Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Don Moen singing … Thank You Lord … poignantly singing of our thanks to our Lord for all He has blessed us with … including the love of others who have blessed our lives with His love.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 1:7 [NKJV] … 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. … Paul had such love for the blessings the Roman Christians had provided for them; and he wanted to be a blessing for them by writing this letter to them.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 1:1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul writing to beloved fellow Christians in Rome.
=============
Reference Passage : … John 17:6-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus prays for the blessing of His disciples - the 12 and for you and me too.
Reference Passage : … Romans 16:1-16 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Notice how personal Paul was in his “thank-you” references to the Roman Christians, calling them out by name to affirm his love - and God’s love - for them.
Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:3-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK … … Paul expresses his love and prayers of blessing for his fellow Christians who had - and were - so helpful and supportive of his ministry.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, used a personal remembrance to illustrate the importance of giving personal affirmation (i.e., thanks) to those who have blessed us in life. The ODB author wrote: The familiar bing of an arriving email caught my attention while I wrote at my computer. Usually I try to resist the temptation to check every email but the subject line was too enticing: “You are a blessing.”
Eagerly, I opened it to discover a faraway friend telling me she was praying for my family. Each week, she displays one Christmas card photo in her kitchen table “Blessing Bowl” and prays for that family. She wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3) and then highlighted our efforts to share God’s love with others—our “partnership” in the gospel.
As I read this ODB entry today, which made reference to all the love letters the Apostle Paul wrote to fellow Christians who had blessed him with support and prayers, I thought back to many fellow Christians who have blessed me with their love, support, and affirmation. In fact if you’re reading this, you’re likely one of those who have blessed me, … maybe even prayed for me.
Wow! So many wonderful brothers/sisters in Christ whom God has blessed me with. I hope (and pray) in some way that any such blessed ones have “heard” from me of my thankfulness, having been so blessed by others. The Apostle Paul, in fact, in the last chapter of his theologically laden love letter to the Romans, names his beloved supporters (see Romans, Chapt. 16). He just wanted them to know how much God had blessed him with their friendship.
Perhaps, we all “be a blessing” (see photo) to at least one such person today … to let them know of how much they have blessed us with their love and/or support. But - above all - we need to let God know of our thankfulness for His blessings [just as Don Moen sings in the linked song above].
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for so many in my life who have lifted me up in times of trial.
=============
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me recognize someone today for what they mean to me. … 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