September 8, 2023 … Sometimes He Surprises Us …

September 8, 2023 …  Sometimes He Surprises Us  …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing … God Surprised Me … powerfully singing of how our God will surprise us Christians at times with His power, grace, and mercy.  

Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to follow Him ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Matthew 4:20 [NLT] … 

20 And they left their nets at once and followed Him.   

… Peter and Andrew respond to Jesus’ calling them to follow Him.      

               

Highlight Passage (Context): … Matthew 4:18-22 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus surprises two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, by calling them to drop their nets and follow Him.                                                                                                    

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                             

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

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and do not depend on your own understanding.    .5 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 

…God, thru Solomon shows that we must trust and follow God wherever HE leads.    

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 55:8-9[NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God’s ways or HIs calling is often surprising - if not shocking - to our feelings or our perceptions.     

Reference Passage: … Luke 9:28-29 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus shocks three of HIs disciples by taking them up to a mountain to show God’s heavenly glory.    

Reference Passage: … Romans 8:28 [NLT] …  

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  

… God’s calling on our lives is sometimes surprising but ALWAYS for our good and His glory.     

Reference Passage: … 1 Corinthians 2:8-10 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… quotes from Is. 64:4 to show fellow Christians that God’s Spirit will reveal to Christians what God has called them (us) to do.    

                                                                                                                                        

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Amy Boucher Pie   … AT THIS LINK …   related a story about her friend, Valerie, who felt that God was calling her to serve Him here in the USA.   But God ultimately surprised Valerie by calling her to serve Him as a missionary in England, showing Valerie (and us) that Christians can often be surprised by God’s calling on our lives.          

That was certainly the case for a number of fishermen (see photo and highlight passage), like Peter and his brother Andrew, who were surprisingly called to leave their boats and fishing business and follow Jesus, which they did immediately.  And this biblical example calls us all to ask ourselves, as disciples of Christ, if we are truly following our Lord’s calling on our lives, … trusting - with ALL OUR HEARTS - that our Lord will lead us exactly where HE desires,…  which may be quite surprising to us, …rather than where our feelings might lead us.   I pray that if God is calling us forward to serve His kingdom, … no matter how surprising it might me, … that we do like the fishermen did to Jesus’ calling … to trust and follow Him wherever HE will lead us.     

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your calling to serve You, Lord.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to trust and follow Your calling, 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.