Oct 18 2024 … Refreshed By God’s Strength

Oct 18 2024 …  Refreshed By God’s Strength 

Devotional Song:: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  

… Please take time to hear Steven Curtis Chapman, with music and lyrics, singing His Strength Is Perfect reminding al born-again Christians that our God can - and will - provide us with His strength when we feel that our strength is gone. 

Seeking and receiving God's strength ... 

Highlight Verse: …1Kings 19:4 [NLT] …  

4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”   

…Elijah runs into the wilderness to escape Jezebel and became so depleted of strength, praying that God would take his life.       

Highlight Passage (in context): … 1Kings 19:1-8 … [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …   

… Elijah is depleted of strength and spirit, running from Jezebel; …  and being depressed wishes, and even prays, that God take his life.                                                                                

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Reference Passage: … Psalm 23  … [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …   

…  King David recognizes God’s ability, as his Good Shepherd,, to give David God’s strength when ours is gone.  .        

Reference Passage: … Isiah 40:31   [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

…  God’s promise, thru Isaiah, that those who trust in the Lord will be renewed by God’s strength.                                        

Reference Passage: …Matthew 11:28-31 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …   

… Jesus promises to yoke Himself and His strength to any/all who believe and follow Him.                   

Reference Passage: … Romans 8:28-31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …   

…  The Apostle Paul give assurance to fellow Christians that all things in the lives of true born-again Christians will lifted up by God’s love/grace.

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

…   The Apostle Paul declares and teaches that God’s grace is all we need to deal with our weaknesses in times of trial.   

 

<b><u>Reference Passage:</u> … Ephesians 4:21-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  </b> 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204%3A21-23&version=NLT

…   The Apostle Paul again teaches that believers can throw off their (our) old sinful nature and put on what God’s Spirit provides to be strengthened to put on HIs new nature in Christ.  

  

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author, Amy Boucher Pye -  AT THIS LINK  -  uses a scene from J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring, where the character Bilbo Baggins, who had been wearing a magical ring for over 60 years, confesses to the wizard, Gandalf, that he was depleted of strength from wearing that ring for so long. 

And that scenario reminded the ODB author of the scene in the Highlight passage from 1Kings 19 (see link above), where the Prophet of God, Elijah, becomes depleted of strength while running from the wicked Queen, Jezebel, and resting with God’s Angels, was refreshed and given God’s enabling grace to go on in God’s service.  

And I pray - on this day - that all my readers take in the linked song, by Steven Curtis Chapman and meditate on the Reference Scriptures linked above and see, with me, that our Lord promises to give us His Spirit-strength when we get to feeling weakened by the evil forces in this world.  … Come, let’s be refreshed today!       

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your strength, my Lord, when my strength seems gone.      

My Prayer Today:  Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I’m praying that those who read with me here will join me to seek and receive Your strength of Spirit, Lord, as mine seems gone today.    …  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.