Today’s Devotional – September 25th (The Ishmael Within!)
By admin On February 3rd, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – September 25th
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The Ishmael Within!
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ABRAHAM & SARAH “HELP” GOD
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One great lesson to be gleaned from the story of Abraham and Sarah, is how they devised a plan to “Help” God fulfill His promise to Abraham…
“Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars,
if thou be able to number them:
and He said unto him (Abraham),
So shall thy seed be.”
Genesis 15:5
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But when Abraham and Sarah were beyond child-bearing years, she said to Abraham…
“Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing:
I pray thee, go in unto my maid;
it may be that I may obtain children by her.
And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
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And as a result of their human effort, Ishmael was conceived. But Ishmael was not the child of promise! No, Ishmael was the product of Abraham’s and Sarah’s human wisdom and human works!
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Sarah & Hagar – Foster Bible Pictures – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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TRAINED TO TRUST OUR OWN STRENGTH
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Yes, so often, we try to help God out, thinking that somehow, by our own human wisdom and human effort, we will accomplish God’s will!
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Perhaps I dream up some humanitarian ministry.
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Or maybe I can 
move out to the desert and overcome sin by living an austere life!
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Or maybe I can manipulate my relatives into doing some good thing which I think is important!
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Or I can badger and nag my spouse or children into becoming Christians!
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Or I can sue another in court so as to gain something I think I deserve.
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And so, as a result of my own human efforts, an Ishmael is thriving within me!
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Expulsion of Ishmael and His Mother – by g. dore – wikipedia – public domain
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BELIEVING ON JESUS: THE WORK OF GOD
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But what does God wish for me? What is God’s great desire for me?
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Listen… “Then said they unto him,
What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them,
‘This is the work of God,
that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.'”
John 6:28, 29
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Yes, as Jesus pointed out to these works-seeking people, it is the work of God to cause a person to believe on Jesus! Salvation is the gift of God. We did nothing to bring it about. And our choosing to follow Him is actually Him choosing us!
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Prayer – USMC – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain
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CAPTAIN OF MY DESTINY!
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But we humans think that we must use our own strength to make things happen!
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We are conditioned by society to want to be “movers and shakers”! So much of what we see on TV or read about in books and magazines, or listen to on radio, is designed to indoctrinate us into being “the captain of my own life”!
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We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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BE STILL & KNOW THAT I AM GOD!
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Listen to Isaiah, as God complains about His people…
“Their strength is to sit still….
this is a rebellious people, lying children,
children that will not hear the law of the LORD:”
Isaiah 30:7, 9
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And so, God reveals here, it is our strength to sit still!
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Yes, rather than trying to do it ourselves, God would be so pleased for us to spend our available time, transferring the Word of Christ, from the pages of the Bible to the fleshly tables of our heart! (see 2nd Corinthians 3:3)
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Braet von Überfeldt – Woman with Bible – 1866 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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GET TO KNOW JESUS THROUGH HIS WORD!
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And so dear pilgrim, as you and I go about our necessary daily tasks, let us not further complicate our lives with programs and pursuits of our own making! Instead, let’s remember just what it is that will mold us and make into the image of Christ!
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Listen… “And this is life eternal,
that they might know Thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent….
Sanctify them through Thy truth:
Thy word is truth.”
John 17:3, 17.
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Here is the best kept secret to life eternal! Here is the lost and hidden key to a life of victory in Christ Jesus! And combined with unceasing and sanctified prayer, this is the only human work that will ultimately produce a child of Promise!
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May the Lord perform this work in yours and in my life!
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – public domain
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To Read Part 2, click here…
“September 26th (The Ishmael Within, Part 2)”
Hagar and Ishmael – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Teach me to trust Thee, and let Thee lead in my life. Give me the gift of renewing my mind, filling my heart with Thy precious words of life…
Morning Prayers – Ebenezer Newman – Downard – 1860 – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…July 18th (Kunta Kinte Christians, Part 2: “Sitting Still”), or you can also read…November 5TH (“It’s a Rosie the Riveter World”, Part 1)
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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“Multitudes, multitudes in the ‘Valley of Decision’…
for the day of the Lord is near in the ‘Valley of Decision’.”
Joel 3:14
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THE VALLEY OF DECISION CONSTELLATION GROUP
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They appear in mid-summer in the eastern skies in pre-dawn hours. These are made of Cassiopeia (mount on left), and various stars from the Andromeda Constellation (valley) Pegasus (Mount of Cursing (middle mount) & Destroying Mount (right)), and Pisces (Broad Way to Hell). The galaxy which appears to be climbing the Mountain of Blessing is the Andromeda Galaxy.
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The above Wikipedia star-chart shows this amazing constellation group as it appears from June to fall, just prior to the winter constellation group. Actually, this Valley of Decision Constellations appear in early summer in the pre-dawn hours. (Editor of this website has sketched in this constellation group onto this above Wikipedia star-chart.)
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To explore deeper into this subject, please read…
“The ‘Valley of Decision’ Constellation”
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TOMORROW:
“September 26th (The Ishmael Within, Part 2)”
Hagar and Ishmael – Wikipedia – Share-Alike License
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
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THIS IS STUDY #266 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain
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