Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Sara Groves singing her model version of the old hymn … Abide With Me … poignantly singing of how we disciples of Christ must seek to continually abide in Him and to avoid being influenced by the world.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Nehemiah 4:6 [NKJV] … 6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
… Nehemiah would not be turned away by his critics and enemies; and the people built the walls, following God’s way.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Nehemiah 4:1-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Nehemiah’s worldly critics/opponents did all they could to detract/deter him from God’s will; but he would not be dissuaded.
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Reference Passage : … Joshua 24:15 [NKJV] … 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
… Joshua chose to follow His God and not the Lord’s enemies or the ways of the word.
Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Are we going to follow our own way or the way[s] of God?
Reference Passage : … John 15:7-8 [NKJV] … 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
… Staying connected to Christ (i.e., abiding in Him) is really the only way to be fruitful in life.
Reference Passage : … Romans 12:1-2 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We must choose to be true disciples of Christ, not following the ways of the world.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, used a personal story to illustrate how we can become distracted by the world or our critics to take the wrong road in life. The ODB author wrote: I work with a team to put on an annual community event. We spend eleven months plotting many details to ensure the event’s success. We choose the date and venue. We set ticket prices. We select everything from food vendors to sound technicians. As the event approaches, we answer public questions and provide directions. Afterward we collect feedback. Some good. Some that is hard to hear. Our team hears excitement from attendees and also fields complaints. The negative feedback can be discouraging and sometimes tempts us to give up.
If we take in today’s photo illustration, and the linked song, I think we’d all agree that it can be confusing, if not downright confounding, to decide which path to take in life. Certainly our enemies (i.e., Satan’s warriors) and the world would desire to distract us from God’s will, won’t they?
And that was what Nehemiah faced when God called him to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem (see highlight passage). But he would not be dissuaded from God’s will and the Lord’s calling, and he chose to follow God’s will and His way, ignoring the distractions of his enemies; and we know the outcome, which glorified God.
I don’t think the message of this ODB entry is secretive or confusing, is it? No, … if you’ve meditated on all above, the message, i.e., God’s calling, is clear. As disciples of Christ, we must abide in Him, follow HIS ways, and do all we can to avoid the distractions of the world or the deterrence of Satan. And in doing so, we’ll be able to follow our Lord and be fruitful in His Hame and for His glory.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for showing us Your way and giving us the signposts to follow Your will from Your word.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit ... Help me to seek and follow ONLY Your will and Your way from Your word. … 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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