February 28, 2019 … Living the Redeemed Life

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 59

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with song and lyrics from Big Daddy Weave singing … Redeemed … powerfully singing of living the life of the redeemed sinner, living under the love/grace of the Savior.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 51:7 [NLT] … 7  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 
… David discovers and sings of the life of redemption and renewal which comes when a believer is willing to confess, repent, and be made new by the blood of Messiah.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 51:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David sings His song of redemption, reconciliation, and renewal after his confession for His sins. 
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Reference Passage : … Ephesians 1:3-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God reveals the spiritual blessing of His redemptive plan, … all wrapped up in our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Reference Passage : … 1 John 1:5-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru John, shows that we don’t need to live in the darkness when we are redeemed by the love-light of Christ.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 5:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … God, thru Paul, shows the new life we can have when we live lives of faith and repentance, covered by the blood of Christ’s redeeming love.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, uses a news story to illustrate how God’s redeeming love can change the lives of those who live in the reconciliation of Christ’s blood. The ODB author writes … The article in the local newspaper was short but heartwarming. After attending a faith-based program on building stronger family ties, a group of prison inmates were given a rare treat of an open visit with their families. Some hadn’t seen their children in years. Instead of talking through a glass panel, they could touch and hold their loved ones [see photo]. The tears flowed freely as families grew closer and wounds began to heal. 
For most readers, it was just a story. But for these families, holding one another was a life-changing event—and for some, the process of forgiveness and reconciliation was begun. 

Having lived in the darkness of hidden sin for many years myself and having been redeemed by my repentance and faith in the blood of our Savior, I know what it feels like to confess my sins, as King David did of the shame of Bathsheba, and to live under the forgiveness of Christ’s love and His redeeming grace.

And my prayer today is that all who read here, have experienced - and are now living - the life-changing redemption that Big Daddy Weave sings about in the linked song. Because God’s redeeming grace is a life-changer [see Scriptures above] and one I pray all live to receive everyday as we receive it thru our faith in the finished work of Christ.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for redeeming me. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to live under the redeeming grace offered and received by those who surrender to God’s love. … 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.

February 27, 2019 … A Child Leads the Way

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 58

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images from The Martins singing … Heaven’s Child … a little Christmas song reminding us that God sent His Son as a little child to lead us to His Glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 21:16 [NLT] … 16  They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’ ”  
… Following someone who knows where they are going is wise counsel.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 21:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus quotes Scripture (Ps. 8:2) to the Priests about a child leading God’s people. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 8:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Declares the greatness of the Lord and how He will silence His enemies with the wisdom of a child.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 19:13-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus had such a heart to show His followers that we must have the attitude and faith of a child to receive Heaven’s child as our Savior and give us entrance into God’s family.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Linda Washington, uses a story of a child being given the opportunity to preach the gospel, much to the surprise of onlookers. The ODB author writes … After watching ten-year-old Viola using a tree branch as a microphone to mimic a preacher, Michele decided to give Viola the opportunity to “preach” during a village outreach. Viola accepted. Michele, a missionary in South Sudan, wrote, “The crowd was enraptured. . . . A little girl who had been abandoned stood in authority before them as a daughter of the King of kings, powerfully sharing the reality of God’s Kingdom. Half the crowd came forward to receive Jesus” (Michele Perry, Love Has a Face). 
The crowd that day hadn’t expected to hear a child preach. This incident brings to mind the phrase “out of the mouths of babes,” which comes from Psalm 8. 

Yes, we’d likely be surprised to hear a young child given the pulpit or stage to preach a sermon, wouldn’t we? It doesn’t fit our expectations of a preacher, does it?

Well, … imagine how the teachings and preachings of Jesus, … Heaven’s child, … must’ve been out of context to the Messianic expectations of the Jewish leaders and many of the people of Jesus’ day as the Lord walked about, doing miracles and preaching the Gospel, during His ministry time on earth. 

And quite often the people would hear Him say that they must have the heart and mind and faith of a child to enter the Kingdom of God (see Matt. 19:13-15). But who He was and how He preached was fulfillment of prophesy (see Ps. 8:2) … that God would use a little child to lead His people [see photo].

But Jesus, Himself, was the child of God, the Son of the House of Jesse, prophesied as the One Who would come, as the Martins sing in the linked son, as “Heaven’s Child,” born in a manger to ultimately lead God’s people to glory. And we must accept Him and follow the lead of Heaven’s Child, as He leads us home.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading us to glory. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to you, as Heaven’s Child, as You lead us homeward. … 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.

February 26, 2019 … Seeking God’s Way

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 57

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images from Clay Crosse, Bob Carlisle, and Bebe Winans singing … I Will Follow Christ … powerfully singing of our need as Christians to do all we can to follow Christ’s way and His will thru His Word.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 23:12 [NLT] … 12  Commit yourself to instruction; …listen carefully to words of knowledge. 
… Following someone who knows where they are going is wise counsel.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 23:9-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Wise Solomon directs us to get wise counsel to follow in life in God’s direction. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 37:27-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We must always seek counsel from those who really know God’s way and His will.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our prayer should always be to seek God’s way and His will on all the roads of life.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We need to beware following our own feelings which can lead us astray if we don’t truly know where we’re going. Trusting God’s way and following His will is always best.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Winn Collier, uses a personal reflection of a mistake to avoid in life when we’re seeking God’s way in life. The ODB author writes … On a recent trip to New York City, my wife and I wanted to brave a snowy evening and hire a taxi [see photo] for a three-mile ride from our hotel to a Cuban restaurant. After entering the details into the taxi service’s app, I gulped hard when the screen revealed the price for our short jaunt: $1,547.26. After recovering from the shock, I realized I had mistakenly requested a ride to our home—several hundred miles away! If you’re working with the wrong information, you’re going to end up with disastrous results. Always.  

That situation described in the ODB entry today would be like putting the wrong destination in a GPS and expecting to get to where we want to go, And that’s what the Lord wants to relay to us thru His word in the Scriptures above as well as the linked song.

Every day - every morning actually - I pray the prayer of King David in Psalm 139:23-24 for God to show me if there is any wicked way in me or ahead of me and to show me the way … HIS WAY … everlasting. But I know that He has given me free will to make my own choices in life; so, … I have learned to choose to follow those who are well grounded in God’s word, the perfect “GPS,” … i.e., those who’re committed to following Christ. And it’s also why I’m here every morning gleaning the right direction for my life thru my use of God’s GPS, … His truth. In that way, I know that I have the best chance to get where my Lord wants to lead me and to avoid the misdirection where my own feelings and mind can lead me.

And I pray that all reading here with me are following others who know how to negotiate life by using God’s perfect “GPS.”

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for providing Your perfect “GPS” for my life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to use God’s “GPS” - His word - to lead us in life as well as to choose to follow those who know His way as well. … 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.

February 25, 2019 … The Bread of Life

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 56

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from the group Sidewalk Prophets singing … Come To The Table … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must open the door to our hearts every day and partake of God’s “bread of life” at His table of fellowship where our Savior gives us the sustenance of eternal life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 24:30-31 [NLT] … 30 As they [the 2 disciples traveling to Emmaus] sat down to eat, He [Jesus] took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared! 
… Jesus reveals Himself to the two in the context of fellowship and breaking bread together.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 24:28-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus reveals Himself to two disciples on the road from the crucifixion to their home in Emmaus. 
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Reference Passage : … John 6:32-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus teaches a crowd of followers about His role as the “bread of life.”

Reference Passage : … Revelation 3:20 [NLT] … 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
… Jesus always wants to have fellowship with His disciples; but we’ve got to open the door of our hearts as He knocks to enter and dine with us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a personal reflection of a local coffee house and compares it with how Jesus so desires to fellowship with us as His disciples. The ODB author writes … The coffeehouse in the town near my house is named Fika. It’s a Swedish word meaning to take a break with coffee and a pastry, always with family, co-workers, or friends. I’m not Swedish, yet the spirit of fika describes one thing I love most about Jesus—His practice of taking a break to eat and relax with others. 
Scholars say Jesus’s meals weren’t random. Theologian Mark Glanville calls them “the delightful ‘second course’” of Israel’s feasts and celebrations in the Old Testament. At the table, Jesus lived what God had intended Israel to be: “a center of joy, celebration and justice for the whole world.”  

 How often Jesus, in attempting to show Himself as the true Messiah, used the context of being the “bread of life” or our “living water; and often used those elements to invite others to believe in Him. He did so with those two despondent disciples walking to Emmaus after the crucifixion when Jesus appeared to them, opened up the “bread of life,” that is, the Scriptures; and then in actually breaking bread with them, they recognized The Messiah in their midst (see highlight passage).

Oh how Jesus wants to break the “bread of life,” i.e., His word, and dine with us in fellowship (see Rev. 3:20 as He knocks every day on the door of our hearts to let Him in; but we’ve got to open the door. And when we do, coming to His table of life, as the Sidewalk Prophets sing in the linked song, He will share His bread of life and the essence of Whom He is with us.

That’s why you find me here each morning, starting my day by breaking the bread of life (God’s word) with my Savior; and I pray that all who read here will hear our Lord knocking each day to come in and break bread with Him.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for inviting me to share Your bread of life here daily.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to open the door of our hearts daily and come to our Lord’s table to share His bread of life. … 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.

February 24, 2019 … In Awe of His Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 55

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Brian Doerksen singing … Creation Calls … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must quiet ourselves at times and take in the wonders God has created for His glory and our enjoyment. … AND ON TO THIS LINK to hear the group Anointed singing God Is All Around Us quietly declaring that God is always there even when we have trouble seeing Him in our lives.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 104:24 [NLT] … 24  O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. 
… We need to stand down from the hustle/bustle of life at times and quietly take in the awe of Creation.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 104:10-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru a Psalmist helps us remember God’s awesome creation.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we can stop for a moment in the hustle/bustle of life and take in God’s creation we can see His presence is ever with us.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28 [NLT] … 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 
… Jesus has invited us to come to Him for rest when we need it.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 10;5 [NLT] … 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 
… God, thru Paul, reminds us to take all our distracting thoughts captive to be able to take in God’s truth and obey him.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, uses a personal reflection of taking in God’s creation to help her (and us) take our thoughts captive and see our God more clearly. The ODB author writes … My life often feels frenzied and hectic. I hurry from one appointment to the next, returning phone calls and checking items off my seemingly infinite to-do list while on my way. Out of sheer exhaustion one Sunday, I collapsed into the hammock in our backyard. [see photo] My phone was inside, as were my children and husband. At first I planned to sit for just a moment or two, but in the undistracted stillness, I began to notice things that invited me to linger longer. … 
 I found myself moved to tears in response to all God had made. 

Sometimes, in the hustle/bustle of life, like the ODB author, we need to get alone in the quietness of God’s creation, as Brian Doerksen and the group Anointed sing in the linked songs, to take in God’s glory all around us and as the Psalmists wrote in Psalms 19 and 104 (see above). Because when we do, we’re doing what Jesus commanded his disciples to do (in Matthew 11:28) and what Paul wrote in 2Cor. 10:5, taking captive our thought life and resting in the grace and glory of our Lord’s creation.

Maybe not in a hammock, … but to some degree that’s what I’m doing each morning when I get alone with God and let the cares of my life be overshadowed by prayerful reflection of my Lord in the quiet of the moment, as I rest in the truth of His word. I feel his presence, even right now, … much like the ODB author in her hammock; and I realize that He’s with me … no matter what I’m going thru.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for helping me start each day with You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to stop and rest for a few moments in the realization of His creation and His glory. … 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.

February 23, 2019 … My Role In HisStory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 54

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with song and lyrics from Big Daddy Weave singing … My Story … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, will have a story of the role we play in God’s master story of victory, freedom, and hope.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 13:12 [NLT] … 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 
… What is our role in the master plan He has written for our lives; and are we playing that role in anticipation of the end of HisStory as we know it from His word.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 13:8-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … God, thru Paul, charges His disciples (that’s you/me) to prepare for His coming again by living in the story He has written for us to live.
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Reference Passage : … John 13:34-35 [NLT] … 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 
… Our roles, as disciples, in Jesus’ love story, displays Himself to others as we play our our roles lovingly and faithfully from the perfect script He’s written for us - HIs word.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 3:12-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we play out our roles in the Lord’s master script, we put off the clothing of selfishness and put on His robes of righteousness.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 1:13-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Peter, writes of those called as Christians [you/me] to live out the roles the Lord has written for us to play from His Holy word.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mike Wittmer, uses a thought provoking quote from Hemingway to illustrate the importance of living out a well written role God has for us in HisStory. The ODB author writes … Ernest Hemingway was asked if he could write a compelling story in six words. His response: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” Hemingway’s story is powerful because it inspires us to fill in the details. Were the shoes simply not needed by a healthy child? Or was there a tragic loss—something requiring God’s deep love and comfort? 
The best stories pique our imagination, so it’s no surprise that the greatest story ever told stokes the fires of our creativity. 

Interesting to think of our selves on the stage of “HisStory [aka-“history”], isn’t it; … playing out the roles our Lord has written for us to live [see Scriptures above].

And when we play our our roles, accurately and obediently, we display for others, on the stage of life, the way Jesus lived and loved. Our story becomes His Story as Big Daddy Weave sings in the linked song.

So, today, are we prepared to follow His script and to do all we can to represent our Lord in the stage of life in the “greatest story ever told?!”

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the opportunity to live out our roles in Your story.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to walk out on the stage of life today and play our roles in the play of HisStory written just for us. … 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.

February 22, 2019 … Uplifting Strength

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 53

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with song and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, can rely on the strength of the Lord to cover us in times we need His uplifting hands.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] … 10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 
… What a wondrous promise when we’re trying to climb the stairs of life like a toddler (see photo). 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 41:8-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isaiah, to His children, promising us His strength when we need His uplifting Spirit in times of our weakness.
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Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NLT] … 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
… No less than Jesus promises to help us be overcomers just as He has overcome the world.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 10:12-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, promises that He will always be there - in times of trial or confusion - to lead us through and lift us up.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … … Paul exhorts Christians to rely on the strength of God in our times of weakness.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, [edited slightly] uses a parental word picture of a mother helping and protecting her toddler go upstairs to illustrate how God lifts us up when we need His help. The ODB author writes … The little girl who navigated the stairway one Sunday at church was cute, spunky, and independent. One by one the child—who appeared to be not much older than two years—took the steps [up] to the [higher] level. [Ascending] the stairs was her mission and she accomplished it. I smiled to myself as I pondered the daring independence of this courageous toddler. The child wasn’t afraid because she knew her caring mother’s watchful eye was always on her and her loving hands were extended to help her [see photo]. 
 This aptly pictures the Lord’s readiness to help His children as they make their way through life with its varied uncertainties. 

I would expect that all of us here today have experienced situations in life which were a bit too daunting for us; and when we got to the top of the stairs, we Christians realized that God gave us the uplifting grace/strength to make it to the top [again, see photo]. That’s what Steven Curtis Chapman is singing about in the linked song, isn’t he? And it’s what all of today’s Scriptures tell us, don’t they?

The question is not whether God’s strength is enough to cover our weaknesses; but rather, the issue is whether we believe that our loving Father, … our Lord and Savior, … will be there to lift us up when we need Him to help us. I believe He is, … how about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us your strength to cover us in times of weakness.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to rely on God’s uplifting Hands when we need His strength in times of weakness. … 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.

February 21, 2019 … The Worship of Service

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 52

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with song and lyrics from John Waller singing … As For Me and My House … poignantly singing of how we, as believers in the Living Lord must serve Him in the worship of living sacrifice.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 12:1 [NLT] … 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 
… Our greatest form of worship is to become - and be - living sacrifices in His Name. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 12:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, urges all Christians to become - and to be - living sacrifices just as Jesus was/is for us.
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Reference Passage : … Joshua 24:15 [NLT] … 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” 
… We must CHOOSE, as did Joshua, to serve the small “g” gods of this world or the one and only Lord, … the Messiah, … Who became our King Jesus.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts Christians to serve others the way Christ served us, humbling giving of ourselves in His Name.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts Christians to live like Christ lived, humbling ourselves to serve others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how we, as Christians, are called to live lives of service and sacrifice to others. The ODB author writes … My great aunt had an exciting job in advertising and traveled between Chicago and New York City. But she chose to give up that career out of love for her parents. They lived in Minnesota and needed to be cared for. Both of her brothers had died young in tragic circumstances and she was her mom and dad’s only remaining child. For her, serving her parents was an expression of her faith. 

In my mother’s later years, she had congestive heart failure and my dad had to do things for her as she weakened over time. This made him very angry since she had always been the one to serve him. But at age 72 my dad became a Christian; and I noticed a radical change in his attitude. He told me that he felt that God had given him the opportunity to serve her and show her how Christ has died to give him life.

That - for me - became a living picture of what Paul exhorted Christians to become in the highlight passage as well as other letters to Christians (see also the Gal. 6 and Phil. 2 passages). It was what God, thru Joshua, urged in the Old Testament … that believers choose to serve our God as living sacrifices in His Name and for his glory (see Joshua 24:15 and hear the linked song).

Today, we will likely interact with others in some way. How could we be a living sacrifice - as Christ was (and is) for us - to serve them in some way? I pray we do, … living out our worship in the way we serve others.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us what “living sacrifice” is all about.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can TODAY to serve others … as our way to worship You. … 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.

February 20, 2019 … Love Letters

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 51

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing … Hold Me Up … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, so desperately needs God’s encouragement at times and He can use us to be His love letter to others by our encouragement to those who need His touch.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Colossians 1:9 [NLT] … 9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding 
… Paul’s sincere encouragement by letter to all of us as well as those in Asia Minor in his day. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Colossians 1:9-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul wrote this letter to encourage his fellow Christians in Colosse.
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Reference Passage : … Romans 15:4-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul tells Christians how God’s word is his love letter of encouragement to His children.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:1-2 [NLT] … 1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. … I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. … 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 
… Paul writes his letter of joy, encouragement, and love to his dear friends in Philippi.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, uses a personal reflection to teach about the need we all have for God’s touch of love and encouragement, especially in times when we’re down and out. The ODB author writes … Like most four-year-olds, Ruby loved to run, sing, dance, and play. But she started complaining about pain in her knees. Ruby’s parents took her in for tests. The results were shocking—a diagnosis of cancer, stage 4 neuroblastoma. Ruby was in trouble. She was quickly admitted to the hospital. 
Ruby’s hospital stay lingered on, spilling over into the Christmas season, a hard time to be away from home. One of Ruby’s nurses came up with the idea to place a mailbox outside her room [see photo] so family could send letters full of prayers and encouragement to her. Then the plea went out on Facebook, and that’s when the volume of mail coming in from friends and complete strangers surprised everyone, most of all Ruby. With each letter received (more than 100,000 total), Ruby grew a little more encouraged, and she finally got to go home. 

Ever been down and have a friend send you a letter (or an email these days) which lifted you up? Perhaps they wrote that they were praying for you; or if they were at a distance, they expressed their desire to be there with you. That’s what the letters did for Ruby when she was suffering from cancer in the hospital.

And that’s what the Apostle Paul desired to do as he wrote letters to fellow Christians, many of whom were being persecuted or led astray with false doctrine. And when you read these Pauline epistles (see a few examples above), one can read Paul passing along God’s love and uplifting encouragement to his fellow Christians.

And as I was reading today’s ODB entry, I couldn’t help but think of several dear ones in my life that God’s Spirit was showing me who could use a dose of His love and grace. And as God’s timing would have it, one such brother, called me this week to request sharing breakfast with me this very morning. And I happen to know he’s been through a lot the past weeks with a lot of sickness in his family. So, I’m duly convicted to do all I can this morning to listen to his needs and encourage him if I can.

Perhaps some of you, reading here, know of someone who could use a letter, an email, or a phone call to lift them up as Gordon Mote prays in the linked song of that kind of need. And if you do know of someone needing your encouragement, … you know what to do!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for sending me Your everlasting encouragement thru Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can TODAY to encourage someone we know with God’s love/grace. … 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.

February 19, 2019 … Humbly Following Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 50

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from the group 4Him singing … The Basics for Life … powerfully singing of how we, as Christians, must humbly get back to the basics of Christlikeness so that our world can get to the cross.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 13:31, 33 [NLT] … 31  If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 
… 33  Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. 
 … If we revere our Lord’s guidance and humbly follow Him, He will be honored by our lives. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 15:30-33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, shows us how we can move onward in life … thru humility. 
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Reference Passage : … 2 Chronicles 7:14 [NLT] … 14 Then if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 
… If our world is to be healed and restored, it will take God’s people (that’s us!) humbly surrendering to His ways rather than our own wicked ways.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We must avoid letting pride or our human desires cloud our attitude or our choices.

Reference Passage : … Micah 6:8 [NLT] … 8 … O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
… God leads us; but we must humbly follow Him.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:5 [NLT] … 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 
… We must have a Christlike attitude, which ALWAYS was of humility and meekness (see how Christ described Himself in Matt. 11:29).

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Ruth O’Reilly-Smith, uses a personal reflection to teach about the need for us to take on a Christlike attitude of humility to lead us forward in life. The ODB author writes … I’m reminded of some wise advice a radio broadcaster friend once gave me. Early on in his career, as my friend struggled to know how to deal with both criticism and praise, he felt that God was encouraging him to shelve both. What’s the essence of what he took to heart? 
 “Learn what you can from criticism and accept praise. Then shelve both and humbly move on in God’s grace and power.” 

Can I get an “AMEN” that our world has lost its way to the cross because of our prideful and selfish ways of life? AND … would you agree, fellow Christian, that the only way our world can be restored to a Christlike direction would be to do what the group 4Him sings in the linked song and what God commands in the Scriptures above?

Duh, … to walk humbly as did Christ and to surrender to His will and ways from His word is the answer, isn’t it? But why aren’t we doing it, even many (if not most) Christians? Really, … it doesn’t take rocket-science to see why.

We’re becoming a culture - a world - of entitlement, pride, and selfishness. And as long as we let these attitudes prevail, we will not be led - or lead others - to the cross (see photo).

So, let’s pray that - at least - each one of us do all we can to surrender to the truth of the Scriptures above and surrender to HUMBLY follow Christ, getting us back to HIS basics of life. And if we do, … as prophesied in Micah 6:8, with an attitude as Paul commanded in Phil. 2:5, seeking Godly wisdom as Solomon described in Prov. 3:5-6 and 15:30-33, we may be able to see the healing/restoration of our world as promised by God in 2Chron. 7:14.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to the Cross thru Your Son and our Savior, Jesus.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can to humbly follow the lead of our Savior on our way to the cross. … 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.

February 18, 2019 … Praying for Our Needs

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 49

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song, … Blessings … poignantly singing of how we, as fellow Christians, need to hold on to the truth that God’’s grace is always there to meet our needs, … not necessary our wants; and that our blessings are often disguised by the realities of life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jonah 4:3-4 [NLT] … 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” … 4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
… Aren’t we glad that God answers our prayers for what we need, not necessarily what we want. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jonah, Chapter 4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jonah was so angry with God’s merciful treatment of the people of Nineveh that he prayed to die. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We must avoid letting pride or our human desires cloud our attitude about God, Who is always good to/for us.

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.
… God ALWAYS provides us with what we need.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NLT] … 19 And this same God Who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
… God will ALWAYS take care of what we need, … not necessarily what we want.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 3:17 [NLT] … 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. 
… No matter what we’re doing or wherever we are, we need to be giving thanks to God for giving us what we need.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal story about a friend who let his selfish perspective get in the way of his prayer life. The ODB author writes … When my friend David’s wife developed Alzheimer’s disease, the changes it brought to his life made him bitter. He needed to retire early to care for her; and as the disease progressed, she required increasingly more care. 
“I was so angry at God,” he told me. “But the more I prayed about it, the more He showed me my heart and how I had been selfish for most of our marriage.” Tears welled in his eyes as he confessed, “She’s been sick ten years, but God has helped me see things differently. Now, everything I do out of love for her, I also do for Jesus. Caring for her has become the greatest privilege of my life.” 

Aren’t you glad when we pray that God ALWAYS hears; but He certainly doesn’t grant our every desire, does He? And in this ODB example, the author’s friend, David, let his pride and selfishness cloud his prayer life with sin and bitterness, … God providing David with what he needed, … not what he wanted.

That was the case for Jonah as well in the highlight passage, where Jonah actually prayed to die; but God provided what Jonah needed, not what he wanted [see photo]. And we can hold on to the truths above in the reference passages .. as well as what Laura Story sings in the linked song.

Quite often we have trouble seeing what we need by letting our selfish desires cloud our attitude and our prayer life. And I’ve learned to throw up a red flag of warning when my desires are asking the “WHY GOD?” question, realizing that I need to asking “WHAT GOD?” instead; … and waiting on God to show me what I need rather than just giving me what I want.

So, if any of my readers today are feeling and asking “WHY GOD” now, I pray we can recognize that this is FEAR guiding our prayers rather than FAITH. And we know who is the author of fear, don’t we? And it’s certainly not God!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS leading us to what we need.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to thank God for providing our needs today, even as we pray for our desires. … 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.

February 17, 2019 … Encouraging Words

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 48

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing Hold Me Up, praying for God, thru others to lift us up as we go thru life's challenges.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 15:2-3 [NLT] … 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please Himself. 
… As Christ did, we should live to help others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 15:1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts us, as Christians, to edify and encourage one another in this challenging life of being Christ’s disciples.
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Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We should never give up on doing good for others … for we will reap what we sow.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29b [NLT] … 29 … Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 
… We, as Christians, should continually be using our words to encourage other, … especially fellow Christians.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… As witnesses of Christ’s love we are reach out beyond our own personal needs to show Christ’s love to others by helping and encouraging one another.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 10:24 [NLT] … 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 
… We, as Christians, should continually be doing all we can to lift each other up.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses a personal story of workout discipline to show how encouragement helps to keep moving forward. The ODB author writes … I’m encouraged every time I visit the fitness center near our house. In that busy place, I’m surrounded by others who are striving to improve their physical health and strength. Posted signs remind us not to judge each other, but words and actions that reveal support for others’ conditioning efforts are always welcomed. 

I too try to keep motivated and in shape by going to our local athletic center at least three times per week to work out on a recumbent exercycle (see photo) along with a whole row of others doing the same. It is encouraging to be in that atmosphere. However, how much more encouraging would it be for us exercise junkies to tell each other occasionally how well we’re doing?

That’s what the Apostle Paul was trying to exhort fellow Christians, via God’s word thru him, to do all we can to lift each other up with the encouragement of our words. Just think how encouraging it is when you hear a friend or loved one sharing just a few words of encouragement or maybe even just an uplifting smile.

And since it’s Sunday as I write this, … how about we all go out and intentionally share a smile and a few words of encouragement with some fellow Christians today in church.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your edifying words that I find in Scripture daily.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to go out and share some words of encouragement with others today - preferably in church. . … 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.

February 16, 2019 … Loving Kindness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 47

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take 20 seconds to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Glen Campbell singing his hit song Try A Little Kindness

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 Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 9:32 [NLT] … 36 There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 
… Peter traveled out of his way to raise a lady from the dead, showing God’s love/power to others. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 9:32-42 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter shows the power and love of God for others by going out of his way to show the love of God to others with acts of kindness.
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Reference Passage : … John 13:34-35 [NLT] … 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” 
… After washing the feet of His Disciples in the Upper Room before He went to the cross, Jesus taught them how they could show others that they were His disciples, … by showing them thru acts of kindness and love.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We should never give up on doing good for others … for we will reap what we sow.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 2:10 [NLT] … 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. 
… We were created to be Christ’s master work, doing good works to show Christ to others and glorify the Father in Heaven.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… As witnesses of Christ’s love we are reach out beyond our own personal needs to show Christ’s love to others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Escobar, uses a personal story of a gift of kindness received in the mail and how this love gift made her feel. The ODB author writes … “Estera, you got a present from our friend Helen!” my mom told me when she got home from work. Growing up we didn’t have much, so receiving a present in the mail was like a second Christmas. I felt loved, remembered, and valued by God through this wonderful woman. 

When someone gives us a gift out of love for us [see photo] or does something out of pure kindness, it really makes us feel loved, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what the ODB author was trying to illustrate with her testimony above; and also by sharing the story of Peter going out of his way to help others, including healing their loved ones or even raising one of them from the dead [see the highlight passage].

When we go way beyond our selves and show acts of kindness, as Glen Campbell sings in the linked song, we do exactly what Jesus modeled and commanded us to do to show that we are His disciples (see John 13:34-35). He even washed their feet the night before He went to the cross to illustrate that truth. And the Apostle Paul echoed Christ’s exhortation of kindness often in His letters to Christians (see the Pauline passages above).

So, are any of you, reading here with me today, convicted or inspired, as am I, to look out today for a divine appointment to show a little Christlike kindness to someone? And when we do, … prayerfully, … others will see us being disciples of Christ in that kindness offered out of love.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your being our [capital “M”] Model of kindness and love for others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to be aware and act when You give us an opportunity to “try a little kindness” for others today. . … 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.

February 15, 2019 … Restful Peace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 46

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take 20 seconds to take in a YouTube version with images and lyrics from Don Moen singing … poignantly singing of how we can find God’s peace to rest our anxieties in Him.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 126:2 [NLT] … 2  It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night … anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones. 
… And according to John 14:21, those who love the Lord and experience His peace are those who are obedient to His commands.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 127:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our reliance on God is the only way we can find peace in our lives.
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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! 
… Trusting and focusing on Christ is the only way to find lasting peace in life.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus invites any/all to find rest and peace in our relationship with Him.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 
… Those who truly love the Lord are those who are obedient to His word.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, promises us His peace (i.e., His rest) if we set aside our anxieties and, trusting in Him, bring our troubles to Him in prayer … from a humble/thankful heart.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Will Collier, uses a rather humorous example of finding restful slumber in our anxiety ridden lives. The ODB author writes … Finally, on January 8, 1964, seventeen-year-old Randy Gardner did something he hadn’t done for eleven days and twenty-five minutes: he nodded off to sleep. He wanted to beat the Guinness Book World Record for how long a human could stay awake. … 
 Many of us struggle to get a decent night’s rest. Unlike Gardner who deprived himself intentionally, we might suffer sleeplessness for a number of reasons — including a mountain of anxieties: the fear of all we need to accomplish, the dread of others’ expectations, the distress of living at a frantic pace. Sometimes it’s hard for us to turn off the fear and relax. 

Can any of my readers identify, or even empathize, with that last statement? I certainly can! But in His word God gives us some fool-proof prescriptions to find peaceful rest; … and yes, … even restful slumber, like a little baby sleeping in the attached photo. And being one of those “fools,” who too-often allows myself to get wrapped up in self-driven anxieties, I need God’s “fool-proof” prescriptions to seek after what Don Morn sings in the linked song … His “Wonderful Peace.”

The Psalmist in today’s highlight passage sings that God gives rest to “His loved ones.” Well, who are they? … And Jesus really defines that in John 14:21, doesn’t He? So, … the ones whom He gives His rest are those who show our love for Him in our obedience to His word. Hence, knowing His word is a key to finding His peace.

Next, Isaiah prophesied (in Is. 26:3) that those who focus on the Lord are those who will find His peace. And so, seeking peace, we need to get our focus off of self and onto the Savior.

And finally, God’s truth, thru Paul’s writing in Phil. 4:6-7, clearly prescribes that we are to continually be willing to bring our anxieties to the Lord in heartfelt, humble, thankful prayer. Because when we do, He can - and will - guard our hearts with His unfathomable peace.

So, anybody out there looking for a good sleep tonight? If so, God has shown us His perfect remedies to take away our anxieties. Now, it’s up to us to follow them, isn’t it?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your promise of Your peace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to obediently focus on our relationship with Christ in order to find some peace today (and tonight too!) . … 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.

February 14, 2019 … Context Confusion

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 45

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …Please take 20 seconds to take in a YouTube declaration … strongly proclaiming the reality that Jesus is coming again … SOON!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 20:14 [NLT] … 14 She [Mary Magdalene] turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. … The context of the moment confused Mary’s recognition of The Messiah.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 20:13-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Mary Magdaline was confused when she saw Jesus outside the tomb.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 24:36-42 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus teaches on the confusion of our times and the lack of recognition of the urgency of being ready for His coming again.

Reference Passage : … Luke 24:13-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Two men walking to Emmaus after the crucifixion didn’t recognize Jesus as He encountered them.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, uses a personal story to illustrate how we often have trouble seeing the truth at times because of the context of the circumstances in our times. The ODB author writes … As I queued up to board my flight, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and received a warm greeting. “Elisa! Do you remember me? It’s Joan!” My mind flipped through various “Joans” I’d known, but I couldn’t place her. Was she a previous neighbor? A past coworker? Oh dear . . . I didn’t know. 
Sensing my struggle, Joan responded, “Elisa, we knew each other in high school.” A memory rose: Friday night football games, cheering from the stands. Once the context was clarified, I recognized Joan. 

So often we see things in the context of the moment; and it can be confusing the ODB story illustrates. I can recall an instance which occurred shortly after I was transformed by Christ from my former angry atheist self to a new man in my new faith. And the first day I went to the church I now serve as an Elder Emeritus [a God story in and of itself], I encountered a dear colleague I had worked with for years who knew me only as a cynical atheist. When she saw me that day in the church, she said, “What are YOU doing here?” When she learned of my conversion, she was delighted, and she now even follows this blog; but on that day, seeing ME in the context of church was confusing. 

Today, in the attached photo, we see the depiction of Mary Magdalene being confused when she saw Jesus at the tomb [see highlight passage]; and from the Luke 24 passage, the two disciples not being able to truly see their Messiah as they walked to Emmaus after the crucifixion. Both passages depict how easy it is to let the context of our circumstances hide us from the reality of our relationship with Christ.

 In the Matthew 24 passage linked above, Jesus teaches about what will happen when He comes again to retrieve His Bride, the Church, … the reality that MANY will not be ready to receive Him as Savior and Lord. I pray that all reading here will not be confused by the context of our lives and are ready … ANY TIME … ANYWHERE … when Jesus comes again.

ARE YOU READY?!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your promise to come again soon.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to be ready for Jesus to come for us; … yes, maybe even today! … 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.

February 13, 2019 … Foxhole Faith

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 44

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Crowder, along with Tauren Wells singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of our realization and reality that we must put all our trust and hope in the Lord … ALWAYS!!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 39:7 [NLT] … 7  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. 
… David sings of putting all His hope in His God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 39:1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David, after his post-Bathsheba battle with his own confession of sin, realizes that all he can do is put his hope in His Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 51:1 [NLT] … 1  Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love; … because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 
… David, broken over his sins with Bathsheba, begs His Lord for mercy.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 32:5 [NLT] … 5  Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 
… After David had confessed his sins with Bathsheba, he declares how God forgave him [BTW, Ps. 32 was written after Ps. 51].

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David’s forever prayer, recognizing that all HIs hope must be in the mercy/grace of our Lord.

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:9 [NLT] … 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… In dealing with our battles with self EVERYDAY, we must recognize that our only hope for cleansing is the same for us that it was for David … confession.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, uses a historical story from WW2 to illustrate how we need to be able to pray for forgiveness with our everyday battles with sin just as King David had to in his day. The ODB author writes … As artillery rounds fell around him with an earth-shaking … “whoomp,” [see photo] … the young soldier prayed fervently, “Lord, if You get me through this, I’ll go to that Bible school Mom wanted me to attend.” God honored his focused prayer. My dad survived World War II, went to Moody Bible Institute, and invested his life in ministry. 
Another warrior endured a different kind of crisis that drove him to God, but his problems arose when he avoided combat. As King David’s troops fought the Ammonites, David was back at his palace casting more than just a glance at another man’s wife (see 2 Samuel 11). 

And as we read in today’s ODB entry, King David had to deal with his own “foxhole faith,” especially after being convicted of his sins with Bathsheba. Read in Psalms 51, 32, and 39 (written in that order chronologically) of how broken David was after his sin … and of his battle with self to put all His trust in the Lord for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Then in Psalms 139:23-24 we see how David learned to pray continually that God would keep him clean from sin, … just as we New Covenant saints should realize the truth of 1John 1:9 … to put all our hope in Jesus (as Crowder sings in the linked song), allowing us to confess and be cleansed when we battle with sin everyday.

And I pray that just as King David sung, we let God’s mercy/grace wash us from yesterday’s sin and go into battle today to honor our Lord with our lives for His glory.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your mercies - new every morning - to cleanse me of my sins.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to pray for Your forgiving and cleansing grace today. … 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.

February 12, 2019 … He Sees Me - ALWAYS

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 43

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Tommy Walker leading in worship and singing … He Knows My Name … poignantly singing of how our Lord knows all our needs and will never leave us … “no matter where we go!”

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 16:13 [NLT] … 13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, Who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” [from the Hebrew “El Roi”] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One Who sees me?” 
… Jesus appears to Hagar and she realizes that God is always with her, seeing her every need. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 16:7-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Hagar encounters the pre-incarnate Jesus at a time of feeling separate from God. 
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Reference Passage : … 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. 
…We must trust our Lord in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES since He is the one who always sees our life and leads us for His glory.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] … 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus’ “Great Commission” and great promise [bold/underlined] to those who are His disciples.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NLT] … 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
… Paul reminds Christians that our God is the One Who sees and supplies all our needs.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”[Deut. 31:6, 8] … 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” [PS. 118:6] 
… God, thru the author, quotes from OT truths that God will never leave or abandon a true believer.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a physical analogy to illustrate that God ALWAYS sees our lives perfectly and knows what is best for us. The ODB author writes …My first pair of eyeglasses opened my eyes to a bold world. [see PHOTO] I’m nearsighted, meaning objects close up are sharp and defined. Without my glasses, however, items across a room or in the distance are a blur. At age twelve, with my first pair of eyeglasses, I was shocked to see clearer words on blackboards, tiny leaves on trees and, perhaps most important, big smiles on faces. As friends smiled back when I greeted them, I learned that to be seen was as great a gift as the blessing of seeing. 

In today’s ODB highlight passage, Hagar, felt alone and abandoned by everyone, especially by those closest to her; but she discovered and saw clearly, thru a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus (i.e, the “Angel of God”) that the Lord not only saw her needs but would be there for her ALWAYS. And so she acknowledged Him by calling Him “El Roi,” … the God Who Sees!!

I hope this helps us see that no matter where we are or what are our circumstances, God sees exactly where we are and that we can trust that He will never leave us or forsake us (see all the reference passages). And knowing those truths and believing them will allow us to deal with so many “downers” in life.

That is my prayer for us right now, … especially having received this reminder by song and scripture now as I am experiencing a lot of physical pain; and I’m so thankful to know that my Lord sees and knows my pain and will be there for me during these challenges.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for seeing where I hurt and giving me the grace to deal with these circumstances.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to pray for the relief to our pain and for anyone who needs to know that our “El Roi” will always be there for us !! … 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.