August 31, 2023 … The Lonely Path …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 244 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Zach Williams singing … heaven Help Me … singing of feeling lonely and needing God’s guidance down the lonely path in life.      

Down a scary path in life ... 

============        

Highlight Passage: … Psalm 142:1 … 3a [NLT] … 

1 I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. …  3a When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn.  …  

… King David pleads for the Lord to show him the way out of his lonely place.                                                                       

Highlight Passage (Context): … Psalms 142 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… King David sings of needing God to guide him down the lonely path in life.                               

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                     

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

…  God, thru Solomon, shows that we must trust God COMPLETELY, with Him showing us the right path to take in life.

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] …  

10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.  

… God’s promise, thru Isaiah, to ALWAYS be there to lead the believer with His victorious right hand.  

Reference Passage: … Matthew 28:20b [NLT] …  

20b  … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

… Jesus promises His born-again servants to ALWAYS be with them (us).  

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 13:5 [NLT] …  

5 For God has said,“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

… The author of Hebrews quotes from Deut 31:6, 8 … God’s promise to never fail or forsake His beloved believers.                         

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

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

… Peter encourages fellow Christians that our God ALWAYS cares for His own.          

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Leslie Koh  … AT THIS LINK …  Told of going on an exercise run with a friend in a foreign land on a rough and unknown trail and being afraid that the author’s friend would run off an leave him.  But the friend kept checking on him to lead on the lonely, unknown, trail.  

And I think we all have taken routes in life which were a bit - if not a lot - frightening, … much like King David as he sang about being in a lonely cave with King Saul trying to chase and kill him.  But David turned to His Lord to lead him onto the road to safety.  And that’s what I pray for all of us who might find ourselves on a lonely and frightening path in life.  

So, … I’m praying that if we find ourselves on one of those lonely roads, that we pray what Zach Williams sings about in the linked song and God writes about in the Scriptures above, … taking God’s lead to follow His safe path in life.    

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for leading me on Your road to glory, Lord.     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to follow Your safe path, O 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.

August 30 2023 … Following His Straight Path …

Berry atch Devotions in 2023 - Day 243 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from a praise group singing … Straight Paths … singing from Proverbs 3:5-6 of how, we Christians must trust and follow God’s straight path to glory.     

============        

Highlight Passage: … Isaiah 26:7 [NLT] … 

7 But for those who are righteous, the way in not steep and rough.  You are a God Who does what is right and You smooth out the patch ahead of them. 

… God promises a straight path of glory for His remnant of righteous ones.    .                                                                       

Highlight Passage (Context): … Isaiah 26:1-13 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God’s promise, thru Isiah, that the Lord will ultimately show His faithful Remnant the way of peace for the righteous.                                                                                            

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                     

Reference Passage: … Psalms 5:8, 32:8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…King David sings of following God’s straight patch in life, following The Lord to glory.  

Reference Passage: … Psalms 119:105 [NLT] …  

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my patch.  

…  King David declares that He will follow God’s word as a light for his path in life.       

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

…  God, thru Solomon, shows that we must trust God COMPLETELY, showing the right path to take in life.                   

Reference Passage: … Matthew 3:3 [NLT] …  

3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!  Clear the road for Him!’”  

… John The Baptist quotes from Isaiah 40:3 that Jesus, The Christ, was sent by God to prepare the way for those who believe to follow Him on God’s path to glory.   

Reference Passage: … John 14:6 [NLT] …  

 6 Jesus told (His disciples in the upper room), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

… Jesus declares to His disciples that following Him was the only straight way to glory.        

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Anne Cetas  … AT THIS LINK …  Used a story about Beep Baseball, where blinded players try to hit a beeping ball and run to bases which buzz to allow the sight-impaired and blindfolded players to run to the bases when they hit the ball.  

And if my readers have taken in the inked song and meditated on the Scriptures above, we, should SEE that the only way for those of us who are blinded by our sin nature, can run a straight path to God’s glory is to follow the path laid out by trusting and following our Lord, Who will lead us on His straight path to heaven.  So, are we on the right path … really THE ONLY path … to heaven and that is following our Lord as He leads us to glory.    

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me THE WAY, … really Your ONLY WAY …  to glory.  …     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to follow Your way, Lord, as You lead us to glory.  … 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.

August 29 2023 … Resting In Christ …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 242

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Steven Curtis Chapman singing … His Strength Is Perfect … powerfully singing of how, we who know Jesus as Lord, can find rest in and strength our relationship with Christ.     

============        

Highlight Passage: … Matthew  11:28 [NLT] … 

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   

… Jesus prays to invite His followers to find rest and strength in Him.  .                                                                        

Highlight Passage (Context): … Matthew 11:25-30 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus invites all those who know Him as Lord to yoke themselves (ourselves) to HIs strength when they (we) are weary.                                                                                          

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                     

Reference Passage: … Exodus 33:13-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Moses prays for God to show him more of Himself and God promises to personally go with Moses and the Lord’s people, giving Moses rest when he needs Go’s strength. 

Reference Passage: … John 14:27 [NLT] …  

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  

…  Jesus promises His weary and worried Disciples His peace.    

Reference Passage </u>: … 2Corinthians 12:9 [NLT] … 

9 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.    

…  Jesus shows Paul that His empowering grace works best in Paul’s time of weakness.   

Reference Passage: … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

…  Paul teaches fellow Christians truth about how to find God’s peace..                  

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 4:16 [NLT] …  

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 

… God, thru the Author of Hebrews, shows how we can find God’s empowering grace when we need it the most in times of  our weakness.        

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Karen Huang  … AT THIS LINK …  related a time when weariness overwhelmed the author and she prayed for God to give her the rest and strength she needed, … remembering Jesus’ invitation - in the highlight passage - to provide His followers with HIS empowering grace to give us HIS strength and rest when we need it the most.    

And if my readers have taken in the linked song and the Scriptures above, we all can find and take advantage of God’s empowering grace when we find ourselves depleted of the strength we need to deal with our weakness or weariness.  I’m praying that we all find our rest in our times of weakness … perhaps even today!   

My THANKFULNESS:... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for ALWAYS being there with Your strength when we’re weary or weak.     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to find our rest and strength in 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.

August 28 2023 … Starting Over …

Berry atch Devotions in 2023 - Day 241 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Ryan Stevenson singing … Fresh Start … powerfully singing of how, no matter what we go thru, God gives His children the opportunity to start over in Christ.     

============        

Highlight Passage: … Job 1:21 [NLT] … 

21 “ … “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away, Praise the name of the Lord.”  

… Even in Job’s loss, he was able to worship and praise the Lord by starting over.                                                                           

Highlight Passage (Context): … Job 2:13-22 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Job’s faith, in all his loss, called God’s faithful servant to start over.                                           

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                     

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

… We Christians are called to trust in our Lord with all our hearts, no matter what we face in life.

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 43:19 [NLT] …  

19 For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.  

…  God’s promise, thru Isaiah to His people that He, The Lord, will make a new world for His people. .  

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’s promise to HIs people, thru the prophet Jeremiah to carry our His covenant plans for His people.  

Reference Passage: … 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 teaches fellow Christians truth about our Lord causing EVERYTHING to work for the good of those who live according to God’s purposes.                  

Reference Passage: … Revelation 21:4 [NLT] …  

4 .He will waive ever tear from their eyes, and there will be nome death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All these things are gone forever.”   

… God’s promise of a New Jerusalem for all His people.       

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson  … AT THIS LINK … related a story about an enterprising engineer, name Cesar, who, much like the biblical story of Job, lost all he owned to a radical government and rather than wallowing in self pity, simply  started over .  

Personally, I’ve always been convicted by the witness and the account of Job in God’s word.  He lost everything …. EVERYTHING; …  and yet this servant of God was able to worship his God.  Could you and I do that?  Oh, how I pray so!!  

PS:  Every year on Dec 31st, my computer reminds me to read a poem by Woodrow Kroll, entitled Start Over!.  Well, it’s not 12/31; but you can still read the poem … AT THIS LINK    ….  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for being there for me … ALWAYS!    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to trust in You, Lord, to lift us up when we encounter the troubles of life.  

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

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 2023 … Making the Most of It …

Berry Patch Devotions in 2023 - Day 240 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from David Crowder and  Tauren Wells singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of how, no matter what we go thru, including death, …  we can - and should - put all our hope in Christ, Who died to save us from our selves.   

============        

Highlight Passage: … 1Chronicles 28:2-3 [NLT] … 

2 David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, 3 but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’. 

… When the friends of Jesus saw Him weeping for Lazarus, they knew of His love for him.                                                          

Highlight Passage (Context): … !Chronicles 28:2-3, 6-12 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… King David declares his disappointment as as God declares that Solomon will build the Lord’s Temple to house the Ark of The Covenant.                                                                                      

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                     

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] …  

41 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.   

…  God’s promise, thru Isaiah to His people that He, The Lord, will ALWAYS be there to lift up His remnant of believers.  

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’s promise to HIs people, thru the prophet Jeremiah to carry our His covenant plans for His people.  

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

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3%3A5-6&version=NLT

… We can - and MUST - trust in our Lord with all our hearts, no matter what we face in life.

Reference Passage: … 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 teaches fellow Christians truth about our Lord causing EVERYTHING to work for the good of those who live according to God’s purposes.                  

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

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

… The Apostle Peter encourages fellow Christians to give ALL there (our) cares and worries over to our God, Who loves and cares for all those who are surrendered to follow Him.      

                                                                                                                                         

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Alyson Kieda  … AT THIS LINK …  related a story about a senior class in a high school who worked and saved  enough money to finance a dream senior trip, … then to learn, after purchasing the planned trip, that the purchase was a scam.  Well, the class was able to salvage a two-day class experience from local attractions who donated their attractions, …. making the most of the times together to remember the time they had experienced  …TOGETHER … as a class.  

I’m sure that we’ve all had some significant heartaches or disappointments in our lives along the way of life, … haven’t we?   Well, as Christians, how do we deal with those setbacks?   Well, taking in the linked song and the Scriptures above, we need to remember that our God has promised to take care of His own; and so, I’m praying that we all can be lifted up by God’s promises to ALWAYS be there for us - as His children - as we deal with the disappointments of life.    

My THANKFULNESS:... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for being there for me … ALWAYS!    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to trust in You, Lord, to lift us up when we encounter the troubles of life.  

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

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.