Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Mercy Me singing Even If … powerfully singing of how we can rely on God’s promises to lift us up when we’re down, relying on a God Who is faithful and ALWAYS cares for us.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 63:1 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK … 1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
… Even in the driest and most drastic times of my life, I will seek after and praise my God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 63:1-8 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… David, even in one of his worst trials, still found the faith to seek and praise His God.
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Reference Passage : … 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.
… God’s promise to take us thru those valleys for our good and His glory (also on your own, see Romans 8:28).
Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3, … 41:10 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK …
… In the midst of trials and troubles, we can know and rely on a God who will lift us up with our praise.
Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20 [ESV] … 20 … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
… Jesus promise to be with us ALWAYS as we carry out His “great commission” …
Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, gives us The Lord’s antidote for fear and worry and how we can find His peace.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, shows how faith in the promises of God for one dear lady helped her to deal with great setbacks and trials in her life. … The ODB author wrote: Though Mary loved Jesus—life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side. Yet, as soon as she was able she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!”
The dear sister in the ODB story today was able to praise God “even if” she had to face great and sorrowful trials. How? Well, she discovered what we read from the song of David in Psalm 63 and what the group Mercy Me sings about in the linked song today; … and that is … to trust in God and his promises “EVEN IF” life takes us into “a dry and thirsty land where there is no water (see photo).”
And it was of personal interest for me to note in today’s ODB entry that Arthur Jackson, the author, used Psalm 63 as his highlight Bible support, … because, … along with a few other Psalms, I pray Ps. 63:1-4 from memory EVERY MORNING when I wake up to start my day. And I often use the song reference today from Mercy Me in my ODB blogs, knowing that we’re all going to be led thru those dry and thirsty lands at times. … But “EVEN IF” we are, we can praise our God because He will always be with us (Matt. 28:20); and He will lift us up when we need His mighty right hand of support to help us find His peace (see Isaiah 26:3 and 41:10).
So, join me today with a robust HALLELUJAH !!, as we praise our Lord for where He will lead us today, … EVEN IF it’s thru the valley of the shadow of death [you know it from Ps. 23:4]. See that verse above and meditate on it along with the highlight passage to start this day!!
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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being there with me as I walk thru those dry and thirst lands or the valleys of the shadow of death.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to follow our Lord wherever He will lead 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>
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