Friday, April 29, 2022

April 29, 2022 … Faithfully Following Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 119 


Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Clay Crosse, Bob Carlisle, and Bebe Winans singing … I Will Follow Christ … powerfully singing of a true disciples of Christ doing all we can to faithfully following our Lord … NO MATTER WHAT!!


Are we burning incense to false gods?

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

Highlight Passage [Context]: …  Jeremiah 44:16-17a [NLT] …  

16 “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! 17 We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—. … 

… The Jews, exiled in Egypt, ignored God’s warning thru Jeremiah and decided to worship idols and false gods.                         


Highlight Passage [Context]: … Jeremiah 44:1-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God’s people, exiles in Egypt, ignore God’s warning from Jeremiah against them burning incense and worshipping false idols.                                                                           

===============      


Reference Passage: … Psalm 19:7-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… King David declares in song the value of following God’s word … ALWAYS.  


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

… King David declares in song the value of following God’s word … ALWAYS.       


Reference Passage: … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 

23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  

… Jesus teaches His followers that to be His disciple they (we) must deny themselves (ourselves) and be willing to follow the Lord faithfully … anywhere He leads.       


Reference Passage: … Romans 6:22 [NLT] … 

22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

… Paul teaches truth about being freed from the bondage of sin to become slaves of God’s way as we’re sanctified by our obedience to God’s word .                                                                            

My Devotional JournalToday's Our Daily Bread author, Mike Wittmer … AT THIS LINK  told of his father-in-law, being treated unsuccessfully with chemo for pancreatic cancer, and being faced with a life-or-death decision … to go on with the chemo or seek out another form of treatment.    


And that’s what God’s people faced when they had exiled to Egypt to escape their enemies invading Judah.  The Jewish exiles had a choice …  and they had begun to burn incense (see photo) and worship false gods or rather than follow God’s lead, thru the Prophet Jeremiah.  And the exiles chose to ignore God’s word thru Jeremiah … BAD CHOICE!!!


And we, who call ourselves “Christian” and espouse to follow Christ, … are we willing to do what is sung in the linked song and commanded, thru God’s word, calling us to obey God’s truth and to deny our own way to follow the Lord?     Because if we are, the way may be VERY TOUGH to follow, but most certainly worth it as our God will lead us home to eternal life with Christ.  And I’d say that’s WAY WORTH IT to obey the Lord and follow Him, … wouldn’t you say so?!            


My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for leading me home to be with You forever.            

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to do all we can … today and tomorrow … to follow You, Lord!     Amen 


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

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.

No comments: