Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of the group Avalon singing… Everything To Me, … declaring the reality of surrender to Christ, where He becomes our everything and demanding our all for Him.
Highlight Passage: Daniel 6: 10 [NKJV] …
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
… Daniel was willing to give his best and riskiest time for His God.
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Highlight Context – Daniel 6: 10-23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Daniel was willing to give his all for his Everything.
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Reference Passage #1 - Luke 9: 23 [NKJV] …
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. …”
… Jesus knew that following Him as a disciple would be a very difficult investment of time/energy; but that is what He demanded of anyone who would surrender to His saving grace.
Reference Passage #2 - John 14:21 [NKJV] …
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
… Jesus’ love and grace are only for those who’ve been willing to give their all to/for Him.
Reference Passage #3 - Romans 12: 1 [NKJV] …
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
… God demands not the leftover crumbs from His table … but nothing else than our best as a “living sacrifice.”
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Keila Ochoa, used the following story to illustrate her teaching. A friend was coming to town. He is a very busy man and his schedule was tight, but after a difficult day in important meetings, he managed to see my family for half an hour for a quick and late dinner. We enjoyed his visit, but I remember looking at my plate and thinking, “We only got the crumbs of his time.”
You know, dear ones, I think that too many who come to Christ as Lord and Savior and are truly “born-again,” may think that this Christianity living is a casual walk in a fragrant and protected park. But the early Christians, and many who are still being persecuted and even martyred today, came to realize what Paul taught (e.g., in Romans 12:1) … that being a real disciple of Christ meant that we must be willing to give our all.
Jesus, we we are saved in faith, desires a sold-out relationship with Him (see Luke 9:23 and John 14:21). As in author Ochoa’s story above, Jesus wants more of us, as disciples, than just the leftover crumbs from the table of life (see attached photo). No, our Lord desires our best for His best (i.e., His grace).
Please take some special time to hear and meditate on the linked song above and ask, as I am of myself this morning, … as I invest my time in life, am I really giving more than just crumbs of time to Him? Is Jesus really MY EVERYTHING? …
My Prayer Today: Yes, Lord, … I pray that I am giving my best to You, as a living sacrifice; … not just the leftover crumbs from my table of life. … 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.
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