Sheep need a loving Shepherd.

David writes about his in Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside waters that don’t run,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley of death,
I will fear no evil…
Surely your goodness and LOVE will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

David, a brilliant and powerful king…still knows he needs a Shepherd. We all do.

The Shepherd gives rest and food, soothes anxiety beside still waters. The Shepherd provides.

The Shepherd leads down safe paths, keeping us from wandering off and getting hurt. The Shepherd protects.

When Becky and I were in Israel, we watched a shepherd and his little flock. The sun was setting. If he didn’t leave the pasture soon it would be too dangerous to lead his sheep through the darkness. He would have to keep them in a nearby cave all night.

These caves are dotted all over Israel. They serve as “sheep pens.” The entrance to the pen is blocked by stones forming a short wall the sheep can’t climb over. A shepherd brings his flock into the pen through an opening in the wall and then he sits in that opening all night to keep the sheep in and the predators out. The shepherd becomes the “gate.”

David believes one day the good Shepherd will come to earth to protect and provide for all people. He will call himself the Gate (John 10:9-11) and lay himself down as the only way into everlasting life and the only One who can keep out death.

The post Advent: The Good Shepherd was written by Shaun Groves.

In Hebrew, ahava means love. But unlike here in the West, Hebrew love isn’t a feeling we fall into. It’s an affection that takes action.

Right in the middle of ahava is hav – the verb that means “to give.” At the center of biblical love is generosity. Love is affection that takes action to provide for and protect someone else.

Go back in time with me to the Ancient Near East…

Before the wedding ceremony, the father of the groom invites the father of the bride over. The two men dig a shallow ditch several yards long. Then, the two of them cut animals in half – usually bulls or rams because of their great value. The carcass halves are laid on either side of the ditch and blood runs down to fill it.

Then, the father of the bride walks between the animal halves, through the bloody ditch, and makes a promise: If my child breaks her marriage vows to your son, do to me what was done to these animals today.

The groom’s father does the same: If my child breaks his marriage vows to your daughter, do to me what was done to these animals today.

This was called “cutting covenant.” LOVE was a serious and everlasting commitment in the ancient world.

In Genesis 15, God invites Abraham to bring his shovel, animals, and knife. A ditch is dug and filled with blood. The sun sets and a “dreadful darkness” comes over Abraham. Then, God, looking something like smoke and fire, passes between the pieces, walking through the blood.

There’s something missing from the cutting of this covenant. Abraham never passes between the pieces.

God is both husband and father of the bride. As husband, he promises to LOVE Abraham’s descendants, to protect and provide for them always. As Father, he stakes his own life on the bride’s faithfulness. God’s solitary walk through the blood is a promise: “If my children are unfaithful, do to me what was done to these animals.”

Generation after generation, God will faithfully LOVE his bride and she will be unfaithful to him again and again.

Until one day, God will walk the earth once more – not as smoke and fire, but as flesh and bone. As the sun sets, a dreadful darkness will come over Jerusalem and his body will be broken like our vows, his blood will be spilled, and God’s promise will be kept.

Because God’s LOVE is a serious and everlasting commitment.

RESPONSE: How has God been faithful to you this year? How loved you well by protecting and providing for you?

The post Advent: Love was written by Shaun Groves.

God’s people have been worshiping cows and other gods and goddesses made of stone and metal (again). They have plenty to share but ignore the needs of the poor, lame, widowed, orphaned, and foreigners. They’re acting just like the godless nation-neighbors around them!

“God sees you!” Zephaniah says.

He promises enormous foreign armies will soon arrive to destroy all the idols and corrupt businesses in Jerusalem and carry God’s people off into captivity.

But there is good news too!

Zephaniah promises that after many years in captivity, God will free his people like a mighty warrior and gather them together in Jerusalem. He’ll invite Israel’s enemies too! The Babylonians, Assyrians, Philistines – all of them! He’ll welcome all the people Israel has left out – the poor, lame, widowed, orphaned, and the foreigners. God will send everyone an invitation!

“I see you!”

When all the guests arrive, God will throw a huge party with lots of singing! And God’s song will be the loudest…

“God will be so happy with you; he will quiet you with his love; but he will rejoice over you with the loudest singing!”

Zephaniah 3:17b

Many generations later, that warrior will be born. And God’s invitations will go out to all people. To lowly, smelly shepherds. To stargazing astrologers from Babylon. To the poor, lame, widowed, orphaned, and foreigners…until one day all of Jerusalem is packed with people and full of singing: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

No one will be left out.

RESPONSE: Look for the left-out today and find some way to include them and show them God’s love.

One way to do that? Sponsor a child who’s been waiting for a sponsor for more than a year at compassion.com/shaungroveschristmas. Just one of many ways your family can welcome the left-out this Christmas.

The post Advent: No One Will Be Left Out was written by Shaun Groves.

Pharaoh enslaves and abuses God’s people in Egypt. They cry out for God to set them free. God sends the deliverer Moses and a bunch of terrible plagues to break them out of slavery. They leave Egypt in the middle of the night, chased by Pharaoh and his army of chariots until they reach the Red Sea. Miraculously, God splits the sea, God’s people walk across on dry ground, and when Pharaoh’s troops try to cross the walls of water come crashing down and drown them all.

Then what happens?

What’s the first thing God’s people do after their supernatural rescue?

REJOICE!

Moses wrote a song and the people sang it.

“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him…

…Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.”

(Exodus 141:18)

And on and on it goes, verse after verse. God’s people are exhausted from running, homeless now, at the edge of a desert, the promised land miles and years away…but they know they’ll get there. They know God will get them there. So they sing!

The oldest song in recorded history is not a sad song, a break-up song, or a love song. It’s a JOY song!

Generations later, the prophets promise God will send another deliverer. He will shatter the enemy and bring all people out of bondage to sin and death and into great joy.

OUR RESPONSE: Again today, write down three gifts from God you’re grateful for. And maybe write, sing, or listen to a JOY song too ; )

The post Advent: Joy In The Desert was written by Shaun Groves.

We’ve pondered peace: Peace is when none of our parts are missing, broken, or out of place.

For generations, God’s people HOPED for the Messiah to come and bring PEACE.

Now, this third week of Advent is all about joy. Joy is the happiness we feel when we’ve received a good gift.

There’s a lot of joy in the Bible! People are filled with joy because their fields are full of flocks and crops (Psalm 65:11-12). There’s joy at weddings (Jeremiah 33:11) and when children are born (Proverbs 23:24-25). Perfume brings joy to a nose like good friends bring joy to a heart (Proverbs 27:9).

When good things happen to people in the Bible, they’re joyful. Makes sense.

But when bad things happen to people in the Bible they’re often joyful too. And that makes no sense at all.

The apostle Paul was beaten and thrown in prison and yet he claimed to be “full of sorrow but rejoicing.” Jesus was called “a man of sorrows” and everyone knows “Jesus wept”, but is there anyone more joyful than Jesus?

Life isn’t all blue skies and rainbows! The Bible says the world’s been broken by our own selfishness and sin. There’s so much death and loss and hardship here. Only a psycho is walking around with a grin on their face all the time! It’s healthy and normal to be sad.

But throughout the Bible, even people who are grieving, longing, waiting, and hurting also experience joy at the same time. How is this even possible?

Joy is the happiness we feel when we’ve received a good gift. And we have received the greatest gift of all: God’s love.

And God’s promise: One day God will come, wrapped in flesh wrapped in cloth, waiting in a manger to be unwrapped by shepherds and shared with everyone. The angels will announce his birth as “good news that will bring great joy to all the people.”

RESPONSE: Write down three good things you’re grateful for today. This little discipline is more powerful than you may realize. Science has even shown making this little list every day can relieve anxiety and depression! Writing out the good things in our lives reminds us of God’s love and brings joy.

The post Advent: Joy was written by Shaun Groves.

He was born into extreme poverty but escaped it to become a pastor with a PhD in theology and a voice like James Earl Jones.

“Christmas, especially in the West, is a time of great celebration,” he said. “But here sometimes people never feel more poor. We see people posting, ‘Look what I got for Christmas!’ and it’s very hard when you have so little.”

Right now, Richmond – and thousands of pastors across the developing world – are doing an amazing job taking care of their neighbors. They may not unwrap Christmas presents this year, but they’ll be wrapped in the love of a pastor and a church – food, rent assistance, medical care, prayer, water, hygiene kits, masks, encouragement…

“You’ve been to our community, Shaun!” he laughed. “There is no social distancing! And the whole family with kids in one bedroom with no gadgets!”

That’s so true, I thought. How on earth does social distancing work in a slum??

So this virus is rampaging through the poorest communities where there’s no personal space or proper sanitation. Add to this mess more than half the adults out of work, public school isn’t free, one COVID test costs more than many families earn in a year, and the “dry season” is coming in January to make food more scarce and more expensive.

“This is a God-sized problem that needs a God-sized solution,” he said.

Richmond and his wife Rosette are asking us to pray and to “bring a sacrifice of praise.”

“Sometimes we praise God and worship in abundance and comfort. But right now we worship in the hardship. God is still on the throne! Bring a sacrifice of praise!”

PRAY for pastors and churches across the developing world. The Church is often the only source of assistance in the poorest communities. Ask God for wisdom, for supplies, for the health and strength of these front-line pastors and workers. Not just once, but again and again daily.

PRAISE God for the great things he’s already done! Thank God for those he’s healed! For rent and food he’s already given! For the opportunity this virus has provided to show love and share Jesus with millions right now!

And Richmond didn’t ask for this…but please GIVE. Bring a sacrifice of money ; )

Sponsor a child who has been waiting for over a year to be chosen at www.compassion.com/shaungroveschristmas and that child will be well cared for during this pandemic and beyond by a pastor and church nearby. Richmond was a sponsored child once! Compassion and his sponsor released him from poverty, introduced him to Jesus, and now he’s doing the same for thousands more!

Or give to www.pdnafrica.org, a ministry led by Richmond that encourages and equips pastors and their families in East Africa. Thousands of pastors from across denominations receive theological and leadership training and inspiration from PDN. Right now, PDN is equipping these pastors to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their communities during this pandemic.

Pray, praise, and give. Thanks, friends.

The post From Pastor Richmond in Uganda was written by Shaun Groves.

He was training Vietnamese villagers on how to fight against the communists. One day he took his newly trained “soldiers” out into the jungle when all of a sudden, gunshots rang out. The Vietnamese trainees were all firing their weapons into the jungle.

Was the enemy attacking? What were they shooting at?

When the gunshots stopped, the “soldiers” hoisted their rifles in the air and cheered. They had killed a wild pig. They would eat well that night.

On the first page of the Bible, God told us who our enemy is and how he will attack. He’s the snake in the Garden, the liar and deceiver. He whispers the lie that God’s way isn’t the best way. He cajoles us to stop taking orders and be our own god. He persuades us to pursue happiness over holiness.

But like those trigger-happy villagers, I often forget who the enemy is.

In the Old Testament, Israel forgot who their enemy was and turned on each other in a great civil war. They were so weakened by the battle against each other that the big bad empires of Assyria and Babylon had no problem at all conquering them and carrying them off as slaves.

While in captivity, the prophet Isaiah’s words reminded them that one day a child would defeat their real enemy and bring them lasting peace:

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:5-6

This “Prince of Peace” will end their war with each other, and unite them as fellow citizens in the same forever kingdom.

Are you aiming at pigs or the snake? Take a minute to pray for those you don’t like or agree with. Ask the God of peace to give them good today. The snake won’t like this one bit.

The post Advent: On Fighting Pigs Or A Snake was written by Shaun Groves.

In the beginning, God created the sky and the land. Now, the land was formless and empty, darkness was on the surface of the deep abyss, and the Spirit of God was hovering over these waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

God created out of land that was untamed and uninhabitable, wild and waste, disorganized and deserted. God created out of a deep, churning abyss of dark chaotic waters.

God formed a mess into a good Garden with no broken, missing, or out-of-place parts. It was shalom. Peace.

Peace with God: Adam and Eve depended on God to provide and protect, trusting him to be a good father and faithful friend.

Peace with each other: Adam loved Eve more than anything else God had created. They were naked together and not at all embarrassed, afraid, or weirded out by it. They loved each other just the way they were.

Peace with themselves: There was no regret, comparison, or competition.

Peace with creation: The world wasn’t too warm, or too cold. No hurricanes, floods, wildfires or earthquakes threatened their lives. Trees and vines fed them. Springs and rivers quenched their thirst.

No missing, broken, or out-of-place parts. God created perfect peace out of a mess.

But you know that peace didn’t last. Trust was broken by rebellion. Marriage was broken by blame. Innocence was broken by regret. Adam and Eve fled the Garden into a wilderness they had to plow, plant, and weed just to survive.

Generation after generation told each other the story of how God created peace out of a mess in the beginning. And they believed he’d do it again in the end.

The post Advent: Peace Out Of A Mess was written by Shaun Groves.

What is peace?

To most of us these days, peace is the absence of conflict. Or it’s stress-free tranquility and relaxation. A time without war is peaceful and a nap on a quiet Sunday afternoon is too.
But the ancient peace of scripture is much deeper and wider than ours.

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Shalom means complete, whole, and in the right place.

A shepherd’s flock was shalom if none of his sheep were missing or hurt. Altars built to worship God were shalom if they were made of stones without cracks.

City walls were shalom when there were no holes or gaps in them. Doctors brought broken bones back into shalom.

When something with lots of parts had no MISSING or BROKEN or OUT OF PLACE parts it was shalom.

You and I have lots of parts. When any of our parts are broken, missing, or out of place we don’t have peace.

The night Jesus was born, the whole world and all the people in it were broken; so many parts were missing or out of place…

Suddenly a great company of angels appeared praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the heavenly heights, and PEACE to everyone on earth who pleases God!”

Luke 2:13-14

What parts of you or your life are missing, broken, or out of place right now? Tell God all about it and ask God to bring you peace.

The post Advent: Peace was written by Shaun Groves.

Elvis was four when I visited his home at the edge of a slum in Nairobi, Kenya.

His mom hugged me and held my hand and smiled and cried and knelt down to bless my feet…and then she found out I wasn’t who she hoped I was.

She was still very kind after that! But she kept insisting I send Elvis’ sponsor to visit her home. She wanted so much to hug him and tell him how he “rescued” her son’s life.

“I am so thankful,” she said. “He has shoes and can go to school!”

Before this pandemic, 44% of Kenyans lived on less than $2 a day. Elvis was one of them.

He was often sick without a doctor, hungry without food, smart but without a teacher. His mom was hard-working but without work, and hopeless without ever knowing God saw her and loved her and her boys very much.

But then a pastor knocked on her door one day and told her he could help. He and his church could send her boys to school, put shoes on their feet, give them good food to eat. Her sons could drink clean water every day and see a doctor regularly.

And that’s just what they did. But that pastor and his Church also told Elvis and his family about Jesus – how he gave his life for them. The pastor gave them a bible written in their own language and, eventually, Elvis’s mother became a follower of Jesus!

Elvis’ sponsor gives $38 every month to underwrite the care Elvis is receiving through that church in his neighborhood.

Now, this pandemic has dragged even more people into extreme poverty around the world – over half of them are children.

Compassion’s sponsored children are receiving additional food support, economic assistance, hygiene kits, COVID testing and care, and on and on – all through local churches and funded by sponsors.

Unlike Elvis, many children plunged into extreme poverty by this disease don’t have a sponsor right now.

Others have recently learned that their sponsor is financially unable to continue their support.

So if you can, please sponsor a child today. If you already do, please sponsor another. And another by visiting compassion.com/shaungroveschristmas.

It’s never been more critical to support little ones and their families living in extreme poverty. They’ve never needed you and the Church more than they do right now.

Please, sponsor a child today by visiting compassion.com/shaungroveschristmas

If you sponsor using that link I’ll be able to thank you by inviting you to an exclusive on-line Advent celebration with songs, scripture, stories, and special guests.

So, visit compassion.com/shaungroveschristmas. That page is full of children who have been waiting MORE THAN A YEAR for a sponsor to choose them. Please end their wait today.

Thank you! Please share this need with your friends.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and authenticity.”

– 1 John 3:16-18

The post Rescuing Elvis was written by Shaun Groves.