Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video from the group Mercy Me singing … Word Of God Speak …poignantly singing of a prayer to hear God speak to us through His wondrous word.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 119:97, …104 [NLT] … 97 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. … 104 Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.
… Being in God’s word and having God’s word in us keeps us on track in life.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 119:97-104 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Psalmist reveals how he unravels the mysteries of life … thru God’s word.
=============
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Joshua 1:8 [NLT] … 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
… God reveals to Joshua (and to us) how he (we) can be successful in carrying out God’s will. It’s God’s prescription for spiritual success!!
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
… And where do we go to rely on God’s instruction and find His will; … His word, of course!
Reference Passage [NLT] : … John 15:5-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus made it clear to His disciples (and to you and me) that we can only be fruitful as God’s children when/if we remain true to His commandments, … i.e., His word.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Charles C McCasland, told of a very personal story to illustrate how our trust in built in God as we abide more intimately in him. The ODB author wrote: I have always enjoyed the wit and insight of Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz. One of my favorite cartoons drawn by him appeared in a book about young people in the church. It shows a young man holding a Bible as he tells a friend on the phone, “I think I’ve made one of the first steps toward unraveling the mysteries of the Old Testament . . . I’m starting to read it!” (Teen-Ager Is Not a Disease). [See Photo]
I think the author of the wildly popular cartoon, Peanuts, nailed a truth here, don’t you? And it’s the same message the Psalmist who wrote the highlight passage in Psalm 119:97-104 coveted so very personally and coveys in that poem of truth. And what does that message say to any of us?
Well, I’ll leave that to you readers and the Holy Spirit; … but to me, … it says the same thing God instructed Moses about carrying out God’s will [see Joshua 1:8] … that we’ll only be successful in knowing and following God’s will if we remain in His word … “day and night.”
My friend that’s why I’m here … into God’s word to start each day. It’s why I’ve internalized so much of my Bible (thru study and memorization). It’s why I use His word to get to know my God more intimately day-by-day-by-day. And it’s why I use God’s truth (i.e., the Bible) as my spiritual “GPS.”
Sure, … prayer and being among other Godly Christians, as we serve our Lord, is important to grow in our abiding relationship with Christ. But nothing … NO, NOTHING {!!} … is as effective to know and abide in Christ as we come to know and follow Him thru His word. So, if you come back here tomorrow morning, you’ll find me back here again [God willing!], trying to do the same thing the author of Psalm 119 did, … and that is to glean the clear path thru life from the direction God’s provides from His word.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Thank You, Lord, for the perfect “GPS” You give me thru Your word. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment