March 19, 2023 … Called To Follow Him …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 78 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Robin Mark singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of Christians surrendering our lives to follow Jesus.

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Highlight Passage: … Act 9:17 [NLT] … 

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”. .   

…Ananias overcomes his few of Saul to surrender and go to Saul and to call Saul - as a brother - to surrender to follow God as His Apostle.              

Highlight Passage (Context): …  Acts 9:10-19 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God calls His messenger and servant, Ananias, to seek out Saul to serve God as His Apostle.            .                     

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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Solomon, calls believers to COMPLETELY trust and follow God’s lead.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 7:21 [NLT] … 

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.   

… Jesus teaches that only His true disciples, … i.e.,  those who’re willing to follow His will, … will enter the kingdom of God.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 16:25 [NLT] … 

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.  

… Jesus calls on His disciples to be willing to surrender their (our) lives to follow and serve Him. 

Reference Passage: … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 

23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.   

… Jesus teaches His followers (that’s us too) what it takes to be His disciple.        

Reference Passage: … James 4:7 [NLT] … 

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.,   

…  James, the brother of Jesus, teaches fellow Christians that we must humble ourselves to follow Jesus as His disciples.  

                                                                                                            

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, James Banks … AT THIS LINK … tells of a young man being assigned to a year as a foreign exchange student; … and being called to go to the one country he wanted to avoid.  But years later, was so glad he surrendered to go to that unwanted assignment; because his best friend and the  best man at his wedding came from that country.  

Sometimes, … as Christians surrendered to follow Christ, … we are called to places and assignments which don’t feel right to our own perceptions or feelings.  BUT… if we’re willing to surrender all (see Song above) and follow God’s will and His ways, rather than our own, we will ALWAYS be following the right way. (see Scriptures above).   

I sure discovered the truth of God’s call for my life years ago; and I pray now, that all reading here with me, have decided to surrender and follow our Lord every day of our (your) life.  Because, if we do, overcoming our fears with a surrendered spirit, we’ll ALWAYS be on the right path in life.                                                   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me the way - YOUR WAY - to follow in my life.         .

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to follow God’s will and His ways today … and tomorrow.   …  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.