October 16, 2021 … Wise LIving …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 289 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from Kathryn Scott singing … I Have Decided To Follow Jesus … leading in worship and singing of how we, as disciples of Christ, must decide to follow Jesus - no turning back !! 

==============

Highlight Passage:  Ecclesiastes 7:2 [NLT] …  

2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies — so the living should take this to heart. 

… Since we all live under the reality of death to come, we should live lives which reflect Godly wisdom.                     

=============  

Highlight Passage [Context]: … Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Since all will die, Solomon charges all under God’s care to live wisely. 

==========                                            

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:5-6, 29:26  [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Solomon charge all to trust in the Lord for direction and to avoid following our own, selfish, ways.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 7:24  [NLT] …  

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  

… Following Jesus is like building our houses (i.e., our lives) on solid rock.

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 5:15-16   [NLT] … 

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  

… God, thru Paul, exhorts all to live wisely in these evil days.     

Reference Passage: … Colossians 4:5 [NLT] …  

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.    

… Again Paul charges fellow Christians to live wisely, following Godly ways, in the midst of non-believers who will go their own way.    

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Poh Fang Chia, AT THIS LINK   … wrote about how a Korean organization began having “free funerals” for the living, trying to encourage people to concentrate on how we live our lives in view of the 100% reality of impending death for all.  

And really, as God’s word - from Solomon (see the highlight passage) and Jesus (in Matt.7) and the Apostle Paul (in Eph 5 and Col 4) - we are charged to live our lives following God’s wisdom because we all will die in a world which wants us to follow our own selfish ways rather than God’s.  And so, I’m praying we all get in line to follow God’s will and His ways thru His word today.  

That’s why I’m here into God’s word today.  How about you?   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your word to guide me on Your path to wise living today - and tomorrow.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to simply choose to follow You, Lord, from Your word today rather than being fools to follow the world or our own selfish ways. 

=============

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.