April 25, 2023 … Using God’s Strength

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 115 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics  from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … powerfully singing of how we Christians can rely on God’s empowering grace to overcome the temptations of life.    

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Highlight Passage: … Romans 13:14 [NLT] … 

14 … , clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

… Paul calls on fellow Christians to choose to set aside our sin nature and to clothe ourselves in Christlike living.            

Highlight Passage (Context): … Romans 13:11-14 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to choose to surrender to receive God’s empowering grace to overcome our weakness to sin.                              .                     

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Reference Passage </u>: … Isaiah 40:29 [NLT] … 

29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.. 

… God’s promise, thru Isaiah, of God’s strength to cover the weakness of real believers.

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 shows His followers what it takes to be His disciples . to surrender to follow Christ.    

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 10:13 [NLT] … 

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. 

… Paul promises fellow Christians how to deal with the temptations or trials in life … by surrendering to follow Christ.     

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians :12:9 [NLT] … 

9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.. 

… Paul remembers Jesus instructions on how to overcome our human weakness … by surrendering to use God’s empowering grace.

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 6:11 [NLT] … 

11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.. 

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to put on Christ’s armor of Christlike character to deal with the temptations of life.

                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Mike Wittmer … AT THIS LINK … tells of early church father, Augustine, who had lived a past life deeply into sexual sin and debauchery, finally taking in the highlight passage (of Romans 13:13-14, allowing God’s empowering grace to give Augustine the strength to follow Christ and overcome the weakness of his human nature.     

Oh, how I identify with Augustine’s story and confession, … myself at age 39, walking away from over two decades of compulsive sinful living; … but finally coming to use God’s empowering grace to walk away from my own weakness and selfish sin by choosing to follow my Lord.

Perhaps some of my readers are looking to overcome the temptations of this world and seeking freedom from our very human weaknesses.  Well, I charge any/all who deal with our sin nature to take in the linked song and meditate on the truth of God’s word above; … and simply choose to use God’s strength to overcome our human weakness; … BECAUSE, … our Lord will give us His strength to cover our weakness, as Augustine did, … by surrendering to follow Christ as Lord.   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your promise and strength to help me overcome my weaknesses. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to surrender today to receive Your strength, Lord, to help us overcome our weaknesses. …  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.