Today’s Scripture is Psalms 100:3.
“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”
Back in the 1800s, a man named Samuel was a rancher in Texas, but he had a peculiar way of doing things. While all the other ranchers carefully branded their cattle to show ownership, Samuel refused. Maybe he thought it was too much trouble, or maybe he just liked being different. Either way, it created some confusion. Eventually, whenever a cowboy found an unbranded cow wandering the prairie, they figured it must belong to Samuel Maverick.
Before long, Samuel’s last name became more than just a name—it became a word. A “maverick” came to describe anyone who refused to follow the rules, someone who did things their own way.
Now, we might admire that independent streak, and even as Christians, some folks like to think of ourselves as “mavericks”—doing faith on our own terms, walking our own path, and expecting others to adjust. But here’s the thing: as believers, we don’t get to go through life unbranded. We belong to God.
Following Christ isn’t about independence or doing things our own way—it’s about surrender. It means recognizing that we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. It’s not about expecting others to adapt to us, but about aligning ourselves with Christ and letting His love shape how we live.
The next time you feel the urge to go your own way and do things on your terms, remember: we’re already branded. We are His, and that makes all the difference.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and this is a thought worth thinking.