Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from the group Avalon singing … No Orphans of God … proclaiming the reality of our relationship with Christ … that we matter to Him and are never unworthy His love. … And THEN ON TO THIS LINK to hear Alan Jackson sing the old hymn, In the Garden, poignantly singing of the joy we glean from being with Jesus and sharing time with Him daily.
Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 [NKJV] …
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
… Solomon concludes his treatise on meaning in life with the bottom line that we must obey God’s will and follow His ways thru “the Preacher,” which is His word.
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Highlight Context: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, 12:9-14 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon’s conclusion about life after living in pride and vanity for so many years.
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Reference Passage #1 … 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 shows His disciples the reality of how we find Him manifest in our lives … by knowing and loving Him and following His commandments.
Reference Passage #2 … Romans 8:16-18 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to realize that there are no orphans (see song link) in Christ … that we, who know Christ as Lord/Savior have become joint heirs with King Jesus forever.
Reference Passage #3 … 1st Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV] …
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
… God is God and we are not! … So, we find our meaning in life in/thru our relationship with Him; and we can always rely on His love.
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Phillip Yancey, tells a pointed story to shake any Christian from feelings of unworthiness. He wrote: I stand in the cashier line of the local supermarket and look around me. I see teenagers with shaved heads and nose rings looking through the snack foods; a young professional buying one steak, a few twigs of asparagus, and a sweet potato; an elderly woman pondering the peaches and strawberries. Does God know all these people by name? I ask myself. Do they really matter to Him?
The Maker of all things is the Maker of all human beings, and each of us is deemed worthy of His individual attention and love. God demonstrated that love in person on the gnarly hills of Israel and ultimately on the cross.
Truth! … But do we get it? … Especially do we trust God’s word and His promises (see Scripture citations above)? Because if we do, we’ll realize what the group Avalon is singing in the linked song today … “There are NO ORPHANS” in the family of God. All are challenged by life; but NONE rejected!!
And that’s the realization I get from dwelling in and delving into God’s word here EVERY DAY. I find closeness with God in/thru His word; and He speaks to me; and as the old hymn sings [link above], … “He tells me I am his own!” And thru His truth, I know that I’m always loved and matter to my Lord and Savior.
Dear one, ... get with Him today in His word and let Him show you how much He loves you.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Here with You daily in the garden of Your truth, I share Your love and know that I matter to 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.
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