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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-09-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Judges 7:13-15 (TLB) |
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Text: |
…. “I had this strange dream,” he was saying, “and there was this huge loaf of barley bread that came tumbling down into our camp. It hit our tent and knocked it flat!” 14 The other soldier replied, “Your dream can mean only one thing! Gideon, the son of Joash, the Israeli, is going to come and massacre all the allied forces of Midian!” 15 When Gideon heard the dream and the interpretation, all he could do was just stand there worshiping God! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In order to encourage Gideon that everything was aligning just as God said it would for the battle against the Midianites and their allies, God told Gideon to sneak down by their camp and he might overhear something! This was the last piece of encouragement that Gideon needed, but before he proceeded to battle, he first stopped and worshipped the Lord God for being so patient with him and for the awesome God that He was! A great lesson for all of us…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I would encourage you to read the whole chapter on this, because Gideon was just like us in doubting that he was really hearing from God, and about His mighty works. God went through a time of testing by Gideon, that allowed him to prove that it was really God telling him to go to battle. Then Gideon put together the size army that he thought he would need, around 32,000 men. In verse 2 God told Gideon that He wanted to make sure that his army would never boast of their own works in this battle, so God ordered Gideon on how to reduce the army to…. 300 men! Can you imagine how blown away Gideon must have been? But Gideon was very obedient and did as God said. Just in case Gideon was still having some doubt, God gave him yet another piece of encouragement, by sending him to the outskirts of the enemy camp so he could overhear how they were feeling. Friends, I know that we read story after story in the Bible that might frighten us about our lack of faith in the all-powerful God that we serve, but this story reminded me of the peace that we can have in our totally patient God. He is awesome in power and could independently win battles with, or without us. His love for us is outstanding. His patience for those that He created is strikingly amazing! There is no god like our God! There is no love, like the love He has for us! Praise God that He encourages us through our humble pittance that we could attribute to His work, knowing full well that more often than not, we probably just get in His way. Yet He is patient and willing to teach us each time that we are willing to participate in His work! Friends, if we are going to be the image of Christ to unbelievers, we must be engaged in His work. Yes, we know that we are not able to do a whole lot using only our God-given talent, but just as God told Gideon, He wants it to be evident that God performs the miracle, or the work, even though He may have allowed us to be involved here on earth! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You are awesome in every aspect of life! It blows us away that You would even use such simple folk as us to accomplish Your work, and that Your mighty work can be accomplished through us, if only we would humble ourselves and let You. Just as we read about the miracles you performed through Gideon, I have faith to believe that You can also do the same through Your servants today. Many who will read this devotional today know You personally. Please use us in Your work here on earth in some form, so that Your work might spread throughout the earth even through us. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Month: September 2017
Proud To Be A Christian?
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-09-02 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Judges 6:27 (Voice) |
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Text: |
27 So Gideon took 10 of his servants and did as the Eternal had told him; but since he was worried about what his family and the people of the town might think, he did it at night while they all slept. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Gideon was an interesting character. He asked for God to clearly prove Himself when He first spoke to Gideon. Now when asked to prove his allegiance to God by completing an order to destroy the idols of his dad and his town, he agreed, but he completed the task in his own time, to be the least possible conspicuous. Do we try to hide behind something when we serve God, so that we are not faced with challenging questions about our belief? We will discuss this further…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Do your family and friends know that you’re a Christian? Do you know if they are? They are perfect as a practice target! If you can’t speak with them about their faith, how will you manage with a complete stranger? You might remember that Peter, one of the close disciples of Christ, was challenged about his relationship with Jesus, and he did exactly what he had earlier told Jesus that he would not do, he denied being associated with Jesus or even knowing Him. Gideon never said anything, but what do you suppose that his actions said? Perhaps: I value my life way too much than to be killed by my own people for tearing down their gods; or what will these people, that I’ve known all my life, think of me when I rebel against them by replacing their gods with my own altar of the living God? What does your words and actions say to others about your faith? One of the most challenging things in living a life pleasing to God, is that the ways of the world is often totally opposite. Are you bold enough to ‘go against the grain’ and show that you are different because of Jesus? Another challenge is that you show that you are different, in complete humility. Not to show the other person up. You never put down an unbeliever so that you might look better in your beliefs. Simply live the life that God expects from you and allow Him to do His work in the lives that you are impacting. Words of encouragement and trying to be available for an unbeliever might be a start. Following the example of Christ is the best witness. Friends, Gideon did what he was asked to do, but he also wanted to stay on the good side of his family and townspeople. In being willing to obey God, we may have to obey God’s commands in spite of any sort of compromise. Are you willing to try that today? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, we are challenged every day with all that we should do, but way too often we allow our pride to override, or our desire to keep all parties happy. Please help us to be so committed to You Lord, that we will be willing whatsoever You ask of us. We need Your power, strength and boldness every day. Please help us to be images of our God who loves us beyond everything else. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Nothing Is Hidden From God
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-09-01 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Psalm 139:1-6 (CEV) |
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Text: |
1 You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. 2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. 3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. 4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, 5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. 6 I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David shared his heart with us in these verses, because he realized that his actions, his thoughts, and his motives were all known to God. There were no secrets that he may have figured were totally private and that no one else knew about. I believe the same thing occurs today in even the best of us. Let’s see how we should apply this Scripture…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| How often we have been outside of our city/state/town or country and gone to a place that we stopped and made a wish, hoping that no one would know you there? Or perhaps, said something that made you quickly looked around to make sure that no one from church was within ear shod of you? Or wished evil on someone who always agitates, aggravates and annoys you? There may be times that you may have looked for ways to take revenge on someone that hurt you or a family member, or you wished the very worst for them because of what they did to you. These are some of the occurrences of life that we like to keep very private, because we don’t want friends or family to know about the ‘worst’ parts of us. Now, may I suggest that you stop and read today’s Scripture again? Can you see where it may be possible to hide things from parents, spouse, children or even very close friends, but nothing is hid from our Almighty, All-knowing, All-powerful God? Furthermore, when you are saved, God send’s His Holy Spirit to reside inside of us to guide us towards Truth every day and at all times. When you act in those ways contrary to God’s will, don’t you know that you are exposing the Holy Spirit to your sin and those places that may be totally oblivious to the Word of God, or our precious Savior who died for them? Friends, living a life for God, requires help from God or one of the equal parts of the Trinity. Why not just make it a point to ask for God’s guidance each and every day? Why not ask Him to guide your thoughts and your words? Ask Him to guide you into being an individual that others might mistakenly take for Jesus, because you sound and act so much like Him. Let Jesus rule in you friend. As you invite Him in daily, then words and actions that spill from you are bound to be anointed by Him. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, we need You to love, direct and protect us every day. Living in this sinful world often fills us with words and actions that we realize may not be an indication of, or pleasing to, You. When we accepted You as Savior and Lord of our lives, we wanted to put aside the sinful things of this world. But to do that, we need You today and every day to be our guide and our everlasting strength and hope. Fill us Lord with Your Holy Spirit so that we may portray our Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. All for Your glory and Your honor dear Lord. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Nuggets From God's Word 