April 17, 2019 … God’s Love Never Ceases

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 107 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Hillsong singing … The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases … poignantly singing of how God’s love and merry are never ending.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 1:12 [NLT] … 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 
… God created the flowers for His glory and saw that they were good.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 103:13-22 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Life is fleeting; but God’s love is never ceasing.
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 31:6 [NLT] … 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
… We need not fear because, as Moses promised Joshua, God’s love and mercy will ALWAYS be there for us.

Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … 22  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 
… God’s mercy and love never fail us. They are new every morning.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:8 [NLT] … 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 
… Since Jesus [i.e., God] never changes, … neither does His love for us.

Reference Passage : … 1John 4:15-16 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… Since God is love and never changes, we can always rely on His love.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, used a natural word picture of the greatness of God’s glory seen in His creation. The ODB author wrote … My youngest grandson is only two months old, yet every time I see him I notice little changes. Recently, as I cooed to him, he looked up at me and smiled! And suddenly I began crying. Perhaps it was joy mixed with remembering my own children’s first smiles, which I witnessed so long ago, and yet it feels like just yesterday. Some moments are like that—inexplicable.  

Anyone, like yours truly, who’s been so blessed, as in the attached photo, to hold an infant grandchild, or a parent holding their first child, has actually seen the love of God in the eyes of that loving child. And tho life’s moments are fleeting, as David sung about in the highlight Psalm 103, God’s love and mercy are new every morning (see Lam. 3:22-23). And, since our Lord never changes (see Heb. 13:8), neither will his love ever cease [see 1John 4:15-16].

So, … I pray today that all who read here KNOW, … beyond a shadow of doubt, … that God’s love, mercy, and grace, will ALWAYS be there for us; and that, even as God, thru Moses, promised Joshua (see Deut. 31:6), God’s love will FOREVER be there for us since He will never leave us, nor forsake us.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your love, which is ever lasting, … for Your mercy, which is new every morning.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to receive God’s everlasting, never ceasing, love, mercy and grace. … 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.

April 16, 2019 … “Stop and Smell the Roses”

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 106 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and song from Gordon Mote singing … Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory … poignantly singing of how we must take the time and take in what God has created for His glory and our pleasure … i.e., His creation.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Genesis 1:12 [NLT] … 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 
… God created the flowers for His glory and saw that they were good.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 1:1- 21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God creates EVERYTHING for our good and His glory.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 19:1 [NLT] … 1  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 
… All we have to do is look around us to see the glory of God and take in His glory.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:13-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David sings of the glory of God’s creation in the magnificence of our own bodies.

Reference Passage : … Romans 1:19-20 [NLT] … SEE THIS LINK …
… All we need to do is look around us to see God’s glory in Creation.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Xochitl Dixon, used a natural word picture of the greatness of God’s glory seen in His creation. The ODB author wrote … A rarely seen jellyfish waltzed with the currents, four thousand feet deep in the ocean near Baja, California. Its body shone with fluorescent shades of blue, purple, and pink, bright against the backdrop of black water [see photo #1 above]. Elegant tentacles waved gracefully with each pulsing of its bell-shaped hood. As I watched the amazing footage of the Halitrephes maasi jellyfish on the National Geographic video, I reflected on how God chose the specific design of this beautiful, gelatinous creature. He also fashioned the other 2,000 types of jellyfish that scientists have identified as of October 2017. 

It’s a good reminder for us, isn’t it; as the old adage speaks, to “stop and smell the roses.” And that leads us to do what Gordon Mote sings in today’s linked video/song … i.e, to look around us and see God’s glory on display in His creation. It’s springtime here where I live and the azalea bushes are in full bloom (see photo #2 below).

And in the sunlight here in the Midsouth of the USA, they are so, so beautiful; … but only for a few weeks.

So, I’m reminding myself today to take in this beauty and thank God for what He has created for us. And my fellow Christians, … YOUR ASSIGNMENT [should you so choose] … is to stop today and look around you, … wherever you are, … and, as Gordon Mote sings, don’t miss God’s glory!! 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for creating all I see and smell and touch so that we can see Your glory all around us.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to stop and look around us to see God’s glory today. … 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.

April 15, 2019 … My Friend, Jesus

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 105 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Friend of God … poignantly singing of how we, as disciples of Christ and born-again from His grace, can call God our “FRIEND.”

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 15:14 [NLT] … 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
… The simple (but difficult) formula for an abiding friendship with King Jesus.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 15:1-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares His abiding/loving friendship with those who abide in His Lordship; and thereby walk with Him by obeying His commands.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 28:20b [NLT] … 20  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
 … Jesus assures His disciples that He will always be their friend and walk with them ALWAYS.

Reference Passage : …Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …” 
… We can - and will - only be His disciples - and friends - if we’re willing to deny ourselves and follow Him.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 
… Obedience to the Lord’s commands is the way we show our friendship with Jesus so that He can express His friendship with others thru us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, used a personal remembrance to teach about the friendship we have with our Lord as His disciples. The ODB author wrote … As a little boy growing up in Ghana, I enjoyed holding my father’s hand and walking with him in crowded places. He was both my father and my friend, for holding hands in my culture is a mark of true friendship. Walking along, we would talk about a variety of subjects. Whenever I felt lonely, I found consolation with my father. How I valued our companionship! 

Loyal, … honest … friends are valuable - and rare - aren’t they? And when we have such a friend, we’d do anything to honor them with our loyalty and abide in that friendship, wouldn’t we?

And that was what Jesus was teaching His disciples in the upper room the very night He would be betrayed by one of them; and He would see the rest of them deny the friendship of their Lord by bolting and running in fear. Jesus called these men “FRIEND,” but they were to abandon that friendship that very night with their disobedience.

And that illustrates the classic mark of a true discipleship and friendship with our declared Lord and Savior, … our Friend, Jesus; … and that mark of friendship is obedience to Him (see Scriptures above).  So, today, as we attempt to walk in friendship with Jesus, we must ask ourselves, … “Am I willing to abide in my friendship with my Lord by obeying His word and His commands?” 

Personally, I need to attend to my friendship with my Friend, Jesus, more intimately today (see photo).

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for desiring to be our Friend. 
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to abide more intimately with our Friend today. … 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.

April 14, 2019 … So Many Questions!!

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 104 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how we need to bring our confusions and questions in life to the One with THE answers.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 3:12a [NLT] … 6 When Jesus saw him [the crippled man] and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 
… Seems so obvious; so why would Jesus asked the crippled man if he desired wellness? … It’s to hear his heart expressed openly.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 5:1-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus' question of the crippled man, ... asked and answered!
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Reference Passage : …Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24  Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 
 … My humble prayer everyday.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:7-9 [NLT] … 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 
… Jesus’ teaching on our need to come humbly to petition the Lord.

Reference Passage : …James 4:2 [NLT] … 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 
… God, thru James, shows us that so many things don’t come to us because we’re painful and unwilling to bring them humbly to God.

Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:6-7[NLT] … 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
 … Peter helps believers realize what it take to open God’s treasure chest of provision … i.e., HUMILITY.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, used a curious incident involving Jesus and a crippled beggar to illustrate His teaching that we need to humbly come to Him for the answers to our questions. The ODB author wrote … Does the sun rise in the east? Is the sky blue? Is the ocean salty? Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9? Okay, that last one you might only know if you’re a science geek or tend to dabble in trivia, but the other questions have an obvious answer: Yes. In fact, questions like these are usually mixed with a hint of sarcasm. 
If we’re not careful, our modern—sometimes jaded—ears can hear a bit of sarcasm in Jesus’s question to an invalid: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). The obvious answer would seem to be, “Are you kidding me?! I’ve been wanting help for thirty-eight years!” But there’s no sarcasm present, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Jesus’s voice is always filled with compassion, and His questions are always posed for our good. 

We all have questions, … don’t we? But so often, as the reference scriptures above teach, we hold back and our pride gets in the way of bringing our questions to THE ONE with the answers. And that’s what Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, doesn’t he?

Yes, the key to our getting GOD’S answers to our confusion and questions (see photo) is being willing to humble ourselves and bring those question to the Lord, … over and over and over again, if necessary. And in the Lord’s will and HIS timing, He will provide the answers … HIS answers. 

That’s why I come to my King Jesus … EVERYDAY … humbly asking Him what David asked the Lord in Psalm 139:23-24 … to provide me with His way, especially if my way is the wrong way. Perhaps that’s a good prayer to help you get your answers as well … today …or maybe tomorrow. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for letting me come to You, praying humbly to receive Your grace.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to come humbly with our questions to God’s throne of grace. … 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.

April 13, 2019 … Knowing He’s There

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 103 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from the group, Anointed, singing … God Is All Around Us … poignantly singing of the reality of our God being with us … NO MATTER WHAT.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Exodus 3:12a [NLT] … 12 God answered [Moses], “I will be with you. …” 
… A confused and unsure Moses gets God’s assurance that the Lord would always be with Moses. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Exodus 3:11-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s presence is experienced and deeply felt by Moses at the burning bush.
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Reference Passage : …Joshua 1:5 [NLT] … 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 
… At a time of great self-doubt, God assures Joshua, as He did Moses, that the Lord would ALWAYS be with him as he led God’s people into the promised land.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 29:20 [NLT] … 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
… Jesus assures believers that He will always be with us … NO MATTER WHAT!! 

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 11:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… We can only experience the presence and power of God thru faith.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5b [NLT] … For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” [from Deut. 31:8] 
… God, in Hebrews, restates His promise to NEVER leave the life of a believer, … again, NO MATTER WHAT!!

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Leslie Koh, used aa personal story to illustrate how God’s presence assures the faithful that God will NEVER abandon us. The ODB author wrote … When his wife contracted a terminal illness, Michael longed for her to experience the peace he had through his relationship with God. He had shared his faith with her, but she wasn’t interested. One day, as he walked through a local bookstore, a title caught his eye: “God, Are You There?” [see photo] Unsure how his wife would respond to the book, he walked in and out of the store several times before finally buying it. To his surprise, she accepted it. 
The book touched her, and she began to read the Bible too. Two weeks later, Michael’s wife passed away—at peace with God and resting in the assurance that He would never leave or forsake her. 

Today is a special day for me, my fellow Christians. 36 years ago today, this old warrior went from being a self-proclaimed “agnostic” (really an atheist) to a surrendered, repentant believer in Jesus Christ. It’s a long story; but from that day - April 13, 1983 - forward, I knew that God was real; and I had come to believe that His Son, King Jesus, was worthy of following. And from that day forth, my faith in Him has grown exponentially.

Today as any of you read here, I pray that you , as with many of the stalwarts of our faith, like Moses (see highlight passage), Joshua (see Joshua 1:5), and the author of Hebrews (see reference passages), KNOW, by solid faith in Jesus’ promise (see Matt. 29:20), that He, … KING JESUS, … is ALWAYS with us and will NEVER abandon us.

And because of the truth of God’s promises, we can move onward KNOWING, as the linked song sings, that “God is all around us.” 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the promise of Your eternal presence.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to live out our lives KNOWING that God is always with us. … 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.

April 12, 2019 … All Consuming Fire

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 102 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Crowder, with Lauren Wells, singing … All My Hope … poignantly singing of the reality of our hope being in the all consuming love/grace of King Jesus, … yes, when we feel like we’re being consumed by our enemies.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 32:3 [NLT] … 3  When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. 
… When David tried to dover-up his sinfulness with Bathsheba, he became consumed by the fires of guilt and remorse.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 32 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David, consumed by the fire of guilt and remorse, … but even more by gratefulness because of the all consuming grace of God.
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 51 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Resting in God’s grace, David discovers that The Lord’s all-consuming love restores the soul.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 [NLT] … 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 
 … It may seem like our lives are being consumed in the fires of this world; but God’s all consuming grace is always there to give us hope and restoration.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… When Paul felt consumed by the pain of the thorn God had allowed Satan to give him, Jesus reminds him that God’s all-consuming love is sufficient to give him the grace and strength to handle his circumstances (see also 1Cor. 10:13).

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 13:5b [NLT] … For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” [from Deut. 31:8] 
… God, in Hebrews, restates His promise to NEVER leave the live of a believer who is being consumed by fires of circumstances.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Bill Crowder, used an historical reference to illustrate how God’s all consuming love is always sufficient for us when life seems to be consuming us with its fires. The ODB author wrote … In his book The Call, Os Guinness describes a moment when Winston Churchill, on holiday with friends in the south of France, sat by the fireplace to warm himself on a cold night. [see photo]   Gazing at the fire, the former prime minister saw pine logs “crackling, hissing, and spitting as they burned. Suddenly, his familiar voice growled, ‘I know why logs spit. I know what it is to be consumed.’” 
Difficulties, despair, dangers, distress, and the results of our own wrongdoings can all feel consuming. Circumstances slowly drain our hearts of joy and peace. 

I’m sure that all reading here have been in a place - sometime/somewhere - when they felt like the circumstance of life felt like the fires of the world were all consuming. Perhaps we’re there right now.

That’s what King David felt when his guilt/remorse from the Bathsheba incident were consuming him [see highlight passage]. But when he finally confessed, rendering the confession in song (see Psalms 51 and 32), God’s even greater, ALL-CONSUMING, love and grace provided him with restoration and renewal.

And that’s the same all-consuming hope that Paul discovered (see the reference Scriptures) and the same hope sung about in the linked song. Yes, … truly … God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient for us when we feel like the fires of this world are burning us up.

So, with grateful and believing hearts, in surrender to our only hope, let us humbly come to God’s throne and praise Him for His all-consuming love and grace.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS being there with your restoring/redeeming grace when the fires of Satan, the world, and our own flesh seem to consume us.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to praise You, Lord, for your ALL-CONSUMING love/grace, which is always there for us when we’re thrown into the fires of this life. … 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.

April 11, 2019 … Wonderful Peace

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 101 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Don Moen singing his arrangement of the old hymn … Wonderful Peace … poignantly singing of the peace that can be had in the hearts of those who truly trust in the Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 23:4 [NLT] … 30  A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. 
… A heart filled with peace protects our health.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Proverbs 14:29-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, shows His children the results of a heart filled with peace.
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Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] … 3  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
 … Peace comes to those who trust FULLY in God and focus in Him 24/7.

Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 "Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.” 
… Living in obedience to Christ is the key which unlocks His peace in our lives.

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 11:11 [NLT] … 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 
… For those who can maintain a Godly discipline thru the challenges of life, peace will be the result.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
… Peter had it right when we’re dealing with disappointments in life; … we must just give them over to a loving God and receive His enabling grace and peace.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pay, used a young woman imprisoned and tortured to illustrate what our faith in a Good Shepherd can - and will - do. The ODB author wrote … For forty-five years after his career as a professional athlete ended, Jerry Kramer [see photo] wasn’t inducted into his sport’s hall of fame (the highest recognition). He enjoyed many other honors and achievements, but this one eluded him. Although he’d been nominated for the honor ten times, it had never been bestowed. Despite having his hopes dashed so many times, Kramer was gracious, saying, “I felt like [the National Football League] had given me 100 presents in my lifetime and to be upset or angry about one I didn’t get was kind of stupid!” 
Where others might have grown bitter after being denied so many times in favor of other players, Kramer wasn’t. His attitude illustrates the way we can safeguard our hearts against the corrosive nature of envy, which “rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30).

I’m sure all reading here have dealt with (or are dealing with) great challenges or disappointments in life … as did Jerry Kramer in this ODB story. But when we do, God’s word is clear as to the key to retaining God’s peace thru it all. And as Don Moen sings in the linked song, and as the Scriptures above remind us, our peace is contingent on our trust in and our focus on our relationship with Christ.

So, I pray that all reading here, especially those sustaining disappointments and discouragement, maintain the disciplines of the faith and hold on to our focus in Christ.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us Your peace when we trust in You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, in faith, to give over our disappointments to our Lord, and let His grace provide us with peace. … 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.

April 10, 2019 … Out from the Valley

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 100 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images from Marty Goetz singing his arrangement of … Psalm 23 … poignantly singing of God’s promise, as our Good Shepherd, to lead us from the valleys of the shadow of death to His eternal meadows of peace.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 23:4 [NLT] … 4  Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 
… Even in the darkest of life’s valleys, our Good Shepherd is there to lead us to His place of eternal safety.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Young shepherd boy, David, sing of His Good Shepherd taking him thru then valleys of death to find life for those in the Lord’s flock who follow the Shepherd.
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Reference Passage : … Deuteronomy 31:8 [NLT] … 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 
… As Moses gives God’s promise to Joshua when things seem overwhelming, we have the Lord’s promise that He’ll never leave us … in fact, that He’ll go ahead of those who trust Him.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:28-30 [NLT] … 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 
… Even in the toughest and heaviest of times, we can find rest under our Lord’s guidance

Reference Passage : … John 10:14-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus is our Good Shepherd; and those who know Him as Lord will follow Him out from the valley of fear to the meadow of His grace.

Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 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. 
… Encouragement and promise from Jesus, thru Paul, that His empowering grace is sufficient to give us His power to cover our weakness.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give ALL your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 
… Peter had it right when we’re in the valleys of despair … to give our cares over to the One Who cares for us.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pay, used a young woman imprisoned and tortured to illustrate what our faith in a Good Shepherd can - and will - do. The ODB author wrote … Hae Woo (not her real name) was imprisoned in a North Korean labor camp [see photo] for crossing the border into China. The days and nights were torture, she said, with brutal guards, backbreaking work, and little sleep on an ice-cold floor with rats and lice. But God helped her daily, including showing her which prisoners to befriend and share her faith with. After she was released from the camp and living in South Korea, Woo reflected on her time of imprisonment, saying that Psalm 23 summed up her experience. 

Perhaps the story of Hae Woo is a word picture of a time (maybe right now) when you found (or find) yourself imprisoned by the despair and fear of VERY tough circumstances. Maybe God felt (or feels) way far away. But just as Hae Woo did and Marty Goetz sings about, we can trust that our God will be there for us; yes, even in the valleys of the shadow of death.

And, He will lead us into His eternal meadows of peace, … BUT, … ONLY IF … we’re willing to do what Peter exhorts in 1Peter 5:7; and that is cast our fears and despair on the Good Shepherd and let Him, as Jesus promised in Matthew 11, take our yoke of fear and burdens of life, … allowing His empowering grace to give us the strength God promised to us in 2Cor. 12:9.

I pray that if any here are walking in that valley, that we see the Good Shepherd up ahead, leading us to His peaceful meadow …and trust Him enough to give us the grace to follow Him. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS being there when we need You to lead us out of the valleys of despair.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, in faith, to give over our fears and despair to our Good Shepherd and let Him lead us to His peace. … 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.

April 9, 2019 … Our Answer

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 99 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … powerfully singing of our answer to the questions of our day.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Acts 8:34-35 [NLT] … 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. 
… When Philip encountered an Ethiopian about God’s word, Philip had God’s answers for him. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Acts 8:26-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Philip had a “good news” answer to the Eunich’s questions.
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Reference Passage : … Esther 4:14 [NLT] … 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” 
… Mordecai to Esther, challenging her to bring witness of God to the king in desperate time.

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.” 
… No matter where we go, Jesus challenges us to be HIS witnesses.

Reference Passage : … 1 Peter 3:15 [NLT] … 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 
… As we worship God with our lives, we must be ready to give an answer about our witness when we’re questioned by others.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Escobar, used a personal reflection to illustrate Christians have an answer of witness when we’re challenged about our faith. The ODB author wrote … “What’s your name?” asked Arman, an Iranian student. After I told him my name is Estera, his face lit up as he exclaimed, “We have a similar name in Farsi, it’s Setare!” That small connection opened up an amazing conversation. I told him I was named after a Bible character, “Esther,” a Jewish queen in Persia (present-day Iran). Starting with her story, I shared the good news of Jesus. As a result of our conversation, Arman started attending a weekly Bible study to learn more about Christ.  

As we live our lives, as Christians, we will be confronted with challenges to our faith, … i.e., questions about how we live our lives, … especially these days in such a politically correct, ever secularized, world. This was the case for Philip when he encountered an Ethiopian Eunich (in the highlight passage); who, being a witness for God’s truth, was able to answer the African’s questions and lead him to Christ.

Certainly, as disciples of Christ, we are called [actually COMMANDED] to be Christ’s witnesses as we live our lives (see Acts 1:8). And God, thru Peter [in 1Peter 3:15] exhorted us to have answers when anyone challenges us with questions about our faith. Certain, as Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, Jesus is THE answer; but many times we have difficulty being able to articulate His truth to others.

I pray that, if we’re challenged by life - even today - to give answers to life’s questions, as was Esther in her day (see Esther 4:14), we will be able to be God’s witness and bring forth a clear testimony of truth for others to hear/see Christ in our witness for Him.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving us THE truth, thru Your word, to be Your witness when others challenge our faith.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, to be strong witnesses of truth when we’re challenged by life to come up with answers to life’s trials. … 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.

April 8, 2019 … Surprise Winners

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 98 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Matthew West singing … Broken Things … powerfully singing of the reality that in the race to get into heaven, the winners in this world will be last and the last in God’s kingdom will be first.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 19:30 [NLT] … 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. 
… Jesus teaching on who will be first and left behind in the race for heaven’s glory. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 19:16-30 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus shocks His disciples with His teaching on who would be the winners in the race for eternal glory.
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Reference Passage : … Mark 9:34-35  [NLT] …  34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” … Jesus makes it clear as to whom will be favored in heaven.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …” 
… Jesus’ simple (but very difficult) command to be His disciple by diligently following Him.

Reference Passage : … 2 Timothy 4:6-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul knew how to run the race for God’s glory. Do we?

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Winn Collier, used a sports analogy to teach on our striving to win the right to enter God’s forever kingdom. The ODB author wrote … Perhaps the most preposterous, spellbinding moment in the 2018 Winter Olympics was when the Czech Republic’s world champion snowboarder Ester Ledecka won an event in a completely different sport: skiing! And she took the first-place gold medal even though she had the unenviable position of skiing 26th—a feat believed to be basically impossible [see photo]. 
Amazingly, Ledecka qualified to race the women’s super-G—an event that combines downhill skiing with a slalom course. After she won by .01 of a second on borrowed skis, she was just as shocked as the media and other contestants who had assumed the winner would be one of the top skiers. 

And the ODB author has painted an interesting worldly picture of what Jesus taught His disciples about who will be the winners/losers in our striving to enter the kingdom of heaven.

And as Jesus taught, contrary to the way the world judges our racing about in this world, … it will be the last ones, … the ones who strive the most to serve others, who will be the winners in God’s kingdom (see Scriptures above). The Apostle Paul knew how to run that race for glory (see 2Timothy 4:6-8)

So, as we strive to honor God and work out our salvation, for His glory, are we running His race the way He desires or are we trying to run by the rules and expectations of the world?

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to prepare for this race we call life by the rules given to us in God’s word.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me, … striving to run the race of life by His rules. … 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.

April 7, 2019 … More Like Jesus

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 97 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images from Joy William singing … Do They See Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of the question all disciples of Christ should answer in the way we live our lives.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 2:13 [NLT] … 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. 
… God’s Spirit will work thru you to do whatever it takes to become more like Jesus. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 2:1-7, 13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul, helping other Christians to become more humble, like Jesus.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 11:29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
… Becoming more like Jesus is to first become the way He described Himself … “humble and gentle.”

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …” 
… Jesus’ simple (but very difficult) command to be His disciple by diligently following Him. .

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:1-2 [NLT] … 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 
… Paul so wanted his fellow Christian to lives lives worthy of the calling of being a disciple of Christ and becoming more like the Lord … humble and gentle … day-by-day.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Pho Fang Chia, used a discipleship situation to teach about growing in Christlikeness. The ODB author wrote … One Saturday afternoon, some youth group members from my church gathered to ask one another some hard questions based on Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Some of the difficult queries included: How often do you take an interest in others? Would someone describe you as humble or proud? Why? 
As I listened, I was encouraged by their honest answers. The teenagers agreed that it’s easy to acknowledge our shortcomings, but it’s hard to change, or—for that matter—desire to change. As one teen lamented, “Selfishness is in my blood.” 

As a more mature Christian, if any of those younger disciples asked you, “How do I become more like Christ,” … how would you answer them? That’s what the Apostle Paul was trying to do for lesser mature disciples in many of his letters, wasn’t he? Reading what he wrote to Philippi (see highlight passage) and to Ephesus (see Eph. 4:1-2), Paul was simply trying to show fellow disciples the essence of Christlikeness, which is what Jesus taught and commanded in Matt. 11:29 and Luke 9:13; and that is to follow Him and become more like Him.

And really, the first characteristics we should pursue to be more like our Lord are the ones He used to describe Himself (see Matt. 11:29) … humility and gentleness. So, if we are trying to have others see Jesus in us, as Joy Williams sings in the linked song, being more humble and meek of spirit, is the place to start. And that’s where I’m doing my self inventory of Christlikeness today, … so that, if any of those young people ask me how to be more like Jesus, I can be practicing what I teach them. 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading us to become more like You.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me help others see Christlikeness by the way we live our own lives. … 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.

April 6, 2019 … He ALWAYS Sees Me

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 95 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from the group Third Day singing the old hymn … Blessed Assurance … poignantly singing of how God gives, thru His Story (i.e., God’s word) the assurance of His love and grace to ALWAYS be there for those who truly follow Him as Lord.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 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.” [Hebrew - “El Roi”] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” 
… The Lord appears to Hagar and assures her that He has seen her plight and will be with her always.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Genesis 16:1-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s prophesy, thru Ezekiel, of God’s heart restoration plan for the hard-hearted people of God. 
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Reference Passage : … Lamentations 3:22-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s all-seeing mercy/grace never end. He sees our plight and His mercy is ALWAYS there for us.

Reference Passage : … Matthew 9:36 [NLT] … 36 When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 
… Jesus, is our Good Shepherd; and He is ALWAYS there with compassion to lead us and protect us [see also the Photo].

Reference Passage : … 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. 
 … God’s grace is always there for us, … even in times that seem overwhelming, … Jesus’ assurance, which was there for Paul, … is there for us!!

Reference Passage : … Hebrews 4:15-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s eternally empathetic promise to ALWAYS be there with His enabling/empowering grace.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Jeff Olson, uses current online resources and the biblical story of Hagar to illustrate how we serve a God Who ALWAYS sees and has His grace and strength when we feel overwhelmed by life. The ODB author wrote … The Experience Project, one of the largest online communities of the twenty-first century, was once a site where tens of millions shared deeply painful firsthand experiences. As I read through the heartbreaking stories, I reflected on how desperately our hearts long for someone to see—to understand—our pain. 

And then the ODB author takes his readers to the story of Hagar [see highlight passage], wondering in a wilderness of pain/anguish, encountering “El-Roi,” as she dubs the Lord, … believing and realizing the the Lord is “The God who sees,” giving her (and us) the assurance the group Third Day sings about in the linked song.

Perhaps some, reading here with me today, are going thru some overwhelming set of circumstances. But, … if so, we need to realize - and believe - what the ODB author wrote about today, … moving onward, … knowing that God ALWAYS sees our challenges and ALWAYS will be there, compassionately providing His enabling/empowering grace.

The question is … “Do we believe that truth?!” 

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being there to provide us with Your grace when we need it.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to thank the Lord for His ever sustaining grace.  … 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.

April 5, 2019 … A New/Clean Heart

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 95 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Natalie Grant singing … Clean … poignantly singing of how we Christians are given a new, Spirit-cleansed, heart.

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 Highlight Verse[s]: Ezekiel 36:26 [NLT] … 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
… God’s plan to clean the heart of His chosen people … to put a new heart/Spirit in them. 
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ezekiel 36:24-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s prophesy, thru Ezekiel, of God’s heart restoration plan for the hard-hearted people of God. 
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Reference Passage : … Psalm 51:10 [NLT] … 10  Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 
… A repentant King David, singing his prayer for a new heart with a new Spirit.

Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:23-24 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David’s song which should be the song of every believer, every day … for the Lord to search our hearts and point us in the way of righteousness.

Reference Passage : … Romans 6:4b [NLT] … 4 …. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 
 … Anyone who received, by faith, Christ as Lord, will live a new life in Him.

Reference Passage : … 2Corinthians 5:17 [NLT] … 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
… God’s plan for redemption and cleansing is accomplished for anyone who belongs to Christ, receiving a new, cleansed, heart.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam Holz, uses a personal reflection of his father receiving a new lease on life thru triple-bypass surgery, illustrating what happens when anyone truly receives a new heart thru repentance in faith. The ODB author wrote … The news was grim. My father had been having chest pains, so his doctor ordered a test to peer into his heart. The result? Blockage found in three arteries. Triple-bypass surgery was scheduled for February 14. My dad, though anxious, saw that date as a hopeful sign: “I’m getting a new heart for Valentine’s Day!” And he did! The surgery went perfectly, restoring life-giving blood flow to his struggling heart—his “new” heart. 

And I remember when my dad, at age 72, wrote me a letter, telling me of surrendering his heart to Christ. And within weeks I noted a whole new man. Yes, my dad still had many physical maladies; but he had a whole new attitude about life. Gone were the racial jokes and dirty language I used to see in him. Gone was his anger at having to take care of my mom who had heart disease. He was a new man in Christ, with the type of heart described by Ezekiel, David, and Paul in the Scriptures above.

And I remember what happened to me when I surrendered my own heart to Christ some years before that, allowing me to experience what Natalie Grant so beautifully sings in the linked song; and what Paul wrote about in Romans 6:4 and 2Cor. 5:17.

And now, everyday, I compulsively pray the same prayer that King David sung in Psalm 139:23-24 … for my Lord to create a new heart in me, cleansed by His Holy Spirit. And oh, how I pray that for all reading here.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving Your faithful a new, … CLEAN… , heart.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to pray, with a repentant heart, for our Lord to clean our hearts completely thru His Spirit. … 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.

April 4, 2019 … Beware On Icy Roads

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 94 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Zach Williams singing … Chain Breaker … powerfully singing of how we Christians must avoid potential spiritual crashes by following and relying on “The Chain Breaker,” our Savior, King Jesus.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1Peter 5:8 [NLT] … 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
… We are warned to remain sober and vigilant because our enemy, … Christ’s enemy, … desires to devour our testimony.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1Peter 5:6-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Peter, exhorts believers to remain humble and vigilant because our enemy, the Devil, desires to bring us down.
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Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… The best way to be vigilant in spiritual warfare is to ALWAYS follow Christ.

Reference Passage : … Romans 12:2 [NLT] … 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 
… God’s warning, thru Paul, that we Christians avoid the pitfalls of the world, which would draw us away from God’s way and His will.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-16 [NLT] … 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 
… As Paul warned fellow Christians in his day, … we too live in evil times and we must do all we can to draw on God’s wisdom and power to avoid the evil of our times.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 6:13 [NLT] … 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 
… As Paul warned fellow Christians in his day, … we Christians now must be vigilant always, wearing God’’s full armor so that we can stand against the enemy.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Peterson, uses a personal reflection of a time when she let her guard down and incurred an accident because of it. The ODB author wrote … I grew up in warm southern cities, so when I moved north, it took me a while to learn how to drive safely during the long, snowy months. During my first hard winter, I ended up stranded in a snowdrift three times! But after several years of practice, I began to feel comfortable driving in wintry conditions. In fact, I felt a little too comfortable. I stopped being as vigilant. And that’s when I hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a telephone pole on the side of the road! [see photo] 
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I learned something important that day. I realized how dangerous it can be to feel comfortable. Instead of being watchful, I had gone on “autopilot.” 

 It’s all too easy, as the ODB entry illustrates, to let our guard down in our daily spiritual battles, which, of course, can cause us to crash. Both the Apostles, Paul and Peter, wrote to fellow Christians (see highlight and reference passages above) to exhort them [and us now!] to beware and remain vigilant, … standing firm in the faith and not letting their (our) guard down.

And we know that our enemy, … Christ’s arch enemy, the devil, … is always pursuing us to cause our testimony/witness to crash when we let our guard down. But those of us who’re born again, have God’s Spirit power to remain vigilant to do battle against Satan, the world, and even our own flesh. 

So, I pray that we all do battle, following the “Chain Breaker” into battle, … as Zach Williams sings. Because when we do, we’ll be able to avoid crashes and remain victorious.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for helping us to stand firm in Your Name and for Your glory.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to do battle today wearing the full armor of God and carrying His Spirit sword. … 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.

April 3, 2019 … Self/Savior Awareness

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 93 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Jeremy Camp singing … The Answer … poignantly singing of how we Christians must avoid the foibles and failures of this world and seek the only answer to life and that is an abiding relationship with Christ.

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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 1:9-10 [NLT] … 9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 
… Paul’s prayer for fellow Christians … that they would always live in an abiding relationship with Christ.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 1:3-11 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul so desired that his fellow Christians were aware of themselves and the times which could/would draw them away from abiding in Christ.
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Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NLT] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. … “ 
… Everyday we are to deny our own way, take up the way of the cross, and follow our Lord, … no matter where He will lead us.

Reference Passage : … Romans 12:2 [NLT] … 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 
… God’s warning, thru Paul, that we Christians avoid the pitfalls of the world, which would draw us away from God’s way and His will.

Reference Passage : … Ephesians 5:15-16 [NLT] … 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 
… As Paul warned fellow Christians in his day, … we too live in evil times and we must do all we can to draw on God’s wisdom an power to avoid the evil of our times.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, John Blase, uses a personal reflection of a time when he was concerned for the well being of his family in a potentially dangerous situation. The ODB author wrote … My family, all five of us, found ourselves in Rome over the Christmas holidays. I don’t know when I’ve ever seen more people jammed together in one place [see PHOTO]. As we snaked our way through crowds to see sights like the Vatican and the Coliseum, I repeatedly emphasized to my kids the practice of “situational awareness” — pay attention to where you are, who’s around you, and what’s going on. We live in a day when the world, at home and abroad, isn’t a safe place. And with the use of cell phones and ear buds, kids (and adults for that matter) don’t always practice an awareness of surroundings. 

Even tho it was a different day, with different threats and evils, the Apostle Paul recognized the evils of his day; and as the parents in the ODB entry, he so desired that his fellow Christians were self aware and able to recognize that an abiding relationship with Christ was, as Jeremy Camp sings in the linked song, the ONLY ANSWER to the ills and evils of his day.

And so, in the Scriptures above, Paul wrote to fellow Christians of his day, to Philippi (highlight passage), to Rome and Ephesus (reference scriptures), and really to all Christians (that’s us!). Really, it was God’s Spirit, and even Jesus Himself in Luke 9:23, charging us to be self aware and seek to follow the admonition of our Lord, … to be aware of our self and to follow Him.

And that is my prayer for all of us reading and sharing here today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading us unto Your path of righteousness.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to intentionally be aware of our circumstances and to follow Christ, no matter where He leads us. … 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.

April 2, 2019 … Inexplicable Love

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 92 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …   … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with Joy Williams singing … Do They See Jesus In Me … poignantly singing of how we Christians desire to live so that others see the love of King Jesus in each of us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: John 13:34-35 [NLT] … 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” 
… Christ’s commandment to love others the way He has loved us.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 13:31-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus demands that His disciples (that’s us) love others as He has loved us.
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Reference Passage : … Matthew 5:16 [NLT] … 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 
… When we shine the love light of Christ in the way we live we give praise/honor to God, the Father.

Reference Passage : …John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.” 
 … If we love the Lord, we show it by our obedience in living by His commandments.

Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… This is what Christlike love is all about.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, uses a personal reflection of how her family was treated by a new church to illustrate how Christians shine the love light of Christ for all to see the Lord’s love in the way we live for others. The ODB author wrote … Our small congregation decided to surprise my son on his sixth birthday. The church members decorated his Sunday school classroom with balloons and set up a small table with a cake on it [see photo]. When my son opened the door, everyone shouted, “Happy birthday!” 
Later on, as I was cutting the cake, my son came over and whispered in my ear, “Mom, why does everyone here love me?” I had the same question! These people had known us for only six months but were treating us as longtime friends. 

Have you ever met a total stranger, perhaps while traveling, and in meeting them, you discover that they are a fellow Christian. And further conversation takes on a very personal, actually unexplainable, character because both of you realize that you can be open and honest with one another because you have the love of God dwelling in each of your hearts. It’s a wonderful, inexplicable love, isn’t it, … the kind of love which can only be seen when the love of the Lord shines thru the way we show our love for others.

 t’s the kind of love Jesus commanded of His disciples in the passages from John 13 and 14 above, isn’t it? It’s the kind of love Paul described when he helped fellow Christians define the nature of Christlike love (see 1Cor., Chapt 13). And it’s the kind of love which answers the question asked by Joy Williams in the linked song; … the kind of love - CHRISTLIKE LOVE - I pray that all will see as we share God’s love, thru His Spirit, with others today.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for Your love which You have implanted in the hearts of Your children to be shared with others.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to intentionally and openly share the love of Christ, as You have commanded, with others today. … 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.

April 1, 2019 … All His

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 91 

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with Shanna Thompson singing the Andre Crouch classic song … My Tribute … poignantly singing of how must give God all the glory for all that He has done for us, especially for giving us His Son to save us.

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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Chronicles 29:16 [NLT] … 16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 
… King David acknowledges that everything is from God and for God’s glory.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Chronicles 29:6-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… David recognizes that all that was giving by God’s people for the Temple constructions was God’s anyway.
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Reference Passage : …Deuteronomy 8:18 [NLT] … 18 Remember the Lord, your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. 
… Moses declares that we must remember that God has given us EVERYTHING and the ability to do everything … FOR HIS GLORY.

Reference Passage : …Psalm 24:1 [NLT] … [See Photo] … 1  The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. 
… David, repeating in song, that everything God created in this world is HIS for HIS glory.

Reference Passage : … Romans 8:32 [NLT] … 32 Since He did not spare even his own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? 
… Remembering that our God was willing to give up His Son for us; so shouldn’t we recognize, with our gifts to Him, that He is willing to give all things to us … for HIS GLORY.

Reference Passage : … Colossians 1:15-16 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle Paul acknowledges that all things in heaven and on earth were created BY God … FOR God.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, uses a personal reflection of a friend who recognized that everything we have comes from our God. The ODB author wrote … As we bowed our heads over lunch, my friend Jeff prayed: “Father, thank You for letting us breathe Your air and eat Your food.” Jeff had just been through a difficult job loss, so his heartfelt trust in God and recognition that everything belongs to Him profoundly moved me. I found myself thinking: “Do I honestly understand that even the most basic, everyday things in my life are really God’s, and He’s simply letting me use them?” 

What do we do with all God has created for our good pleasure and especially for His glory? Do we hoard it and even covet more? Or are we willing to give Him the glory by giving back at least a portion, especially a sacrificial offering, to recognize His providence and, as the linked song sing, … to give God the glory for all He has done?

I leave that as the question we need to resolve in our own hearts … so that we can give our Lord the glory for all that is His and He shares with us.

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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for the bounty of Your grace and providence in our lives.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to acknowledge with our tithes and offerings to You that all is Yours and for Your 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.