September 20, 2022 … Bad Choices -> Bad Consequences …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 263 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Unspoken singing … Mistakes … poignantly singing of how our faith and hope in Christ can overcome even our worst mistakes. 

Moses strikes the rock in anger ... 

  

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Highlight Passage: … Numbers 20:12 [ESV] …  

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” 

… Moses’ haste and lack of trust in God by striking the rock in anger has costly consequences.                         

Highlight Passage (Context): … Numbers 20:1-12 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses acts in haste with BIG consequences.                                                                             ===============                                                                     .     

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

…  if we trust in following God’s way and not our own, He will lead us to His glory.              

Reference Passage : … Proverbs 21:5 [ESV] …    

<i>    5 Good planning an hard work lead to prosperity; but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.</i>

…  God, thru Solomon, teaches that hasty planning and decisions have bad consequences.    

Reference Passage: … Matthew 6:33-34 [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK …  

…  Jesus teaches His followers that they (we) must seek God first; and He will provide their (our) needs.         

Reference Passage: … Romans 8:28 [ESV] …  

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 shows fellow Christians that even our mistakes can - AND WILL - be used for our good and God’s glory.  

Reference Passage: … Galatians 6:7 [ESV] …  

7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

… Paul shows fellow Christians that we reap what we sow in terms of the decisions we make.

                                                                                

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Tom Felton… AT THIS LINK … relates a story of making a bad choice to drive in driving rain with faulty windshield wipers snd the resultant accident which led the author to be hospitalized, … relating to the readers that bad choices can have bad consequences.  

Moses made a really bad, impulsive, choice in anger when he struck the rock see photo - in Numbers 20:1-12; and His choice had lasting consequences as we learn from the other Reference Scriptures above.  We reap what we sow, don’t we? (see Gal. 6:7).  But the Scriptures above also teach that if we trust God see Proverbs 3:5-6), He will still lead us to His good purposes and for our good (see Romans 8:28).  

So, I pray that as we make decisions in our lives today where we do our best to make them for God’s glory and that we avoid letting our feelings and emotions lead us to make bad choices which will have bad consequences.  But even if, and when, we make hasty/bad choices, … our God can - AND WILL - turn them around for His glory and our good.             

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your enabling grace to overcome my selfish nature today.    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to do our best to glorify You, Lord, by following Your ways 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.