Category: Acknowledge God

Finding Joy in Hardship: Embracing Life’s Challenges

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, Assurance, Awesome God, Believers, Biblical Decisions, Blinded by Sin, Chosen by God, Christ-Like, Christianity, Faith, Refocus, Relationship, RighteousnessLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, November 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 Voice (VOICE) and found in James 1:2-4

THE SCRIPTURE READS
2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. 

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Hardships and tests of any kind are sure to put some of us under, so everyone avoids anything that will stress us out and cause us to be wanting in any way. After all, we tend to think that we are special in God’s sight, and He would protect us from these types of challenges. Yet, many who will read this devotional today will acknowledge that they are either going through a tough time or have gone through some very tough times in their lifetime. Yes, even to dedicated Christians. So, as we meditate on this Scripture, we must remind ourselves that the Word of God, is God-breathed. In other words, the writers were deeply inspired by the Holy Spirit, to the extent that these words are exactly what God intended for His children to look to for knowledge, direction in life, and to abide by in every circumstance of life. Now, is it possible to run from these challenges? Of course, some will turn to drugs and or alcohol to help them through the tough times in life. This is very similar to marriage – a union where at least one partner doesn’t give their all to show and experience love or they are willing to deal with differences, instead of fighting them, or running away from them. So, frequently you will see a couple seek human government’s help to escape that marital obligation. James is telling us today that we must always remember that God is in charge of a believer’s direction in life. As such, we will find joy in all our many blessings, but we must also seek the face of Jesus when things take off in a different direction to anything we expect. Friends, this is not to boast, but there was a time that my dad looked sadly at me and said how disappointed he was that I was moving further away from him as he matured in age. However, it wasn’t long afterwards when my dad looked happily at me as he celebrated God’s amazing grace in providing medical attention for him, made possible because of my move. His words: ‘Now I understand what God was doing when He prepared the way for you to move away’! I believe that James is suggesting that each of us do the same, try to accept what God is doing, especially if we have asked Him to take charge and be Lord of our lives. This growth in our relationship with Jesus Christ help us to understand and endure the proven ways of our Lord, and it is then that we gain wisdom and patience in trusting Him. A deterioration, or break, in relationship with Jesus will only weaken our faith and send us reeling to the temporary, unstable, and erratic things of this world. I’m sure that you are in the same boat as I am, searching for ways to maintain a solid relationship with our Savior, and reaching out for patience to endure the circumstances of life while impacted by them here on earth. James has given us the solution to this dilemma, draw close to God; build an ironclad relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, and be determined to stay firm in our faith, with the help of the Master, in every circumstance of life. Just as a son or daughter can come alongside their earthly father and build a solid relationship with him and trust him in the intimate parts of our heart, so it is with our heavenly Father. Know Him today, dear friends, and know that peace which passes all human understanding or expectation.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I believe that you designed and created us to be just like You. However, sin has distracted us from our mission to stay on task with Your mission for our lives. I am reminded of that beautiful hymn ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus’, for the lyrics remind us that when we turn our eyes, our focus, and our deliberate thoughts, upon the One who loves us enough to have given His very life for us, THEN the things of this world will grow strangely dim. Without You we are helpless in this earthly mission, but with You as our Guide, our Master and our Lord, ALL things are possible. Thank you for the reminder through Your servant, James, today, that a fully surrendered life is one that will be blessed with a blossoming faith and impacted by the only One who can draw us to Your side, even through the most challenging times here on earth. Humbly at Your feet today, we seek Your face, depend on Your power, and want to be guided by Your wisdom, dear Lord. Please take charge and use us here on earth, for Your kingdom’s sake. 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 Distractions: Prioritizing God in Your Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, All-powerful, Allegiance, Allegiance to the Lamb, Always There, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Blessings, Bold Confidence, Challenges, Choice, Church attendance, Cleanse me Oh God, Daily communion with God, Devoted, Distractions, Draw Me Close to You, Eternal Life, Everything We Need, Faith, Follow Jesus, God our Provider, God's Guidance, God's Power, Leadership of the Holy SpiritLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, November 12, 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 Isaiah 65:1-3

THE SCRIPTURE READS
1 The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’ 2 I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way. 3 They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardens and burn incense on pagan altars. 

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Perhaps you have better control over your emotions on being trapped in an impatient situation, but it seems like as I age, I am becoming way more intolerant over waiting for someone that I expected to make the next step in a process, only to find out they either misunderstood their role, or had no intention in following through on something expected of them. As I meditated on this Scripture today, I held my head down in shame, because I was reminded that God must be exceptionally tolerant of me as He waits for me each morning after blessing me with a very safe, warm, comfortable, restful night, yet I fail to thank Him as I awaken and approach another beautiful day. At evening time, after all day preparing the way for me, directing my path while opening doors that would otherwise be shut tight, yet I lay my head down without saying ‘Thank You’ to my Provider, my Protector, my Savior and my Lord. Friends, try re-reading today’s Scripture and allow it to challenge you about your similarities to the nation of Israel that God spoke to through His servant, Isaiah. We are quickly approaching a time of the year that many set aside as a special day each year to offer up thanks to Almighty God for His amazing hand of mercy and blessings throughout the year. Let us pray that this will not just prove to be a day of overindulging in turkey and whatever other food items might fill our tables that day, for just as our God is reminding us in this Scripture, He stands ready to continue blessing us in the year ahead, if only we would recognize our source of each and every blessing. He stands ready to hear our prayers and petitions as we share our concerns with Him in prayer, for in Isaiah 59:1 we are reminded that God’s arm is not too short to save us or hear our cry for mercy, or want or salvation. Please, dear friends, be reminded that God is still on the throne and He sees the gods that we have chosen to worship. Yes, especially those gods that are outside of His temple where we expect Him to be present. For the Israelites, He saw the gods they worshipped in their gardens. For us, it is any thing, or any one that we allow to take precedence over our time with Almighty God. Let me suggest that we start with, and particularly look at, what we choose to do during the times that our church worship services are going on. Examples might be the beach, boating, sports, shopping, hunting, work, etc. Are these the things that you give thanks to at Thanksgiving for your survival over the past year? Are these the things that you go to, or call on, in times of trouble, disappointment or illnesses? I believe that if these things take priority, and/or take up the time you would otherwise spend with God, then God may be jealous to the extent that He considers you spending more time with other gods rather than Him. May God direct us to keep our hearts and minds fixed on Him, our Creator and Savior, and allow nothing else to distract from our time with Him.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for Your unconditional and persistent love for us – Your creation and Your children. You created us in Your image, yet we’ve strayed to our own vices and found other ‘gods’ more attractive, necessary and important to us. You bless, protect and guide us to be more like You every day, yet we choose to ‘do it our way’ like the songwriter wrote about. Please Lord, forgive us of our twisted priorities and our misguided allegiance. Please continue to work on us and open our eyes to see You as You are, our Savior and Lord – our everlasting King – the God of this universe for today and for evermore. In the busyness of life we often complain about not having time for everything that should be important to us. Please help us to use the words that something, or someone was not a priority to us, if we chose other things to consume our time. We want You to be our top priority in all walks of life. Please help us to give priority to You above all else. 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!

A Bonus From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-02-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 1:11-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

APPLICATION: I would imagine that it would probably depend on what we are going through at the time, as to what we might tell God is at the top of our ‘Wish List’, or is our greatest desire. If we are wanting to get married, then we would probably ask God to help us find the best suited mate available. If we are attending college, then perhaps we might ask God to help us achieve the best test scores possible, whether we have, or have not, spent adequate time studying as we should have! If the bills are mounting and there just don’t seem to be enough income to go around, we might ask God to wave His magic wand and make the bills go away for us. BUT, I’m hoping that many of my readers and/or listeners are in close fellowship with God, spends adequate time with Him each day studying His Word and praying for His divine direction in your lives. What would you ask for? My attention was drawn when the young, new king, Solomon, made it his very first move to take his leaders with him up to the temple. He didn’t say what he was going for, and Scripture doesn’t record, that his leaders asked any questions about where they were going or the reason why. This large group arrived at the temple and Solomon led the pack in proceeding to the bronze altar and sacrificing 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord. Isn’t it amazing how this very powerful young king didn’t recline back and order his servant leaders to handle the burnt offerings? Notice how Solomon didn’t make the offerings with any type of condition to God, or use them as any bargaining tool for what he wanted from God that day? But of particular notice is that God knew the heart of the dad who had prayed for his son to assume kingship over Israel, and how he wanted him to keep God first in everything he did. God also knew that in-spite of everything that Solomon had going for him, he found no greater priority than to gather his leaders and first go to the temple to seek the face of God, before any other task that required their attention. Notice in verse 11 how God’s heart was touched by Solomon not doing like most, who would ask for personal success and riches, but instead asked for help in being the best possible leader for a people he had been given the honor to lead. Although knowing his very heart, yet God wanted us to notice that He will bless abundantly more than we could comprehend, when His people will humble themselves, seek His face, and beg for help in meeting the needs of His people over whom we have influence. God blessed Solomon with the things he requested, but then as a bonus, God also blessed him with those things that he could have asked for! Friends, I don’t believe there is any greater ‘wow’ moment than to see the Great I Am do more for us than we ask or deserve! I wonder, when last have we sacrificed time at work or play or family, to call a few Christian brothers and sisters and invite them to meet you at the altar of your church? Assuming that some will show up, would they be surprised that nothing is personally wrong with you or your immediate family, but that you wanted to pray for a neighbor who needs Jesus, or for your Sunday School class that you will teach the following day, or the congregation that you feel truly needs to see Jesus in services the next day? Do you suppose that people are not being blessed, or saved today because of our laxity and lack of dedication to the God we are meant to represent and lead our people to in our respective ministries? At the very ending of verse 12, God promised to bless Solomon more than any king before or after him ever thought possible. What would happen in your family, or your Sunday School class or your church congregation if God chose to bless in this way because of your faithfulness? Could our city contain itself if it saw churches being blessed in response to their humbleness, their dedication, their teaching and their preaching? Why, it will become evident that the God we worship and adore really does exist, because the might works of God reveals itself through His church! Are you truly doing anything to invoke the blessings of Almighty God on His people and His church? Oh Lord, may we always facilitate Your blessing, and never stand as a stumbling block to all You want for Your people.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God was merciful to Solomon and blessed Him with what he asked for, plus, as a bonus, also blessed him with the things that he could have asked for! What an awesome, giving, and ever-blessing God we serve!

PRAYER: Glory to God in the highest for who You are and for all that You do for Your children – especially for the blessings that we may not even asked for! Oh that Your people will recognize Your greatness today and have a deep desire to worship You and seek Your ongoing goodness for all those we love and cross paths with each day. Your blessings are way greater than anything we could imagine or ask for, and I pray that we would realize once again that You just want our availability to serve, and Your blessings will overflow through us to bless others. May each one that walks through the doors of Your church today come with a new desire to worship You for who You are, and not just for what You could give them. Please Lord, help us to seek Your throne on behalf of others today, and not just for what You can do for us. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. For thine is the glory, the honor and praise. 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!

SEE Jesus and Worship Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Power of God, Powerful, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2021-09-27

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NIV)

Bible Text:  16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

APPLICATION: In our scripture reference today we see one of many instances where folk saw Jesus, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. I acknowledge that this particular instance is so miraculous that it would give reason for anyone to ‘worship’ the Master. But let’s be careful to note that Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and three days later He arose from the dead, and now He stand in the very presence of His disciples! But friends, I want us to stop and meditate on the many times that we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, but do we always stop and acknowledge Him and/or offer up our sacrifices of praise to Him? Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says “All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship him.” I could almost imagine by now you are dumbfounded as to what I might be getting at here, because although the Lord Jesus stood in the presence of the disciples, you probably can’t remember the last time that He did that to you, right? Dear friends, we are presented with reminders of our Lord Jesus every day and we make personal choices as to what we do with that. If you pick up the precious Word of God and read it, you will be flooded with evidence and overwhelmed by the presence of God as you read about Him – but do you stop to worship Him and acknowledge His greatness? If you walk out of your home and stop complaining about the humidity, or the cold, or the heat long enough you will SEE the beauty of all that God has provided for you to enjoy, you might consider raising your hands in praise to Him for His miraculous touch on everything from the heights of the skies to the beautiful green grass and flowers that you see, to the cattle that produces dairy products and/or beef for your plate, to the beautiful waterfalls that make us wonder where is the water coming from so high up on a mountain, to the beautiful ocean that is filled with man’s best foods, etc. If you enter God’s house of worship and hear the stories of how God has miraculously healed and/or touched His children, you will SEE where God has been busy meeting the needs of His people, and you will worship Him knowing that there is still hope for Him to also miraculously help you through your challenges that seem insurmountable to you at times. Friends, it is time for us to stop whining and start praising. It is time for us to stop attributing God’s miracles that occur all around us every day, to happen-chance, or good luck, or any other worldly credit, and truly SEE God for who He is. It is then that we will worship Him in deep sincerity like the disciples exampled for us in this Scripture today. Jesus is still alive and He is looking for opportunities to bless you, so that you may SEE Him, if only you will let Him into your world. Won’t you do that today friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your presence each and every day. Please forgive us for the times that we find every other reason in the world why something special occurred in our life, before we finally realize that it truly was the God of this universe that stepped in and blessed us. You have provided lots of evidence of your miraculous hand at work in our lives and all around us. Please open our spiritual eyes so that we may SEE Your goodness, Your miracles and Your love that You want so badly for us to accept and envelope. Lord, may we truly learn to worship You in every way, because of all that You place before us as evidence of Your presence. Please also open the eyes of the non-believer today so that they will realize that there is no other explanation for the miracles around them other than the awesome power and greatness of the Almighty God. Lord I pray that our worship and our praise will come naturally, as we recognize the originator of our blessings. Thank You for being so good to us! I ask these things in the gracious and blessed name of Jesus, 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. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

When God Leaves us Alone

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Healing, Sin, SinnerLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-18
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Romans 1:28-30
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 28 People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. 29 They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip 30 and say evil things about each other.

OBSERVATION: I thank God that we can turn to His Word for every situation in our lives. Based on this passage of scripture, it is evident that Paul faced the same evil with the Romans as many pastors do today. I would dare say that one of the most challenging things about any job involving coworkers, or just people in general, is the matter of bad attitudes, jealousy, gossip, fighting, lying and just thinking the worst of each other. The exact characteristics that Paul spoke of! So let’s look closer at what Paul said was the root cause of these problems.

APPLICATION: I believe that every person alive knows of God, and knows of His power, His love, and His creation. For some, it begins with them having a desire to know more of God, learn His teachings, and a strong desire to know Him more intimately. For others, they often choose to know Him from a distance and just leave Him out of their lives until needed. This is very evident today for we are suffering from declining church attendance because people have lost the desire to know God more intimately. Friends, God will not force Himself on us, however He is available to us if we seek Him and have a desire to draw close to Him. As we turn away from Him and He lifts His hand of love and protection from us, we assume more of the characteristics and attitudes of the world, such as those listed in our Scripture. So what we really face today is like Paul faced back in his day, we the people, need God in a personal way in our individual lives each and every day. More of God will result in less of the world and its evil characteristics. There is an old hit song titled something like “All we Need is Love”. I believe that the formula for much of today’s worldly characteristics that have crept upon us, is a plea to God along the lines of the popular hit song that may have the title – “All we Need is God”. Paul presented this thought for us in the scripture written under the inspiration of God, so that we may realize what is lacking when we notice the decline in moral values and Godly attributes that tend to bring us down as a people. For this relationship with God idea impacts each and every one of us. For those who work, you can see it in the attitudes and actions of coworkers. For those who shop, you can see it in the store employees and in the shoppers. Everywhere we turn we can see, like Paul, what impacts an individual’s character. Friends, it is critical that we awaken ourselves from our sinful, sleepy stupor and get our lives in line with God and His perfect will for our lives. As we take in more of God, we will replace our ungodly attitudes and character with the wonderful message of the cross and our loving Savior. I would strongly urge each one to look to the Master, our Creator, the one and only Jesus Christ, while there is still time. Life is more challenging that any of us could handle alone, we need Jesus, friends. As a reality check, we must look at our lives and insure that we are an image of God and not of this sinful world in which we live.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, we are such weak examples of You, because we have allowed so much of this sinful world in. Please forgive me for not doing more to saturate my life with You and Your divine qualities. Thank You for reminding me of this today. Please guide me into Your way, and please touch the hearts of Your children reading this devotional today so that we may become stronger witnesses and soldiers of Yours here on this earth. Lord, we want to do Your will. We need You in our lives – more than ever before. We can’t even imagine what our destiny would be if You turned Your face from us. We’re Yours Lord, and we want to be the best representative that we could be. We need You to guide and direct us, please? I ask all this in Your precious and holy name, Lord Jesus, our Healer and Sustainer of all life. AMEN!

As We SEE Jesus, Let Us Worship Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Power of God, Powerful, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-09-27

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NIV)

Bible Text:  16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

OBSERVATION: I hope that our eyes will be opened to the risen Christ during this devotional today, for we see Him in various ways each and every day. These encounters are way too important for us to brush off as anything else, for I believe God deliberately gets the attention of those seeking Him. As we meditate, let’s be sure to look inward at the opportunities we have to worship our King – the King of all kings!

APPLICATION: In our scripture reference today we see one of many instances where folk saw Jesus, and they bowed and worshiped Him. I acknowledge that this particular instance is so miraculous that it would give reason for anyone to ‘worship’ the Master. Note that Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and three days later He arose from the dead, to now stand in the very presence of His disciples. However, we should acknowledge that we often stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, but do we always acknowledge Him and/or offer up our sacrifices of praise to Him? Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says “All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship him.” I could almost imagine by now you are dumbfounded as to what I might be getting at here, because although the Lord Jesus stood in the presence of the disciples, you probably can’t remember the last time that He did that to you, right? Dear friends, we are presented with reminders of our Lord Jesus every day and we make personal choices as to what we do with that. If you pick up the precious Word of God and read it, you will be flooded with evidence and overwhelmed by the presence of God as you read about Him, but do you stop to worship Him and acknowledge His greatness? If you walk out of your home and stop complaining about the humidity, or the cold, or the heat long enough to see the beauty of all that God has provided for you to enjoy, you might consider raising your hands in praise to Him for His miraculous touch on everything from the heights of the skies to the beautiful green grass and flowers that you see, to the cattle that produces dairy products and/or beef for your plate. If you enter God’s house of worship and hear the stories of how God has miraculously healed and/or touched His children, you will worship Him knowing that there is still hope for Him to also miraculously help you through your challenges that seem insurmountable to you at times. Friends, it is time for us to stop whining and start praising. It is time for us to stop attributing God’s miracles that occur all around us every day, to happen-chance, or good luck, or any other worldly credit, and truly SEE God and then worship Him in deep sincerity like the disciples exampled for us in this Scripture today. Jesus is still alive and He is looking for opportunities to bless you, if only you will let Him into your world. Won’t you do that today friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your presence each and every day. Please forgive us for the times that we find every other reason in the world why something special occurred in our life, before we finally realize that it truly was the God of this universe that stepped in and blessed us. You have provided lots of evidence of your miraculous hand at work in our lives and all around us. Please open our spiritual eyes so that we may SEE Your goodness, Your miracles and Your love that You want so badly for us to accept and envelope. Lord, may we truly learn to worship You in every way, because of all that You place before us as evidence of Your presence. Please also open the eyes of the non-believer today so that they will realize that there is no other explanation for the miracles around them other than the awesome power and greatness of the Almighty God. Lord I pray that our worship and our praise will come naturally, as we recognize the originator of our blessings. Thank You for being so good to us! I ask these things in the gracious and blessed name of Jesus, 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. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

To Live In Expectation of That Day!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Joy, Temptation, Temptations, TrialsLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-05-19

Bible Reference: Job 19:23-27
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  23-24 Oh, that I could write my plea with an iron pen in the rock forever.
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! 27 Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!

OBSERVATION: In ways that we could never imagine, Job was tested and tried because of his faith. In ways that may have caused us to buckle under the pressure, Job stayed true to God and endured the persecution. All because He knew that a day was coming that he would unite with the King of Glory! What a lesson for us to ponder today as we meditate on the Word of God!

APPLICATION:  At the beginning of the book of Job, God said of Job that he was a true man of God that stood tall among other men and was firm in his commitment to God, in spite of what might come his way. Friends, we have seen for the past 18 chapters where Satan unleashed his power on Job and, yes it became very discouraging for Job, because he even wished he was never born. But praise to the God of heaven and the Savior of all mankind, Job never lost his allegiance to God. He knew that God was right there, and that it was he (Job) that needed to lift his eyes above the troubles and look towards the day when he would see God’s wonderful and loving face. I believe that when he wished that these words were written in stone for others to see and be encouraged by, he not only thought of us, but he also wished that he could be encouraged by his own words when discouraging times came. Job realized and acknowledged where his struggles came, but he also firmly acknowledged where his strength came from. Satan is very powerful friends, but our God is head and shoulders above him, He created this universe and He is very capable of ruling and reigning over Satan and any of his deceptions, lies or devious acts that could possibly be imposed upon us while living in this old world. What a lesson this is for us! If we would take time to analyze the cause of our sin, our frustration, our weakness and our failing, perhaps it would help us to do like Job and stand firm in our faith in spite of all that goes on in our lives. I believe that our application here is that we must make God so much a part of our lives that not only will He be able to say like He did about Job, but that He will also acknowledge our commitment, our dedication to the cause of Christ, and that our faith will be evident to our God and to those around us. Friends, others hear of Jesus but they are constantly looking for proof of His existence in the lives of His children here on earth. Will they identify whose we are, and in whom we gain our strength and guidance. While we are living each day in the fear of the Lord, others are watching for an example to follow, and they are making mental notes, so that when anything is said about us, whether in life or death, they will be ready to attest to our lives and what our principles and character meant to them. Let us then live in the light of eternity, in our everlasting hope, in the One who leads us to the love others like He did. Let us stand strong in our faith, no matter what may come against us by this world and it’s leader. Our God’s not dead, for He is very much alive in us each and every day!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are my hope and my strength in all that I contend with in this old world. My joy comes from You alone, and it causes me to reflect on heaven where I will spend eternity with my wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Thank You for loving me enough to make such provisions for me. Thank You for always being there for me! Please continue to give me strength to look above my troubles and look towards the heavens and remember all the joys that are mine! Lord, more than we could ever imagine, You are fully aware of our challenges here on earth, and You know full well everything that my friends and I face on a daily basis. Please keep us focused on You, so that our challenging times down here will seem miniscule compared to the overwhelming joy that is ours when we join You in heaven. Thank You for watching over Job, yet allowing his true strength and joy to be revealed to us in the scriptures. May the light of Your Word always be the path that we will follow all the days of our lives! Jesus, I ask all this in Your precious and most holy name, knowing that You are Master over everything that could possibly come our way, AMEN!

Acting on the Word of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Actions, Faith, Obedience, Obedient, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-03-07

Bible Reference: Exodus 9:20-21
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 20-21 All of Pharaoh’s servants who had respect for God’s word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, but those who didn’t take God’s word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field.

OBSERVATION: Through Moses, God told Pharaoh what would occur next in His ongoing testing, to gain the attention of Pharaoh and his people. Just like in the decisions we make each day, we commit to being a faithful, obedient servant of the King of kings, or not. The servants of Pharaoh had a similar choice. In each case we, and they, know in advance what the outcome of our choice will be. Are you satisfied with the choices you make, and your allegiance to God, dear one?

APPLICATION: Let me encourage you to click on the above Scripture reference, and at the very least, read from verse 13 through the end of the chapter, to get the backdrop of what we are looking at today. God got my attention in a very real way, because I could see a very vivid comparison to what is going on today. You see, God sent many plagues on Pharaoh and the Egyptians under his charge, yet we could see in our focal verses that some chose to pay no attention to the warning that God gave through Moses about the impending plague. Please stop to realize that God’s Word is filled with similar warnings to us today, yet it seems like increasing numbers of our population have decided to ignore the warnings and accept the Word of God about His love and awesome sacrifice that He made for the redemption of our sin. Notice that the servants of Pharaoh had two choices: (1) Do nothing and leave their cattle and slaves out to weather the storm, should one actually occur like God said; or (2) Listen to and respect God’s word, because of His previous warnings and actions already taken by Him to prove His power and His word. I believe that a vast majority of our world today have read the warnings from the Bible, or have witnessed current-day warnings to individuals, churches and countries and we also have made choices. Do we believe in this God who said in His Word that He sacrificed His Son, so that we might have the means of forgiveness for our disobedience to His commands and ordinances (sin)? It is clear in God’s Word that, in similar comparison to Pharaoh’s servants, we know that a choice to accept the word of God, believe in His one and only Son, confess that we are a sinner in need of a Savior, will lead to the eternal safety of the believer with the God of this universe! A different choice would result in eternal damnation with the evil one in the pit of Hell. My sincere prayer for every reader of this devotional is that we would imitate the servants who brought their cattle and slaves in – under cover, and secure our position with our Master by accepting the gracious gift of His Son. Notice that the choice made by the servants affected those under their care and control. We also have tremendous impact on those under our care and who look up to us. Are you helping them see God in all His glory, so that they may desire to know Him personally, or are you more of a stumbling block to them achieving this goal? Oh that Christ may be glorified in us today!

PRAYER: Oh that You may be glorified in all Your saints today, dear Lord. May You begin a new work in myself and each one that will stop by to read this blog. Some of Pharaoh’s servants listened, obeyed, and showed their slaves the power of God. Oh that others may see that same power in and through us in every word and action today, is my sincere prayer for each one who believes on the name of the Lord, AMEN!

Always Be Ready To Share

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acceptance, Accountability, Acknowledge God, Allegiance to the Lamb, Answered Prayer, Awesome God, Faith, HopeLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-05

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 3:14-16
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 14 But you may suffer for doing right. If that happens, you have God’s blessing. “Don’t be afraid of the people who make you suffer; don’t be worried.”[a]15 But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have.16 But answer them in a gentle way with respect. Keep your conscience clear. Then people will see the good way you live as followers of Christ, and those who say bad things about you will be ashamed of what they said.

OBSERVATION: Peter wanted to be sure that followers of Jesus Christ be prepared for the questions that folk will ask of us, especially when they see us acting and speaking differently to the majority of individuals they will come into contact with. In other words, if someone special resides inside of us, then His character will be revealed through us. Nothing to be ashamed of, and it should be nothing for us to brag about, but when we are asked ‘why?’, we should always be prepared to answer them about the hope that is ours, who know Jesus as Lord and Savior!

APPLICATION: Over and over I’ve seen friends whip out their wallet, or their phone, to show a photo of the latest thing that brought joy to their life – perhaps a baby boy, or a granddaughter, or a son-in-law! I have a coworker who always responds to a greeting with the words “I love my job”. He has a response that make me smile, and makes me proud of him everytime we greet each other. I wonder how willing, or prepared, or quick, Christians might be to respond truthfully about the root cause of happiness; joy; expectation or hope that is being expressed through them? I would challenge those of us who know Jesus as Lord to ensure that each day we have a fresh encounter with our God. Talk with Him – through prayer; Listen to Him – through His Word; Be guided by Him – as we ask for His direction in all decisions known and unknown that we will face today; and Praise Him – through expressing gratitude and honor for all that He has done for us. Please be careful to recognize Jesus as the healer, deliverer, guide and everlasting Father that He is. It will be so easy to follow the way of the world and attribute your ‘blessings’ to luck, or medical staff, or good friends, or the knowledge of man, and while these are awesome in their own way, our faith and our hope lies in the One to whom we belong. Friends, let’s be willing and ready to give an answer to anyone about the hope that we have. In fact, let’s be careful to give the same answer to our friends as we would give to God about our hope!

PRAYER: Merciful Father and all powerful God, thank You for choosing to work in my life. Oh though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King! Lord, help me to not only sing that song to myself, but freely and willingly share that with others that may ask about the hope that I have. Oh that You might be glorified in and through all saints that allow You access, and ask for Your help today oh Lord, AMEN!

Who’s the Culprit?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Acknowledge God, Ashamed, Assurance, Awesome God, Blinded by Sin, Bold ConfidenceLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-11-26

Scripture

Bible Reference: Genesis 3:6–8

Bible Text: 6 The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7 Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
8 Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take

On reading the title, you might conclude that I am about to introduce an old TV show by the same title! That’s not my intention, so no need to close the blog without reading today’s devotional!!! This scripture got my attention though, because we see in the three examples in this story how each party, Adam, Eve and the serpent, all found excuses for the cause of this very first sin that we read about in the Bible. In each case they quickly threw the blame, or cause of their action, on someone or something else. Unfortunately, in spite of all that transpired in this story, added to the enormous blessings that God has showered on us, I am amazed how little mankind has changed. I wonder today how much of our prayer time is spent on explaining to God who may have caused us to sin, or how it was possible for the infraction? Look at how Adam even went to the extent of trying to pass the responsibility of this sin to God Himself, for had God not sent the woman to Adam in the first place, then Adam thought that he would not have sinned! eeeennnk! I don’t believe so Adam! Think about our many excuses, men blame their distractions at work or even at church, on the pretty lady who wears very short dresses or very tight pants, for leading them to infidelity. I wonder when God looks at the deepest part of man’s heart what He must find is really happening, to cause such sin to erupt in a man’s heart? Yes friend, you read that right. God considers even our wicked thoughts when He judges us! Men, may I plead with you to join me in fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith? May I suggest that we commit ourselves more to the idea of drawing closer to God and being obedient to His Word, then perhaps our minds would be more focused on eternal matters than on the sinful things of this world? Ladies, I know you are not exempt from this condition, so please consider the gist of what I just shared and apply it to the challenges you face. God in His mighty wisdom actually distracted me on to the thoughts I just shared, because my initial intent was to actually introduce the Advent season into my blog over the next 24 days. Friends, we are introduced in this scripture today, to the very first sin – also known as the fall of mankind. You will quickly recognize that it was from the very beginning of time that God saw the need to send our Savior into the world to save fallen man. This ‘Savior’ of which I am referring is God’s very own Son that He sent – Jesus. It is the miraculous birth of Jesus that we celebrate each and every Christmas. Perhaps this should be the season of Thanksgiving when we consider the precious gift given for our benefit, even though we are personally embellished by the  weakness of sin!

Prayer

Father, from the time of our very first ancestor, sin has been a problem – a challenge for mankind. We are weak, and very gullible to sin, but then we are so quick to deflect the cause of that sin onto anything, or anyone else that we could think of. Please open our hearts to the awesome reminder of how You not only saw our sin, but You did everything to help us seek forgiveness of that sin in preparation for standing before a holy, sinless God. You alone are God in heaven, and yet You loved us enough to make the way clear for us to be with You! Thank You Heavenly Father, thank You Jesus, and thank You Holy Spirit. We are truly a blessed people. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, and may each person meditating on this thought today be ready to see You face-to-face on resurrection morning, all because of Jesus! AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!