Scripture: Jeremiah 19.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 19:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the LORD. He said to the people there,
¹⁵ “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.'”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Over the last few chapters God, through the prophet Jeremiah, tried in every way imaginable to reach the hearts of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. As I read towards the end of chapter 19 I could see where God was really losing His temper and about to bring terrible destruction on them. In chapter 18 God used the example of the potter and the clay. I have tried before to make something, and after making such a mess of it, I found it easier to scrap the whole project and start over. God used this same example to help show His people that He may have to resort to such measures with them. In the verses above I underlined and bolded a sentence that really caught my attention for you see, Jeremiah was outside the church giving this message to church members and attenders. We often hear these type challenges from our pastors, and most of us pass the challenge to the person beside, behind or in front of us as we quickly claim our saintly pious position of righteousness. Are we really in that position? The Psalmist pleaded with God, as we should, “Search me oh God, and know my heart today”. If we’re not careful God will have another messenger outside our church doors to once again remind us of our sinful position and how our hypocrisy could affect the way that He reacts to us as a nation.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord, please see if there be any wicked way, or sin in my life that would separate me from Your perfect will. Please guide me in the way of righteousness today and help me to be the image of You in all that I do or say. Please touch my brothers and sisters that may read this today and help us that we can openly receive Your Word as it is intended for us personally, and not try to do Your job of passing the message on to the person next to us. Thank You for loving us enough to discipline us and show us Your perfect will for our lives. Please help us that through our example today we could pass this blessing on to others that need to know You in a personal and intimate way.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Hebrews 10.

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 10:22-25 (NLT)
²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

We have significant privileges associated with our new life in Christ: (1) We have personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to him without an elaborate system (10:22); (2) we may grow in faith, overcome doubts and questions, and deepen our relationship with God (10:23); (3) we may enjoy motivation from one another (10:24); (4) we may worship together (10:25). Why then do we spend so much time whining and feeling down about our life’s circumstances? It often appears like we are a very ungrateful people. Further down in this chapter (vs 23) we are encouraged to “.. hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” In fact, let us be so encouraged by this that we should (vs 24) “motivate one another to acts of love and good works”. Friends, we can only do the latter if we have the first part entrenched in our hearts and our minds. I believe that today if we have trouble encouraging someone in the faith, we need to go back to verse 23 and pray that God will help us to grasp the depth of His love and to have unrestricted faith in His promises. Praise be to God for His unlimited love towards us! What a mighty God we serve!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Lord for this encouragement this morning. You have done so much for me, You have provided so much for me to enjoy. You have promised me heaven and the opportunity to baste in Your presence when I leave this world. What more can a man ask for? I have so much to be encouraged with, and so much to encourage others with. Lord, may You be honored in all that I may do today to encourage another believer!

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Jeremiah 15.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT)
¹⁹ This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

When we look at all that is going on around us today, many times we stop and ask ourselves if sin and evil has ever been this overwhelming in our history, and even more importantly, will it ever get better. God was dealing with Jeremiah in this chapter, much like I believe that He would deal with us if we questioned Him today, for I believe that God is dealing in the hearts of Christians to live the life that He expects of us. Almost as important, is that we live the life that will separate us from the world and be an example to them. It is sad today to walk into a party, or visit a restaurant, or attend a wedding, or any other normal place that we could find ourselves today where there may be a mix of people, and not be able to discern Christians from non-Christians. Often I will compare married life to that of Christianity, for I believe that a similar commitment should be evident in both. Imagine me walking into any of the above examples and could not detect the married folk from the singles? What would that say about our marriages? Similarly, what impact would Christians have on the unsaved world if they can’t see a difference in us? I love the last sentence in verse 19, where God said to Jeremiah, and I believe wholeheartedly that He expects from us: We must influence the world for Christ, the One who lives and reigns in us and operates through us, and not allow the sin of this world to rub off on us, or influence us. How strong is your influence on an unbeliever, Christian friend?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, You have shown me today how important it is for me to influence the world for Your glory. You have further shown in other parts of Your Word how important it is that we be light in this dark world, and how we be salt to this world that has become so bitter towards You and Your people. Lord, May this be a day that You might be glorified through me because of someone seeing the character of You in me. May their eyes be opened to Your love and Your grace, and may they want to also have a relationship with the Creator of this universe, my Master, my Friend, my Lord and my Savior!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Jeremiah 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 11:3-5 (NLT)
³ Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant!
⁴ For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
⁵ I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.'” Then I replied, “Amen, LORD! May it be so.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In reading this passage this morning I could only think that today we are no better than the Israelites that God brought out of Egypt. If anything, we have probably falling a few steps below the sinful nation that they had become. I have therefore taken what God said and applied it to my life and to our nation. If we obey Him and do whatever He commands us, then we will be His people and He will be our God. In another recent study I was reminded that when I don’t see God answering my prayer, I need to examine myself, and better yet ask God to examine me, and see if there is sin separating me from God. God is opposed to sin and He will not work in our lives when there is sin present. Let us therefore examine ourselves and clean up our act before a holy God. I can only imagine how awesome it will be to see Him smile and perform mighty acts for us as He sees us making an effort to be obedient to Him. He is holy and worthy of our praise! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, You know all too well how difficult and challenging it is for us to face the trials of each day here on this earth, yet You have left us here so that we might be representatives of Yours and live a life like You have exampled before us. Please help me to constantly seek Your face and ask for Your power to help me through each day as a pure example of what You have taught in Your Word.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Jeremiah 9 and 10.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)
²³ This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.
²⁴ But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In my study today these two verses stood out and caught my attention more than anything else. I believe that God said to me, and in turn is saying to our nation, that you may be proud of your accomplishments, your wisdom, your defenses and so much more, but yet let Me tell you about the most important thing that really matters at the end of the day or at the end of your life on earth, and in verse 24 He goes on to tell us about what is really important to Him. Friend, the bottom line is that God created this earth and He created you and I. He blesses us with daily health and strength to meet the challenges of each day. He provides for our future through jobs and any other means that we will one day recognize as a ‘God thing’. When we start bragging about ourselves, we make such a small impact on the world, and oh how disappointing to God that we try to take the credit for all that He has done. I heard a neat letter read yesterday that was written by a Christian leader who had just gotten the news that his wife had cancer, and what an encouragement and role model that leader would be for the Christian community, because in his letter he prayed that God would continue to use he and his wife and allow them to serve faithfully and successfully for a long time. In fact, he prayed as if he was just joining the ministry. The bottom line is that we must learn to celebrate and talk with God at times when we are on the mountain top, with all of life’s successes and good times in our favor, but also to thank God for the times when things seem impossible to us and we are required to lean so heavily on Him. The lessons learned in the latter instance will impact our Christian walk and give us more to brag on God as we celebrate Him in worship. God delights in these things!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, I thank You for all that You do for me, in me and through me. I give You praise today for who You are, for salvation through You and for all that You do for me every day. May I be quick to pass any credit pointed at me straight up to You, for I realize that had it not been for Your grace, I would be of no value or help to anyone around me. Thank You for loving me so much! May I always find a place in my heart for worship and adoration to the One who sacrificed Your life for me.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Hebrews 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 7:25-27 (NLT)
²⁵ Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
²⁶ He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
²⁷ Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Jesus should be everyone’s ultimate authority for spiritual life. In our culture today, however, many people have advisers and counselors whom they elevate almost to the role of priest. People look to political leaders, lawyers, physicians, insurance agents, and financial advisers to provide hope, long life, and security against all disasters. Many Christians regard the advice of priests and ministers, Christian friends, and even pop musicians before they consider the words of Jesus written in the Bible. Make sure your first allegiance and priority is to know and follow the advice given by Jesus.
No one can add to what Jesus did to save us; our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven, and Jesus is with the Father as a sign that our sins are forgiven. As our High Priest, Christ is our Advocate, the mediator between us and God. He looks after our interests and intercedes for us with God. The Old Testament high priest went before God once a year to plead for the forgiveness of the nation’s sins; Christ makes perpetual intercession before God for us. Christ’s continuous presence in heaven with the Father assures us that our sins have been paid for and forgiven. This wonderful assurance frees us from guilt and from fear of failure. If you are a Christian, remember that Christ has paid the price for your sins once and for all.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my mediator before God our Father. Many times temptations, trials and hardships come my way and often before I could take time to whine or complain I notice where the matter soon become pretty irrelevant. Now I understand why, You have intervened on my behalf. Wow, what a Savior! This is an ongoing need, as many things will come my way even today that I may be tempted to throw up my hands and surrender, but I pray Lord that as You have cared for me in the past, today will not be an exception. I place my hand in Yours, and pray that Your will be accomplished in and through me today. Please protect me from the evil one and keep me in the path of righteousness, holy and pleasing to You.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Jeremiah 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 7:9-11 (NLT)
⁹ Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours,
¹⁰ and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!” – only to go right back to all those evils again?
¹¹ Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the LORD, have spoken!

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

As I read a few chapters in Jeremiah this morning I felt like I was always finding negative words to share from my studies. The bottom line though, is that God does not tolerate sin, and He is bold in telling us when we are wrong. The truth is that these verses sounds so much like what the church today is practicing. Too often we act like the devil all week, with little regard for the Savior that we claim as our Lord, then when we come to worship, we dress up and become such a different person. Why do you suppose we do that? Do we think for a moment that we are changing our image because we don’t want God to see us in rare form like we were all week? If for a moment we feel like that then we are obviously saying that God must be in a little box up on or near the pulpit and that He only gets to look down on us while we are in the four walls of our church sanctuary. Friend, I don’t know about you, but my God is a lot bigger than that. I can call on Him at any time and anywhere that I may be. If He is there in my time of need, then my bet is that He is there when we mess up also. We don’t need to pretend to be a different person at church time than we are at any other time of the week. In the last part of verse 11 we are reminded that surely God sees all that is going on in our lives, yes even the evil. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we may often feel like we become perfect like God is perfect. Unfortunately, as long as we remain here on planet earth, that will not be the case. However friend, what it does mean is that we become much more aware of our sin and can immediately speak with God, ask His forgiveness and ask for guidance to help us avoid sin and its ugly affect on our lives. The longer we serve Him, read His Word and seek His guidance, the more we can become like Him.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, thank You for the reminder that my life is an open book to You. I apologize that it is not always as perfect as it should be, however I know that You are fully aware of my heart’s desire to follow Your example and therefore look more like You every day in the things that I say and the way that I may act. I pray that You may work such a miracle in my life that others may truly see and feel Your love in me and through the things that I may say or do, and that this would all be for Your ultimate glory. Please forgive me for those times that I have sinned and acted in a way that was not pleasing to You. Your guidance and ongoing leadership in my life is paramount in helping me to become more like You every day. Thank You for the assurance of knowing that You will be with me in all things and at all times.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Hebrews 4.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)
¹⁴ So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.
¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Seldom will we ever go before an earthly person who is considered a failure in life with our concerns or looking to them for advice or help. You know, one who never listens to advice and therefore goes down a path of self-destruction and defeat. Flip this around and you might say that you would gladly listen to advice from a winner, or someone who has succeeded in life because of their wisdom and self-determination. We read from God’s Word so much about His love for us, so much about His sacrifice for us, so much about how He defeated Satan and in turn, so much about His successes in overcoming life’s challenges and obstacles, yet He did not sin. Friend, let me encourage you today to find confidence in this wonderful Friend of mine, my Master, Friend, Creator of the whole universe, Savior and Lord. He has a proven track record of how much He loves us. We can look around us and see how awesome He is by having created all the natural beauty that surrounds us. He overcame death and the grave, yet He humbled himself as a man so that we could know that He understands where we are coming from when we speak with Him in prayer. The Word says that we should therefore come before Him boldly to seek His face and His favor. Have you built that kind of relationship with Him that you can approach Him in confidence? Place your faith in Him today friend, for He cares for you!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, You created me and also everything around me. You have seen the challenges that Your children face every day, and how it must sadden You to see us turn to everything else for relief from our troubles and struggles rather than to the One who created us, the One who loves us so much that He gave His only Son as a deliverer for us, a Redeemer of our sin. Thank you for reminding me today how important it is for me to turn to none other than You. Please help me to stay focused on Your love for me and therefore surrender my every concern at Your feet and, in anticipation, stand ready to celebrate all that You will still accomplish in and through me. Thank You for loving me this much. Please encourage my friends who may read this to follow You in a similar way.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
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