Sept 30, 2020 … Rooted in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 274 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...     Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Kerrie Roberts singing … Rooted … poignantly singing of how we Christians need to do all we can to be deeply rooted in God’s truth and His love. 

Geraniums well-rooted to grow ... 

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Highlight Passage:  Ephesians 3:16-17  [ESV] ... 

16 … that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, … 

…    We learn from God’s “teacher” in Ecclesiastes the truth that our experiences of seeing and hearing will never satisfy the longing for God in our hearts.  

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Highlight Passage [Context]: …   Ephesians 3:14-21 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul helping fellow Christians to mature in Christlikeness by being well rooted in God’s truth and His love.  

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Reference Passage: …  Proverbs 3:5-6  [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Solomon shows believers that trusting in God, and not in our selves, is the key to following the Lord.

Reference Passage: …  Jeremiah 17:7-8   [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God, thru Jeremiah, promises to bless believers whose trust is well-rooted in our faith in The Lord.      

Reference Passage: …  John 15:5  [ESV] …  

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

…  We can only be fruitful in/for Christ if we are connected to [i.e. abiding in] His enabling grace by our faith-walk with Him.  

Reference Passage: …  Colossians 2:6-7 [ESV] …   

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,  just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  

… Paul repeats his exhortation to walk closely with Christ so that we will be well-rooted in faith with an attitude of humility and thanksgiving.  

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Amy Peterson, AT THIS LINK  uses a word picture of setting out well-rooted geraniums (see photo) so that they will grow and flourish, being well-nourished in good soil. The illustration is to show us Christians how we must be well-rooted in our faith and trust in God to grow and mature in our faith. 

God’s word (see Scriptures above) is clear and repetitive on how God blesses those who are well-rooted in our relationship with Christ (see Jeremiah 17:7:8 and John 15:5), sending down roots of faith into well-nourished soil to be able to grow and flourish by following our Lord. In this way, as God, thru Paul  in Eph 3 and Col 2 above, shows us how we can be fruitful in Christlikeness; … and I pray that for all reading with me here today.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for nourishing my faith by being well-grounded in Your truth and feeding me to grow in my faith daily.   

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, seeking to grow in Christlikeness daily by being well-rooted and nourished by God’s truth.   .… Amen

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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.