Month: June 2021

Practical Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-06-30
WRITTEN AT: Gallup, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 8:6-10
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 

APPLICATION: One of the things that tends to throw unbelievers off track, is when they see Christians adding on to their everyday language, or doing things out of character in their actions. These things might cause them to act differently, in order to impress others about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Pretense always appears fake. The Roman Officer in our story had faith to believe that it was worth him going to Jesus about his servant’s ill health, and as a leader and powerful being, the Officer knew that Jesus could heal someone by placing His hand on him, but He could also heal through His commands offsite also. The Officer used an example he was familiar with in his work environment, and it was so targeted that Jesus was actually astonished over the faith of the man. Think about our prayers, do we go into the very finest detail to explain to God what our sick friend looks like, where he lives, how long he’s been sick and what it might take to truly heal him? Most of the time we do. I remember a pastor who tried very hard to discourage lots of detail when a church member asked for pray for someone, because often those requests turned into a gossip sessions about what all is wrong with the sick person, how they got that way, and how many family members may have been involved! I am convinced that Jesus knew exactly what was wrong with the servant, He knew what it took to improved the faith of the Officer asking, and those in the audience listening. You see, often in life we have our ideas about what is needed to resolve certain circumstances, and anything short of that would be a total disaster. A deacon or elder may visit a sick person in hospital and pray for them very deeply. But if you listen to the sick person’s story to a friend, they will tell how no one came from the church to visit, as that pastor is always off busy with the young folk or his clique of favorite members. It’s really sad to see how, in our minds, we have weakened the powerful hand of our awesome God. With a single word God put the world together and He created mankind. He hasn’t changed, so believing that He could still do anything that He sees fit to do, is strongly substantiated by all that He has already done. Our faith in God is a very natural thing, based on past experience that we read about, or may have experienced. Just be yourself and talk to God as your father – your Almighty Father. If you use personal examples or references, you won’t shock God. Remember, He created us, and He is well aware of everything we work at, volunteer at, experience, or believe in. Just talk to Him as God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God knows us and He understands all that occupies our minds. Being pratical with Jesus will not surprise Him or throw Him for a loop!

PRAYER: To the God of this Universe who not only made this world, but also created us, I say thank You Father. I have faith to believe that You created everything, so please give me foresight to also have faith in all that You could do for me – a child who loves You with all of my heart and believes in Your awesome power. The Roman Oficer believed that You could heal his servant, without ever being present in the servant’s room. Please impress upon my readers and I the power that You possess and how You could do much more than we could see or imagine. We love You Lord and look forward to all that You will do in our lives as our Almighty King. please touch the lives of those who struggle in their faith. Please remind us often of the faith You saw in the Roman Officer. I believe that we could be just as bold today, with Your help and direction. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Watches Over You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Love God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-06-29
WRITTEN AT: Tucumcari, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 37:23-24
TRANSLATION:New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.

APPLICATION: It seems like many days are filled with challenges that cause us to wonder: can it get any worse? Often it feels like we are at the end of our rope and holding on only by a knot, but we are thankful that all days are not like that! For the believer in Christ, we have a hope that surpasses all human understanding, for God repeats over and over in His Word that He watches out for us; He cares for us; He loves us unconditionally; He restores us from our brokenness, despair and disappointments and as promised in our Scripture today, He delights in every detail of our lives; He directs our paths and He holds our hand, especially when we stumble or fall! For my Christian friends reading this devotional, all of this is enough to help us rise above our doubts and fears. But it saddens us for our friends who have said ‘no’ to our Savior, and they are enduring serious days where they feel all alone and forsaken by the whole world around them. These are often our close friends, and we wish there would be something that we could do to help them. Sure enough, there is lots we can do to help. For you see, we are Christ’s representatives here on earth. Our friends need to feel the same love coming from us that we receive from Jesus Christ. They need to know that we are not judging them, but rather we are wanting desperately to help them through their struggles. They need to know that when they feel the world around them are against them and looking for ways to ridicule and punish them, that they could depend on the children of God to unconditionally love and care about them. To be Jesus in the flesh before them. Friends, we will never replace Jesus or be a substitute for Jesus at anytime – it’s impossible. But oh that we might be reminders to our unsaved world that Jesus is truly alive, because they see evidence of Him in us. May we always point them to the Savior so that they too might find rest and peace in Him in this troubled world. Always remember that God is watching over us – not just so that we might gloat in His goodness, but I believe, so that His goodness might overflow through His children here on earth to encourage others who need Him. A good friend always likened us to to one beggar giving bread to another beggar who needs Jesus! Just as Jesus watches over us, may our friends sense that Jesus wants to watch over them, because they could see first hand how His love reaches through us to love on them!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We have a Savior who not only saved us from our sin, but He watches over us when we struggle and/or fall. I need that reassurance, and I hope that you will also benefit from that reminder!

PRAYER: Praise You Jesus, for You care for us like no one else does, and when others despise us because of our failures. What an awesome reminder that, as Your children, we are to express that same kind of love to those that we know and/or come into contact with. But oh what joy it is to know that instead of giving up when we feel distraught and forsaken, we could lift our heads up high, knowing that the Creator of this Universe loves us and cares for us. Thank You Lord Jesus for showing us what real love is all about. We know that it’s easy to love those that love us and are kind to us, but now we know that through Christ we can also love everyone, just like You love us! May others see Jesus today, even if the only person they see is one of His children! Draw all men to Yourself today dear Lord, especially those we touch in some way. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Keeps His Promises

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-28
WRITTEN AT: Tucumcari, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 23:19
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 19 God is not a man; he will not lie.
God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something, then he will do it.
If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.

APPLICATION: For the one who receives a call that their child has just been killed in an auto crash, they will be devastated and have a lot of questions for God. For the one who has great plans for retirement, but loses their spouse near the end of their working years, they may question God. And, of course, for the one who lays on a bed of affliction knowing that there is no medical help for their condition, I’m sure it must be challenging to lay there and praise God. These are just a few examples of how we relate to the supreme God when life is not going the way that we feel like it should. King Balak was in a similar dilemma, for he knew that the extremely large body of Israelites approaching his nation could very easily wipe them out and do what they wanted with his land. But he was the king, and he could order people around at will. He always got what he demanded. Balak soon found that as oddly as it may seem, there were certain children of God that would do what God told them, verses the offers, money, promotions or threats from any earthly king. Balak realized the power of God working in Balaam, that’s why he called for him to come and demand a change in the course of the Israelites. However, what Balak didn’t account for was the fact that true, dedicated children of God will do what He says, regardless what any earthly human demands or threatens them with. Does that sound like you my friend? Will the threat of beatings, killings or imprisonment prompt you to change your commitment to God? As in my earlier examples, will something related to a family member cause you to turn against God, or draw you closer to Him? Notice that regardless of the intimidation of the king, Balaam stayed true to his Master, and persisted in following the Word of God. Friends, do you know without a shadow of doubt that your Redeemer lives, and that He rules in your heart and life, regardless of earthly circumstances, and/or visual happenings all around you? Are you willing to stand firm on the Word of God, and on the direction that God is leading you in, even if you know that it will meet with man’s dislike and/or opposition? Balaam assured his king, and we are assured from God’s Word that our God will keep His promises, for His word is always true and always honored. Paul said, to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and that was his ultimate goal. If that’s your goal today, then I believe that you too can stand firm on God’s Word and know that His promises are true.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is true to His Word and will fulfill that which He has promised. As His child, we are assured eternal life in Heaven with He and the Father. Don’t let anything on earth come between you and our awesome God!

PRAYER: What an awesome reminder from Balaam in our Bible story today! Our God is true, and He expects us to be true to Him. There are thousands of promised You gave us in Your Word, Lord, please give us strength and determination to stand firm in our faith as we spend our remaining time here on earth. Balaam faced fierce testing of his faith, and we face the same in one form or another each day that we are around Satan’s earthly army. Oh that we will love and honor You Jesus with all of our heart, soul and mind, until the day You call us home to 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Tell Them What The Lord Says

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-06-26
WRITTEN AT: Shamrock, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 22:8; 12-13
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord’s answer.” So the officials stayed at his house….
12 But God replied, “Don’t go with Balak’s messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don’t curse them.”
13 The next morning, Balaam said to Balak’s officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”

APPLICATION: I believe that one of the most challenging things to do, is to pray from a totally neutral position and ask God without any prejudices of our own involved in our request. Often folk will say that God never answered their prayer, but how often do we pray without telling God what we want to see as His answer? When God answers in His wisdom, and it differs to what we asked for, we immediately think that He either ignored us, or just messed up. I know you would never think or say the latter, but we are all human and we differ very little in our reaction to things. But notice how Balaam never offered his first impression to the messengers, but his first response was that he would tell them what God says next morning. I’ve often heard godly men say ‘I feel like God led me to say….’ But never exactly like Balaam told the messengers. What would coworkers and friends say, if you told them you would give them God’s response the next morning? What would they think, or say, if you told them ‘no, God says I can’t do that’? But friends, think with me for a moment what they must be saying already when we make no reference to seeking the will of our Father in heaven before responding to them? Does that help in their evaluation of the relationship you have with the Father and/or His Son? In the included verses, you will note that God told Balaam that these were HIS people whom HE had blessed, so Balaam must not even think about cursing that which is blessed by God! I believe that is a true description of how God feels about His children today! I believe that He is very protective of us and will ward off danger and hurt from that which He has blessed – you and I. For this to be meaningful to you dear brother and sister, you must have surrendered your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. That’s the method God uses for us to be considered ‘His beloved child that He awaits to receive in heaven someday’. Do you fit the description? Please consider reading my Footnote, and especially click on the link ‘To Know Jesus’. There are Scriptures that will help you evaluate your position with the Creator, and/or provide you meaningful Scripture to help introduce you to the Master. Please drop me a note and allow me to pray with you, or seek out your local Bible Teaching pastor to help you through this important introduction to my Savior!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Let the world know how your decisions are made! It speaks volumes about your relationship with God. Also, know that as a child of the King, you are protected by the One who loves you unconditionally!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead on to the end…. Beautiful words from an old hymn that speaks to our need for an everyday relationship with Jesus, and a total dependence on Him to lead us in every aspect of life. No matter how smart we get Lord, we are reminded that we still know nothing about the next five minutes or tomorrow. We are totally dependent on You, and because we praise You for who You are, we are placing our faith and trust in You for every decision that we are faced with. Please help us to respond in the manner is which we are receiving our guidance so that the world will not only know about Jesus, but also come to respect Your kids for total obedience. Lord, be glorified in Your children today, beginning with me. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Give God the Right To Direct Your Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Control, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-06-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 37:4-7
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 Find your delight and true pleasure in Yahweh, and he will give you what you desire the most. 5 Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!
7 Quiet your heart in his presence and wait patiently for Yahweh. And don’t think for a moment that the wicked, in their prosperity, are better off than you.

APPLICATION: Some years ago I experienced for the first time – a wife giving her husband, who was struggling for breath to stay alive after battling months of cancer effects, the right to go ahead and relax in death. What an experience! But knowing that doctors and family had tried every possible avenue to keep that man alive and in fair health, she wanted him to know that if God wanted him at that particular time, there was no need to go on fighting for his life because of her, she would be OK. David had experienced very troublesome times, in fact near death experiences, as his opponents sought after killing him on many occasions. He prayed sincerely for God to protect him and to lead him, but as we know today from our own experiences, that could sometimes lead to circumstances that we may question even more. But we notice in this Psalm that David shared with us what he desired more than anything – giving God the right to direct his life. This was prefaced by his advice to first claim God as our Creator, King and Savior. I know, many of my readers/listeners will rest comfortably knowing that you already claim Jesus as your Savior, so easy-peezy, right? But note that David goes on to say that if we have sincerely and honestly placed our faith and trust in God, then find peace in finding our delight and pleasure in God. Give Him full control of your circumstances, and the right to cure, or settle the situation in line with His perfect will. Not so easy, right? If you’ve ever been in a position to do this, then I believe you will not only know how peaceful and rewarding this could be, but how scary it was in ‘giving God the wheel’ of your life and your circumstances. Perhaps we just need more faith, is that it? Or perhaps we just need to learn to relinquish control, that we so frequently assume in our self perfection and self perseveration. Oh that we could daily quiet our hearts before the Lord! In other words, be willing to place all our concerns, worries, problems and questions at the door to our quiet place and just sit with open hearts and open hands before the Lord. I believe that as we ask Him to fill us with more of Himself, so that we could face the day under His leadership and control, then those issues we left at the door will all appear minuscule knowing that our God could handle it all with just a spoken word! Way too often we tend to question God about why are so many good things happening to our wicked neighbors rather than ourselves. David assured us that we should never question God on this, for He cares for us like any good father would love and care for his kids. Friends, as children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, we are honored and highly favored by our Father – our Everlasting God! There is no greater joy available to us today!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is willing to direct our lives, if we allow Him to take the reigns and be our God. Also, the wicked may prosper here on earth for a while, but as children of the King, we can look forward to peace and contentment here on earth AND throughout all eternity!

PRAYER: Who are we that a King should die and live for? I love the lyrics of that beautiful song, but today that becomes more real to me as we have meditated on this Psalm and been reminded by David of the peace and contentment we derive from being a child of the most High God, especially when we give Him full access to our lives. Life is way too overwhelming to handle on our own, so we truly needed this today O God. Please continue to take full control of my life, and may my readers/listeners also access the throne and seek Your wonderful face for similar action in their lives. Our eyes are on You O Lord, and we need You to daily take control and direct us in Your perfect path, so that You may be glorified through us even while here on earth. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done O Lord, our Master and our Redeemer. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

With A Humble Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Blessings, Holy Spirit, Hope, HumilityLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-06-23
WRITTEN AT: Big Cabin, OK

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 5:3
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT:  “Great blessings belong to those who know they are spiritually in need. God’s kingdom belongs to them.

APPLICATION: Poor in spirit – On face value, I tend to believe this means that one might be feeling sorry for themselves, or thinking poorly of themselves and the circumstances around them. Doesn’t this come to the surface at times in each of us? But Jesus said that God blesses these kind of folk when, in spite of how they’re feeling, yet they see the need for Him. Friends, I know that we need to stay positive and pretend like we are on cloud nine at all times, but reality sets in very frequently for us. At the beginning of every day: we need God to hold our hand; Give us wisdom; Encourage us to go on, in spite of all that we know might happen that day; Hold our hand as encouragement and strength for our day; and then remind us frequently throughout the day that He’s right there beside us. You see, for the disciples, Jesus told them that they are to go out and live like this. I believe that we must realize that we are nothing without Christ, but everything as His possession. We have power to do nothing without the power of God within us. We must love others like Jesus loved us, for God gave Him up so that we might have life eternally in heaven one day with He and the Father. We must live in total dependence on Him, for without Him life is totally void. And remember, just as we listened to the call of Jesus on our life, others we will come into contact with will also desire this Savior of ours. Jesus may have said: Brothers, you may be poor in spirit, but may this be the day that you realize that your only hope is in a life that is totally saturated by Jesus. I believe Jesus looked at them and assured them that the world may fail them, but God never will! Praise to the Lord – our Savior; our Redeemer; our Deliverer and our everlasting Hope.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God’s Kingdom belongs to those who are humble and weak in spirit, but sincerely loves Jesus and have surrendered their life to Him!

PRAYER: Wonderful Savior and Friend, thank You for placing us just where we are so that we may allow Your Holy Spirit to work through us and bless those that become a part of our circle of influence. May we always realize that life is all about You and the manner in which we give you control and leadership in our living. Oh that we may live with the full influence of the Master extending Himself mightily through us for His ultimate glory and praise. It is so hard to live in a world that promotes self everywhere we turn, and yet approach life with humility of spirit and fully dependent on You. Teach us daily dear Lord, that only You can save a sinner and heal the sick. We are worthless without You. Please teach us to depend on You for our every need, so that we may be Your instruments of blessing here on earth. Oh that many will reach far beyond the skies today as they reach out for a relationship with the One who created the stars and the heavens. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Demonstrate The Holiness of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Holiness, Holy, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-06-22
WRITTEN AT: Villa Ridge, MO

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 20:10-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”

APPLICATION: Things that are logical to mankind will hardly cause an unbeliever to imagine that it originated with God. None the less we often see where movies and plays add special effects when trying to help an audience understand how miraculous God’s awesome power is. It seems like Moses tried to do this when God told he and Aaron to simply speak forth water from a rock. I realize that part of the problem was that Moses was so upset with his people over the disrespect and distrust in God to provide them with water, especially after God had done such an awesome job at doing just that since they left Egypt. They remind me of children who are spoiled rotten. They want it, and they want it NOW. It doesn’t matter that mom and dad may not have the money, they want their request now, or they will yell and scream until they receive it. Like me, it’s enough to make you lose your patience with them as well, right? At a glance, you may read over this biblical account and wonder what made God so angry at Moses and Aaron. I believe that God wanted one more opportunity to show His people that they could trust Him for all their needs, including providing water for them when there appeared to be no water available out in the desert for so many people and animals. Friends, God has declared in His Word that He will provide a way for us, even when there seems to be no way. He said that ALL things are possible, when we place our trust in Him. God made streets out of rivers for the Israelites and He sent them food out of the sky, to name just a few examples of what He did. If you were among that crowd, wouldn’t you be quick to trust Him when He said that He would provide your every need? But wait, isn’t this the same God that we look to for our needs today? Are you able to place your faith and trust in this holy God to provide your answers to all your cares and concerns? I know you can, and furthermore I believe that I too can trust Him in every aspect of my life. I believe it is also incumbent upon us to also lift up our Holy God for who He is. Yes, He answers our prayers, and yes, we must shout that from the mountain tops and let the whole world know that Jesus is alive, and He is more than able to meet their needs also, if only they would learn to trust Him. Our successes, our healing, our restored sight, our miraculous baby, our escape from serious injury in that awful wreck – these were not happen-chance; they were not our lucky day; they were not because of anything we did, other than simply placing our faith and trust in the God who can do all things – the One who promised to answer our prayers and watch over us, if only we would trust Him and allow Him to be God. Tell the world my friend. No need to pretty it up, or supersize it for effects. Simply tell them what God has done, and He will do the rest. It’s all about Him, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God worked miraculously through two simple men, even though they thought they needed to magnify His work, or help their people believe in the miracle, because of the actions they saw from two great leaders. He’s still God, and there’s nothing we could do to help Him complete His work in us!

PRAYER: Thank You precious Lord for taking such good care of us every day. Thank You also for hearing our cry when we feel like the mountain is too high to cross over, and the valley too low to endure. You made us Lord, so You already know our weaknesses. Please forgive us for not only failing to trust You with our problems, but failing to tell the world after we have seen You perform a miracle in our lives. How will they know You, if we hide Your work from them. Please help us to obediently follow You; be thankful for Your miraculous works; and be ready and willing to tell the world about You, without feeling like we need to add special effects to make You look good. Your grace is enough and Your power is all we need. Thank You Jesus for loving us enough to complete Your work in us. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Faithful Love of God – Name The Ways

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faithful, Faithfulness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-21
WRITTEN AT: Villa Ridge, MO

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 36:5-7
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 Your love, O Eternal One, towers high into the heavens. Even the skies are lower than Your faithfulness. 6 Your justice is like the majestic mountains. Your judgments are as deep as the oceans, and yet in Your greatness, You, O Eternal, offer life for every person and animal. 7 Your strong love, O True God, is precious. All people run for shelter under the shadow of Your wings.

APPLICATION: David had such a way in describing his love for God, and in the case of today’s Scripture, describing God’s faithfulness. I believe when folk say today that they love someone to the moon and back, they are actually trying to mimic David in his descriptions. He told God that his faithfulness were higher than the skies! Wow, it just doesn’t get any higher than that! But David went on to try and improve on that by telling his awesome God that His justice, or His fairness, is majestic as the mountains. When you look at a land mass, nothing is greater to look at than a majestic mountain climbing thousands of feet into the sky. We sometimes see the clouds floating below the mountain peak, so it is very high in the sky, and David considered God’s justice that awesome! God’s judgments are well thought out and serves the purpose of calming, or taming even our deepest fears. I love, love, love the last idea – that in spite of God’s judgments, yet He offers love and protection to animals and to each of us. His protection is something that we run to in times of storms and when trouble is brewing. Our God’s protection is such that we feel we It’s something we feel like we could hide under, like under the protection of His wings, and know that in spite of our past, in spite of our ugly thoughts and actions, yet He will always be our comfort, our protection and our Savior from all that the world burdens us with. Safe in the arms of Jesus is where I want to be! I hope that each reader may have a similar desire, for it is only there that we are completely safe and secure, plus we are loved unconditionally by Him! So taking us back to my introduction, how would you answer the question about how has God been faithful to you? Can you convince a friend that His faithfulness is from everlasting to everlasting, and worth it all?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Your strong love, O Lord, is precious, and it is something that we are all assured of when we know that we have surrendered lordship of our lives to Him.

PRAYER: Our ancestor, and Your ancestor shared the value he saw in Your faithfulness, and how awesome that gift was to him. Praise God, You have not changed, oh Lord, for Your faithfulness is still beyond our comprehension but appreciated more than life itself. Thank You Father for Your unfailing love. Your faithfulness endures forever, and is beyond measure. Thank You for the gift of eternal life! Please continue to speak humbly to those who have yet to accept that gift. May we all be ready when the Father decides on the moment of Your return to take Your church home. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Saying ‘NO’ to Evil

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-06-19
WRITTEN AT: Florence, IN

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 36:1-4
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Deep in the hearts of the wicked a voice tells them to do wrong. They have no respect for God 2 They lie to themselves. They don’t see their own faults, so they are not sorry for what they do. 3 Their words are wicked lies. They have stopped doing anything wise or good. 4 They make wicked plans in bed at night. They choose a way of life that does no good. And they never say no to anything evil.

APPLICATION: It seems like every day we hear reports of more and more things happening where there is no regard for God, family, the church, nor fellow mankind. Crimes become more bizarre, and hatred become more evident among mankind. So many times I have heard Christian leaders say ‘surely we must be nearing the end of time here on earth’, and I believe that’s because they feel like things can’t get much worse. So what do you suppose has happened? We often hear the elderly among us talk about ‘the good old days’, and we resolve in our minds that they are merely challenged with accepting progress, growth and change. But is that really the case? If you look at a body of cloudy water and conclude that it is disgusting, and that it can’t possibly get any worse, you might be surprised to return to that body of water in a few weeks after continued infusion of waste, and you will see that the condition of the water has worsened. So it is with sin, my friend. Notice in our Scripture that each verse contains attributes that David felt added to the sinful condition of his adversaries. Since David’s time we could probably add a few more attributes to the list of things that seem to add to a worsening condition of sinners and their despicable actions. But let us take time to see where this puts us today. But for the grace of God, any of you reading this devotional could also be affected by sin, and therefore acting in ways representative of the evil one. But what has changed our personal situation? Could it be that Almighty God heard the prayer of a loving and caring mother, father or good friend, and He softened our hardened hearts so that we realized the need for Jesus – the Savior of all mankind, who has power over our sin? Could it be that we have a very personal and active relationship with our Master, and through daily communion with Him, He guides us into the truth of His Word and the power of His grace? Could it be that because of the power of our God, we have learned that it is only because of Jesus that we could have power over the evil that so easily besets us and is out to entrap us? Notice that David said in verse 4 that the wicked makes plans at night in their bed. That means that they are stirring up evil in their hearts and preparing to unleash their hatred and anger on an innocent world, where some might be trying to live peaceably through Christ. How’s your heart friend? Are you able to say ‘NO’ to evil every day? It is only through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that you can do this. For He alone has the power over sin. Is your relationship with God such that you could hear His still small voice directing you to righteousness and peace with your God? If not, let me encourage you to join me in drawing close to God, so that He could draw close to us and work through us to fight the pull of Satan. For the Christian, we serve a righteous and holy God, who wants His followers to be the same as His is. He is our source of strength and righteousness, so we must maintain an honest and upright relationship with Him as long as we are here on earth among the evil of mankind.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: David experienced the evil of mankind. Jesus came to provide hope and the joy of eternal life for those who place their faith and trust in Him. Praise God, we have that hope, because things seemed to have worsened since the days of David.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it is so easy to look around us and see the handiwork of the evil one. Thank You Jesus for the great hope that You give to those who place their faith and trust in You. What a joy to be reminded that Your peace and Your joy goes beyond our everyday victories and into an eternity with You and the Father. Please soften the hearts of unbelievers so that they might see the hope that exists beyond the strife of our daily lives here on earth. May they accept You today Lord, so that they too might be filled with Your love and everlasting joy! Oh that You may be glorified today because Your Word is going out and being accepted by those touched by You. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Reminders To Follow God’s Commands

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Follow Christ, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-06-18
WRITTEN AT: Florence, IN

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 15:37-41
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 The Lord told Moses 38 to say to the people of Israel, “Sew tassels onto the bottom edge of your clothes and tie a purple string to each tassel. 39-40 These will remind you that you must obey my laws and teachings. And when you do, you will be dedicated to me and won’t follow your own sinful desires. 41 I am the Lord your God who led you out of Egypt.”

APPLICATION: It seems like the older one gets, the more likely they are to forget important tasks, or at least to perform those tasks in a timely fashion. Now, often mankind uses lack of memory as an excuse, because they really don’t want to perform a scheduled task! But it was evident to God that when the Israelites chose to ignore His commands, they often had a personal and preferred way of handling a situation to their own liking, and for their own benefit. Sounds an awful lot like us today, right? If we’re around fellow Christians, or if we are at church, we do a pretty good job of following God’s principles and His commands. But what about in personal situations where it’s only our evil and conniving neighbor who’s messing with our nerves again, or a customer at work whose breath wreaks of alcohol, and they’re using us as their target to vent and/or relieve stress? Are we usually able to respond kindly and calmly, as if God was standing before us? I know, you’re not one to take trash from a drunk, or anyone else who tries to test your nerves, so you are quick to respond hard at your first opportunity! But what if that was someone that God referred to you as a representative of His? You told the church (and God) that you had changed your evil ways and that you were determined to follow Christ, but are you doing that consistently and even in tough situations? God gave the Israelites a reminder so that they might always follow His commands and His example. What might be our reminder? As a child, our daughter watched Barney so many times that one day she was able to recite the whole alphabet to me! We study the handbook from the Department of Transport so many times that we could easily answer all the questions on our Drivers License test. Doesn’t it make sense that if we spend time in God’s Word daily, we will learn His commands, be reminded of His commands, make His commands a part of our daily life, and then live out what resides inside of us? Friends, unless we do this, we will follow our own evil, selfish desires that displays anything but God’s love, mercy and hope for eternal life. The reminder that God sets for us might be different to the one He set for the Israelites. The reminder He sets for you might be different to the one He sets for me. Regardless of the reminder set for us, I believe it would behoove us to determine in our own heart to serve the Lord with gladness, and seek to obey His commands so that our neighbor will not just see our lousy efforts, but they will see Jesus shining through in every good work and every encouraging word, God being our helper.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The more we follow God’s commands, the less likely we are to follow our own selfish desires. Peace comes from being obedient to God’s commands and allowing Him to work in and through us!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, way too often we create a nightmare by following our own selfish desires and the devices of man. Please help us to be reminded of Your commands each day as we fill our minds with Your Word. Please begin a great work in me, and in the lives of my readers/listeners, so that we might live in peace with our fellow man. Showing mankind our loving and all-knowing God is far more important than anything else. Please be very real in our lives and allow us to represent You well to all that we come into contact with. Thank You Lord Jesus, be glorified in us today! 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!