Eternal Impact: Living for Jesus Today

DATE POSTED
Saturday, December 28, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the Good News Translation (GNT) and found in Ecclesiastes 2:15-16

THE SCRIPTURE READS
15 I thought to myself, “What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?” “Nothing,” I answered, “not a thing.” 16 No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die—wise and foolish alike.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Solomon, son of the great king of Israel, David, is known as the wisest man ever lived. He had kings from neighboring territories visit with him in hopes of gaining wisdom, or at least to learn from his wisdom. He was also known as one of the richest kings of his time, and he had many wives and concubines. So, I believe it would be easy to conclude that Solomon probably had it made in all aspects of life! This may compare to those today who have very successful businesses, rich in financial means, and in attracting others into their home and company, for many people are drawn to those who may be able to supply their needs and wants. However, in regard to the riches of other, I think of the wisdom and phrases of my elders, where I heard such sayings as ‘they have more money than sense!’ or ‘They have more money that they will ever live to enjoy!’ or ‘Money can’t buy their way into heaven!’ or ‘They put their pants on the same way that the fool down the road does!’. I’m sure there are many other similar sayings you might know of also, but I found it interesting in being reminded of how Solomon came to realize that his wisdom was not an end-all to the many challenges of life. I love films that show how bosses, or rich folk come to their senses, and they see what it’s really like at the bottom. It might be satisfying for a business owner to walk into a room of employees and admire the smiles on their faces, knowing that they have such wonderful employees! However, it would be extremely sobering to live a day in each of their shoes to see what it takes for them to live on the salary you are paying them, or their credit card balances due primarily to buying decent apparel for work, or their worry about childcare, food, transportation, rent, etc. It seems to me that Solomon was sobered into realizing that his wisdom does nothing for his afterlife, for his fool hearted school pal or relative will travel a very similar road and God will go through a very similar decision of their relationship with Him during their lifetime. Friends, I believe that especially at the thought of a New Year approaching, it might be a good time today for us to step aside from the busyness of life and examine our position with God. Has the work, busyness, family events, church activities, parties, vacations, and the many other events of 2024 brought us closer to God than we were on January 1, 2024? In verse 12 of this chapter I am studying, Solomon started out comparing his life of wisdom to a life of foolishness and recklessness that he sees in his friends. I believe Solomon came to the same conclusion that I pray we will come to as we meditate on this Word from God today – only what’s done for Jesus will last and, our eternity is totally based on our personal relationship with our God. Without the latter, we will leave this world and enter into an eternity in Hell with Satan. Please, please, please, dear readers, don’t fall prey to the current worldly trend of thinking that if we die, we have gone to heaven. The Bible is clear that only a child of God – one who believes on the name of Jesus and has given Him lordship over their life, will one day see Him in glory. All others will assume their rightful place with Satan and his demons in Hell, no matter how good they were here on earth.

PRAYER
Lord, please open the eyes of my readers and myself to those things that we may tend to spur on our confidence, and help us to concentrate on our dependence on, and need for, You. Nothing that we do here on earth will last, and only what’s done for Jesus will last. Yet we tend to spend our time and energies on exactly the things that are temporary. Please forgive us Lord, and as we approach a New Year where we could choose to make new beginnings, please give us the strength and stamina to reach for a closer and more intimate relationship with You. Draw me close dear Lord. Examine my heart and open my eyes to the things that You want to see me direct my attention to. I also pray that this might also ignite a new desire in the heart my readers. May 2025 be a year when Your children will become more like loving and legitimate children than ever before, so that we may be more influential in the lives of those that need a closer relationship with You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Crown of Life: A Promised Gift

DATE POSTED
Thursday, December 26, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from The Living Bible (TLB) and found in James 1:12-16

THE SCRIPTURE READS
12 Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. 13 And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. 14 Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. 15 These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. 16 So don’t be misled, dear brothers.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Perhaps as we reflect on Christmas, we remember the idea from a child’s point of view that if they’ve been good, they will receive good gifts at Christmas. Now with that in mind, re-read today’s Scripture and take note of God’s promise to us through His servant writer James. But more than that, let’s look into this Scripture and use the rest of the Bible to help us understand what we believe James is teaching us here. First of all, let’s look at why mankind might give in to temptation. I believe that when one has mixed feelings about their commitment to someone, or something, then it takes very little convincing for them to walk away or be unfaithful. Many marriages fail because of weak or nonexistent commitment to the spouse they promised God they would love till death parts them. We blame one another for weakening relationships, but the truth is that we each must take personal responsibility for our promises to God and to each other. But looking at the topic from James’ point of view, he wants us to see how God looks at the faithfulness of His children. You see, it becomes much like our gift giving at Christmas. Very often we give gifts because someone has given us a gift – either in material form or in being especially good to us. God says to us in today’s Scripture that if we stay firm in our commitment, love, devotion, to Him, and if we stay firm, He will gift us with the crown of life – life eternally in glory with our triune God. This idea of being rewarded a crown was also spoken of in Luke 19:11-27 when a certain nobleman told a servant that because of his diligence in investing the money given to him, he would rule over 10 cities. The thing is, God has given each of us many gifts to use in our cities today also. In your opinion, based on your investments of the gifts given to you, will He crown you as ruler over 10, 5, or perhaps no cites in His Kingdom? However, the impact of verses 13-15 will hit home for many of us today. So often we seem to instantly try to find a scapegoat – someone else to blame, for our lack of commitment, and/or our failure to use the gifts given to us by our faithful Father. Unfortunately, while some will buy into those excuses out of respect to you, God is able to discern the faithfulness and honesty of your heart. There is a well-known gospel song entitled ‘He knows My Name’, a favorite of mine. The Bible also tells us that God knows our very thoughts, not just what others hear from our lips. So, can we be very, very personal with God today and either rejoice with Him over our honest thoughts and works, or confess to Him our inadequate actions and degree of commitment to the gifts granted to us, while also asking for His strength, power and love to help us overcome these things and press on to greater heights in His Kingdom? If not my friends, we might easily become misled by what the world wants us to think. Now it’s your turn with God, go for it!

PRAYER
Oh Lord Jesus, we are unworthy of Your love and Your sacrifice on Calvary, for although we have invited You into our hearts, we often struggle with surrendering lordship of our lives to You. In this world, we are impacted by the attitude of seeking relationships with those from whom we can gain or improve our status or position in life. But You have shown us throughout Your life, and especially on the cross, that love is best understood by what you do for others. You sacrificed Your very life, even while we were yet sinners and participated in every way with Your crucifixion, so that we who accept You as Lord, can have eternal life. Please forgive us Lord, and today begin a new work, a godly attitude in us, to help us show the world that the Jesus we claim to exist inside of us, is being reflected in our attitude: towards our crazy and dangerous drivers, in our busy and chaotic stores, and our restaurants filled with selfish and ungodly patrons who are rude to waiting staff who may not provide for their every need. People so badly need Jesus, not more of our selfish and worldly attitudes. Please fill us to overflowing with Your character and Your heart so that every word and action that exudes from us might impact others for the Kingdom. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Lessons from John 1

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, December 17, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the Living Bible (TLB) and found in John 1:22-23

THE SCRIPTURE READS
22 “Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?”
23 He replied, “I am a voice from the barren wilderness, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, ‘Get ready for the coming of the Lord!’”

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In my earlier years of ministry, I recall leaving the bedside of a church member I had visited and prayed for, and as I departed, I recall her family member asking her whether I was her pastor. Although overwhelmed that I had left that kind of impression with the family member, I knew that I was merely a servant of the most high God who visited the sick and shut-ins as a means of reminding them that someone still loved them, even while they laid on a bed of affliction wishing that they could be at church encouraging others. John the Baptist showed us in today’s Scripture how to respond to a question like the one asked of my friend. You see, there will be times that you are anxious to share about your Lord with those you come into contact with, and they will question, who do you think you are to come and share your religion with them. It’s a fair question, for they are a sinner, but so are you, it’s just that you have been saved by the wonderful grace and awesome forgiveness of the Savior of this world, in response to your asking. I believe a good way for us to think about our redemption from sin, and our desire to share that with others we come into contact with, is to compare the scenario to an approaching storm. If I heard about a hurricane, or a very bad winter storm approaching my area, and it gripped my heart to prepare as best I good in order to protect myself and my property, I would also want to quickly tell my neighbors and others in my neighborhood, regardless of how crazy they may think about my desperation and move to protect everything and everyone around me. For the believer in Jesus Christ, we know and believe what the Bible teaches, that Jesus will return one day, and/or we will be called out of this temporary body and sinful world one day, to be with our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ and His Father, God. So, we prepare for this inevitable fact by asking Jesus into our heart, since He is the ONLY WAY into heaven. But then, our unselfish thoughts, and our love for our neighbor, kicks in, and we find ourselves desiring to ensure that our friends are also prepared, by knowing how to ready themselves for this glorious event. In this latter event, we become very much like John the Baptist – a messenger crying out in this wilderness of sin here on earth, telling others of the impending return of Jesus and how He will determine who goes with Him. This should impress upon believers to help our friends see and understand the only way to ready themselves for heaven. I believe it is evident that God wanted us to see what John the Baptist went through and how he handled his situation, for God knew that we too would be faced with the identical situation in our earthly lives. For us to reject God’s plan for us as believers, would be the same as if John would have raced the Jewish leaders and priests away without a care for their eternal destiny. Praise God, John didn’t take the latter stand, for he cared for his neighbors, even if they meant evil for him and his ministry. So should we make it our business to make sure our neighbors, family and friends are ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Unfortunately, the alternative is way more desperate and concerning, for we would hate to see them enter into the hands of the evil one where they would receive eternal damnation and punishment by Satan and his evil ones for all eternity. So, the choice is clear, follow in John’s example and share Christ in every aspect of our lives, even if it may turn to mockery, scorn, or question for us.

PRAYER
The urgency of the hour is beyond anything we can comprehend today, for we tend to put off for tomorrow anything we don’t feel like dealing with today. But Lord, I pray that You would constantly remind us of the tips You left for us in Your Word, that no one knows the day or the hour of Your return when You will take Your children home to glory. Therefore, it behooves us to not only ready ourselves for Your imminent return, but to also assume that it could be today. John the Baptist felt this urgency, so he went about his work of sharing Christ with everyone, even those that he knew were out to have him killed. Please Lord, help us to stop worrying about what our family, co-workers, friends, or acquaintances will think or say about us, but to always share the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who will return at any moment to take those who are ready, on to heaven to be with He, the Father and the Holy Spirit. By glorified in us, oh Lord, and allow unbelievers to see Jesus in person in their interaction with us. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Overcoming Disconnection from God

DATE POSTED
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from The Voice (VOICE) and found in Jeremiah 2:27-28

THE SCRIPTURE READS
27 They say to a piece of wood, “You are my father”; they confess to a stone, “You gave me birth.” They have shunned Me, who gave them life—turning their backs instead of facing Me – But that will change when troubles come. That’s when they will cry out to Me, “Stand up for us, and save us!”
28 O Judah, where will your pagan gods be then? You know, the ones you made yourself? Let them stand up on their own. See if they’re able to save you from your troubles. You have as many gods as villages, Judah. Now let them take care of you.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
It always amazes me when times of trouble come, how many people seem so intense in their relationship with God. But this is not new, for we are reminded in the Scriptures, such as this one today, that the Israelites were challenged by God for the same reason. The advantage that we have today is that we can learn from the mistakes of our ancestors, for God tells us in His Word how He felt about their disregard, and also how He challenged them when they continued to choose to call on their man-made gods, instead of on the power of His name, the only one with answers to their needs and concerns. I also believe that God opened the eyes of believers in Jesus Christ today to see how they are still acting just like the Israelites, because I feel like our hearts have been hardened and we therefore respond in much the same way. I know, some are in deep thought about how we could possibly imitate the Israelites since there is little evidence of idols today. Friends, consider this: Who took the place of God the last time you missed church? Did you call on that god all week as temptations came, or as you were burdened about the health of your relatives or yourself? Who took the place of God when you skipped your devotional moment – your time with the Lord, this morning? Will you call on that god when you are reminded today of the poor condition of your finances? Who took the place of God when you needed someone to talk to after losing your best friend? Were you able to return to that same bar, that god, and ask for help in approaching that dangerous surgery you were faced with, and ask for a filling of your doctors with strength and knowledge for your surgery? Oh dear friends, we serve a God who can do all things, and He is so much greater than all our troubles. He tells us in His Word to bring our troubles and leave them at His feet for His power is greater than all our troubles. Our Father cares for us like no other. He created us in His image, so He can identify with our everyday challenges. BUT, He is greater than anything we can encounter here on earth, and even when we act like the Israelites, yet He is loving enough to forgive us our sins and welcome us into His fold – His circle of children who know, believe and trust in Him in every circumstance of life. Draw close to God, dear friend, and He will draw close to you!

PRAYER
Lord, I believe in the wonderful power and work of the Holy Spirit who resides inside of me. Thank You for the assurance of Your presence at all times, and for this challenging reminder from Your Word today. For I am convinced that many of us will stay disconnected from You as long as we are not faced with anxiety, fear, loss and/or disappointments. But while ‘disconnected’, or without a sweet, intimate relationship with You each day, we leave ourselves exposed to the same type of temptations that caused the downfall of the Israelites. I believe my readers will join with me in saying that we want to be just like You, Lord. We pray that others will see so much of You in us today that they will feel Your presence and see Your love through their encounter with us. Please draw us to Yourself, oh God, and be our constant guide as we live in a world that is so against anything You teach and stand for. Use us as instruments who will promote the Kingdom, Your love and Your grace for all who would believe in You. Thank You Lord for Your awesome love for me and my Brothers and Sisters who claim You as King! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Recognizing the Lack of Appreciation in Our Lives

DATE POSTED
Monday, December 9, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) and found in Jeremiah 2:5-8

THE SCRIPTURE READS
This is what the Lord says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves. They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness….
“And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I trust that this Scripture today will not be read just as a piece of history about the stubborn, ungrateful, and sinful Israelites. For I believe that God wants to remind us that not a whole lot has changed over time. I am certain that God still sees, and must be saddened by, the broken, neglected, haphazard and lackadaisical relationships with His Son, Jesus, by children – you and I, still today. It is unfortunate that this comes even after allowing us time to understand how sad this was for God, to experience this disregard with the Israelites. How heart-wrenching it was to read about the saddened heart of God when He saw how His children disregarded all the good, and the many miracles He performed to enable safe passage for them out of slavery and towards a new beginning – a thriving, abundantly producing country that God had prepared just for them. Yet God saw them turn aside from Him during their travels to, and again, in their new land. However, dear friends, it is vitally important that we examine our own hearts. Did we give God reason to jump with joy at our attitude of praise and thanksgiving this morning as we celebrated His blessings of opening our eyes one more time? Did we take time to celebrate in appreciation for His provisions, protection and guidance over past days? Or could God possibly be looking at us like He did with the Israelites, in wondering what fault we are finding with Him? Let’s be reminded that when we look for our blessings, Satan will do his best to push his evil agenda by showing us our problems and sometimes unfortunate circumstances. But let’s always remember that ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’. From a very early age, we were taught to appreciate what others do for us. Know that God is on our side, dear child of God, and He will look out for His children and love us until He returns to take us home to glory to be with Him. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and let’s be so filled with love and appreciation for our Father, that there would never be a time He may see, or feel, our ungratefulness.

PRAYER
Precious Lord, please take my hand and guide, protect and direct my path one more day, so that others may have one more opportunity to experience Your goodness. Please give me protection from the evil one, so that my heart, soul and mind would be fixed on You, and remain constant in my faith. I am saddened by the thought of You feeling slighted by Your children, but this has opened my heart to being more alert to the times when I fail to share my gratitude for all that You do for me, and also recognize how awesome are Your works in every way, every day. Please continue to bless Your people, oh God, and also speak intently to those who may become lax in their relationship with You. My unsaved loved ones need a touch from You and also those around me who may not know You as Lord. Please continue Your work in their lives and draw them to Yourself, is my humble plea today oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Answering God’s Call: Overcoming Our Excuses

DATE POSTED
Sunday, December 1, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from The Living Bible (TLB) and found in Jeremiah 1:4-8

THE SCRIPTURE READS
The Lord said to me, “I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.”
“O Lord God,” I said, “I can’t do that! I’m far too young! I’m only a youth!”
“Don’t say that,” he replied, “for you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I tell you to. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through.”

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
From a very early age, we learn how to give excuses when we don’t want to do something. But what about when God calls us to His service? I am convinced that whenever we feel the tug of God’s call on our life, we can rest assured that He has the ‘how’, ‘what’, and ‘where’ all worked out. Furthermore, let’s never forget what Jesus said in Mark 9:23 to the dad who asked Jesus to heal his child: 23 Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]! Friends, it seems to me that our faith is truly tested when asked to do Kingdom work, and less you shrug this off as never being asked to do anything, let me remind you that it is important to listen closely as your pastor and church leaders ask for help in various ways when you meet together to worship. Some examples might be:
** Pray for a certain family who is struggling at this time – In James 5:16, the Bible says: 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. Interesting that YOU would be healed as you pray for others!
** Give to this need, or that need – You may feel like you can hardly afford to meet your own budget needs, much less giving to the needs of others. But in Luke 6:38 Jesus said: 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
** We could use your help in…. – For people who are already stretched to the limit with their time and energy in working hard and taking care of others, these words are normally ignored when church leaders plead their case. But read about how God implores us to labor with the right attitude until He returns. Colossians 3:23-24: 23 Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.
Let’s be careful about second guessing God. Often, God will test us with things that we could easily see others doing better than us, but what sort of blessing would we receive for that referral? Does God not see or understand who He wants to do the task He is asking us to do? At one point in my younger days, I led a choir and the congregational worship at my church. It was a God thing, as I had no musical training or talent. It was God using His instrument to lead His people into times of worship and singing praises to Him. Each of you are at the same level as I am on earth, and we all have the same access to our powerful God. Please open your heart, soul and mind for His work in and through you, so that others may be drawn close to Him while you are also being blessed beyond anything you can think or imagine. We serve an awesome and all-powerful God, dear friends. Submit to Him and be blown away by His miraculous works, even through you!

PRAYER
Jeremiah immediately found an excuse why he shouldn’t be challenged outside of his comfort zone. But God knew what Jeremiah needed, and He also knew that Jeremiah was the man he wanted to accomplish His work through. Lord God, You are still the same awesome and all-powerful God that we serve today, and I’m sure that the needs are probably even more acute and plentiful today than ever before. I am also sure that You are still using Your children who are called by Your name, and have humbled themselves before You, to stand in the middle of today’s storms and challenges and allow You to minister to unbelievers, and also believers needing a touch from their Master. Please Lord, impress upon us, just as You did to Isaiah, and recorded in Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!  AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!