Jan 3, 2025 … Quelling Our Fears

Jan 3, 2025 … Quelling Our Fears  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Zach Williams singing … Fear Is A Liar … showing that God gives us His strength in dealing with our fears.  

Highlight Passage: … John 16:33 [NLT] … 

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”            

… Jesus shares the hope of His resurrection to quell their fears of separation from Him by His death.                        

Highlight Passage (in context): … John 16:31-33  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus gives His disciples in the upper room His promise that He will overcome their (and our) fear of being separated from Him by death in that He has (and will) overcome death with life.       

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

… Solomon shows that trust in the Lord overcomes any/all fear and leads believers to follow God’s path in life.                                       

Reference Passage: … Isaiah 41:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… God’s Prophet shares God’s promise to strengthen His chosen in the face of their (our) fears and struggles.                       

Reference Passage: … Habakkuk 3:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Habakkuk’s faith in God’s restoring powers of salvation overcome any/all fears of what we face in this life. 

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 10:13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul assures fellow Christians that .. as the linked song sings … “God will make a way where there seems to be no way!” 

Reference Passage: … 2Timothy 1:7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul mentors and teaches truth to Timothy (and all Christians) that God NEVER brings fear into the lives of His chosen, but rather a Spirit of love, grace, and power.         

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …   

… Peter shares the that we can being any/all cares to our caring God.       

 

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author -  Karen Huang … AT THIS LINK  -  The ODB author, Karen Huang, told of waking up on a new year’s day in the past with great fears of what might lie ahead in that upcoming year.  She remembered the pain of some past life encounters and wondered if more of that kind of trouble would be encountered in the new year.  

But then, the ODB author remembered what Jesus promised to His disciples as He related what He would encounter in defeating death on the cross (see Highlight passage); and she likely recalled God’s truth, … as in the Scriptures shared above; and found hope in God’s assurance, giving the ODB author the peace and strength of God’s enabling grace from His word.  That’s where I get my strength as we move into this new year!   How about you?                                                                          

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for lifting me up and giving me Your strength to dispel any fears of life ahead.        

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to rely on YOUR strength, Lord, as we encounter the trials of life ahead.        …  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.

Jan 2, 2025 … Restoration Is God’s Promise

Jan 2, 2025 … Restoration Is God’s Promise 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Matthew West singing … Restored … promising God’s hope of restoration.  

Highlight Passage: … Isaiah 51:3 [NLT] … 

3 The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins.  Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.           

… God, thru Isaiah, promises eternal restoration to God’s chosen people, Israel.                      

Highlight Passage (in context): … Isaiah 51:1-6  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… The promise of restoration by God, … restoring the nation of God’s promised Messiah.          

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Reference Passage: … Job 42:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… After all Job went through, He was restored by God  …                                     

Reference Passage: … Psalm 51:12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… King David, after his sins before God, prays for restoration to God … just as we should!!                      

Reference Passage: … Joel 2:25-26 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… God declares , thru the Prophet, Joel, repeats of His promise to restore Israel. 

Reference Passage: … Habakkuk 3:17-18 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Habakkuk’s faith in God’s restoring powers of salvation no matter what happens to us in this life. 

Reference Passage: … John 16:33 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Jesus’ promise to His disciples that (and us), tho they (we0 would encounter great trials/trouble in this world, … that HE, Jesus, had (has) overcome the world.          

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 5:10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …   

… Peter shares the truth of God’s restoring grace to His chosen people, i.e., to all who have faith in Christ as Lord.      

 

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author -  Winn Collier … AT THIS LINK  -   In anticipation of the likely damage and deathly destruction of hurricane Laura from 150+/hour winds, one Louisiana sheriff in a dire warning declared, “Please evacuate. But if you choose to stay and we can't get to you, write your name, address, social security number, and next of kin and put it in a Ziploc bag in your pocket. Praying that it does not come to this.” 

And in looking at where this world is headed, one might see that kind of warning being posted for us.   “BUT” … and it’s a really big BUT … taking in the linked song and believing - <u>as I do</u> - in the restoration and salvation promise of God for those who believe and follow our Lord; … we may face worse winds that those of Hurricane Laura, but those who believe and follow our Lord will be restored just like God restored Job (see Job 42:10).  I choose to be one of those; … how about you?                                                                                

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for Your promise to restore me and to join you in glory.         

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to await the glorious promise of Your restoring grace, 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. 

Jan 1, 2025 … The Bible - His Story  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with music and lyrics with Alan Jackson singing … I Love To Tell The Story … telling of the wondrous story of Jesus being manifest in the lives of those who believe the Bible is truth. 

His Story - My "GPS" into the New Year >>> 

Highlight Passage: … 1John 1:2 [NLT] … 

2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — ...          

… John testifies to the reality of God being manifest in Jesus as The Christ.                     

Highlight Passage (in context)  … 1John 1:1-5  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… The Apostle John testifies to the reality of The Messiah in a letter to fellow Christians.              

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Reference Passage: … Isaiah 9:6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Isaiah prophesies of the coming Messiah …                                     

Reference Passage: … Matthew 1:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Matthew testifies of God’s prophesy, thru Isaiah, that Jesus would be born to a virgin and become Immanuel - “God with us.”                     

Reference Passage: … John 14:6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Jesus declares to Thomas, and the Disciples, of His fulfillment of God’s promise of the way, the truth, and the life …                           

<b><u>Reference Passage:</u> … Romans 10:9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …</b> 

… The Apostle Paul shares truth that anyone who believes in Jesus as The Christ will be saved        

<b><u>Reference Passage:</u> … Hebrews 1:3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  </b> 

…God’s promise thru the Author of Hebrews of God, thru Christ, sustaining everything He created.     

 

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author -  Kenneth Peterson … AT THIS LINK    …  The ODB author, for today’s entry tells of a remarkable 19th century woman, Kate Hankey, a poet and author, who wrote many words which became the words to hymns about Jesus.  See one of those in the classic old hymns linked above  

My fellow Christian readers, .. do we REALLY realize that God’s story is HISTORY (i.e., His Story); and it’s being written for others to read in the lives we live to reflect God’s story which is given to us in His word, … the Bible.  And I’m praying we live to honor His truth and to share - thru our lives - the reality of His story by living out of His word.  I’m in for that as my New Year’s resolution; … how about you?            

                                                                    

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … thank You, Lord, for giving me Your story, … God’s word, … to follow You into the New Year.          

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to use Your word, Lord, as our path to follow You … this year and thru all the time You give us to walk with You to 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.