June 30, 2019 … Seeing More Clearly

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 181 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jimmy Cliff singing his hit song… I Can See Clearly Now … poignantly singing of how life is so much better when we can see clearly to travel forward.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 25:40 [NLT] … 40 “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain. 
… God wants us to pay attention to every detail in His word so that He we can see Him clearly in dealing with life.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Exodus 25:31-40 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God gives Solomon clear and precise detail on how to build the lamp stand to be placed in the Tabernacle.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:4-7, 105 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we view life thru God’s word, things are made so much clearer for us to follow Him down the path of life.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… If we completely trust [i.e., have faith] in God’s truth and follow His ways thru His word, we can see His path so much more clearly to follow Him.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me … 
… Trying to see life thru our own eyes, is like visually impaired drivers trying to drive thru life without corrective lenses (see photo).

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:20 [NLT] … 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 
… Really, all we have to do is look around us in creation to see God. … BUT … it is so much easier to see Him more clearly when we use the corrective lenses of God’s truth (i.e., His word).

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Julie Schwab, uses a personal story to illustrate doing all we can to see things more clearly in life. And the ODB author wrote: “It must be amazing to look at a tree and see the individual leaves instead of just a blur of green!” my dad said. I couldn’t have said it better. I was eighteen at the time and not a fan of my new need to wear glasses, but they changed the way I saw everything, making the blurry beautiful! [see photo] 
When reading Scripture, I view certain books like I do when I look at trees without my glasses. There doesn’t seem to be much to see. But noticing details can reveal the beauty in what might seem to be a boring passage. 

Then the ODB author used the story of the incredible detail God called Solomon to follow in building the lamp-stand for the Tabernacle (see highlight passage). And this OT example illustrated for Ms. Schwab how God wants his faithful (that’s us!) to follow His commands (i.e., His word) with great detail. And hence the image of trying to see things more clearly with corrective lenses if we have natural visual impairment (which we all do in our sin nature).

Naturally, I see life much as the photo shows one seeing without glasses. However, when I put my glasses on, I have 20/20 vision (see photo). So, … when I come here each morning and put on the lenses of God’s truth, by viewing life thru God’s word, things become so much clearer. I feel like the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 (see reference passages), who was able to see his path thru life so much clearer by follow God’s commands.

And I pray we all feel as Jimmy Cliff sings in the linked song, … seeing life so more clearly by using God’s corrective truth as our lenses to follow the Lord thru life.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the corrective lens of Your truth to help us see Your path the way You want us to see it.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to put on the corrective lens of God’s truth daily to travel the road of life more safely. … 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.

June 29, 2019 … Filled Up With Christlikeness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 180 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Hillsong United singing … Jesus, You’re All I Need … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, fill ourselves with Christ to avoid being vulnerable to our selfish desires.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Proverbs 27:7 [NLT] … 7  A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. 
 … Conclusion: Keep ourselves filled with Jesus and He will satisfy our selfish desires. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 27:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon lays out many truths to help us avoid our sin nature.        
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:9-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… If we fill our hearts with Godliness, from His word, being full of Christlikeness, our selfish nature will be satisfied and we will desire selfish/worldly things less.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… If we trust only God’s truth and follow His ways, He will always lead us in the path of righteousness.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:8, 19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… If we fill our hearts and minds with Godly thoughts, especially from His truth, we will realize His promise to provide us with all we need in Christ.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me … 
… All Jesus wants us to do is follow Him; and He will show us THE way … HIS way.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jennifer Benson Schuldt, uses a personal story to illustrate God’s prescription for avoiding selfishness and sin in our lives. And the ODB author wrote: My children were thrilled, but I felt uneasy. During a vacation, we visited an aquarium where people could pet small sharks kept in a special tank. [See photo] When I asked the attendant if the creatures ever snapped at fingers, she explained that the sharks had recently been fed and then given extra food. They wouldn’t bite because they weren’t hungry. 
… Hunger—that sense of inner emptiness—can weaken our discernment as we make decisions. It convinces us that it’s okay to settle for anything that fills us up, even if it causes us to take a bite out of someone. 

That ODB story well illustrates what God’s word has given us to help us selfish/hungry sinners [and that’s all of us, isn’t it?) avoid being vulnerable to our fleshly desires. And those prescriptive truths are found in the Scriptures above. And the group Hillsong sings about them in the linked song as well.

The baby sharks in the aquarium (see photo) were not hungry and therefore would not try to eat the juicy fingers of the kids petting them because the sharks were well fed. And God’s word tells us that we selfish sinners will be far less desiring to feed our selfish desires if we fill our hearts/minds with the Godliness and Christlikeness found in God’s word. And that’s why you find me here, beginning each day by feeding myself on God’s truth from His word; because I know I’ll be far less likely to desire filling my sin nature if I’m filled up with God’s truth.

It’s God’s prescription to help me avoid my sinful nature; and I plan on taking in as much of my Lord as I can each morning from His word so that I will avoid desiring what Satan and the world want to feed me.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your filling me up with Your truth so that I can avoid the tempting things which cry out to fill my desires.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to fill our hearts and minds with our Lord’s truth so that we can avoid the temptations of this world and our flesh. … 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.

June 28, 2019 … Divine Detours

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 179 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from tClay Crosse, BeBe Winans, and Bob Carlisle singing … I Will Follow Christ … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must do all we can to deny our way and follow God’s way … no matter what it takes or where it leads.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 16:7 [NLT] … 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 
… Paul and Silas were doing their best to follow the Spirit’s lead on their Gospel mission.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 17:6-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul and his travel companions are led on a divine detour in their mission to spread the gospel. 
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Reference Passage : … Joshua 1:8 [NLT] … 8 Study this Book of Instruction [i.e., God’s word] continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 
… God decrees that Joshua follow His word, no matter where he goes or what he does. God’s word should be our “GPS” in life … “God’s Positioning System” And that is our charge as well in life as we seek to follow Christ as Lord.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter where we’re headed in life as disciples of Christ we need to take care to beware of following our feelings and perceptions and do all we can to trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me … 
… Our task, as Christ’s disciples, is to deny ourselves and do all we can to follow Him. My 

Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, uses a personal testimony of following God’s lead in life.    And the ODB author wrote: It can be difficult when we’re told “no” or “not now,” especially when we sense God has opened a door for us to serve others. Early in my ministry, two opportunities came my way where I thought my gifts and skills matched the churches’ needs, but both doors eventually closed. After these two disappointments, another position came along, and I was selected. With that ministry call came thirteen years of life-touching pastoral labors. 

Our trek thru life as disciples of Christ can be challenging, if not confusing, at times, … especially as we do all we can to follow the lead and direction of God’s Spirit. Yes, as Jesus commanded all disciples (see Luke 9:23), He wants us to follow Him; and God tells us - as He did Joshua in Joshua 1:8 - that we should use His word as our divine “GPS.”

But even doing that faithfully, as Paul discovered in trying to seek the Lord’s way and His will in sharing the Gospel in Asia (see highlight passage), he encountered divine detours along the way [see photo]; and Paul and his companions had to reroute themselves several times on their journeys, doing all they could to follow Christ.

And as we do what is sung in the linked song, … doing all we can to follow Christ, … we, too, will encounter divine detours on the road of life. And we need to simply be committed to do all we can to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading … wherever that might lead us.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your Word as our “GPS” and Your Spirit as our guide.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do all we can to seek out and follow the Spirit’s leading in our quest to be disciples of Christ. … 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.

June 27, 2019 … Untying the Knot Berry

Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 178 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Point of Grace singing … Heal the Wounds … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must humbly allow God’s grace to heal wounds, such as unforgiveness or bitterness, leaving the scars to remind us of God’s healing mercies.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 33:11 [NLT] … 11 Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. 
… Esau relents to accept Jacob’s humble gift to untie the knot of 20 years of unforgiveness between the two brothers.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 33:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jacob, humbly comes to Esau, asking forgiveness for having stolen Esau’s birthright; and Esau grants forgiveness.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies are forever available to those who’re humbly willing to accept them by surrendering our sin to Him.

Reference Passage : … Luke 14:11 [NLT] … 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 
 … Jesus teaching on the power of humility to be exalted before God’s throne of grace.

Reference Passage : … John 8:34-35 [NLT] … 34 … “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 
… Jesus teaching on how we untie the bonds of sin and walk free in our relationship with Christ.

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:9 [NLT] …  9 But if we confess our sins to him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… We have to be willing to humbly confess our sins before a faithful/forgiving God will untie the knots of unforgiveness which have had our lives bound to our past sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses a theatrical illustration of how one must humbly surrender to God’s healing grace to untie the knots of unforgiveness in our lives. And the ODB author wrote: One Christian organization’s mission is to promote the healing nature of forgiveness. One of their activities involves a skit in which a person who has been wronged is strapped back to back with a rope to the wrongdoer. Only the one sinned against can untie the rope. [see photo] No matter what she does, she’s got someone on her back. Without forgiveness—without untying the rope—she cannot escape. 
Offering forgiveness to someone who comes to us in sorrow for their wrongdoing begins the process of releasing us and them from the bitterness and pain that can cling to us over wrongs we’ve suffered. 

When Jacob wronged his brother, Esau, by stealing his birthright, 20+ years passed with them separated from one another. Finally (see highlight passage), Jacob came to his brother and humbly brought gifts of great value to seek forgiveness from Esau, … who finally was willing to forgive to mend their relationship.

Of course, we sinners must humbly come before God’s throne of grace and mercy and ask for forgiveness, in repentance for our sins, so that we can be released from the curse of death on our souls. However, when we do, God unties the knot of our sin [see photo], which has been forgiven by Christ’s death on the cross, and completely forgives us and exalts us to become children of God [see reference Scriptures].

I pray all reading here have come before our God, as did Jacob to Esau, and humbly untied the knot that had us bound to our past sins and have been elevated from sinner to sainthood by our loving/forgiving Lord.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for providing us with the way to untie the knot of death which had us bound to our past shame and sin.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to live free and forever with our Lord because the knot which had us bound to our sins has been untied by our humble surrender to God’s 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.

June 26, 2019 … Living Our Eulogy

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 177 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing … Field of Souls … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must do all we can to work together to live as Christ and work the field of souls for Christ’s glory.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 5:29 … [NLT] … 2  Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies — so the living should take this to heart.
 … God’s “teacher,” Solomon, reflects that we learn more about the way to live at funerals than we do at parties.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon reflecting on the way he had lived his life and lamenting that it could have been lived more for the Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, from prison, contemplating his possible death, reflects for fellow Christians the way we should live our lives.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] …  1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 
… The Apostle Paul, reflecting on the way he had lived, confidently exhorted fellow Christians to follow His lead and live to follow Christ’s example.

Reference Passage : … 2Timothy 4:5-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, knowing he’s about to die, reflects on his own life to encourage Timothy (and us) to live our lives for the Gospel and God’s glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mike Wittmer, uses a personal reflection of a friend’s life well lived for Christ. And the ODB author wrote: My heart is full from attending the funeral of a faithful woman. Her life wasn’t spectacular. She wasn’t known widely outside her church, neighbors, and friends. But she loved Jesus, her seven children, and her twenty-five grandchildren. She laughed easily, served generously, and could hit a softball a long way. … 
 The woman in the casket didn’t have a résumé, but her children testified that “she rocked Proverbs 31” and its description of a godly woman. She inspired them to love Jesus and care for others. 

When our family and friends are laying flowers at our grave site [see photo], what will be our eulogy? During the Apostle Paul’s life, he was near death several times; and he wrote to fellow Christians that they (we) should live their (our) lives as our eulogy to the Lord (see reference Scriptures above).

And really we should answer Mike Wittmer’s questions at the closing of today’s ODB entry, as he writes … “What will be said at your funeral? What do you want said?” 

Because the way we live our lives, prayerfully as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1, should be our eulogies when we’re laid to rest and then live with Christ forever.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us lives which can become eulogies for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to live our lives as ongoing legacies to our Lord. … 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.

June 25, 2019 … Burning for Christlikeness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 1756 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Steve Green singing … Find Us Faithful … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, must do all we can to walk the faithful Christlikeness, doing all we can to avoid the unGodly vanities of life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 5:29 … [NLT] … 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 
… Jesus uses hyperbole to teach on ridding our lives of any part of us that detracts from our relationship with Him.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 5:21-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, preaching on Godly, … Kingdom, … values.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 51:10, 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David’s desire to rid his life of any sinful selfishness and sinful pursuits, following only the ways of the Lord.

Reference Passage : … Ecclesiastes 1:14 [NLT] … 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless [also translated “vanity” in NKJV] — like chasing the wind. 
… Solomon, as God’s “Teacher,” observed that all of life can be vanity or meaningless if we focus on self rather than the Lord.

Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shows disciples how we must focus on our relationship with Him above all else in life so as to live fruitful lives to God’s glory.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 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. 
… Jesus promises Paul (and us) that His empowering grace will always be there to give us His strength to overcome our human weaknesses in our attempts to live for God’s glory and avoid selfish gain.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Remi Oyedele, uses an historical reference to illustrate how we must throw away all elements of life which vainly try to satisfy self rather than living for our Savior. And the ODB author wrote: In February 1497, a Monk named Girolamo Savonarola started a fire. Leading up to this, he and his followers spent several months collecting items that they thought might entice people to sin or neglect their religious duties—including artwork, cosmetics, instruments, and dresses. On the appointed day, thousands of vanity items were gathered at a public square in Florence, Italy, and set on fire. The event has come to be known as the Bonfire of the Vanities. 

The Monk, Savonarola, may have had Godly motives for his bonfire [see photo], … motives which were inspired by biblical values found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (see highlight passages) or by King David following his sinful episode with Bathsheba (see Psalms 51 and 139); or maybe even by Solomon’s repentant journaling in Ecclesiastes. However, we need to have more than a bonfire to rid ourselves of the selfish vanities of life, don’t we?

We, as born-again Christians, are called by Christ to do all we can to live as Steve Green sings in the linked song, … living lives which faithfully pursue Christlikeness (see John 15:1-8); and to do all we can to use our Lord’s strength and grace (see 2Cor. 12:9) to overcome our selfish desires and human weaknesses.

For when we do that, we will be glorifying King Jesus in all we think, say, and do.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the grace to overcome self and live for You, … our Savior.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to throw our selfishness into the bonfires of our relationship with Christ. … 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.

June 24, 2019 … Yes, EVEN IF …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 175 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Mercy Me singing … Even If … poignantly singing of how we can find God’s fruit of joy … yes, EVEN IF we’re faced life’s trials and tribulations.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Galatians 5:22a … [NLT] … 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, JOY, peace, … 
… Even in the midst of trials we can choose to express the fruit of the Spirit, … which includes joy. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Galatians 5:22-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul reveals the fruit of the Spirit which we as surrendered Christians can choose to share in the character of Christ.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter what the circumstances of life, we must trust that God will lead us thru.

Reference Passage : … Habakkuk 3:16-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s prophet, even in the midst of fear and horrible circumstances learned that he could choose to share the joy of his relationship with God.

Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shows disciples how we can experience the fruit of His Spirit; … and that is by abiding in Him.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 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. 
… Jesus promises Paul (and us) that His empowering grace will always be there to give us His strength in our times of weakness.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David H Roper, uses a personal experience involving his family to show that we can CHOOSE to pursue the joy of victory EVEN IF life is challenging. And the ODB author wrote: One of our sons, Brian, is a high school basketball coach. One year, as his team was dribbling its way through the Washington State Basketball Tournament, well-meaning folks around town asked, “Are you going to win it all this year?” Both players and coaches felt the pressure, so Brian adopted a motto: “Play with joy!” 

It’s easy to be joyful when the ball is going thru the nets (see photo); but when defeats come our way, can we find the joy found our relationship with Christ?

In the Old Testament, I’ve always loved the story of Habakkuk, who came to God with confusion and doubt as God’s people were rebelling against God’s ways (see Chapter 1 of Habakkuk’s journal). But God helped His Prophet see that he could find joy in the midst of trials by simply trusting God (see Habakkuk 3:16-19) … yes, as the group Mercy Me sings, … we can choose joy … “EVEN IF” things are going bad.

I’m stopping to pray that all reading here have learned to lean on and look to our relationship with Christ, … trusting Him only, … yes, EVEN IF things are going wrong. Because our Lord, even in the midst of pain will supply us His empowering grace to be fruitful (see all the reference passages above). And I pray we all believe and live in that truth.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your grace to endure the challenges of life and be fruitful as You have promised we will be when we choose Your way in life. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to choose to share in the fruitfulness of Christlikeness. … 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.

June 23, 2019 … Songs of Promise

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 174 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Sara Groves singing … He’s Always Been Faithful To Me … poignantly singing of how our Lord will always be faithful to the remnant of His faithful disciples … FOREVER!!!

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Highlight Verse[s]: Zephaniah 3:17 [NLT] … 17  For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” 
… God’s promise of songs of joy when King Jesus returns for His Bride and the wedding feast of the Lamb of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Zephaniah 3:14-20 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru His Prophet, promises to come in the last days and sing songs of joy and forgiveness over His remaining faithful remnant of believers.
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies, in spite of our sin nature, are new for us every moment, let alone every morning; and God’s faithfulness if promised for all generations of believers.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20 [NLT] … 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 
… Jesus’ promise, in commissioning us as His disciples, to be with His faithful and obedient remnant of believers … ALWAYS!!

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [NLT] … 5 … For God has said, … “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 
… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, repeating the promise of Deut. 31:6, that our Lord will never leave, nor forsake, His faithful disciples.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, uses a family remembrance to illustrate our God’s promise to save and bring His faithful remnant of believers home to be with Him forever. And the ODB author wrote: My grandmother recently sent me a folder full of old photographs, [see photo] and as I thumbed through them, one caught my eye. In it, I’m two years old, and I’m sitting on one end of a hearth in front of a fireplace. On the other end, my dad has his arm around my mom’s shoulders. Both are gazing at me with expressions of love and delight. 
I pinned this photo to my dresser, where I see it every morning. It’s a wonderful reminder of their love for me. The truth is, though, that even the love of good parents is imperfect. I saved this photo because it reminds me that although human love may fail sometimes, God’s love never fails—and according to Scripture, God looks at me the way my parents are looking at me in this picture. 

Zephaniah was a Prophet to the people of Judah at the time of Jeremiah just before their fall to the Babylonians. He and Jeremiah prophesied of the judgment of God upon God’s disobedient children; but they both also prophesied of the coming of The Messiah to save the remnant of obedient and faithful believers and to gather them back in the promised land for the forever reign of King Jesus. 

And I’m struck by the promise (see highlight passage) that when Jesus comes for His Bride and the remaining faithful Jews, He will be singing joyful songs to them [us], … perhaps like the one linked today, which the faithful would be singing about our Lord. And I pray that is the sentiment of all who read with me today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your forever love which You will sing to us when Your return to bring us into Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to sing, as does Sara Groves in the linked song about the love and forever faithfulness of our LORD.

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.

June 22, 2019 … Hiding? … Really!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 173 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of hymn and lyrics from and anonymous chorus singing … I Surrender All … poignantly singing of how we must resist our tendency to hide our sin from God, … surrounding all to our ever-seeing … ever-knowing God.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 3:8-9 [NLT] … 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 
… We all have a tendency, in our Adamic nature, to hide our sin from God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 3:1-10[NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… After their sin, Adam and Eve, hid from God … and knowing all, the Lord still pursued them. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 33:13-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... God doesn’t miss ANYTHING!!

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s mercies, in spite of our sin nature, are new for us every moment, let alone every morning.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 4:13 [NLT] … 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable. 
… Repeating … GOD MISSES NOTHING!!

Reference Passage : … 1John 1:9 [NLT] … 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 
… God’s mercy/grace is there anytime/anywhere to cleanse us of our sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jeff Olson, uses a child’s game of hide-n-seek to illustrate our very human tendency to cover-up our sin nature. And the ODB author wrote: “He’s going to find me,” I thought. I felt my little heart pound faster as I heard my five-year-old cousin’s footsteps around the corner. He was coming closer. Five steps away. Three. Two. “Found you!” 
Hide-and-seek. Most have fond memories of playing the game as children. [see photo] Yet sometimes in life the fear of being found isn’t fun but is rooted in a deep instinct to flee. People may dislike what they see. 
As children of a fallen world, we’re prone to play what a friend of mine labels, “a mixed-up game of hide-and-seek” between God and us. It’s more like a game of pretending to hide—because either way, He sees all the way through to our messy thoughts and wrong choices. We know it, though we like to pretend He can’t really see.

Whom reading here has not tried to play “hide-n-seek” with God? I sure have; and yet, the more intimately we know God, we come to the realization of the truth of the reference scriptures above … that our God sees/knows all … and that His faithful/forgiving mercies are there for us anytime we’re willing to confess and be cleansed of our sin.

My friend, God sees us; … and as with Adam and Eve, He knows our sin! And He’s pursuing us … ALWAYS … and waiting for us to surrender and receive His saving and/or sanctifying grace today. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your love and mercies and grace which are there for any of us today who’ll come out from our hiding and receive them today. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to, as the hymn sings today, surrender our all to our ever-pursuing and ever-forgiving King Jesus.

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.

June 21, 2019 … Eliminating Envy

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 172 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Laura Story singing her song … Grace Abounds … poignantly singing of how God, thru Christ’s shed blood, has given His chosen ones - i.e., born-again Christians - the empowering grace to resist and choose to avoid our sin nature.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 6:13 [NLT] … 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. 
… As Christians, we can now choose to rid ourselves of sin choices thru God’s empowering grace. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 6:11-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to live as Jesus intended for us to live, … i.e., by His Spirit giving us His saving/sanctifying grace to be able to resist our sinful/selfish nature. 
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Reference Passage : … John 15:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... If we CHOOSE to abide in Christ and surrender to His Spirit, we will live fruitful, Christlike, lives.

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:29-32 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Those who CHOOSE to relent to their sin nature, God will allow them to do so and become captive to their own desires.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 6:4 [NLT] … 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 
… As Christians, we don’t need to compare ourselves with others … only to Christ; and when we do, following Him, He gives us His power to resist envy and selfish strife.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:8 [NLT] … 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 
… Since we become what we think [see Prov. 23:7 - NKJV], as Christians, we must choose to think as God would desire for us to think.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a reference to two famous artists to illustrate how envious thinking can distort the way we look at life. And the ODB author wrote: The famous French artist Edgar Degas is remembered worldwide for his paintings of ballerinas. Less known is the envy he expressed of his friend and artistic rival Édouard Manet, another master painter. Said Degas of Manet, “Everything he does he always hits off straightaway, while I take endless pains and never get it right.” 

The sin of envy has always been pictured as the “green-eyed monster” (see photo). And that sin, along with yielding to pride, is what led the eye of Eve first, then Adam, to eat of the fruit of the flesh and be expelled from the Garden. However, as we read above, from God’s word, we, who’ve chosen to believe in the saving grace of Christ, need not relent to envy, … utilizing the abounding power of God’s sanctifying grace to think and act as Christ would lead us to act.

And I’m praying below that, meditating on the Scriptures above, all reading here will choose to think as Christ is leading us to think and make Christlike choices today, all of which give our God glory … as we move away from the fruit of the flesh and flourish in the fruit of the Spirit [on your own, meditate on Galatians 5:19-23).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your empowering grace, allowing us to choose to live as Christ calls us to live.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in CHOOSING to set aside envy and live as Christ leads us to live.

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.

June 20, 2019 … Q/A With God Today

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 171 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how Jesus becomes the faith answer to all our fear questions.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 46:7 [NLT] … 7  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. 
 … When we cringe with our “WHY” questions, … God is alway there to be our fortress. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 46 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter what our doubts, trials, or storms … God is always there with the answers; and they’re found in knowing Him more intimately.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 
… We’re always going to have WHY or WHERE questions; and we need to avoid trying to answer them on our own, going to a God who ALWAYS knows and cares.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He [Jesus] 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. 
… Anytime we’re tempted to ask “WHY” questions, … as Jeremy Camp sings … “Jesus, … He is the answer!”

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... No matter what our circumstances or trials, God will NEVER leave us or forsake us.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
… We must always take our WHY questions to a God Who SO cares for us!!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, uses a personal reflection to ask an age-old question. And the ODB author wrote: Fire swept through the home of a family of six from our church. Although the father and son survived, the father was still hospitalized while his wife, mother, and two small children were laid to rest. Unfortunately, heartbreaking events like this continue to happen again and again. When they’re replayed, so is the age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people? [see photo] And it doesn’t surprise us that this old question doesn’t have new answers.

Really, … it is my belief that when we’re in a quandary and either tempted to ask … or actually asking …“WHY” questions, it is FEAR that motivates those questions. Whereas, when we have questions, as Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, and they are asked in our faith in a caring God (see 1Pet 5:7, trusting that God is always there as our answer (see Prov 3:5-6 and Heb. 13:5-6), we will likely be asking, “Lord, WHAT can I glean from these circumstances which helps me know You more? The former WHY question is generated by FEAR… and the latter WHAT question is generated by FAITH.

I’m praying that we turn our WHY questions into WHAT questions today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the answers we have about life in our relationship with You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in seeking to ask WHAT questions of faith to replace our WHY questions of fear.

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.

June 19, 2019 …Strength In Weakness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 170 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … poignantly singing how our Lord can - and will - give us His empowering grace in our times of weakness.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 8:26a [NLT] … 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. …
 … Even Nebuchadnezzar sees the power of God to redeem the lost.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 8:1-2, 10-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows all Christians that in Christ and His Spirit within us, we have the strength to overcome our human weaknesses.
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Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [NLT] … 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 
… Jesus assures His Disciples (and us) that He has overcome the powers of the world and we can find strength and peace in our relationship with Him.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 9 Each time He [Jesus] 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 shares what Jesus related to him … that God’s power works best thru our weaknesses.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:11-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... No matter what our circumstances or trials, God’s strength is always available to the born-again Christian to cover our very human weaknesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Ruth O’Reilly-Smith, uses a true story of how penicillin saved the life of a young girl to illustrate that we often need God’s strength to cover our weaknesses. And the ODB author wrote: Although Anne Sheafe Miller died in 1999 at the age of 90, she nearly passed away in 1942 after developing septicemia following a miscarriage and all treatments proved to be unsuccessful. When a patient at the same hospital mentioned his connection to a scientist who’d been working on a new wonder drug, Anne’s doctor pressed the government to release a tiny amount for Anne. Within a day, her temperature was back to normal! Penicillin [see photo] had saved Anne’s life.

And there are times in all of our lives when we know that we need strength way beyond our own power to deal with times of weakness or oppression in our lives. The Apostle Paul experienced this often and wrote (in the scriptures above) about how his faith in Christ had come to give him God’s empowering grace in times where his human weakness was almost overwhelming [especially note Rom 8:26, 2Cor 12 9, and Phil 4:13].

And I hope all reading here have taken the time to hear the wonderful song, performed by Steven Curtis Chapman, linked above; because it really says all God wants us to believe and trust in Him that we will always have God’s strength to cover our weakness.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your enabling … empowering … grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in using God’s strength today to cover our weaknesses. … 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.

June 18, 2019 … SuperHero for the Ages

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 169 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Big Daddy Weave singing … Redeemed … powerfully singing how our Lord is willing and able to save/redeem anyone who’s willing to make Him the Lord of our lives.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Daniel 3:28 [NLT] … 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. .
 … Even Nebuchadnezzar sees the power of God to redeem the lost.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Daniel 3:26-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shows up in a hot furnace to save three Hebrew boys and to allow Nebuchadnezzar the power of God to save … even one who had rejected the God of Israel.
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Reference Passage : … Daniel, Chapter 4 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
... The story of how Nebuchadnezzar comes to be redeemed by God (see especially versus 34-37).

Reference Passage : … John 3:16 [NLT] … “16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 
… God sent His Son to perish so that any/all who believe on Him would be redeemed and saved.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, points out the popularity of big superhero movies and how they illustrate our desire for a hero to rescue us as we see all thru the Bible. And the ODB author wrote: The comic book hero is as popular as ever. In 2017 alone, six superhero movies accounted for more than $4 billion (US) in box office sales. But why are people so drawn to big action flicks? Maybe it’s because, in part, such stories resemble God’s Big Story. There’s a hero, a villain, a people in need of rescue, and plenty of riveting action. 

And then the ODB author makes a parallel to Bible stories like that in Daniel, where the biggest action hero of all, … Jesus, … even goes into a furnace [see photo] to rescue, not only three Hebrew boys but to give the villain in the true story, King Nebuchadnezzar, a way to be redeemed as well. 

And that’s the way our God is willing to redeem even the worst of us, doing all He can to show us that He will give His saving and sanctifying grace to any/all who are willing to see and follow Jesus, the Christ, as our Superhero Redeemer. And I pray that all reading here see our Lord in that way, and can sing along with Big Daddy Weave … “I’m Redeemed!” 

My friends, if a villain like Nebuchadnezzar [see Danuel 4], or even a former angry atheist like I once was, can be redeemed, … so can any of us !!

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for redeeming us to share in Your holiness and glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me in surrender to the One Superhero for all ages, our Lord and Savior, Jesus! … 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.

June 17, 2019 … Living Like Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 168 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and song from Joy Williams singing … Do They Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of how, in our pursuit of Christlikeness, we do all we can to have others see Christ in the way we live.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2 Corinthians 10:7, 11 [NLT] … 7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.. … 
 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. 
 … We will only shine the light of God’s truth when we are the same in public as we are in private.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul defends his ministry as led by God’s Spirit and following Christ’s Lordship. 
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:16 [NLT] … 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 
… We shine the light of Christ into the darkened world only when our Godly deeds display Christlikeness.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9;23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 
… We can only display Christlikeness when we deny ourselves and follow Him.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] …  1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 
… Paul was confident of others following His example because He knew that He was following Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, with vulnerability, shares some insights from her own counselor to help us all follow Christ and live like Him with Christlike integrity. And the ODB author wrote: A friend of mine—okay, it was my counselor—drew a stick figure on a sheet of paper. [see photo] She labeled this the “private” self. Then she drew an outline around the figure, about a half-inch larger, and named it the “public” self. The difference between the two figures, between the private and public selves, represents the degree to which we have integrity. 
I paused at her lesson and wondered, Am I the same person in public that I am in private? Do I have integrity? 

When the Apostle Paul witnessed in Corinth and preached the Gospel, the people saw his public persona; and then later he wrote them - as we can read in his letters to the Corinthians. And some in Corinth apparently felt that what they had seen of Paul in public did not jibe with what they read in his letters . And henceforth, Paul defended his ministry as reflecting God’s Spirit and His being true to the gospel of Christ (see highlight passage). He declared openly that others could follow him [see 1Cor. 11:1] because he merely followed what Christ had commanded in Luke 9:23, … i.e., to deny himself and to follow His Lord’s will and His ways.

My fellow Christians, … we will only be able to be Christ’s light (as He commanded in Matt. 5:16) when we, like Paul, surrender to His Spirit and follow our Lord completely. And if we desire to have others see Christ in the way we live, as Joy Williams sings in the linked song, we must also follow Him with complete integrity. I pray that all reading with me seek to walk that walk … today and all days.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to go in following You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to walk the walk of faith in following You today … and then even more 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.

June 16, 2019 … Following The Shepherd

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 167 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group, The McCraes, singing … He Knows My Name … poignantly singing of how, in God’s omniscience, He knows EVERYTHING about each of us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 1:48-49[NLT] … 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. … Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the king of Israel.” 
… Jesus shows Nathaniel Whom He really is … i.e., the Son of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 1:43-51 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus calls Phillip and Nathaniel to be His Disciples.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 43:1 [NLT] … 1  But now, this is what the Lord says —  He who created you, Jacob, … He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 
… God, showing Israel that He had claimed them to be His own.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 53:6 [NLT] … 6  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 
… God, as our Good Shepherd, knows and loves us all enough to take our waywardness on Himself.

Reference Passage : … John 10:14-15 [NLT] … 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
… Jesus declares that as a shepherd knows his sheep, so He, our Good Shepherd, knows us, and was willing to die for His flock.

Reference Passage : … John 15:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus calls those His FRIENDS who obey Him and follow Him as He commanded in Luke 9:23.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how how God knows us intimately and perfectly, … yes, even so much better than a loving parent knows his/her child. And the ODB author wrote: “Dad, what time is it?” my son asked from the back seat. “It’s 5:30.” I knew exactly what he’d say next. “No, it’s 5:28!” I watched his face light up. Gotcha! his beaming smile said. I felt delight too—the kind that comes from knowing your child the way only a parent can. 
Like any attentive parent, I know my children. I know how they’ll respond when I wake them up. I know what they’ll want in their lunches. I know countless interests, desires, and preferences. But for all that, I’ll never know them perfectly, inside and out, the way our Lord knows us. 

Isaiah, in Is. 43:1 and 53:6, prophesied that God knew Israel before time began and God claimed that they were His own, … even like a shepherd would die for His flock. And when Jesus came to call His disciples (passages from John above), He showed them that He knew them … like a shepherd knows his own flock … perfectly … intimately … completely.

And if we know Him as Lord and Savior, even tho we are wayward lambs, we will know Him, trust Him, and follow Him as our Good Shepherd. As Christians, we are His sheep. Do we know Him as our Good Shepherd; and are we following Him?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for knowing me (us) by name. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to follow You as our Good Shepherd. … 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.

June 15, 2019 … Wounding Words

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 166 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jason Gray singing … Glow In the Dark … powerfully singing of how God wants us to share His words of love/grace with others rather than hurting them with what we say or write.

"Sticks and stones ... "

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 Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Samuel 1:6-7 [NLT] … 6 So Peninnah [one of Elkanah’s two wives] would taunt Hannah [the second wife] and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 
 … Words can - and often do hurt us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Samuel 1:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The story of how Hannah was deeply hurt by another who taunted her about her childlessness. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 27:12-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David sings and prays that he be led away from enemies who falsely accuse him of wrong doing.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 12:18 [NLT] … 18  Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. 
… Words can hurt deeply. Hence we need to be around people who speak wisdom and healing into our lives.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29 [NLT] … 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to use only words that give encouragement or grace to the hearers.

Reference Passage : … James 3:7-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru James, teaches on the power of the tongue to do good or evil.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Alyson Kieda, uses a personal reflection to illustrate how powerful our words can be to either help or hurt others. And the ODB author wrote: “Skinny bones, skinny bones,” the boy taunted. “Stick,” another chimed. In return, I could have chanted “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But even as a little girl, I knew the popular rhyme wasn’t true. Unkind, thoughtless words did hurt—sometimes badly, leaving wounds that went deeper and lasted much longer than a welt from a stone or stick. 

In today’s highlight Scripture, we read of Hannah being hurt deeply when her fellow wife taunted her about her childlessness. And as the photo depicts, we know the old saying about “sticks and stones” is TOTALLY FALSE. Our words, especially in this day of social media, can be deeply hurtful to others. BUT, … on the other hand, what we say can also lift others up with edification or encouragement.

God, thru the reference Scriptures above, calls on us, in His family, to avoid any words that would hurt others (see Eph. 4:29 or James 3:7-12), rather choosing to use only words which provide encouragement or grace to the hearers. As Jason Gray sings, in the linked song, we are to use our words to “glow in the dark.”

So, as we go thru this day, let’s see if we can purposely edify others with spoken encouragement. I know God will smile if we do.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us the ability to speak encouragement and grace into the lives of others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to purposefully speak joy and love into the lives of others today with words of encouragement. … 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.

June 14, 2019 … He Is the Answer

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 165 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how Jesus is the answer to all the confusion and chaos of this world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 8:26 [NLT] … 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 
 … God’s Spirit is our advocate and interpreter when we don’t seem to be getting thru to God. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 8:16-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows us that His Spirit is our advocate and interpreter when we feel distant from or ignored by our Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 116:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the Psalmist, promises that He’s always listening, … in fact bending down to hear our prayers.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7, 19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we’re seeking God’s peace, we need to know that He hears and will provide us with our needs.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter our needs or our desperation, God will always be there for us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, uses a personal story to illustrate how communication problems often get in the way of solving the worrisome problems of life. And the ODB author wrote: While traveling in Asia, my iPad (containing my reading material and many work documents) suddenly died, a condition described as “the black screen of death.” [see photo] … Seeking help, I found a computer shop and encountered another problem—I don’t speak Chinese and the shop’s technician didn’t speak English. The solution? He pulled up a software program in which he typed in Chinese, but I could read it in English. The process reversed as I responded in English and he read in Chinese. The software allowed us to communicate clearly, even in different languages. 
At times, I feel like I’m unable to communicate and express my heart when I pray to my heavenly Father—and I’m not alone. Many of us struggle sometimes with prayer. 

I think all of us can identify with communication problems, especially in the confusion and chaos of this world which so often gets in the way of our being able solve the problems of life. But as Jeremy Camp sings, there is ONE Who can answer our questions, … IF … we can just get thru to Him. And, of course we should be doing that thru prayer and following His word. But even when we do, it can seem like He’s not hearing us or … maybe, … not answering.

But if believe His word, and I pray we do, He does listen (see Ps. 116:1-2) and He never will leave us or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6). And as God, thru Paul, promises us [see highlight passage], His Spirit is in us, ALWAYS being our advocate and interpreter when we don’t even know what to pray. 

So, I’m stopping to pray right now … that we heed Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:6-7 and stop worrying and start praying, … KNOWING that God, the Holy Spirit, will be our perfect soft-ware to let God, the Father, know EXACLY what we’re feeling and what we need.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for always being there, always, listening, … ALWAYS knowing what we need.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to stop worrying and start praying. … 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.