Sunday, January 15, 2023

January 15, 2023 … From Hapless To Hopeful …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 15 


Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Lauren Daigle singing  Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus … poignantly singing, from a new version of the old hymn which calls Christians to turn from our hapless life to the hopefulness which comes from following Jesus.  



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Highlight Passage: …  Habakkuk 3:18 [NLT] …  

18 ... yet I will rejoice in the LORD!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!    

… God’s prophet, Habakkuk, strongly declares that no matter what happens in his life, he find joy in his relationship with the LORD.    


Highlight Passage (Context): …  Habakkuk 3:17-19 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… After the Prophet Habakkuk frustrating prayers in Chapter 1-2 of His lament, Habakkuk sings hopefully that nothing can steal the joy He has from His relationship with His God.                        

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

… God, thru Solomon, calls on believers to trust in and follow God no matter what we face in our lives.            


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

… Jesus invites His faithful followers to yoke ourselves to His strength when we’re frustrated in our faith and feeling weak.  


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

… Jesus charges His frustrated and confused Disciples in the upper room to have faith and abide in Him so that they can - and will - be fruitful in their (and our) lives.    


Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul relies on Jesus’ call for him to rely on God’s enabling and empowering grace when he (or we) feels frustrated in our human weakness.   


Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:6-7 [NLT] … 

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you..  

… God’s Spirit, thru Peter, exhorts fellow Christians - especially those being persecuted - to turn all our frustrations, worries, or concerns over to our ever-caring God.  

                                                                  

My Devotional JournalToday's Our Daily Bread author, Glenn Packham … AT THIS LINK   writes about a mother, named Monica, in the early church, who prayed and prayed for years to see her son, who was a prodigal, deeply into a life of sin, to turn around and find God.  And finally, her son, whom we know as Augustine, surrendered to live a life of faith who, as we know, became strong leader of the early church.      


And then the ODB author uses the biblical prophet Habakkuk as an example of a faith, frustrated by the world, who learned to trust in God’s control and to follow the Lord’s ways in life … no matter what he faced.  And if my readers have taken in the linked song and the Scriptures provided above, I pray we all can hold on to God’s reality that His grace is ALWAYS there for us and His strength is ALWAYS available to us when we’re frustrated with life.  


And that result, as we trust in God, can - AND WILL - take us from hapless to hopeful and allow us to find joy, as did Habakkuk n the highlight passage, … yes, even when we’re being frustrated in life.        


My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your grace to deal with the frustrations of life.                

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to take our frustrations to You, Lord, when we feel too weak to handle things. … maybe even 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.

1 comment:

Kjetil said...

Yes...amen!!!
Kjetil