Saturday, January 08, 2022

January 8, 2022 … Drawing Near To God …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 8 


Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from Russ Taff and Leigh Nash singing … Draw Near To God … poignantly singing of how we, as disciples of Christ, can draw nearer to our Lord by surrendering to follow Him more closely. 



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Highlight Passage: …  Leviticus 16:2 [NLT] …   

The Lord said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.  

… One can only draw near to the holiness of God by going thru God ordained processes.       

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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Leviticus 16:1-5 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Moses, instructs Aaron, the high Priest on how to draw near to the Hoy of Holies in the Tabernacle.                        

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Reference Passage: … Psalm 145:18 [NLT] … 

18   The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth.  

… God, thru King David’s song, promises to draw near to all who call on (i.e., pursue) Him thru His truth (i.e., His word). 


Reference Passage: … John 15:5-8  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... 

… Jesus teaches His disciples (and us) that the only ones who will be fruitful (for God) in our lives are those who abide (i.e., stay close) to God thru the way we live our lives. 


Reference Passage: … Hebrews 4:16, … 7:25 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ... </b>

… God show us thru His word that we can - and MUST - draw near to our God thru our abiding relationship with our Lord, and Savior, … King Jesus.  


Reference Passage: … James 4:8 [NLT] … 

  Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world  

… We can draw rose to our God by being cleansed in the closeness of our relationship with Christ. 

          

My Devotional JournalToday's Our Daily Bread author, Kirsten Holmberg ... AT THIS LINK   elates how the bank restrictions and rules to be ableto get into the bank to open a safe deposit box have become much more restrictive during the Covid pandemic, … comparing this with the rigorous restrictions which God gave Aaron (see highlight passage) to be able to draw near to God and to enter the Holy of Holies.      


But now, in our saving relationship with Christ, we can draw near to God’s holiness any time we, who are surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior, desire; … because we have desired to pursue God thru a close and abiding relationship with Christ (see Scriptures above).  The challenge of today’s ODB asks if we’re abiding close enough, as Jesus charges His disciples (see John 15), to draw near to our Lord and become fruitful as He desires of our lives.


I don’t know about you, my Christians friend, … but I’ve got some going to be in more of a surrendered mode so that I might draw closer to our Savior and receive the grace of His holiness to become more like Him.                              


My THANKFULNESS:: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for extending Your saving and sanctifying grace to even one like me.        

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to reach out and draw closer to You, Lord, thru a more abiding relationship with You, our LORD and Savior.    … 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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