August 31, 2022 … Sometimes Knowing Hurts …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 243 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Kristyn Getty singing a Stuart Townsend’s song … The Perfect Wisdom of Our God … poignantly singing of our God revealing His perfect wisdom thru His creation to those who desperately need His lead in life.     

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Highlight Passage: … Ecclesiastes 1:18 [NLT] … 

18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

…  Solomon shows how perplexing it can be to gain Godly wisdom and to be able see and realize the degradation in the world’s condition.         

Highlight Passage (Context): … Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Solomon helps anyone who will listen to his discoveries about life that coming to a fear of God can be painful when one views the condition of the world.                                                       

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Reference Passage: … Job 28:28 [NLT] … 

28 And this is what He says to all humanity:  “The fear of hate LORD is true wisdom; … to forsake evil is real understanding.”  

… God speaks about true wisdom to all who would listen, including Job, who was so confused about his horrible condition.

Reference Passage: … Psalm 111:10 [NLT] …  

10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.   

… God’s psalmist, likely King David, sings of the truth that true wisdom is found in those who obey God’s word.

Reference Passage: … Proverbs 1:7 [NLT] …  <

7 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.   

… Knowing God is the beginning of all true knowledge.  

Reference Passage: … Ecclesiastes 12:13 [NLT] …  

13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 

… Solomon’s final conclusion on God’s charge to all who would believe and follow Him.

Reference Passage: … Luke 1:50 [NLT] …  

50 He [the LORD] shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him.  </i> 

… Mary, inspired by God, sings truth about God showing mercy to all who come to fear the LORD.                  

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal:Today's Our Daily Bread author, Mike Witmer … AT THIS LINK … wrote of a friend, coming back from a long rafting trip thru the Grand Canyon, to learn of the onslaught of the COVID pandemic and wishing that the rafting crew could go back to the joy of entering their trip without knowing about the COVID crisis.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?    

It’s a conundrum, …  that the more we gain of God’s wisdom, the more easily we can see the paltry condition of God’s creation and how far man has fallen from God’s perfection in the Garden.  Oh how we Christians would like to return to that beginning, wouldn’t we?  But we can’t. 

And that’s what Solomon wrote about in the book of Ecclesiastes (see highlight passage); and it’s what we read about in the truth of the Scriptures above; … that Godly wisdom only comes in knowing God’s truth and following it - in faith - no matter where it might lead us.  And that’s why you find me back here - into God word daily - seeking to know my Lord’s way in order to follow it in life again today.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your word that I might know You more intimately and to follow Your ways for my life. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to follow Your ways, Lord, thru Your word, …no matter where You will lead us in life.  … 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.

August 30, 2022 … Shining His Light …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 242 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Graham Kendrick singing a new arrangement of the old hymn … Shine Jesus Shine … powerfully singing a prayer for Jesus to shine thru the lives of us who are born-again in/thru Him.     

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Highlight Passage: … Matthew 5:16 [NLT] …  

16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 

…  Jesus commands His followers to shine God’s light into the darkness of the world with their (our) good works.       

Highlight Passage (Context): … Matthew 5:14-16 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus teaches His followers to shine the Light of God thru their good works, shining for all to see the Heavenly Father.                                                                                                                 

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Reference Passage: … Proverbs 4:18 [NLT] …  

18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines even brighter until the light of day.  

… God shows, thru Solomon, that walking in righteousness shines like the dawn with the light of day. 

Reference Passage: … Daniel 12:3 [NLT] …  

3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.   

… God prophesies, thru Daniel, that when Messiah comes to rule the world forever that those who have Godly wisdom will shine like the stars in the darkness.   

Reference Passage: … John 8:12 [NLT] …  

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  

… Jesus shows the Jewish leaders that He was the “light of the world” and would lead God’s people out of their darkness. 

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 4:6 [NLT] …  

6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.  

… Paul teaches fellow Christians that following God’s will and His ways is following God’s light, Jesus Christ, out of the darkness of this world.

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 5:8 [NLT] …  

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to radiate Christ’s light now that we have become children of God’s light.               

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Katara Patton … AT THIS LINK …  used the very successful advertising slogan of Motel-6 (see photo), which declared  “We’ll leave the light on for you.” … to illustrate a very strong biblical principal about God’s light shining into the darkness of this world and welcoming all who would come to to Christ’s light and out of the darkness (see Scriptures above).  

And if you’ve taken in the linked song and mediated on the Scriptures above, all us who claim to be disciples of Christ should feel the call for us to shine the light we have been given to share with this very darkened world, … the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, … which, like the Motel-6 slogan, … invites all to come to Christ and shine His light into the world.  

So, I pray that all who read here with me will shine Jesus’ light by the way we live thru and for Him today.

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … shining Your light for me to follow You again today.      

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to do all we can to shine Your light, Lord, by the way we live for You today.  … 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.

August 29, 2022 … Sowing and Watering …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 241 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Wendell Kimbrough singing … The Seeds of the Kingdom … poignantly singing of how God brings in His harvest when we are willing to plant and nourish His seeds of truth.    

Planting and watering God's seedlings ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Mark 4:20 [NLT] …  

20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”  

…  Jesus explains that when we sow His good seeds of truth in good soil and nourish the seeds they will grow and be fruitful for God’s Kingdom.       

Highlight Passage (Context): … Mark 4:13-20 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus explains His parable of seed planting to His disciples                                                       

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 126:4-6 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru a Psalmist, sings of spreading His seeds, even in times of sorrow, but being patient to reap the rewards of God’ joyful harvest in God’s time.  

Reference Passage: … Jeremiah 17:7-8 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God promises, thru Jeremiah, to bless those who grow in the soil in which God has planted them to become fruitful for God’s kingdom.  

Reference Passage: … John 15:1-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus shows His disciples that we will only be fruitful for Gold’s kingdom if we abide in Him.

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 3:6-9 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul shows fellow Christians that it matters not who plants God’s Gospel seeds or who waters the seedlings.  It is only important that we Christians participate, as God’s workers, as He brings in His harvest.            

Reference Passage: … James 5:7-8 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… James teaches that we, as God’s workers - in His field - must be patient … as is the farmer who plants God’s fields and waits for God’s harvest.   

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Kenneth Peterson … AT THIS LINK …  ells of an experiment begun in 1847 by a botanist, William Beal, who buried seeds in bottles, which every 20 years were to be brought out and planted to see which - if any - would germinate.  The last was planted in 2021 and some of the seeds still grew into productive plants (see photo).  

And according to the ODB author, that experiment calls attention to the story Jesus told His disciples (and to us) about His workers diligently planting the seeds of the Gospel, which in the proper soil and with the proper watering and care would bloom fruitfully for God’s kingdom and His harvest (see highlight passage above).  And the question raised by the linked song and God’s word above would call us - all of us who are disciples of Christ - to be willing to patiently plant God’s gospel seeds into all who will listen and receive God’s seeds of truth.  

My friend, will we be God’s seed planters and garden tenders today?  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing us where to plant Your seeds      

My Prayer Today:: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to scatter Your seeds of truth, Lord, where they might grow and be fruitful for Your kingdom.   … 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.

August 28, 2022 … Loving and Leaning …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 240 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Matt Maher and Lizzie Morgan singing … Leaning … powerfully singing of the grace and power we receive, as Christians, when we humbly lean on the everlasting arms of our Lord to deal with the trials of life.  

Ruth and Naomi, leaning on God together ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Ruth 1:16 [NLT] …  

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  

…  Ruth leans with love on her mother-in-law, Naomi, … committed to stay with her and lean Naomi’s God together.     

Highlight Passage (Context): … Ruth 1:11-19 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… The story of Ruth’s commitment to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, … no matter what may befall them a they left home, traveling to Jerusalem from Moab.                                                     

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

… God, thru Solomon, shows that the Lord will lead those who trust our Lord and faithfully lean on Him..

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 26:3-4 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God promises, thru Isaiah, to give peace to those who cling to God, trusting in the Lord as our eternal rock.   

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 4:16-18 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul shows fellow Christians why we don’t let our circumstances deter us from leaning and holding on to the hope we have in Christ.  

Reference Passage: … John 15;4-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus commands His disciples to cling to Him and His commands to be able to receive His empowering grace in times of trial.          

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] …  

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 

… Peter exhorts fellow Christ who are being persecuted to give all of our cares and worries over to our loving/caring God.  

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Anne Cetas… AT THIS LINK…   tells of a mother who lost a dear son to suicide; and, along with her family, learned that leaning on God’s love and His empowering grace was the only effective way to deal with the loss and the grief. 

And then the ODB author refers her readers to the story of Ruth, who lost her husband and leaned on the love of her Mother-in-law, Naomi (see photo) so that they could lean on God’s love together to help them travel from Moab to Jerusalem to deal with their mutual grief and pain.  

And that’s what the linked song and the Scriptures above convey, don’t they; … that, in the trials of life, we must lean on our God to be able to glean His power to give us the strength to move on thru the storms of life.  And oh how I pray that all reading here with me are leaning heavily on the everlasting arms of our Savior.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for being there with Your everlasting arms to carry me when I’m not strong enough to move onward n life.     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to trust in Your everlasting arms to lift us up today, Lord.   … 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.

August 27, 2022 … Following God’s Will …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 239 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Lydia Walker singing … I Have Decided To Follow Jesus … poignantly singing the old hymn about a Christian’s decision to surrender all and follow Jesus - NO MATTER WHAT! 

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Highlight Passage: … James 4:15 [NLT] …  

15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”  

… James exhorts fellow Christians to do all we can, as Christians, to seek and follow God’s will for our lives.     

Highlight Passage (Context): … James 4:13-17 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… James helps fellow Christians to see the importance of seeking, finding, and following God’s will.                                                                                                                                                   

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Reference Passage: … Deuteronomy 28:1-2 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God promises His chosen people, thru Moses, to bless those who faithfully follow His will.  

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

… God, thru Solomon, shows that the Lord will lead those who trust and faithfully follow His will.

Reference Passage: … Jeremiah 29:11 [NLT] …  

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  

… God, thru Jeremiah, shows shows His people that He has plans for those who’re faithful in following Him. 

Reference Passage: … John 14:15 [NLT] …  

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 

… Jesus declares that those who love Him will obey His will and follow His ways.         

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 11:1 [NLT] …  

1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

… Paul was confident that any who followed him would be following Christ.  

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Glenn Packiam… AT THIS LINK … writes about a time in 2000 when Blockbuster, the leading video-rental business at the time had the opportunity to buy a smaller competitor, Netflix who was launching a video streaming business.  However, Blockbuster decided to follow their own successful paradigm of business at the time and balked at buying Netflix.  BIG MISTAKE!!! 

Often, our plans, as Christians, can go awry when we decide to follow our own ways and will rather than seeking out and following God’s will for our lives.  That reality is what is conveyed in the linked song and the Scriptures above.  And I’m praying that yours truly - and all of those reading here with me - will be doing our utmost to discern God’s will for our lives and follow His ways, rather than merely surrender to follow our own feelings and instincts.   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me THE way to go by follow You, Lord.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to do all we can to seek Your will today, Lord; and then faithfully follow You again tomorrow.    … 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.

August 26, 2022 … Asking For His Help …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 238 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Alan Jackson singing … What A Friend We Have In Jesus … poignantly singing of how we Christians can always bring our concerns and cares to our Lord in prayer. 

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Highlight Passage: … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] …  

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

… God invites us to humbly and thankfully bring our concerns to Him to receive His peace rather than worry about them.     

Highlight Passage (Context): … Philippians 4:4-7 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul help fellow Christians that God wants us to bring our helps, hurts, and hang-ups to Him for his peace.                                                                                                                                    

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Reference Passage: … Psalm 116:1-2 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God’s Psalmist shows that we can ALWAYS take our prayers and concerns to God, Who will ALWAYS bend down to hear our prayers.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus invites His disciples (that’s us too) to let Him help us carry our burdens in life. 

Reference Passage: … John 15:7 [NLT] …  

7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 

… Jesus shows His disciples that if they remain and abide in Him, they can ask ANYTHING of Him and it will be granted.        

Reference Passage: … James 4:2 [NLT] …  

2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 

… James exhorts fellow Christians to take their concerns to God rather than hassle over them on our own.  

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] …  

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 

… Peter exhorts fellow Christians to give our cares to God because He, our Abba Father, cares for His children

Reference Passage: … Revelation 3:20 [NLT] …  

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 

… Jesus wants us, as His disciples, to hear Him knocking on the door of our hearts, … desiring that we open the door and let Him in to fellowship with us.     

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Arthur Jackson… AT THIS LINK … writes about the joy his wife expressed when she took her frustrations over a team project to the Lord and the work team was able to follow his wife’s lead to get the team project done. 

Hey, my reader friends, … how often to we try to take on the frustrations of life without first humbly (and thankfully) just taking our needs and anxieties to God for His help?  So, I challenge all of us to quietly take in the linked song by Alan Jackson and then meditate deeply on the Scriptures above; and then … just stop … and take our concerns and cares - and especially our worries - to God.  And then relax and let Him lead us to His peace - that peace that Paul says (in the highlight passage) goes way beyond all human understanding. 

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me access to Your peace …. any time … anywhere!!   

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to let You, Lord, hear our needs and give us Your peace - right now!  for H    … 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.