Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of song and lyrics from Josh Groban and Brian McKnight singing … Bridge Over Troubled Waters … poignantly singing as if Jesus is singing that He is our bridge over the troubled waters in our lives.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 1:12 [NKJV] … 12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, …
… Paul is thankful, in spite of his imprisonment, that the Gospel is being spread further …
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 1:12-18 [NKJV]… USE THIS LINK …
… Paul assures fellow Christians that his imprisonment as served the Lord by spreading His gospel.
=============
Reference Passage : … Genesis 50:19-21 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Joseph declares God’s glory has been advanced by all the evil intended on him by his brothers.
Reference Passage : … Psalm 23 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… David declares that God is always willing to lead us thru the valley of the shadow of death into His garden if we are but willing to follow Him.
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, for Christians, even the bad stuff is for our good.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used a story about a bridge in Africa and how God’s kingdom was advanced in spite of the tragedy of the bridge’s collapse. The ODB author writes … When the bridge to Techiman, Ghana, washed out, residents of New Krobo on the other side of the Tano River were stranded [see photo]. Attendance at Pastor Samuel Appiah’s church in Techiman suffered too because many of the members lived in New Krobo—on the “wrong” side of the river.
Amid the crisis, Pastor Sam was trying to expand the church’s children’s home to care for more orphans. So he prayed. Then his church sponsored outdoor meetings across the river in New Krobo. Soon they were baptizing new believers in Jesus. A new church took root. Not only that, New Krobo had space to care for the orphans awaiting housing. God was weaving His restorative work into the crisis.
I would expect that many, if not all, my fellow Christians reading here have experienced a “bridge collapse” in our life, haven’t we? Perhaps it was a time when all looked really bad; but then God used that challenge for His glory in some way. And like Paul writing about his imprisonment to the Philippians (in the highlight passage), God comes thru and uses the brokenness or setback for His glory.
For years now, I’ve contended that Romans 8:28 (see above) is one of the hardest truths in God’s word for us to accept and live out in our lives. But if we believe the truth of 2Tim. 3:16-17 (you look that one up!!), then we need to look ay any “bridge collapsing” or “imprisonment” in our lives as God’s way of showing us thru the valley of the shadow of death (see Psalm 23) and onward and upward to be with Him in His garden of glory.
And for that truth, do I sense others joining me in a robust … HALLELUJAH!!!?
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading us past our collapses in life and onward to Your glory.
=============
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here are willing to see our challenges as tools to bring glory to You. … 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