Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Selah singing their song … Press On … Poignantly singing of our ability as Christians to press on thru the challenges of life, finding our strength from God’s empowering grace.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 3:14 [NLT] … 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
… Our goal in life of Christlikeness and to glorify Him is out ahead of us; … so, we press on!
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 3:7-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts Christians to “press on” thru the pressures and problems of life, gleaning the strength from God’s enabling grace.
=============
Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jeremiah pushed past troubles and heartaches to serve God … no matter what challenges he faced.
Reference Passage : … John 15:4, 7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus on how we can keep on keeping on … even when things are really tough … by ABIDING in Him.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The obstacles Paul face - and overcame - in his calling in life to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He [Jesus] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I [Paul] am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
… Paul learned that God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient to all us to press on thru our challenges.
Reference Passage : … Hebrews 3:14 [NLT] … 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
… Faithfulness is the key to perseverance.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, uses a picture of nature thriving in the midst of obstacles to illustrate how our faith can help us to keep on keeping on in life.. The ODB author wrote: As I walked past an outside wall of the office building where I work, I was amazed to see a beautiful flower growing up through a crack between concrete slabs covering the ground. Despite its deprived circumstance, the plant had found a foothold, rooted itself in the dry crevice, and was flourishing. Later, I noticed that an air-conditioning unit located directly above the plant dropped water on it throughout the day. While its surroundings were hostile, the plant received the help it needed from the water above.
In this new year we face ahead of us, we know that we’re going to encounter many, if not severe, obstacles or challenges. That’s a given, isn’t it?
So, knowing that is ahead, how can we insure that we can keep on keeping on in spite of the obstacles we will face? Well, that’s what the Apostle Paul addressed to his Christian friends (and us) in the highlight passage today.
And Paul had certainly faced some very challenging obstacles to his mission of spreading the Gospel (see 2Cor. 11:22-33). But he learned - and shared in the 2Cor. 12:9 and Phil. 3:14 passages - that we can, thru faith and God’s grace, press on toward the goal of glorifying God thru our struggles … just as the group Selah sings in the linked song.
So, that’s my prayer today … that we keep on keeping on in Christ … no matter what we face in 2018.
=============
My THANKFULNESS: Oh Lord, thank You for covering my weaknesses with Your grace as I press on into 2018
=============
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give us Your enabling and empowering grace to meet the challenges of this new year. … 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment