September 1, 2013 … Faithfulness to Convict

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 244

Devotional Song: Go to this link  ...  PLEASE use this link and take in the poignant and pertinent song, sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean … He’ll Do Whatever It Takes, reminding us that God, through His prevenient and completing grace is going to faithfully transform us through conviction and direction to reshape us into Christ’s image so that we can reflect His light more brightly and rightly into the world.

 Highlight meditation passage – John 16: 8 [with verses 5-9] [NLT]: …  
5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you. 8 And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me.
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 Highlight reading study #1 of John, Chapter 16: Go to this link …

Reference Passage #1: Matthew 5: 16 [And our light is dampened when we choose sinfulness.] … [NLT] …
15 "...  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. ..."

Reference Passage #2: Philippians 1: 6 [The transformation process (i.e., sanctification) may take time; but He’s going to get it done!] … [NLT] …  
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

  Reference Passage #3: Romans 8: 28 [One of the toughest truths to accept in God’s word, isn’t it?] … [NLT] …  
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

My Journal for Today: Don’tcha just hate it sometimes that God is faithful to convict us of our sin, not letting us live in the darkness we know of as this world without doing His faithful job of reshaping us into Christ’s image so that we can reflect His light more brightly into this world.

It hurts sometimes, doesn’t it; … when we realize that we’re not responding to His redirection in life … from the Spirit, Whom Jesus left behind in His church, planting Him in the hearts of every true believer so that He could, as Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing in the linked song above, do whatever it takes to point us in the direction of God’s righteous path.

But we can so easily (because of our wicked, very human, heart – see Jeremiah 17: 9) -allow our selfish desires to get in the way of our choices to follow the Savior. But we must know the truth of the Scriptures which bubbled up from my memory, copied above, mostly from Paul’s letters, which tell us that “He’ll Do Whatever It Takes,” as the song above sings, to bring us back into a right relationship with Christ, so that our reformed image can shine a brighter and truer light into this world.

I will pray for us to respond to God’s Spirit of conviction so that we can become brighter lights for Christ.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, help us to respond to You, Holy Spirit, as You do what it takes to help us shine Jesus more brightly in our countenance.… Amen