February 29, 2020 … Curiosity and Contentment

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 60 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from The Vagle Brothers singing … Sweet Hour of Prayer … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, have God’s prescription for handling the discontentment or anxieties of life … and that is prayer.

Heathclliff and his "FOMO"

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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 4:11 [ESV] ... 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 
… Paul had been thru a lot in life and had learned to be content in all circumstances; and he wanted other Christians to have that trust in God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 4:10-19 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul shows us that we need to learn that God ALWAYS wants us to have what we need in life. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [ESV] … 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! 
… A great prayer to begin every day …

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [ESV] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. 
… If we truly trust in the God Who desires our best, even when we’re experiencing the worst, we’ll be content that He’s leading us in the right direction.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9 [ESV] … 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… When are we going to learn that God’s grace is always sufficient for Him to meet our needs, (see Phil. 4:19).?

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [ESV] … 6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. 
 … God’s prescription for peace when we’re discontented or anxious. …

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:6-7 [ESV] … 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 
 … And our God, Who cares deeply for us, wants us to humble ourselves and bring our cares and anxieties to Him …

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Monica LaRose, uses a story about her cat to illustrate our human tendency toward discontentment. … The ODB author wrote: Sometimes I suspect my cat Heathcliff suffers from a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out). When I come home with groceries, Heathcliff rushes over to inspect the contents. [see photo] When I’m chopping vegetables, he stands up on his back paws peering at the produce and begging me to share. But when I actually give Heathcliff whatever’s caught his fancy, he quickly loses interest, walking away with an air of bored resentment. 
But it’d be hypocritical for me to be hard on my little buddy. He reflects a bit of my own insatiable hunger for more, my assumption that “now” is never enough. 

And the Apostle Paul, … to fellow Christians in Philippi (and to us in the Phil. 4 passages above) was trying to show how he had learned - and how we CAN learn - to be content, trusting God (see Prov. 3:5-6), no matter what the circumstances of life.

In other words, Paul trusted that God’s grace was going to supply what he (or we) might need … ALWAYS (see Phil. 4:19); … and that we could find God’s peace when we’re feeling “FOMO,” … by taking our anxieties to God [Phil. 4:6-7]. So, Perhaps it would be a good idea - RIGHT NOW - to pray David’s prayer of Ps. 139:23-24, like I do every morning; … because, as Peter charged us in 1Pet 5:6-7, we serve a God Who cares deeply for His children.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for always providing me with the grace and providence for life … no matter what the circumstances.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to seek God’s grace to handle any discontentment we might feel right now. 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.</ span>

February 28, 2020 … Enduring Faith

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 59 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from David Crowder and Tauren Wells singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, can endure the storms of life because all our hope is in King Jesus.

USS Endurance - Shipwrecked in Antartica - 1914

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 27:21-22 [ESV] ... 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 
… Paul’s faith and trust in God allowed him to give the men hope in the Lord that they all would be saved from a shipwreck.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts Chapter 27 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… The detailed story from Paul, thru Luke, of Paul’s shipwreck and the faith of the men onboard in Paul who knew, from faith in God, that the ship’s crew would be saved from the disaster. 
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [ESV] … 5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. 
… In ALL circumstances, … no matter what we perceive, … we must trust the Lord.

Reference Passage : … Romans 5:1-3 [ESV] … 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, … 
… As Crowder sings in the linked song … “All our hope is in Jesus …”

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9 [ESV] … 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
… Jesus promised Paul - and us - that His empowering grace was sufficient for us to endure any “shipwreck” in life.

Reference Passage : … James 1:2-3 [ESV] … 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 
… God, thru James, exhorts Christians to faith which produces endurance - no matter what our trials.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Linda Washington, uses the historical story of a shipwreck in Antartica to illustrate how our faith can - and should - sustain us in times of trial. … The ODB author wrote: Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) led an unsuccessful expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914. When his ship, aptly named Endurance, became trapped in heavy ice in the Weddell Sea, it became an endurance race just to survive. [see photo] With no means of communicating with the rest of the world, Shackleton and his crew used lifeboats to make the journey to the nearest shore—Elephant Island. While most of the crew stayed behind on the island, Shackleton and five crewmen spent two weeks traveling 800 miles across the ocean to South Georgia to get help for those left behind. The “failed” expedition became a victorious entry in the history books when all of Shackleton’s men survived, thanks to their courage and endurance. 

And then the ODB author goes on to compare the wreck of the USS Endurance (above) to the shipwreck the Apostle Paul endured, related in Chapter 27 of Acts. Because both of these stories relate the strength we, as believers in Christ, experience and grow into when we endure the “shipwrecks” of life, … trusting God and holding on with faith, … not letting our human weaknesses prevail [see reference passages above].

So, my prayer today is for those who’re currently in a “shipwreck” … or those who anticipate heading into one soon. Because if - or rather, WHEN - we put all our hope in Jesus - and His empowering and sufficient grace - we can - and WILL - endure any shipwreck we encounter. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving me Your grace to endure the shipwrecks of life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to hold onto the faith which will bring us thru the shipwrecks of 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.</ span>

February 27, 2020 … Rough Roads Ahead

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 58 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Jeremy Camp inging … The Answer … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, have THE ANSWER to all the sudden changes in the road of life; and THE ANSWER is to follow Jesus.

WARNING - Rough Roads Ahead !!

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Highlight Verse[s]: James 4:15 [ESV] ... 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  
… Instead of worrying or boasting about tomorrow, God, thru James, commands us to follow God’s will and His way on the roads of life.
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Highlight Passage [context]: James 4:13-17 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru James, warns Christians not to boast or worry about tomorrow.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:105 [ESV] … 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
… God’s word must be the Christian’s GPS in life, … lighting our path thru the dark and unpredictable roads in life.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [ESV] … 23 And He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. …” 
… Jesus commands His followers to deny our way and follow HIs thru life.

Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [ESV] … 33 … “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
… Jesus warns us that the roads of life will be tough; but we need not worry because He is our “Overcomer.”

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [ESV] … 28 And we know that, for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 
 … No matter what unpredictable road we’re traveling in life; as long as we’re following God’s “GPS,” we’ll be okay!!

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-16 [ESV] … 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 
… Yes, in these evil days we are to do all we can to wisely plan our way.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… On all the rough roads of life, we’re not to worry; but rather take our fears or concerns to God in prayer to find peace as we travel the rough roads of life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, shows how the road of life can rapidly become unpredictable and rough as we travel thru life, no matter how much planning we do. … The ODB author wrote: In January 1943, warm Chinook winds hit Spearfish, South Dakota, quickly raising the temperatures from –4° to 45°F (–20° to 7°C). That drastic weather change—a swing of 49 degrees—took place in just two minutes. The widest temperature change recorded in the USA over a twenty-four-hour period is an incredible 103 degrees! On January 15, 1972, Loma, Montana, saw the temperature jump from −54° to 49°F (–48° to 9°C). 
Sudden change, however, is not simply a weather phenomenon. It’s sometimes the very nature of life. 

Yes, we know, on the road of life, that we’re going to encounter rough roads and sudden, unexpected changes. However, … God’s word, which is to be the Christian’s “GPS” (“God’s Positioning System”), tells us to follow His road map so as to plan ahead (see Ps. 119:105 and Eph. 5:15-16). But even Jesus, Whom we follow thru life as Christians (Luke 9:23), warns us that we’re going to encounter rough roads ahead (see photo and John 16:33).

But, that last passage from Jesus also promises that HE has overcome those bumps and turns in the road; and His “GPS” [i.e., His Word] also tells us that in expecting and negotiating those rough roads, they will be for our good and His glory (see Rom 8:28). So, … watch out today, and know that the road may be unpredictable; but we don’t need to worry (see Phil. 4:6-7) because we have God’s “GPS” and we’re following THE ANSWER (see linked song).

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for showing us THE WAY in life - Your way - no matter how rough they may be.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to diligently follow God’s “GPS,” no matter how unpredictable it may be. 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.</ span>

February 26, 2020 … Joyful Memories

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 57 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Sara Groves leading in worship and singing … Joy Is In Our Hearts … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, can hold onto joy in our hears even in times of trial or peril.

Philippians 4:13 highlighted 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 4:4 [ESV] ... 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.   … Paul exhorts fellow Christians to always hold joyful thoughts in our hearts; and then in the rest of the highlight passage, he shows how to do that.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 4:4-9 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… The Apostle Paul shows fellow Christians how to bring up joy-filled thoughts in their minds to spark praise for the Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 16:11 [ESV] … 11  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 
… Even in a tough time in his life, David was able to hold onto joy in his heart.

Reference Passage : … Nehemiah 8:10 [ESV] … 10 Then he (Nehemiah) said to them [God’s people], “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 
… Nehemiah, in though times for God’s people, exhorts them to hold on to joy-filled thoughts.

Reference Passage : … Romans 15:13 [ESV] … 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. 
 … Paul’s prayer for his fellow Christians, especially in times of trial or tribulation.

Reference Passage : … James 1:2 [ESV] … 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 
… God, thru Jesus’ brother James, also calls us to reflect joy in our relationship with Christ, … yes, even when we face trials which increase our faith.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Cindy Hess Kasper, tells of special memories from her past which give her great joy upon reflection. … The ODB author wrote: In What We Keep, a collection of interviews by Bill Shapiro, each person tells of a single item that holds such importance and joy that he or she would never part with it. 
This caused me to reflect on the possessions that mean the most to me and bring me joy. One is a simple forty-year-old recipe card in my mom’s handwriting. Another is one of my grandma’s pink teacups. Other people may value treasured memories—a compliment that encouraged them, a grandchild’s giggle, or a special insight they gleaned from Scripture. [See photo] 

One such memory, and the reason the verse Phil. 4:13 will be highlighted in every Bible I have (again see photo), is how God used that verse to save my soul (too long a story for now). But any time someone brings up that verse in Bible study or when I hear it referenced in a sermon, my heart jumps for joy, remembering how God broke thru my angry atheist facade and brought me into the family of God using that verse.

I pray that all reading with me here have memories, as the ODB author wrote about, … memories which spark joy in your heart and bring you closer to the Lord today. If so, … stop right now … and reflect on one of those memories and get a good hug from God’s Spirit.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving me thoughts and reflections which give me joy in times of trial.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to dwell on thoughts of joy and praise our Lord, … no matter what our circumstances may be. 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.</ span>

February 25, 2020 … My All In All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 56 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing … You Are My All In All … poignantly singing of how any Christian can can - and will - find contentment when Jesus becomes our all in all.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Timothy 6:6-8 [ESV] ...  6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  
… We find the key to gratitude and contentment when we’re satisfied and grateful with what God provides for us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Timothy 6:6-11 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul teaching Timothy (and us) about being content with what God provides.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 90:14 [ESV] … 14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 
… Moses learned the key to contentment and sung of his thankfulness to God.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:19-24 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK … … Jesus teaches that we CANNOT serve two masters … God and money!

Reference Passage : … Luke 12:13-21 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK ...  
… Jesus’ parable of the rich young ruler who would not follow Christ because of his attachment to his riches.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:11-13 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul learned - and taught - that the strength he got in life came from an abiding relationship with Christ and not from worldly gain.

  Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5 [ESV] … 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… God’s word clearly declares that Jesus’ promise to be there for us ALWAYS is all we need to be content in life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, relates a personal story about her parents to illustrate how Jesus is the key to our contentment in life. … The ODB author wrote: Growing up during the Great Depression, my parents knew deep hardship as children. As a result, they were hard-working and grateful money stewards. But they were never greedy. They gave time, talent, and treasury to their church, charity groups, and the needy. Indeed, they handled their money wisely and gave cheerfully. 

My dear fellow Christian; … if you’ve listened to the linked song and taken in the devotional, especially meditating on the truth of Gods’ word above, any reader has gotten God’s message on the key to contentment and gratitude in life.

So, the question almost screams at us … Are we living for Christ or for personal gain? … Enough said?!!

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving me all I need in life. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to express our gratitude to our God for being our ALL in all !! 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.</ span>

February 24, 2020 … Free At Last

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 55 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing … Finally Free … poignantly singing of how any Christian can walk free from past chains of bondage to self and Satan by a deep and abiding relationship with Christ.

Free at last in Christ !!! 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Mark 5:20 [ESV] ...  20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. 
… The man, freed by Jesus of demon possession, joyfully witnessed to his freedom to others. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Mark 5:1-20 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Mark tells of Jesus releasing a man to freedom from demon possession.
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Reference Passage : … John 8:36 [ESV] … 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 
… John declares that God’s Son, our Savior, can - and will - set any true disciple of His free from past bondage to sin.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 3:17, 5:17 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK …
… As newly born disciples of Christ, His Spirit dwells in us; and where God’s Spirit resides there is freedom from past sin.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 4:3-7 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, helps Christians realize that we are no longer slaves to sin; but filled with God’s Spirit in Christ, we can walk free from our past bondage to sin.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 5:1 [ESV] … 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  
… Paul calls fellow Christians to stand fast in the freedom we have from the yoke and slavery to sin.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, relates a story of a young man who was able to be freed from his past bondage to drugs by his newly found and developed relationship with Christ. … The ODB author wrote: “I lived with my mother so long that she moved out!” Those were the words of KC, whose life before sobriety and surrender to Jesus was not pretty. He candidly admits supporting his drug habit by stealing—even from loved ones. That life is behind him now and he rehearses this by noting the years, months, and days he’s been clean. When KC and I regularly sit down to study God’s Word together, l’m looking at a changed man. 

Can my readers relate? I sure can !! I spent over two decades of my youth in bondage to compulsive/addictive sexual sin; but when I surrendered to Christ’s pursuit and decided to follow Him, … His Spirit, residing in me, allowed me to experience what Nichole Nordeman sings in the linked song … “Finally Free!!”

And my prayer today is that all reading here are walking in the freedom Christ offers in the Scriptures above; because if you aren’t, feel free to email me (@ billb13@bellsouth.net ) and I’ll help you find that freedom.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for the freedom I, and any born-again Christian, has in our surrender to follow You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to yoke ourselves with Christ and walk free from Satan, the world, and the 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.</ span>

February 23, 2020 … Nail-pierced Hands

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 54 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Scott Carpenter singing … This Is Love … poignantly singing of God’s sacrificial gift to mankind as God’s Son was pierced for our iniquities on a Cross.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 53:5 [ESV] ...  5 But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. 
… God’s prophesy of His greatest gift of love to mankind.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 53:1-5 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Isiah’s prophesy of God’s greatest act of love.
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Reference Passage : … John 3:16 [ESV] … 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. … 
… Jesus’ declaration of God’s greatest gift of love to mankind.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:8 [ESV] … 8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  
… God, thru Paul, explains just how far God, the Father, was willing to go to save mankind from our sin nature.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Elisa Morgan, relates a story of modern day love and sacrifice to illustrate what God gave up, sacrificing His Son on the cross to save us from our sin. … The ODB author wrote: She’d called. She’d texted. Now Carla stood outside her brother’s gated entry, unable to rouse him to answer. Burdened with depression and fighting addiction, her brother had hidden himself away in his home. In a desperate attempt to penetrate his isolation, Carla gathered several of his favorite foods along with encouraging Scriptures and lowered the bundle over the fence. 
But as the package left her grip, it snagged on one of the gate spikes, tearing an opening and sending its contents onto the gravel below. Her well-intended, love-filled offering spilled out in seeming waste. Would her brother even notice her gift? Would it accomplish the mission of hope she’d intended? She can only hope and pray as she waits for his healing. 

The ODB entry today is a good story of great sacrifice of one’s love for another; but really in an attempt to illustrate the greatest act of love in history, … Jesus being pierced for our iniquity on a cross, … the story pails in comparison, doesn’t it? But perhaps it brings into human focus just how far God, the Father, went, as prophesied by Isaiah 700+ years before it happened (see highlight passage), to save me (and you) from my (our) sin.

I pray we stop to recognize God’s sacrifice and, … as it is Sunday, … let’s make today a special day of worship, thanking our Lord and recognizing His love-sacrifice for us all.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for what You did on the cross because You loved us just that much.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to stop, on this Sunday, and recognize what our Lord did on the cross to save us from ourselves and give us access to eternal 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.</ span>

February 22, 2020 … God’s Blessings

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 53 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from the Altar of Praise Chorale singing … The Lord Bless You and Keep You … poignantly singing the Old Testament priestly benediction from Numbers 6.

Amulet Silver Old Testament Scrolls

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Highlight Verse[s]: Numbers 22, … 27 [ESV] ...  22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, … 27 “So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 
… God, thru Moses placing His blessing and His Name upon His people.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Numbers 6:22-27 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God’s Priestly Blessing over His people.
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Reference Passage : … Romans 1:7 [ESV] … 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: … Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
… God, thru Paul, blesses the saints and Paul’s fellow Christians in Rome.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:20-21 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, places His blessings on His New Testament saints.

Reference Passage : …2 Peter 1:2 [ESV] … 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 
… God, thru Peter, conveys His blessing of peace/grace upon those Christians to whom Peter was writing.

Reference Passage : … Revelations 1:4-5 [ESV] … 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: … Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. 
… God’s revelation to the Apostle John gives the Lord’s blessing upon all who’ve come to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, uses an archeological reference to show how the oldest copy of the Old Testament showed God’s blessing His people. … The ODB author wrote: In 1979, Dr. Gabriel Barkay and his team discovered two silver scrolls in a burial ground outside the Old City of Jerusalem. [See Photo] In 2004, after twenty-five years of careful research, scholars confirmed that the scrolls were the oldest biblical text in existence, having been buried in 600 bc. What I find particularly moving is what the scrolls contain—the priestly blessing that God wanted spoken over His people: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you” (Numbers 6:24–25). 

To me the archeological and historical fact that the oldest discovered copy of the Old Covenant, dated from 600BC and discovered in 1979 [again, see photo], has God’s benediction and priestly blessing (from Numbers 6). It’s like God is putting His seal of blessing upon His word and speaking thru it to God’s chosen people. And that, my fellow Christian, is not only the ancient Jews, but you and me as modern day believers as well.

And then, we read from God’s word in the New Testament, from several separate authors (see Reference Scriptures above), that God desires to offer His benediction of peace, grace, and love upon all who’ve received Christ as Lord and Savior. And as I listen to that OT benediction in the linked song, I’m uplifted, … knowing that my God wants to bless me today. And I pray you are blessed as well by His benedictions thru His word.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for Your blessings of peace and grace upon us today.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to rest in the blessings offered to us by our God thru His word. 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.</ span>

February 21, 2020 … New Hope in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 52 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Crowder, with Tauren Wells, singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, walk onward with the hope we have in our Savior, King Jesus.

Looking to glorious hope in Christ 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 3:20-21 [ESV] ...  20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.. 
… Paul’s prayer - and our hope - for a new future - IN CHRIST - is far greater than we can imagine. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 3:14-21 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians with the hope we have for building or rebuilding our lives in/with Christ.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 40:29-31 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Our God is the hope to give us the power to rebuild our lives

Reference Passage : … Jeremiah 29:11 [ESV] … 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
… God’s promise to His people in their time of devastation and ruin is the promise we hold to from our Lord as well.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 1:6 [ESV] … 6 And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 
… We can be certain in the hope that God’s Spirit is rebuilding all the lives of those in Christ into the newness of His image.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:10 [ESV] … 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 
… Even from a past of suffering and trial, our God is the promise of strength and hope to move on for HIs glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Anne Cetas, uses a story of a young family blended from the disaster of loss to illustrate the hope we have in Christ to build or rebuild our lives into something for God’s glory that we can’t even imagine. … The ODB author wrote: Some years after the tragic loss of their first spouses, Robbie and Sabrina fell in love, married, and combined their two families. They built a new home and named it Havilah (a Hebrew word meaning “writhing in pain” and “to bring forth”). It signifies the making of something beautiful through pain. The couple says they didn’t build the home to forget their past but “to bring life from the ashes, to celebrate hope.” For them, “it is a place of belonging, a place to celebrate life and where we all cling to the promise of a future.” 

The ODB story of a couple rebuilding their lives (see photo) on the hope of their mutual faith in Christ is a poignant illustration of the hope we all have in our relationship with Christ. But no one can know that reality any more than this writer, … having come from the ash heap of a life as an angry atheist, buried in my own ashes of long-term addictive sexual sin … to a place today where my rebirth in Christ has led me to become an Elder and an Ordained Minister in the body of Christ.

So, no one can sing of the hope we have in Christ, as does Crowder in the linked song, with any more belief than do I. And, … it is my prayer that all reading here are looking forward to the glorious hope we have, walking into our future as God’s Spirit remakes us into the image of our Lord. That’s what believing and meditating on the Scriptures above will bring. So, I pray all readers here do just that. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for Your promise of a future rebuilt for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to languish in the wondrous hope we have in 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.</ span>

February 20, 2020 … Our Bad = God’s Good ?

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 51 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and images from Laura Story singing her song … Blessings … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, often miss God’s blessings which come disguised as the challenges and trials of life.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 50:19-20 [ESV] ...  19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 
… What we often see as BAD circumstances can well be God’s blessings in disguise (see linked song)
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 50:15-21 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Joseph shows his fearful brothers that what they had once intended for evil God had turned into good for the Lord’s glory.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter what is happening, trust that God is in it for our good and His glory.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 16:4 [ESV] … 4  The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. 
 … God reigns with His purposes over EVERYTHING.

Reference Passage : … Ecclesiastes 7:14 [ESV] … 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. 
… [See the photo for the truth in life!]

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 45:7 [ESV] … 7  I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. 
… God, thru Isaiah, declares to His people that He, the LORD, is control of all things.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [ESV] … 28 And we know that for those who love God ALL THINGS work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 
… What we see as bad is still for our good and God’s glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses the story of a young pastor who was delivered by God from evil influences (i.e., addiction) to help others walk free from the same evil forces. … The ODB author wrote: Geoff is a youth pastor today in the same city where he once abused heroin. God transformed both his heart and his circumstances in a breathtaking way. “I want to keep kids from making the same mistakes and suffering the pain I went through,” Geoff said. “And Jesus will help them.” Over time, God set him free from the slavery of addiction and has given him a vital ministry in spite of his past. 

Yes, and I can closely identify with this ODB reference story because, for over 20 years of my youth I was addicted to pornography; and my surrender to Christ and God’s Spirit led me to work now - for over 20 years - in helping Christian men walk free from the compulsive evil of internet P0RN. I’ve learned and internalized what the Scriptures above show … that ALL THINGS in life are under God’s control. And as Laura Story sings in the linked song, many things which seem ill begotten in our lives are very likely God’s blessings in disguise.

Therefore, why don’t we all take in the truths in the attached photo; and then stop and thank God for whatever is going on in our lives today, … because it’s actually going on for our good and God’s glory.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for leading us thru today for our good and Your glory!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to pray the prayer of David in Ps. 139:23-24. 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.</ span>

February 19, 2020 … Eyes Opened

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 50 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Jesse Manibusan singing … Open My Eyes … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, need to open our eyes, ears, and our hearts to the reality of our relationship with King Jesus, our Messiah and LORD.

Asian Roars

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2Kings 6:17 [ESV] ...  17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 
… Elisha’s servant had his eyes of faith opened to see God’s empowering grace on display. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2Kings 6:8-17 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru Elisha’s intervention, helped his servant to see the real power of God. 
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Reference Passage : … Isiah 41:8, … 10 [ESV] … 8  But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; … 10  fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
 … God is always there to lift up His chosen people.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:31 [ESV] … 31 … If God is for us, who can be against us? 
… Truly … if we believe this truth, what fear should we have?

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9 [ESV] … 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
… Paul experienced God’s grace in times of trial and pain, learning and sharing that Jesus’ empowering grace is ALWAYS sufficient to strengthen us when we’re weakened.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:4 [ESV] … 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 
…  God's Spirit in us is far greater than those powers in the world. 

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Remi Oyedele, uses a C.S. Lewis literature reference to illustrate how we Christians need to open our eyes to the reality of our God and His awesome empowering grace. … The ODB author wrote: In C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, all of Narnia is thrilled when the mighty lion Aslan reappears after a long absence. Their joy turns to sorrow, however, when Aslan concedes to a demand made by the evil White Witch. Faced with Aslan’s apparent defeat, the Narnians experience his power when he emits an earsplitting roar [see photo] that causes the witch to flee in terror. Although all seems to have been lost, Aslan ultimately proves to be greater than the villainous witch. 

How often, my fellow Christian, when circumstances seem overwhelming, are we blinded to the reality and power of our God and His empowering grace, … and His desire to lift us up when we are down. That was certainly the case in the highlight story of God’s people being attacked by a Syrian army and not being able to see God’s army which was SO MUCH MORE powerful than the enemy. 

And that’s the case when we’re feeling attacked on all sides by the world. As God’s word promises, our Lord is ALWAYS more powerful than the forces in the world (see Romans 8:31 and 1John 4:4); and our God ALWAYS desires to lift us up with His mighty right hand (see Isaiah 41:10). So, … if we’re feeling down or weak today, pray diligently for God to open our eyes to His grace which is ALWAYS sufficient to strengthen us (see 2Cor. 12:9).

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being there for us … ALWAYS!!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me, to be thank our God for giving us His empowering grace to strengthen us when we feeling weak. 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.</ span>

February 18, 2020 … In The Valley

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 49 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from the group, Mercy Me, singing … I Can Only Imagine … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, are promised by God to be in the very presence of our LORD when we pass from this earth.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 23:4 [ESV] ...   4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; … Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 
… David sings of comfort from his Good Shepherd even when enveloped by the valley of despair because he knew Whom he was following.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 23 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… David, having been in a valley of despair (see photo), knows Whom he is following. 
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we believe in God’s faithfulness and His ever present mercies, we can walk thru the valleys of despair and confusion.

Reference Passage : … Habakkuk 3:17-18 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Prophet had to learn that we can hold onto our joy, no matter how dark the valley we may be walking in our times on earth.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28, 31 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, exhorts us to remember that we’re following the God of grace and mercy as we follow Him thru the valleys of darkness.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:8 [ESV] … 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 
… Knowing and believing this truth helps us to walk thru any valley of despair.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, uses a touching personal testimony of dealing with a time where he walked thru the valley of the shadow of death written about by David in Psalm 23. … The ODB author wrote: Bart Millard penned a megahit in 2001 when he wrote, “I Can Only Imagine.” [see linked song] The song pictures how amazing it will be to be in Christ’s presence. Millard’s lyrics offered comfort to our family that next year when our seventeen-year-old daughter, Melissa, died in a car accident and we imagined what it was like for her to be in God’s presence. 
But imagine spoke to me in a different way in the days following Mell’s death. As fathers of Melissa’s friends approached me, full of concern and pain, they said, “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” … Their expressions were helpful, showing that they were grappling with our loss in an empathetic way—finding it unimaginable. 

It’s probably not a stretch to imagine that most, if not all, who are reading here, have been in that valley of the shadow of death which King David sung about in Psalm 23. So, we probably know the feelings of despair and loss which were felt by the ODB author in his time of loss. But how did you deal with that time in your life?

Personally, I had to learn what the Authors of the Scriptures above came to KNOW deep in their hearts; … that we follow a Good Shepherd, Who is the One leading us thru any valley of despair [see Ps. 23:4]. And I had to come to believe what Habakkuk learned [see Hab. 3:17-18]; … that our joy is a choice and has nothing to do with our circumstances. And finally, I came to understand what the Apostle Paul taught in Roman 8:28, 31; … that ALL THINGS in the life of a Christian are for our good and for God’s glory.

It’s a hard - almost unimaginable - lesson to learn; but when we do, we will traverse the “valleys of the shadow of death” knowing that we WILL come out the other end and be with our Lord in glory [see 2Cor. 5:8]. And that I pray we not only imagine these truths, … but WE BELIEVE THEM! 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for leading and being with us thru the valleys of darkness in our lives.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me, to be follow our Good Shepherd into … and out of … any valley of despair where we may be walking right now. 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.</ span>

February 17, 2020 … Ever-Present Power

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 48 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from the group, Celtic Woman, singing … You’ll Never Walk Along … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, are promised by God that He will walk with us ALWAYS.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 29:19-20 [ESV] ...   19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus’ “Great Commission” comes with a great promise.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 29:16-20 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Jesus’ promise that as we share Him with others, He will always be with us.
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  Reference Passage : … Acts 1:8 [ESV] … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
 … As Jesus ascended into Heaven, charging us to be His witnesses, He promised to give us His ever-present power.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 1:6-7 [ESV] … 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 
… We need not fear the world; because the Spirit of God is in those who truly believe in the Lord and witness in HIs Name.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:4 [ESV] … 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 
… We need not fear the world; because the Spirit of God is in those who truly believe in the Lord and witness in HIs Name.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa M Samra, uses a story of the witness of a Columbian soccer star to show that God is ALWAYS with us so that we never are alone. … The ODB author wrote: During the 2018 World Cup, Colombian forward Radamel Falcao scored in the seventieth minute against Poland, securing a victory. The dramatic goal was Falcao’s thirtieth in international play, earning him the distinction of scoring the most goals by a Colombian player in international competition. Falcao has often used his success on the soccer pitch to share his faith, frequently lifting his jersey after a score to reveal a shirt with the words, … “With Jesus you’ll never be alone.” [see photo] 

And fellow Christians, as we are charged by Jesus to be witnesses for Him in this world [see Acts 1:8}, we can be fearless with our witness, as was the Columbian soccer star, because of Jesus’ promise that we, in His Name and for His glory, will never be alone in our witness.

Yes, when Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection (see highlight passage), He charged His disciples (that’s you and me!) to go into all the world to make disciples. And we need not fear in sharing His Gospel because the power He gives to us from HIs Spirit is greater than any power we’ll come against in this world [see 2Tim. 1:7 and 1John 4:4].

So, as the old Nike motto declares, let’s go out today and “JUST DO IT” … for Christ!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving us Your ever-present power to share Your good news with he world.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me, to be His witnesses, knowing that we’re never alone. 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.</ span>

February 16, 2020 … Speaking With Love

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 47 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Tim McGraw singing … Humble and Kind … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, need to overcome our human nature with an attitude of Christlikeness.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 4:1-2 [ESV] ...   10 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, … 
 … Paul, trying to help others live and interact as Jesus would … with humility and gentleness. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 4:1-6 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul, seeking for Christians to live in unity, exhorts believers to live as Christ would live, always speaking and living with humility and meekness.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:29 [ESV] … 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 
… Jesus commands His disciples to live as He lived … with humility and gentleness.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4: 15, … 29 [ESV] … 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ,  … 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 
… God, thru Paul, exhorts Christians to speak as Jesus would speak … ALWAYS in love, lifting others up with words of grace.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-7 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to hold onto and express an attitude of humility and servanthood, … i.e., living and speaking as would Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, uses a common human scenario to illustrate how our human nature can often lead us to attack others rather than humbly reasoning with them. … The ODB author wrote: When public debate erupted over a controversial Singapore law, it divided believers with differing views. Some called others “narrow-minded” or accused them of compromising their faith. 
Controversies can cause sharp divisions among God’s family, bringing much hurt and discouraging people. I’ve been made to feel small over personal convictions on how I apply the Bible’s teachings to my life. And I’m sure I’ve been equally guilty of criticizing others I disagree with. 
I wonder if the problem lies not in what or even in how we express our views, but in the attitudes of our hearts when we do so. Are we just disagreeing with views or seeking to tear down the people behind them? 

My friends and fellow Christians, … listen to Tim McGraw’s song, linked above; and then ask yourself, as I did today after meditating on the ODB entry and the scriptures which came to my mind to share, … “Am I living and speaking with Christlike humility and gentleness? … OR … Am I letting my base human nature try to control others with the way I speak and live my life?” 

And I, … for one, … need to do more to live as Tim McGraw sings today … and tomorrow! 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to speak out when controversy or selfishness is my reaction to life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me, to put our tongues under Your control and speak out with love and grace in all interactions with others 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.</ span>

February 15, 2020 … Mice or Monsters?!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 46 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Fear Is A Liar … powerfully singing of how we, as Christians, need not fear the monsters we perceive in this world … that we have the power of God’s Spirit in us to overcome any forces in this world.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 4:10-11 [ESV] ...   10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him. 
… Jesus, the living Word, dispels the Devil with truth from God’s word.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 4:1-11 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Tempted in the wilderness, Satan flees before the truth from the living Word, … Jesus. 
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [ESV] … 10 … fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
… God’s promise is to lift us up when we need His strength to overcome our own weakness or fears.

Reference Passage : … John 16:33 [ESV] … 33 I have said these things to you [Jesus’ disciples], that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
… Jesus promised His disciples (and us) that we need not fear the world because HE had overcome all the forces of the world.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul learned from Christ that he need not fear anything because of God’s grace ministering to him (and us).

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 1:7 [ESV] … 7 … for God gave us a spirit NOT of fear but of power and love and self-control. 
… When we sense a spirit of fear in our souls, that cannot come from God.

Reference Passage : … 1 John 4:3-4 … USE THIS LINK [ESV] …
… We need not fear the world - or even Satan - because the Spirit in us is so much greater than the spirits who are in the world.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David H Roper, uses a personal story of involving fear of a bear and the reality of a mouse to show that we Christians need not fear our circumstances, having the power of God in us. … The ODB author wrote: Several years ago my sons and I spent a few days camping in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Northern Idaho. It’s grizzly bear habitat, but we carried bear spray, kept our campsites clean, and anticipated no major grizzly encounters. 
One evening, in the middle of the night, I heard Randy scramble around trying to get out of his sleeping bag. I grabbed my flashlight and turned it on, expecting to see him in the clutches of an enraged grizzly.
There, sitting upright on its haunches and waving its paws in the air was a field mouse about 4 inches tall. It had Randy’s cap firmly clenched in its teeth. The little creature had tugged and tugged until he pulled Randy’s cap from his head. As I laughed, the mouse dropped the cap and scampered away. We crawled back into our sleeping bags. I, however, fully adrenalized, couldn’t get back to sleep and thought about another predator—the devil. 

It’s easy to experience fears when we’re constantly seeing or experiencing attacks from Satan or the world; and so often we feel too weak to take on these worldly or other-worldly forces. As Christians too often we see monsters when they are really just mice (see photo).

But, ... if you’ve taken in the linked song by Zach Williams and meditated on the truth of the Scriptures above, most certainly, … as I was, … you are lifted up with courage to take on the monsters out there. Because when you compare them to the strength in us from God’s Spirit, they’re just mice, aren’t they, … not monsters?

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving us Your empowering grace to take on Satan and the world.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to forge ahead in life, KNOWING that we have God’s Spirit in us which is so much more powerful than any force which would come against us. 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.</ span>

February 14, 2020 … Bumpy Roads

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 45 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and images from Laura Story singing her song … Blessings … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, on the bumpy roads of life, often find God’s blessings disguised in the wrappings of trials and tribulations.

Traveling the bumpy roads of life ... 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 16:1 [ESV] ...   1  Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 
… Prayer in song from David for God’s mercy/grace and love in times of trial.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 16 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… David turns to His faithful God, especially in though times.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [ESV] …  10 … fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
… God’s promise to always be there for His people who hold true in our faith.

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Even in the worst of times, God’s faithfulness promises that His love and mercy will never cease.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28: 38-39 … USE THIS LINK [ESV] …
… Paul expresses for faithful believers that even the worst of times are for our good and for His glory and that NOTHING can separate us from His love.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:13 [ESV] … 13 I can do ALL things through Him Who strengthens me. 
 … No matter what our circumstances we can rely on God’s strength to cover our weaknesses.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, uses a personal story of some tough times to help us realize that we can still rely on God’s mercy and grace even when we travel the bumpy roads of life. … The ODB author wrote: Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, I curled up in my recliner. Our family had followed God’s leading and had moved from California to Wisconsin. After we arrived, our car broke down and left us without a vehicle for two months. Meanwhile, my husband’s limited mobility after an unexpected back surgery and my chronic pain complicated our unpacking. We uncovered costly problems with our new-to-us, old home. Our senior dog suffered with health issues. And though our new pup brought great joy, raising a furry ball of energy was far more work than anticipated. My attitude soured. How was I supposed to have unshakable faith while traveling on a bumpy road of hardships? 

I think we’d all agree that the road of life can be rocky and bumpy at times (see photo). But most, if not all, of us would agree that those rocky roads are the ones which bring us closer to an abiding relationship with God than the smooth, downhill roads of life.

So, today if any reading here are walking one of those rough roads, take in Laura Story’s song and pray that God helps you see that, as the scriptures above lift us up, … our God’s mercies never cease and that He’s always there to give us the strength to walk on; … because, as God, thru Paul, promises … NOTHING can separate us from God’s love and His amazing grace.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for helping us walk the rough roads of life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to faithfully keep on keeping on as we walk the bumpy roads of 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.</ span>

February 13, 2020 … Uncaged

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 44 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song, images, and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Chain Breaker … powerfully singing of how we, as Christians, are can be freed from the chains and cages of our past sin and shame by our Lord, our “Chain Breaker”

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 18:19 [ESV] ...   19  He [The Lord] brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. 
… In gratitude young David sings of how the Lord freed him from the oppression and pursuit of Saul. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 18:3-6, 16-19 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Gratefully young David sings of God’s deliverance from the past oppression and the deathly pursuits of King Saul.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We so often let our own perceptions hold us captive to our past when we need to simply trust God to set us free and to follow Him.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:10 [ESV] … 10 … fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 
… God’s promise to always be there for His people hold true just as much for believers today as it did to believers in Isaiah’s day.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [ESV] … 28 And we know that for those who love God ALL things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 
 … When we truly believe that all our circumstances are for our good, we are freed from the bonds of past trials and the captivity of our circumstances.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:13 [ESV] … 13 I can do ALL things through Him Who strengthens me. 
 … We don’t need to be constrained by our past trials and circumstances because we have the power of God’s Spirit in us to walk in freedom.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Winn Collier, uses a story of a dog being imprisoned by his past constraints to illustrate how, in Christ, we are freed from our past chains to follow our Lord. … The ODB author wrote: While out taking walks, writer Martin Laird would often encounter a man with four Kerry Blue Terriers. Three of the dogs ran wild through the open fields, but one stayed near its owner, running in tight circles. When Laird finally stopped and asked about this odd behavior, the owner explained that it was a rescue dog that had spent most of his life locked in a cage. [see photo] The terrier continued to run in circles as though contained inside a confined box. 

For over two decades now I’ve been called to show men the message Zach Williams sings about in the linked song … how we are uncaged by Christ to walk free from past chains of guilt, shame, or cages of oppression because of Christ’s finished work on the cross which has become our “chain breaker.”

And I pray that all reading here are now following Christ as He leads us to walk in freedom, with God’s promises (see Scriptures above), leading us to walk in freedom from our past prisons and chains. As MLK so powerfully said, “… Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last!!”

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for breaking our chains and leading us to freedom from our past chains.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to walk in freedom by surrendering to our will and following the way of our Lord by our obedience to His word. 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.</ span>