IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

Adding Marley for surgery on Thursday – tubes – Mom and MeMe are concerned as Moms and Grandmas are when our ‘Babies’ of any age are put to sleep for a procedure.  Also adding and remembering Caroline M for a tender matter she is working with.

I am way off today about half out of steam; but I don’t want to leave ya’ll wondering and just not show up here at the screen.  No fever just a sinus attack is my diagnosis.  My beloved says I need to take something for the symptoms to alleviate the discomforts. But do I?  Of course not. I’m expecting this to run its course and one day soon I’ll be energized again. Until then. . .

In John 21 JESUS said to Peter in three verses: tend my lambs, shepherd my sheep, and feed my sheep.  Do you see three ministries there?  For some reason I do today.

I. Tend my lambs – look at the following definition and apply it to  the little ones in our lives.  Little ones in the faith – young ones just birthed into the Kingdom of God AND Little Ones who cannot care for themselves – pre-born babies, infants, toddlers all the way to those in grown up frames yet minds and emotions still oh so young.

to attend as a servant
2 a : to apply oneself to the care of : watch over

b : to have or take charge of as a caretaker or overseer

c : cultivate, foster

d : to manage the operations of

3 : to stand by in readiness to prevent mischance (as fouling)

I believe JESUS  has said to us who love Him — TEND them.

II. Shepherd my Sheep — Could He be saying look after my mature sheep?  You don’t have to hover over them but you do have to watch out for them; they are prone to parasites and the like; warn them about going off into doctrine I have not taught you.    Does not this say however mature we think we are we need our sisters and brothers to watch out for us and love us enough to tell us when we are wandering into bad pastures?

III Feed my Sheep —  Could this be a ministry to wounded sheep?  Not lambs, not immature sheep but sheep who have known the LORD a while but somehow have been wounded, hurt so badly they are not ‘feeding’ properly anymore — go after them.  Love Him  and love them enough to get in their business and bring them to the ‘Table’ again.

Wouldn’t you say there are seasons in our journey that we have taken up one or all these ministries to perform them?  And wouldn’t you say there have been seasons and could be again that we have or will  NEED to be the recipient of at least one of these ministries?   I want to be able to minister in any of these ministries when I am needed and when I need to receive one of these ministries, I am counting on you out there to perform them.  Okay?  Okay.

Holy hugs, ya’ll!

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

LORD, You know I love You — enough to perform all these ministries?  I don’t know about that.  But I know I want to.  So I ask You to tend me so I can tend others.  And I am asking You to tend Marley and Amber and Linda and Danny especially on Thursday but from now through Thursday too;  You know what they need and I pray they will receive this ministry from You.  And I pray Marley’s procedure will be text book perfect and she will be up and playing quicker than expected.  I pray too for Caroline, even though we don’t know all the ends and outs of her tender request, we pray for Your tender mercies to be all over her and those she is ministering to and shall minister to in this next little while.  We continue to pray for Judy and her family for recovery and blessings.  And we pray for every other name on our list.  And our IDOK Troops for their safety and protection.  And, ABBA, I even pray for me.  I’d like to be energized and feel bubbly and ready to minister well soon.  Thank You for all our IDOKs and Readers.  I ask You to tend them in Jesus Name. Amen and amen.  And, DADDY, one more thing.  You know just as I finished this a request came to pray for Melinda and all that surrounds that – her fall and her daughter and Mabel and her visit there.  These are precious people to me, two I have not even met and I am asking You to tend to them, to minister grace and mercy and healing and everything and more than they can think or ask in JESUS name again and again.