January 4, 2019 … Following the Son Light

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 4

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics from Debbie Boone singing her hit song from the late 70s … You Light Up My Life … metaphorically singing a love song which could also show how the light of God’s love, when He comes into our lives, shines on the way out of our own sin darkness onto His path to glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 12:24 [NLT] … 24 You have come to Jesus, the One who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. 
… We must come into the Light of the Son to find our way out of the darkness.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 12:18-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the author of Hebrews by remembering God’s people on Mt. Sinai, show us that the light of THE LAW will only show us the darkness of our sin.
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Reference Passage : … Exodus 20:18-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When Moses brought down God’s Law from Mt Sinai, all the light of the law did was show the darkness of their walk in sin.

Reference Passage : … John 1:4-5 [NLT] … 4  The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 
 … When we come out from the darkness of our sin into the Light of His truth [from His word], we can bask in the glory of His forgiveness.

Reference Passage : … John 8:12 [NLT] … 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 
… Jesus shows us that we must walk in His light to be able to walk out of the darkness of our sin. My 

Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, uses a personal reflection, along with an Old Testament reminder to illustrate how God’s Law only shines light on our darkness; and we must come out of that darkness into the light of God’s Son. The ODB author writes … Darkness descended on our forest village when the moon disappeared. Lightning slashed the skies, followed by a rainstorm and crackling thunder. Awake and afraid, as a child I imagined all kinds of grisly monsters about to pounce on me! By daybreak, however, the sounds vanished, the sun rose [see photo], and calm returned as birds jubilated in the sunshine. The contrast between the frightening darkness of the night and the joy of the daylight was remarkably sharp. 
The author of Hebrews recalls the time when the Israelites had an experience at Mount Sinai so dark and stormy they hid in fear (Exodus 20:18–19). For them, God’s presence, even in His loving gift of the law, felt dark and terrifying. 

The passage from Hebrews reminds us of how God’s people were shown the darkness of their sin when Moses brought down the light of God’s law down from God’s mountain; and they were so frightened to see the state of their darkness (see the Exodus 20 passage).

But when God’s Son came into the world, He was like the sunlight coming up in a dark forest (see photo), providing any who would walk to the Son Light, a path out of the darkness of our sin and a way to walk with the Son, following His path to glory.

I pray that all reading here are walking away from the darkness of our sin and seeking out God’s “Son-Light” to bask in the glory of God’s love and grace.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … from the words of today’s ODB entry, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for bringing me out of darkness into Your marvelous light.” 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to seek out and bask in the warmth of God’s “SonLight.” … Amen

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.

January 3, 2019 … God’s Grace Abounds

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 3

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Grace Abounds … poignantly singing of how we can bring our sin before the merciful love of our Lord for His cleansing grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 3:8 [NLT] … 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. 
… Adam and Eve hides from God after they had sinned.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 3:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… After Adam and Eve had sinned, their newly formed sin nature led them to cover up their sin. 
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercy will always see His children thru the eyes of mercy and love.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 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. 
 … God’s grace is always there and sufficient to help us deal with the weakness of our sin nature

Reference Passage : … 1 John 1:9 [NLT] … 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
 … Rather than try to hide our sin, God’s mercy/grace will cleanse us if we will but humbly confess and repent.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how our base nature so often leads us to try to cover up our sin rather than confess it to receive God’s mercy/grace. The ODB author writes … He knew he shouldn’t have done it. I could clearly see he knew it was wrong: it was written all over his face! As I sat down to discuss his wrongdoing with him, my nephew quickly squeezed his eyes shut. There he sat, thinking—with three-year-old logic—that if he couldn’t see me, then I must not be able to see him. And if he was invisible to me, then he could avoid the conversation (and consequences) he anticipated. 
I’m so glad I could see him in that moment. While I couldn’t condone his actions, and we needed to talk about it, I really didn’t want anything to come between us. I wanted him to look fully into my face and see how much I love him and was eager to forgive him! In that moment, I caught a glimmer of how God might have felt when Adam and Eve broke His trust in the garden of Eden. Realizing their guilt, they tried to hide from God [see highlight passage], who could “see” them as plainly as I could see my nephew.  

We’re all not that different from that little boy in the picture when we know we’ve wronged someone we love, are we? Our natural reflex is to cover up, isn’t it, … just like Adam and Eve did in the garden? God, of course, could see them and knew their sin; but they hid. And then God showed His perfect balance of mercy and justice as He sent them from the garden to carry out God’s ultimate plan of forgiveness as they became parents of God’s human race, ultimately leading to God’s Son saving us all from our sins.

Oh to have us realize that God’s nature is to let His mercy and grace prevail over our sin nature; … but only if we’re willing to confess and repent and allow God’s grace to give us the strength to go from cleansed to completion. And that’s what any reader here - including yours truly - has to realize when we take in the linked song and the reference scriptures above.

And I pray that any/all reading here - and again that’s me too! - will recognize God’s abounding grace and to open our eyes to His love as we’re willing to confess any sin and allow Him to cleanse us so that we can honor Him with our lives moving forward.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your faithfulness and willingness to let Your grace cleanse us from our sin when we come humbly to confess and repent. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to come out of hiding and openly and humbly confess any sin to our loving God, Whose mercy will ALWAYS forgive and cleanse us. … Amen

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.

January 2, 2019 … Why Not Just Ask?

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 2

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time as I asked readers yesterday to take in YouTube images and lyrics from the group, Big Daddy Weave, singing a contemporary version of the old hymn … Trust and Obey … poignantly singing of how we must trust and obey God’s word to lead us into this new year.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 143:8 [NLT] … 8  Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You. 
… In total surrender to God’s Spirit, David asks for the Lord’s guidance.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 143:4-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David desperately seeks the guidance of God’s Spirit.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we’re confused as to directions in life, it’s good to ask God to show us the way.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:105 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 105  Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. 
… God’s word is our “GPS.” [God’s Positioning System] … But we must use it to give us direction in life.

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 charges us to deny our flesh and follow Him if we are to take His road in life.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [NLT] … 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 
 … Really all we need to do is use God’s “GPS” to equip us to move down His path in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, uses a personal story to illustrate how, so often, all we need to do is use God’s “GPS,” His word to guide our paths in life. The ODB author writes … My father has always had a directional sense I’ve envied. He’s just instinctively known where north, south, east, and west are. It’s like he was born with that sense. And he’s always been right. Until the night he wasn’t. 
That was the night my father got lost. He and my mother attended an event in an unfamiliar town and left after dark. He was convinced he knew the way back to the highway, but he didn’t. He got turned around, then confused, and ultimately frustrated. My mother reassured him, “I know it’s hard, but ask your phone for directions. It’s okay.” 
For the first time in his life that I’m aware of, my seventy-six-year-old father asked for directions. From his phone. [See photo]  

I don’t know about other readers here; but I really identify with the ODB author’s dad. Once when my wife and I were traveling by car and she knew we were lost, I remember telling her, “We’re not lost, I just don’t know where I am.” And of course, I was unwilling to just stop at a gas station and ask where we needed to go. But these days I must admit that with our “GPS” on my cell phone [see photo], I am willing to ask “SIRI” where I need to go.

And I hope that my fellow readers realize and rely on the illustration I’ve used often in past journal entries, … that God’s “GPS” is His word with HIs Spirit empowering direction finder. And that’s what King David was expressing his surrender to follow the Lord when he was desperate for direction (see the highlight passage from Psalm 143).

And when we’re willing to deny our own desires for control (see Luke 9:23), we’ll discover that all we need to do is follow the Light of His direction-finder (see Ps. 119:105 and 2Tim. 3:16:17), using His word as our GPS, … He will show us the way … HIS WAY (see Ps. 139:23-24).

The question for us all here is … Are we willing to set aside pride, and just ask for God to use His “GPS” to lead us in life?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, again today … for Your “GPS,” … Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to follow thru with the resolution I prayed for yesterday; and that it is to surrender to God’s “GPS” as we walk thru this new year. … Amen

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.

January 1, 2019 … Following Jesus into 2019

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 1

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics from the group, Big Daddy Weave, singing a contemporary version of the old hymn … Trust and Obey … poignantly singing of how we must trust and obey in God’s word to lead us into this new year.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 9:10a [NLT] … 10 Whatever you do, do well. … 
… Simple but profound advice from a man who had discovered that a life lived for self was meaningless.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 9:4-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon proclaims that the only meaning in life comes from moving ahead and living life as well as one can for God’s glory.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… My prayer to live wisely in this complicated/confusing world.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The only way to live wisely is to trust God’s truth completely and beware of our own instincts, feelings, and fleshly desires, which can - and will - lead us astray.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.” 
 … Jesus charges us to obey His commandments (in His word) so that He can manifest Himself in/thru us.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-17 [NLT] … 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 
… God, thru Paul, exhorts us to live as wisely as possible in this world polluted with evil.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Poh Fang Chia, uses a personal illustration to show how we must be wary of our feelings and let God’s truth, thru His word, guide us through this complicated/confusing world. The ODB author writes … I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the cello. But I’ve never found the time to enroll in a class. Or, perhaps more accurately, I haven’t made the time for it. I had thought that in heaven I could probably master that instrument. In the meantime, I wanted to focus on using my time in the particular ways God has called me to serve Him now. 
Life is short, and we often feel the pressure to make the most of our time on Earth before it slips away. But what does that really mean?  

Do any of you reading here feel, as often as I do, that we’re wasting the time God has given us, especially when circumstances confuse or confound us? Do I sense an “Amen?”

Well, after King Solomon had come to his later life, he became “a Teacher from his experience and failures,” and he put forth the strong truth at the end of his personal journal, declaring ”That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” [Eccl. 12:13] And that’s God telling me (us) that the only way to make life meaningful in the time we have is to trust and obey Him (thru His word); and then to do all we can to follow our Lord into eternity.

How about it? How’re we doing as we head into the New Year? Personally, you’ll find me here EVERYDAY, doing all I can to follow my Lord’s “GPS,” i.e., His word. So, join me, if you like, and we can do all we can together to live wisely in this wacky world and to avoid the flesh, … walking in the Spirit, doing all we can to glorify our Lord as He leads us into eternity.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your “GPS,” … Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in a resolution this new year to do all we can to trust and obey God’s word, walking in the Spirit as we march together into 2019. … Amen

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.

December 31, 2018 … God’s Messagers

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 364

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics from the group, 4Him, singing … The Message … powerfully singing of how we must be God’s messengers in our lives, carrying THE MESSAGE of God’s truth from His word to others as we witness of our Lord and Savior.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Malachi 3:1 [NLT] … 1 “Look! I am sending My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord [Messiah] you are seeking will suddenly come to His Temple. The Messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 
 … The pronouncement of the coming Messiah which would be heralded by a messenger. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Malachi 3:1-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s message, thru Malachi, was that He would send a messenger to God’s people harkening the coming of the New Covenant.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:9-10, 17:12-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… It became clear to the Disciples that God’s “messenger,” prophesied by Malachi had come in John the Baptist, heralding the coming of our Messiah in King Jesus.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
… Jesus challenge message to all Christians … to go forth and witness His Gospel message to all we can in our sphere of influence.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [NLT] … 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 
… God’s word is His ultimate message to mankind, giving us all we need to be His messengers of hope.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a personal remembrance to illustrate how we, who are in Christ, have received God’s message of hope thru His word and the effect it can have when we share it with others. The ODB author writes … “I have a message for you!” A woman working at the conference I was attending handed me a piece of paper, and I wondered if I should be nervous or excited. But when I read, “You have a nephew!” I knew I could rejoice. 
Messages can bring good news, bad news, or words that challenge.  In the Old Testament, God used His prophets to communicate messages of hope or judgment. But when we look closely, we see that even His words of judgment were intended to lead to repentance, healing, and restoration. 

In the Old Testament, as today’s ODB entry explains, God sent Prophets to be His messengers because the Priesthood had failed to be His heralds of promise and good news. And one of those Prophets, Malachi, foretold of one special messenger, who would proclaim the coming of God’s ultimate messenger, His Messiah. And that messenger, of course, was John the Baptist, who came with the message of the New Covenant in God’s Messiah, … King Jesus [see Matthew 11 and 17 linked above].

So what is “The Message” sung about in today’s linked song> You likely know it, my fellow messengers. It, of course, is God’s word, and Jesus was the living Messenger of His Truth until He charged us to be His witnesses when He ascended to heaven after the resurrection, commissioning all who know Him as Lord to take His word to all mankind (see Acts 1:8).

And to me, that would be a great New Year’s resolution, wouldn’t it; … for us to do all we can to share God’s message of truth from His word to any/all who need to hear our Lord’s Gospel message of hope?! Would you join me to be His messengers into 2019 and beyond … if He gives us that much time?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your gospel message of hope found in Your word.
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 My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in a resolution this new year to carry the message of hope we have in Christ by sharing God’s truth with others thru the way we live in/for Christ. … Amen

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.

December 30, 2018 … Our “Make-Over” in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 363

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics from Chris McClarney singing … Beauty For Ashes … poignantly singing of how our faith and trust in Christ gives us the ultimate “do-over … make-over” in Heaven.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 25:9 [NLT] … 5 And the One sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” … 
… All things become new in Heaven, including you and me.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Revelation 21:1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In Heaven, God makes all things new !!!
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 61:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… What the Messiah will do to make us new when He comes again from glory, giving us a crown of glory for the brokenness and ashes of this life (see v. 3).

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 15:35-55 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In heaven our decaying - or decayed - human bodies will be made over into Christlike bodies.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:17 [NLT] … 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
 … As Christians, we’re already brand new; but we await the full package in heaven.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 
… One day, in Heaven, we will realize the completion of what Christ, in all Christians, has - or had - begun when we received Him as Lord and Savior.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal remembrance, a word picture, to illustrate how we, who are in Christ, will get a wondrous “make-over” in heaven. The ODB author writes … Junkyards intrigue me. I enjoy working on cars, so I frequently make trips to the one near our home. It’s a lonely place, where the wind whispers through discarded hulks that were once someone’s prized possession. Some were wrecked, some wore out, and others simply outlived their usefulness. As I walk between the rows, a car will sometimes catch my eye, and I’ll find myself wondering about the adventures it had during its “lifetime.” Like a portal to the past, each has a story to tell—of human hankering after the latest model and the inescapable passage of time. 
But I take particular pleasure in finding new life for an old part. Whenever I can take something discarded and give it new life in a restored vehicle, it feels like a small victory against time and decline. 

When my father was dying, and living in a nursing home, he suffered from constant pain, difficulty with breathing, swallowing problems, and many other maladies. And every time I visited him in his last years, he would ask me to read the passage in 1 Cor. 15:35-55 where God’s word describes what our newly “made-over” bodies will be like in heaven.

My dad came to Christ as Lord and Savior in his 70s; but suffering severely in his 80s, he believed in, and now has realized in Heaven, the ultimate “do-over” Christ has arranged for all who have truly have received His saving grace.

So, if you, like me, have some physical or emotional “junkyard” brokenness [in your past or present], … take heart; … because God’s promise in his word, is the promise sung by Chris McClarney in the linked song … that in heaven God’s ultimate “make-over” will be completed and we will be made COMPLETELY new in Christ.

Do, I sense a hopeful and confirming, HALLELUJAH?!!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for what You completed on the cross to allow me to become new in You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, carry and share the hope we have to become new creatures in Christ. … Amen

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.

December 29, 2018 … God’s “No” = God’s Goodness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 362

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and song with Laura Story singing her song … Blessings … poignantly singing of how our faith and trust in God is often tested when He says “NO” or brings us His blessings in the disguise of troubles.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 25:9 [NLT] … 9  In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in Him, and He saved us!This is the Lord, in whom we trusted.  Let us rejoice in the salvation He brings!” 
… God will always be there for the remnant of trusting, surrendered believers.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah, Chapters 24-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Isaiah spells out God saying a big time “NO” to God’s people in Chapt 24; then for the remnant of trusting believers, He says an even bigger “YES,” showing the ultimate restoration and salvation of those who trust in our God.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Trusting God when it makes no sense is the real test of faith.

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.
… Not SOME THINGS … but EVERYTHING!!

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 [NLT] … 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it [the painful thorn] away. 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 humbly realize that God’s “No” was just His grace in disguise.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, uses a personal remembrance of a challenge in life to show that we must trust in God even when He says “NO” to our desires. The ODB author writes … When I was conscripted into the military at age eighteen, as all young Singaporean men are, I prayed desperately for an easy posting. A clerk or driver, perhaps. Not being particularly strong, I hoped to be spared the rigors of combat training. But one evening as I read my Bible, one verse leaped off the page: “My grace is sufficient for you . . .” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 
My heart dropped—but it shouldn’t have. God had answered my prayers. Even if I received a difficult assignment, He would provide for me. 
So I ended up as an armored infantryman, doing things I didn’t always enjoy. Looking back now, I’m grateful God didn’t give me what I wanted. The training and experience toughened me physically and mentally and gave me confidence to enter adulthood. 

I’m not a betting man, but I would wager that any/all reading here can look back, as Christians, on circumstances we did not desire - or even hated - but times which turned out to be be, as Laura Story sings, … “blessings in disguise.”

We humans are really self serving creatures, aren’t we? We want life to go our way, … to be in control ALWAYS! And we Christian-type Christians often shape our prayers to reduce our pain and soothe the road of life. Common, … admit it; … we do, … don’t we?!

But the reality is that the tough times in life, … those times when God says “NO” to our prayers, are the most powerful teaching moments in our lives. Just as went the Apostle Paul sustained a “thorn” (see 2Cor. 12); and he prayed and prayed for relief; but God said “NO,” and he lived out the rest of his live with the pain from that “thorn,” … learning that God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient!

And just as Paul learned, we need to realize that God’s “NO” is ALWAYS for our good (see Romans 8:28. And we need to trust His ways … ALWAYS … as He leads us down the path of life (see Proverbs 3:5-6). I pray we do!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your ever sustaining, ever helpful grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, recognize and praise You, even when You’re saying “NO” to help us to become more like You. … Amen

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.

December 28, 2018 … Good Riddance

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 361

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and song with the group Casting Crowns singing … East to West … poignantly singing of how our faith in the completed work of Jesus, our sins are cast in His sea of forgetfulness and we stand cleansed before His throne of grace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 103:11-12 [NLT] … 11  For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12  He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 
 … How wondrous is God’s unfailing love that He would remove our sins utterly and completely.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 103:1-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David, recognizing God’s vast, faithful, unfailing love, praises His God for His forgiveness. 
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 1:18 [NLT] … 18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord … “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. 
 … What a deal; and all we have to do is recognize and receive His saving/sanctifying grace!!

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies and His grace are ALWAYS available for those who’re willing to confess, repent, and receive His forever gift of forgiveness.

Reference Passage : … Micah 7:19 [NLT] … 19  Once again You [LORD] will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! 
… When we surrender to God’s grace and are willing to confess and/or repent, God will toss our sins into His sea of forgetfulness.

Reference Passage : … 1 John 1:9 [NLT] … 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… God’s wondrous willingness to cleanse us completely from our sins when we’re willing to humbly and honestly confess and repent.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Marvin Williams, uses an interesting New Year’s event which people use to try to rid one of past guilt for past issues or memories. The ODB author writes … Since 2006 a group of people have celebrated an unusual event around the New Year. It’s called “Good Riddance Day.” Based on a Latin American tradition, individuals write down unpleasant, embarrassing memories and bad issues from the past year and throw them into an industrial-strength shredder. Or some take a sledgehammer to their good riddance item. 

An interesting mental exercise to try to cast past memories or troublesome issues into the past and move on into the new year. Each year I go thru a similar meditation by pulling up a poem, written by the stellar Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll, entitled “Start Over,” where I launch myself into the New Year with a “start over” mentality [see photo]. You can read this powerful poem AT THIS LINK.

However, the basis of my New Year’s meditation is much more powerful than those who practice “Good Riddance Day.” My “start over” attitude is based in the truth of the Scriptures above, where the various authors of God’s word recognize God’s willingness to cast our sins and past wrongs into His “sea of forgetfulness,” (see Micah 7:19) and cleanse me of the sins of which we’re humbly willing to confess and repent (see remaining Scriptures above).

So, I’m praying that all reading here with me will join me to praise God for His faithfulness and the grace He’s willing to exercise in letting us say “GOOD RIDDANCE” to our sins as we move into the new year.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your faithfulness and willingness to cleanse me (us) of my (our) sins.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to praise God with a robust “HALLELUJAH!!” for His willingness to let us start over in the new year [or even today!] with a clean slate. … Amen

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.

December 27, 2018 … Highest of All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 360

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics with the group Avalon singing … Everything To Me … poignantly singing of how Jesus must become our EVERYTHING!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Colossians 1:15, 17 [NLT] … 15  Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, … 17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. 
 … Jesus is everything and everything is for Him.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Colossians 1:15-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, declares the veneration we must hold in our relationship with Christ … that He is our all in all.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 8:3-4, 36:6, 50:1 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we look to the highest mountains [see photo], we get a faint reflection of the glory of God … that He is above EVERYTHING!!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author,Tim Gustafson, uses a question from a friend to point to the importance of Christ. The ODB author writes … My husband invited a friend to church. After the service his friend said, “I liked the songs and the atmosphere, but I don’t get it. Why do you give Jesus such a high place of honor?” My husband then explained to him that Christianity is a relationship with Christ. Without Him, Christianity would be meaningless. It’s because of what Jesus has done in our lives that we meet together and praise Him. 
Who is Jesus and what has He done? The apostle Paul answered this question in Colossians 1. No one has seen God, but Jesus came to reflect and reveal Him (v. 15).

When my Pastor prays, we often hear him say, … “Oh, Lord, You are so worthy and we are so needy.” And I think that statement of who we are and Whom we worship sums up our relationship with God about as well as any, don’t you?

And, as the group Avalon sings in the linked song, as well as the Psalms referenced above, our Lord is mightier and higher than any mountain peak (see photo); and the question from today’s ODB devotion arises for me (and you as well) … “Is our Lord, who is King Jesus, EVERYTHING to us?” And is there anything in our lives that we elevate to a place higher than our King, … our LORD, … the Christ? Because if so, we need to tear that thing down, whether it’s a sin stronghold, or just something that gets in the way of our worship of the Lord, and elevate Jesus to His rightful place in our lives.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being my EVERYTHING! 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to tear down anything in our lives which has taken a place of honor/worship that is higher than You, Lord. Oh, yes, Lord, You are worthy and we are needy!! … Amen

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.

December 26, 2018 … Christmas Everyday

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 359

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics with Steve Green singing … People Need the Lord … poignantly singing of how we need to be sharing God’s wondrous “Christmas” gift of salvation everyday of the year.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 3:19-20 [NLT] … 19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 
… Peter preaches the truth of what man must do to receive God’s gift of salvation and to await Jesus’ return to bring His Bride to glory.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 3:12-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter preaches the first post-pentecostal Gospel sermon and many came to faith and were given God’s eternal gift of salvation.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 7:14 [NLT] … 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 
… For those of us who’ve truly received the gift of God’s saving grace, everyday is a Christmas gift of sanctifying grace. Everyday God is with us!

Reference Passage : … Mathew 5:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus commands us to share His light of salvation with all we can.

Reference Passage : … John 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God sent His Son to give all mankind the gift of salvation and eternal life.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
… Everyday we, as God’s saved ones, are called to share God’s wonderful Christmas gift with our witness and testimony of salvation.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author,Tim Gustafson, uses a literature reference to show that everyday should be an opportunity to share the wondrous Christmas gift of salvation thru our witness. The ODB author writes … In “Christmas Every Day,” William Dean Howells tells of a little girl who gets her wish. For one long, horrible year it is indeed Christmas every day. By day three, the yuletide joy has already begun to wear thin. Before long everyone hates candy. Turkeys become scarce and sell for outrageous prices. Presents are no longer received with gratitude as they pile up everywhere. People angrily snap at each other. 
Thankfully, Howell’s story is just a satirical tale. But what an incredible blessing that the subject of the Christmas celebration never wearies us despite the fact that we see Him throughout the Bible. 

I have a friend, a retired Pastor, who wishes me “Merry Christmas” almost every time he greets me; and I know what he’s saying, … that every day we, who know Christ as Savior/Lord, carry with us the Lord’s gift of salvation in our hearts, the Holy Spirit [see Isaiah 7:14 and John 3:16]; and so, everyday we should be shining the light of that eternal gift by the way we live for all to see that they can share in that gift [see Matthew 5:14-16 and Acts 1:8]. In that way, through our witness, everyday becomes a Christmas gift we can give to anyone with whom we’re gifted to confront.

That’s what Peter did when he preached his first Gospel sermon (see highlight passage); and it’s what the Apostles did for the rest of their post-resurrection lives. And since we know the truth of what Steve Green sings in the linked song, we need to be witnessing God’s wondrous gift of saving grace to any/all we can … especially going into a new year.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving me (us) Your eternal - everyday - gift of salvation to share with others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can into the new year to give witness to Your eternal gift of salvation. … Amen

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.

December 25, 2018 … So Many Missed IT!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 358

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images and lyrics with Audrey Assed singing … White Snow … poignantly singing of how Jesus came, so quietly, like snow on a Christmas morning, to save all those who see and believe in Him.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 42:2-3 [NLT] … 2  He will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3  He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. 
 … The Messiah will so quietly come to save mankind.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 42:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Prophet Isaiah foretells of the Messiah coming to set mankind free and bring justice to His peoples.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 7:14 [NLT] … 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 
… The birth of the Messiah was foretold 700+ years before His coming in a manger.

Reference Passage : … Luke 2:1-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The familiar passage documents the humble arrival of the Messiah, King Jesus, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:5-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Son of God was willing to set aside His glory/majesty and come to earth, born in a manger, walk this earth, die on a cross, and be resurrected to save mankind from our sins.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a personal reflection and the reference to a song illustrating how our Messiah came so quietly that so many missed His coming then (and now) and what He has done for mankind. The ODB author writes … In winter, I often wake to the beautiful surprise of a world blanketed in the peace and quiet of an early morning snow [see photo]. Not loudly like a spring thunderstorm that announces its presence in the night, snow comes softly. 
In “Winter Snow Song,” [hear linked song] Audrey Assad sings that Jesus could have come to earth in power like a hurricane, but instead He came quietly and slowly like the winter snow falling softly in the night outside my window. 
Jesus’s arrival took many by quiet surprise. Instead of being born in a palace, He was born in an unlikely place, a humble dwelling outside Bethlehem. 

God came to mankind so-so humbly, quietly, as the linked song proclaims, … like a blanket of white snow in the morning, … so quietly, viewed only by those in that manger by His parents and those lowly shepherds as we so often read about on this day from Luke’s account of The Messiah’s birth. 

And so many then … and even more now … missed the arrival of the Savior, even tho He was prophesied by Prophets venerated by the Priests and religious elite of Jesus’ day. But, … on this Christmas day, I pray that all reading with me here today not only haven’t missed His coming into that manger scene over 2000 years ago, … but we are willing to tell anyone, anywhere, just how that Christ child walked quietly - or maybe disturbingly - into our lives and changed us - nay, TRANSFORMED us! - by being The Christ, our Immanuel, … our Savior and Lord.

So, whenever and wherever we can during this upcoming new year, let us tell of that babe who came so quietly, like snow on a Christmas morning, to shed His crimson blood and make us all white as snow.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for setting aside Your glory for a time to set us free from ourselves … forever.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, see that fresh snow of eternal glory this morning as we celebrate our Lord’s coming down to save us all. … Amen

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.

December 24, 2018 … Pondering Things

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 357

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in YouTube images with Steven Curtis Chapman singing … Be Still and Know … poignantly singing and helping us to ponder our relationship with our our God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 2:18-19 [NLT] … 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 
… Imagine thoughts which Mary had as she had just brought the Messiah into this world. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 2:8-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… That night when the shepherds came to see the Christ child caused Mary to ponder who she was to be the arch of the New Covenant and the mother of the Son of God.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 63:1-4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Every morning in my quiet time with God, I stop to ponder my search to know my God with these words.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Pondering our lives with the desire for God to lead us along HIS paths in life.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Over and over, in yet another devotional, … I keep harkening back to the thoughts we should ponder always, knowing and trusting that our God will lead us thru this troubled life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, uses a story of a great Bible teacher to illustrate how we must continually ponder our lives to see where we are on our quest to know God more intimately. The ODB author writes … During Oswald Chambers’ years at the Bible Training College in London (1911–15), he often startled the students with things he said during his lectures. One young woman explained that because discussion was reserved for the following mealtime together, Chambers would frequently be bombarded with questions and objections. She recalled that Oswald would often simply smile and say, “Just leave it for now; it will come to you later.” He encouraged them to ponder the issues [see photo] and allow God to reveal His truth to them. 

This is a good time of the year to look back over our lives and ponder where we’ve been and seek God’s leading/guiding hand to move us forward into the new year ahead. Can we just image what it must’ve been like for the young virgin, Mary, as she nursed her Baby in that manger, with the shepherds coming to visit her (see highlight passages), pondering what had happened with an angel telling her that she had just delivered the Son of God, … The Messiah, … into this world?

Well, ... back to our reality, … and really, any time is a good time to ponder who we are and where our God has brought us, … but even more where we desire for Him to lead us in the future. That’s why you find me here … every day … praying the psalms of Psalms 63:1-4 and 139:23-24 … praising God for Whom He is and begging Him to lead me in His way as I do all I can to avoid taking my selfish roads in life (see Prov. 3:5-6).

So, … let’s stop today and ponder where are we are and where we desire for God to lead us into the new year … and really … for the rest of our lives.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for bringing us here and for promising to lead us to eternity to be with You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, stop for at least a moment, and do as Steven Curtis Chapman sings, to be still and know that God is leading us. … Amen

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.

December 23, 2018 … Blessings In Disguise

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 356

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Blessings … poignantly singing declaring the truth that many of God’s greatest blessings come in the trials, providing us with Gods’ mercies in disguise.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Job 1:21 [NLT] … 20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, …“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 
 … Job declares his praise for and his faith in The Lord … NO MATTER WHAT!! 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Job 1:13-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Job retains his trust/faith in God thru horrible … painful … affliction.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Again, in yet another devotional, … God points to me (and you) being able to trust God in all circumstances … a lesson Job had to endure a lot to finally TOTALLY believe in his [our] God’s sovereignty.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] … 10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 
… God, thru the Prophet, promises that His hand would always be there to give us strength to deal with the trials of life. … But do we believe it?

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.
… Do we really realize and have faith that ALL THINGS are for the good of those of us who’ve surrendered to receive God’s saving - and sanctifying - grace?

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:11-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul came to realize and live the truth that our relationship in Christ can bring us thru any circumstance … with the Lord’s strength lifting us up.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses an athletic word picture to illustrate that faith in God is our only hope strategy for life. The ODB author writes … Ann Voskamp’s book “One Thousand Gifts” encourages readers to search their lives each day for what the Lord has done for them. In it, she daily notes God’s abundant generosity to her in gifts both large and small, ranging from the simple beauty of iridescent bubbles in the dish sink to the incomparable salvation of sinners like herself (and the rest of us!). Ann contends that gratitude is the key to seeing God in even the most troubling of life’s moments. 

The Bible journal attributed to Job has always been one of the strongest biblical teachings on dealing with loss, privation, and pain. In it we see a believer retain his faith thru the worst of pain and loss and even thru the personal quandary of doubt which comes from such privation. And it always, at least for this humble Christian, raises the question in me as to whether I could hold onto my faith if I were to encounter even a portion of such loss/pain.

But when I look at and remember, as Laura Story sings in the linked song, … that even the greatest Jobian-like challenges of life are likely God’s “blessings in disguise,” I realize that even if I lost everything, I would still be a blessed man because of what God has given me by coming to earth, dealing with the temptations of life, and dying on a cross to shed His blood for my salvation.

Yes, I am truly a blessed man no matter what may come my way. But Lord, I pray for myself and anyone reading her that we don’t have to endure any such “Jobian” challenges to prove our trust and faith in You.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being there with Your strength to cover my weaknesses.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, be able to always recognize that even the challenges of life are Your blessings. … Amen

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.

December 22, 2018 … Our Anchor of Hope

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 355

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Crowder and Lauren Wells singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of our anchor of hope which is our faith/trust/hope in Jesus.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Micah 7:7 [NLT] … 7  As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. 
… Micah knew exactly where - or rather Whom - to anchor his hope for the future even tho disaster loomed over God’s people.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Micah 7:1-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Micah prophesies disaster for Israel but plants his hope strongly and deeply in His God. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Again God points to where - or rather, in WHOM - we should anchor our faith.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 6:18-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God has promised that we can anchor our faith/hope in Him. The question is … DO WE?!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses an athletic word picture to illustrate that faith in God is our only hope strategy for life. The ODB author writes … My favorite football team has lost eight consecutive games as I write this. With each loss, it’s harder to hope this season can be redeemed for them. The coach has made changes weekly, but they haven’t resulted in wins. Talking with my coworkers, I’ve joked that merely wanting a different outcome can’t guarantee it. “Hope is not a strategy,” I’ve quipped. 
That’s true in football. But in our spiritual lives, it’s just the opposite. Not only is cultivating hope in God a strategy, but clinging to Him in faith and trust is the only strategy. 

Back in the days of the Prophet Micah (see highlight passage), having hope in God and waiting on His promises to unfold was a strategy of waiting often for months - if not years. In today’s culture of entitlement, waiting for hours - if not minutes or seconds - is often too much to ask of our millennials or “gen-Zers.”

And as it is for me, many Christians, find that our fruit of patience is often sorely immature or not as sweet as the other fruit of the Spirit (on your own, see Gal. 5:22-23). And so, what we need to do is what God’s word call us to do (see Scriptures above); and that is to affix our anchor of hope deeply into The Rock of Ages; and that is as Crowder sings (in the linked song) with ALL our hope in Jesus!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being the Rock to Whom we can affix the anchor our hope.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, be able to sink our anchor of hope deeply into the Rock of Ages by strengthening our relationship with Christ. … Amen

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.

December 21, 2018 … No fear! It’s Only God!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 354

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Clay Aiken singing … Mary Did You know … powerfully singing of the Mother of God, Mary, giving birth to and raising the God-Man, Jesus.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 9:23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
…   Even Jesus’ parents were fearful of what they saw in the Temple … but their boy calmed their fears with just a word from Him.
============== Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 2:42-52 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ parents frantic when He stayed behind in the Temple; and they learned of focus on doing His Father’s business.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our call to trust in God and follow His path … No need to be afraid.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No need to fear. … No, we’re just to take our anxieties to God in thankful prayer and He will give us His peace.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses the word picture of jets flying in formation to illustrate how we must follow our Leader, Christ, wherever He would lead us. The ODB author writes … Nearly every time an angel appears in the Bible, the first words he says are “Don’t be afraid!” Little wonder. When the supernatural makes contact with planet Earth, it usually leaves the human observers flat on their faces in fear. But Luke tells of God making an appearance in a form that doesn’t frighten. In Jesus, born with the animals and laid in a feeding trough, God takes an approach that we need not fear. … 
 Jesus can talk to anyone—His parents, a rabbi, a poor widow—without first having to announce, “Don’t be afraid!” In Jesus, God draws near. 

And that’s what the story [in the highlight passage and the photo] of Jesus being separated from His parents at 12 in the Temple tells us. But, even His mother, Mary, who is sung about in today’s linked song, could become confused as to what her Son was all about.

And so can we at times; but in reality we need to recognize what Mary ultimately came to accept and surrender without fear … that she had given birth to the Son of God, Who was on a trek to save mankind from our sins … including hers.

So, as we come to Him in this Advent season, let us take our anxieties or fears to Him in humble prayer and seek the peace which can only come from the King of kings and the Lord of Lords [see Phil. 4:6-7], trusting, as Mary came to learn, … that her boy was our Savior … the Great I AM!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for coming to us as the God-Man to save us from ourselves.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, take our anxieties to You, seeking Your wondrous peace. … Amen

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.

December 20, 2018 … Follow THE Leader

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 353 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube images from Clay Crosse, Bob Carlisle, and BeBe Winans singing … I Will Follow Christ … powerfully singing our strong decision, as disciples of Christ, to follow Him … no matter what!

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Highlight Verse[s]: 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. ..."
… After declaring that He would soon be martyred, Jesus strongly declares what the requirements and costs of discipleship - i.e., following our Lord - must be.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 9:21-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares to His followers what it takes to follow Him.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our call to trust in God and follow His path … NO MATTER WHAT!!

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.” 
… The day before Jesus was to die on the cross, He lays out for His disciples what it will take to follow His lead … and that is obedience to His word.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 6 And I am certain that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 
… God thru the Apostle Paul encourages me that He’s doing what it takes in my life to allow me to follow Christ more completely day-by-day.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses the word picture of jets flying in formation to illustrate how we must follow our Leader, Christ, wherever He would lead us. The ODB author writes … In the sky over our house, three fighter jets scream through the sky—flying in formation so close together they appear to be one [see photo]. “Wow,” I say to my husband, Dan. “Impressive,” he agrees. We live near an Air Force base and it’s not unusual to see such sights. 
Every time these jets fly over, however, I have the same question: How can they fly so close together and not lose control? One obvious reason, I learned, is humility. Trusting that the lead pilot is traveling at precisely the correct speed and trajectory, the wing pilots surrender any desire to switch directions or question their leader’s path. Instead, they get in formation and closely follow. The result? A more powerful team. 

When any reader here takes in the ODB entry, the photo, and the linked song, there’s not really any mystery into what Jesus is calling for from His followers, is there? It’s the kind of followership which those pilots must have to fly in formation at such speeds, isn’t it?

It’s the TRUST declared in Prov. 3:5-6! It’s the DENIAL OF SELF called for by Christ in Luke 9:23. It’s the OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD demanded by our Lord in John 14:21. It’s the COMMITMENT sung so strongly about in the linked song. And … it’s the DISCIPLINE exhibited by those Navy pilots in the attached photo.

Our question here today as we take in all of this is … Are we committed, obedient, unselfish, and disciplined enough yet to be Christ’s disciples? …

Personally, I’ve got a way to go yet. … But fortunately, the Lord, thru the Apostle Paul (in Phil. 1:6) encourages me that God’s Spirit is doing what it takes to bring me to a stronger followership of my Lord … day-by-day-by-day!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for making me over into a true disciple who can follow You and prayerfully let me witness for You more effectively today than tomorrow.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here are doing all we can to follow our Lord more closely today than yesterday. … Amen 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.

December 19, 2018 … Light of the Wor[l]d

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 352 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube images and lyrics from Lauren Daigle singing … Light of the World … poignantly singing the coming of Immanuel, the Word becoming flesh, God with us, to become the Light of the World.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 1:1, … 14 [NLT] … 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. … 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. 
… Jesus, the Christ, was the Word Who became flesh so that He could become the “Light of the World”
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 1:1-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle John reflects - with The Spirit’s inspiration - just Who Jesus was [and IS] … The Word, coming in the flesh to become the Light of the World.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 7:14 [NLT] … 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 
… 700+ years before God became flesh, Isaiah prophesied that God would become “Immanuel.”

Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus charges us to become reflections of Himself and become lights shining in this dark world so that others might see the glory of our Savior and our Heavenly Father.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:6-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul writes of our God, becoming human flesh, Whom now we see was the light of the world come to save us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a personal memory to illustrate how God’s word is God’s Christmas letter to us, revealing the miracle of God becoming flesh in Jesus, the Christ. The ODB author writes … Every Christmas, a friend of mine writes a long letter to his wife, reviewing the events of the year and dreaming about the future. He always tells her how much he loves her, and why. He also writes a letter to each of his daughters. His words of love make an unforgettable Christmas present. 
We could say that the original Christmas love letter was Jesus, the Word made flesh. John highlights this truth in his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). 

I really love this time of year. Oh, I know there’s a lot of commercialism and “gimme-gimme” attitudes on display. But all the lights and the music remind me of the reality and truth that the Triune God laid aside His glory (see Phil. 2:6-11 and the highlight passage) to become human, … to become the “light of the world” as Lauren Daigle sings in the linked song.

So, pray that we have the attitude of humility and thankfulness during this season … that we, who know Christ as Savior, can see Him shining His light of truth in this Advent season. And then, let’s do all we can to reflect that light into a dark world world so that others can see the glory of our Heavenly Father and His Son (see Math. 5:14-16).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being the living Word and becoming the Light of the world.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here, like myself, reflect God’s Light into the darkness of this world today. … Amen

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.