Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing their song … I Want To Be Just You … Poignantly singing of a desire all Christians should pursue … to become just like our Lord.
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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Peter 5:10 [NLT] … 10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
… God’s calling is for all of His children - i.e., born again in Christ - to become just like Christ, Who was/is just like His Heavenly Father.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Peter 5:8-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter encouraging oppressed/struggling Christians to keep on keeping on in their faith.
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Reference Passage : … John 17:17-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus prays to the Father that all whom He has given to Christ would made Holy.
Reference Passage : … 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. … “
… If Christians are willing to surrender to Christ's Lordship, He will lead them to become like Him.
Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [NLT] … 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
… We become His disciples and are freed from our sin nature when we are true and follow His teachings (in His word).
Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 1:16 [NLT] … 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” [Lev. 20:7]
… God’s calling for all His children … to become as He is … HOLY!
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David Roper, uses a personal recollection to give us confidence in our Heavenly Father and His plan to make us like Himself thru Christ. The ODB author wrote: My father’s dusty, heeled-over, cowboy boots rest on the floor of my study [see photo], daily reminders of the kind of man he was. Among other things, he raised and trained cutting horses—equine athletes that move like quicksilver. I loved to watch him at work, marveling that he could stay astride.
As a boy, growing up, I wanted to be just like him. I’m in my eighties, and his boots are still too large for me to fill. My father’s in heaven now, but I have another Father to emulate. [And] I want to be just like Him …
Unfortunately not all sons [or daughters] have earthly fathers whom they look upon with the desires of our ODB author … to grow up and become just like their dad. But as the linked song relates, as well as today’s scriptures, we do have a Heavenly Father Who sent His only Son in His place so that we could relate to Him, and seek to become Holy just as He is holy.
And, in fact, that’s Jesus’ prayer for us (see John 17:17-19). And so, if we’re willing, as disciples of Christ, to surrender to His calling [see Luke 9:23], He will reshape us and complete us into the very image of holiness, just like our Heavenly Father [see Phil. 1:6].
That’s why you find me here every day, seeking His holiness thru His word and doing all I can to know my Heavenly Father more intimately; … so that thru His Son He can do His work of reforming me into His image. And I hope (and pray) that’s the goal of all who read here with me today.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, thank You for Your word, which shows me the way to become holy just like You.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I want to be just like 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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