April 30, 2020 … Real Freedom

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 121 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Nichole Nordeman singing Finally Free … poignantly and powerfully singing of the freedom we find in our intentional bondage to Christ.

Real Freedom to Follow Christ

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 8:36 [NLT] ... 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 
… Jesus teaches that knowing Him as the Son of God is the only way to find freedom from sin. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 8:31-36 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Jesus teaching fellow Jews on what it takes to be set free from the bondage of sin. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 118:5 [NLT] … 5  In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. 
 … Even in the OT the psalmists sang of what it took to find freedom from our stresses.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 3:17 [NLT] … 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 
 … God, thru Paul, shows that when His Spirit resides in someone, the Agent of Freedom is in us.

Reference Passage : … Galatians 5:1 [NLT] … 1  So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 
 … Paul preaches the truth that, in Christ we only remain free when we surrender to Him as the fulfillment of God’s Law.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 3:12 [NLT] … 12 Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 
… Only in total surrender to Christ can we come freely and boldly before God’s throne of grace.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 2:16 [NLT] … 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 
 … Peter also taught the truth that we only find REAL FREEDOM when we voluntarily surrender to become slaves of God’s Spirit in Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, refers to history and the freeing of African slaves depicted in the movie “Armistad” to illustrate the freedom Christians find in Christ. … The ODB author wrote: The film “Amistad” tells the story of West African slaves in 1839 taking over the boat that was transporting them and killing the captain and some of the crew. Eventually they were recaptured, imprisoned, and taken to trial. An unforgettable courtroom scene features Cinqué, leader of the slaves, passionately pleading for freedom. Three simple words—repeated with increasing force by a shackled man with broken English—eventually silenced the courtroom, “Give us free!” Justice was served and the men were freed. 

And nobody could appreciate this illustration of being set free from the shackles of slavery any more that yours truly; because, … I was shackled in the chains of addictive sexual sin for 22 years of my life, all the time rejecting Christ as an atheist. And only when I surrendered my will and life to Christ (see photo) was I set free from my chains of sin and allowed to surrender my will to the Lord’s and to walk free following Him as His disciple.

And that is the impassioned teaching of God’s word, isn’t it? We read it in all of the strong teaching of the scriptures above; … that when we’re willing to repent fo our sin nature and voluntarily surrender our will to follow Christ as our Lord will we find real freedom. And I so pray that all reading me here today have been set free from the shackles of sin and are walking free with Christ. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for setting me free to walk with You, King Jesus!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here are bond slaves of Christ and walking with Him in freedom. 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>

April 29, 2020 … God ALWAYS Hears Me

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 120 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Twyla Paris singing God Is All Around Us … gently singing to all of God’s children that our God is all around us … ALWAYS.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Deuteronomy 4:7 [NLT] ... 7 For what great nation has a God as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 
… God assures His chosen family of His nearness to those who call on Him.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Deuteronomy 4:5-8 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God decrees thru Moses that He is ALWAYS near to those who sincerely call on Him. 
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Reference Passage : … 2Chronicles 15:2b [NLT] … 2 … “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with Him! Whenever you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. 
… God’s promises that He will be there for any/all who seek after Him. … Do we?!!

Reference Passage : … Psalm 116:1-2 [NLT] … 1  I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. 2  Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! 
… It’s why I come back here every morning to be with Him in His word, knowing that He bends down to hear me when I journal what He has to share with me.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 
… My prayer EVERY MORNING !!!

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, pleads for us to trust Him … ALWAYS.

 eference Passage : … Matthew 28:20b [NLT] … 20 … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus promises to be with His true disciples …. ALWAYS … EVERYWHERE … as we seek to serve and follow Him.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Sheridan Voysey, uses the image of letters written to God to illustrate that anyone can commune with God … anytime and anywhere! … The ODB author wrote: Each day at a post office in Jerusalem, workers sort through piles of undeliverable letters in an attempt to guide each to its recipient. Many end up in a specially marked box labeled “Letters to God.” 
About a thousand such letters reach Jerusalem each year, addressed simply to God or Jesus. Puzzled by what to do with them, one worker began taking the letters to Jerusalem’s Western Wall to have them placed between its stone blocks with other written prayers. [see photo] Most of the letters ask for a job, a spouse, or good health. Some request forgiveness, others just offer thanks. One man asked God if his deceased wife could appear in his dreams because he longed to see her again. Each sender believed God would listen, if only He could be reached. 

But God can be reached, can’t He? Yes, … and because I know He resides in my heart as a born-again Christian, it’s why you find me here EVERY DAY, seeking after God’s truth in His word, … and praying the prayer of Ps. 139:23-24; … trusting that my God hears me and shows me the way to go Home. And as along as I’m physically and mentally able, I will be here tomorrow - and the day after that - following His way everlasting [see reference passages].

How about you, fellow pilgrim? Why don’t you write Him a prayer letter today. I assure you, … He’ll get it!

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being there to hear me today … and tomorrow … and the day after that!!
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to commune with our God today … and then again 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.</ span>

April 28, 2020 … Who Will Join Me?!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 119 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Matt Redman leading in worship and singing Worthy, You Are Worthy … worshipping God and singing praises to the One Who is worthy of all praise.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 67:4 [NLT] ... 4  Let the whole world sing for joy, because You govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world. …  Interlude 
… The Psalmist sings for the whole world to join him in songs of joy and praise to our worthy God. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 67 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… The Psalmist sings of his praise to our worthy God.
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Reference Passage : … 1Chronicles 29:11 [NLT] … 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One Who is over all things. 
… King David’s praise and prayer to a God worthy of our praise.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 63:1, 3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Singing of our praise to a praiseworthy God; and I pray this every morning before my feet hit the floor to start my day.   

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 25:1 [NLT] … O Lord, I will honor and praise Your name, for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them. 
… Our God is worthy of all praise.

Reference Passage : … John 17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Just before God, the Son, went to the cross, He praised His Father in Heaven for those His Father had brought to Jesus and prayed for them (and for us). And Jesus’ Abba must’ve smiled. My 

Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, has a great idea for all of us who love God and believe that He is worthy of our praise. … The ODB author wrote: When the alarm on Shelley’s phone goes off every day at 3:16 in the afternoon, she takes a praise break. She thanks God and acknowledges His goodness. Although she communicates with God throughout the day, Shelley loves to take this break because it helps her celebrate her intimate relationship with Him. 
Inspired by her joyful devotion, I decided to set a specific time each day to thank Christ for His sacrifice on the cross and to pray for those who have yet to be saved. I wonder what it would be like if all believers in Jesus stopped to praise Him in their own way and pray for others every day.

What a great idea!! … And I’m going to implement it in my life, … starting today … setting my cell phone to remind me DAILY @ 4:13 (because God used Phil. 4:13 to save me) to praise my all worthy Lord and Savior. And as the ODB asks, what would it be like if everyone reading here with me would set our cell phones to remind us each day to stop at least once during the day to thank and praise our worthy God? I think He’d smile, don’t you?

 So, if you’ll join me in this intentional DAILY praise and challenge to others to do the same, please let me know by replying online to this blog or emailing me @ billb13@bellsouth.net . Let’s get our Lord smiling today … and every day !!

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … and praise to You for all You are and all You do … for my 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 to praise our worthy God daily for all He is and all He has done. 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>

April 27, 2020 … Our Protection

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 118 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Building 429 singing We Won’t Be Shaken … poignantly singing of how we, as God’s children, need to walk unafraid - unshaken - because of God’s protection.

Protected by God's Wings

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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 43:2 [NLT] ... 2  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 
… God promises that He will watch over and ultimately deliver His people from distress. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 43:1-7 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru the Prophet, Isaiah, promises the deliverance and ultimate protection of His chosen ones.
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Reference Passage : … Psalms 5:11, 34:19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David sings of God’s protective covering over His chosen children.

Reference Passage : … John 10:28-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus promises that no one or any force can take a born-again Christian out from under the protection of God, the Father.

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 declares to His Disciples (and to us) that we will have troubles in this world but HE has overcome them all.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 10:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s promise, thru Paul, that no temptation, trial, or trouble will overcome those who are saved and faithfully follow the Lord.

Reference Passage : … 1Thessalonians 5:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul assures fellow Christians of God’s faithful protection

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Winn Collier, uses a story of a movie which illustrates soldiers protecting each other to illustrate God’s protection of His chosen ones. … The ODB author wrote: The movie The Free State of Jones tells the US Civil War story of Newton Knight and some Confederate deserters and slaves who aided the Union Army and then resisted slaveholders after the war. Many herald Knight as the hero, but two slaves first saved his life after his desertion. They carried him deep into a secluded swampland and tended a leg wound he suffered while fleeing Confederate forces. If they’d abandoned him, he would have died. 

There are many great stories from the annals of war of soldiers saving or protecting their fellow warriors in battle. But they don’t come even close to the reality of God’s protective covering and protection of His children as in the Scriptures above. And I’ve always loved the picture of God’s covering wings of protection illustrated by the mother dove covering her chicks in the attached photo, … just like our God protects us.

Yes, we can - and we will - go thru temptations, trials, and troubles in this life. But we can, as Christians, … and we should … never fear, because of God’s repeated promise, in both the Old and New Testaments, of God’s covering of protection [see Scriptures above]. And I pray that all reading here, as we live thru these trying times of peril, have that confidence in our Lord, Who covers us with His wings of protection.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for covering me with Your wings in these viral times.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to move forward with confidence in these trying times as our God covers us with His wings of protection. 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>

April 26, 2020 … He Sings With Me

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 117 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in Images, song and lyrics from the Movie and song, sung by the group Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine … the group poignantly singing of how we can only imagine what it will be like to sing WITH GOD in Heaven.

God sings with me everyday ... 

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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 promises that one day He will sing over us just as we can sing over Him in this life; … but as it comes from God in Heaven, it will be a song infinitely more beautiful than ours. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Zephaniah 3:14-20 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God encourages His chosen ones to sing to Him; but He also shows that He’s sings over us. 
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Reference Passage : … Genesis 1:26 [NLT] … 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.   
… Since we were made in God’s image, it stands to reason that our drive to sing back to God is a reflection of His desire to sing to us.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 32:7 [NLT] … 7  For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.  
… King David sings that he sensed God singing songs of victory to him.

Reference Passage : … Mark 14:26 [also Matt. 26:30] [NLT] … 26 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. 
… At the “last supper,” Jesus sang hymns with His Disciples, … more evidence that God sings with His people.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 3:16 [NLT] … 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 
… The Apostle Paul taught that God wants us, His children, to express the Spirit in us by singing hymns and spiritual songs back to Him.

Reference Passage : … Revelation 5:8-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In Heaven we will sing a new song, a glorious song back to God as we hear Him sing His song to us (see highlight passage).

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Pirosca Escobar, uses a story of a young man who used singing to encourage others, … using a talent God gave him to honor God by singing to others. … The ODB author wrote: Dandy loves encouraging people by singing to them. One day we were having lunch at his favorite restaurant, and he noticed the waitress was having a hard day. He asked her a few questions and then started quietly singing a catchy, upbeat song to cheer her up. “Well, kind sir, you just made my day. Thank you so much,” she said with a big smile, as she wrote down our food order. 

I don’t know about you, fellow Christian, but ever since I became a Christian over 3 decades ago, music (both melody and lyrics) which praises or honors God has a peace-giving, uplifting, effect on my soul. And I love to sing praises to His Name in worship services or just when I hear a God-honoring hymn or praise song like the one linked above. Yes, I have imagined singing praises TO GOD in Heaven as I do in this life. But this morning I realized that in glory we, who are born again, will be singing WITH GOD in Heaven. … WOW!!

But that shouldn’t be a surprise, should it? We Christians are made in God’s image, aren’t we (see Gen. 1:26)? And since God’s word (see the highlight passage and Ps. 32:7) tells us that God sings His protective songs over His people. And since we know that Jesus sang with His Disciples (see Mark 14:26). And since we know that God’s people are called on to sing praises to our Lord (see Col. 3:16). And since we know that we’ll be singing praises TO GOD in Heaven (see Rev. 5). why would we be surprised that our God actually sings along with our praise music, … music which is such an integral part of Christian worship and so popular as a music genre?

So, if you’re like me, I praise God for HIS MUSIC and how it influences my life, … even being a lead part of my journaling here every morning. I find it so uplifting to start each morning hearing God sing to me through a song which He leads me to share here in my daily blog. And I pray it lifts you up as well. Can you just imagine His joy in singing to you today?

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for taking me to glory thru wonderful music You create thru Your children.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to be uplifted by God-honoring music which praises Your Holy Name. 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>

April 25, 2020 … Our Guardian

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 116 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in Images, song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing, Chain Breakers … powerfully singing of how how King Jesus is our chain breaker - our Guardian - in life.

Young boy finds his "Guardian" 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 11:33 [NLT] ... 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 
… God opens the eyes of Elisha’s servant to see God’s army, … there to guard God’s people against their enemy.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 11:33-36 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God was Elisha’s guardian in defeating the the enemies of God.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 41:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isaiah, promises His people that He would ALWAYS be there to be their guardian.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:31 [NLT] … 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 
… We must realize that we have our God as our “Guardian.”

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… In times of trial/trouble, we must remember, as did Paul, that Jesus promises to be our strength when we are weak.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:4 [NLT] … 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people [i.e., those against Christ], because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 
 … Having God’s Spirit in us, our power is always greater than that of our spiritual enemies.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Mike Wittmer, uses a story of a young man who discovered that he had someone watching over his well being as do we Christians. … The ODB author wrote: Tom chased the young men who were stealing his poor friend’s bike. He didn’t have a plan. He only knew he needed to get it back. To his surprise, the three thieves looked his way, dropped the bike and backed away. Tom was both relieved and impressed with himself as he picked up the bike and turned around. That’s when he saw Jeff, his muscular friend who had been trailing close behind. [see photo]

In times of trouble, all of us fellow Christians need to know what the young boy in the ODB story found out … that we ALWAYS have a “Guardian” Spirit watching over us. It was promised to God’s People in the OT (see highlight passage and Isaiah 41:10); and the promise was fulfilled completely for believers in the New Testament with King Jesus dying on a cross to become THE Guardian of all who have His Spirit living in our hearts.

So as we face the unseen enemies of Covid-19 or other more obvious bullies in our lives these days, we, who are in Christ, need to realize, as Zach Williams sings, (and the reference passages attest) that we have a Guardian who is far stronger than any of the enemies we face in this world. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being my Guardian today and all days, giving me the strength I need to deal with my enemies.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to stand strong in Christ against our enemies. 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>

April 24, 2020 … Seeking the Heavenly View

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 115 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in Images, song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing, The Answer … poignantly singing of how we Christians have so many questions in life from our perspective - when from God’s view, JESUS is the answer.

The Alignment of Orion's Belt

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 11:33 [NLT] ... 33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! 
… God’s ways are often difficult to discern but ALWAYS the best ways to follow. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 11:33-36 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru Paul, helps us see that God’s ways are often different from ours … but always the best ways.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Solomon warns us to always do our best to seek out God’s ways, which can be difficult to see when we’re following our own.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 55:8-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Isaiah, helps us see that our ways are often not in alignment with God’s.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28[NLT] … 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. 
… Sometimes we have trouble seeing and following that truth, don’t we?

Reference Passage : …Colossians 1:15-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
 … The Apostle Paul helps us see that Jesus, Who created everything is so often the answer to our questions which are so difficult to answer.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Evan Morgan , uses an alignment of stars [i.e., Orion’s Belt} to illustrate how it’s often difficult to see life the way God sees it. … The ODB author wrote: I was unexpectedly drawn to focus on Orion’s Belt—those three perfectly arranged stars often visible on clear nights. [see photo] I knew just enough about astronomy to understand that those three stars were hundreds of light years apart. 
I realized the closer I could be to those stars, the less they would appear to be aligned. Yet from my distant perspective, they looked carefully configured in the heavens. At that moment, I realized I was too close to my life to see what God sees. In His big picture, everything is in perfect alignment.

The ODB illustration does help us realize that the way we see things and the way God sees them is often perplexing for us … but ALWAYS in alignment with God’s view. Often, because of the way we see life, we have trouble seeing with way in life the way God sees it. That’s what’s going on in these confusing viral times in which we live, isn’t it. Things don’t seem in alignment the way we’d like to see them, are they?

It’s hard these days to see what Jeremy Camp sings about in the linked song … that Jesus is the answer (see also Paul’s message in Col. 1:16). It’s hard, seeing life these days, to discern and believe the truth of Romans 8:28, isn’t it? But we know, that even tho God’s ways are way above our ability to see them (see Isaiah 55:8-9), we still must surrender and do all we can to follow Him (see Prov. 3:5-6).

That is my prayer for us today.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS being “The Answer” we seek to understand life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to surrender to the truth and reality that GOD KNOWS BEST. 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>

April 23, 2020 … “V Formation”

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 114 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in Images, song and lyrics from Jason Gray singing, With Every Act of Love … powerfully singing of how we come together in the body of Christ to work together with “every act of love” to help one another.

Canadian Geese in "V Formation" 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 4:12 [NLT] ... 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. 
… God, thru Solomon, show His people that there is so much more power when we work together to help one another.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Solomon exhorts fellow believers to work together in life.
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Reference Passage : … John 13:34-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus commands us, as His disciples, to show love for one another, … showing the world that we are truly His disciples.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 12:20-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, shows that His body, the church, was created with many individual parts to work together to function in Christlikeness.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:3-4 [NLT] … 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 
… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to look out for the interest of other Christians.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 10:24-25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God brought us TOGETHER as the body of Christ to work TOGETHER as His Body.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam R Holz, uses a story about geese flying in V formation to illustrate how “birds of a feather” fly together, just as we Christians should. … The ODB author wrote: Why is there a football in the parking lot? I wondered. But as I got closer, I realized the greyish lump wasn’t a football: it was a goose—the saddest Canada goose I’d ever seen. 
Geese often congregate on the lawn near my workplace in the spring and fall. But today there was only one, its neck arced back and its head tucked beneath a wing. Where are your buddies? I thought. Poor thing was all alone. It looked so lonely, I wanted to give it a hug. (Note: don’t try this.) 
I’ve rarely seen a goose completely alone like my lonesome feathered friend. Geese are notably communal, flying in a V-formation to deflect the wind. [see photo] They’re made to be together.

There is so much evidence in nature that God designed various species to work together in community. Wolves hunting in packs, a pride of lions, and, as in the ODB piece, Canadian geese flying in that wondrous V formation provide that evidence. God meant like creatures to live and work together, … just a Jason Gray sings that every act of love we share with one another shows what the Apostle Paul wrote about and Jesus commanded His disciples to do [see reference passages above] … and that’s to live and love TOGETHER as His body, … encouraging and uplifting one another.

And I don’t think God could have illustrated that need any more powerfully than what we’re going thru right now, … forced into social distancing, … yet realizing that we must fly TOGETHER in the “V-formation” of God’s love to help one another in these trying times. “Lone Ranger” Christianity just doesn’t cut it, does it?

So, I pray we all are praying - TOGETHER - to have God show us the way to fly toward Him, in His “V-formation,” to show the world that His Body flies in unison thru the head winds of these troubled times.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for showing us thru your truth that it’s best to fly TOGETHER in Your “V-formation.”
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to fly TOGETHER in the close V-formation of Your Body, helping each other as much as we can, … even 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>

April 22, 2020 … Our God Provides

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 113 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing, The God I Know … powerfully singing of knowing our God provides for our needs.

Harvesting Sea Cucumbers ... 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 104:25 [NLT] ... 25  Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. 
… God provides an ocean of life for our well-being.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 104:10-18, 24-26 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru a Psalmist, sings of how God provides for teeming life from the sea.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We need to trust that our God will lead us and provide us with our needs.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:31-33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus teaches God’s truth about providing for our needs.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28 [NLT] … 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. 
… No matter what comes our way, God is providing for our needs.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:19 [NLT] … 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
 … Paul speaks of how God will supply our needs.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a story of of how God provided the needs of one of God’s children from the sea. … The ODB author wrote: It’s 2 a.m. when Nadia, a farmer of sea cucumbers, walks into a roped-off pen in the ocean shallows near her Madagascar village to harvest her “crop.” [see photo] The early hour doesn’t bother her. “Life was very hard before I started farming,” she says. “I didn’t have any source of income.” Now, as a member of a marine-protection program called Velondriake, meaning “to live with the sea,” Nadia sees her income growing and stabilizing. “We thank God that this project appeared,” she adds. 

Hey, my friend. The ODB entry illustrates it. Chris Tomlin sings about it. God’s truth (in the Scriptures above) declares it, … that our God is our provider … ALWAYS !! 

However, in these times of desperation in which we live, the question is … DO WE BELIEVE IT?

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for providing for ALL my needs.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to thank God for being our Provider. 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>

April 21, 2020 … My Friend, Jesus

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 112 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, I Am A Friend of God … poignantly singing of how Jesus becomes a friend closer than a brother when we believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

He's my friend! ... How about you? 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Romans 5:11 [NLT] ... 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. 
… Paul declares the friendship with God in Which we can rejoice when Jesus becomes our Lord and Savior.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Romans 5:6-11 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul helps Christians understand our new relationship with Christ when He becomes our Lord … and FRIEND.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20b [NLT] … 20 …  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus’ declaration of His friendship and loyalty to those who’re willing to be His true disciples and follow Him as Lord.

Reference Passage : … Luke 15:10 [NLT] … 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” 
… Jesus’ parable of the lost coin to illustrate how the angels in heaven celebrate when just one sinner repents and is willing to follow Jesus as His long lost friend.

Reference Passage : … John 15:13-15 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus explains the depth of the relationship He has with all those who’re willing to follow Him our Lord … where He becomes our Friend.

Reference Passage : … Revelation 3:20 [NLT] … 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 
… Jesus declare His eternal desire to fellowship with any/all who follow Him as Lord … to come in with those willing to receive Him as a friend.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Sheridan Voysey, uses a story of a young child’s perception of her relationship with Christ to highlight our friendship with God in salvation. … The ODB author wrote: A mother and her young daughter are sitting in church one day. During the service, opportunity is given for people to publicly receive God’s forgiveness. Every time someone walks forward to do so, the little girl begins to clap. “I’m so sorry,” the mother later tells the church leader. “I explained to my daughter that repentance makes us friends with God again, and she just wanted to cheer for everyone.” 
Simplified for a child’s mind, the mother’s words were a good explanation of the gospel. Once God’s enemies, we have been reconciled to Him through Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 5:9–10). 

Oh, my words will be few here today; because, just as the young girl in the ODB story above, I applaud you - any reader here - who has joined me to set aside our enmity with God and become a friend of Jesus. But when you read and meditate on the quotes from Jesus above (see reference passages), and take in the linked song, … will you join me with a resounding, Hallelujah, praising God that King Jesus is willing to be our FRIEND when we’re willing to repent of our sin and follow Him as our Lord?

Hey, my friend … He’s MY friend!! … How about you?

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being my eternal Friend. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to join me with a thankful heart today because Jesus is our Friend. 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>

April 20, 2020 … Sing For Joy

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 111 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Selah singing, His Eye Is On the Sparrow … poignantly singing of how our God watches over us, allowing us to sing for joy. … And THEN ON TO THIS LINK to close your eyes and listen to Marty Goetz singing his rendition of Psalm 23.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 42:5-6a [NLT] ...  5  Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again — my Savior and 6 my God! 
… We choose the joy of the Lord to replace the sorrow in our lives.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 42:1-6 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… The psalmist used this song to lift God’s people up from heart-broken agony.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 28:6-7 [NLT] … 6  Praise the Lord! For He has heard my cry for mercy. 7  The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  
… God hears the cry and songs of His children.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 100:2 [NLT] … 2   Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. 
… God desires that we come to Him, singing of our gladness and joy.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When we live by following God’s Spirit, we will find ourselves singing for joy.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 3:16 [NLT] … 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.   
… Paul so wanted fellow Christians to feel and sing of the joy we have when we walk in the Spirit of Christ.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, uses an historical illustration of the power that meaningful music can have to shape our attitudes and hearts. … The ODB author wrote: What does it take to ignite a revolution? Guns? Bombs? Guerrilla warfare? In late-1980s Estonia, it took songs. After the people had lived under the burden of Soviet occupation for decades, a movement began with the singing of a series of patriotic songs. These songs birthed the “Singing Revolution,” which played a key role in restoring Estonian independence in 1991. 
“This was a non-violent revolution that overthrew a very violent occupation,” says a website describing the movement. “But singing had always been a major unifying force for Estonians while they endured fifty years of Soviet rule.” 

If you’ve read along with me as I’ve published my daily blogs here for the past decade or so, you’ve likely noticed that I start each entry with a link to at least one song to illustrate the essence of what I’m writing about. Why a song you might ask? Well, having been a teaching professor in the Dept. of Neurology in a major medical school for 35+ years, I learned long ago that meaningful melody and lyrics, when sung or heard together, activate certain chemicals in the brain which produce feelings of joy, peace, and well-being. In fact, one can change one’s entire attitude by just hearing or singing a melodious/meaningful song. 

That’s why Christian counselors often refer people to the lyrics of joy-filled songs found in the biblical psalms. And perhaps you, as do I, go to music to lift our attitudes when we’re feeling down. In fact, … I don’t know how you’re feeling right now; but let me challenge you to first read thru and meditate on the scriptures above. Then, … close your eyes and listen to both songs linked above, especially the latter one with Marty Goetz singing his rendition of Psalm 23. And after you’ve done this, note your feelings; and if you’ve been lifted up, as I always am when I hear or sing such meaningful melodies and God-inspired lyrics, I pray that you email me [ billb13@bellsouth.net ], or comment on this website, and let me know if music means as much to you as it does to me in bringing joy into our lives.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for wonderful Christian music to lift my soul when I’m feeling down or discouraged.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to let strong and joyous music, honoring God, to lift us up to find joy in times of sorrow. 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>

April 19, 2020 … Discerning the Truth

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 110 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing, The Answer … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, have so many questions in life to which Jesus is the answer.

1938 New England Hurricane Disaster

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 23:28 [NLT] ...  28  “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let My true messengers faithfully proclaim My every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! 
… We who believe in the One, true God can rest in peace, KNOWING that He is our refuge and strength.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 23:16-28 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God warns His people, thru Jeremiah, to listen and discern the truth from God’s prophets because there will be disaster when following false prophets.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:9-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… As long as we seek out and follow God’s truth, we’ll stay on track and avoid the disaster of seeking our selfish ways.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… A good prayer for all Christians to plead to God to help us follow His will and seek out His ways of truth in life.

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 must listen for, seek out, and trust God’s ways, avoiding letting our feelings and perceptions lead us astray.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:15-16 [NLT] … 15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. …   
… Jesus warned His followers that there would be false prophets who would try to lead us away from His path.

Reference Passage : … 2Peter 2:1-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 
… God, thru Peter, warning Christians to discern false prophets who will do all they can to lead Christians away from God’s true way.

Reference Passage : …1 John 4:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru John, warns us to discern false prophets who, as “antiChrists,” would lead us away from God’s way.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Guftafson, uses a story of a weather forecaster in 1938 to illustrate what can happen when we don’t listen to and follow God’s truth. … The ODB author wrote: At noon on September 21, 1938, a young meteorologist warned the U.S. Weather Bureau of two fronts forcing a hurricane northward toward New England. But the chief of forecasting scoffed at Charles Pierce’s prediction. Surely a tropical storm wouldn’t strike so far north. 
Two hours later, the 1938 New England Hurricane made landfall on Long Island. By 4:00 p.m. it had reached New England, tossing ships onto land as homes crumbled into the sea. [see photo] More than six hundred people died. Had the victims received Pierce’s warning—based on solid data and his detailed maps—they likely would have survived. 

In these days we live in right now, in these coronavirus times, there are so-called “experts” out there forecasting this and predicting that. But what is the truth? It can be so confusing, can’t it? And from the days of the Prophets in the Old Testament to the truth-bearing Apostles in the NT [see Scriptures above], we know that God’s people have been warned to watch out for false teachers, who are agents of Satan - i.e., “anti-Christs,” who will do all they can to lead us onto paths of disaster which always results when we don’t follow God’s will and His ways from His word.

Our job, as disciples of THE Truth (i.e., Jesus, The Christ), is to know the truth so well that we can discern false teachings when we see/hear them. And as Jeremy Camp sings, Jesus (Who is “the way, the truth, and the life”) is our ANSWER. And the best way to know “THE TRUTH,” is to have it deeply embedded in our hearts and minds. And the best way to do that (as Psalm 119:9-11 teaches) is to have God’s word (i.e., His truth) in our minds so deeply and clearly that we can see the counterfeit when we confront it.

I pray that all reading here are saturating our hearts/minds with God’s truth and testing all spirits to follow God’s way and avoid the disasters of following false teaching. Trying my best to do this, Every morning I pray Psalm 139:23-24; and I believe it would be a good prayer for us all. 

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving me Your “GPS” (i.e., Your word) to keep me on track in life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will bury God’s truth in our hearts/minds so deeply that we can discern Your will and Your ways to follow. 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>

April 18, 2020 … Know God = Know Peace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 109 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing, Be Still and Know … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, can have God’s peace when we know that our Lord is our refuge in times of trouble.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 46: 1, 11 [NLT] ...  1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. … 11  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.  
… We who believe in the One, true God can rest in peace, KNOWING that He is our refuge and strength.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 46 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… The Psalmist sings of God’s ever presence and ever-caring grace.
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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 can ALWAYS know that He will give us the way to go when we know and trust in Him.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3, … 41:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Prophet speaks for God with His assurance of peace and strength when we know and trust him.

Reference Passage : … Roams 8:28, … 31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, reminds us that EVERYTHING we go thru is for our good and His glory and that if God is for us Christians - and He ALWAYS is - NOTHING can stand against us.

Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 10:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… No matter what we face in life, God is with us and will give us the direction to go in, around, or through our troubles.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We can actually brag about our troubles/trials, KNOWING of Christ’s promise to empower us with His strength when we’re feeling weak.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Anne Cetas, uses a story of a woman who started a business to show cancer patients they are cared for, just as we Christians should feel in times of trouble. … The ODB author wrote: Debbie, the owner of a housecleaning service, was always searching for more clients to build up her business. On one call she talked with a woman whose response was, “I won’t be able to afford that now; I’m undergoing cancer treatment.” Right then Debbie decided that “no woman undergoing cancer treatment would ever be turned away. They would even be offered a free housecleaning service.” So in 2005 she started a nonprofit organization where companies donated their cleaning services to women battling cancer. One such woman felt a rush of confidence when she came home to a clean house. She said, “For the first time, I actually believed I could beat cancer.” 

Going thru what we’re dealing with now, i.e., the corona virus, is no doubt fearful and unsettling to many. However, like the young lady in the ODB story, we, who KNOW God intimately, can focus on and trust in the reality that NOTHING we’re going thru surprises God or diminishes our trust that HE is in control. And, … as long as we know that HE is our refuge (as Psalm 46 and Steven Curtis Chapman sings), we will come thru all of this, KNOWING that it’s all for our our good and His glory.

The reference scriptures above are those truths which I’ve memorized over the years and the words of truth which I go to when I’m challenged by life and my spiritual enemies. And just reciting them back to God, … and knowing in my heart of their truth, … gives me peace and allows me to remember and recognize that God truly is my refuge.

I pray He is for you too.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for always being there with Your empowering grace and the strength of Your truth to lift me up when I’m feeling weak. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will trust in Your truth and pray the strength of Your words back to You, knowing that You are are our refuge in these times of trouble. 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>

April 17, 2020 … Divine Empathy

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 108 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from Vicki Yohe singing, He Knows My Heart … poignantly singing of how we have a Lord and Savior Who, having walked this earth, knows the hearts of all His children.

Living Among the Homeless 

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Highlight Verse[s]: Hebrews 2:18 [NLT] ...  18 Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested. 
… Jesus walked on earth as God’s Son so that He could have divine empathy for mankind and so that we could follow a man Who was God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hebrews 2:14-18 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God’s word to the 1st century Jews (and to us now) related the reality that God had to become a man so that we could identify and see Him as God in the flesh.
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Reference Passage : … Luke :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. 
… Jesus called the people who were following Him to become true disciples and follow Him by sacrificing of our selves as He was to sacrifice all for Him.

Reference Passage : … Philippians 2:5-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We are called by God, thru the Apostle Paul, to humble ourselves just as Jesus humbled Himself to become a man and even to be willing to suffer as He did for us.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 5:7-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus came to become a man so that He could return to Heaven and become our eternal High Priest.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:2-3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… To be a true born-agains Christians, one must have enough faith and empathy to humble ourselves to recognize that Jesus was the God-Man.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Arthur Jackson, uses a story of a young many trying to empathize with the homeless by living among them. … The ODB author wrote: Joe’s eight-week “break” from his job as a crisis care worker at a New York City church was not a vacation. In his words, it was “to live again among the homeless, to become one of them, to remember what hungry, tired, and forgotten feel like.” [see photo] Joe’s first stint on the streets had come nine years earlier when he arrived from Pittsburgh without a job or a place to stay. For thirteen days he lived on the streets with little food or sleep. That’s how God had prepared him for decades of ministry to needy people. 

Empathy: … defined as truly knowing how someone else feels and what they are going through. It’s a quality of human character we can only have when we’ve lived through what others have gone thru or are going thru. And that’s why the young man in the ODB story went to live among the homeless … so that he would KNOW what they dealt with, … what they were (and are) feeling; and in doing so to be able to serve them with more compassion.

And that, dear one, was exactly why God sent His Son, … Jesus setting aside His glory and humbling Himself to become a man, and even to suffer and die on a cross, to save mankind [see Phil. 2:5-8]. And now, the truth from the highlight passage (as well as Heb. 5:7-9) reaffirms that Jesus could call others to follow Him (see Luke 9:23) because, becoming a man (i.e., The God-Man), we could empathize with His suffering and be willing to lay down our lives to follow Him.

Our question today is simple: … Are we willing to humble ourselves and follow the One Who was willing to humble Himself and even to die on a cross for us?

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for becoming like me to die for me.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will humble ourselves to serve the One Who humbled Himself to serve 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>

April 16, 2020 … Consuming God’s Word

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 107 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from The Gettys singing, Speak O Lord … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, need to hunger after the truth of God’s word to give us direction and power in life.

Consuming the Bible in Braille

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Highlight Verse[s]: Jeremiah 15:16 [NLT] ...  16  When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. 
… Jeremiah expresses the joy he experienced when consuming the word of God.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Jeremiah 15:15-21 [NLT] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Jeremiah, with great joy, expresses the power he gets from consuming God’s word. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:1-2 [NLT] … 1  Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. 2  Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. 
… God shows us, thru the psalmist, the joy we receive when we consume and follow God’s word.

Reference Passage : … Isaiah 55:11 [NLT] … 11  It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 
… God’s promise, thru Isaiah, of the power of His word in the lives of believers who consume it.

Reference Passage : … Luke 11:28 [NLT] … 28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” 
… God, thru His Son, blesses those who take in God’s word and apply it in their (our) lives.

Reference Passage : … 2Timothy 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The power of God’s word in our lives.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Poh Fang Chia, uses a story of young believer who was driven to consume God’s word though blind and handicapped. … The ODB author wrote: A new believer in Jesus was desperate to read the Bible. However, he’d lost his eyesight and both hands in an explosion. When he heard about a woman who read Braille with her lips, he tried to do the same—only to discover that the nerve endings of his lips had also been destroyed. Later, he was filled with joy when he discovered that he could feel the Braille characters with his tongue! [see photo] He had found a way to read and enjoy the Scriptures. 

OK, readers … I assume you’ve taken in the powerful song by the Irish group, The Gettys; and may I assume that you’ve meditated on the scriptures God led me study and share today? And then. … there was the ODB entry which showed us the blessing one can receive when we are REALLY motivated to consume God’s word.

And I think God was saying to me, “Bill, are you really getting all I have for you from My word?” And most certainly, I can give witness to the joy and peace that I receive each morning when I come here, … digging deeply into God’s word and praying that God’s Spirit will give me something from His word that either brings me or others His joy and clear direction in life. But perhaps we all need to assess whether we are getting as much as The LORD has for us to live with power and direction when we consume God’s truth from His word.

I pray that for us all.

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving me Your truth as Your “GPS” to guide my life.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will consume Your truth from Your word and use it as our perfect “GPS” for 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>

April 15, 2020 … Through It All

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 106 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Andrae Crouch singing his song, Through It All … poignantly singing of how we, as Christians, have to learn to trust in God no matter what comes our way.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 2Timothy 4:17 [ESV] ...  7 But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And He rescued me from certain death. 
… Even thru the coldness of prison and the threat of death, Paul maintained His faith in His Lord. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2Timothy 4:9-18 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… Paul from a dark/cold Roman prison, sentenced to die, show his need of human warmth but above all his faith in His Lord.
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Reference Passage : … Job 13:15 [ESV] … 15  Though He slay me, I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. 
… Thru all that God allowed Satan to put him through, even to the point of death, Job maintained His trust in God.

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 3:5-6 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, challenges believers to trust in Him with ALL of our hearts, not relying on our own feelings and perceptions.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:28, 38 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK … 
… Paul learned that everything he (we) encountered was for our good and NOTHING in this life could separate us from the love of God.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul had to learn thru pain and trial that Jesus would - as He will for us - provide the empowering grace and strength to live on thru the pain and suffering.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Patricia Raybon, uses a story of young people blessed by donated coats, giving them the warmth to withstand the cold of winter. … The ODB author wrote: At a coat drive for children, excited kids searched gratefully for their favorite colors and proper sizes. They also gained self-esteem, an organizer said, with new coats boosting their acceptance by peers and school attendance on winter days. 

It’s a cold, cruel, word at times, isn’t it? And we all can use the warmth of encouragement and affirmation from others to give us some human warmth in these cold times, don’t we? Of course we do!!

That’s what Paul was writing about from a cold, damp prison cell just before he was to die at the hands of the Romans. And in the highlight passage we read of his desire for the warmth of fellow Christians, … Luke being the only one who was there to provide him with companionship. But “THROUGH IT ALL,” Paul wrote that he felt the strength and warmth and trust that came from His relationship with Christ [also earlier to other Christians in Romans 8:28/38 and 2Cor. 12:9-10].

And right now we’re all going through some really tough times, aren’t we? So, today’s ODB entry, and the great song by Andrae Crouch, asks us if we have the faith of a Paul, or maybe of a Job (see Job 13:15)? And tomorrow, as we learn that more have died from the corona virus, will we be able to sing that our faith in God will sustain us … “Through It ALL!!”

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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for being there with me … through it all.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to rest in the truth that our Lord allows us to go through it all for our good and His glory. 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>