February 5, 2022 … Through It All …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 36 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in a song and lyrics from the Heritage Singers singing … Through It All … singing of how Christians must often learn of God’s grace thru suffering for Him. 

Trusting Christ ... Thru It All ... 

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Highlight Passage: …  Romans 5:3-4 [NLT] …  

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 

… God, thru Paul, helps us see that sometimes we have to go thru suffering and pain to see the reality of our salvation in/thru Christ’s finished work on the cross and His resurrection to provide us with His enabling grace.                        

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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Romans 5:1-11 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul helps fellow Christians, like you and me, to understand that we are being reconciled to Christlikeness thru the sufferings we encounter in life.                               

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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Proverbs 3:5-6 [NLT] …  

5 Trusts in the Lord with ALL your heart; and do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek His will in ALL you do, and He will show you which patch to take.  

… Solomon shows us that we find our way in life by COMPLETELY trusting in our Lord, … no matter what happens!  

Highlight Passage [Context]: … 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 gives assurance to His disciples (and us too!) that we will encounter trials in this life; but in our relationship with Him, we find the grace and peace to endure.  

Highlight Passage [Context]: … 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.

… Paul helps fellow Christians see that EVERYTHING we encounter - including the suffererings of life is for our good and God’s glory.  

Highlight Passage [Context]: … James 1:2-4 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru James, assures Christians that we go thru troubles and suffering to ultimately produce a stronger relationship with our Lord.

Highlight Passage [Context]: … 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, writing to persecuted and oppressed Christians, assures them (and us) that the sufferings we go thru are to prepare us to be restored and reconciled to Christ and onto a firmer foundation in this life and certainly in the next.  

          

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Marvin Willians, … AT THIS LINK …  uses a story about Dan, a fellow Christian, who became paraplegic and wheelchair bound from a motorcycle accident (see photo), and then had to come to terms with the reality that sometimes God allows us to go thru suffering to bring us closer to our salvation our Lord and the sanctifying grace we get thru that suffering.   

I don’t like that truth; ,,, do you?  But truth it is!! … And I have to admit that in recent months I’ve come thru some debilitating pain.  And thru it all, as the linked songs shares, I’ve come to realize - more deeply than ever - the truth of the the Scriptures above.  And I’m praying today that we don’t have to go thru suffering to grow closer to Christ; but IF WE DO, I’m really praying that we can praise the Lord in and thru the pain we have to endure.     

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me Your enabling and enduring grace thru the pain I’ve suffered recently.       

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to trust and praise You, Lord, … no matter what we’re enduring for our good and Your glory.     … 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.