Scripture: Joel 2.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Joel 2:28 (NLT)

28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

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

In the Old Testament there are so many stories of how God destroyed nations because of their sin. In the books of the prophets there is so much prophesied about how awful it will be when the Lord returns to take His people home to be with Him. The book of Joel, and particularly chapter 2 is one that talks about the locusts that will devour those who do not know/have not accepted the Lord. However, as to bring hope to Christians, Joel prophesied in verse 28 that Christians needn’t get discouraged about all that will happen, because when all these things have been done, God will then pour out His Spirit on all those remaining and they will see great things happening such as: their children prophesying; their older men dreaming dreams and younger men seeing visions. Friends, I don’t know about you, but this brings encouragement and excitement to me! Because even though I know Jesus personally and look forward to being a part of this group that will be blessed in this way, yet I can only imagine how discouraged I will be to see loved ones that I have prayed for salvation, taken away in destruction because of their hardness of heart. I will need all the encouragement that I could possibly get, and I believe that God identifies with that and placed this verse here to encourage me, that in spite of all that will go down, there is a peace and a joy that will come to me because of my faith in Him and my ongoing commitment to acknowledge Him in all aspects of my life every day. How is it with you, friend? Have you accepted this Lord of mine and know Him in a very personal way? Will you be spared from destruction and join us around the throne with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? If you do not have that assurance today, please write to me using the email below and I will gladly pray with you and help steer you in the right direction.

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

Lord God, thank you for the nuggets of encouragement You place before us to remind us of the joy that we can look forward to on the day that You take us away to be with You. I sense even more urgency on behalf of my family and friends that have chosen to ignore Your call on their life, and plead with You today to soften their hearts once again so that they may hear Your Word afresh and anew and that they will be receptive to Your call. Thank You for loving us enough to care about and show us the way to heaven!

 

**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: Hosea 13.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hosea 13:4-6 (NLT)

4 “I have been the LORD your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior.

5 I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land.

6 But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.

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

How it must disappoint God to look on us and our hardened hearts, after all that He has done for us and brought us through. Friends, I want you to think with me a moment about the great sacrifice made just for us when God allowed His only Son, Jesus, to hang on a cross, especially designed for criminals. Imagine allowing Him to hang there while being mocked and spit upon, and then to see Him die. Think about the prayers that have been answered for us, and on our behalf. Think about the close calls we have had with death, yet the protecting hand of God kept us safe and allowed us to carry on with life. Think about how it must sadden God when His children, to whom He has been so faithful, find so many excuses why they won’t accept Him as their Lord and Savior, why they can’t get up on Sunday mornings to join other believers in worship to our Master, think about how opposing our ungrateful hearts are, in response to all the great things that God has done for us. Verse 6 sums it up so accurately, we soak up the blessings, then we become proud and turn away. Friends, you are able to read this because God has given you another opportunity today to change your course of action. Our proper response to this type of reminder, is to turn (back) to God, ask His forgiveness, ask for strength to overcome our weaknesses and to live a life of obedience to Him through developing a daily relationship with Him. Can you commit to this today? Would you like the prayers of a brother in Christ to help you through this critical decision time? Please contact me using the email below and I will gladly confirm my support.

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

Lord Jesus, who am I that You should die for me and go on doing so much for? Thank You for Your unlimited love and sacrifice. Please touch my life daily and help me to avoid the selfish desires of my heart, while constantly focusing on improving and strengthening the relationship I have with You. Please soften the hearts of those that will read this devotional today and allow them to overcome the evil desires of this world and, instead commit to a closer walk with 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: Revelation 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Revelation 7:15-17 (NLT)

15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter.

16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.

17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

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

In today’s prayer meetings when we stop and think about all the trials, struggles, challenges and heartaches that we, our families and our friends face, we could fill a page listing the names and the needs, and we could spend a long time pleading before God for these needs. In being reminded about the glories of heaven and the wonders and majesty of my Savior, I was overjoyed to read about how He will provide shelter for us, provide food and drink, protection from the sun, and how He will shepherd us and lead us to places that will benefit us. How He will provide comfort and peace of mind so that there will be no more sorrow. This is so much that as mere humans, this seems incomprehensible or impossible. Yet I believe that God’s Word is true and that He will do everything that He has promised. So friends, if you are under so much pressure today that you are not sure if you are coming or going or if you could possibly make it through another day, I would encourage you to accept the Savior that I love and adore, the One spoken about in this scripture, and through a personal relationship with Him, not only enjoy a blessing each and every day while still here on earth, but also have the assurance of a better tomorrow when He calls you away from this world. There has never been love expressed like the love of my Lord, experience it for yourself friend.

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

Father God, thank You for loving me so much that You gave of yourself so that I may enjoy eternal life with You. Thank You for giving me a glimpse of life in heaven and how You will watch over and care for me in such wonderful ways. I feel amazingly blessed in this life today, and can hardly comprehend how You could bless me even more when I join You in heaven! Thank You Father for that kind of love. I am amazed, and forever grateful. Please speak again to the hearts of my family and friends that don’t yet know You as their personal 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: Hosea 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hosea 7:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ “What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me.
¹⁴ They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves, begging foreign gods for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me.

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

I believe that God is reminding the unsaved and uncommitted today that they too will face great sorrow for their actions in ignoring the call of God on their lives, or for turning away and deserting the call. God, the One who created this earth and in turn created each of us, deserves our constant praise and dedication. He sent His Son Jesus, and allowed Him to suffer great agony and death on Calvary, so that we may have forgiveness of our sin and stand a chance of being with Jesus in glory some day. Having given His all, I’m sure that He is disappointed at the way that we either ignore the call of salvation, or after accepting the most important call, we desert the call, lie and rebel against the Master. Like me, you may read this and quickly respond that you are glad that the scripture is not convicting you of any wrong doing in this. Friends, we must closely examine ourselves and answer to God for the relationship that we develop each day with our maker. There are some days that we may give Him the ‘cold shoulder’, as we may not communicate with Him at all. There are some days that we may twitch our ‘holy’ noses at Him, because we choose to do life our way and not follow the ways of God. I believe that we rebel way more than we care to think about, friends. Let us truly serve the God who truly loves us and want to see us succeed in this life and be a replica of Him to a lost and dying world.

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

Father God, thank You for who You are and for all that You have done, and continue to do for me. Please forgive me for those times that I step away from my daily relationship with You, and the times that I have chosen to do things on my own and in my own way, rather than seeking and following Your way. I need Your strength and Your guidance every day to be more like You and to always follow the way of my Master and Lord. May others see more of Jesus in all my ways and in every aspect of my life. Thank You Jesus for loving me enough to care about me and provide a perfect way for me to live this life.

 

**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: Hosea 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hosea 1:6-7 (NLT)
⁶ Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—’Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.
⁷ But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God.”

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

I’m not sure how others feel, but there is such disharmony when a member of our household gives reason for the rest of the household to be upset at them. But let’s take this to the church level. Imagine the uproar when a church become upset at a member or a family because of the shame brought on by their sin. Imagine how a church may even sever ties with the individual or family because of the shame and disgrace brought upon the church. Now imagine for a moment how the city or county officials would feel when shame is brought upon it by one of its prominent citizens – personal or corporate. The officials may bring fines against them or may ban their tax exemption or something even worse. Now suppose that a scandal is about to break nationally, or even internationally about this incident that began with just one family member of a little church in little Avon Park, and imagine if sanctions were brought against our country, or our state, or our city or upon our little church. All of this will make us feel awful, but imagine how upset God would be at us in seeing such sin and disregard occurring, especially if it all began with an individual claiming to be committed to God. You see friend, God loves us with such compassion, as He did the Israelites, that He sacrificed His one and only Son to die a cruel death on a cross, so that we may have a way for forgiveness of our sin. If we were found totally disregarding His love and the advice and direction given in His Word, don’t you think that He would feel unappreciated and totally ready to turn His back on us or perhaps bring damnation on us? Now to many, ‘us’ may be considered as the one who started the sin. That’s not what happened in the book of Hosea. God expects the church to be the church and resolve its issues in a manner detailed in the Bible. He expects us to elect Godly city and county leaders who would also work at resolving issues in a Godly way, and the same at the national level. When all these folk fail, God is ready to pour His anger upon the whole bunch of us, like He did the Israelites. Are we a people, a church, a city/county/nation that looks into the Word of God and considered to be operating under God’s commands? A breakdown in this could begin with just one of us, but could affect a whole nation like it did the Israelites. During this time in our calendar, there are high stress levels and weakened emotions. It is so important that we stay strong in the Lord. Seek His face and know His will for our lives so that we may be a part of the solution to life’s challenges by ourselves, our friends, neighbors, church members and citizens. In other words, let the church be the church!

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

Lord Jesus, I humbly ask that You forgive me where I have failed You or failed in any leadership role that I have held. Please help me to always seek after Your will and follow Your commands so that there may be Godly resolutions to life’s problems for myself, my family, my church and all levels above that. I acknowledge that only You can give this kind of direction and power, so I beg You to work constantly in my life that I may be more like You every day.

 

**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: Daniel 9.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Daniel 9:20-23 (NLT)
²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain.
²¹ As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.
²² He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding.
²³ The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

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

So often we read the Word of God and we may be puzzled as to what God might be saying to us. Daniel went through a time where he prayed and prayed for himself and for the great burden he had for his people. God was gracious and sent the angel Gabriel to enlighten Daniel. Imagine the angel coming to you and helping to clear up a few things for you that have burdened your prayer life before our holy God. Imagine that out of all of God’s people that may be praying at the time, that God would say through one of His angels that from the very moment you began praying God heard you, knew the sincerity of your heart and immediately answered your prayer by issuing a command, because you are so precious to God. Wow! What a revelation that would be! I wonder if it would even be necessary for the angel to tell us to listen carefully. I have a strange feeling that we would be all ears. Friends, I am convinced that my God loves me this much and that He would even send an angel to help me understand what He would have me to know. After all, God sacrificed His one and only Son because of His love for us, even while we were so undeserving. Let’s not give up on God. I can assure you that He has not given up on us.

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

Father, thank You for hearing my prayer. Thank You for loving me so much that You would go to the extent that You went for Daniel, Your servant. I know that You are well aware of how confused we become at times when our selfish desires and wants get so much in the way that it is virtually impossible to hear and understand what a perfect and holy God would say to us. Please work in my life so that I may become:

• Holy, as You are holy;
  
• Obedient, as You expect of Your child;
  
• Giving, in appreciation of the great sacrifice You gave, so that I might have the assurance of eternal life;
  
• Forgiving, in response to Your forgiveness of my sin; and
  
• Loving and understanding, in response to the love poured out for me at Calvary, even when I was so undeserving of it.
  

 

**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: Revelations 3.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵ “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!
¹⁶ But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

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

The book of Revelations is a challenging book to understand, but there are verses that are very plain and from which Christians can grow. In these two verses I see God challenging me with the point that if I am to be committed to Him then it must not be on a basis of only when it is convenient, or only when I am around certain friends, but instead it must be an everyday, all or nothing basis. I tried to compare my relationship with God to the relationship I have with my wife. In our marital lives, if we run around with other partners then our marriage is sure to struggle and most lightly fail. When we are inconsistent in our relationship with God and we serve other masters (things that take us away from God or devour the time that we would otherwise spend in our devotion to God) then we should expect God to classify our relationship with Him as lukewarm, or even a failure. How is it with you, friend? Are you like me where we really need to ask God’s forgiveness and added strength to help us overcome our slothfulness, our weakness, our halfhearted-ness, our lack of commitment and loyalty? I believe that our world today is more in need of a few good men/women than ever before in our history. I believe that God is saying to us today that we don’t need to disappoint the world in their expectation when they look for a child of God.

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

Lord Jesus, thank You for the great sacrifice You paid on Calvary for remission of my sin. Thank You for touching my life, convincing me of my sin and encouraging me to surrender my life to You. Please forgive me for those times that I have been less than totally committed and loyal to You. Thank You for Your Word and the reminder given to me in this passage this morning. Please give me strength today and every day to leave no doubt in Your mind and in the minds of those that I come into contact with as to whom I belong. As the world seeks guidance and a true and committed life to the only One with all of life’s answers, may they not be disappointed or confused in what they see in my life. May I represent You fully in all that I say and do. Encourage and bless my friends that may read this devotional today so that they too may recommit their lives to serving You in all sincerity.

 

**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
**