Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of lyrics from Kathy Trocolli singing her song … I Will Choose Christ … poignantly singing of our need, as Christians, to God’s way and follow Him not matter the circumstances of life.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Habakkuk 3:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Once Habakkuk saw life Gods’ way, he was able to find joy in the midst of personal sorrow.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Habakkuk 1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... The Prophet finally came around to seeing life God’s way.
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Reference Passage #1 : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] …
23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. … “
… Being a disciple of Christ means seeing and following HIS WAY, not our own.
Reference Passage #1 : … Galatians 5:22-23 [NLT] … 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
… “Joy” is a fruit of the Spirit and any Christian can choose to partake of it, along with all the other Spirit-given fruit.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, used a personal experience to help me see things God’s way this morning. The ODB author wrote: When students from Southeast Asia met a teacher from North America, the visiting instructor learned a lesson. After giving his class their first multiple-choice test, he was surprised to find many questions left unanswered. While handing back the corrected papers, he suggested that, next time, instead of leaving answers blank they should take a guess. Surprised, one of the students raised their hand and asked, “What if I accidentally get the answer right? I would be implying that I knew the answer when I didn’t.” The student and teacher had a different PERSPECTIVE and practice.
It was the word “PERSPECTIVE” [in all caps above] which grabbed my mind today; and God’s Spirit took me in a different direction than that taught by the OBD entry. So, go with me, please.
“Perspective” refers to the way we see things, doesn’t it? Well, recently I’ve been seeing things in my life thru some pretty dark glasses, … leading my heart to some pretty dismal thoughts. Ever been there? Well, my “perspective” had gotten skewed to take my mind inward, rather than seeking God’s UPWARD perspective. I had lost my joy by a selfish perspective rather than a Godly perspective.
Then, this morning, in my time alone with God on His day, I remembered the struggle the Prophet Habakkuk had in a time when the circumstances of life led him into a joyless pit of despair [see link to His book above]. But God took the Prophet aside and showed him the Lord’s way; and Habakkuk found God’s joy by seeing life God’s way (especially note Hab. 3:17-18).
My friends, joy is a choice; … not a feeling; and this morning I’ve been led to remember that I can choose to take in the sweetness of Gods’ fruit of joy … even when life is pretty sour.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, …You are so, so sweet to bring my Your joy in some pretty sour times. … 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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