September 30, 2023 … Used For God’s Glory …

September 30, 2023 … Used For God’s Glory …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Chris Tomlin, singing … Faithful … Poignantly singing of how we, Christians, can trust the faithfulness of God. 

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Highlight Passage: … Joshua 2:11 [NLT] … 

11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.  

… Rahab expresses faith in the God of Jacob and the one true God.                         

               

Highlight Passage (Context): … Joshua 2:1-4, 9-14  [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… The story of God using the faith of Rahab for His glory.                                                              

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

… God’s word, thru Solomon, charges believers to trust in God’s faithfulness … ALWAYS!      

Reference Passage: … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus calls all Christians to be His faithful followers - ALWYS - promising to be with us ALWAYS.  .           

Reference Passage: …Acts 1:8 [NLT] …  

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”.  

… Jesus calls all Christians to be His faithful witnesses everywhere and always.          

Reference Passage: …  2Thessalonians 3:3  [NLT] … 

3 But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.  

… The Apostle Paul promises fellow Christians that our God is faithful to give us His strength in dealing with our enemies.        

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 11:31  [NLT] … 

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. 

… God’s word documents Rehab’s faith in serving God.    

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Kenneth Peters … AT THIS LINK …  writes about how Hollywood often depicts spies as flamboyant with fancy cars and dangerous confrontations with their enemies.   However, the Bible uses Rahab (see highlight passage) as an example of God’s double-agent, … His spy who appeared to be as far from looking like a spy as one could.  .  

Do we Christians realize that we are all called to be double-agents for our Lord, … witnessing and serving our God (see Acts 1:8)</b> wherever we are?  So, … what can we do today to be His double-agent, sharing how God transforms the lives of those who quietly, but faithfully, witness  to others of His glory.   

      

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for calling me to be Your faithful witness today.                         

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to faithfully trust You, Lord, and to be Your double-agent whenever You give us the opportunity to witness of Your glory.     … 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.

September 29, 2023 … A Giving Heart …

September 29, 2023 … A Giving Heart …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from the praise group, Vintage Worship, singing … Generous Giver … Poignantly singing of our God’s infinite giving nature and the goodness of His grace. 

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Highlight Passage: … Proverbs 11:25 [NLT] … 

25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.   

… God promises to refresh those who refresh others with a giving spirit. .                         

               

Highlight Passage (Context): … Proverbs 11:15-25  [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God, thru Solomon promises goodness and reward for those who have a generous and giving heart.                                                                                                                           

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Reference Passage: …Proverbs 19:17 [NLT] …  

17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD - And He will repay you!   

… Solomon shows that our giving to the poor will be rewarded by a giving God.      

Reference Passage: …Matthew 6:21 [NLT] …  

21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be.  

… According to Jesus, a giving heart is a treasure chest of God’s grace.           

Reference Passage: …Luke 6:38 [NLT] …  

8 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.  

… Jesus teaches those who come after Him about the results of a generous and giving heart.      

Reference Passage: …  2Corinthians 9:6-7 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… The Apostle Paul teaches fellow Christians about having a generous and giving heart, quoting from <b><u>Proverbs 22;8</b></u> … that God loves a person with a generous heart.       

Reference Passage: … Galatians 6:7-10 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God’s word, thru the Apostle Paul, exhorts fellow Christians to never get tired of doing good or giving to any/all in need, especially fellow Christians..      

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Xochitl Dixon … AT THIS LINK …  … tells of giving the best fan from the author’s collection of delicate hand fans (see photo) to Kinslee, the four year old daughter of a friend, so that Kinslee would remember the author after Kinslee’s family had moved away.  It made our ODB author happy to see Kinslee so happy in receiving that fan.  

And if my readers have taken in and meditated on the linked song and the reference scriptures above, I pray we all realize how much our Lord values those who exercise a Christ-like giver’s heart.  We need to ask ourselves!… Are we giving all we can give to others as a reflection of  our God’s mercy and giving grace?  I’m convicted; how about you?    

      

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for calling me to give from a heart which reflects Your mercy, love, and grace today.                        

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to give from a heart which reflects Yours, Lord, 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.

September 28, 2023 … Tending To God’s Garden …

September 28, 2023 … Tending To God’s Garden …    

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Alan Jackson, singing … In The Garden … Poignantly singing of sharing God’s garden of wisdom and love with our Lord.  

Tending to God's garden ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Song of Solomon [NLT] … 

15 Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!   

… We are charged to watch over and protect God’s vineyard of love and grace.                       

               

Highlight Passage (Context): … Song of Solomon 2:8-17  [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… God’s word, likely thru Solomon, calls on man to watch over and tend to God’s vineyard of love and grace.                                                                                                                          

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Reference Passage: …Genesis 2:15 [NLT] …  

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.  

… God charged mankind to watch over an tend to His creation.    

Reference Passage: … Psalms 1:1-3  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Those who delight and follow God’s word will be like trees which are planted near water and thrive to fruitfulness.             

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 58:11 [NLT] …  

11 The  LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  you will be like a well-watered garden, like an every-flowing spring.  

… God’s promise, thru Isaiah to His chosen faithful to watch over and keep them (us) fruitful.     

Reference Passage: …  Luke 13:18-19 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus uses the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed being planted and tended by God’s chosen to become a strong tree in His garden of life.       

Reference Passage: … John 15:1-8 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus declares to HIs disciples (and all Christians) that they (we) must abide in His word to become fruitful.    

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Karen Pimpo … AT THIS LINK …  tells of planting and tending to a fruit and vegetable garden which was invaded by rabbits and destroyed.  Then the ODB author used a reference to the biblical Song-of-Solomon (see highlight passage), referring to our relationship with God being like a garden of love, planted by God in our hearts, to be tended and protected so tit will blossom of His love and grace and become fruitful. 

And if my readers have taken in and meditated on the linked song and the reference scriptures above, I pray we all are tuned-in to God’s desire for us Christians to abide in Him,  by following His word, to tend the garden of love He has planted in our hearts to become fruitful for God’s glory.

I’m convicted!!  How about you?       

      

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for calling me to tend carefully to Your garden of love and grace.  

                     

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to watch over Your garden of grace, Lord, and to grow in fruitfulness for Your glory.     … 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.

September 27, 2023 … He Knows My Name …

September 27, 2023 … He Knows My Name …    

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Tasha Cobb Leonard, singing … You Know My Name … Poignantly and powerfully singing of how God sees all and knows His own by name, caring for all about His children.    

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Highlight Passage: … Genesis 16:13 [NLT] … 

13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”  

… Hagar recognizes God as “El-Roi,”  the One Who sees her.     .                        

               

Highlight Passage (Context): … Genesis 16:1-16  [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Hagar gives birth to Ishmael and recognizes god as the God Who sees, (i.e., El-Roi0    .         

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 139:1-7  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… King David sings of sings of God seeing, hearing, and knowing all about His chosen ones.           

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 43:1 [NLT] …  

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD Who created you.  O Israel, the One Who formed you said, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransom you, I have called you by name; … You are mine.  

… God calls out, thru Isaiah, to His chosen people, calling them by name.   

Reference Passage: …Jeremiah 1:5 [NLT] …  

5 “… I (God) knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as My Prophet to the nations.” 

… God shows Jeremiah that God knew him and called him out to be a Prophet to God’s people even before even Jeremiah was in his mother’s womb.   

Reference Passage: …Matthew 10:30 [NLT] …  

30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 

… Jesus declares to HIs disciples that even the hairs on their heads are numbered by God.    

Reference Passage: …John 10:3 [NLT] …  

3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.

… Jesus declares that He is the gate keeper and good Shepherd to God’s flock, calling them by name.     

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Mike Wittmer … AT THIS LINK …   tells a story of a young woman, …Natalia, … who moved to a new country with the promise of getting an education and a new life.  But the father of the family where Natalia moved abused her and made Natalia his slave.  But God watched over Natalia and she was taken under the care of another family who watched over and cared for Natalia’s welfare, allowing her to thrive and grow under God’s care.  

Oh how I pray that all my readers here know that our God knows all about us and watches over us, … just as He did for Hagar and her son, Ishmael (see highlight passage above).   Because our God truly is, as Hagar named Him, “El-Roi,” … the God who sees, …   He has named even the hairs on our heads and watches over us as God, the Father’s, Good Shepherd, Who is the Gatekeeper of God’s flock (see reference Scriptures above).   

And I pray that all of us realize that our Lord knows us by name and watches over our welfare … ALWAYS.  He is certainly my “El-Roi.”  Is He Yours?      

      

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for ALWAYS being there to watch over and care for my life.                    

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to know You, Lord, as our El-Roi !!     … 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.