Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics with Josh Groban and Brian McKnight, singing … Bridge Over Troubled Waters … poignantly singing of how, in our relationship with Christ, we always have a bridge to walk over our troubled waters of life.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 3:16 [NKJV] … 16 … that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, …
… God’s promise is Paul’s wish for us all … that we be strengthened and uplifted when we’re feeling fearful or weak.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 3:14-19 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, trying to show believers of His presence/power in times of fear or trial.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [NKJV] … 10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, … yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
… God, thru the Prophet, promises to lift us up when we’re feeling weak.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NKJV] … 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
… Paul learned, as should we, that our spiritual well-being and our strength ONLY comes from His grace.
Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [NKJV] … 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
… God’s promise of His presence and protection, … no matter what!!
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a personal illustration to show how we can rely on our God to give us His strength in fearful times of trial. The ODB author wrote: Spiders. ... I don’t know any kid who likes them. At least not in their rooms . . . at bedtime. But as she was getting ready for bed, my daughter spied one [as in the photo] dangerously close to her bed.
“Daaaad!!!!! Spiiiderrr!!!!!” she hollered. Despite my determination, I couldn’t find the eight-legged interloper. “He’s not going to hurt you,” I reassured her. She wasn’t convinced. It wasn’t until I told her I’d stay next to her top bunk and stand guard that she agreed to get in bed.
As my daughter settled in, I held her hand. I told her, “I love you so much. I’m right here. But you know what? God loves you even more than Daddy and Mommy. And He’s very close. You can always pray to Him when you’re scared.” That seemed to comfort her, and peaceful sleep came quickly.
What a pertinent and powerful picture of how we all are when fearful or extremely trying times envelope us. But when we can focus on God’s truth, especially if God’s always true word is buried deeply in our consciousness, we can feel like that little girl did when her dad held her hand, … protected and sheltered by our Heavenly Father. In other words, we can have, as the song declares, a “bridge over troubled waters.”
If God’s promises are true, … and of course, they are, … He will never forsake us (Heb. 13:5); and we need never fear because He’s always there to lift us up when we’re feeling weak (Isaiah 41:10 and 2Cor. 12: 9), giving us His strength to cover our weakness and belay our fears.
Obviously it’s true, because it’s in His word. But the question alway is … do we trust His promises and then let His presence hold our hand when we see spiders in our lives?
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for ever-present hand to lift me out of my fears.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Give me Your empowering grace to deal with my fears today. … 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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