June 15, 2023 … God’s Glorious Jigsaw …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 166 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Less Like Me … poignantly, yet powerfully, singing of how we Christians, when we surrender to God’s Spirit in us, we will be made over to be more like Christ and less like ourselves. 

Glorious Zigsaw ... 

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

6 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’’s confident assurance to his fellow Christians that God’s Spirit was and would be reshaping them into Christ’s images.                    

                         

Highlight Passage (Context): … Philippians 1:3-6 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul joyfully prayed for the well-being of his fellow Christians in Philippi, assuring them that as they surrendered, in faith, to follow Christ, His Spirit would reshape them into the Lord’s image.   

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Reference Passage: …John 17:21 [NLT] … 

21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.. 

… Jesus prayed for all who would surrender - in faith - to follow Him wold become one in unity with God’s Spirit,  

Reference Passage: … Romans 12:2 [NLT] … 

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.   

… The Apostle Paul exhorts his fellow Christians to avoid becoming like the world and surrender  to allow God’s Spirit to remake us into the images of Christ.   

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 3:18, 5:17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Paul assures fellow Christians (and us too) that God’s Spirit will remake any/all born-again Christians into the image of our Lord.   

Reference Passage: … Galatians 2:20 [NLT] … 

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

… Paul declares and teaches fellow Christians that surrendering to follow Christ allows him (and any born-again believer) to become more like our Lord.  

Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:10-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul shows fellow Christians that we, who surrender to God’s saving and sanctifying grace will put on a new - Christlike - image to become more like Christ and serve the Lord in this life and the next.               

                                                                                                                          

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Lisa M Samoa … AT THIS LINK … wrote about the ODB Author’s family coming together during the pandemic quarantine and taking months to complete a giant jigsaw puzzle (like the one in the photo), which reminded the author of God’s promise to make over the lives of all born-again Christians into the image of our Lord.   

And if my readers have taken in the linked song, where Zach Williams sings of becoming more like Jesus and less like himself, … we all can realize what the reference scriptures above teach; … and that is the reality of God’s Spirit, now working in the lives of all born-again Christians, making us all … day-by-day … into the image of Christ.  Now, all we Christians need to do, is surrender to let God’s Spirit put all the pieces of our lives into the glorious jigsaw puzzle He is completing, which is the glory of Christlikeness in all faithful followers of Christ.      

My THANKFULNESS:.. Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for making me over into Your image, Lord.     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to surrender to allow Your Spirit, Lord, to make us over into Your image. … 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.