Category: encouragement

Our Comfort, Our Hope, Our Encouragement!

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Comfort, encouragement, Hope, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2023-02-28
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to be fully informed about those who have fallen asleep in death so that you will not be overwhelmed with grief like those who live outside of the true hope. 14 Here’s what we believe: since Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, God will bring with Jesus all who have died through Him. 15 For we can say all this to you confidently because it is the word of the Lord: we who are still alive and left behind when the Lord comes will not precede those who have fallen asleep in death. 16 On that day, with a command that thunders into the world, with a voice of a chief heavenly messenger, and with a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven; and all those who died in the Anointed One, our Liberating King, will rise from the dead first. 17 Then we who are alive and left behind will be snatched up together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is how we, the resurrected and the living, will be with Him forever. 18 So comfort one another with this hope, and encourage one another with these words.

OBSERVATION: When others are hurting, we may tend to stay clear of them, because we are afraid that we won’t have the words to encourage them. However, God’s Word is not just for correction and direction, but we will find in today’s Scripture that it also offers us words to be encouraged by, or to help those who have lost loved ones who knew Jesus as Lord.

APPLICATION: My wife had completed a medical procedure that caused her to use a wheelchair while shopping. We found it interesting how some friends who saw her in the wheelchair chose to walk down a different isle or try in some way to avoid having to encounter my wife or ask her about her temporary disability! We believe they were at a loss for words. Visitations and/or funerals are no different, for we become dumbfounded for the right words to encourage the grieving relatives left behind. Unfortunately, this is very challenging if the loved one died without ever accepting the sacrifice Jesus made at Calvary for the forgiveness of their sin. For the Bible is clear on their eternal destiny, where they chose to remain unsaved and, instead lived, and died, in a way that only Satan would approve of. Friends, I believe if we face family or friends who are suffering through such a loss, we might become even more determined than ever to urgently share the love of Jesus with those we know and love. As believers in Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we follow the practice and teaching of our Master. One of those principles is that we do not lie. So, while we must be sympathetic toward the family the loved one, we should never confuse them into thinking that their lost loved one is now in heaven. Of course, that’s what they want to hear, but we know, based on the Word of God, that if God honored their request to have nothing to do with them on earth, He will be sure to keep that commitment in death also. Instead, we might therefore take the opportunity of sharing the encouraging news that Paul highlights in today’s Scripture, with hopes of helping the living relatives make a better choice for their eternal destiny. It is always sad to lose one that we care about – yes, even one whose destiny is secure, and their eternal destiny is one of peace and comfort. safe in the arms of Jesus. Praise God, Paul shared a message of hope for the surviving family of one who has passed on from this world. For those of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, let’s be comforted in the hope, and encourage those who care about us, that greater is one day in His courts than a million elsewhere! Let’s plead with them to also leave us with the same assurance about themselves.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Let us comfort one another with the hope that our eternity is secured, and our destiny is set to be in heaven with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit when our time on earth is finished! What a peace is afforded to us, and our loved ones in knowing this fact.

PRAYER: What an awesome God we serve! You not only sent Your Son to satisfy the sin of those who seek You as Lord of their life, but You also showed us through Your servant Paul, that our friends and relatives can now rejoice in knowing our eternal destination, instead of sorrowing in our loss here on earth. Lord Jesus, this not only brings peace to us, and our relatives, but also drives us to wanting our family to also seek Jesus as Lord and experience that same peace. Please Lord, soften the hearts of those who continue to be stubborn and disobedient to Your call on their life. Only You can draw them to Yourself. Please be patient with them and once again today, show them the way to eternal life. We are forever grateful for what You did for us, now please give us peace about those who are still here on earth and have the opportunity to open their hearts to You, and we thank You in advance for what You could do! 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!

Do It Again, Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn encouragement, Faith, Repentance, Rewards, Surrender, TrustLeave a comment

Sunday, 2021-04-18

Bible Reference: Psalm 27:13-14
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: Yet I totally trust you to rescue me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I’m still alive! Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!

OBSERVATION: David had witnessed the power of God in His life many times, yet he didn’t take that for granted. We see in this Scripture today, that David is asking God to intervene – one more time. The powerful thing about these verses is that David is not approaching God as a stranger, for he shares with us lessons that he had previously learned. Hopefully we can approach God with that same confidence today!

APPLICATION: Hopefully we all can remember a time that God was especially real to us. It may have been a time when we couldn’t figure out where to turn next, or who to turn to for help, when suddenly we sensed the power of God intervening in our life and giving us purpose to go on. At some point we may have learned that someone was praying especially hard and persistent for us, and that convinced us even more that it was the hand of God that touched us in our time of need. Friends, I believe that God especially gives us times of refreshment like that, so that we might have a memorial to refer back to and be encouraged by. For He saw our need and responded to our prayers when times were really challenging for us. The glorious truth is, that He could very easily ‘do it again’, if only we would seek Him and depend on Him. While I believe that these very special times might be refreshing times for us individually, I also believe that they sometimes serve as a tool that we may use to encourage others that may encounter similar challenges. Another real purpose that these special experiences might serve, is to encourage our own selves when challenges come our way. Have you ever experienced a time when you sat down and almost cried, because the burden seemed so heavy? The need for power, or for encouragement, or perhaps healing may have been overwhelming. You may not have known which way to turn next – until the Holy Spirit suddenly brought to remembrance a time where God clearly responded to a similar need in your life. It was times like this, that you regained purpose in your relationship with the Master, and you were able to return humbly before the Lord and seek His forgiveness as you acknowledged your need and your weakness before the Creator of this universe, the Master of the land, sea, and every living thing. Friends, it is unfortunate, but way too often we try to assume control over our circumstances for which we have no power. And it’s not until we humble ourselves and rededicate ourselves completely to the lordship of Jesus Christ in total surrender, that we make room for Him and His awesome power to move mightily in our lives. I believe that God is waiting for us to surrender, or re-surrender ourselves to His will, so that He might move in our lives personally, and corporately, one more time. I need that, friends. I hope and pray that you will also see the need to be totally surrendered to Jesus – yes, especially today!

PRAYER: In Your awesome expression of love, humility and power, You reached down and touched my life, and I thank You for loving even me that much. Oh that I may be reminded of whose I am, every time that Satan tries to discourage and pull me down. Lord, I believe that many who will read this devotional may have experienced similar times of discouragement, and may honestly desire a touch from You once again. May this reminder from David be something that may return peace and encouragement to many who allow Your Word to penetrate their hearts today. Oh that they may be reminded of the mighty work You have already accomplished in their life, and may they be encouraged to seek You yet again, even in their current circumstances, knowing that You could just as easily ‘do it all again’! May You be glorified because of our surrender today dear Lord! 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!

A Prayer for Each Other

On By Ed AlgreenIn Encourage, encouragement, Encourager, Example, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, True witnessesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 13:20-21 (ERV)

TEXT:  20-21 I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the one who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of his sheep. He raised him because Jesus sacrificed his blood to begin the new agreement that never ends. I pray that God will work through Jesus Christ to do the things in us that please him. To him be glory forever. Amen.

OBSERVATION:   The Bible teaches us everything we need for right living, and in line with God’s commands for us. In this last chapter of Hebrews, we are taught what’s really important in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ, and we are therefore given great direction on how best to pray for our Brother and/or our Sister. Let’s examine this guidance so that we might pray scripturally for others.

APPLICATION:   What I found extremely interesting in these verses is that we are taught to really pray great blessings on each other, but as we look closely at the ‘so that’ we will see that these prayers are not just to make us look righteous to the church, or in our community, but rather to glorify Christ. I had a pastor who wore a handsome looking suit for the first time, on a Sunday morning. After his sermon, he received so many compliments on his new suit that he promised never to do that again, because it was obvious that his congregants paid more attention to his new suit than they did to the message God gave him to deliver! Sounds funny, but anytime we do, or say, something that glorifies or promotes our own self worth, we have totally missed the point of promoting Christ. I love the beginning of these verses, for it demands that we pray that our Brother or Sister would have every good thing they need. Isn’t that about the best thing you could pray for someone? But notice that there is not a period after that phrase, but instead goes on to give the ‘so that’, and that the purpose of such a prayer is not for the benefit of making your object of prayer the best person in the congregation, community or workplace, but rather for the benefit of doing what God wants. So an example of this might be that you may very well pray that someone be enriched with wisdom, or perfect discernment, but for the one who loves God and seeks to please Him in everything, that may not be for the sake of choosing the right numbers and winning the lotto, but rather, it may bless them with the aptitude to serve on an important team at church in which God is looking to draw people unto Himself in an unusual and miraculous way. You have no idea how God will use that person for His glory, but as you pray in accordance with what God has laid on your heart, be content in knowing that God will bless so that His perfect will might be achieved. The other part of that wonderful prayer is that you will find reason to glorify your heavenly Father for listening to the prayer of His humble servant to achieve His greatness! The last part of verse 21 is also achieved in my example, for God used His blessing to you, to accomplish His work, for His glory. I believe that the awe in these verses for us, is that when we pray for the benefit of God’s glory, we will see our prayers answered, but we will also see gratified hearts through the blessings of God on us and those we pray for. So pray to the Father, through His Son, for His ultimate glory, and for the uplifting and blessings of the one we are praying for.

PRAYER:   Dear God, thank You for the many friends You have blessed me with, and for those You have placed in a position to guide me, manage me, and encourage me. Please bless each of these richly today, so that Your glory might shine through them and bring even more praise to You by multiple others. Please help us to live holy and upright lives, so that Your presence in our lives will shine through every word and every action. People need the Lord more today than ever before. Use us Lord to be You light and Your encouragement to them. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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 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!

Confidence in the God Who Cares for You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Encourage, encouragement, Encourager, God Cares For Us1 Comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Job 4:3-6 (TLB)

TEXT:   3-4 In the past you have told many a troubled soul to trust in God and have encouraged those who are weak or falling, or lie crushed upon the ground or are tempted to despair. 5 But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken.
6 “At such a time as this should not trust in God still be your confidence? Shouldn’t you believe that God will care for those who are good?

OBSERVATION:   Job just had an awful lot happen to him in Satan’s attempt to destroy his confidence in God. In spite of the many friends that he had helped along the way, he was now discouraged, even in the presence of the same God that he called on for others. I believe this often happens to us, so I want to meditate on this today before our God.

APPLICATION:   We might often visit friends in hospital or on sick beds at home, or even in a Nursing Home. We might often chat, and pray with friends at church about troubled times they are going through. We might seek to encourage friends at work, or elsewhere in our realm of influence, praying for them and knowing that God could supply their every need. But what happens when troubles come our way, does that same faith, that same confidence and that same attitude of positivity sustain us? I believe that we must be extremely careful to not fall into the trap of believing that a believer who does all of the above, also stands firm during their time loss, discouragement or weakness. I would hope that for those who minister and/or seeks out others to encourage, that they would be very open to allowing others into their world when they go through tough times. I remember the day I got word of my dad’s death, my church Brothers gathered around me and not only prayed with me but sat and chatted with me and helped me financially to make the trip to be with my mom and siblings while we said our goodbyes. An outpouring of love like that, softened the load for me and helped me see that God was working through His church to help me shoulder the pain of loss and discouragement. I was convinced that God was right there helping me in much the same way that I tried to help others in similar circumstances in the past. Friends, we have no way of knowing whether others will come to help in our times of distress, but we do know that God loves us beyond anything we could even imagine, and that He will take care of His own. Look for those ways that He shows His love towards you, and be ready to praise Him as you see His hand at work in your life.

PRAYER:   Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home…. Father, You created us with a void in our lives, but You clearly showed us the only One who can fill that void – Your Son, Jesus Christ. You know about the very intimate parts of our lives, and You provide for us like no other can do. Lord, help us to continue giving to others, knowing that one day, You will return gift to us a hundred fold. We don’t give because of what we expect to receive, but thank You for meeting our emotional needs when we need someone most. There is no other like You Lord, and we need You more each and every day. Your love and power is our incentive and encouragement each and every day. Thank You Heavenly Father! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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 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!

 

Encourage One Another

On By Ed AlgreenIn Encourage, encouragement, EncouragerLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-10-01

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 1:11-12

Bible Text:   11-12 For I long to visit you so that I can impart to you the faith that will help your church grow strong in the Lord. Then, too, I need your help, for I want not only to share my faith with you but to be encouraged by yours: Each of us will be a blessing to the other.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I believe that way too often we ignore the needs of the person who comes to our rescue and helps us through life’s hardest challenges. Like any good pastor today, Paul was anxious to go and deliver the Word to the Roman church, because he wanted to encourage them in their faith and their ongoing ministry. To ensure that we get the right picture, let me suggest that this may mean our local pastors being so fired up about the Word God has given them to share with us in weekend services, that they can hardly wait for the moment that they stand in our pulpit to preach the Word. Now back to the story – Paul told the people that in spite of the spiritual gift he had for them, he was expecting to also be blessed by their spiritual gift to him. Friends, for the man standing in our pulpit, preaching his heart out and speaking exactly what he feels led by God to share with us, have you ever thought about how you might minister back to him? I believe that after many corporate services, we are in so much of a rush to get to the local restaurant that we never stop to think about patting the pastor on the back to encourage him, or ask him how you might pray for him, or share with him how God is blessing you, and your hope that God would do the same for your pastor. There may be some who show little concern for their pastor, because you look at him as a paid employee who is simply doing what he is paid to do. Friends, I believe that a pastor’s job is very similar to that of a teacher, where it’s more of a heart-for-the-job attitude, than any amount of money they may be paid to do the job. I believe that pastors spend limitless hours ministering to the needs of the sheep, that most parishioners never have a clue about. I believe that most pastors are so underpaid, that they face financial challenges far worst than most of their parishioners. I believe that God is speaking to us through these verses today by simply encouraging us to not settle for what we might receive from His servants, but be constantly thinking about what we might give, or how we may encourage God’s servants – our pastors. This weekend, let’s remember what Paul was asking for, and be encouraged to respond to our pastors with encouragement before they have to ask us for it. I believe that God will especially bless us for encouraging His messengers/servants to continue on in the teaching and preaching of His Word!

Prayer

Thank You Lord Jesus for Your grace, and for Your mercy on even us. Thank You for blessing us with shepherds who have chosen to serve You by serving us and encouraging us. Lord, please touch each and every church attendee this weekend with a spirit of encouragement for our pastors. As they pour their hearts out to us, may we in turn be grateful and encourage them in return. Lord, we want to please You in every thing we do. I believe that by placing Paul’s desire for encouragement in Your Word, You wanted to remind us of the human needs of our pastors also. May we be alert to their needs, so that together we may receive every blessing that You have in store for us. May You be glorified in all that Your churches attempt to achieve this weekend, for I ask these things in the precious name 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!

Discouraged? Sad? Here’s Hope!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Discouraged, encouragement, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – New Living Translation (NLT) ~ Psalm 42:11 ~ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!

THOUGHTS: One of the translations I compared as I read this verse, used the word ‘depressed’ in lieu of ‘discouraged’. Friends, I come from the background of a quiet and quaint little town, and while there were challenges with gossip, there was little to get stressed over. It seems like today, we have become such a ‘worldly’ people where we desire everything that our neighbor shows off, and we have become a people who refuses to say ‘no’, so we place way more stress on ourselves than we could possible handle calmly, that all we seem to hear about is friends who are discouraged, depressed, sad and even suicidal. It appears to me that David felt himself leaning towards a low in his life, and he shares with us how he felt his Physiologist advised him to handle this! When discouraged, seek God. Not to ask for a handout of encouragement or special blessings, but to praise God! When you are feeling sad, remember that it is not God who is making you sad, so praise Him for His daily goodness, and the people and things that He places in our lives to bring us joy! Friends, let’s learn to praise God in all of our circumstances. Let’s learn to encourage one another in love and good works, for this will not only lift them up, but it will lift our spirits and give us more reason to worship our God! Think of His rich blessings friend, and I believe you will quickly conclude that the reasons you might feel depressed, is really insignificant in comparison. God has provided the means to our happiness and encouragement, may we be careful to be a thankful people that will break out in constant praise and worship for His goodness! Friends, please know that I am not underrating depression, because I realize that there are some folk receiving serious help for this ugly decease. I am merely pointing you to God and to sing His praises in the midst of your storm, so that He would be glorified for the awesome work that He performs each and every day for His dear children. I am hopeful that when you follow David’s (the Psalmist) prescription, you will fix your eyes on Jesus instead of your circumstances.

PRAYER: Lord, you are so good to us, and yet we seem to overlook that, and instead groan in self-pity to a state of depression, and/or deep sadness. ‘Low’ times were evident even in the heart of David, yet he found peace and revival in lifting up Your most worthy and awesome name. My deepest prayer is that You might remind Your children how important it is to look into Your eyes and praise You, way more than to seek You with outstretched hands asking for more of Your kindness and mercy. Lord, may we learn to personally worship You more, and may we incorporate the help of our Christian Brothers and Sisters by joining them in corporate worship at every opportunity. I love You Lord, and I look forward to observing Your goodness and Your greatness, so that I might worship You with all my mind, spirit and soul. Please touch the hearts of my readers, so that their spirits might be uplifted because of times of praise and worship. You are worthy, oh Lord, and we are so needy! Bless Your holy name, 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 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!

God Will Never Let You Down

On By Ed AlgreenIn encouragement, God Can Do It Again, God's Not DeadLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – 11-12 These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ~ The Message (MSG)

THOUGHTS: I believe that Paul was warning the Corinthian church to take note of what God had done in the past to help their ancestors, and know that He can do it again for them. Our message in this study today is to also help us realize that our God hasn’t changed, and that He can do it again for us – similar miracles as performed for Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. I am always amazed how things in our everyday life changes – cars; technology; houses; churches; dress, etc. but when we read about the works of our God from the very beginning of time, and as we are reminded by Paul in our passage today, I can’t help being totally encouraged to know that our God – the One who spoke to Moses through a burning bush; the One who used a man who was afraid to speak in public, yet used Moses to lead his people – in huge numbers through the wilderness, I can only reassure myself and encourage you in the fact that Our God’s not Dead, and that He can do that, and any other miracle beyond anything we can imagine, with just a word, or just the touch of His powerful hand. That’s right Brothers and Sisters, He can Do It Again! I know that we feel overwhelmed with the challenges of life, and I know that we may often feel like we are fighting a very challenging battle in our normal day-to-day lives, but just as Paul encouraged the Corinthians, I must use his example and encourage my readers today to know that whatever you may be going through, rest on His promises, depend on His strong hand, and be confident in His Word, that HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! That’s just the wonderful, miraculous, saving, loving, awesome God that you and I serve friend! Let me encourage you that should you be in a good place emotionally when you read this today, please take note of these words and be prepared to ‘Carry Your Candle‘ of encouragement with you today so that you might allow God to work through you to encourage someone who may be struggling to see that hope that’s offered by God alone. To the one who will read this today and wonder about who this awesome God is, may I encourage you to read my ‘Footnote’ for the ‘keys of knowledge’ on how to know my Savior, and how to contact me so that I might introduce you to my best Friend. I serve an awesome God and I want you to know Him like I do.

PRAYER:
Dear God, You are so good! Thank You for Your love that You showed evidence of at Calvary, when You made the ultimate step of providing the means for us to know You personally. Lord, there are many that will read this devotional today who are taking very lightly the great sacrifice You made for us. There will also be some who read this as a total stranger, because they have yet to surrender their life to You and accept You as Lord and Savior. Please Do It Again – by melting hearts, convicting Your children of sin and loving them into a relationship with Yourself. Especially at this busy time of the year, there are many who are overwhelmed with all that they feel is necessary to bring happiness into their lives, and those of their families. Please Help us to celebrate the One who came into this world to be our Savior and Lord. A most treasured gift that could never be replicated by anything we buy from the stores. So please help us to give, and share the greatest, most meaningful gift imaginable, the gift of Jesus Christ. Thank You Jesus for accepting me into Your family and treating me as Your very own son. Bless all who reads this devotional today, for I ask all these things in the wonderful name of Jesus – Emanuel, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!

Keep On Keeping On!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, encouragement, Hope, MotivationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Hebrews 10:23-25): 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

THOUGHTS: These verses follow a teaching where Christians were being warned about the impact of ignoring the faith, in which they once believed. This was also covered in a devotional shared yesterday, so we see where this was really a concern in the early church, as I am confident it is today. It seems like we are very spoiled, and when things are not going our way, or the way that we have instructed God, we pack up our toys and move on to more fun that, hopefully, will be more appealing to us. This is very unfortunate in so many ways friends. Jesus went to the cross for us, not because it was the most fun thing for Him to do at the time, but in obedience to His Father and because of pure love for us. There is evidence after evidence where Jesus kept His promises throughout the Bible. This was not only to show us that He could be trusted, but also to show us the love and commitment He had towards us. So what about us? What makes us waiver in our commitment? What makes us so determined to please self rather than holding true to our commitment with Jesus Christ? We are like spoiled brats, aren’t we? Direction is given to us in these verses that would serve to help us overcome this weakness. First of all we are reminded that our faith and trust is in the strong hands of the Almighty God. What have we to fear when we know who is at the helm of our ship? When it is the One who has designed and created us; sacrificed His own life for our benefit; and the One who has promised to prepare a wonderful place for us to spend eternity with He and the Father, what have we to fear? Secondly, we are to meet together with like believers, and not neglect doing that at every opportunity possible. This helps us to receive encouragement from others traveling this same road that we are on, and it helps us to get our minds off our own struggles while we look to help and encourage others who are probably facing things a whole lot worse than we are. Friends, when we follow this advice, we regain strength and encouragement from, and see extreme value in, the Savior in whom we first believed. We identify with other Christians who we find are just as needy as we are, or many times they are a lot more needy. And we appreciate ourselves more, as we will quickly realize that there is no case where we would trade our sorrows and our struggles for anyone else’s that we come into contact with. We will quickly realize that we truly are blessed beyond anything we deserve, and become more determined to keep on keeping on!

PRAYER: Lord God, You are good and Your loving mercies endures each and every day and in every way. Please help us to get over ourselves and gain a deep understanding of how blessed we truly are. Help us to look for ways to help others with more intensity than the effort we put towards pulling ourselves down. We are a child of the King! Created by You, loved by You, cared for by You and thought of in advance by You regarding our eternally destiny. Thank You Lord Jesus for loving even me! Please intervene in the lives of all those that You will lead to this devotional today. May the redeemed gain strength and encouragement to keep on keeping on, and may the stubborn and unsaved be reminded that it is in You that we have hope for tomorrow and can therefore live today as a people who are blessed and lifted up! I ask these things in faith and in the strong name 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 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, Sebring, FL! 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!