Feb 24, 2025 … God’s Forever Promises

Feb 24, 2025 … God’s Forever Promises 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Charity Gayle singing … You Keep Your PromisesY, showing of how God keeps His covenant promises to His chosen peoples.

God's Eternal Reminder At Niagra Falls 

Highlight Passage: … Genesis 9:13 …[NLT] … 

13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.          

… The rainbow is God’s eternal reminder of HIs promise (i.e., covenant) to watch over and protect and provide for His chosen people.       

Highlight Passage (in context): … Genesis 9:8-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… God’s seals His covenant with Noah - and God’s people - with a rainbow in the heavens.        

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 37:4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…King David sings that we, His people, can take delight in God’s promise to provide for His chosen peoples.   

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 40:28, 43:2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Isaiah, affirms the Lord’s eternal promises of His everlasting provision and protection.

Reference Passage: …  Jeremiah 29:11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Jeremiah, promises that God has a plan to complete His forever covenant to His people. 

Reference Passage:… John 3:16  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus declares that God’s covenant plan will be fulfilled thru Him, … Jesus! 

Reference Passage:… 2Corinthians 1:20  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul assures fellow Christians that ALL of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Jesus as The Christ. 

Reference Passage: … 2Peter 1:4  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Peter declares to oppressed believers that God’s grand and glorious promises have been fulfilled to protect God’s people (i.e., born-again Christians) forever. 

                            

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Brent Hackett … AT THIS LINK     … tells of being at Niagra Falls and seeing a rainbow (see photo) and remembering that all rainbows are always complete circles, and God’s reminder that He has promised, and will complete, His covenant promises to protect and provide for his chosen peoples, who are now born-again believers in Jesus as our Messiah and Lord.

And I pray today that all, who read with me here, remember God’s promises, thru signs like His rainbow, that the Lord’s eternal power, provision, and protection are ALWAYS there for those who believe in and follow Jesus as The Christ.  That’s my prayer here today.  Will you join me?!                  

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for ALWAYS being with me.

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all reading here will join me, …  to be uplifted by God’s promises, which were fulfilled in You, Lord, … our promised Messiah.   … 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.

Feb 23, 2025 … Rooted In Living Waters

Feb 23, 2025 … Rooted In Living Waters 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Kristyn and Keith Getty singing … Living Waters, showing of how Christians can drive and be refreshed by God’s “living waters,” .,, thru His Spirit and His word.

Rooted by God's Living Waters .. 

Highlight Passage: … Psalms 1:3 …[NLT] … 

3 They [i.e., God’s chosen] are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.          

… David shows that God’s faithful followers will flourish and grow..       

Highlight Passage (in context)  … Psalms 1:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… The Psalmist, likely King David, shows how one who is rooted in God’s Spirit (i.e., HIs living water) will thrive while sinners and mockers of God will wither and die on the vine of life.              

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Reference Passage: … Genesis 1:26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses relays to God’s chosen people how mankind was made in the image of God.   

Reference Passage: … Joshua 1:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… God, to Joshua, give His prescription for how to thrive in life … i.e., to consume God’s truth (ie., His word) daily.   

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

… Solomon shows that trusting and following God’s will and His ways is the way to thrive in life.  

Reference Passage: …  John 7:37-38 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus, thru God’s word, declares that anyone who comes to and follows Him will be able to thrive from his Living Waters (i.e., thru God’s Spirit). 

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 3:16-18  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul prays for fellow Christians are strengthened by God’s Spirit to grow and thrive in God’s Spirit.    

                            

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Karen Pimpo … AT THIS LINK       … related a story about Bill, an aging man in the ODB author’s church who lived alone and no longer was able to drive, relying on fellow church members to help him get his groceries, medicines, and other necessities. But Bill said he still lived a full life spending his days praying for relatives and friends, listening to Christian music in his home, and studying God’s word.   

It’s the kind of life, promised by God’s word above and the linked song about God’s living waters, which are provided to born-again believers thru God’s Spirit and His truth (i.e., God’s word). And that’s why you find me here each morning praying and praising God as I partake of God’s truth thru His living word.  And I pray that my readers here today are planted close to and partaking of God’s living waters.  If so, you will live forever!                       

          

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for allowing me, Lord, to drink from Your living waters every day.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all reading here will join me, …  to seek out and drink from Your living waters, 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.

Feb 22, 2025 … Leaving A Legacy of Love

Feb 22, 2025 … Leaving A Legacy of Love  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Nicole Nordeman singing … Legacy, showing that we Christians should leave a legacy of Christlike love for all to see Christ in the way that we lived our lives.

Highlight Passage: … John 13:34-35 …[NLT] … 

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”           

… Jesus commands His disciples to love one another as He had loved them to show that they are His disciples.        

Highlight Passage (in context): … John 13:31-36 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus commands His Disciples in the Upper Room to love one another to show all that they are His disciples.                                                                             

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Reference Passage:… Deuteronomy 6:5-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Moses, commands His chosen people to leave a legacy of loving God to their children.    

Reference Passage: … Psalm 112:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… God’s psalmist, likely David, calls on God’s people to leave a legacy of loving and following God’s Law.   

Reference Passage: … Psalm 145:4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David also sings of each generation of God’s people to let the next generation of God’s wonder and His power.  

Reference Passage: …  Proverbs 13:22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… God, thru Solomon, calls on good people (i.e., God’s people) to leave a good inheritance for the next generation.

Reference Passage: … John 17:20-24  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Jesus prays that those who come after-  and follow Him - will live out what He, as Lord and Savior, had left for them …  a legacy of love for others.    

Reference Passage: … 2Timothy 4:6-8  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Paul, witnesses to living a life of faith as as legacy for all who would follow after him. 

                            

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Kenneth Petersen … AT THIS LINK - … shows a concept of what is called “death cleaning” in Sweden where couples, as they age, clean out the “baggage” from their lives so that their children will not be burdened with a worthless collection of meaningless “stuff” when they die. In other words, its like trying to leave a legacy of value to the next generation.  

And isn’t that what God’s word calls on us to do as Christians (see Scriptures shared above); … and in the linked song as well?  My wife and I, as we approached our 80s, did exactly that, … downsizing our lives and getting rid of a lot of worthless “baggage,” so that our kids would not have legacy of “junk” to deal with.  But even more so, we desire, … and pray, … that our kids and grandkids remember us with a legacy of “Christlikeness.”  Oh how we pray we can leave such a legacy.                       

          

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for showing us how to leave a legacy of You in our lives for others to see .  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all reading here will join me, …  to let You, Lord, to be THE legacy of our lives.     … 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.

Feb 21, 2025 … Pick Yourself Up

Feb 21, 2025 … Pick Yourself Up 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Zach Williams singing … Less Like Me, calling on Christians to do more to live like Jesus lived.

  

Highlight Passage: … Proverbs 24:16 …[NLT] … 

16 The godly may trip seven times but they will get up again, … but one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.          

… Solomon shows that if the truly righteous fall, they pick themselves (ourselves) up again to follow God’s will and His ways.         

Highlight Passage (in context): … Proverbs 24:15-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… God, thru Solomon, calls on believers to get back up when they fall away from God’s lead.      

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Reference Passage: … Joshua 1:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God charges Joshua [and all believers] to obediently follow God’s word to be successful in what God calls His followers (us) to do.    

Reference Passage: … 1Samuel 15:22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Samuel’s prophesy, shows that steady obedience to God’s voice (i.e., His word) is better than sacrifices offered up daily to God.   

Reference Passage: … Matthew 7:21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus preaches that only those who actually, <u>and obediently</u>, follow God’s will and HIs word will enter God’s kingdom.    

Reference Passage: …  John 14:15, 21, 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Jesus shows that those who truly love Him as Lord will follow - and obediently do - what He says

Reference Passage: … Romans 6:16  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches fellow Christians that His followers become slaves to what they do and follow obediently.    

Reference Passage: … James 1:22  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… James, Jesus’ brother, calls on fellow Christians, to become doers of God’s word, not just hearers. 

                            

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Nancy Gavilanes … AT THIS LINK     … told of being enthralled, at a young age, with the artistry and athletic skill in figure sacking.  And later, in taking lessons to learn some of the skills of the sport, the ODB author learned that one of the most basic elements of the sport was learning how to fall and get back up again, which she had to do often as she learned how to skate. 

And that’s an important thing we all need to learn about life, isn’t it; … that is, to experience the many falls we will have in life, and to get back up and stay on track to follow what our Lord calls us to do to become more like Him.   The question really is whether we truly love God enough to hear what He says (primarily thru His word) and to get back up when we fall (and we will!) and obediently follow the Lord.  That’s why I’m here today and will be tomorrow.   How about you?                                 

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for ALWAYS being there with Your enabling grace which gives me Your strength to help me get back up when I fall. .  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray, … again today, … that all reading here will join me, …  to praise You, Lord, for always being there to help us get up and follow You … again 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.