February 6, 2024… Surrendering to God’s Call    

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Robin Mark, leading in worship and singing … I Surrender All …  poignantly singing of how we Christians must be willing to surrender our lives in service to/with our Savior; … and AT THIS LINK -  Don Moen sings  God Will Make a Way, declaring in song that when we surrender to God’s will and His way, He ALWAYS provides a way for His surrendered believers.   

"I Surrender All" - Lyrics by Judson Van DeVenter

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Highlight Passage: … Genesis 22:16-17 [NLT] … 

16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by My own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.           

… God’s angel relays God’s promise to Abraham, rewarding  Abraham’s willingness to surrender to God’s command to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  .

Highlight Passage (in context): … Genesis 22:1-18 … USE THIS LINK … 

… Abraham’s faith is tested and he is willing to surrender Abrahams’s son, Issac.                         

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

… God’s promises, thru Solomon, to provide HIS way when we’re will to trust in God and to follow His will and His way.     

Reference Passage: …Matthew 16:24 [NLT] … USE THIS Link …  

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 

… Jesus teaches His disciples (and all Christians) that they (we) must be willing to give up our own way to follow God’s calling.   

Reference Passage: … Luke 9:23 [NLT] …   

23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.  

… Jesus calls on His followers to be willing to give up their (our) own way to follow Him.   

Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:13  [NLT] …   

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.  

… The Apostle Paul teaches fellow Christians that God works in all born-again believers the desire and power to surrender to God’s will and follow His ways.    

Reference Passage: … James 4:7 [NLT] …   

7 So, humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  

… James shows fellow oppressed Christians how to resist the devil as we seek to follow God’s will and His ways.            

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Kenneth Peterson-  AT THIS LINK -  writes about Judson Van DeVenter, an art teacher of Billy Graham, who felt called to surrender to God’s call into the Ministry; and one who ultimately wrote the lyrics to the song “I Surrender All,” (see photo) which is featured in the first of the linked songs above.       

Really to get what I believe is God’s Spirit-led message for today, my readers would only need to meditate on the two linked songs and the Scriptures above to be challenged to surrender what Abraham was willing to do in the highlight passage from Genesis 22. Yes, my fellow Chrsitians, God calls us, to be wiling - in faith - to surrender our all to God’s will and His ways.  But are we?!!       

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

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to surrender our all to follow You, Lord, today … and then in all of our tomorrows.      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.