Scripture: John 10.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 10:27-29 (NLT)

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,

29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

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

There are certain things that we do in life that help to identify us. For example, I have a nephew that loves to hunt and fish and is showing signs of entrepreneurship even at a young age. Someone might recognize those traits and identify him with his dad, because he portrays the same traits exactly. Jesus said in verse 27 that His sheep (those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and committed their life to Him):

1. Listens to His voice – we know our kids are listening when they obey what we are telling them. Similarly, from our actions in obedience to God’s Word, we show the world to whom we belong, and we please God by showing evidence of our belonging to Him.
   
2. Follows Him – the only other alternative is to follow the world. Which one are you following friend?
   

What does the world see about your obedience to God Word? Can the world recognize whose you are? Is it evident? If we have sincerely given the lordship of our lives to Jesus and we follow Him only, then verses 28 and 29 are filled with fringe benefits promised by Jesus! Let’s latch on to those promises and be encouraged today to follow our Master even more obediently, so that those around us will see and want to know our Lord.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Thank You Lord Jesus for providing the way for our salvation and subsequently, our eternal life with You in glory. When we accepted You as Lord, all things became new and we committed ourselves to show evidence of being Your child, rather than the sinful nature of this world. Unfortunately, we often fail at this Father, but I pray that I and Your people will recommit ourselves to our relationship with You, and that we might show more evidence to this wicked world about whose we are. As Your children, we should be acting just like You – speaking like You; hearing like You; doing good like You; loving others like You and having enough concern about their eternal destination that we would be burdened about the condition of their souls. Please show us Your power as You awaken us and give us our marching orders in the battle to win America for 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: 2 Samuel 7.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

2 Samuel 7:18 (NLT)

18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

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

Many times we go through our day and never analyze the things we did, the words we spoke, the many things we allowed to enter our soul through our eyes and through our thoughts and ears, yet we can reflect and see the many ways that God has laid His hand upon us and blessed us:

• He sent His Son as a sacrifice that we may have life everlasting with Him in heaven!
  
• He kept us safe on the highways – when often we will pass accidents that have occurred;
  
• He gave us our jobs (that we often grumble and complain about) – when we see so much unemployment and the effects from it;
  
• He kept us in good health – when we see so many in hospitals, or even losing their jobs because of poor health;
  
• He placed us around people so that we might share His love – while many are dying from loneliness and depression;
  
• He blessed us with family and friends as our support network – while many go home to a lonely place with no one to share the joys and challenges of their day with;
  
• He blessed us with a body of believers (the church) so that we may be enriched and, in turn, be a blessing to others – while many Christians throughout the world would be shot or terrible mistreated if it was known by the authorities that they did such a thing.
  

Friends, when we stop and think about all of the above, and lots more, we can easily pray as David did, who am I to deserve such special treatment. But friend, I want you to know that royalty is often treated supremely, and we are indeed children of the King – My God is King of all kings, maker of this universe and ruler of this entire world! Yes, that’s my Father; my King and my Lord! That’s Why We Praise Him today friend! And He can be yours today also! Please ask your pastor how to accept Him, or write to me at the email address below and I will gladly pray with you and guide you into the path of salvation

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love, Your sacrifice and for all You do for me each day. I love You Lord, and I life My Voice in praise to You. Thank You! Please soften the hearts of my friends that may read this devotional today, or that may simply need You today. Lord You are good and Your mercies endure forever! Thank 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: John 9.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 9:28-33 (NLT)

28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses!

29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from?

31
We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.

32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

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

What is the condition of your spiritual life today friend? Do you and God have a relationship? In other words, have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, and committed your life to Him? If not, should He listen to you when you call on Him? Friend, I believe that God’s Holy Word is 100% accurate, so I believe that what the man in this story spoke to the Pharisees in verse 31 is 100% accurate. You see, God will listen and forgive a sinner when they come to Him in humility and surrender their lives to Him, asking for forgiveness of their sin. The beauty of having this relationship is that You not only have obeyed the Bible, but you also are protected in the arms of the Almighty God, and you then also earn the ear of our loving Savior who will answer your prayer and comfort you and give you strength through good and bad times. Unfortunately, my God is not a God of convenience where He’s available in your time of trouble, but cursed the rest of your life. Why not decide today who you will serve friend? It’s either God or Satan, no other. I made my choice some 38 years ago, and I would recommend to you today that this is the only viable choice for humans. Why not make your choice today friend?

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, I have family and friends who are still flirting with You, and have not made the decision to accept You as Lord. Because of my relationship with You, and my relationship with them, I want to apologize to You this morning, because I have obviously not been a good witness to them of the Savior that I adore. Please forgive me. I pray that You may impact my life in such a way that it would be very obvious to those around me that I am Your child. I want this to be of no credit to myself, but for the sole purpose of them wanting to know the Lord of which I referred to in this devotional this morning. Please soften the hearts of my family and friends again dear Lord, and create a right spirit within them to yearn for You and Your precious love for them. Thank You for being my Lord, my Savior and my King!

 

**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: John 8.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 8:43-45 (NLT)

43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!

44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!

47 Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

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

What comes most natural to you in a situation that you dislike? Do you lash out against the individual, threaten them, accuse them, show hatred towards them? Or do you, from a heart of love (a heart filled with the character of Jesus), reach out to the individual and show them the character of Christ? Yes, I know that our sin-nature boils up in us and creates a character that is not pleasing to God, but friend, when we fill our hearts daily with the Word of God, we not only teach ourselves the ways of God, but we also learn on whom to lean when we face challenging situations like this. Jesus showed us the way to live and to act. In verse 47 we are reminded by Jesus himself that if we belong to God (if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior) then we would gladly listen to the words of God. If we listen to the words of God, then we are showing that we belong to Him and are willing to obey Him in all things. So who do you listen to friend? Challenge yourself at the end of each day: based on the decisions you made, the words you said and the actions you took, and ask yourself if God was glorified in everything, then talk it over with God. Align your actions with the Word of God and talk to Him about the areas of your character where you especially need help from Him to correct. Be intentional about proving to whom you belong, don’t let another individual or situation control that.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Father, thank You for providing a means for me to know You personally, and for giving me the assurance of eternal life with You. Thank you for Your Son Jesus and the love and direction He gives to me each day. Lord Jesus, I need a fresh filling of Your Holy Spirit each and every day, because I become tainted by this world every day, and there seems to be new challenges each day. Thank You for the confidence that You give me in Your Word that You are with me every day, and that I can cast my cares upon You. Thank You for Your love and provision for me. Please help me today to imitate You in everything that I do and say, so that others may realize who my Master is, and that this may cause them to praise You more. Please forgive me for times where I have failed in being that shining example of Your love.

 

**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: John 6.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 6:29 (NLT)

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

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

Many sincere seekers for God are puzzled about what he wants them to do. The religions of the world are people’s attempts to answer this question. But Jesus’ reply is brief and simple: We must believe on him whom God has sent. Satisfying God does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. The first step involves accepting that Jesus is who he claims to be. All spiritual hope is built on this premise. Then, declare to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to your Creator. I believe that we are such a people of works, because that’s how we receive our rewards here on earth. Think about it, we go to work every day and we are rewarded by our pay, and sometimes by praise. We do things around the home with hopes that our spouse or children will notice and praise us for it. The only expectation from God to prove our faith in Him is that we believe, and continue to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has the power and will to save us from our sins and give us eternal life filled with the presence of the Almighty God. For those who have not accepted Jesus as Lord of their life yet, please realize that God is waiting to answer your prayers and requests to Him. Believe on Him today and you will be saved, then your ‘Father’ will hear your prayers and answer you. Not sure how to do this? Try contacting your Bible Teaching Pastor, or feel free to drop me a note using the email address at the end and I will gladly pray with you and help direct you.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Father we have complicated so much of what you simplified for us in Your Word. Please help us to stay in Your Word so that we could be reminded of the simplicity of Your Word and obey it. Many times religions of this world have added so many conditions to the simple act of accepting You as our Lord and Savior. Please help us to always go to the Book when we need answers. Thank You for the simplicity of the Gospel! Lord, I believe, and I pray that all that may read this devotional may make this a day of decision for themselves as they simply believe in You and surrender their lives to Your powerful and wonderful will for their lives.

 

**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: John 4.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 4:28-30 (NLT)

28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,

29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”

30
So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

39
Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

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

Friends, this is the ultimate story about evangelism. We could sit and learn hour after hour what we should say when we witness to someone or invite them to church, but when we give a personal account of what Jesus did, or is doing, for us, it will impact the audience. Giving the account of something that occurred to someone else, or that we read about, is open for discussion. But our personal account adds a whole new dimension to the story. The Samaritan woman went into the village and gave an account of something that happened to her (vs 29). In verse 39 we are told that many believed because of the woman’s personal account, but in verse 42 we read that the crowd accepted her invitation to come and see Jesus, and because of that they reaffirmed their belief because they heard, or encountered Jesus for themselves. Doesn’t this sound a lot like us inviting friends and family to church? I believe that we can easily see that our invitation will be a lot more impactful if we are able to share how Jesus touched our lives, and therefore we want to invite our neighborhood in for the same experience. I have no reason to doubt that we would see the same results as this Samaritan woman, the people will come!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, we have seen so many different ways and lessons on how to best witness to a lost loved one, but this story has reminded me that I must have a personal story to share and not just invite folk to visit the same building that I do on Sunday mornings. When I encounter You, and see You impact my life, then I will excitedly invite folk to meet this same Jesus that touched my life. Please help me to always tell my story and not just what You did for the Samaritan woman. Please help me to be bold in my sharing so that others might come to know You. Please touch the lives of my friends that will read this today so that they too might tell their story and watch excitedly how You will work in and through them. People need the Lord, now may those of us that know and experience You help with this as we tell our story.

 

**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: John 2.

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 2:23-25 (NLT)

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him.

24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature.

25 No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.

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

It’s surprising how we sometimes feel like we need to apprise Jesus about the condition of those around us, especially when we feel like they are in direct opposition to our personal desires. Friends, in verse 25 we are told that there is no need for us to blabber about our audience/friends/congregation, because Jesus is fully aware of their issues and their honest, or dishonest hearts. So often we let things like this distract us from what we really need to be doing with our time before the Lord. Think about it, would there be enough hours in the day for us to truly go before the Lord in total honesty and seek His face about our shortcomings; to ask His forgiveness for the many ways that we have sinned against Him, and to praise Him continually for all His wonderful blessings? Taking ourselves before the Lord is a fulltime endeavor friend. Yes, plead the needs and requests of our friends before the Lord, but leave the judging and correcting up to Him. Let’s get the board out of our own eye, before we start criticizing our neighbor for the speck in their eye. Remember, God has this under perfect control! I love that old spiritual song, It’s me, It’s me o Lord, standing in the need of prayer!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, it is so unfortunate how we waste so much time trying to explain to You about the affairs of this world, about which You are fully aware. Our time with You is precious. Please help me to personally take full advantage of my time with You in total honesty before You. I fall short in so many ways that I would probably never have time enough to plead my case. Thank You for loving me anyway, and for lifting me out of the mire and evil of this old world. Thank You for royalty, in being a child of the King!

**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: 1 Samuel 8.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

1 Samuel 8:6-8 (NLT)

6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.

7 “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for it is me (God) they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.

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

Times have not changed very much, for when we consider how churches treat their pastor when he starts to preach the Word without regards to whose toes he might step on, then I believe that we could easily identify with the Israelites, even though in print it sounds like they were such awful and ungrateful people. Friends, it is so unfortunate that we tend to blame someone else for issues that we have caused. It is likewise unfortunate when we look beyond the issues in our own lives, or the condition of our family, or our church or our group, and see so much wrong with others. Let’s think for a moment about issues with a church, you know it can’t be the building where the church meets that is causing the problem, it’s folk like you and I that attend the church that cause the issues. So look no further than inside yourself when issues arise. Getting a new pastor will have the same effect as God telling Samuel to go ahead and give them what they want, because unfortunately, things will only get worse. Friends, unless we commit and dedicate ourselves to becoming more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives, then anything we become part of will suffer from the sin brought into our lives by the world. Becoming one with Jesus, means a perfect life, a life without sin – and that should be our aim everyday friends. Only then will we contribute positively to our churches and the groups that we become involved in.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord we so desperately need You in our lives. Instead of adding positively to groups that we become involved in, as would happen if we were One with You, instead we add more confusion, we add more hatred, we add more gossip, we add more envy towards each other, we tear it down and we mess it up. Unfortunately, this also happens in church groups we join, so we are seeing churches that are marred terribly by the impact of this evil world, instead of seeing a church that is always ready to forgive, always looking out for the best in the other person, always contributing to the best in others, always praying for and supporting their pastor/shepherd/leader. Lord, it is very obvious that we need more of You in our lives individually so that we can see more of You in our churches, so that we can see Your church effectively reaching out to the lost community that we see and endure every day. We need You in our lives personally Lord, please humble us to earnestly seek Your face and allow You to rule in our lives.

 

**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: Luke 24.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Luke 24:52-53 (NLT)

52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

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

I found this chapter very inspirational, because the events described (Jesus’ resurrection) that led the two followers of Jesus to end up praising God, as described in verse 53 above, compared to the unprepared manner in which many of us go to church/worship on Saturday or Sunday, shows some very stark differences. Take a moment and read the chapter friend. You will see that these followers were discussing Jesus’ death, and then the reported resurrection as told by the first females who went to the tomb to embalm the body. Although unrecognized by the followers, Jesus shows up in their midst and asked them to explain their dilemma. Think about their response, compared to how careful/afraid/respectful we try to be in sharing our Christian beliefs/witness with a stranger. After all, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying something that may offend them! Down in verses 25 thru 27, Jesus was actually allowed to explain the scriptures to them. When last have you ‘had the time’ to sit down and listen to the Word explained to you? When last have you felt that you ‘had the time’ to ask about the scriptures? Look at the attendance to Sunday School or Sunday and Wednesday evening services and notice the small percentage of the Sunday morning attendees that have any interest or ‘time’ to learn more about the Word. Friends, there is so much going on in our fast paced lives with sports, hunting, fishing, dance (for our kids), work and so many other things, that we quickly conclude that there is just ‘no time’ to also attend church yet a second or third time in our busy week. Now, compare this rushed/busy life of ours and evaluate if you feel we really have ‘time’ to listen intently to Jesus and allow our ‘eyes to be opened so that we may recognize Jesus’ as the followers did in verse 31 of this chapter. Also let’s think about what our weekend worship services might be like, if we came filled with so much joy about our interaction with Jesus during the week? The followers of Jesus were able to ‘spend all their time in the Temple praising God‘ because of their interaction and time with Jesus!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, we have gone so far in our busy lives that we acknowledge that we don’t spend enough time with You and in Your Word. This has affected the joy and enthusiasm of our worship, because we go to our worship services as people who have not expressed personal worship of You, or actually slowed down enough to listen to Your voice through Your precious Word. We are often unprepared to worship and come to services hoping that there will be something charismatic enough about the band, or the music leaders or the pastor that may excite us enough to think that we have connected with You. Please forgive us, and please open our eyes to the truths of Your Word. Please teach us to spend time with You so that You may minister to us individually, and have such an impact on us that we may in turn minister to others.

 

**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
**