Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their song … I Want To Be Just You … poignantly singing of model we, as fathers, should find from Jesus, Who was just like His Father, … as we should we be for our sons [or daughters].
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Highlight Verse[s]: John 5:19 [NLT] …
19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. …
… Jesus clearly explains that what He said/did was only under the instruction of His Heavenly Father.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 5:17-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares that His only goal in His life on this earth was to be like His Father..
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Deuteronomy 18:9 [NLT] …
9 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there.
… God calls His people to imitate His call to holiness and to avoid imitating the unholy practices of the godless people in the Promised Land.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … 1st Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] …
1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
… Paul knew that as long as he followed Christ’s lead, he could lead others in the right direction.
Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Ephesians 6:4 [NLT] …
4 Fathers, [or parents] do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
… God’s instructions, thru Paul, on Godly parenting.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, observed how growing young people often imitate their parents, which was the perfect example of our Lord Who did only what His Father led Him to do. The ODB author wrote: Isn’t it endearing to see a child mimicking his parents? [see attached photo] How often we’ve seen the young boy in a car seat, gripping his imaginary steering wheel intently while keeping a close eye on the driver to see what Daddy does next.
I remember doing the same thing when I was young. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than doing exactly what my dad did—and I’m sure he got an even bigger kick watching me copy his actions.
And then the ODB author observed that God, the Father, must have looked down with great Fatherly pride to see His Son doing EVERYTHING to imitate the holiness of Jesus’ Holy Father, … including showing, by miraculous examples, that He and His Son were one.
And that has always been the desire of our Abba Father … that we should avoid following the examples of the world (see Deut. 18:9); but rather, as the Apostle Paul learned, to imitate God, the Son and to lead others, especially our children, to follow Him thru this life (see 1Cor. 11:1 and Eph. 6:4).
And so, if you’re a parent reading this, I am praying for us that we can be the Godly examples for our kids, leading them, as God the Father led His Son. And if you are a parent, be sure to take the time to use the link above and listen to the poignant and powerful song from Phillips, Craig, and Dean. I think you’ll be touched as was I.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I have children whom I so desire to follow my lead and to become like You, my Lord. … 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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