May 13 2025 … Helping The Needy …

May 13 2025 … Helping The Needy   …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to hear music and lyrics with Chris Tomlin and the group, We The Kingdom, singing … Reaching For You, declaring our witness of service for the Lord by reaching out to help others in need. 

Giving a "hand up" to those who need it ... 

Highlight Passage: …  Leviticus 25:35 … [NLT] … 

35 On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work.            

…  God, thru Moses, establishes special days of festival for stopping normal work to reach out and help those in need.          

           

Highlight Passage (in context)  … Leviticus 23:35-38  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Moses, declares special, Holy, days when all normal work ceases and God’s people reach out to help those in need.                                                                            

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Highlight Passage (in context)  … Deuteronomy 15:11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… God, thru Moses, commands His people to share freely with those are needy. 

Reference Passage:</u> … Proverbs 19:17, 22:9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …</b> 

…God’s wisdom, thru Solomon, about giving to help those in need.

Reference Passage: … Matthew 5:42 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus commands His followers to reach out an help this who ask for help.

Reference Passage: … Luke 6:38  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Luke tells of Jesus calling on believers giving to help others in need and being blessed by God for doing so.                         

Reference Passage: …  Acts 20:35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches fellow Christians, as he had done, … to work hard to help others in need. 

Reference Passage: …  Galatians 6:2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul extols and exhorts fellow Christians to share the burdens of others in need.   

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Katara Patton … AT THIS LINK        … related a story about a black man, Gus Thompson, who prior to laws being passed in Coronado, California, making it illegal for blacks and immigrants to buy/sell properties in that area, had rented a home to an asian couple, who later bought the property  and used the proceeds from that property to help students at San Diego State University get an education.    

And that story, as well as God’s word in the Scriptures shared above, provided the ODB author to call for all Christians to reach out (see photo) to and give a hand up to those who need our witness of service in God’s Kingdom and could use a hand up when we’re given the opportunity to help those who need our help.  So, …what could we be doing, … right now,  … TODAY …  to reach out and help those who need a “hand up?”

         

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for opportunities to reach out and give my hand to someone who needs a “hand up” today.

 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all of us reading here, will willingly reach out and help someone today who needs our help.  … 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.

May 12 2025 … Helping Others …

May 12 2025 … Helping Others   …   

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

Please take the time to hear music and lyrics with Andrew Peterson singing … Be Kind To Yourself, God calling His children to be kind to themselves (ourselves), reaching out to help each other.

Building Bigger Barns ??? .... 

  

Highlight Passage: …  Luke 13:20 … [NLT] … 

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’            

…  Jesus shows that it’s foolish to be storing up our grain today in bigger barns <b>(see photo)</b> if we’re going to die tonight..          

           

Highlight Passage (in context)  …Luke 12:13-21  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus shares a parable showing that it’s fruitless to build new barns just to hold onto today’s harvest.                                                                             

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Highlight Passage (in context)  … Proverbs 21:13  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Godly wisdom on opening our eyes and ears to see/hear the needs of others.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 25:40 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus relates that those who believe in Him when give to the least of God’s children.

Reference Passage: … John 13:34-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus commands His followers to show the world that they (we) follow Him by reaching out to help those in need.   

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 4:32  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus calls on Christians to be kind to one another.                       

Reference Passage: …  Philippians 2:3-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches fellow Christians to take on the attitude of Christ and look out of the needs of others before self.  

Reference Passage: …  1John 3:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… John calls on fellow Christians to show God’s love to others by helping those in need.   

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - John Blase … AT THIS LINK       … shared the reflections of a friend, named Bonnie Ware, who was a hospice-care nurse; and over the years who compiled a list of the top five regrets of the dying:  (1) I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself. (2) I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. (3) I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. (4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. And (5) I wish I’d let myself be happier. 

And in that list, I think we all can see the desire to live for others before living or working for selfish gain.  Let’s all stop and consider where we are in life.  Are we trying to build bigger barns (see photo) or are we looking to be more like Christ and helping others when/if we can?  I’m stopping - right here - and praying that we’re all looking out to help others where and if we can.

         

My Thanksgiving:… Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for opportunities to share the love and grace of our Savior with others.

 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all of us reading here, whom You, Lord, give the opportunities to serve You, are reaching out to help others.  … 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 “OurDaily 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. 

May 11 2025 … Jesus Loves Children …

May 11 2025 … Jesus Loves Children   …  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to hear music and lyrics with a children’s chorus singing  … Jesus Loves the Little Children, showing clearly that God loves all His children.

Jesus loved the little childrenl ... 

Highlight Passage: …  Genesis 29:35 … [NLT] … 

35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.            

…  Leah finally recognizes to praise God for her four sons.          

           

Highlight Passage (in context): …Genesis 29:31-35  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Leah, Jacob’s wife, has four sons and though being ignored by Jacob’s affection, finally felt the praise of God in her fourth and last child, Judah, who would ultimately be the forefather of Israel’s Messiah..                                                                             

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Highlight Passage (in context): … Psalms 127:3-5  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Solomon sings God’s wisdom about the blessing of having children. 

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 22:6  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Solomon, calls on parents to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

Reference Passage: … Matthew 19:14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Matthew quotes Jesus as God loving the little children of the world as examples of what it takes to enter God’s kingdom.   

Reference Passage:… Mark 10:13-16  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… John Mark also writes about Jesus calling all who follow Him to Him with the attitude of surrender like a child coming to Him.                       

Reference Passage: …  Luke 18:15-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… also writes of Jesus’s command to all to come to him like the children did - with simple hearts of praise and love.   

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Tim Gustafson AT THIS LINK      … reflected on the attitude of a friend and mother who declared that she had a somewhat negative attitude about Mother’s Day, saying, “Being a mother was really the hardest thing I ever did.” 

And that was probably the attitude of Leah in the Highlight Bible Passage, cited above, having four sons by Jacob, who never showed any loving interest in Leah other than to father his children.   But God’s word (see remaining Scriptures above), including the words and commands from Jesus in three of the four Gospel authors, clearly declares that having children and raising them for the Lord’s will and His ways is a challenging, but a wonderful blessing, from God; and we are to treat it as such.  

So, for those, like myself and my wife, who have been blessed with children, I’m praying that we all raise them under the admonition of the the Lord in God’s word, giving them up to the Lord as blessings from, and to, Him.   

         

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for our daughters, whom it’s been a blessing to raise up and serve You, as they do now, raising their children to bless You.  

 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all of us reading here, who have children, can - and will - raise them to honor and praise You, Lord.  … 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. 

May 10 2025 … Surrendered Faith …

May 10 2025 … Surrendered Faith  …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to hear music and lyrics with The Maranatha Singers singing  … Great Is Thy Faithfulness, calling for Christians to hold strong in their (our) faith when encountering trials.

Praying for Shloh's healing .. 

Highlight Passage: …  1Peter 1:7 … [NLT] … 

7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.             

…  Peter assures fellow persecuted Christians that the trials they (we) endure are the tests of our faith in Christ.         

           

Highlight Passage (in context): … 1Peter 1:3-9  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Peter shows fellow persecuted Christians to withstand the suffering in this life with enduring faith in Christ. .                                                                             

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Highlight Passage (in context): … Proverbs 3:5-6  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… God, thru Solomon, charges believers to trust in God - thru faith - to show believers the way thru the trials of this life.

Reference Passage: … John 16:33  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus shows that His disciples (that’s you and me too) will encounter suffering in this world but the He, our Lord, has overcome the world.    

Reference Passage: … Romans 8:18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul assures fellow Christians that what we endure in this life cannot compare to the glory we will experience in Heaven.   

Reference Passage:  …1Corinthians 10:13  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul also assures fellow Christians that God will use trials to build out faith in His goodness.                       

Reference Passage: …  2Corinthians 4:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Paul reiterates his teaching to fellow Christians that the suffering we endure not is to prepare us for the glory will share with Christ forever.

Reference Passage:… James 1:2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus’ brother James teaches fellow Christians that we need to consider the trials/troubles in life with joy as opportunities to serve our LORD.      

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Xochitl Dixon … AT THIS LINK     … related a personal story of how a friend, named Sethie who had a 3YO son, Shiloh, who was desperately ill and showing no active brain waves (see photo),   And yet, his mother, Sethie, expressed, “I know God can heal Shiloh and let him come home with us. I’m also at peace if God heals him by taking him to heaven.”  Now that’s the kind of enduring and deep faith that is called for in the linked song and the Scriptures shared above. 

And I’m stopping to pray - right now as I write this - that all of my fellow Christians, reading here with me, look at the troubles and trials we face with joy, knowing that God is using these challenges to grow our faith to a level like that was related in today’s ODB entry.   And don’t we know, .. HE IS !!!   

         

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for growing my faith thru the trials I’m facing right now! 

 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all of us reading here, are building our faith thru the trials You, Lord, are allowing us to face 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.