Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 333
Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from the group Mercy Me singing … Even If … poignantly singing of how our faith is often test by severe persecution or trial and how we must stand firm … NO MATTER WHAT!
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Highlight Passage: … Daniel 3:18 [NLT] …
18 But even if He [God] doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up..
… Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing firm in faith in spite of the threat of death.
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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Daniel 3:12-18, 25-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Thru the lives of three faithful Jewish boys, who stood strong in faith no matter the threat of death in the fiery furnace.
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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
…Trusting and following God … NO MATTER WHAT we face.
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, reminds His Disciples in the upper room (and us too!) that they (and we) will face many trials in this world; but that HE had over come those trials.
Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 10:13 [NLT] …
13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.
…”Temptations” is also translated “tests, trials, or tribulations” as Paul reminds persecuted Christians that our Lord will ALWAYS stand with those who stand with Him.
Reference Passage: … James 1:12 [NLT] …
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
… God, thru James, reminds Christians that God will bless those who stand up in faith to endure testing and temptation.
Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:10 [NLT] …
10 In His kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.
… Peter reminds severely persecuted Christians (and us) that NO MATTER WHAT we suffer in this life, our God will restore Christians who stand with/for our Lord.
My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Lisa M Samra, AT THIS LINK … tells of a young lady, named Esther, who had suffered thru severe illness and threats of death for teaching a Bible study in an anti-christian area of the Philippians, and who was quoted saying, “I can’t stop telling people about Jesus because I’ve experienced the power, love, goodness, and faithfulness of God in my life.”
Right now, in our western world, I think my readers would agree that persecution of Christians is is increasing. And so, by taking in the linked song and meditating on then truth of the Scriptures above, the ODB author reminds us of the story of the three Jewish boys in the book of Daniel (see highlight passage and the attached photo), who stood firm in their faith even with the threat of death in a fiery furnace.
When - and if - any of us who are disciples of Christ encounter such persecution in the future, …which is becoming more and more likely, … I pray that all of us will remember the truth and promises of our God in the Scriptures above; and we stand strong in our faith.
Do you join me in that prayer?
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …for giving me the enabling - empowering - grace to stand for You, my King Jesus, in the trials I will face ahead in life.
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to stand strong in our faith, Lord, NO MATTER WHAT we sill face in our future. … 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.
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