Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing of how we can rely on God’s strength to cover us in times of our weakness.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 119:68, 71 [NLT] … 68 You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. … 71 My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
… When our bitterness and suffering lead to God’s truth and His way, we see that He is always good.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 119:65-72 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, in song, shows us that His love/truth endure through all of life.
=============
Reference Passage : … Job 2:10b [NLT] … 10 … “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
… In spite of all the anguish and pain, Job would not give up on his faith in God.
Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
… God, thru Paul, reminds Christians that ALL things are for our good.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 [NLT] …USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, reminds Christians that ALL things are for our good.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, uses an historical reference to show that we must take the bitter with the sweet in our days on earth. … The ODB author wrote: Some people like bitter chocolate and some prefer sweet. Ancient Mayans in Central America enjoyed chocolate as a beverage and seasoned it with chili peppers. They liked this “bitter water,” as they called it. Many years later it was introduced in Spain, but the Spaniards preferred chocolate sweet, so they added sugar and honey to counteract its natural bitterness.
Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well.
I think all would agree with that last observation [underlined], don’t you? But most of us would likely prefer the sweet days over the bitter, don’t you think?
In Job’s journal [see Job 2:10b above] we read of a man who really had a sweet life; and it really turned bitter, … to say the least. But Job’s faith showed him to be able to hold on to his faith in a GOOD GOD - even thru the confusion of his agony. And in today’s highlight Scripture from Psalm 119, the writer reflects on how the bitterness of life, drove him more deeply into God’s truth to give him the strength to live on.
The Apostle Paul certainly went thru a lot of bitter, painful experiences; … but thru all of those tough times, he remembered Jesus giving Him the truth that God’s grace would always be sufficient to handle the bitter with the sweet (see 2Cor. 12:9-10).
Fellow Christian, … finish this old - and VERY TRUE - saying … “God is good all the time; and all the time _____ ___ ______ !! … But do we really believe it and live it?
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your grace which gives me the strength when I am week.
=============
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … May I reflect Your gifts to me by giving to others anytime You give me the opportunity. … 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