Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing of the the strength God’s Spirit provides us Christians when we’re feeling weak.
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Highlight Verse[s]: John 14:26 [NLT] … 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
… Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to be with His Disciples and give them all they will need.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 14:15-26 [NLT]… USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus assures His disciples that they will have His Spirit when He’s no longer physically with them.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s Spirit will lead us and guide us … IF … we trust in His Spirit.
Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
… When Jesus arose into Heaven after the resurrection, He promised His Spirit to be with his disciples (that’s us!) ALWAYS, yes, even to the ends of the earth.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about My weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
… Paul recognized that God provides him (and us) with the power we need when we’re not strong enough to handle life on our own.
Reference Passage : … 1 John 4:4 [NLT] … 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
… God’s promise to give us His power, thru His Spirit, to lift us up in our battles in this world.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, used a personal story about a friend who was there to provide strength to help another friend in a time of weakness. The ODB author writes … After a spinal injury left Marty paralyzed, he decided to go back to school to earn his MBA. Marty’s mother, Judy, helped make his goal a reality. She sat with him through every lecture and study group, jotting notes and handling technology issues. She even assisted him onto the platform when he received his diploma. What might have been unattainable became possible with the consistent, practical help Marty received.
Have you ever been in a place/time in your life where you felt weak or overwhelmed with life? I’m sure we all have, haven’t we? Well that’s probably how Jesus’ Disciples felt in that upper room as Jesus told them He’d be leaving them and would die on the cross the very next day [see highlight passage]. But in that time of fear, our Lord gave them His promise that He’d be sending them His Spirit to provide them with guidance and power as they became His witnesses on earth [see also Acts 1:8].
And do we realize that we have that same Spirit-Power to give us God’s strength in our times of weakness, as Steven Curtis Chapman sings in the linked song? But as implied in the photo, we have to connect with that power by surrendering and allowing God’s Spirit to lead us or uplift us when we are weakened by the world or our own fears. And when we do allow God’s Spirit to be our empowerment, as is promised in 2Cor 12:9 or 1John 4:4, we will have all we need to witness to/for Christ in this world.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for implanting Your Spirit in my heart to lift me up in times of trial or fear.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here surrender to You and allow You, Holy Spirit, to give us Your power to overcome our weakness. … 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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