God’s Word Says….

Acts 28:3-6 (NCV)

³ Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and bit him on the hand. ⁴ The people living on the island saw the snake hanging from Paul’s hand and said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He did not die in the sea, but Justice does not want him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt. ⁶ The people thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, “He is a god!”

My Thoughts…..

When you first start to attend a church, you will go through a time where members are sizing you up! Soon they will find ways to describe you to others, like you may never have imagined! When you start a new job, or join a social club, the identical thing will happen to you. Another great example of this is when a new pastor starts ministry at a church. The congregation will soon determine if he is ‘one of them’, of if he is going to be ‘a thorn in their side’!!! There was a similar experience with Paul landing at Malta (Melita). I could only imagine how the people watched every move he made and carefully analyzed every word he said! When Paul first got bit by the snake, the people immediately deduced that God was getting him for all the sin he had committed. When Paul showed that there was a greater Spirit working in him and defending him from such venom, the mindset of the people changed, and their analysis of Paul changed to be that of a god.

Challenge……

Are you consistent in your walk and in your talk? I once heard this old saying “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time”!! Friends, when Christ leads your life, His glory will shine through in all that you say, all that you do and all that represents your character. When you step into a room, people will quickly size you up. I believe that if Christians are ever going to impact this world for Jesus Christ, then others had best see the love and character of our Master, our Deliverer, our Friend, our Savior and our soon coming King. They will only hear us, trust us or believe us, if they feel our words are genuine, heart-felt and honest. Don’t just tell them what the Bible says, but instead show them! Let me encourage you to deepen your relationship with Jesus, so that His character and His love will be very evident in you! God was able to use this introduction of Paul to the people of Malta as a means of opening their hearts and minds to the ministry that He had planned to do through Paul. Let’s be sure that our lives are worthy of God being able to use us for His ministry.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, a doctor will only use a sterile, clean instrument to perform surgery on us. How much more You must look at us and question whether we are worthy to carry out Your work. How often You must brush us aside because of our unruly tongues, or our bad attitudes, or because we would only make a mockery of Your work in our present condition. I acknowledge Lord, that I can’t fool You. Others might see the nice suit on the outside, but only You can see the filth and dirt on the inside. Cleanse me oh God, see if there be any wicked way in me. Patiently show me Your perfect path and give me strength, boldness and obedience to follow Your will in all that I do and all that I am. May Your perfect will be accomplished through me in ministry to those that I come into contact with.

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:39-41 (NCV)

³⁹ When daylight came, the sailors saw land. They did not know what land it was, but they saw a bay with a beach and wanted to sail the ship to the beach if they could. ⁴⁰ So they cut the ropes to the anchors and left the anchors in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Then they raised the front sail into the wind and sailed toward the beach. ⁴¹ But the ship hit a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck there and could not move, but the back of the ship began to break up from the big waves.

My Thoughts…..

There are times in our lives when we realize that we are at a crossroads, knowing that if circumstances continue, based on what we see and understand, then we will certainly perish. This story about Paul and the passengers of this fateful ship faced such a challenge. While still out in the dark, deep, rough waters, while it appeared like there could be no possible hope, yet Paul received reassurance from God that no lives would be lost, even though they would lose the very ship that was carrying them. Paul shared this with the sailors and the passengers, and they were forced into the crossroads of believing Paul, or to simply rehearse their last moments on earth. Later, as the ship hit the sandbank and started to break up, I’m sure that a few of the doubters to what Paul prophesied, must have realized how God’s plan was coming together, in spite of their unbelief and doubt. But even at this stage we are told that the ship was still a ways offshore, plus we also know that not all of the passengers could swim, so I could only believe that there was still some panic taking place – a crossroads where they had to decide whether they should place their faith in what Paul shared with them, or jump into the waters that could possibly have led to their death. I believe that this story tells very clearly what happens in our lives, even today. We’ve heard that God can do all things, yet as we look at the circumstances around us we cannot see how our situation could possibly be resolved in a good, positive way. This is also a moment of faith, friend!

Challenge……

Where is your faith, friend? You want to believe, but you need to see and understand how it can, or will happen? Is that faith in an all-powerful and almighty God, or are you depending on man’s abilities and visible, humanly possibilities? God’s ways are not our ways, friend! Faith is believing in things unseen, yet possible through the powerful hand of Jesus. In any relationship, you build faith and trust in the individual that you spend intimate time with. You prove them to be true to their word over time. This is no different in your relationship with God. He will always be true to His Word, but on our behalf, it takes a proven relationship with Him to believe and trust everything that He tells us. We owe it to ourselves to build that kind of relationship with our Savior, friend! The same miracles performed for Paul and the 256 people on board that ship, are very possible in our lives, in all the various circumstances that we find ourselves. This is your moment of faith! Do you believe that your God has the power to perform miracles even today? Build up your faith in Him today, won’t you?

Prayer……

Heavenly Father, the Creator of all things, the Savior of all mankind and the great miracle worker, I am a privileged citizen to be able to approach Your throne with worship, thanksgiving and petitions today. Thank You for being such an awesome God to me over the years, and for showing me time and time again that You are truly God and that I have no reason to doubt You. Unfortunately there are still times when I look at life’s circumstances and feel like they are bigger than anything I or You can handle. I’m ashamed dear Lord of my weakness and lack of faith. Thank You for not giving up on me, and for continuing to speak to me like you did to Job – through the storm (Job 40:6), and like you did to Paul in this passage under review, in the middle of life’s storms when there seems like there is no way through. Lord, You are truly awesome and all-loving and all-caring. Your love goes beyond anything I know of today. I am Your child and I place my faith and trust in You. With my eyes fixed on You I can weather the storms of this life knowing that You are in control and will work all things together for my good. Please touch the hearts of my readers today so that they too may share in this revelation from You! For I ask all this in Your wonderful and precious name, Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:22-25 (NCV)

²² But now I tell you to cheer up because none of you will die. Only the ship will be lost. ²³ Last night an angel came to me from the God I belong to and worship. ²⁴ The angel said, ‘Paul, do not be afraid. You must stand before Caesar. And God has promised you that he will save the lives of everyone sailing with you.’ ²⁵ So men, have courage. I trust in God that everything will happen as his angel told me.

My Thoughts…..

Try to catch a glimpse of what Paul was facing and compare that to the challenges that you face. Paul was on a ship and caught in extremely bad weather. The sailors had lost control of the ship and had basically allowed it to drift with the winds. They had even strapped the ship to help protect it from falling apart. There were some 276 passengers and crew on board, and from all outlooks, it would appear that they were all going to perish. Now before I continue, does this sound like certain times in your life – especially times when so much seems to be facing you, and over which you realize that you have no control? But let’s have a look at how Paul handled this. He was able to go beyond the worries of current events and get before His Father in earnest prayer. He came away from that time with God assured that so souls would be lost, but the ship would actually be lost/destroyed. With this type of peace, Paul was able to stand before the people and share God’s word on the matter.

Challenge……

Like Paul, We too have peace in knowing that the same God who has charge over the winds and the seas, is also in charge of our struggles, our pain and our direction in life. Remember, we are His children, and especially at this time of year when we recognize our earthly fathers, we should know that God, our Father will tenderly touch our lives with His powerful hand of healing, new birth or simply give us direction for areas of our lives where we may ordinarily struggle to discern His perfect will. His love is unending and He will lead us and give us the desires of our heart that help us to be His imitators. I can only imagine God whispering to our troubled hearts, “No need to worry my child, I’ve got this, and there is no need for you to worry your little heart. I have shown you where I am capable of much larger things than you are facing, so turn it over to me. ‘Peace’ my child” Wouldn’t you yearn for that type of peace my friend? To those that know my Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, that type of peace is ours, praise be the name of the Lord! To those that would like to know this Jesus of mine, please contact me and allow me to pray with you and guide you. I would be honored!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, You know how stressed we are every day with all of life’s challenges, heartaches, decisions and hurts, so thank You for placing such scripture as this in our path. Thank You for reminding me that the main ingredient for peace in my life lies in my faith and belief in the anchor to my life, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have nowhere else to look, no one else to depend on, no other possible power to compare to You, so Lord Jesus, I commit myself to You wholeheartedly and ask that You kindly be merciful and energize me with the will to live like You did, talk like You did, care for others like You showed us in Your Word, and to show Your love in every phase of my life. My family and friends need You. May they see enough of You in me that they may be drawn to You more than they can ever dream of doing themselves. I ask all this in Your most awesome and powerful name, Jesus, my Lord. AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:21-22 (MSG)

With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.

My Thoughts…..

Many of us face challenges in this life, either personally or through the lives of family and/or friends very near and dear to us. We sometimes worry about whether there is any hope or good expectation that might come out of the situations that concern us. Friends, this is exactly the scenario that Paul and his friends faced out on this ship. As in our case, we are warned by God through various messengers – a pastor, Sunday School teacher, Christian friend or a family member, that our lives are not reflecting the image of Christ. However, in our independent, selfish and often obnoxious attitudes, we often snarl at them and send them away, so that we can do our ‘own’ thing. This is precisely what the ship’s crew did, they had no desire to change their plans because of one man’s warnings. Unfortunately, we often face obstacles along the way, much like Paul’s hardened audience faced, and unfortunately these obstacles can sometimes be catastrophic. Sometime we may survive the catastrophes and are able to hear the warnings once again, as we are given a second chance. Notice how Paul finally got the attention of the boat crew after they had tried everything they knew to do? It is so unfortunate that some folk are only open to God after they have tried everything else. Too often our idea of having time to try ‘one more thing’ has very little surety, just as the ship could have easily been destroyed prior to Paul having another opportunity to speak with the sailors. Our take away on this story is that we should never delay responding to God.

Challenge……

I have had young friends who have recently been called from this life very unexpectedly. In the prime of their lives, where it was really important for them to properly raise their young families. I’m sure they never dreamed that they would not have time for one more prayer request before their lives were taken. Not all of us can count on the second chance that these sailors were blessed with. Are you ready to meet Your Maker? How will you answer the question “Why should you be accepted into God’s heaven”? Because you are reading this devotional, it means that you have been given another opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus and give Him control of your life. But friend, the warning is clear throughout God’s Word that you have no assurance of your next minute or hour. Therefore, I am very motivated to encourage you into making a decision to invite Jesus into your life, right now. Today is the day of salvation, friend. The sailors paid no attention to Paul’s warnings and almost lost their lives without Christ. Please learn a lesson from this story and delay your decision no longer.

 

Prayer……

Dear God, I am so thankful that You send messengers into our lives, like You did with Paul to those sailors. This story is a warning to those of us who read it, that we must listen and obey the warnings You send our way. Please help us to see the need to open our hearts and allow You to govern our lives, our desires, our wants and our future. You loved us enough to sacrifice Your very own Son so that we might enjoy eternal life with You. Lord, may we love You enough to live our lives in obedience to Your commands. I pray that my unsaved/uncommitted friends that may meditate on this devotional, may catch a glimpse of Your love and subsequently make a decision to invite You as Lord and Savior of their lives this very day. Jesus, this is an awesome task that can only be accomplished by You, so I ask this in Your most worthy, and all powerful name, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 38:4-9 (MSG)

Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.

 

My Thoughts…..

I believe that Job felt like God and everyone around him had withdrawn their love and relationship from him, so for several chapters Job had really been criticizing God and blaming Him for wrongful punishment. His friends had made attempts to love on, and correct Job, but it seems like he was really having a hard time snapping out of it. God finally had enough and decided to give Job some perspective on who He really is. Friends, I believe that anytime we feel like God has abandoned us, the book of Job would be a good book to reflect on. Further, if there was ever a time when you may have felt like you really had this ‘life’ thing figured out, I believe that this particular chapter, and conversation God had with Job, would be a great reminder of how you need to get a grip on yourself, open your heart and mind to what God has to say and make every effort to surrender the controls to your life back to God. We have excellent reminders here of how God carefully, intricately and powerfully put this planet together, then He created us to enjoy its many blessings. If He loves us that much, won’t He all the more take care of our problems, concerns and difficulties while we live here, if we would only humble ourselves and ask Him to?

 

Challenge……

Friends, I was reminded in a recent sermon from Isaiah 40:7-12 that although this earth is made up of two thirds water, yet God said that the oceans and its water is held in the cup of His hand. The earth’s dimensions are measured across the span of His fingertips! Whom, or what then shall we fear? When old Satan tries to distract us with untruths we need to remind ourselves and Satan that our God is so much bigger than our largest problem or concern. I believe also that His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. So with all this in mind, why would we ever follow in Job’s footsteps and worry about our problems, or blame God for our circumstances. In our midweek Bible Study we are reflecting on scripture that show us how important it is to worship God before we ever start to ask Him for anything or complain about anything. When we praise Him, we remind ourselves of His awesome love and power. Don’t you suppose that our problems become less of an issue or worry to us when we remind ourselves of the awesomeness of our beautiful, wonderful, matchless God? I certainly believe so!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for often trying to take the reins of this life from You. It is very obvious that You created me and all that is around me, so please forgive me when I bellyache and complain. I am but Your humble servant, You are the Potter, and I am but the clay that is mold-able and usable by You. As I recognize You and allow you control of my life, I can actually be at peace, and my problems then would seem to disappear. Lord, I believe this is vital to our witness, for if the unsaved world see us worrying as much about the concerns of this life as they do, we are showing them that we are not surrendering to any greater power than what they do. This is very wrong, so I ask forgiveness, and I ask for added strength every day to stay focused on You and Your wondrous love for me. For my friends that might meditate on this devotional today, please fill their hearts with Your peace, and the determination to overcome evil, and worldly problems with the love and dedication that only You can provide. Thank You Jesus for loving us this much! All this I therefore ask, in the matchless name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 37:6-7 & 14 (NCV)

⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the shower, ‘Be a heavy rain.’

⁷ With it, he stops everyone from working

so everyone knows it is the work of God.

¹⁴ “Job, listen to this:

Stop and notice God’s miracles.

My Thoughts…..

Elihu continues in his efforts to encourage Job, and this chapter has armed me with so many ways that I too can recognize God at work, and in turn, try to encourage a Brother or Sister who is so inward focused that they have lost sight of all that God has done, and is continuing to do for them, and all around them. Because we are not affected by snow in this part of the world that I live in, I will focus on the rain mentioned in verse 6. We often consider the blessings of the rain because of all the good it does for our growing plants, especially citrus, vegetable and flower vegetation. However I don’t believe that we stop to consider, like Elihu did in verse 7, that we had to stop our outside work during the heavy rain and storm. Why? So that we can stop and recognize the handiwork of God! Wow, how awesome is that thought? Now as I mentioned already, this entire chapter is devoted to showing Job, and us, how awesome our God really is, and in verse 14 Job was asked to just stop his whining, complaining and looking inward at his own dilemma, and instead reflect on the miracles and handiwork of God. In this way, he might be encouraged to recognize that God is still very much alive, active and providing his needs in so many ways. A lesson for us all friends!

Challenge……

Our challenge in this chapter of Job, is to take our focus off self and all that we wish God would do for us, to instead look for, acknowledge and praise Him for all that He is already doing to bless us and provide for us in so many marvelous ways. I was once told that instead of complaining about our broken arm, we should instead concentrate on praising God for the blessings of the good, whole arm that was unaffected by the accident we were in! I truly believe that in all of life’s circumstances we can still see God very much alive and at work. In many situations we may feel like the worst possible thing has happened to us, yet as we look back on that scenario years later, we could see how some part of that was used to bring glory to God – perhaps through a loved one coming to know Him as Lord, or something similar. We must remember, God’s work is way more important than our particular, personal problems. Let’s look to Him to work all things out for His good and His glory. Praise God if He can use us in that process, but let’s not focus so much on ourselves and our circumstances that we lose sight of the blessings occurring all around us by our wonderful, all-powerful, awesome God! Let’s be still and know that He is God!

Prayer……

Father God, please forgive me for my littleness and selfishness. Thank You for reminding me in Your Word today that Your work is really what matters. Ministering to me, my community, my country and this world will encompass times where things may not go the way I want them to. I must always look to You as God, so that You may accomplish Your will for Your glory and Your honor in everything that happens. At times this will not involve me, but please help me to praise You anyway. After all, if You heal a sick person in hospital, not only can I praise You for that healing, but I can recognize that You have truly blessed me with great health, otherwise I might be that person in hospital needing the healing. I am blessed dear Lord, and I praise You for being so gracious and wonderful to me. Help me to always look beyond my circumstances and reflect on Your handiwork, so that I might always remember and recognize the God who loves me so much. Please help me to be a lighthouse to my friends who are hurting today, so that I may point them to You and Your handiwork. For I ask all this in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 36:27-31 (MSG)

“He pulls water up out of the sea, distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns. Then the skies open up and pour out soaking showers on everyone. Does anyone have the slightest idea how this happens? How he arranges the clouds, how he speaks in thunder? Just look at that lightning, his sky-filling light show illumining the dark depths of the sea! These are the symbols of his sovereignty, his generosity, his loving care.

My Thoughts…..

Job was still being ministered to by Elihu because Job had really gone to the extreme in blaming God and accusing Him of wrong doing, because he especially saw himself as such a righteous person. Elihu had given a lot of advice to Job, but in these verses he was highlighting the awesome power and ability of God to overcome, overrule and correct any issue that Job had. During this time of the year when, where I live, we witness a lot of thunderstorms, these verses especially spoke to me. The last sentence was especially descriptive, as it helps us to understand that the whole concept of rain, clouds and lightning are all symbols, or illustrations or reminders of God’s awesome sovereignty, generosity, love and care for us! Friend, there truly is no God like our God!

Challenge……

Wow, how awesome is this reminder friends? For as long as we remember this, I believe that we will reflect on, and glow in, God’s glory anytime we see rain falling, or the lightning flashing across the sky! Is that not how we should be in our everyday demeanor? Others should reflect on the things we say and/or do and realize that God’s love is overflowing through us to truly bless them. Friends, let’s remember that God is sovereign, for He alone has the power to send the rain to bless our land, to heal our diseases and save our souls. His generosity is beyond measure, for in spite of our sin and ugly attitudes, yet He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die a cruel death on a cross, so that undeserving folk like us would have a chance of getting to heaven to be with Him throughout eternity! That’s true love demonstrated in ways beyond our comprehension or imagination! But do you know this Savior of mine personally and intimately? You’ll never accept these gifts of love from a stranger, so please consider surrendering your life to Jesus today, and allow Him to shower His gifts on you in real and amazing ways. Please contact me if you would like help and/or direction in surrendering your life to Christ. This is THE most important decision of your life friend! Please don’t take the risk of postponing your decision.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, You are awesome in so many ways! Thank You for loving us enough to care about our destiny long after we leave this old earth! In reflecting on this passage of scripture this morning, I also thank You for declaring your majesty, power and blessings on us every day. Things we tend to take for granted, yet You are fully aware of their importance to us for plant growth and food for Your children! Lord, there are some that will meditate on this devotional that may not have a personal relationship with You. Please use this as a means of awakening them and causing them to totally surrender their life to you and subsequently soak in, and enjoy the blessings that You lovingly shower on us every day.

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 26:17-20 (MSG)

“…. ‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.” What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life

My Thoughts…..

Paul was captured for openly proclaiming Jesus as the messiah, and in these chosen verses he continues with his self-defense, and especially his understanding of why he believes he was arrested. His life before Christ was awful. Filled with hatred for Christ, His church and His believers. We too are, or were filled with sin and openly rejected Christ and hated to see a believer getting too close to us, because old Satan kept reminding us that they would only try and share the mystery of the cross with us. When God enters our lives through our invitation, and with our permission, there are many changes that He draws our attention to. Please don’t brush this story off because you feel like Paul was so much worse that you ever could have possibly been. Your sin and Paul’s sin looked the same to God, for both lives were following a path of destruction and opposition to what God desires in His teachings in the Word of God (the Bible). Friends, for us to compare our lives to that of Jesus, and the ideals taught in His Word, I hope that you will agree that without Christ, our lives could easily have been considered ‘awful’ also. Please remember that our plumb line is Jesus, not our friends, and not even another Christian. He is the only perfect one, and He is the only One that ever sacrificed His life for us, so that we may look forward to life eternally with Him and His Father (God).

Challenge……

Hopefully most of my readers attended church sometime over the weekend. Reflecting on this story of Paul and his court case, it made me wonder what might have happened in our respective towns this weekend if, as we exited from church the authorities were waiting to arrest us? What might possibly be the charges? If we stood before the best judge in our town court, would we possibly use our commitment to Christ as an excuse for anything we may have done in our community? Are we prepared to say in a public setting what we feel that God has called us to do in and through our servanthood and commitment to Him? Paul boldly spoke up, caring less if this may have created even more problems for him before the king. Although it appears that our leadership, and especially our courts, are very open to Christian principles, and perhaps even hearing of why Christians feel they are so special, I believe many of us would be very challenged to explain our personal conversion before a judge. In fact, I would even question if our legal system would possibly find enough evidence to arrest any of us for being a Christian! Would we use the effects of God in our lives as an explanation of anything we have been found guilty of? We have nothing to be ashamed of friend! If God resides in, and has true ownership of, our lives, then I can guarantee you that your life has been impacted. Don’t bottle it up, tell the world who Jesus is and what He has done in your life!

Prayer……

Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive us for hiding Your amazing forgiveness, love and provision from our lost world. Please use this devotional to touch the hearts of Your people once again, to remind us of all that You have done, and the transformation that occurred when we allowed You to rule and reign in our lives. The daily impact of having You rule our lives is an ongoing blessing. Please humble us to open the parts of our lives that we still hold dear. Please help us to surrender all of ourselves to all of You so that You may truly work through us to reach the unsaved of this world. Please give us boldness to freely tell our story and to give You credit for all that You have been to us, and all that You are involved in everyday of our lives. It’s You I live for Jesus. Please take charge and use this instrument for Your glory. For it is only in the name of Jesus, my Lord that I ask, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 33:14-19 (NCV)

¹⁴ God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another – even though people may not understand it. ¹⁵ He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds. ¹⁶ He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings ¹⁷ to turn them away from doing wrong and to keep them from being proud. ¹⁸ God does this to save people from death, to keep them from dying. ¹⁹ People may be corrected while in bed in great pain; they may have continual pain in their very bones.

My Thoughts…..

I believe that many of us are like Job where we feel like God must have left the scene, as everything is going wrong that could possibly go wrong, in spite of our plea to God through sincere prayer and meditation. Further, I believe that many of us are like the young Elihu, who was respectfully speaking to his elder Job at this crucial time in his life, where we might feel like we are too young to speak to that older saint of God and offer support, encouragement or especially godly advice. But friend, I was reminded here that God is no respecter of persons, and that He can choose whatever age person He desires to faithfully carry His message. I believe that He also showed me that when I pray expecting a word from Him, it will not be my choice of persons who might bring the answer from God. If I plead with God about something, then I had better be prepared spiritually to receive a response from God through whatever means He chooses. Elihu also brought a good message to Job and to us by giving examples of how God speaks to His various kids in need.

Challenge……

Isn’t it sad that it takes God pounding on us through circumstances for us to believe and accept His response? In the New Testament we are reminded that it often takes faith like a child to believe, and that a small ounce of faith could move a mountain! It is unfortunate that we instinctively turn to God in our time of need, but find it challenging to receive His response and believe in faith? Two questions for my friends and I: 1). Let us talk with God about our level of faith, and ask Him that we might just as easily receive His response and believe, as we would in asking Him for a need; and 2). We must be obedient like Elihu and allow God to speak through us to whomever He desires. Whether older or younger than we are. Remember, it is God that wills and it is He that is speaking through us, so there is nothing to fear!

Prayer……

Dear Lord, You have shown me two things in this chapter of Job. First, that I must be careful to receive Your response through Your messenger of choice, not mine. Please help me to concentrate and dedicate myself fully to You and to humble myself to other saints that You might choose to use to bring You glory. Who am I to question? I am but a particle of dirt in this land compared to You. Please help me to always recognize your power and acknowledge Your strength, wisdom and direction. Secondly, I thank You for showing me through Elihu that I too can be used for Your glory, if You so choose. My responsibility is to be obedient to Your voice and carryout the instructions that You might lead me to, regardless of the stature or social status of the individual You might lead me to. Please touch Your warriors, my friends and I that might meditate on this devotional today, so that we may do Your will in ways that You may dictate, and to whomever You might lead us to. These things I ask in Your awesome and powerful name dear Jesus, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.