Month: January 2023

Make Good Use of Your Time

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Give thanks, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Time, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2023-01-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 4:2-6
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. 3 At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison. 4 Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.

APPLICATION: Paul was a born again, bold, dedicated man of God. His life was transformed from that of a persecutor of Christians, to that of loving Christians so much that he would take time to speak truth into their lives, even from prison. It was for the very reason that Paul was in prison, that he rose up to share with believers, even while still being punished. My heart was touched by Paul’s declaration to Christians, for I could see that individuals and their churches could rise up and be a mighty force for the Kingdom, if only we would take Paul’s instructions to heart. Let’s look deeper into how effective we have become in following the commands of Paul:

  • Be Persistent in Prayer while Giving Thanks. And Stay Alert (vs 2-4) – There’s probably two words in this one command that challenges the church of God today. For it is challenging to find workers who are persistent in their commitment and in their lifestyles. Many, but not all, who claim to be ‘Christian’ will find their way out to church on Sunday mornings, if there’s nothing better going one, or if the weather is not good for beaching or other activities. To pursue the godly needs of our community, we cannot disappoint a Sunday School classes by not having a teacher show up because this was not their priority that day. The second challenging word in the command is ‘Prayer’. There was an elderly gentleman who threatened the pastor, at a church I attended, that he would not return to midweek services if all he was going to do was ‘Pray’ at our ‘Prayer’ meetings! Many times, I wonder if that is the mindset of many church members, because Prayer meetings are the worst attended service, and the one that forces attendees into a withdrawn corner of their world. They can’t pray in public, is the frequent excuse. Do you suppose that one who doesn’t pray in private might be one who is challenged to pray among other believers? But isn’t the value of prayer seen throughout the Bible? Remember what happened on the day of Pentecost? Always give thanks for what God has already done in response to your prayers, and always stay alert to what others are praying for, for those are their needs and their cry for fellow believers to pray with them for those concerns. Just as Paul asked his church to pray for him and his ministry, I am convinced that our own pastors flourish in their calling when the Holy Spirit responds to our prayers for our pastors and their respective ministries. I had a pastor who said that he tried very hard to use the KISS method in his preaching. Keep It Simple Silly! In the secular world we were encouraged to make our correspondence readable by a 6th grade level student. For if we wrote something very professional, spent postage for mailing the letter, only for the recipient to struggle in understanding what we wrote, then we have truly wasted our employer’s money, and failed to get our purpose across in writing the letter. Paul knew that time was short, so he asked that the people pray for him to keep his message clear and simple. I am convinced that our pastors still need that same prayer on their behalf today. Keep it simple Pastor! Dummy that message down so that even the illiterate could understand!
  • Be Wise how you Act towards the Unsaved (vs 5-6) – Some say that you must not visit the local theater, or pub, or…. anywhere else that non-Christians hang out. While I understand why proponents of that statement feel that way, I’m not so sure that principle has not taught believers to avoid non-Christians. I believe that Paul is proposing that we show the love of Jesus to everyone, especially the unsaved. Don’t shrug off questions by the unsaved, but instead try to encourage them through the love and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Be ready to speak to what it is that inspires, blesses, heals, and fills you to overflowing each and every day, and how you are anxiously awaiting the day when Jesus will call you home to glory!

Friends, as we read our Bible each day, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to what we need, and how we should use what we have. It worked for me today, and I pray that in my sharing, it will help you catch a glimpse of the glory of knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Imagine God using you to represent Him, or be an ambassador for Him, to all that you come into contact with today!

PRAYER: Who are we that a King should live and die for? Yet You loved us so much that the very purpose of Your life became evident when You hung on the cross at Calvary, and rose again, so that we might enjoy our final destiny – our heavenly home with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Thank You Jesus that You saw such value in a sinner such as I, that You saved me and handed me the keys to Heaven! My readers, listeners and I are forever grateful for the hope of eternal life. But while allowed to remain on earth a little longer, please use us for Your glory to encourage the unsaved and point them to the empty grave and their hope for eternity in heaven. Give us boldness to stay as strong as Paul was and give us a deep desire to adhere to Paul’s instructions to the church, plus Your commands and teachings. Oh, that they might see Jesus, is my humble plea for all that we will make contact with 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!

Commissioned to Go, Tell and Heal

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2023-01-30
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 9:1-5
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Jesus convened a gathering of the twelve. He gave them power and authority to free people from all demonic spirits and to heal them of diseases. 2 He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3-5 These were His instructions:

  1. Travel light on your journey: don’t take a staff, backpack, bread, money, or even an extra change of clothes.
  2. When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that city.
  3. If a town rejects you, shake the dust from your feet as you leave as a witness against them

APPLICATION: There is at least one other place recorded in Scripture where Jesus gave His disciples the necessary power and ordered them to go and tell the Good News (Matthew 28). In our Scripture today, Luke records that Jesus, called His disciples in to Him, gave them the necessary power that they would need, then instructed them to go, tell and heal as necessary. There’s a few things that caught my attention:

  • a). Jesus had been the One doing all the healing, but now, in what appears to be a delegation of power, He gave His disciples the power to meet the needs of the sick that they would come into contact with. Throughout the New Testament there are references to various gifts that are given to believers. But I wonder when, and under what circumstances Jesus still passes this power to heal on to believers today.
  • b). No matter how established the church may have been at that time, Jesus ‘SENT’ the disciples out. In other words, don’t wait for the people to get the urge to attend church, go to where they’re at. I believe this command is just as applicable to the church today as it was for these first disciples.
  • c). Tell them the Good News of Jesus and what He could do for them. I believe He wanted them to also tell the people what Jesus had done for them personally. For you see, they would rather hear how God is working today, rather than what He did for Moses when he led over a million people to a point where there was water ahead and an oncoming army approaching from the rear, or for Noah when God was about to flood the earth. Because of Jesus, and what He has done for us, we still have an awesome message to tell. Let’s go and tell the Good News fellow believers. This is too good to keep bottled up inside when we know of folk dying each day without any hope of eternity in Heaven.
  • d). Heal the sick – whether this refers to those that were physically sick without any hope of recovery, or those who were sin-sick without any hope for eternity, Jesus is the answer to all of man’s deficiencies. As a child of the Great Healer, let’s seek His power and pray, while laying holy hands on the sick. With a touch from God for their physical condition, many will also seek God’s face for healing of their spiritual condition. While this is not something we can boast of, we must be sure to extend the power of our God as He sees fit to bless us with that anointing.

But to top this whole message off, Jesus gave His disciples a few conditions that would generate supreme trust in the Almighty God. I went with a group of missionaries from my church to Mexico for a week. Other than finances, the next greatest challenge was in packing minimally as space would be limited on flights and in the vans used for ground transportation. So can you imagine trying to ‘GO’ under the restrictions ordered by Jesus in (1) noted above in our Scripture? Homes were opened to accommodate the missionaries, as there were no provisions for commercial accommodations, if any existed. This has become a huge problem today, as most church members will refuse to have a missionary or visiting preacher in for a meal, much less opening their home to one. I trust that you can appreciate the difference. Most of us will do everything possible to be accepted by the townspeople in which we minister. But what do you do if you are not accepted? Jesus knew this would happen and probably disappoint His disciples, just as it would impact us, so He prepared us in advance in (3) above for such an unfortunate event. Bible scholars will tell you that Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples to go some foreign place and, when you get – tell and heal. But instead, He told them in their language that as they GO, tell and heal. It is so important that we represent God and tell the Good News everywhere we find ourselves, not just at one specific building, street corner, country or city. As you go each day, brothers and sisters, in every way possible, tell the story of Jesus and His love for everyone you meet, God being your helper and guide.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: You now have the power, go, tell, and heal in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for entrusting Your disciples with the power to heal the sick as they ministered along the way that they were directed by You. I believe that if anything changed in the methods You used, as applied to us, You would have told us so. But that leaves us with a deep and awesome responsibility as your disciples. We need You Lord Jesus to endow upon us the power to represent You in every phase of ministry as we promote the Savior that we accepted as Lord of our lives. Teach us Lord to trust in you each and every day, and in carrying You with us, may we be sure to depend on You for every word we speak and for every action that opens itself to us. Have Your will and way in the lives of my readers, listeners and myself, so that Your mighty works might be revealed through our efforts. 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!

Workers Needed

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Discipline, Greatest Need, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Recognize Needs, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2023-01-29
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 16:39; 41;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 39 Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. 
41 David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord, for “his faithful love endures forever.” 

APPLICATION: To give you a little insight into what I saw as I read this Scripture, imagine a new pastor beginning at your church, and in his first meeting with the leadership, he requests a fairly large number of workers to see that the ministry he feels led of God to carry out, is effective. He envisions lots of young families to attend, so there will be a need for adequate childcare; children’s ministry; married couple’s ministry; mom’s day out ministry; then there’s discipleship offered by older men to young men, and the same for the women; ministry to the elderly and shut-ins; prayer and evangelism workers who will work with church attendees who respond to the Gospel message; at least a 12-hour presence in the sanctuary ever day of the week to pray with folk that may walk in; outreach to the lost in the community; visitation and prayer with the hospitalized; and more – as God directs. What do you suppose this leadership team will do with this pastor? Or do you suppose this will acknowledge his vision and do everything they could for this pastor and his vision? I bet you may never have thought of all these ministries taking place in your church, especially since you only tend to attend the Sunday morning service! I find it interesting to stop and consider the needs of a church when I attend. Last Sunday, my wife and I attended Sunday School. It occurred 1 hour before the regular morning worship service. I was well aware that visitors were not expected. There was no one to greet us, even though we saw several attending to the various doors when it was about for the Worship Service to begin. There were no signs pointing visitors to a class, and some members that we asked wasn’t even sure where they should send us. I did something similar another time, when I attended the Wednesday night prayer and bible study of a different church. I wasn’t sure which door to enter, and once inside, I could not figure out where the adults were meeting. No one thought to welcome me, nor ask why I was there. Finally, after some questioning, one lady spoke up and offered to take me to the mixed group that she was attending. Now, in spite of all said, I was so impressed with the teaching that night that I made that my new church home. But what if your church wanted to introduce one or more ministries, and they wanted each ministry to have the same, or similar, workers as available on Sunday morning throughout their sanctuary? I believe each of you will agree that we shouldn’t expect anything less, right? After all, each time we meet we expect God to move. And because of this, we want the unsaved to attend. And we don’t want a recurrence of what I experienced at the midweek service or at Sunday School. Now we might be tempted to say that David had a lot more folk available to him to man the Tabernacle, but I really think that we should look inward and see what we could do to fill the gaps, instead of looking for ways to complain of the inadequacies and gaps at our church. There’s a saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I like that, but I also feel like it takes all of us to do our part in making our church a welcoming place, and one that truly does what it’s mission should be all about – disciplining (teaching and growing) the saved; evangelizing (a call to salvation in Jesus Christ) the unsaved attendees; and outreach to members of our community. I believe that God would say that it takes the church ‘village’ to accomplish this mission, not just the Pastor or his elders and/or deacons. Also, consider stragglers walking along our streets who suddenly feel the need to meet with Jesus, or a call on their life for salvation. Will they find help at your church? Almost all of our churches are barred up, due to crime, while members sit at home watching television or joining in on the community gossip channel! How will they find Jesus if we neglect doing our part to teach and show them the Jesus that lives inside of us?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God’s faithful love endures forever!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for blessing me with a good church home, awesome fellow believers and teachers, and a heart that wants to learn more and more about you and Your Kingdom. I’m still far from perfect, so I really need Your touch on my life and a renewed desire to do everything I can for the good of Your Kingdom. Please speak to my readers and listeners, and help us all to stop assigning visitation, evangelism, outreach, welcoming and everything else to our Pastor. I believe Your Word is clear that the ‘church’ must be the ‘church’ – Your arm of ministry to touch the hearts of the lost in our community. People we know, love, and come across every day, need the Lord – the same Lord that we boast of having inside of us. Teach us Lord to willingly share Your love and ministry with others who also need You. David showed us that for ministry to take place, he had to assign various aspects of it to his people. Help us Lord to share the various aspects of ministry today with all who would join hands with us in sharing Your love with others. Have Your will and way in Your church, and in the lives of all who call You Savior and Lord. The lost needs what we have, please teach us to be generous in sharing and giving Your love to them. 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!

Your Umpire In Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Live in peace, Needs, Peace, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2023-01-27
WRITTEN AT: Live Oak, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 3:15-17
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. 16 Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how young men and women will get on a ballfield, play a game together, and quickly overlook the rules of unity and teamwork when they don’t get their own way? However, when an umpire has control of the game, players know the rule – you either respect and obey the umpire or you will be kicked out of the game. Like the umpire, God demands our respect and obedience when His peace comes over us and fills our heart. Now, just to be sure that we don’t pick up that phrase and use it arbitrarily in our lives to make it sound to the world like we have a keen sense of hearing God’s approval on our decisions, I must remind you that God will never give you peace in your heart about something that is contrary to what He has commanded in His Word. I believe it is interesting that this lesson comes immediately before God teaches us how married men, married women, children and workers will succeed in life – the answers to peace in their lives and relationships. Friends, if you have accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, then you have basically asked Him to lord over you and call the shots in your life. Since He created you, He knows about the intricate design He placed within you and therefore how you will understand when there is peace in your heart about a decision you want to make, vs when uneasiness abounds. God gave us His Book of Instruction – the Bible, to be our rule book, reminders, and our voice from the Almighty. As we study God’s Word about a subject, and we feel that sweet assurance that we understand what God has taught us, then He will quickly bring back that teaching to us when we need it most. What we must be very careful about, is that there are two voices out there. While we are in the world, its leader (Satan) will be actively trying to steal our heart from his enemy, God. Satan will tell us exactly what we want to hear, and we may say that we have ‘peace of heart’ about something. But for the child of God, who is in close communion with our Savior, it will be very much like a married couple who, after so many years, can finish each other’s sentences. This is because they know each other’s heart, their likes and dislikes, and what they stand for. If you say you accepted Jesus as Lord, yet you have no relationship with Him, how do you commune with Him? How do you receive confirmation, or peace of heart, from Him on decisions you want to make? Who will keep you on the straight and narrow way while here on earth? Unfortunately, we receive only added stress, worry, hatred and disloyalty to one another when we depend only on what transpires in our lives each day without Jesus Christ. Decisions that are based on these emotions and egged on by Satan and his demons, will only lead to more stress, more worry, more hatred, continued disloyalty and unrest. But when we place our hand in the hand of the one who created us and the beauty of the world around us, we can soon feel comfort in the power of the One who holds us in the palm of His hand. Being assured of God’s love for us, will lead us to live out that love to our family, neighbors, coworkers and the world. This gives us peace within and gives us enough peace to share with others who need Jesus. This replenishes our heart where songs of praise come from, and where our hearts are revived to a deep desire to know God better so that we might live out His qualities in everything we extend to others.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The formula for peace is made clear for us – let Jesus Christ be the controlling factor in our hearts! Peace with God results in the peace of God. Filled with that peace, we can pass that along to others that we come into contact with.

PRAYER: Lord, this life is filled with so much stress and evil that is greater than anything we can handle. Thank you for this promise of peace that comes from You, that gives us a calm assurance of whose we are and where we are going. Like all good news, we want to share this joy with those that we come into contact with, so Lord I implore You to strengthen my readers, listeners and I with Your peace that surpasses all human understanding. Open the eyes of the unsaved that we will meet today. May they desire Your peace because of the evidence of it in our lives. Please help them to know Christ and know peace! 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!

Just Believe

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Believe, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Know and Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship3 Comments

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2023-01-26
WRITTEN AT: Live Oak, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 8:47-50
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 47 When the woman saw she could not hide, she came forward, shaking, and fell down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”

APPLICATION: I believe that too often we may tend to think that God only has time for the more serious issues of life. We may also tend to feel like we don’t need to bother Jesus, in His busyness with just the little concerns of life, so we try to resolve these things ourselves. Both miracles referenced in today’s Scripture were very serious. The woman who had an issue of bleeding for 7 years straight, is unbelievable for any child of God to think about. A child who lies on her bed with every indication that her sickness would lead to death – this is an atrocity for any parent to witness, and almost impossible to stand idly by and watch. Hearing that the ultimate Healer of all man’s diseases was passing through town, the sick woman mentioned above fought through the crowds knowing that she would probably never gain an audience with Jesus, but if she merely touched a piece of His (holy) clothing, she would be healed. This was a display of faith that is hardly ever heard of, but she believed in the power of the Great Healer and she had to get in His presence, for her own wellbeing. Her faith, or her belief in the power of the Almighty, led her to complete healing by Him. In the case of the synagogue leader, he sat helplessly at home watching his daughter fade away from this life. But having heard of this Healer sent by God, he knew that if he could get Jesus to swing by and just touch his daughter, that she would be healed. Notice how Jesus was in no hurry to drop what He was doing and run on over to the home of Jairus. Friends, this was in no way an indication of refusal, nor a lack of caring by Jesus, for He knew the situation with this child long before her dad ever set out to find Jesus. But the message is clear for us, just as it was for Jairus. Jesus will make all things new, in His time and for His purpose. He first of all told Jairus to not worry about the news he just received about his daughter’s death, for Jesus would still carry out His plan just as He promised prior to the arrival of the news. Let’s pay close attention to this, dear friends, we must not give up on Jesus, even when situations seem hopeless to us. If you believe, don’t allow anything sent your way by Satan to distract you in your walk with the Lord, or in your belief of Him. Now, I’m sure there are readers and/or listeners who will read this and retort ‘but you don’t know my situation, dear Brother, for God seems deaf to my cries for help’. Well guess what, there is no respecter of persons in God’s eyes when it comes to salvation, or forgiveness of your sin. And unless you have a relationship with God, you wouldn’t go to Him with your concerns anyway, right? After all, unless you have sought the face of Jesus, then in your sin, you are asking that He stay His distance from You so that You can live life as you please. Fortunately for many, Jesus is a perfect gentleman, and He will allow you to live life as you please. But for those who have joined with me in asking Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, not only do we have a sweet relationship with Him every day, but His hands are extended to help us in every circumstance of life, especially those concerns that seem to burden us down. When we reach for His hand, He is there. When we try to touch the hem of His garment, His healing is passed on to us and satisfies our every longing. When life hands us lemons, Jesus opens our eyes to the possibilities of lemonade, lemon meringue pie, etc. etc.! When our enemies try to discourage us and hurt us, Jesus helps us to feel His loving arms around us and He gives us a hand up, that brings us renewed hope. For Jairus, Jesus carried out His plan for his daughter, just as He promised when petitioned by Jairus. Jesus didn’t go back on His word because of changing circumstances, and I believe that He will do the same for us – if we trust in Him, if we have faith in Him, and if we allow Him to be God no matter our humanly circumstances.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Throughout the Bible we read about how faith is important to the child of God. It’s how we came to be a child of God. If only we can learn to develop our trust in Jesus – our faith, so that instead of becoming worry warts, we instead become heroes of the faith!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we came to You ‘By Faith’, now teach us to continue in our faith to worship and serve You each and every day. How can we encourage others to draw close to You in faith, if we struggle to surrender our all to You – in faith? In Your Word, You showed us that having just a little faith – an amount that may only be the size of a mustard seed, that we could move very large mountains. Our problems are small compared to the mountain You referred to, but I believe that we very easily allow the evil of this world to drag us down and cause us to doubt. As a child, my daughter had faith enough in her dad that she would jump from any height, knowing that I would do everything possible to catch her. May we have the faith of a child, so that we may feel secure in the arms of an Almighty and loving God. May our faith be so strong that it will be evident to the unsaved person who is seeking the faith to accept you as Lord and Savior. 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!

Leaders Needed Who Will Seek God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Seek God First, Seek God's Face, Seeking God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2023-01-25
WRITTEN AT: Live Oak, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 14:9-11; 13-14;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 The Philistines arrived and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. 10 So David asked God, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.” 11 So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” ….  13 … after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. 14 And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees.

APPLICATION: I found it interesting that within just a few verses, God chose to show us that there are times when He will agree with our decisions, but also times when He will not – due to circumcisions beyond our ability to know or understand. What then is our responsibility in these scenarios? I believe it is important for us to first of all remind ourselves why we seek the face of God in the first place. If we know what needs to be done, and we feel empowered to carry out the necessary actions, then why seek God’s approval? Fortunately, our scenarios fall into the same category as our tomorrows, and a song was written to help remind us exactly who knows about tomorrow. Listen to that song while you meditate on the remainder of this devotional – I don’t know about tomorrow! If we know there will be a ‘tomorrow’, and if we know what will transpire tomorrow, then we can say precisely what we will do tomorrow. If we knew that, unlike this story of David, God would always agree with our decisions, then we could feel safe and secure in proceeding into tomorrow as we decide to. If we knew that there was no one, or anything out there bigger or more powerful than us, then we would feel honored to tell our servants, armies or helpers to proceed with the actions we command. But the mentioned ‘if statements’ are huge, and something we will never know for certain. You see, David knew that no matter how close he was to God, he still couldn’t take God’s place in knowing whether he and his army could win over the Philistines or whether this was the right time to enter into battle against them. He remembered that it was from the Philistines that the giant came and held back a whole army of men. David was also smart enough to know that because God agreed for him to fight the Philistines, and win the battle at Baal-perazim, that God didn’t also give him approval to go into battle in the Valley at a later date, knowing that the same approval was still good for that battle. God gives permission for us to proceed with a request at the time, and for the purpose of our request, only. For we could never handle knowing what tomorrow will bring. At work, new circumstances will require new approval under the current circumstances. So, it is with God. I believe it is evident that David was under no pressure or worrying himself to death, when he sought God’s approval to battle with the Philistines. And while this could speak volumes to our daily decisions, my heart became burdened for our leaders as I read this account. Not just political leaders, but think of parents, teachers, pastors, youth leaders, local government officials and yes, parliamentary and national government leaders. What if we elected leaders who would study the effect of David’s practices and follow his lead in seeking the face of God, before making decisions – many of which are being made blindly, with no idea of what impact the decisions would have on their subjects. Perhaps this is why the Word of God states ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you’. What if we had that phrase as our national motto that all leaders and subjects will follow? I bet we will gain the respect of all other nations, for they will recognize that our leader is God Almighty! But let’s start at the very beginning – who is your personal leader? Our national leaders will only practice what they believed and practiced in their prime years of life, If God was their leader in their youth, then they will lightly look to Him as an adult and as a leader of many.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Take it to the Lord in prayer. As we do, we can relax and expect His decision to guide us into all truth and every success of life!

PRAYER: At the dawn of another day, we approach Your throne knowing that we want to accomplish a lot today, but in our own power we know that ‘man plans and God laughs’, because we have no idea what today or tomorrow holds. So Lord, I believe that my readers and listeners will gladly join with me in asking that You guide us in the path You would have us go today where the greatest impact may occur for Your kingdom’s sake. Without Christ, we are no different to all other men. But in the power, wisdom and truth of our Lord and Savior, we can proceed knowing that greater is He that is in our hearts than he that is in the world. You’ve got the whole world in Your hands, please help us to enter into that world knowing that you’re in control and that we must follow Your commands and Your directions so that we might accomplish Your will. As we pray for our leaders, may our families, churches, cities and our nation become stronger as a result of allowing You to guide and direct, and may Your people live in peace until You call us home to our final home with You and the Father! 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!

When Living Your ‘New Life’

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2023-01-23
WRITTEN AT: Live Oak, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 3:1-4; 11;
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here. 3 You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. 4 And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glories.
11 In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.

APPLICATION: As one prepares for marriage, no doubt the greatest fear is whether they can handle the change that would come their way in turning from a single, unattached, independent, fun-loving life TO a new life that is best served by unselfish individuals looking to make their partner happy, and the comfort of having an attachment that helps them feel more secure, appreciated and loved. Family members and church leaders will often acknowledge that ‘new’ Christians are ablaze with the excitement of accepting Jesus Christ, and living a life filled with joy and expectation of His return. However, when they become entrenched with other longer standing Christians, this outlook may change as they try to ‘calm’ them down and to face ‘reality’. But that’s not what I see when I read this Scripture. In fact, although I see where Paul is reminding the church of what ‘new’ Christians should expect, the Holy Spirit clearly opened my eyes to keep this foremost in my mind every day. For even if we have just experienced a life-changing event, a life filled with the unexpected love never before experienced, we don’t lose that source of joy. You see, God never lies, and He told us in His Word that He would never leave us nor forsake us. His love never fails and He is already planning for us to join He and the Father in heaven, for He has gone to prepare a place for us. So what happens to us after we are saved? Perhaps if we take note of the tips offered by Paul and ordained by God, we may remain true to our commitment when we invited Jesus into our heart. Through His servant, Paul, God commanded that we: 1). Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. His expressions of love, His comforting touch, His love displayed in many and various ways, will cause us to realize when we are drifting away. Additionally, when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are distracted from the sights, sin and evil of this world. 2). Let heaven fill our thoughts. In doing so, the worries of this old world will fade away, for most of us, our memory easily fades away! 3). Have no more desire for the things of this world, than a dead person has. The deceased had the casket closed on them without anything else included in the casket, no matter how much they accumulated during their liftime. Our ‘new life’ or our ‘real life’ is now fixed on Jesus Christ and the joys of heaven. Let’s spend our time anxiously awaiting our transition from earth to heaven. When we do this, we will quickly discern that nothing in this world will help make heaven any better! Lastly, let us remember every day that we encounter people, that nothing else matters except whether they know Jesus. Friends, imagine awakening each day and instead of worry about how you will make your next dollar, or what you will do to discipline a staff member, or what you will tell that person who has failed to repay their debt to you, that you instead lift them up to the Father as you plead with Him for His wisdom and His guidance in leading them towards the empty cross and to find the risen Lord. Can’t you see how calming that will be for you? Anytime I can help someone, I feel blessed. Imagine helping them find the Savior of the world!! No one is exempt from Jesus, so don’t you dear show prejudice towards anyone. Just as Jesus included you in His number, so should you include all children of God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Whether a person has Jesus as their Savior, is all that matters to the Christian!

PRAYER: Many will cross my path today, Lord. Please teach mo be more concerned about their spiritual condition than anything else. Please help me to avoid the usual criticism of rudeness, disrespect, greed or selfishness, and instead show love to them – the true, unadulterated love of Jesus my Lord. Thank You for loving me, even while I was still a sinner needing the grace of my Father. Please place in me the desire to live as You exampled before me and love people because You first loved 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!

Tell Everyone What God Has Done For You

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

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2023-01-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 8:37-39
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

APPLICATION: Conversations with a friend at work, or the hairdresser, or a new friend sitting next to you in a stadium, are all varied and open discussion about almost any subject. Telling everyone about a predicted storm coming your way, or about a recent robbery, or the argument between your neighbors – they all seem easy to talk about in mixed and unknown company. However, we tend to crawl back into our corner rather, than tell anyone about the awesome touch of God on our lives during last week’s church service. We are often ready and willing to share the gory details about an upcoming surgery but wouldn’t dare tell anyone about how our surgery was cancelled because ‘Doctor’ Jesus responded to our cry for healing. Why do you suppose this happens? Why do you permit it to happen? Is it not obvious that two of the most evangelistic sermons every preached were: 1). When this healed man went and told his whole township about what Jesus had done in his life? and 2). When the woman at the well left the encounter with Jesus and went on to share her experience with her whole town? If you rushed into town and saved everyone from disaster by telling them about a storm you just saw approaching the town, you would probably be interviewed by many television stations as they lauded you as a hero to the town. Yet there is a storm of unknown capacity on its way, the one that involves the end of life here on earth, and the transition of every soul to eternity. Many will face the doom of eternity in Hell, because they have not considered and accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. Would you rather stand idly by and watch them walk into eternity with Satan and his demons, or would you choose to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ who saved you from your sin? In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gives us the same orders that He gave to the woman at the well, and to the healed demon-possessed man – Go and tell the town what Jesus has done for you. Are you willing to stand firm today and declare that nothing will stop you from following in the footsteps of the two individuals mentioned in this devotional? If not, why not? If you must say no, because you have nothing to share, may I introduce you to the man who saved the woman and man we spoke of in this devotional today? I don’t believe that God called us to memorize Scripture, although that is extremely helpful; Nor to preach the Gospel, as God gave that gift to certain ones, and you may not be one of them. But I am convinced that God wants you to tell your story. How, when, and under what circumstances did you meet Jesus? What has He done for you in response to your prayers, through His Word, and in various circumstances of life? Just share it my friend! Remember, you can’t save anyone, but do as God instructed and enthusiastically watch as God saves them!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I don’t believe the man and woman I spoke of in my application needed any encouragement or support to tell their joyous story. God has healed our brokenness and sin, and He gave us new life in and through the name of Jesus! Of course we have a story to tell that can change the hearts of the unsaved! Go now into all the world and share your story with the lost and unsaved.

PRAYER: Yes Lord, we do have a story to tell. You were merciful, You accepted my plea for salvation and You set my feet on a new road to heaven where I will spend eternity with You and the Father. Please immerse Yourself within me so that I might have the boldness and the power to tell my story, so that others may be encouraged and drawn to You. People still need the Lord. How dare we say that we are timid, or ashamed, or don’t have the words to say. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is all we need, so open our heart’s and continue to give us a voice to share the same love that You showed to us in saving our soul. Help me to sing it loud ‘Jesus is all the world to me‘ and ‘Down at the cross‘ – glory to Your name! 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 Results of Unfaithfulness and Disobedience

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2023-01-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 10:13-14
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 13  Saul died because he was unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord. He even asked advice from a woman who talked to spirits of the dead, 14 instead of asking the Lord. So the Lord had Saul killed and gave his kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how we’ve come to believe that being good enough, or attending church regularly, or standing out as an obedient and upright citizen, could all lead to eternity in heaven? In fact, we may even skip over Scripture verses such as the one today, because we personally feel like we serve such a God of love, that He would never beat up on us or destroy us. Saul, the first king of Israel, was approved for the position by God. He was successful in many ways during his reign, but we also know that he was pretty headstrong in many things, particularly in his actions towards David as his jealousy constantly increased against him. However, one thing that is evident in this story today, is that our God – our Creator and Sustainer of life, is a jealous God, and He will not stand for open disobedience and mockery to His holy and righteous name. Children are often excused from accidental actions that a peer may have encouraged them into, or they may have innocently tried because they didn’t realize that it would offend their parents, friends or even God. But parents would become irate over actions that children have been warned against, taught right from wrong in, and practiced before them consistently. For parents could clearly see that such actions were done in spite of what the children were taught. As we fast forward into adulthood, we find ourselves still wanting to do those things that we know displease God, but we do them anyway. Why? Dear friends, the enemy is still on the prowl and working diligently to steer us away from God. Satan is the one that makes you so busy in the mornings that you ‘can’t find time to read God’s Word’. Let me encourage you to reword that phrase just slightly as you are tempted to give that excuse in the future. Say this instead: ‘It was just not a priority for me to read God’s Word this morning’. The end result is the same, but the latter excuse better explains why you didn’t read God’s Word! Satan loads you up with lots of excuses why you don’t need to attend church services, and I’m sure that as you reflect back on the excuses given over recent weeks, you will clearly see that it was just not a priority for you and your family to be in church, learning more about God, blessing others, taking in the encouragement and blessings from others, and strengthening your walk with the Lord. Corporate prayer meetings are one of least attended services held by a church. If folk were praying regularly to God, would they not desire to share in that experience with fellow believers who are also seeking God’s face with the celebrations of praise, and petitioning for their needs, their family, their church, their employer, their unsaved friends and all who are hurting? How do you suppose Satan is trying to destroy your time in talking with God? I pray that God will open your eyes to see how these very weaknesses I just mentioned, are some of the very things that weaken our stand for the Lord. When one is weak, they become confused about who can help them, so they may turn to witchcraft for help in solving problems or seeing into the future, just like Saul did. When one is weak in their position with God, they tend to fall prey to their own selfish thoughts and practices, most of which may have nothing to do with God’s design for their life. It seems to me that God particularly placed this account of Saul’s death very boldly in our faces through this account in Scripture. Now that we have been reminded of how God will treat unfaithful and disobedient children, I believe He is offering the challenge to us today: What will you do about this in your life? Do you have changes to make in your priorities? Please don’t look at God’s Word as a threat to your life’s performance. God designed us, brought us into this world, and is patiently waiting for us to worship Him, accept Him as Lord and King of our lives, understand His Word and live obediently without looking for excuses. It’s your call my friend! What will you do with this lesson today?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are reminded of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the death of Saul. Praise God that we know the rest of the story! God sent His Son, Jesus, so that all those who acknowledge Him as Lord, will be saved. In acknowledging your Lord, I believe you will live a fully dedicated life to Him where you will follow in obedience and seek only Him in all of life’s decisions.

PRAYER: Lord, I surrender, again, – all of me, to all of You. Teach me Your ways and help me in my priorities to always place You first and foremost in what I fill my heart with each day. May I be so filled with You, that Your goodness, mercy, love and commitment will be indicative of You in every way. After such awesome wins in battle, and in being such a great first leader of Israel, it all seems like such a waste when Saul life ended in such an unfortunate way. I believe this is eye-opening to my readers and I today, for we can’t continue to do the same as Saul and expect different results. Open our eyes each day Lord, so that we may see Your glory, and desire to live in obedience and dedication to our Father all of our days. Use us Lord to touch the lives of those who need 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!

How To Improve Listening Skills

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2023-01-19.
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 8:18
TRANSLATION: Voice Bible (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 I hope you’re still listening. And I hope you’re listening carefully. If you get what I’m saying, you’ll get more. If you miss My meaning, even the understanding you think you have will be taken from you.

APPLICATION: There are some phrases that various individuals tend to use, to make sure we hear – truly hear, what they are saying to us. ‘Hey, are you listening?’; ‘Listen to me now!’; ‘Don’t tune me out now!’; ‘If you were truly listening, you would know what I said!’; etc…. I bet you can add to that list, for like me, you have been to many classes where it was challenging to stop your minds from wandering and truly listen to the speaker. Perhaps you might tune out some lessons, because you believe that you knew exactly what is about to be taught. You’ve heard that same sermon over and repeatedly! In the case of our Bible verse today, Jesus had just taught the parable of ‘the seed’, and the parable of the ‘lamp light’. He wanted to make sure that His disciples were not just there in person, but that they heard His message loud and clear, and they understood its meaning. Having taught Sunday School a number of years, I wonder how many responses I would have gotten after each lesson, if I had asked for recaps or highlights on what I just taught! Even more challenging would be for me to try and recap what was just taught or preached by my pastor or Sunday School teacher! For those who suffer similarly and would like to take the instructions of Jesus to heart, here are some things that I believe could help with our listening skills:
=> When studying the Bible – turn off, disable, or turn over devices so that you are not distracted. Jesus said that we should go into our closet to pray – try finding a place and/or time to do the same with Bible meditations without distraction.
=> When attending Sunday School or a work-related seminar – prepare ahead for the subject being taught or discussed. This might include any homework assignments, which might include reading the material being taught. Highlight items that peaked your attention. Ask questions about items you didn’t fully understand or add input if the teacher gives opportunity.
=> Sit near the front of the class – It is much easier to stay alert to what is being taught if you sit closest to the front of the class. Notice the misbehavior that normally comes from the back of the class?
=> To better understand, repeat what you thought you heard – If you need clarification on something that was said, the chances are that others also need the same. Often if you miss one word, you may have misunderstood the whole meaning. If the teacher detects the slightest question in you repeating a fact, they will find a different way of explaining to make sure you fully understand.
=> To listen better in a church service – Save your questions to ask the pastor after the service. Pastors are elated to hear questions from the congregation, as it reassures him that you were listening and trying to understand what was said.
=> Make notes of things that stand out to you – This is often the method used by God to get your attention. Your understanding is enhanced when you listen closely, seeing key points in print on a screen, if offered by your pastor, and also, by writing, or taking digital notes of the key points. This will help you remember what was said, it allows you to adlib any comments you might add to the points, and it gives you a record that you can refer back to, should you ever need to reference them again.
=> Be rested – For each of the above items, it is vitally important that you are well rested and determined in your own mind to take away as much as you can from the sermon, lesson or seminar. You know well in advance that you will have church or Sunday School the next day. Get lots of rest so that you will listen without the distraction or tiredness or being sleepy.
None of us would ever choose something that would waste our time. But if you attend a church service or any other learning opportunity, and you walk away without having added to your knowledge, then you may have just wasted your time. Be deliberate in your learning and never assume that you know everything about a subject being shared in you class or church service. Just as the Word of God is filled with new knowledge, inspiring and contain encouraging words from the Master, He may also choose to share these things through a pastor, teacher, elder or friend. I hope you are listening, were the words of Jesus. We must make sure that we are – with His help, especially considering our limited understanding of every subject, and our need to hear from God each day.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We can be present, able to hear, yet not hear everything that God wants us to hear. Jesus wanted satisfaction that His words were understood and not falling on deaf ears. Pastors would be overjoyed in being reassured of the same thing as Jesus. We must ensure that we are still listening, and hearing the full message being given.

PRAYER: Lord, it seems so hard to relax our brains long enough to hear one more sermon, or one more Bible teaching. But I believe that the lesson You have in store for us today was intended for us in this particular time and place. ‘Open our ears that we may hear‘. Lord, we need to hear the truth of Your Word without any distraction or confusion. We need to hear from You, Lord, for You are Truth, and You hold the keys to our future here on earth and even into eternity. Thank You Lord for accepting me as Your child. As my readers and listeners seek Your face today, may we all hear Your voice loud and clear and be ready to accept all that You have in store for 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!