Scripture: 2 Peter 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

2 Peter 1:8-11 (NLT)
⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁹ But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
¹⁰ So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
¹¹ Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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

For anyone reading this devotional, I would highly recommend that you read the entire chapter, as it was difficult for me to choose just a portion of the chapter to share my thoughts with you. The whole chapter is good and filled with nuggets for the believer. Our faith must go beyond what we believe; it must become a vital part of all we do, resulting in good fruit and spiritual maturity. Salvation does not depend on our good deeds, but it results in good deeds. A person who claims to be saved while remaining unchanged does not understand faith or what God has done for him or her. Like the believers to whom Peter was teaching, I believe that we often become complacent and believe that because salvation is not based on good deeds we could live any way that we want to. Friend, I believe that if we truly belong to the Lord, we will work hard to prove it. If we’re not working to develop the qualities of a Jesus led life (like those listed in John 1:5-7) then we may not belong to him. If we are the Lord’s—and our hard work backs up our claim that we are chosen by God—then we will be able to resist the lure of false teaching or glamorous sin. I want to challenge each one sharing in this devotional with me today to ask yourself: “What does your life say about your faith?”

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

Father, thank You for challenging me each day to look deep inside of myself and firm up those areas in which I have become weak, or could improve, in order to result in a life fully committed to and exemplifying the One to whom I belong. I pray that You will be with me today and this week so that I might maximize my effectiveness because of my walk and talk. May others see Jesus because of my interaction with them, and may they be encouraged and have an even greater desire to want to know 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
**