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.
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