November 29, 2022 … Serving The Needy …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 333 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics of Todd Schreiner singing … Help and Serve the Poor and Needy … poignantly singing of God’s call for His chosen to help and serve those in need, especially those in the family of Gold. 

Helping those in need ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Matthew 25:40  [NLT] …  

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 

… Jesus shows that those who love and follow Him will serve the needy; and when they (we) do, they (we) will be serving Him.                                                                  

Highlight Passage (Context): … Matthew 25:34-40 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus reaches His disciples (and us) that we must reach out to serve - and even feed - those in need among the family of God.                                                                                                    

===============                                                                     .                                                                    

Reference Passage: … Deuteronomy 15:11  [NLT] … 

11 There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.. 

…  God, thru Moses, teaches His people about sharing with the needy, especially with those among His chosen people. 

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 14:31, 19:17 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

…  God’s Spirit, thru Solomon, teaches on what believers must do to honor God by serving the poor and needy.            

Reference Passage: … Matthew 6:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…  Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, teaches those who would follow Him to give generously to the needy in private, not to give to show others one’s goodness.

Reference Passage: … Acts 20:35 [NLT] …  

35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus:  ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 

…  Paul, in parting from the Elders at Ephesus (and to us), showing, as an example, what it’s like to follow Jesus’ command to help others in need.       

Reference Passage: … Galatians 6:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…  Paul strongly exhorts fellow Christians to reach out to help others in need, … especially those in God’s family.  

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Katara Patton… AT THIS LINK …   tells of a woman, who solicited her friends to help her give out hot meals to 54 homeless people on the streets of Chicago <b>(see photo)</b> to celebrate her 54th birthday.   

                  

And certainly this gesture of kindness illustrates what the linked song and what God’s word above repetitively exhorts and commands to those of us who want to honor God by reaching out to help those our Lord wants us to help.  

And so, will we be alert - maybe even today - to reach out and help others in HIS Name and for HIS glory?  I hope so!!                                                      

My THANKFULNESS:.. Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …for giving me the grace and opportunity to help others in Your name.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to watch for opportunities to serve You, Lord, by serving others in need.  …  Amen

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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.