MARCH 11, 2026, WEDNESDAY
Entry: 2:26pm, Fairview QC
VERSE OF THE DAY:
JOHN 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
OUR GOOD SHEPHERD
Jesus "I am" sayings are powerful statements that give us a look into His nature and heart.
First, they reveal something about His mission on earth. But second, they connect Jesus to God the Father: These "I Am" statements connect theologically to Exodus 3:14, when God revealed Himself to Moses as "I Am"
In John 10, Jesus tells the people that He is the good shepherd. The mark of a good shepherd is that He is willing to lay down his life for his sheep, and Jesus says He is willing to do just that.
Jesus' statements is on contrast to the religious leaders of His day. The religious leaders would often make things very difficult for followers of God- adding laws and regulations that would actually keep people from Him. Ultimately, they were selfish leaders, considering themselves more important than people they were leading.
Jesus points out that the highest qualification of a shepherd is selflessness. Jesus is the ultimate shepherd because He truly cares for the people of God. He is like the shepherd in Psalm 23 who leads the sheep by still waters and cares for their souls.
Have you ever considered Jesus as the shepherd of your soul?
Jesus desires to walk alongside you in life, caring for your needs and taking care of your heart. He desires to love you, guide you, and lead you to a life of peace.
Jesus isn't a leader that wants to make your life burdensome or difficult. Instead, He wants you to experience freedom and grace. Take a moment to consider Jesus as your shepherd, and thank Him for His love, protection and grace.
SHARE YOUR FAITH
Like Jesus, we can choose to put others ahead of ourselves. We can sacrifice personal comfort for the sake of someone else.
Jesus gave everything for you. How can you love like Him today?
God, thank You for being my good shepherd. You selflessly pursue me, even when I doubt Your goodness. Time and time again You calm my anxious heart. Thank You for carrying my burdens. Thank You for laying down Your life for me. I know You love me, care for me, and always have my best in mind. In Jesus' name, Amen.
PSALMS 77:12
They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
Take a moment to think about some of the things god has made and the creativity involved in making them.
The God who created the universe also created you. Meditate on that as you praise God.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:12
You say, "I am allowed to do anything" but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything, " I must not become a slave to anything.
Is there anything keeping you from drawing closer to God?
Be honest with Him about how you're doing, and voice your concerns.
God, at all times, let Your will be done in me. I know this isn't an easy thing to say. I know that following You requires accepting struggles that are beyond my control. But I also know that Your plans are good, and I want to take part in those plans. So today, I surrender. Teach me Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.
DAILY BIBLE READING:
DEUTERONOMY 14-16
MARK 12:28-44
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOOD
TITHES
so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
THIS YEAR FOR CANCELLING DEBTS
Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
FREEING SERVANTS
Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you.
THE FIRSTBORN ANIMALS
THE PASSOVER
THE FESTIVAL OF WEEKS
THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES
JUDGES
judge the people fairly. 19Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.
WORSHIPPING OTHER GODS
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
âis this: âHear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.â 31The second is this: âLove your neighbor as yourself.â There is no commandment greater than these.â
WHOSE SON IS THE MESSIAH?
WARNING AGAINST THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW
âWatch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.40They devour widowsâ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.â
THE WIDOW'S OFFERING
Jesus said, âTruly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everythingâall she had to live on.â
JEREMIAH 3:11-17
UNFAITHFUL ISRAEL
11The Lord said to me, âFaithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12Go, proclaim this message toward the north, âI will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,â âReturn, faithless people,â declares the Lord, âfor I am your husband. I will choose youâone from a town and two from a clanâand bring you to Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,â At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord.
INSIGHT
Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah, the Southern Kingdom, and its capital city of Jerusalem during the reign of its last five kings (Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah). Because of its idolatry and wickedness, the Northern Kingdom, Israel, had fallen to Assyria in 722 bc. During Jeremiahâs time, Judah was following in Israelâs footsteps, despite the reign of a few good kings like Josiah. The people had turned away from God and were worshiping idols. Through Jeremiah, God warned them that their wickedness would lead to discipline, yet He urged them repeatedly to repent and return to Him (Jeremiah 2:19; 3:14). In 586 bc, Judah fell to Babylon. Yet God restored a remnant to the land and promised a Savior, Jesus (23:5-6). Today, God still offers forgiveness and love to all who repent and turn to Him.
By: Alyson Kieda
REBELLION AND RETURN
The Wild One is a 1953 movie starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, a troubled, brooding leader of a motorcycle gang. In one scene, a young woman notices a gang memberâs jacket with the initials, B.R.M.C. When she learns that the R stands for ârebels,â she laughs and touches the arm of Brando as he idly pats a drum. âHey, Johnny. What are you rebelling against?â He replies, âWhat do you got?â
What an apt description of our problem! Weâre born with a drive to assert ourselves. We want to be in charge, preferably by getting our way. If that doesnât work, weâll assert ourselves by dragging our feet. The rebellion is the point.
Why did Israel foolishly worship idols of âstone and woodâ (Jeremiah 3:9)? And why did Israelâs âunfaithful sister Judahâ only pretend to return to God (v. 10)? Because thatâs how they expressed their independenceââthe stubbornness of their evil heartsâ (v. 17). The rebellion was the point.
But Godâs love is stronger. Jesus died for rebels and leaves the door open for their return. â âReturn, faithless Israel,â declares the Lord, âI will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful . . . . Only acknowledge your guiltâyou have rebelled against the Lord your Godâ â (vv. 12-13).
We may be born rebels, but we can return. Letâs run home to our Father, where we find His forgiveness, love, and help.
By: Mike Wittmer
REFLECT AND PRAY
When do you take charge in foolish or bad ways? How have you been ignoring God, and how might you return to Him?
Dear Father, thank You for Your forgiveness. Iâm coming home to You. in Jesus' name, Amen.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
DAY 3: THE SEEDS AMONG THORNS-SOW WHERE IT FEELS CROWDED
Reflection:
Some seeds fall among thornsâJesus said these are the worries of life, the pull of wealth, and the clutter of this world. You see it every dayâpeople rushing, scrolling endlessly, the pressure, the hustle⌠they canât even hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
It can feel intimidating to share Jesus in those momentsâlike your words will just get tangled in the noise. But remember: the seed is the truth, and the truth will set you free. Godâs Word doesnât depend on the soil being perfectâitâs living and active, able to pierce through even the thickest thorns.
So donât let the crowded soil discourage you. Share anyway. Plant seeds of hope, even in the busy, stressed-out hearts you meet today. Because you never know what God will do with that seedâit might be the one that finally breaks through.
Challenge: Share Jesus with someone todayâeven if you think theyâre too distracted or wrapped up in the world. Remind them that Jesus is the center and our 1st focus, not the world. You might get a negative response, but remember: youâre sowing a seed that could bring them back to the One who never stops loving them.
Bonus: Write down your feelings about sharing in those tough places in your Bible. Let it be a reminder that even in thorns, God can bring beauty.
Prayer: âLord Jesus, help me not be discouraged by the thorns. Help me keep sowing seeds of faith, knowing You and only You can make them grow in even the most crowded hearts. Holy Spirit, please give me supernatural wisdom and grace today. Use me in a mighty way to help remove the thorns, worries, and distractions of the world from others and myself, in Jesus' name, amen.â
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I had a few thoughts today that could help me to move forward. I've been active in exercising, I believe that may contribute to the shifts in perspective.
Since the start of the year, I've given serious consideration to how I'd like to begin expressing myself. I've gotten past the barriers of concern for anyone else's perception, and what I might want it to look or feel like, to a place of asking myself for a concise idea of what to make; most importantly, what to start with.
I can't claim music to be an instrumental part of my life, but it does do a great deal in adding dimension to my living. From staring at my parents' albums for endless hours, I've picked my own pieces that I've identified with my own personality. With which, I will mischaracterize one of my chosen few as an album, strictly for the purposes of generalization.
There are 3 specific albums that I count as special for me, all released in the same year. 2017 wasn't a very pivotal year for me, I had a share of experiences, some of which has faded from memory, some that still resonate. The only thing that I'd say separated it for me was the amount of solitude that I had.
Those albums were on repeat, washing over me on a daily basis. I even made a playlist that had every song from each album on it. I made this the soundtrack to my solitude. They helped me to see it as such instead of loneliness or being alone. Thank God for art.
I feel very deeply for each, they evoke a certain electricity within me everytime I hear them. Each artist, a poet, very skilled at not just linguistics but in figurative expression. Each artist, a revolutionary, poignant in their messaging for the plight of Black people, and people the world over. Each album, an assertion of the artists' growth as people, painting as best they can as they go.
Those are my same aspirations, even today in 2026.
With that, my goal is to explore 'why?' The artists themselves have released a number of projects since then, but still I hold on to their words from almost a decade ago. What is it about these projects that stands out for me? What stories are told, what's the message? Does they grow or change as artists from beginning to end? What makes it worth it for me?
This steers me back to essays, a la academia. I never hated the work itself, I just hated to do it. I enjoyed expressing myself, my will to do so for a gold star diminished my will to do so at all. But, that's the project.
My goal is to warm up my expression muscles. I've been sullen and homeostatic for long enough.
