2 Samuel 24:17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.’

What do you do when people get into trouble around you? Do you stand back and blame them for doing wrong or do you wade in and try to help?

God wants us to be the kind of people who will wade in and share the burden on people’s shoulders.

Christ is our Shepherd who stepped forward to take the blame in our stead because He wanted to!

Will you step forward and help someone today?

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

I had to use this verse today when I read the words... I have not been given a well-instructed tongue! I do say the wrong things at the wrong time, time and time again!

But each day I get up and write another devotion because God encourages me to share from my heart as I try to listen to His instruction as I read His Word.

We are now in a month of lock-down in the UK and I continue to reach out with God’s love to everyone who is willing to listen... this comes from God’s Word, filtered through my heart.

2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;

Paul wrote very encouraging letters to Timothy, but each letter had dire warnings about the hard times ahead too.

The one thing which remained most important to Paul was to continue to have faith in Christ and His teaching.

Paul always tried to encourage others to have faith in Christ, knowing Christ would be ruthless to those who chose to side against Him.

Our words are important to others, just as Paul’s words and even Timothy’s words to those around him too.