer.
When we do feel down and out, the best thing we can do is have faith, pray, and keep working. By working we turn our minds away from our sorrows and often they will shrink into insignificance. Working for the Lord is the best form of work to draw us back to His peace.
These two passages gave me strength when I was despairing of life; I hope they give you peace and strength to press on too. The Good Shepherd is there for you – He cares about you.

Today’s Task: Cling to your Saviour. No matter what dark and life-threatening valleys you may face, know that God is there and that He truly does care. Ask Him for His strength and peace. If you ever battle with stress and despair – place your faith in God, pray and find a work to do for Him. He longs to lift you out of despair. Take hold of His hand.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You do not leave us to destroy ourselves – You do all that You can to save us from ourselves. I thank You that You are with us in every trial. Please give us strength and peace to endure. Help us to know that You are very present in every valley. Lord help us to have faith and to take all our anxieties to You. Lord please give us a work to do for You no matter how simple it may be. I thank You for Your great love. Amen.

YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY

Today’s Text: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
(Psalm 23:4)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’ll take a look at just the first part of this text. Life is full of highs and lows. Not all lows are life-threatening, so today we’re going to simply focus on the standard valleys of life. God is with us in every valley. No matter what troubles we may face in life, our Shepherd is there for us. He cares about His sheep. We do not need to fear while in the valley because our almighty God is with us. And yet we all so often tend to fear and stress and get depressed when we face turmoil. God doesn’t want us to. He wants us to run to Him straight away. He can give us peace no matter how dark the valley may be. Turn to Him today.

Today’s Testimony: Today I’m going to share a few portions from my prayer diary. One of the reasons I started keeping a prayer diary in the first place was because my life was in turmoil and I needed strength, guidance and peace. I started using a prayer diary in October 2007. The sections I’m going to share come from the first few pages of my first prayer diary. I’m not going to write everything that I said, but I’ll share just enough to say that God is still very present when we go through our valleys. If we turn to Him for peace, He will grant it. We just need to accept it.
(First day) “Lord, You and only You know what is happening in my life. You see the pain, questions, concern, fear, and yet, at the same time, You see the praise as You heal, answer, provide and comfort. I love You Lord!”
(Two days later) “Lord, I thank You for comforting and strengthening me today through my tears. … Please Lord, stay here, I need You. I’m not doing very well, but I’ve never felt so close to You before. Through all this pain You are refining me. Don’t stop Lord, don’t stop!”
(The following day) “My life still feels like it’s in turmoil. But I realize that it is necessary for my refining process. Lord, I thank You for the amazing peace You continually give me. Today, as yesterday, I went through periods of tears and fears, but You always comforted and helped me through. You are so good!”
(The next day) “Today I just missed tears. I came close to tears, but You dried them before they fell. Thank You Lord!”
I took my tears and fears to my Shepherd and He intervened. He truly does love each one of His sheep.

Today’s Task: I invite you to take all your tears, fears, stress and anxiety to The Good Shepherd. He loves you. Talk to Him about your valley. Allow Him to walk beside you and guide you through it. Take hold of His strength and peace. God is always there for you!

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You are with us in every valley if we invite You to be. We need Your peace and strength at all times, but especially in the valleys of life. Lord please give us Your peace right now. So many of us are struggling right now. I thank You that You care about us so much, You don’t want to see us stressed, anxious and depressed. I thank You that You will intervene. Help us to know and remember that You are very present when our lives are in turmoil. Lord please grant us Your peace. Amen.

FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE

Today’s Text: For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
(1Samuel 12:22)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to take a look at the last part of Psalm 23:3. The Lord will lead us in His way and not forsake us for His name’s sake. So many people see Christians as hypocrites because they claim to be living for God, but they are no different from the world. God leads us in the paths of righteousness because He knows that the life He wants us to live is better for us, but He also leads us in His way to protect His name. If God forsook His people, what kind of God would the world see Him to be?! He calls us to be true followers of His. He leads us in His way, and does not forsake us, for our own benefit and to bring honour to His name. I want to be a true follower of Christ and bring honour and glory to my Shepherd. Don’t you?

Today’s Testimony: Imagine if people could just look at you and know that you are a true Christian – before they’ve seen you do anything or heard you say anything. It is possible. I’ve had that experience many times. God has a high standard for His sheep because He loves us and wants what is best for us. If we truly live up to that standard the world will be able to know that we are followers of Christ at first glance. A life that is lived in Christ cannot but bring honour and glory to His name.
When I was about sixteen, my family and I were studying a few of God’s requirements for His people. One thing that we came across was His high standard of dress. Do we really dress for Christ and for Him alone? If Christ had to stand infront of us, would any of us feel uncomfortable with the way we are dressed? I didn’t dress totally for Christ at that stage.
We discussed that we should not wear any clothes that attracts attention to our bodies. One thing that needed to change was the tight pants I was used to wearing. The reason was because, like I said, they attract attention. My thoughts were, “But that’s why we wear pants!” Isn’t that so true – the reason we shouldn’t do something is so often the same reason why we do it in the first place. We love attention! We want to look good! We want to fit in! But what does God require?
It was not easy to change my wardrobe, but I then started wearing long skirts instead of pants. I do sometimes still wear pants, but I wear a long top over. I do look different from most of the girls I know, and it definitely wasn’t easy to make that change, but God had lead, and I had to follow.
On one occasion while in Cape Town we went to the same plant-nursery two days in a row. On the second day, the gentleman guarding the cars asked if my sisters and I were Christians. My step-mom told him that we were, and he said, “I can see by the long skirts they’re wearing.” That is only one of many similar stories. We can stand out for Christ in something as simple as our dress. And yet I also know that it is one of the hardest things for us to change. I didn’t write this testimony to tell you how to dress, I simply wanted to share how easy it is to be a witness for God – no words; no actions. But I do encourage you to take your dress-code to the Lord for checking. Ask Him if He is happy with the way you dress. Ask Him if He would have you change anything for His name’s sake. I want to follow Him wherever He leads, at all costs. Do you?

Today’s Task: Ask the Lord if there is anything in your life that He would have you change in order to bring honour and glory to His name. Ask Him to lead you in paths of righteousness, and then follow Him for His name’s sake. Ask Him for the strength to live for Him at all costs. Trust His standards, He knows what is truly best for us.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I thank You that we can bring honour and glory to Your name simply by walking in Your paths of righteousness. There are so many things in our lives that we need to change, but You will not forsake us and leave us to struggle on our own. I thank You that You will help us to live totally for You. Help us to follow You always for Your name’s sake. Amen.

HE LEADETH ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Today’s Text: Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5:8)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re focusing on the second part of Psalm 23:3.A shepherd uses his staff to keep his sheep together and on the right road. These days they also use dogs to herd the sheep. Our heavenly Shepherd wants to keep us in His chosen path; He wants to keep us on the road toward Heaven. Sometimes we’re tempted to stray from God’s way because we feel that “fair’s fair”. We want to retaliate, and get our enemies back; or we don’t want to do what others ask us to do because we feel it is unfair. God doesn’t call us to decide when to act righteously, He leads us in that path all the time. We need to do what’s right in His eyes at all times, and simply leave Him to intervene if the situation is unfair. It’s definitely not easy, but God knows that. He will give us strength. Trust Him, and follow Him.

Today’s Testimony: One morning I went into the kitchen for breakfast and my step-dad asked me to grind up some seeds for his breakfast. We were both wanting to eat and I needed to grind up my own seeds too. In all fairness, according to the human heart, we should each have to grind our own seeds. But the Lord requires us to be obedient, and so I, not exactly very joyfully, but silently, ground up my step-dad’s seeds.
While I was busy the Lord and I had a talk about it. I knew that He wanted me to grind up those seeds whether it was fair or not, so we started talking about what He would have done. Jesus would have done every task that His earthly parents set before Him with joy. He would have been more than willing to be of service to them. The thought of the task being unfair never would have crossed His mind. And I said, “Lord, I can’t imagine myself doing this joyfully.”
The best option the following day, in human terms, would have been to make myself scarce and not be around when my step-dad was preparing his breakfast. But according to God’s way, that was not an option. I ground up my step-dad’s seeds the following morning, but I can’t remember what went through my mind.
The third day was when the real change took place. I went into the kitchen and quickly ground up my step-dad’s seeds before he got into the kitchen to ask. I did it as quickly as possible so I could surprise him when he asked. When he did come and ask me to grind up his seeds I could joyfully tell him that they were already ground up and waiting.
That was the last day that he asked me to grind his seeds. After that he ground them himself. In my opinion, the Lord simply wanted to teach me how to walk in His way of righteousness. Once I’d past the “test” I no longer needed to grind my step-dad’s seeds. The Lord often chooses other methods of training for me, and that’s because He wants me to live in Him and for Him. He wants each of us to follow Him as He leads us in His paths of righteousness. Will you follow Him?

Today’s Task: Forget what the world says is fair and unfair. Follow the Lord’s way no matter what, at all costs. Allow Him to lead you in paths of righteousness. Follow your Shepherd joyfully. God’s way is the best way. He blesses His faithful sheep.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You are a faithful Shepherd. Help us to be faithful sheep. I thank You that You do not leave us to stray in the paths of unrighteousness, but lead us in the paths of righteousness. Lord help us to follow You – always. I thank You that You care about Your sheep so much. Amen.

HE RESTORETH MY SOUL

Today’s Text: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:3)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to focus on just the first part of this verse. Do you ever need encouragement? When we are feeling down our Shepherd is willing and waiting to comfort and strengthen us. He longs to restore our souls to the state of peace that He has blessed us with in the past. He wants to one day restore us to the incomprehensible peace that He intended for us to have when He created us. If you need God’s peace once again, or even if you’ve never sensed His presence and peace before, invite Him to come into your heart and bless you with His peace. We all need peace.

Today’s Testimony: When Today’s T’s first started going out I received feedback in some way or another just about every day, but for ages now I’ve hardly received anything. The greatest feedback lately has been checking which parts of the world have viewed Today’s T’s blog. Many of those people stumble across the blog accidentally, and yet God’s hand is in everything. Please pray that all those people will find their Saviour, no matter how much they see or read. The Revealing Christ Ministries logo of the heart on the cross says more than a thousand words, and that’s probably the first thing they see.
Last night I was feeling rather discouraged. There are a lot of things concerning me at the moment. I went to an evangelistic campaign and while sitting there the Lord reminded me that I need to find my peace in Him and Him alone. Even if there’s no one to encourage me and a few that Satan uses to discourage me, it does not matter, as long as I have the Lord.
When I left the meeting I had a good chat to a dear friend that I hadn’t spoken to in ages. The Lord used that to cheer me up.
The Lord and I sat down and wrote this song last night and this morning. If you are also in need of the Lord’s restoring power in your life, I hope this song will help you to sense God’s peace.

Lord Please Restore

Lord please restore my soul
Please take my crushed spirit and make it whole
For Lord I am so weak I can barely carry on
I need Your strength to lean upon

Lord please lead me back to Your peace
Where my burdens You untie and release
For I know that In You my weary soul can find
Hope and peace of mind

Even if there is no one to encourage me
And though there be a few that would discourage me
Lord may my peace be found in You alone
For though there be no one else, with You I’m never on my own

This sheep Lord, is ready to come home
This sheep Lord, no longer wants to roam
Away from the peace I find in You
O Lord comfort me as only You can do
This sheep Lord, as weary as I be
Knows that You Lord, will gladly carry me
For I dare not go forward alone
Lord this sheep is coming home

Lord, your peace please restore
And help this sheep to stray no more

Today’s Task: Ask the Lord to restore your soul. Ask Him for comfort and peace. Remember to never focus on all the things that discourage and disappoint, but totally and only on Christ. If we focus on anything else we’re bound to lose the peace He wants us to have. I invite you to accept God’s peace today.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I praise and thank You for Your peace. I thank You that as our loving Shepherd You restore our souls. Lord please comfort and strengthen us and give us hope. Help us to turn to You for peace and to You alone. Lord I thank You that You care about each one of us so much. Amen.

HE LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS

Today’s Text: Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re focusing on the second part of Psalm 23:2: He leadeth me beside the still waters. I love the sound of a gentle stream. Although I also love the sound of a furious waterfall. But a shepherd takes his sheep to drink at calm waters. But even more than that, he leads them beside those calm waters so that they can be refreshed at any time. They can also drink to prepare themselves for the dry parts of the journey. Today I’d like to compare the still waters to God’s peace. It is always there for us to drink from. Our Shepherd wants us to have peace no matter what we are going through. He can give us the peace that we need now, and give us peace for what He knows is coming our way. If we are stressing and keeping away from God’s river of peace, He might need to tell us to be still, to be quiet, and then when we can hear the calming sound of the stream, we can find His peace. We can then drink of God’s peace, and be refreshed.

Today’s Testimony: Last year as part of my studies I did two year modules. Both of them had rather complicated second assignments and they were both due shortly after the mid-year break. My year had been extremely busy. First I had to focus on the first assignments for my first semester modules; then the first assignments for my year modules; then the second assignments for the semester modules; then I had to study for and write my first semester exams; and then during the mid-year break I helped with two Vacation Bible Schools. Now I was left with two weeks each for my two second assignments for my year modules. It was recommended that we worked on them for three “months”. I prayed and left it all in the Lord’s hands.
One module was on couples counselling, and I had to interview a couple, and then five individuals. Firstly I had to design a brochure on conflict management and design an outline for my interview with the couple and a questionnaire for the five individuals. Then most importantly, I had to find people who were willing to be interviewed. I started stressing.
I got permission from a couple, and found a few individuals, but I still needed more. The morning I was to conduct all the interviews the Lord sent me a message. I’ve mentioned my alarm clock before, and it was a message through that. My alarm clock had been keeping time all night for ages. That morning I got up and went to the bathroom when my sister’s alarm clock went off, and when I got back the Lord said, “ Lindy, check your alarm clock.” I did and it had stopped. The Lord then said, “If I can intervene with your alarm clock, I can intervene with your assignment.” I needed that strength.
On the way to do my interviews and find more candidates I felt a strange sense of peace. Finally when I was on my way back home, and realized that everything was sorted out, the Lord said to me, “Be still my child, I am here.” That’s what He had been saying to my heart the whole day, but I only heard it then. God can give us an amazing sense of peace when we need it. We just need to be still, and know that He is there.
Both my assignments were sent off on time. I’ll share about the complications and God’s intervention with the other one at a later stage, but for now, let me say that I got distinctions for both of them. To get a distinction for a complicated assignment done in two weeks is humanly not possible, at least not for me, but my Tutor can do the impossible!

Today’s Task: Be still and know that the Lord is God. Know that He is with you. Know that He can do the impossible. Allow the Shepherd to lead you beside His still waters. Drink of His peace. We all need it. And then tell others about the peace that only God can give. Tell them what the Lord has done for you and can do for them too. Let our great God be exalted in all the earth.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You for Your peace. I thank You that You care about Your sheep. I thank You that You supply all our needs. I pray that You will help us to be still and accept Your peace. I thank You for making it available to us. I pray in Christ’s name, Amen.

HE MAKETH ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES

Today’s Text: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to focus on the first part of this text. A Shepherd never takes his sheep to dry grass, or rocky mountain to graze, he always looks for the best pastures. In those lush, green pastures the sheep can eat to their hearts content, and then lie down to sleep on that soft grass, knowing that they can rest peacefully because their shepherd is watching over them. Our Shepherd cares for us far more than any earthly shepherd could ever care for his sheep. Some of us may be experiencing turmoil in our lives, but God has lush, green pastures that He wants to take us to. In His presence we can find peace and safety no matter what we are going through. In His Word we can also find messages to give us peace and hope. If we follow our Shepherd to the green pastures to which He wants to lead us we will be able to rest in peace and safety.

Today’s Testimony: One year while attending a church camp-meeting, where hundreds of people meet to spend time together and listen to uplifting messages, I started feeling very down-and-out. There was no main reason, it was just a few small things that really started getting me discouraged with myself.
Why was I feeling so down-and-out at a camp-meeting of all places?! I had prayed about it and had tried singing, but nothing seemed to help. The Lord tried to calm me down, but I would not relax. He tried to tell me that He loved me and that that was all that mattered, but even that didn’t help.
I was sitting in one of the meetings feeling that I could just burst into tears. The speaker started off by speaking about Solomon who had everything that money could buy, but had no peace. The rest of the message was basically that we do not need to run after the world’s good, and shouldn’t. Our greatest need is to follow the Lord with all our hearts. If we live in the Lord, He will provide us with everything that we need.
The Speaker then started sharing testimonies of how the Lord had provided for Him on so many occasions. It was then that the Lord took my mind back to my testimony about His providence for me and Praise Corner. He had provided for me in so many ways. He cared about me. I then couldn’t hold back the tears, but these were tears of joy and gratitude. And you know what the Lord ended off by saying? “I told you I love you.”
The Lord had “green pastures” of peace that He wanted to lead me to, but I was too busy straying on the rocky mountains to follow His leading. Finally He carried me to those pastures of peace, and I found peace.
Then later that day I bumped into someone who asked me what I was doing with myself. I told her that I was studying from home through UNISA. She then told me that I should have been studying at our church’s university. I had considered that at one stage and had gotten the forms to register, but then plans had changed and I ended up studying something else from home. I then started heading back to the “rocky mountains”. “Should I have been studying there?” “Was I in the wrong place?” I started feeling down-and-out again, wondering if maybe I had not followed the Lord’s will for my life.
The Lord then sat me down and said, “Lindy, no one knows you and your life better than I do. I have you where I want you.” That settled it for me. I was back in the peaceful pastures chosen by the Lord, and I was staying there.
The Lord often has to bring me back to His pastures of peace when I lose that sense of peace, but He always does. I’m always so much happier in His lush green pastures. I invite you to follow the Lord there too.

Today’s Task: God wants us to experience His peace. Follow Him to green pastures and rest in His peace. You might also find yourself straying to dry grass and rocky mountains, but when He comes to lead you back to lush green pastures I encourage you to follow. Accept God’s peace in your life today.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I praise You for Your peace. I thank You that You do not leave us in dry pastures or rocky mountains when we stray from Your peace, You come and tenderly lead us back to Your peace. Lord help us to follow You. Help us to accept Your peace. Lord I thank You that You care about us so much. Amen.

I SHALL NOT WANT

Today’s Text: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:19)

Today’s Thoughts: Today we’re going to take a look at the second part of Psalm 23:1: “I shall not want”. The meaning of the word “want” in this text means “lack”. As our Shepherd, God will supply all our needs and we will not lack anything. He owns everything, and out of that abundance He will provide. Our greatest need is Salvation, and that God will provide if we are willing to accept it. We will probably not receive everything that we desire, but God will bless us with everything that we need. He is our Shepherd and He cares about His sheep.

Today’s Testimony: One year while visiting my dad in Cape Town I was looking for a new pair of shoes for church. The ones that I had at the time had definitely seen better days and were desperately needing to be replaced.
I’d looked at almost every shop where I usually buy shoes and found nothing that I liked. There was one shop that I wanted to look at, but every time I went to that shopping mall I forgot to look there. I finally found a pair at another shop where I don’t usually buy my shoes, but they didn’t have my size, so I had to find another branch. And then I kept forgetting to look in that shop because it wasn’t one that we usually shopped at.
I don’t usually forget things like that so much, but I believe God wanted me to see His hand once again and be blessed.
It was finally time to fly home. I had looked at other branches for the shoes, but every one that I remembered to look in either didn’t have the shoes or didn’t have the right size. But I wasn’t too worried. I figured that, back in Durban, I could simply ask my mom to take me to the nearest shopping mall with that shop, and pray that I find the shoes there.
My mom was coming to meet us at the airport in her car, and my step-dad was coming from work in his car. But when we arrived, our mom wasn’t there. Her car had broken down on the way to fetch us. My step-dad left us at the airport and went to find my mom. He towed her to the airport, they fetched us, and then he towed her back home and all was well… except for the fact that now she couldn’t take me to the mall.
I was really hoping to have my new shoes by the following weekend. My old ones were totally finished now. The Lord new that I needed new shoes, so He intervened.
Toni, my older sister, who will use any excuse to get to the mall, asked my mom to ask if my step-dad would come and fetch the two of us before he went to do the shopping that my mom couldn’t get to the shops to do. He said that he would, and I therefore got to go to the mall.
I went to look for my shoes, but that shop didn’t have them. I only had one more hope. I went to look in the shop that I kept forgetting to look in while in Cape Town. There was only one pair of shoes that I would wear, but I didn’t think they were all that grand. They didn’t look all that bad, it was just that they didn’t seem to “have my name written all over them”. But I had no other choice, and bought the shoes. It didn’t take me long to get used to their appearance and actually like them, and those shoes were the most comfortable church shoes I have ever had. God knows how to provide – He even knows how to choose shoes.
God knows what we want, but more than that He knows what we need. No matter what obstacles may seem to be getting in the way, there are no obstacles to God, He can provide no matter what. He can and will supply all our needs – we shall not want.

Today’s Task: Ask the Lord to provide for all your needs no matter what they are. They do not even have to be material needs, God can provide in so many other areas of our lives. Trust the Lord to supply all your needs. And don’t ever forget to thank Him for His providence.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You have promised to supply all our needs. I thank You that we will never lack any need if You are our Shepherd. Lord help us to accept You as our Shepherd if we haven’t already. I thank You that You care about us and our needs so much. I love You Lord. Amen.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Today’s Text: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.(Psalm 23:1)

Today’s Thoughts: I’d like us to take a trip through this much-loved and well-known Psalm. Today we’re going to focus on the first part of this text: The Lord is my Shepherd. As our Shepherd the Lord has committed to protecting us, providing for us, and caring for us. He loves each one of His sheep. I want to be a sheep in the fold of the Good Shepherd – Do you?

Today’s Testimony: A while ago the Lord inspired me with a song about the one lost sheep. You can read about it in Luke chapter 15. I’d like to share the words with you. This song sums up just what it truly means to have the Lord as our Shepherd. I hope it will speak to your heart so that if Christ is not already your Shepherd, you will choose Him as your Shepherd today.

The Shepherd’s Heart

The Shepherd had a hundred sheep
He counted one by one, before they all lay down to sleep
Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine
There’s one lost little sheep of mine
So he left the ninety-nine, safely in the fold
And went out in the darkness, braving the cold
He stumbled on the way, getting many a scratch and bruise
But no matter what the cost, that sheep he could not bear to lose
Finally he heard a faint, bleating sound
He looked over the cliff, and his little sheep was found
He struggled hard to reach it, but soon held it in his arms
And said, “My little sheep, you are now safe from harm”
When they got back home, he nursed His wounded sheep
Then held it close and rocked it, till it calmly fell asleep
A tear rolled down his cheek, and he began to weep
To think that very night, he could have lost one of his sheep
For every single one, was dear to his heart
He could not bear the thought, of forever being apart
But his heart was filled with joy, for he’d found the sheep he’d lost
He smiled and looked upon it, knowing that sheep was worth the cost

We too have a Shepherd, who loves each of His sheep
He gave His life on Calvary, so His sheep He could keep
If the whole world was sinless, and only you were not
Christ still would have died, for you’re the only you He’s got
You’re precious in His eyes, He’ll seek you if you’re lost
He already came to save you, at great risk and cost
For if our sinless Saviour, had fallen into sin
Although He is God, there would have been no hope for Him
Call out to the Shepherd, He longs to hear your cry
His heart will be broken forever, if you rather choose to die
He loves you individually, as though you’re all He’s got
Though the rest of His sheep may be there, He will weep if you are not

He’s holding out His hand, He’s holding out His hand
Return to Jesus, return to Jesus, return to Jesus
His little lamb

Return to Jesus, His little Lamb

Today’s Task: The Lord wants to be your Shepherd. Please accept Him as your Shepherd. Please return to Jesus. Don’t break God’s heart, He has done everything He can in order to save you, the rest is up to you. He loves you more than you will ever be able to know or understand. Please accept Him as your Saviour.

Today’s Thanks: Lord You are our Shepherd, and we praise You. Lord I thank You that You care for Your sheep. I thank You for the great length that You went to in order to save each and every one of us. Please help us to choose You as our Saviour. Please Lord, I pray that we will not allow your sacrifice for each of us individually to be in vain. I pray that You will one day be able to smile and say, “I’ve found all My lost sheep.” Lord, the sheep that are not saved once You’ve sought and found them are the ones that chose to rather run away. Help us to run to You, not from You. O Lord help us. We need You. Amen.

HEAR, O MY PEOPLE

Today’s Text: Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me. (Psalm 81:8)

Today’s Thoughts: God speaks in so many different ways, but sometimes He waits for us to hear and listen to what He has already instructed us before He will give us any further instruction. He speaks, but we must listen. He longs for us to hear Him. He wants us to listen to Him. Everything that He instructs us is for our own good. He cares about us. Be sure to listen to His voice.

Today’s Testimony: Today I’d like to share the story behind the name Revealing Christ Ministries.
When I started e-mailing Today’s T’s I was sending them from my personal e-mail address. My mom was a bit concerned with me giving out my personal address to so many people and a lot of total strangers, so I decided to get a separate e-mail account for ministry.
The Lord has given me three ministries so far and I thought I’d have one e-mail address for all three ministries instead of a separate one for each. So I had to decide on a “blanket” for my ministries.
I thought of one, and then went to create a g-mail account. I typed in the name as the e-mail address and it said that it was unavailable. I then tried something else and it was also unavailable. At some stage the Lord started impressing me, “Revealing Christ Ministries.” But I said, “I can’t put that. No one can reveal Christ. That’ll sound too forward. We can give others a better glimpse of Christ, but reveal Him?! I can’t put that”. So I kept trying. And the Lord kept impressing, “Revealing Christ Ministries.” Eventually I decided to take a break , and pray and think about it.
I was outside hanging washing during my break and I was still trying to get a good name, and the Lord was still trying to get me to realize that it definitely was Him speaking and that Revealing Christ Ministries was the name He’d chosen. Finally I said, “Ok, I’ll go back and put in revealingchristministries and if it’s available then that’s what it is, but if it’s not, then that’s obviously end of story and it’ll have to be something else.
I went back and typed it in and it was available. I stopped arguing and Revealing Christ Ministries became the blanket for the three ministries that I already have and any others that the Lord may give me.
Once I’d settled with that the Lord starting telling me what He wanted for the logo. I’ve been drawing and using a heart on the cross to represent Christ and His gift of Salvation for years, and the Lord told me that that was what He wanted. I’d already started designing a cross on “Paint” and I’d done the outline of a heart as one of the activities for Vacation Bible School. So I finished the cross, coloured and added the heart and then designed and added the title.
No one can reveal Christ, but God can use His ministries to reveal Himself to the world. He can speak through each and every one of us. It will not be us revealing Christ, but Him revealing Himself through us. So many people have a distorted view of our loving God, we need to reveal the real God to the world.

Today’s Task: Spend time with the Lord so that when He speaks you know His voice without a doubt. And if you know it is Him, don’t argue. God wants what’s best for you. Ask the Lord to help you to hear, and then to obey. Then keep listening for further instruction.

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You speak to us in so many ways. You can speak through Your Word, nature, other people, and also directly to us, either audibly or silently. Help us to hear Your voice and know that it’s You. Help us to obey Your instruction the first time. I thank You that You care about us so much, and want us to live happier, more fulfilled lives. I thank You for Your love. Amen.

THE LORD IS GOOD

Today’s Text: The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.(Psalm 145:9)

Today’s Thoughts: God is good – always good, and only good! He is good to everyone. He blesses us with our needs, but He also sometimes blesses us with things that are not necessities. In every blessing there is a message written that says, “I love you!” So many people wonder how God can be good if there is so much pain and heartache all around us. I’ve discussed this topic before, but let me remind you that Satan is still very real and wants to destroy us. God hates to see us suffering, but when we sinned we chose Satan as the prince of this world, and therefore, even though God does intervene on so many occasions, He cannot protect us from all heartache because Satan would accuse Him of protecting his subjects, as he accused Him in Job’s story. But God knows how much we can handle and He is still so good. And in every trial, He will not forsake us, He is right there.

Today’s Testimony: About two weeks ago when we arrived home both of our dogs met us at the gate. The Golden Labrador cross Golden Retriever, Rolo, almost always meets us when we get home, but the Basset Hound, George, is too lazy to come all the way to the gate. On this occasion George had been sitting near the gate and he therefore joined Rolo in welcoming us home. We drove forward slowly, waiting for them to move out of the way of the car. It’s not easy to see where each dog is because of the angle that we come in. George, who’s only clever when he wants to be, obviously thought he could take his time to cross the driveway in front of the car and that we’d never run him over. We couldn’t see where he was and accidentally drove over at least one of his hind-legs. We heard his cry of pain and I jumped out the car and saw him hobbling onto the grass. I then stood with him and stroked him encouraging him not to move. He was in terrible pain and shock.
We were going to leave early the next morning to travel up to Johannesburg and would only get back late the night after that. So we had a huge problem. I prayed.
He is a very old dog, and my mom said that he might not be able to survive the vet sorting his leg out. We considered having him put down. He is my dog, and although I knew that it would probably be best for him, I still cried. I took the problem to the Lord.
He had been making use of three legs and had managed to walk around the house. In order to get him to the vet we had to muzzle him because otherwise, being in pain, he would have bitten my step-dad. But my step-dad wasn’t able to muzzle him. We watched him for a while to decide what we were going to do.
He seemed to be managing alright so we left him to see if he would be fine. The lady who was coming over to feed the dogs while we were away kept an eye on him. When we arrived home just two days later he seemed perfectly fine. My twin sister, Julie, even saw him scratch himself with both of his hind legs. God is so good!!!
I didn’t need my dog to be healed, but God healed him anyway. God is good – always good, and only good!

Today’s Task: Trust the Lord. He loves you. His Word says that He is good, and He is. Take your troubles to the Lord, He cares. If you do not get the results you hope for, know that Satan was in control of that. Yes, many say, “but how could God allow that?” but please remember that He does care, and He cries with you when you cry; but Satan won’t allow Him to protect us fully without accusing Him of being unfair, and God therefore knows when to intervene because He knows what is best for us. Some trials, although hard to bear, can even be a blessing in our lives if we place our faith and trust in our loving heavenly Father. Trust God’s wisdom and His love. He is good!

Today’s Thanks: Lord I thank You that You are good. I thank You that you love us so much. I thank You that You haven’t left us to be destroyed by the Devil. Please use every trial to draw us closer to You. Help us to remember that You do care about us, no matter what we go through. You are good Lord – always good, and only good! And I praise You! Amen.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

Today’s Text: And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.(Mark 10:27)

Today’s Thoughts: This is one of my favourite texts. There are so many things that we think are impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. We so often underestimate the power of God. Our God can do things we would never even dream of, and He can do the things we thought could never happen. He is an almighty God. With our God – all things are possible!

Today’s Testimony: First I’d decided that I was going to make sure that I didn’t get into any further debt and trust God to provide. Then I decided that I was going to make every effort to pay my debt the following December. And finally I decided that I was going to start paying back my debt as soon as possible with as much money as I could.
The reason I’d decided to plan to only pay it back in December was because, to my knowledge, there weren’t any large sums of money going to come in. I thought that, also considering that it was already almost the end of the year, when I was in Cape Town would be the perfect opportunity. After all these steps, the Lord intervened. I was determined to make things right as soon as possible, and that is when the Lord stepped in. I believe His thoughts went something like this, “So you think there’s no money coming in? Where’s your faith Lindy? You’re underestimating Me. Watch this….”
About three weeks after I’d taken that final step, I got a phone call. It was a lady from my church asking me if I could come and work for her for a few days. She had been given an extra task to do but was already extremely busy, so she wondered if maybe I would help. She said it should only take three days. She told me what hours I would be working, and how much I would be getting paid. Three days’ worth of working wouldn’t be able to sort out my debt, but I thought that it was at least a start.
The task turned out to be a little bit more complicated than we thought and I ended up working for a total of fourteen days. I received enough money to pay my tithe and offering, to pay my debt, and I still had a bit of money left over. We truly do serve an amazing God!!!

Today’s Task: Never ever underestimate God. He can do what we think is absolutely impossible – believe it. Trust God to intervene no matter what you are going through. He cares about you. Ask Him if there is anything He’d like you to do – He might be waiting for you to take the first step or two. Always remember that God loves and cares about you so much, no matter what Satan tries to tell you. God said that He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), and He meant it. If you are facing anything “impossible” take it to God – He is a miracle-working God. Simply place your faith in Him.

Today’s Thanks: Lord today I want to thank You that You do the “impossible” for us. I praise You that there is nothing that is impossible for You. Please intervene in whatever problems we face, no matter how huge they may seem to us. Lord we know that there is nothing that is too big for You to handle. We thank You that You care about us so much. We thank You for Your everlasting love. We praise You and thank You in Christ’s name, Amen.

GOD’S WORKS ARE GREAT

Today’s Text: O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.(Psalm 92:5)

Today’s Thoughts: Ever heard people say that God works in mysterious ways? His thoughts are so much deeper than ours and He knows all things. He knows just what to do in every situation. All His works are great. Everything He does is what is best. And yes, He does sometimes work in mysterious ways to accomplish His purposes. Our great God does great things.

Today’s Testimony: Between the time I booked to do my learner’s test and when I did the test, we had nominating time at my church. That is when we choose all the people that will hold the different positions at church. First a special committee is chosen and those people then choose the nominating committee who will choose the different people for the different offices.
I was chosen to be on the special committee. And I was then chosen to be on the nominating committee. One requirement for those on both committees is that they have to be faithful church members. The easiest way for that to be detected is by whether or not the individual pays a regular tithe and offering, but being a faithful church member also refers to living a totally faithful life in all other areas of life.
After sitting on the special committee and hearing the requirements, although I was already aware of them, I started wondering if maybe my debt counted as making me an unfaithful church member. That would mean that I couldn’t sit on the nominating committee and shouldn’t have even sat on the special committee. I prayed about it, and then sat and wrote a letter to my pastor telling him of my concern.
I gave him the letter on the Saturday and waited for his reply. I waited the whole of Sunday, then Monday….. At some stage while waiting I started thinking about the whole situation again. “I pay my tithe faithfully to the Lord, but what would I do if I were in a situation where I couldn’t afford to pay both my tithe and my necessary payment?” I was thinking of those who have house rental to pay, a car to pay off and then still the needed groceries to buy. “Would I trust the Lord to provide and continue to faithfully pay my tithe?” I then decided that I was going to pay back my debt at all costs the next month, giving the money that was left over after paying my usual tithe and offering. God could intervene and provide and I had seen that time and time again.
On the Tuesday I did my learner’s test and the Lord intervened, as I shared yesterday. Then finally on the Thursday my pastor phoned. He said that I’d repented and it therefore wasn’t a problem. I believe that the Lord made me wait so long for the answer so that I could rethink the whole situation and decide to start paying my debt back at all costs as soon as possible. It is an important issue to make everything right as soon as possible. Prior to that I simply thought that I’d pay it back with the money I would get when I went to visit my family that year in Cape Town and pay it all back at once. God wanted me to be able to trust in Him more fully. Once I’d made the decision to start paying back as soon as possible I got my answer. God truly works in mysterious ways. God is so good!

Today’s Task: Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open to the Lord – He works in mysterious ways. You don’t want to miss His working. God does great things – ask Him to help you to notice. He can work miracles in your life – ask Him to intervene if you need one. God loves and cares about you so much. But please don’t forget to praise Him for His blessings – He truly deserves our praise.

Today’s Thanks: O Lord I praise You that Your thoughts are so much higher and deeper than ours. I thank You that You do such great works. Please do a great work in each of our hearts and lives. Lord I praise You that You care about us. I praise You that You love us. I thank You for Your intervention in our lives. Amen.