Saturday, May 27, 2023

May 27, 2023 … Small Changes = Big Results

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 147


Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Josh Williams singing … Less Like Me … powerfully singing of how we become more like Jesus when we’re willing to make the changes in our lives which reflect His glory rather than our own. 


Dr. Ken Ono coaching an Olympic hopeful .... 


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Highlight Passage: … Zechariah 4:10 [NLT] … 

10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”   

… Prophesy on the building of God’s temple and how the building will seem small at the outset but will produce greatness by God’s Spirit as it is built.          

                         

Highlight Passage (Context): … Zechariah 4:4-10 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zechariah+4%3A4-10&version=NLT

… God’s prophesy of the completion of God’s temple and what it will mean to God’s people.       

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Reference Passage: … Joshua 1:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God shows Joshua - and us - what it takes to be successful in following the Lord and carrying out the tasks He calls us to accomplish.  


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

… God, thru Solomon, shows that God’s children must trust in and follow the Lord’s lead in life, avoiding trying to do it on our own. 


Reference Passage: … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 

And I am certain that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

… Paul assures fellow Christians that the work of remaking us into Christ’s image will be completed our Lord before He comes again.  


Reference Passage: … 1Timothy 4:7-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul, teaching Timothy - and us - that Christ’s disciples must train themselves (ourselves) in the disciplines of Godly living.   


Reference Passage: … Hebrews 12:11 [NLT] … 

11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.  

… Growing in the disciplines of the faith is painful … but the results are Godly living.        

                                                                                                                          

My Devotional JournalToday's Our Daily Bread author, Patricia Rayon … AT THIS LINK …  tells of how a math professor, Dr. Ken Ono, coaching a potential olympic caliber swimmer (see photo) showed the swimmer some minute changes in her swimming discipline that produced dramatic results in improving the simmer’s times.  


Whom among us, as disciples of Christ, would not like to do what Josh Williams sings in the linked song; and that is to become more disciplined to live more like Jesus and less like ourselves?   If we’re really born-again, I would assume, that all reading with me would be answering in the affirmative.  

Well, if you’ve take in and meditated on the Scriptures above, and believe they are true - as I do - we are all committed to do whatever small things it takes to discipline ourselves to grow in our faith and to become more like Jesus today … and then even more so tomorrow.   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …for giving me Your enabling grace to discipline myself more today to follow You.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to do the small things today to become more like You, Lord.    … 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.

1 comment:

Kjetil said...

Amen!
Kjetil!