Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with Sara Groves singing her song … Joy In Our Hearts … poignantly singing of how we find joy only from our relationship with Christ and our reliance on Him.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Habakkuk 3:18 [NLT] … 18 …YET I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
… In spite of all his troubles and trials, Habakkuk learned that He could choose joy in His faith in God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Habakkuk 3:17-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In the midst of pain/confusion, the Prophet learns that God is in control.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… To know our way in life we must trust God … not ourselves.
Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] … 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
… We will only have God’s peace when we focus on Him … rather than ourselves.
Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [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.
… It’s true … but do we believe it?
Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Why worry?!! God is in control!!
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, used a self description of our her general attitude to illustrate how we all can get down on life. The ODB author wrote: With a tendency toward pessimism, I quickly jump to negative conclusions about how situations in my life will play out. If I’m thwarted in my efforts on a work project, I’m easily convinced none of my other projects will be successful either, and—even though utterly unrelated—I will probably never be able to touch my toes comfortably. And, woe is me, I’m an awful mother who can’t do anything right. Defeat in one area unnecessarily affects my feelings in many.
Somehow I sort of doubt that this Christian author is that negative; but I think we can all identify with having times of confusion, self-doubt, or stress … when we wonder if God has forgotten we’re even here. Ever been there? I sure have.
And if you read the journal of the Prophet Habakkuk, you’ll see that he came to God in times of terrible disarray and trial in Judah in the troubled times of Jeremiah, whom we often refer to as the “weeping Prophet.” And Habakkuk was terribly confused as to why God was allowing His people in Judah to be so faithless and disobedient. And in all this confusion, Habakkuk had seemingly fallen into despair. But reading on in his little book we see how God comes to this confused Prophet and tells him that he should sit back and watch as He, God, allows things to get even worse.
But finally in the highlight passage in Habakkuk 3, we see that the Prophet had come to the realization that joy was a choice and not dependent on his circumstances or feelings. And it’s this truth that we all need to recognize and claim, which the reference scriptures above reveal.
The question is … do we believe this truth; … AND … do we live it?
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for always being there for us … especially in times of trial.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to overcome my own self-doubt with faith that You are ALWAYS in control. … 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.
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