January 4, 2024 … Faithfully Serving God ???

January 4, 2024 …  Faithfully Serving God ??? 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing … Faithful …  Poignantly, yet powerfully, singing of how God is ALWAYS faithful to us; but are we to Him?   

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Highlight Passage: …  1Thessalonians 4:11-12  [NLT] … 

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.. 

… God, thru Paul, charges fellow believers to live quiet lives which faithfully honor God.        

Highlight Passage (in context): … 1Thessalonians 4:1-2, 9-12  … USE THIS LINK … 

… God’s Spirit, thru the Apostle Paul, exhorts fellow Christians to live lives honoring God with our work in serving Him.                                         

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

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 16:3 (NLT] … 

3 Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.  

… God, thru Solomon, calls His faithful followers to commit their (our) actions to faithful serve our Lord. 

Reference Passage: … Matthew 25:14-30 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…Jesus’ parable of three serving their Master with their assigned work to faithfully honor the Master.  

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 15:58 (NLT] … 

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 

… The Apostle Paul exhorts fellow Christians to ALWAYS work to faithfully serve the Lord.   

Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:23 (NLT] … 

23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as thought you were working for the Lord rather then for people. 

… The Apostle Paul again exhorts fellow Christians to work as tho we were serving God rather than humanity.  

Reference Passage: … 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT] … 

15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.  

… Paul instructs Timothy (and us) that he (we) must work faithfully and hard in order to present ourselves for approval by the Lord.            

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 4:19 (NLT] … 

19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.  

…The Apostle Peter encourages fellow Christians to faithfully serve the Lord, even if that service involves suffering for Christ.  

        

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily BreadAuthor , Adam Holz -  AT THIS LINK -   wrote of being in a hotel which had an area for serving breakfast and observing the man who was charged to keep the area clean and completely stock.  And the man who served the area did so with diligently and faithfully, being an apt illustration for the ODB author of faithful service to the Lord in the way we, as Christians, are charged to live our lives for God (see Scriptures above).       

I’m praying for those reading with me here to take in the linked song and mediate on those words above from God in the Bible and see if you are convicted, as was I, to do more, today and tomorrow, to honor the Lord, our Master, with more faithfulness in serving God.  Are we really doing what we should to honor our God?  Yes, I’m praying!!     

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for charging me to serve You, Lord, with my life.       

My Prayer Today Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to do all we can to serve You, Lord, faithfully with our lives.   … 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.