Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Dennis Jernigan and Natalie Grant singing Dennis’ song … You are My All In All … proclaiming what should be the focus of our entire life … Jesus Christ … and the worthiness of His Name.
Highlight Verse[s]: Nehemiah 8:3 [NKJV] …
3 Then he [Ezra] read from it [The Book of the Law] in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
… Ezra gathers God's remnant and preaches from His word ... and they pay attention!
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Highlight Context: Nehemiah 8:1-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Ezra preaches God’s word to a people who had been so turned away from Him for so long.
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Reference Passage #1 … Matthew 7:28-29 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount and the people, having heard Him were astounded at His authority.
Reference Passage #2 … Acts 8:4-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Phillip preaches with God’s anointing, … the people listen, and many are healed and saved.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Lawrence Darmani, uses a personal story to teach about our need to pay attention when God’s truth is being revealed to us. He wrote: As I sat in the auditorium, I faced the pastor with my eyes fixed on him. My posture suggested I was absorbing everything he was saying. Suddenly I heard everybody laughing and clapping. Surprised, I looked about. The preacher had apparently said something humorous, but I had no clue what it might have been. From all appearances I had been listening carefully, but in reality my mind was far away.
It’s possible to hear what is being said but not listen, to watch but not see, to be present and yet absent. In such a condition, we may miss important messages meant for us.
Can anybody reading with me here today identify with the author’s story? Perhaps others here are thinking, as am I, … “Been there, … done that, … got that T-shirt!”
Yeah, … we’ve all had times when we had trouble paying attention when we needed to be focusing more when God’s word was being preached or revealed to us. Today’s Scriptures tell of several situations when God’s people were able to focus on His truth or His messenger; and their lives were changed by paying attention, hearing, and then applying God’s word.
The attached photo clearly describes what we all need to take away from this ODB entry today. In this world where we are bombarded by so much useless or counter-productive information, we so need to get to a quiet place daily and PAY ATTENTION to what God desires to share with us of Himself. That’s why you find me here daily, getting alone with God and using Our Daily Bread to seek God’s truth, … praying each morning that God will reveal Himself in the quiet and through His word.
And the wonderful thing is, when I pay attention … HE DOES!!!
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Thank You for showing me Your will and Your way thru Your word. … 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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