We have a new lawn service.  No longer want to bother doing it ourselves.  Plants and flowers, yes.  But lawn care, cleaning upper-story windows and gutters are all things in our past.  We hope!

When we first moved in, we hurriedly arranged for lawn service.  This has proven to be a mistake as most hurry-jobs tend to be.  After months and months of malodorous service, we have bid them good-bye.  Then we interviewed a number of new landscapers.  We chose who we thought would do the best job for our lawns.  Will charge more, coming as no surprise to any homeowner!

This morning, after the fertilizer man had left, I was reading the John 21.  Jesus tells Peter to feed and tend His people.  Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him.  Interesting.   The number of times Peter denied even knowing the Lord.  Three times comes the question of love.  Do you, Peter?  Do you?

Peter is being restored after his denials.  Restored as only Jesus can.  Peter responds with an eager ‘yes’.  He does love Jesus more than anything or anyone else.  Two times Jesus tells Peter to feed His flock and once to tend them.  To feed and to tend as a good shepherd.

Find ways to get the Word of God into their hands.  Give out tracts. Support the Gideon’s Bible distribution programs.  Wrap a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.  Invite a neighbor and friend to your local Bible study group.  Be creative.  Make sure it’s God’s Word that’s being planted in other’s hearts along with meeting real human needs.  Tend their needs. Feed them.  Keep watch over them.  Do we love them enough to feed and tend?

Remember that you need feeding, you need tending to.  Make sure you are well-fed on the Bible, tending to your own worship of the Lord.  As a young pastor I did all my personal devotions as preparation for weekly sermons.  Taking a short-cut in my busy schedule.  That was a huge mistake.  But I learned.  In my last church, I hardly ever used the pastor’s study.  Too many distractions.  Back in our home I had a desk in our basement for my devotions with the Lord.  Exclusively for Him and me.  On our third floor, one of the bedrooms was my study for sermons and the adult class I taught.  No short-cuts for me anymore.

I loved to feed and tend others but only after I had done the same for me.  You too?  Don’t kid yourself.  Feed…tend.  Yourself first.  Then others… lots and lots of them!

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for calling us to love you by serving you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.