February 17, 2024 … Growing In Christlikeness

February 17, 2024 … Growing In Christlikeness   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Laura Story singing … Blessings …  Poignantly singing of how we Christians often find our “blessings” in the challenges of life.    

Growing thru God's word ... 

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Highlight Passage: … 2Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 

9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.   

… Paul came to realize and recognize that God’s Spirit used his weaknesses to teach that God’s grace was sufficient - ALWAYS - to give him (and all Christians) God’s empowering grace.       

Highlight Passage (in context): … 2Corinthians 12:6-10 … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul shows that God uses our weaknesses to reveal God’s strength.     

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

… Solomon teaches that our trust in God - in ALL situations - gives us God’s direction in life. 

Reference Passage: … Philippians 1: 6, 9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul provides assurance to fellow Christians that God’s Spirit is doing God’s work in them (us) to grow in Christlikeness until they (we) are with The Lord in glory.     .  

Reference Passage: … Colossians 1:9-10 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …

… Paul also exhorts other Christians to honor the Lord by the fruitfulness of our lives as they (we) grow in God’s grace. 

Reference Passage: … 2Timothy 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul shows Timothy and all fellow Christians that God’s word provides them (us) with all we need to grow in Christ and equip us to deal with the trials and troubles in life.    

Reference Passage: … 2Peter 3:18a [NLT] …  

18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.    

… Peter exhorts fellow Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.           

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author , Karen Huang -  AT THIS LINK -   relates how, when the ODB author was a child, she viewed “grown-ups” with awe, thinking that they always knew what to do in all situations.  However, when the ODB author became a ‘grown up,” she realized that so often she prayed … “Lord, help. I don’t know what to do.”

Do any of my readers join me with empathy for those ODB observations?  Yes, …  that’s what this ODB entry is trying to help us realize, thru Solomon’s wisdom and the exhortations from Paul and Peter, who challenge believers to grow in Christlikeness thru our faith in and relationship with our Lord.  The question is … are we growing in God’s grace thru His word? - see photo

Personally, that’s why I dig into God’s word daily, motivated by the ODB entry each morning, to allow God’s word to become my “GPS,” … guiding me, with God’s truth, … to grow and become more like my Lord each day.  What’s your growth strategy, my friend?  

           

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me Your way, Lord, each day.   

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to follow Your perfect “GPS,” Lord, … down Your road I will follow each day.    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.