Don’t Underestimate The Power Of God

On 2023-03-242023-03-24 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, God's Power, Needs, Power, Power of God, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Victory, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, 2023-03-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 25:7-9
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷… a prophet went to the king and said to him, “Don’t take these Israelite soldiers with you. The Lord is not with these people from the Northern Kingdom. ⁸You may think that they will make you stronger in battle, but it is God who has the power to give victory or defeat, and he will let your enemies defeat you.”
⁹Amaziah asked the prophet, “But what about all that silver I have already paid for them?”
The prophet replied, “The Lord can give you back more than that!”

OBSERVATION: In verse 2 of 2 Chronicles 25, we are told that Amaziah was a king who did what was pleasing to God, but he did it reluctantly. No, you read my words correctly, I said this was Amaziah, not you! Although we do seem to act that way in our display of obedience to God, don’t we? But let’s tune into what happens when we follow the will of God – especially in the major decisions of life.

APPLICATION: Think about a time when you lit a fire in the woods, perhaps to roast marshmallows. Let’s assume the fire got away from you. What might be your first instinct on how to stop the spread of that fire? Now assume that you live in a close community and your house caught on fire. What might be your first reaction to control the fire from spreading to your neighbor’s house? Now assume the same thing happened at church. What might you do? I seriously doubt if anyone responded that they would call a group prayer meeting to seek God’s direction. But isn’t that what we practice when troubles arise, or when a serious response is needed for a complex issue? Snap decisions! Don’t you gather that this is exactly what King Amaziah did when he decided that he would go to war against Edom? Isn’t that what we tend to do instinctively when we know that trouble is brewing, and our attention is needed? So, let’s look into the consequences of Amaziah’s snap decisions. a). He felt like he needed more military men, if he was going to bring down Edom, so he chose to pay a large sum of silver for leasing additional men. b). He had to decide if to trust the word from an unnamed prophet and that he actually received a word from God. If Azaiah didn’t have faith enough in God to ask for His opinion about Edom, why would he listen to a prophet that the Scriptures did not even name? c). I wonder if Amaziah knew anything about God not being with the northern kingdom at the time. The Scripture does not clarify, but would the king have been so bold as to work out a deal with them for fighting on his side, if he knew that God was against them? d). Although Amaziah hired the extra men in hopes of winning the battle from sheer numbers, I wonder if he was shocked when the prophet told him that regardless of the numbers, if God was not on his side, he would probably lose the battle? Friends, I’m not sure about you, but I don’t believe I ever gave a thought to the fact that God could either help us win our battles or lose them. I’ve always been a firm believer in telling folk who seem disappointed that God had not heard their cry, that I feel pretty sure God heard them, He just didn’t give the ‘puppet’ response we insisted on Him giving to us. But if we ask a question, it should be that we are looking for a good response. With God, that could be yes, or it could be no. Are you willing to accept the ‘No’ responses as easily as you do with the ‘Yes’ responses that you really want? Can you thank God, and praise Him for the responses that you would rather not hear, because they are the right ones and come with God’s support as you seek His guidance? We serve an awesome, all-powerful God my friend. His responses are always right, and they are right on time. The reason we ask God questions is because we want to make sure that we have the right answer. Be willing to listen and obey. Never question His power. The only reason He might want numbers on the ground is to help the unbelieving public. If He said He will do something, start spending your time preparing instead of questioning His decision!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God has the power to give victory or defeat!

PRAYER: Through the weakness and stubbornness of Amaziah, we gain wisdom on how to best approach Your throne, and also the importance of accepting Your direction and Your promise to be with us always. We are such a hard-headed bunch dear Lord, please draw us close to You and continue to teach us the importance of always looking to You rather than making our own careless and uneducated decisions. You are all-knowing and all-powerful dear God, please help us to not mess up by going off on our own with silly ideas like Amaziah did. May we be so attuned to Your Word, and in such close relationship with You, that the Holy Spirit will easily drive us towards Your truth and Your will. Please open the eyes of the unsaved and draw them to Yourself. May they see You in Your greatness and desire a close and intimate relationship with You. Please help us to not be a stumbling block in the path of Your ministry to others. 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 Power of Our Awesome God

On 2022-02-262022-02-26 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-02-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 33:6-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
⁷He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
⁸Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
⁹For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

APPLICATION: Don’t we hear it all the time? Haven’t we been there at one time or another in our life? Where we sour in the thought of our problems and we see no hope for anything, or anyone who could help us overcome the pain that we are facing? We are resigned to accepting death as our only victor. But isn’t that how David must have felt? He moved into the shelter and isolation of the mountains, and he could hardly sleep because his ears were so attuned to every little sound – which caused him to automatically assume that one more enemy member was closing in on him. Would life ever return to normal? Will there ever be a safe place for him to live again among family and friends? For us it might be that awful disease that we never want to hear the doctors pronounce on us – cancer. But then, many have died from Covid and from other ‘less talked about’ ailments. Dear friends, I am convinced that the same God who spoke this world, and each of us, into existence, is the same God that got David’s attention and caused him to stop and think outside of his own issues, and find the One who is greater than all of his problems. I also believe that this same God is still very much alive, well, and ready to work with His other sons and daughters today, whom He loves just as much as He cared for David! Be reminded my friend that this is not just another doctor, whose qualifications are limited to a specific area of our body. Be reminded that this is not just another priest or pastor, whose powers are limited to earnest prayer before their Creator on our behalf. Be reminded that this is the King of all kings; the Lord of all lords; the One who healed the sick, restored sight, hearing and mobility to those who traveled many miles by foot, but were convinced that if only they could touch the hem of His garment! It’s the same God who David acknowledged in our Scripture today. The same One who turned waterways into roads for a million of His chosen children to walk safely through as they faced the barrier of water in the Red Sea! Please tell me again, what is it that you think He is incapable of doing?!! We have reason for complete faith in this God of ours, just follow David’s example and stop to think on His many miracles. Of course He can!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We have the answers to our problems right at our fingertips! Our God – the One who created everything from nothing at all, He’s available to us to still perform miracle after miracle for the one who places their faith and trust in Him! What a mighty God is this God – our God!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You did it before, and I believe You can do it again! Unfortunately we look at our problems, particularly our many ailments, and we give up to the fear of our end quickly approaching. As Your precious children, may we be as bold as David and give You permission to help us outside of our box – the one filled with doubt, fear and limitations. May we look fully into the face of our awesome God who had the power to create everything around us, and may we be reminded that You still have that same power to manage, heal and overcome every limitation that Your created ones face today. Praise God, I serve a God who can do all things! May my faith be increased to believe and trust in You to allow that to include every issues I face each day as well! AMEN!

Why Panic – Seek God

On 2021-11-032021-11-03 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God's Power, Needs, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, Seek God First, Seek God's Face, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-11-03
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 23:2-4; 10
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ²David went in prayer to God: “Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?”
God said, “Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
³But David’s men said, “We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?”
⁴So David went back to God in prayer. God said, “Get going. Head for Keilah. I’m placing the Philistines in your hands.”
¹⁰Then David prayed to God: “God of Israel, I’ve just heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me.

APPLICATION: I was so impressed with the actions of David in our Scripture today. Everyone was excited and concerned about the Philistines creating havoc in the neighboring city of Keilah, but it seems like only one was interested in truly seeing the right resolution to the problem – David. For David knew that no matter the size of the army, unless God ordered the attack, the battle would be in vain. But just as in our challenges today where God may give us peace about our battles, others around us may not have the same peace. David had the same challenge when he shared with his men the orders from God. They felt like their local issues were challenging enough, and they could not imagine stepping out to battle the Philistines. They were sufficiently disturbed about this that David went back before God to make sure he had received the right message. God reassured David, just as I believe He still does for us today, ‘just do as I say, and leave the battle, or the challenge, or the thing that is disturbing you most, or the thing you fear most, up to the only One who can do ALL things’. Friends, isn’t it rewarding to be reminded that all God wants from us is to be obedient to Him? God already knows that we are not capable of doing the impossible, but He is very confident that ALL things are possible for the one who places their faith and trust in Him. For He specializes in things thought impossible by mortal man. Friends, I know that many of you are dealing with situations in life that seem mountainous to you, they are problems you never even thought possible, so how could you possible be ready to deal with these things? I believe God is telling us today just what He assured David of in the battle against the Philistines – they may appear like giants to you and your army, but remember – I made them. I allowed them to occupy the territory where they’re at because I wanted you to be reminded of how BIG your God truly is. Perhaps when you see with your own eyes how I orchestrate victory for you, perhaps then you will know that I alone am God and besides me, there is no other. Perhaps next time you will run to Me first – before you panic about things that seem impossible. Oh that we will be reminded of the awesome power of the God we serve. Nothing is impossible to Him! But take note of David’s experience – he didn’t tell God how to handle the situation. He merely took his concerns to God, listened to His response, and obeyed His commands. We should be doing that every day. If we do, then we will become accustomed to running to God with our every concern. We will be comfortable to let go and let God handle the situation in His way and in His time, knowing that all things will work best for those who place their faith and trust in the Lord their God.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Let us place our faith and trust in God alone, knowing that He alone can do ALL things for His ultimate glory, for our peace of mind and to invigorate our praises to God alone!

PRAYER: Lord God, it seems like our struggle each and every day becomes more complex, more demanding, and creates so many more questions for us. In David’s case, he was met with the surprise of the Philistines in a neighboring city. He immediately recognized that their army was much bigger than he and his men could approach with any amount of success. But just as David found peace, success and confidence to overcome the Philistines, I believe You are encouraging us to take note and follow in David’s example. Our problems seem new to us and to all mankind, and we all are at a loss for answers. Praise God that You deal in things that appear impossible to us, and You are the only One who can handle ALL situations in this life, for You placed us here and You are anxiously awaiting our arrival in heaven to be with You and the Father for ever and for ever. Thank You for peace of mind and ease of panic while we are challenged each day. May we always place our hands in the hand of the only One who knows about our challenges and could do anything at all about them! To God be the glory today and always! AMEN!

God’s Ways Are Unique To Him!

On 2021-10-182021-10-18 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Always There, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2021-10-18

Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 26:9-12
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: David: ⁹No. Don’t kill him. Who can legitimately strike the Eternal’s anointed king without consequences? ¹⁰As the Eternal One lives, his time will come. The Eternal will strike him down; either he will die, or he will go into battle one day and be slain. ¹¹God forbid that I would be the one to harm the Eternal’s anointed king. But please, take his spear next to his head and that water jug, and let’s go.
¹²So David took the spear and the water jug from right beside Saul’s head and crept back through the camp. No one saw or knew they were there. No one woke up because the Eternal had caused the entire camp to fall into a deep sleep.

APPLICATION: To truly understand the depth of this study today, let me remind you that David attacked towns and totally wiped out its inhabitants, including men, women, children, and livestock in some cases. So he had no fear of human life when he knew that God had ordered total eradication. After just defeating a few towns, that Joshua spared when he first brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, we can see where David got the news of his primary adversary being nearby as Saul continued pursuit after David. So many times already David communicated with Saul that he had done nothing to harm the king, and that he could have killed him on several occasions, if he wanted to. I believe that David’s men could easily have concluded that David may have been afraid of Saul, or like we would say today, perhaps Saul was holding something over David that prevented him from killing Saul. But for those men who learned from David’s Godly obedience, surely they must have seen time after time that David always chose to do God’s will above his own. So yes, I believe that we could learn an awful lot from David about His faithfulness to God. But in our verses today, I want to particularly draw your attention to the words that I bolded, for there we are reminded that God will work miraculously for the good of His people. David was bold enough to take a volunteer from his camp with him, to enter right smack into the middle of Saul’s best 3,000 men who accompanied him for protection and/or battle. Many of us might conclude that the move was more of a ‘stupid’ one, versus a brave one, but I found it so amazing to read how God took David into this daring picture, and He took a very vital part in protecting Him while he was there. For He caused a deep sleep to come over this first-class army, so that David and his assistant could actually get right up to the head of Saul. I recently read about Jesus preparing to feed the 5,000 and He tested His disciples by asking him where would they find food enough to feed the crowd. Could God have been testing David to see if he would humanly go to the head of Saul and remove his sword, without using it on Saul? What about us, are we strong enough in our faith to truly trust God, even when situations are presented right at our fingertips where we could seemingly take care of the situation ourselves? However, imagine the testimony to Abishai when David trusted God as he chose peace and a Godly witness versus the murder of a man called by God to lead a nation. Now notice how God took care of David and his partner while in Saul’s camp – He caused a deep sleep to come over Saul and his soldiers so that they never even knew that David and Abishai entered into their midst! Wow! Perhaps you are facing ‘giants’ in your life today where the obvious solution, or the world’s way of doing things, are totally different to what you feel God would have you do. How will you respond? Doing it God’s way may sound almost foolish to the world’s way of thinking, but is your faith in God strong enough to believe that if He brought you to it, He will lead, and protect you through it? God’s ways are not our ways, so we will never understand why His ways are ordered so differently to our simple humanly thinking ways. Please be encouraged to always follow God, my friend, for He has promised to take care of us right to the very end. If you believe in God, trust in Him alone in every circumstance of life, no matter what others may say. Be boldly about His work dear one, for He cares for His own and will protect us to the end.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, we are mere mortals here in this land where men of God are looked down on, and discounted as nobodies. This turns out to be more truthful than any man will realize, for we are nothing, and we are powerless without our awesome God. Help us Lord to stand firm in our faith and to always look to You for all things. Oh that we may be so sold out to You, that others will see and hear nothing but Jesus when they look on us, or hear from us. May You be glorified in everything that we attempt to do in Your name, and may we always walk in faith knowing that You are all-powerful and all-knowing. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Don’t Limit The Power of God

On 2021-05-302021-05-30 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Power, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: May 2, 2019
WRITTEN AT: Sebring, FL

Bible Reference: Numbers 11:21-23
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ²¹Moses said, “There are 600,000 soldiers here, and you say, ‘I will give them enough meat to eat for a whole month!’ ²²If we were to kill all the sheep and cattle, that would still not be enough to feed this many people for a month. And if we caught all the fish in the sea, it would not be enough for them!”
²³But the Lord said to Moses, “Don’t limit my power! You will see that I can do what I say I can do.”

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.

PRAYER: Lord, we have faith, but every day we need more, for we struggle to see beyond the limitations of our own eyes. I believe that each reader of this devotional will face mountains, or rivers of some form today. Oh that we might constantly be reminded that greater is He that lives inside of us than he that is in this world. In fact, You, Mighty God, created the mountains and the rivers, so You control them. Lord, as You look on feeble man today, please once again touch and encourage your children to keep our eyes fixed on You, our all-powerful God, through whom all things are possible! AMEN!

Describe How BIG Or Awesome Your God Is

On 2020-05-272020-05-27 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Bold Confidence, Confidence, Faith, Faith, Our Great BIG God, SalvationLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-05-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Isaiah 40:12–14
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ¹²Who measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? Who used his hand to measure the sky? Who used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth? Who used scales to measure the mountains and hills? ¹³Who could know the Lord’s mind? Who could be his teacher or give him advice? ¹⁴Did the Lord ask for anyone’s help? Did anyone teach him to be fair? Did anyone teach him knowledge? Did anyone teach him to be wise?

OBSERVATION: If you were preparing your heart to meet with someone, to encourage them, and to really share the power and the width and the breadth of your God, where would you begin? When you prepare yourself to kneel at the feet of Jesus and place your petitions before Him, how convinced are you that He could handle your needs? In verse 31 of this same chapter, Isaiah shares the following: But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.

APPLICATION: Friends, this scripture today is intended to remind us that no matter how burdened we are about circumstances, or about our needs, or about our finances, or how needy we or our family members really are, we have a great BIG awesome God who has successfully managed to handle a whole lot more than any ‘mountain’ we may be facing today! There are over 100,000 deaths in the USA from Covid, many are worried as to who will be next. Many of us have relatives in the hospital and we are beside ourselves worrying about how remaining families might survive if that hospitalized individual is never discharged alive. But let me encourage you to stop for a moment, dear friend, and look at the examples given by Isaiah in verses 12-14 above. Let it really sink in, and convince yourself once again of the supernatural God who loves you, who cares for you, who ‘goes to bat’ every day for you, and be reminded that there is nothing too big for Him. Furthermore, I pray that each of you will ask God to illumine your heart and your mind, so that you may be reminded of all that He has done for you already in life; that He loves you individually; and that more than anything God is so looking forward to having you join Him in glory someday soon. Friend of God, I believe that when you are able to look beyond your current problems and challenges, and see the outstretched, loving hands of Jesus ready to welcome you home for all eternity, then you will be able to trust Him in full confidence with everything that is currently before you! You see, no matter what Satan may try to tell us, or frighten us with today, we KNOW in whom we have believed, and we KNOW whose we are, and we KNOW who hold every tomorrow in place for us! We are children of the King and regardless of our current situation, our long range plan outweighs everything we might experience here on earth, because nothing is greater than the love of our Savior for His dear children. So don’t hold back friend, take your needs before God and be ready to praise Him as you evidence His hand at work in miraculous ways. Share that confidence with those who have no hope! Be ready to give good examples of how awesome Your God has been to you, and all that you have to look forward to! He’s just t h a t BIG, dear friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we bow before You in adoration of who You are, and for all You have done for us. Though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King! Praise be to my almighty, all-powerful, ever-loving, incredibly great BIG God! Please continue to bless Your kids again today, especially since we have been reminded of your outstanding power and the magnitude of Your awesome love. Oh that we may see Your power at work in the lives of those that we touch today! We will be eternally grateful dear God, for we ask these things in faith, and through the powerful name of our almighty Savior, AMEN!

Recognizing God’s Awesome Power!

On 2020-05-25 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Love, Love of God, Power of God, PowerfulLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Job 38:4-9
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.

OBSERVATION: Anytime we feel like God has abandoned us, the book of Job would be a good book to reflect on. Further, if there was ever a time when you may have felt like you really had this ‘life’ thing figured out, I believe that this particular chapter, and conversation God had with Job, would be a great reminder of how you need to get a grip on yourself, open your heart and mind to what God has to say and make every effort to surrender control of your life back to God.

APPLICATION: I believe that Job felt like God and everyone around him had withdrawn their love and relationship from him, so for several chapters Job had really been criticizing God and blaming Him for wrongful punishment. His friends had made attempts to love on, and correct Job, but it seems like he was really having a hard time snapping out of it. God finally had enough and decided to give Job some perspective on who He really is. Friends, I believe that We have excellent reminders here of how God carefully, intricately and powerfully put this planet together, then He created us to enjoy its many blessings. If He loves us that much, won’t He all the more take care of our problems, concerns and difficulties while we live here, if we would only humble ourselves and ask Him to? Friends, I was reminded in a recent sermon from Isaiah 40:7-12 that although this earth is made up of two thirds water, yet God said that the oceans and its water is held in the cup of His hand. The earth’s dimensions are measured across the span of His fingertips! Whom, or what then shall we fear? When old Satan tries to distract us with untruths we need to remind ourselves and Satan that our God is so much bigger than our largest problem or concern. I believe also that His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. So with all this in mind, why would we ever follow in Job’s footsteps and worry about our problems, or blame God for our circumstances. It is so important that we learn to worship God before we ever start to ask Him for anything or complain about anything. When we praise Him, we remind ourselves of His awesome love and power. Don’t you suppose that our problems become less of an issue or worry to us when we remind ourselves of the awesomeness of our beautiful, wonderful, matchless, all-powerful God? I certainly believe so!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for often trying to take the reins of life from You. It is very obvious that You created me and all that is around me, so please forgive me when I whine and complain. I am but Your humble servant, You are the Potter, and I am but the clay that is moldable and usable by You. As I recognize You and allow you control of my life, I can actually be at peace, and my problems then would seem to disappear. Lord, I believe this is vital to our witness, for if the unsaved world see us worrying as much about the concerns of this life as they do, we are showing them that we are as lost and uncared for as they are. This is very wrong, so I ask forgiveness, and I ask for added strength every day to stay focused on You and Your wondrous love for me. For my friends that might meditate on this devotional today, please fill their hearts with Your peace, and the determination to overcome evil, and worldly problems with the love and dedication that only You can provide. Thank You Jesus for loving us this much! All this I therefore ask, in the matchless name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

To Appreciate God’s Power

On 2020-05-13 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Appreciation, Awesome God, Miraculous, Wonderful Savior2 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-05-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Job 26:7&14
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: ⁷God stretches the northern sky out over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.
¹⁴And these are only a small part of God’s works. We only hear a small whisper of him. Who could understand God’s thundering power?

OBSERVATION: As we meditate on these verses, I want to remind you that this is Job speaking to one of his encouragers! For he had been beaten up on and robbed of everything by Satan, yet he knew deep inside that no matter what happened to the flesh, his God still loved him and cared for him! Wow! In fact, although I only chose to show two verses, the whole chapter of 14 verses are filled with the many praises of Job! He showed us that no matter what earthly trials come our way, let us never lose sight of the mighty hand of God, whose love constantly abides within us and is available to us.

APPLICATION: Wow, what an example for those of us that whine and complain our whole day. We just have to look outside of our personal problems, many of which we have brought on ourselves. We have to look for the ways that God has provided for us, especially when we see so many in need around us. We have to thank God for the good health we enjoy, especially when we look at the number in our hospitals and the numerous sick people who are much worse off than we are. We must remind ourselves of the serious need for diet in our lives, while we reflect on the number of persons that go to bed hungry worldwide. We have so much to be thankful for that it would take much more than 14 verses to truly reflect our praises. So much to be thankful for, that we should never have time to complain! We should express so much praise from our thankful hearts that others who truly have needs would be encouraged by just listening to our praises, and there would be ample proof to those praying for desperate needs in their life that they would pray in renewed confidence, knowing that they are praying to a God who cares and loves them, seeing how much we are constantly bragging about Him. God is truly, amazingly and wonderfully amazing to us friend! Let the whole world know to whom you belong!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I praise You this morning for who you are! Not just someone I have read about, although I have read the praises of Job, but I too can testify of Your love and goodness towards me! Not just for the love that I read about, or that the pastor preached about, but for the genuine love that I feel deep inside when reminded of the sacrifice that You made for mankind (especially myself) when You hung on that cruel cross at Calvary, with all the power to totally reverse the scene, but yet You chose to show Your love towards all mankind, by suffering under the hands of those You were dying for. Please forgive me Lord for my ungrateful spirit. Please help me to always look for the ways You have blessed, and still are blessing, so that I might exalt You for Your active role in all these things. You have created us with a free choice, please always remind us that we have a choice to praise You or to complain. I pray that we will always make the right choice to praise You in our storms of life, and let You control and help us to overcome the difficulties. I ask all this in Your loving and wonderful name Lord Jesus, AMEN!

You Are Still God!

On 2020-04-08 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Nehemiah 9:32
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ³²    Our True God—You who are great, majestic, and awesome,
    You who always keep Your covenant of loyal love—
        do not overlook the trouble we are facing here today.
    This trouble confronts us all:
        our kings and our princes,
        our priests and our prophets, our ancestors and all of Your people—
    From the time of the Assyrian kings until today.

OBSERVATION: This chapter of Nehemiah is one that is very timely for us during the time that we are currently dealing with. The Israelites were led into times of reflection about the awesome work of the all-powerful God. This was in light of the awful time they faced with the fallen walls around Jerusalem. We too are facing very challenging and unprecedented times. It’s discouraging and very depressing, and the news media seems to make sure of that! However, let Christians meditate on the goodness of our God. Let us reflect on all that He did for us and our ancestors, and let that reassure us that He can do it again!

APPLICATION: I love this chapter of Nehemiah! Up in verse 3 we read about how Nehemiah, Ezra and the Israelites went to the temple and for the first 3 hours of each day, they spent their time listening to the Word of God being read. After hearing from God, they spent the next 3 hours confessing their sin and worshiping the Almighty God. Friends, I don’t know about you, but I had to stop and talk with God about my complaining when our church services extend beyond their normal one hour. I had to ask Him why others and myself look for excuses not to attend certain services – especially prayer services. As the chapter progresses, we are enlightened on how Nehemiah and Ezra led the people to reflect on the awesome God they were in the presence of. All that He had done for their ancestors, and all the ways He had blessed them, in spite of their sin and evil minds. I was forced into seeking forgiveness for my complaining about the rough times we are going though worldwide, because I often fail to recognize the goodness of God in making sure that I have food on the table; grocery stores available to help me replenish my pantry; doctor’s offices available to take care of my medical needs; medical experts who are sacrificing every day to help attend to the serious needs presented by Covid 19; a comfortable bed to lie in and a place to call home. Thank You Jesus that You are still the same all-powerful God who has control of every fiber of our being. You have carefully watched over and protected us in every circumstance of life, and I have no reason to believe that You will turn away from us now. You were powerful enough to take our ancestors across a river that instantly became dry for their path; You restored sight to the blind; Healed the sick and even brought the dead back to life again. We also are Your children, and we are in dire need today. Oh that You may do it again – restore Your people to good health and our land back to a sense of normal activity. Please give us the faith we need daily to trust in You and expect the miracles that only You can perform. As told boldly in the focal verse today, please precious Lord, don’t overlook the trouble we are in today.

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, when all things around us are crashing in and life seems to be failing at every point, we know that there is One who is in total control. So we turn to you, like our ancestors did, and we ask that You please don’t overlook the trouble we are in today. Every time we listen to updates on the television we hear about how out of control our world is, and how medical experts don’t know where to turn for the needed help in the challenges of today. I know that You are still God, and I know that You are able to see us through. Please give us the confidence we need to look only to You for all of our needs, and to rest in peace knowing that You can still do all things. Oh that we may glorify You for all that You have done, all that You can do, and for all that You will do as we seek Your face. AMEN!

How Strong is Your Faith?

On 2020-02-03 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, God's Power, Humility, Power of God, Power of Prayer, Prayer1 Comment

Monday, 2020-02-03

Bible Reference: Acts 12:15-16
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^15-16But they wouldn’t believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. “You’re crazy,” they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn’t believe her and said, “It must be his angel.” All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.

OBSERVATION: There are times that church leadership will call a special prayer meeting, as they sense the need for dedicated prayer over a particular, urgent need. What if, during that prayer meeting these prayer warriors see proof of answered prayer? Will they be able to handle this awesome power of their holy, and all powerful God? As we meditate on our Scripture today we will learn that the disciples encountered a very similar example to that which I described. I wonder where our faith really is, when we pray to the Creator of all things? Of course He could…..

APPLICATION: Think about your prayer life. There are times that you call your pastor, or an elder, or a friend, to pray with you about a certain need, because you are so burdened for someone, or a certain need that you feel extra passionate about. However, many times, and I hope that is daily, you will pray over certain needs that God has laid on your heart, or you really desire a special touch from God over, and I pray that we could learn to pray in full release to the will of a perfect God. How often have you seen those prayers answered, resulting in a glorious praise and worship time with your Master for hearing your prayer and answering the cry of your heart? Allow me to share two experiences – the first one involves a time where Jesus told a desperate father to return home, for the son that he sought after Jesus for healing, he had been healed. When the father met a jubilant crowd coming towards him, he was told that the child awoke and raised up at the same time that Jesus told him to return home! Instant healing, my friend! The second story involves a precious old lady who was known for her fervent prayer. After telling me that she was going to pray for my shoulder, the next time that she met me she was astonished that the shoulder was still hurting some, because she had prayed for God to heal that shoulder for me! Oh the fervent, effectual pray of a righteous person availeth much, my friend! In our Scripture today, you will observe that the disciples were still skeptical, even though they had spent a lot of time praying over the protection of their Brother, and his release from prison. Dear friend, I believe that when we pray to God, we must pray that His will be done in every situation that we pray about. This should place us in the position where we know that His response might be exactly like we asked for, but at times, He might show us that He has a better way in the circumstances for which we are praying for. We might pray for the life of a family member suffering from a bad disease or health issue. Selfishly, we want that relative to return to perfect health so that we may resume our normal lifestyles. However, when God responds according to His design, He knows what is best for that individual. I believe that God will strengthen us to accept His perfect will, even if it may not align with our wishes. Knowing that a loved one is happy with the Lord, is much better than the very best day they could enjoy on this earth. So when we pray, fellow believers, do we pray believing in the all-powerful work of the Master, or do we present our wish list and hope for the best? I would ask that God might touch the hearts of each believer today, beginning with me, and that we might never be shocked when God answers our prayers – whether instantly, or in His perfect timing. Let’s remember we ask in faith for the will of God. We don’t like ‘Yes’ men here on earth, and we definitely don’t want to pray to a God who will answer our requests like we think they should be answered. May Your perfect will be done dear God in Your perfect timing, for all that we seek from You today!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, Your creation is in need of it’s Creator. We acknowledge that we are ignorant of things that will happen, or to what is best for us. Our wants often outweigh our needs, and so we often ask amiss. Please forgive us dear Lord, for we need a special touch from You. I believe that You have a special work assigned for us to do here on earth, and unless we get out of the way and allow Your will to be done, we might hinder that work. Please help us to always ask expecting the miraculous to happen, because we are asking of the only true, all-powerful God of the universe. Thank you for hearing our cry oh Lord. May we ready ourselves for rejoicing in Your handiwork, as we see You respond to the prayers and cries of Your people. May Your perfect will be done in my life and through my prayers, precious Lord. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: All-powerful