Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 234
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from the group Casting Crowns singing … Who Am I … poignantly singing of how - SOMEHOW - the God of all creation would see me worthy of saving and adopting me into HIs family by sending HIs Son to die for me and call me His friend. Could there be more encouragement to me?
Highlight Passage: … 1Samuel 23:17 [NLT] …
17 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” .
… Jonathan encourages David with a covenant pact to protect David from Jonathan’s father, Saul, who was trying to kill David.
Highlight Passage (Context): … 1Samuel 23:14-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, encourages David that he will protect the future anointed King of Israel. .
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Reference Passage: … Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, calls on believers to come together to encourage and uplift one another.
Reference Passage: … Galatians 6:2 [NLT] …
2 Share each other’s burdens, and n this way obey the law of Christ.
… The Lord, thru the Apostle Paul, calls on fellow Christians to share each other’s burdens.
Reference Passagek; … Ephesians 4:29b [NLT] …
29b … Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your word will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
… Paul charges fellow Christians to use only words which edify and encourage one another.
Reference Passage: … 1Thessalonians 5:9-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul shows fellow Christians that God saved us thru Jesus Christ so that we would encourage one another and build one another up.
Reference Passage: … Hebrews 10:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, calls on Christians to come together to think of ways to encourage and motivate one another.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, James Banks … AT THIS LINK … told of a bee-keeper who learned that the bees from one of his hives had swarmed <b>see photo)</b> and left the hive, never to return, … which is about as bad news that a bee keeper could hear. But a fellow bee-keeper tried to lift up this friend’s spirits, by doing all he could to lift the spirits of his fellow bee-keeper.
Perhaps there are readers here today who’ve run into a swarm of pain or anguish of some sort, … well, maybe not as bad as young King David who was being pursued by Saul’s army (see highlight passage) to kill him. But hopefully, you have a friend, like David did in Jonathan, who’s there to encourage you in whatever you’re going thru.
Well, we all - especially us Christians, - are called and commanded by God’s word (see Scriptures above), to be encouragers of others, especially of our fellow Christians. So, let’s all reach out today and do our best to encourage those who seem to be a big down. Let’s give’em a smile and a word of encouragement if we can. It’ll mean a lot …. trust me!! Or at least trust God, Who is the ultimate Encourager.
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …for giving me friends recently who’ve lifted me up with their encouragement and prayers as I”ve gone thru a really rough time.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to reach out - if we run to some one today who’s down and lift them up with encouragement. … 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:
So good!
Kjetil
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