February 25, 2017 ... Wholeheartedly His

Berry Patch Devotions in 2017 - Day 56 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from Steve Green singing … Find Us Faithful … powerfully declaring what should be the goal of every Christian … to be WHOLEHEARTEDLY faithful in following our Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Numbers 14:25 [NLT] … 
24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 
… God’s reward for Caleb’s wholehearted faithfulness - even thru the 40 years in the wilderness. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Numbers 13:26-32, 14:20-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Caleb … a great picture of steadfast faithfulness and surrender to God’s will.
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Reference Passage #1 [NLT] : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
...  God’s promise of His faithful leading, … and that’s what Caleb experienced and we can too, if we remain faithful to follow our Lord.

Reference Passage #2 [NLT] : … Matthew 22:35-38 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... Jesus declares that God’s greatest commandment is to follow His will with all our heart, soul, and mind. Caleb did; … do we?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David McCasland, used this OT character of Caleb to illustrate steadfast, wholehearted, faithfulness in following God. The ODB author wrote: Caleb was a “wholehearted” person. He and Joshua were part of a twelve-man reconnaissance team that explored the Promised Land and gave a report to Moses and the people. Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Num. 13:30). 
But ten members of the team said they couldn’t possibly succeed. In spite of God’s promises, they saw only obstacles (vv. 31–33). Ten men caused the people to lose heart and grumble against God, which led to forty years of wandering in the desert. But Caleb never quit. The Lord said, “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (14:24). 

Do I really need to go on to clarify the message of today’s ODB entry? I think not!

So, … after anyone reading with me here today hears the song I often repeat as the highlight message in music; and then you take in the story of Caleb in the highlight passages above, along with Jesus’ explanation of God’s greatest commandment (see Matt. 22:35-38), I think you will agree that we are under conviction to go deeper into wholehearted following of Christ; … and to also do what Jesus commanded in Luke 9:23. [I hope you have that one memorized. If not, look it up; and see if you’re His faithful follower.]

I’m certainly under conviction; … how about you?

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, help me to go deeper in my wholehearted surrender to be Your disciple. … 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.