DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-07-18
WRITTEN AT: Van Horn, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 4:29-31
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁹ But when you’re there, you’ll look for the Eternal your God. If every part of you is invested in the search, heart and soul, then you’ll find Him. ³⁰ When you’re in trouble in those days yet to come because of all these things, you’ll come back to the Eternal your God, and you’ll listen to His voice. ³¹ He is a compassionate God. He won’t abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant He made with your ancestors—He swore to them that He’d keep it!

APPLICATION: As a young man who was given the responsibility to take my younger brother out for a walk, I somehow became detached from him and I couldn’t find him. I remember searching every possible place where I thought he would hide, or simple seek out through his curious spirit. There was a fire in my aunt’s backyard, and I remember spending time there praying, because I was sure he must have walked into the fire!! Wow, what if we were desperate enough about finding Jesus? Do you suppose anyone would go to the extent that I did in the search for my brother? Friends, some of you may feel like that’s a far out example, but let me share another story with you. I visited a distant country, and I won’t mention which one, but many of the churches had either closed their doors or they were meeting occasionally with just the few people that may show up. The people had abandoned God to serve other gods – alcohol, sports, hiking, the great outdoors, etc, and because these things brought such joy to them, they saw no need for God or His church. I felt like I was in a land similar to where Moses felt his people would wind up. But friends, you or your relatives may be in a similar situation even in your own country – one that others refer to as a Christian nation. How is that? Unless we turn a blind eye to what is around us folks, we have relatives and friends that don’t have time for God or his church, because of the things they involve themselves in, and many of these things are right in our own neighborhoods. Unless we pray, pray, pray for these loved ones, we could only hope that something will awaken their senses and help them to remember the God who rescued their mom from death due to cancer, or their brother who was saved from a fiery crash because of the prayers of a faithful dad. Friends, I believe that when one is deep into the hold of Satan, much like the Prodigal son was, God will still knock on their heart’s door just loud enough to get their attention. Sometimes, God will place enough evidence in their minds that they will be reminded of the God who loves, cares, heals and saves His children from the pit of Hell into the Kingdom of Heaven. If any reader or listener is in a place where they feel like there is no hope, or that no one loves them, may I suggest that you diligently reach out to Jesus. The Bible says, with everything you have – your heart, soul and mind. Notice the last words of our Scripture today: we are being reminded that God will not break His promise to our ancestors, and that He will hear our cry and save us from our sin and deception. For the one who has a relative in a bad place and you are concerned that they are destined for Hell, let me suggest that you pray diligently for them – in fact, pray with all your heart, soul and mind that God will trigger a thought in their mind, or open their eyes to the love of an all loving God, so that they might seek Him with every bit of diligence possible. If they diligently search for Jesus, they will find Him!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, He is always near when we call on Him. Now if we could only get over ourselves and call on Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we might have life more abundantly and everlasting in a much better place. Please forgive my readers and I when we are sometimes pulled into the world’s way, and especially for those who struggle to return to ‘the only way’ to heaven. Lord, we each have loved ones and friends who are really struggling, or simply refuse, to see the Light – Your truth, Your light and Your everlasting hope. Please direct them to some source that will help them through their abstinence and stubbornness so that their eyes, their heart and their mind will be redirected to the Savior who loves, adores and is waiting to receive them. Lord, we all need You. Please give us strength to overcome when we fall into Satan’s path, for it’s You that we desire, and strive to live for while here on earth. Be glorified through us oh 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 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!