October 31, 2018 … A Light of Hope

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 303 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of there group Hillsong singing … Here I Am to Worship … poignantly singing of Christ being our light of hope so that we can worship Him no matter our circumstances.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 21:16 [NKJV] … 16 Thus says the Lord: … “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears. For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 
… In spite of disaster, destruction, and despair, God promises Jeremiah (and us) that He will restore and redeem His people.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 31:16-26 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God promises His redemption and renewal … even in the face of destruction and despair. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:105 [NKJV] … 105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
… God always provides us with a light of hope to light our way out of the darkness of this world [see photo].

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… When all seems bleak, we are to trust in the Lord and let Him be our lead and hope.

Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NKJV] … 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 
 … Jesus acknowledges that we will have troubles; but He also declares that He is our hope, having overcome the world.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV] …USE THIS LINK …
… When things seem bleak, we should cast our cares on a loving God.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Poh Fang Chia, uses an historical figure to compare with the despair felt by Jeremiah in the Bible to illustrate that God ALWAYS holds out hope for those who trust in Him. The ODB author writes … According to legend, Qu Yuan was a wise and patriotic Chinese government official who lived during the time known as the Warring States period (475–246 bc). It has been said that he tried repeatedly to warn his king about an impending threat that would destroy the country, but the king rejected his advice. Eventually, Qu Yuan was exiled. When he learned about the fall of his beloved country to the foe he had warned about, he ended his life. 
Qu Yuan’s life resembles some aspects of the life of the prophet Jeremiah. He too served kings who scorned his warnings, and his country was ravaged. However, while Qu Yuan gave in to his despair, Jeremiah found genuine hope. Why the difference? 

 I’m sure any/all reading here can recall a time - perhaps even now - when things seemed bleak, … even hopeless. But in one of those dark times in Israel’s history, Jeremiah was reminded by God that He is our hope and the light to come out of the darkness.

And I pray that all reading here know that Jesus is our light … our hope … our future … if we but follow Him to His light. And that’s why you find me here every day, seeking the light of hope that I get from His word, which will aways be the light to my path in the dark time.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for shining Your light of truth on my path in life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that I (we) are willing to seek out Your light of hope to guide our lives. … 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.

October 30, 2018 … Agreeing to Disagree in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 302 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of Casting Crowns singing … Broken Together … poignantly singing of how we must overcome our selfishness and our desire to control … and our differences … be broken souls, healed by the love of God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 14:12-13 [NKJV] … 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. 
… We must avoid making judgement on a brother’s or sister’s character in the midst of differences; but rather know that we all will, in the end, be judged by Christ and His character alone. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans, Chapter 14 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, trying to help Christians in dispute to rise above their disputes and honor God’s law of love above their differences.
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Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NKJV] … 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  ..."
 … In all our pursuits, we must learn to deny our own ways and follow Christ’s.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NKJV] … 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 
… If we follow Christ’s commandments, in spite of our differences His ways will prevail in and thru us.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 [NKJV] …USE THIS LINK …
… Love always prevails over our differences.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mart DeHaan, used a personal illustration to point to biblical handling of our differences. The ODB author writes … I remember hearing my dad talk about how difficult it was to walk away from unending arguments over differing interpretations of the Bible. By contrast he recalled how good it was when both sides agreed to disagree. 
But is it really possible to set aside irreconcilable differences when so much seems to be at stake? 

And yes, … it is possible; and that’s what the Apostle Paul was addressing to fellow Christians in Rome who were squabbling over what day to worship and which foods can or cannot be eaten, arguments over religious traditions, rather than pursuits of love which promote Christlikeness. And it is to the latter end which we, as Christians should be pursuing.

It’s so easy to let ego and pride get in the way of following Christ, in which all Christians are commanded to deny our own opinions and simply follow His ways (see Luke 9:23 and John 14:21). And when we do the latter we’ll all be dictated by God’s law of love (see 1Cor. 13). 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us Your LAW OF LOVE through Your Son.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that I (we) set aside petty pride and follow Your ways, the way of love … ALWAYS!! … 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.

October 29, 2018 … A God-sized Downer!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 301 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics by Brian Littrell singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of how we must overcome our selfishness and our desire to control, giving all our cares to Jesus.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Numbers 1:15 [NKJV] … 15 If You [God] treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!” 
 … Moses was in a God-sized downer!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Numbers 11:1-15 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… The weight of the world’s circumstances can weigh so heavily to be overwhelming … even to a stalwart like Moses.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 145:8-9 [NKJV] … 8  The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, … slow to anger and great in mercy. 9  The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. 
… David’s song of gratitude to a loving God.

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NKJV] … 22  Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.23  They are new every morning; … great is Your faithfulness. 
… Remember … if things are downers today, God’s mercies are new tomorrow!!

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NKJV] … 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 
 … Yes, ALL THINGS!!!

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV] … 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 
 … No matter how bad things seem, we can always take our cares to the ONE Who cares for us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, used a personal confession of a time of selfishness to illustrate that we all can have God-sized “downers” in our life. The ODB author writes … The years of weariness caused by chronic pain and frustrations with my limited mobility had finally caught up with me. In my discontent, I became demanding and ungrateful. I began complaining about my husband’s caregiving skills. I griped about the way he cleaned the house. Even though he’s the best cook I know, I fussed about the lack of variety in our meals. When he finally shared that my grumbling hurt his feelings, I was resentful. He had no idea what I was going through. Eventually, God helped me see my wrongs, and I asked my husband and the Lord for forgiveness. 
Longing for different circumstances can lead to complaining, and even a form of relationship damaging self-centeredness. 

Ever been in a God-sized downer, like the ODB author, which had you mired in selfishness and grumbling at almost everything? I can imagine others, like me, saying, “Yeah, … been there, got that T-shirt!!” And perhaps some reading here are wearing that t-shirt right now. … Well, don’t feel like you’re all alone; because some really great giants of the faith had their God-sized downers too.

In today’s highlight passage, Moses (he’s pretty much a Bible biggie, wouldn’t you say), prayed to have God take his life he was so depressed about God’s grumbling people. And you may remember that Elijah and Jonah [see 1Kings 19:4 and Jonah 4:3] also prayed to have God take their lives in really big downer moments in their lives. And I’m sure down the road of their lives, all of these men of God were glad that God doesn’t say “YES” to every one of their prayers.

My fellow Christian, I know that Romans 8:28 is a tough truth to take at times, isn’t it? But it’s either true or not; and if it’s true [which it is!!], even the God-sized downers are for our good; and I pray we can see that clearly today and go with an attitude of gratitude instead of a t-shirt with labels us as God-sized grumblers.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS being there with your mercies, which are new every morning!!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that you help me have an attitude of gratitude today … and tomorrow. … 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.

October 28, 2018 … Surrender - No Matter What!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 300 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics by Brian Littrell singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of how we must overcome our selfishness and our desire to control, giving all our cares to Jesus.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 22:41-42 [NKJV] … 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 
… When we’re born again, we become geared to work beyond our natural sinful selfishness and to share the love of God with others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 22:39-46 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus prayed his human desire; but yielded COMPLETELY to His Abba Father’s desire. =============

Reference Passage : … Job 1:20-22 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Job, having lost almost everything and in deep, deep pain accepted his fate in faith.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, … and lean not on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 
… Overcoming our selfish desires for control and totally trusting God to lead us will always be one of our biggest challenges as Christians.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV] … 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 
 … It takes supernatural trust to give ALL our cares to God and simply trust Him.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, used a story of personal surrender to illustrate how we must surrender our will to God’s. The ODB author writes … Kamil and Joelle were devastated when their eight-year-old daughter Rima was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The disease led to meningitis and a stroke, and Rima lapsed into a coma. The hospital medical team counseled her parents to make arrangements for Rima’s funeral, giving her less than a one percent chance of survival. Kamil and Joelle fasted and prayed for a miracle. 
“As we pray,” Kamil said, “we need to trust God no matter what. And pray like Jesus—not my way, Father, but Yours.” “But I want so much for God to heal her!” Joelle answered honestly. “Yes! And we should ask!” Kamil responded. “But it honors God when we give ourselves to Him even when it’s hard, because that’s what Jesus did.” … 
Surrendering our desires to God isn’t easy, and His wisdom can be difficult to understand in challenging moments. Kamil and Joelle’s prayers were answered in a remarkable way—Rima is a healthy fifteen year old today. 

One of the strongest drives in our sin-driven human spirit is to control the circumstances in our lives, … especially those which are painful, … often doing all we can to avoid or reduce the pain. And that was what Job faced when God allowed Satan to take away all that he had. But as we read in Job 1:20-22, Job refused to blame God and surrendered to the Lord’s will.

Even more pertinent was Jesus’ surrender to His Father’s will in the Garden the night He was to surrender and go to the cross [see highlight passage]. And these biblical models are put before us to show us that we must surrender our will to God’s when we’re faced by painful circumstances.

But the question always is before us … Will we?!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being there for me when my will is weak and my desire to take control is strong.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that I will be in surrender to Your will when my desire is to take control in the trials of my life. … 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.

October 27, 2018 … A Little Kindness Today

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 299 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song by Glen Campbell singing his 1970 hit song … Try A Little Kindness … poignantly singing of how we must overcome our selfishness and share the love of God with others.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 2:10 [NLT] … 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 
… When we’re born again, we become geared to work beyond our natural sinful selfishness and to share the love of God with others.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesian 2:1-10 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul was exhorting Gentile Christians to move out of their past selfish ways and share the love of Christ with others so that God would be glorified thru their unselfish acts of kindness. 
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Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 
 … In Christ we can (and will) be able to rise above natural selfishness and share the kindness of Christ with others when we’re obedient to Christ’s commands to love one another.

Reference Passage : … Acts 20:35 [NLT] … 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 
… When we labor to share God’s kindness with others we become His agents of love.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, used a personal experience to illustrate how a simple act of kindness represents the love of God being shared with others. The ODB author writes … My friend was waiting to pay for her groceries when the man in front of her turned around and handed her a voucher for £10 ($14) off her bill. Short on sleep, she burst into tears because of his kind act; then she started laughing at herself for crying. This unexpected kindness touched her heart and gave her hope during a period of exhaustion. She gave thanks to the Lord for His goodness extended to her through another person. 

A simple, but challenging, question springs from today’s sharing of the song, scriptures, and ODB entry above; and that is … What can we do today to share the love of God thru some simple act of kindness to others?   And perhaps that can be as simple as a genuine smile and an offer to help someone in need, much as Mother Theresa did all her adult life [see photo].

But we don’t have to be a missionary to Calcutta to simply recognize someone in need around us and offer our kindness to them, do we?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for You ultimate act of kindness on the cross.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that we all can reach out and be kind to someone 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.

October 26, 2018 … History’s Greatest Crescendo

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 298 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing … At the Cross … poignantly singing of the place where all of human history came to a crescendo of salvation … “At the Cross!”

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 John 4:14 [NLT] … 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 
… The Gospel, clearly and concisely stated.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1John 4:14-21 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle declares the logic and truth that anyone who confesses that God, the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to save the world will have God’s love in him for eternity.
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Reference Passage : … Genesis 3:15 [NLT] … 15  And I [GOD] will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” 
… Even at the fall of mankind into sin, God points mankind toward a Savior.

Reference Passage : … John 3:16-17 [NLT] … 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 
 … All things in human history, after the fall, pointed toward Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. It is the crescendo of history.

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:16 [NLT] … 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 
… Once I was saved, I could loudly/proudly declare my salvation to anyone/everyone.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 1:10-11 [NLT] … 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 
… Even the prophets of old pointed mankind toward a Messiah who would save mankind from his sins.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, used a musical word picture to illustrate how Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection were the crescendo of history in the salvation of mankind from the sin committed in the Garden. The ODB author writes … My parents taught me to love all sorts of music—from country to classical. So my heart beat rapidly as I walked into the Moscow Conservatory, one of Russia’s great music halls, to hear the Moscow National Symphony. As the conductor drove the musicians through a masterful Tchaikovsky piece, themes developed that gradually built to a powerful crescendo [see photo] — a profound and dramatic musical climax. It was a magical moment, and the audience stood to roar its approval. 

A musical piece moving from pianissimo to FORTE [from ultimate softness to loudness] is an apt musical picture of what happened in history from mankind’s sin in the garden to Christ’s death on the cross. It is history’s crescendo of God moving us from the darkness of our sin to the glory of His salvation; and that crescendo can be the eternal change that anyone can experience simply by believing in Jesus as our Messiah and Savior.

And I pray all who read here have experienced God’s eternal crescendo!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for providing us with the grace to take us from the pianissimo of sin to the forte crescendo of eternal salvation by receiving God’s saving grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here received your crescendo of saving grace. … 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.

October 25, 2018 … Wonderful Peace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 297 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from the Don Moon singing … Wonderful Peace … poignantly singing of the peace we receive when we have a close/abiding relationship with God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 3:11 [NLT] … 11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, … Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ … When there is no peace. 
… Can we ever expect peace when we live apart from God? … He says … NOT!!! 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 8:4-17 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… God chastise His chosen people for their lack of obedience with the promise of the chaos produced by their unwillingness to follow His ways.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] … 3  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 
… Our trust in God’s way and our decision to focus on it and follow it is what produces peace in our lives.

Reference Passage : … John 15:7 [NLT] … 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. 
… As Jesus declares clearly, we will only find the fruit of love, joy, and PEACE (see Gal. 5:22) when we abide in Him, being obedient to His word (see also John 14:21)

Reference Passage : … Romans 5:1-2 [NLT] … 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
… We establish our PEACE WITH GOD through our faith in His saving grace.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
… We gain and sustain the PEACE OF GOD, when we’re willing to gratefully and humbly surrender our burdens and stresses to Him in prayer.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used a quote from Bob Dylan to highlight the search of mankind for peace throughout the ages. The ODB author writes … “Do you still hope for peace?” a journalist asked Bob Dylan in 1984. “There is not going to be any peace,” Dylan replied. His response drew criticism, yet there’s no denying that peace remains ever elusive. 
 And then the ODB author when on to quote C.S. Lewis: God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. 

I don’t think any reader here with me would deny that peace is still as elusive as it was in the times of Jeremiah or Jesus; … or maybe even more elusive now! But the truth expressed in the linked song and the truths from God’s word above, hold just as fast now as they did in those days.

My friends, we will ONLY be able to find PEACE WITH GOD and the PEACE OF GOD when we’re willing to live out a close, intimate, and abiding relationship with God; and that comes thru our faith in God’s ways and our willingness to follow them.

So, I’ll let you deal with the obvious questions which come from these truths …
1 … Do we have that intimate/abiding relationship with Christ? 
2 … Are we willing to surrender to God’s Spirit and follow Him obediently?
Because if we are, we can find and maintain the fruit of peace in our lives.
But, … if not … FORGET IT!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for providing us with the grace to find Your peace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here have found the abiding relationship with You which gives us Your peace. … 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.

October 24, 2018 … Death Is Defeated

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 296 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Dolly Parton singing her song … He’s Alive! … poignantly and powerfully singing of the discovery that Jesus had defeated death and the truth was … HE’S ALIVE!!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 2:24 [NKJV] … 24 [Jesus] … whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 
… Peter declares the reality that death could not hold Jesus.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 2:22-36 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Peter gives witness and preaches the Gospel truth that Jesus has defeated death in His resurrection.
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Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8-9 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus, having defeated death in resurrection, now ascending into Heaven, charges us all to be His witnesses by faith in this world until He comes again.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our final victory in life is over death, which was won on the cross by our Savior’s blood.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, uses the story of a young swimmer fighting off a shark attack [see photo] to illustrated that we can have victory over the worst of our enemies; and that is death. The ODB author writes … Swimming with friends in the Gulf of Mexico, Caitlyn encountered a shark, which grabbed her legs and pulled at her body. To counter the attack, Caitlyn punched the shark in the nose. The predator unclenched its jaws and swam away in defeat. Although its bite caused multiple wounds, which required over 100 stitches, the shark was unable to keep Caitlyn in its grasp. 
This story reminds me of the fact that Jesus delivered a blow to death, ending its power to intimidate and defeat His followers. According to Peter, “It was impossible for death to keep its hold on [Jesus]” (Acts 2:24). 

Today we may face the upbeat prospects of life; or maybe we’re facing struggles. But either way, what would be the worst thing which we might face? Well, maybe it would a sudden, unexpected threat of our life as it was for the young swimmer in the ODB story. Or even worse, what if we were suddenly taken from this life in a horrible, unanticipated accident.

Fellow Christian, I pray we, who have given our all to Jesus, fully realize that not even death can defeat us, can it? And that’s what the close followers of Jesus discovered when He came back from the grave to be with them before He rose to be with His Father in heaven.

My friend, death cannot defeat the Christian because as Dolly Parton sings, “He’s alive!!” Our Lord has defeated death on the cross, rising again to show us that we too will defeat death in our faith in His finished work on the cross.

Declare it with me, dear one … HALLELUJAH, … HE’S ALIVE!!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for defeating death so that I can be with you forever.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … You’re alive, Lord, … HALLELUJAH!!! … 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.

October 23, 2018 … The Road Less Traveled

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 295 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images from Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans, and Bob Carlisle singing … I Will follow Christ … poignantly and powerfully singing our choice as disciples of Christ to follow His road in life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 7:14 [NKJV] … 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 
… The road in life we must take in following Christ is narrow and difficult; but we must choose to take it!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 7:13-14 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares the most important choice we will ever have in life and that is to follow Him or take the roads of the world, Satan, or self.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 1:28-29 [NKJV] … 28  “Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer; they will seek Me diligently, but they will not find me. 29  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 
… The consequences of those who do not seek to know and follow Christ.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:105 [NKJV] … 105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
… Personally I choose to use God’s word to light my path in life.

Reference Passage : …Luke 9:23 [NKJV] … 3 Then He [Jesus] said to them all [His followers], “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
… The choices we must make to follow Christ as His disciple.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NKJV] … 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 
 … The only way Jesus can show Himself in us is when we choose to show our love for Him by following His way in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David C McCasland, uses a a verse from a Robert Frost poem to illustrate the choices we will have in life (see photo). The ODB author writes … I have a beautiful autumn photograph of a young man on horseback in the Colorado mountains as he contemplates which trail ahead to follow. It reminds me of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” In it, Frost ponders two pathways that lie before him. Both are equally inviting, but he doubts he will return to this place again, and he must choose one. Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”  

Today I’m going to make a number of choices from the roads of life which will be before me (see photo). The question is … which road will I take? Will I take the road which the world lures me to take? Or maybe I’ll walk the road appealing to me by my selfish desires; or even the road Satan would lead me to take? … OR … Will I take, as Robert Frost wrote, “the road less traveled,” which is the road Jesus wants me to take (see Scriptures above).

And after you’ve linked to today’s song and heard it, my question for any reader here, as well as for myself, is … WHICH ROAD WILL WE TAKE TODAY?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for shining Your light on my road so that I can follow You!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who read here are using God’s word to light our path [see Ps. 119:105]. … 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.

October 22, 2018 … My Help

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 294 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing … My Help … poignantly singing from Psalm 121 (see link below) that our help in times of trial comes from no one other than the Lord, our God, Himself.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Corinthians 4:7, … 16 [NKJV] … 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 
… 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 
… God, thru Paul, encourages us to take heart, in that our Lord will lift us up when we’re oppressed in times of trial.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Corinthians 4:7:18 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul describes our weakness … but the covering of God’s strength to deliver us in our times of trial which are beyond us.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 121 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our help, in times of trial, comes from the Lord.

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’s promise to lift us up when we’re down.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus assures Paul (and us) that HIs strength is strong enough to cover our weaknesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten Holmberg, uses a personal story of motherhood to illustrate how God lifts us up in our times of trial. The ODB author writes … As a young mother, I was determined to document my daughter’s first year of life. Each month, I took photos of her to illustrate how she had changed and grown. In one of my favorite pictures, she is gleefully sitting in the belly of a hollowed-out pumpkin I purchased from a local farmer [see photo]. There she sat, the delight of my heart, contained in an overgrown squash. The pumpkin withered in the ensuing weeks, but my daughter continued to grow and thrive. 
The way Paul describes knowing the truth of who Jesus is reminds me of that photo. He likens the knowledge of Jesus in our heart to a treasure stored in a clay pot. Remembering what Jesus did for us gives us the courage and strength to persevere through struggles in spite of being “hard pressed on every side” (2 Corinthians 4:8).

Sure, … I’d covet anyone reading here to decide to meditate on all the Scriptures above, … especially if any reader is going thru a trial or troubles now. However, all I charge my readers today to do is to use the link to Psalm 121 and then open the song link to hear the Brooklyn Tab singing that very Psalm.

And as you do that, I pray you will be uplifted and hugged by God’s Spirit as I have been this morning.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for Your uplifting and energizing Spirit, Who resides in my heart, to lift me up in times of trial or weakness.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who read here are being uplifted, as I am today, by You, Holy Spirit. … 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.

October 21, 2018 … A New Image

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 293 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing … Finally Free … poignantly singing of how we as Christians are freed from our past when we come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1Timothy 1:12-13 [NKJV] … 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 
… Paul - transformed from persecuted to preacher by Christ’s grace.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1Timothy 1:12-17 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul testifies to how his relationship with Christ had changed him and transformed him from murderer to minister.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s forgiving mercies are ALWAYS there for us when we’re willing to receive them.

Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NKJV] … 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
… Jesus charges all Christians to go forth and be His witness to the world.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:16-19 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We are - and will be - transformed into the images of Christ when we receive His saving grace and repent of our past sinfulness.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses the personal testimony of the change which took place when she was willing to just be herself. The ODB author writes … For years, feelings of unworthiness and shame over my less-than-godly past had an adverse impact on every aspect of my life. What if others discovered the extent of my blemished reputation? Though God helped me muster up courage to invite a ministry leader to lunch, I strived to seem perfect. I scrubbed my house spotless, whipped up a three-course meal, and donned my best jeans and blouse. 
I rushed to turn off the front-yard sprinklers. Twisting the leaking nozzle, I screamed when a gush of water drenched me. With towel-dried hair and smeared makeup, I changed into dry sweat pants and a T-shirt . . . just in time to hear the doorbell. Frustrated, I confessed my morning’s antics and motives. My new friend shared her own battles with fear and insecurity stemming from guilt over past failings. After we prayed, she welcomed me to her team of God’s imperfect servants. 

“God’s imperfect servants;” … oh how I identify!! … I can’t go back and erase my past, racked and shackled in the shame of habitual sexual sin; but as did the Apostle Paul, I can look in the mirror, after he received the saving grace of Christ when Paul accepted Jesus as Christ and Lord, and see a new me (see photo). Paul went from being a murderer to becoming a minister of the gospel … from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher to non-Christians, … all when he surrender himself to the Savior.

And when each of us looks into the mirror today, I pray, as Nichole Nordeman sings, that we see ourselves as free in Christ, … able to accept Jesus’ charge (see Acts 1:8) and be witnesses to the power of the Lord to set us all free from our past.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for saving and sanctifying grace, which is transforming me into Your image.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who read here can look in the mirror and see the transformed image which God’s Spirit is molding us to become. … 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.

October 20, 2018 … Just As I Am

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 292 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from a praise chorus singing … Just As I Am … poignantly singing of how we as Christians can come to God’s saving grace and know that we are saved by believing in HIs finished work on the cross.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 19:10 [NKJV] … 9 And Jesus said to him [Zaccheaus], “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
 … By forgiving and accepting Zacchaeus just as he was, repentant for his sins, Jesus illustrates who He is for all mankind.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Luke 19:1-10 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Zacchaeus was accepted by Jesus in spite of being hated as a tax collector.
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Reference Passage : … Mark 2:15-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus will accept any sinner who repents and surrenders to Him as Lord.

Reference Passage : … John 3:16-17 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus came to save the lost, whomever they are!!

Reference Passage : … Romans 3:21-23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… No one is worthy of God’s saving grace; but it is offered to anyone who believes in Christ’s finished and is willing to repent of his/her sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, uses an illustration of a child feeling accepted at school after being rejected. The ODB author writes … After several years of struggling to keep up in her studies, Angie was finally taken out of her elite primary school and transferred to a “normal” one. In Singapore’s intensely competitive education landscape, where being in a “good” school can improve one’s future prospects, many would see this as a failure. 
Angie’s parents were disappointed, and Angie herself felt as if she had been demoted. But soon after joining her new school, the nine year old realized what it meant to be in a class of average students [see photo]. “Mummy, I belong here,” she said. “I’m finally accepted!” 

We all want to feel accepted for just whom we are and not as others feel we should be. That was the way the tax collector, Zacchaeus, felt in the highlight passage, where Jesus was willing to forgive his sinful past and receive him in spite of the way others hated and prejudged him. And the same was true for Matthew, another tax collector, who later became one of Jesus’ inner disciples, as a forgiven sinner (see Mark 2:15-17).

Yes, … aren’t we glad that Jesus will accept and receive any of us, … all who are unworthy of salvation in our sin (see Romans 3:23), but all who can - and will - be saved if we’re but willing to repent of our sin and receive God’s wondrous, and loving, saving grace?

And I pray that all who are reading here with me today have done just that. Because if God can reach out and save a sinner like me, He certainly can - and will - save you too … just as you are! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for Your merciful, saving grace, offered to all … everyday!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who read here have come, just as we are, to receive Your saving grace. … 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.

October 19, 2018 … Doing What It Takes

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 291 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Steve Greem singing … Find Us Faithful … poignantly singing of how we as Christians must reach out to help others in faithfulness to our Lord’s sacrifice for us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 3:27 [NKJV] … 27  Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. 28  Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you. 
 … When we can, a Christians, we must do what it takes in the now moment to glorify God with our helps.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 3:21-31 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, exhorts believers to live lives worthy of our Lord.
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Reference Passage: Romans 12:1 [NKJV] … 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 
… We must be living sacrifices to reflect Christ’s sacrifice for us

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:9-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Christians are exhorted to do what it takes, when we can, to help others in need.

Reference Passage: Titus 3:8 [NKJV] … 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. 
… God, thru Paul, with a strong call to maintain our works in His name for the benefit of others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Kirsten, uses a newsworthy example to illustrate how we must reach out to help others in the Name of Christ when we can in a moment of need. The ODB author writes … Hurricane Harvey brought catastrophic flooding to eastern Texas in 2017. The onslaught of rain stranded thousands of people in their homes, unable to escape the floodwaters. In what was dubbed the “Texas Navy,” many private citizens brought boats from other parts of the state and nation to help evacuate stranded people. [see photo] 

Taking in the ODB entry, the song, and meditating on all the Scriptures above will probably convict any readers here, as it did me, to be more discerning to the needs of those around me (us); and then to take action, as did the “Texas navy” in the ODB example, to do what we can to help others in their recognized moment of need.

So, I’ll pray that we do just that today … and tomorrow too!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for Your providence in giving us the resources to help others when we can.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who know You, King Jesus, as Lord will reach out today - when we recognize the need - to help others in Your Name, Lord, and for Your glory. … 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.

October 18, 2018 … Piercing Thorns

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 290 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from Lauren Dangle singing … How Can It Be … poignantly singing of how wondrous it is that Jesus would bleed and die that we would be eternally justified and cleansed of our sins.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 53:5 [NKJV] … 5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions, … He was bruised for our iniquities; … the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, … and by His stripes we are healed. 
… His blood sacrifice was our eternal healing.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 53:1-6 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… 700+ years before the incarnation of Christ, His death on the cross is prophesied to be the horror it became in reality.
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Reference Passage : … John 19:1-3 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns, and taken to the Cross.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a common pain experienced by many of us to draw a pain picture of what Jesus experienced during His passion and death on Golgotha. The ODB author writes … The thorn pricked my index finger, drawing blood. I hollered and then groaned, drawing back my hand instinctively. But I shouldn’t have been surprised: trying to prune a thorny bush without gardening gloves [see photo] was a recipe for exactly what just happened. 
The pain throbbing in my finger—and the blood flowing from it—demanded attention. And as I searched for a bandage, I found myself unexpectedly thinking about my Savior. After all, soldiers forced Jesus to don an entire crown of thorns (John 19:1–3). If one thorn hurt this much, I thought, how much agony would an entire crown of them inflict? And that’s just a small portion of the physical pain He suffered. A whip flogged His back. Nails penetrated His wrists and ankles. 

I think many readers here, if not most, can empathize with the pain from thorn cuts; and then, we can project that pain, magnified infinitely, upon what our Lord experienced on the way to the cross and as He took upon Himself the sins of the world, bleeding and dying, in really unimaginable agony on Golgotha.

I think, as now, we need to try to recognize and realize, even if we cannot truly empathize, what our Lord endured that we could realize the truth of what Isaiah prophesied in the highlight passage and what became reality on the cross and with the resurrection of our Savior.

If you’re reading here with me, … will you join me with a resounding … HALLELUJAH!!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for Your suffering that gives me entrance into glory thru my faith in Your finished work on the cross.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who know King Jesus as Lord can praise His Holy Name today for wearing that crown of thorns on the cross and shedding His blood as the Lamb of God in remission for our sins. … 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.

October 17, 2018 … Prayer First !!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 289 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from Shelly Moore singing … Jesus, I Come … poignantly singing of how we take our challenges to God first.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Nehemiah 1:11 [NKJV] … 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” 
… God’s servant’s first response in the face of enormous sadness and challenges was to pray. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Nehemiah, Chapter 1 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… When Nehemiah was confronted with the news of the wall falling in Jerusalem, motivated to take action, his first response was prayer.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Even when we know we can take action, we need trust God and take our concerns, first, to Him.

Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NKJV] … 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 
… Jesus’ promise to be our overcomer when we encounter fearful things in this world.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we, as Christians, are confronted with worrisome or stressful challenge, prayer should be our first battle strategy.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:6-7 [NKJV] … 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 
… We first must take our cares to God rather than harboring them in our own concerns.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Linda Washington, uses the story of a dear auntie, who illustrates what our first approach to problems should be … prayer! The ODB author writes … I respect my Aunt Gladys’s intrepid spirit, even if that very spirit concerns me sometimes. The source of my concern came in the form of news she shared in an email: “I cut down a walnut tree yesterday.” 
You must understand that my chainsaw-wielding aunt [see photo] is seventy-six years old! The tree had grown up behind her garage. When the roots threatened to burst through the concrete, she knew it had to go. But she did tell us, “I always pray before I tackle a job like that.” 

The ODB author’s somewhat humorous story does illustrate the kind of response we, as Christians, should always have when we’re faced with a perplexing or anxiety-producing challenge; and that is the same strategy used by Nehemiah when he learned that the walls in Jerusalem had been destroyed (see highlight passage). And that battle strategy, of course, was first - and foremost - to go to God humbly in prayer.

And so, if we’re faced with some daunting, maybe even fearful, challenge today, I pray that we all will use the same life strategy as did the chain-saw wielding Auntie or our biblical example of Nehemiah, bringing our challenges, as Paul wrote about in Phil. 4:6-7 to God in prayer … FIRST!!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for always being there to hear my concerns when I bring them to You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying that all who’ve gathered here to read my journal entry today are doing what the linked song sings and bringing all our concerns/cares to You, Lord, … FIRST. … 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.

October 16, 2018 … Fear Is A Liar!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 288 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Fear He Is A Liar … powerfully singing of how we must trust in our Lord to lift us and hold us when we’re fearful.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 57:1-2 [NKJV] … 1  Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed. 2  I will cry out to God most High,… to God who performs all things for me. 
 … God’s promise to ALWAYS be there to to be our refuge in times of trial.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 57 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… When David was fearful of Saul’s pursuits, he trusted in God to deliver him.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Sometimes, because of fear, we have trouble going to God and trusting Him to lead us.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 68:19 [NLT] … 19  Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!  For each day He carries us in His arms. 
… God will ALWAYS be there to carry us when we our fears envelope us.

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.’ 
… We must trust in the Lord to be there and lift us up in fearful times.

Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NKJV] … 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 
… Jesus’ promise to be our overcomer when we encounter fearful things in this world.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica Brands, teaches on how we must trust God when our fears seem to paralyze us. The ODB author writes … Fear can leave us frozen. We know all the reasons to be afraid—everything that’s hurt us in the past, everything that could easily do so again. So sometimes we’re stuck—unable to go back; too afraid to move forward. I just can’t do it. I’m not smart enough, strong enough, or brave enough to handle being hurt like that again.
I’m captivated by how author Frederick Buechner describes God’s grace: like a gentle voice that says, “Here is the world. Terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” 

If you read my devotional entry yesterday, you may have noted, in reading this entry today, that many of the same scriptures are used to undergird the truths expounded today and well; … that turning to God’s strength to cover our weakness, especially in the face of our fears, is really the only effective strategy for Christians. I love today’s linked song, “Fear Is A Liar;” and it is so true, isn’t it?

We’re often conned by our fears to be paralyzed into inaction when God simply wants us to trust Him and follow Him. That’s what young David faced when King Saul was after him, trying to kill him; but in the midst of his threatening/fearful trials, he writes Psalm 57, declaring that he, David, trusted in HIs God for deliverance.

And so, if we’re facing fearful times, today, we need to realize that the same God Who delivered David is the God Who has promised to be our overcomer as well (see John 16:33). So, let’s go to Him and let Him lead us today … out of the valley of the shadow of death and fear and into His garden of watch-care.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for always holding me in Your arms.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying for the trust I will always need to believe that You’re there to lift me up in fearful times. … 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.

October 15, 2018 … Hold Me Up, Lord!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 287 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images from Gordon Mote singing … Hold Me Up … poignantly singing of how we must trust in our Lord to lift us and hold us when we’re fearful.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 46:3 [NKJV] … 3  “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, … who have been carried from the womb: 
 … God’s promise to ALWAYS be there to carry us in times of trial.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 46:3-13 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isaiah promises His people to be there to lift them up in troubled times. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… It’s all a matter of trust, isn’t it?

Reference Passage : … Psalm 68:19 [NLT] … 19  Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!  For each day He carries us in His arms. 
… God will ALWAYS be there to carry us when we need His strength.

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.’ 
… We must trust in the Lord to be there and lift us up in fearful times.

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. 
… Jesus’ promise to Paul (and us) that His strength would alway be there to carry us in times of trial.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, used a personal story to illustrate how we must trust our Lord in fearful situations. The ODB author writes … “Don’t let go, Dad!” 
“I won’t. I’ve got you. I promise.”    
I was a little boy terrified of the water, but my dad wanted me to learn to swim. He would purposefully take me away from the side of the pool into a depth that was over my head, where he was my only support. Then [see photo] he would teach me to relax and float. 
It wasn’t just a swimming lesson; it was a lesson in trust. I knew my father loved me and would never let me be harmed intentionally, but I was also afraid. I would cling tightly to his neck until he reassured me all would be well. Eventually his patience and kindness won out, and I began to swim. But I had to trust him first. 
When I feel “over my head” in a difficulty, I sometimes think back on those moments. 

As with some reading here with me today, … you may be fearful of jumping into deep waters, feeling that you’re in over your heads, given the trials you are facing. Well, if you’ve taken in the photo, heard the linked song, and meditated on the scriptures in today’s devotional entry, I pray that we all realize that our Lord is ALWAYS there to give us His strength to lift us up in times of trial.

The question is never about His strength or willingness to be there for us, is it? … NO, … the question is … DO WE TRUST HIM?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for always holding me in Your arms.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying for the trust I will always need to believe that You’re there to lift me up in fearful times. … 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.

October 14, 2018 … Nature Tells of His Glory

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 286 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how God’s creation tells of His sovereignty and glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Job 12:7, … 10 [NLT] … 7 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; …10  In Whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? 
… Job knew that His God was in control … of EVERYTHING!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Job 12:7-10 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… Job answers the false teaching of his friends about God’s sovereignty with reference to the glory of God’s creation speaking to His handiwork in nature.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 19:1, 97:6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s creation declares of His glory!!

Reference Passage : … Psalm 63:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David seeks the presence/power of His God in song.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:26, 10:29 [NLT] … 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 
… 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 
… Jesus teaches of the reality of God’s sovereign control over all in His creation.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 
… In anything we see; … in anything we experience, … God is in control, and it is for our good.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, used a personal observation about nature to illustrate how God is sovereign over all things in His creation. The ODB author writes … Our grandkids, enraptured, got a close-up look at a rescued bald eagle. They were even allowed to touch him. As the zoo volunteer told about the powerful bird perched on her arm, I was surprised to learn this male had a wingspan of about six and one-half feet, yet because of its hollow bones it weighed only about eight pounds. 
This reminded me of the majestic eagle I had seen soaring above a lake, ready to swoop down and snatch its prey in its talons. And I pictured in my mind another big bird—the spindly legged blue heron I had spied standing motionless on the edge of a pond [see photo]. It was poised to dart its long beak into the water. They’re just two among the nearly 10,000 species of birds that can direct our thoughts to our Creator. 

How often do we look at our circumstances and think … or feel … “WHY, GOD?” … somehow thinking that God is somehow out of control because our circumstances don’t match our expectations? But all we have to do, as prompted by the ODB author today, is look around, as is pointed out in the Scriptures above, to see that God is ALWAYS in control … of EVERYTHING in His creation.

And we should be singing, no matter what we’re confronting in life, what Gordon Mote sings in the linked song … “Lord, don’t let me miss Your glory!” Because, Romans 8:28 is truth; and GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING; and His creation screams out of His sovereignty.

So, today I pray that we look around us and see that God is on His throne and I don’t want to miss His glory.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, for always being my God. 
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 My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I’m praying Your words in Psalm 63:1-2 this morning and all mornings. … 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.