Category: God Cares For Us

God’s Timing

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Humility, Obedience, Power of Prayer, SurrenderLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 2.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. Ex 2:24-25 (NLT)

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I believe that too often we are discouraged and think that God has forgotten us because He has not answered our prayers yet. On the other hand, we would be in trouble if He answered everything that we ask of Him in the manner in which we ask for it to happen. It would almost appear sometime that we have taken on the role of God and appointed Him the puppet to respond as we ask. In this verse we see where God looked down on the Israelites and knew it was time to act. Any sooner may have caused the Israelites to miss out on lessons learned while they waited on God. Any later may have resulted in them losing faith and reacting negatively to the actions against them. God’s timing is always perfect; it’s our patience, humility and understanding that we need to work on. Let’s always remember that He is God, He is in charge, He has all the answers, He knows the future and what positive or negative results would occur if answers are not timely. Let’s do our part to be the obedient, patient, humble child of God waiting for His response and His action to our prayers.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Often we ask and we ask and we ask dear God, and sometimes we get impatient and think that our prayers must have hit a brick wall. Today I have been reminded that it is my job to be the child and ask, while Your job to respond when the timing is right so that everything will be just right. Thank You for being my God that I can come to with my concerns. Thank You for answered prayer. Thank you for answering on time, and in Your own way, not necessarily in the selfish and unintelligent way that I may do it filled with shortcomings and possible long-term negative results. You are God, and I thank You for that. Please help me learn to always take my role, and allow You to be God, to respond and act in ways that will ultimately bless me and/or the situation that I am praying for. You are God Alone, praise be to God!

We Shall Overcome!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Faith, God Cares For Us, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.13 So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy.14 They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands. Ex 1:12-14 (NLT)

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

God spoke to me in two ways in this chapter this morning:

  1. Jacob and his forefathers had been so devoted to God, showing such respect to Him and giving Him praise as they saw His hand at work, and they were blessed in so many more ways. I am overjoyed to be reminded here in this passage that Jacob’s ancestors are still being extremely blessed and protected by God. This tells me that while I strive to walk uprightly before God today, and may witness many miracles and blessings from God, still I may never know the full extent of God’s blessings. He may go on and bless through my family long after I am gone, because of my faithfulness. This is no reason to be faithful today though, for God deserves my very best today because of my commitment in allowing Him to be Lord of my life. What is returned to me and my descendants as a result of my faithfulness, is all considered ‘blessings’, praise be to God!
  2. Sometimes when we are burdened and feel mistreated, as in the case of the Israelites, we may be tempted to give up. However, like the Israelites, we must learn to always look to God, from whom our strength comes, and be overcomers. Sometimes in the depth of our burdens we become even stronger. There is a song that touches on this through the words “I Never Lost my Praise” and this is because we never lose our hope, our joy in the Lord, our blessings from God, even when we think we are going through the toughest of times God is still in control and will give us the strength and joy of overcoming. That’s just the kind of God that I serve!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Please God help me stay focused on this each and every day, especially those days when I feel like I must be handling all the struggles and setbacks alone. I know that You promised to never leave me alone, so help me to focus on the fact that You are there with me through all circumstances, and with You guiding me and looking out for me, what have I to fear? May You receive praise because of my faith, dedication and expressed love for You through everything that I say and everything that I do.

He Has Done Great Things!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Obedience, Pleasing to God, Power of PrayerLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 48.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. Gen 48:15-16 (NLT)

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Jacob had built such a relationship with God over the years that he now asked the same God who had been with his father and grandfather, and the same God who had walked with and directed his path every day to bless these grand children now kneeling before him. I feel like this prayer would have been such a strong influence on these boys, because it was a very personal prayer in that it was not just asked of the God of that time, but of the God who had been very personal and shown his power in so many ways to Jacob over his lifetime. I believe that it would be so very powerful for us to pray in this way. Not only to go to God asking for this or that, but to stop and remind ourselves of all the miracles wrought by God in our lives and especially concentrating on miracles wrought by God in similar circumstances to that for which we are praying. In other words, as we pray for a sick person, reflect on the healing of someone like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. God’s Word is filled with examples of how He performed numerous miracles. We know of circumstances where Jesus performed miracles in our lives and/or the lives of our loved ones. Let’s once again give God the credit for what He has done, while at the same time building our confidence for the thing that we are about to ask for. Let’s always remember that God has ‘Done Great Things‘ and always will, as we look to Him for our needs in faith.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord, I come before the God that showed Your mighty power to Jacob, Isaac and Abraham, the God who healed the woman with the issue of blood, and the man lowered through the roof into the presence of Jesus, the God who brought Lazarus back to life and Jesus back to life after three days in the grave, the One who accepted me as one of Your children after cleansing me of my sin, the One who promised never to leave me or forsake me. As I come before You this morning I come with what appears impossible requests when looking at them through my human eyes, but after reflecting on the awesome God in whose presence I find myself, I realize that nothing is impossible for You when I place my faith and trust in You. I pray that You will move in a mighty way in my church dear God. The very vehicle that You have instituted to spread the gospel to a lost and dying world, yet we are plagued by the weaknesses of humans. Lord may Your church arise and be holy. May we represent You in every form today. May I and my fellow brothers and sisters be Your church, Your witnesses, Your representatives with all that we come in touch with. Lord may we be loving and kind to each other. May we learn to overlook each others’ weaknesses and instead look for ways to help strengthen those individuals instead of dragging them down. You have done GREAT things, and I believe that You would love nothing more than to continue doing GREAT things through Your church, so that Your will might be accomplished and lifted up before all me, for You have promised in Your Word that You will then draw them to Yourself. Please allow me to be Your representative today in ways that will be fruitful to the kingdom. Thank You for doing great things in my life and the lives of my family.

Recognizing God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Discerning, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Righteousness, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 40-41; Matthew 12

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” Matt 12:22-23 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Sometimes we read these familiar stories in God’s Word and God will just speak to us afresh through something contained in that passage. In this story Jesus had performed several miracles, and finally the crowd stepped back in wonderment and questioned among themselves ‘Could this possibly be the Messiah?”. In the world we live in today God is still very active, and although we tend to really hone in on the negative, there are times that our spiritual minds are awakened and we say to ourselves “that must be a Jesus thing”. That certain thing could only have occurred if Jesus made it happen. Friends, I believe that we must be praying with such expectation that we will notice every little act of God and response to our prayers by God. He is very much alive today and active in our lives. It is time for Christians to wake up and give Him credit for all that He does. It is in this type of act that we help to make believers out of those that doubt and question. They must see our faith, if we ever expect to be a Christian influence on them! We serve a mighty God, but don’t wait for the ‘big’ miracles to occur, recognize and praise Him daily for all that He does in your life. Good health – especially when we see so many in hospitals or at home sick; safety – especially when we pass a wreck on the road where some innocent person got hurt or even killed; answer to prayer – especially when we see so many that doubt or questions the work of God, or try to give credit to chance or horoscopes or palm readers. Friends we serve, and we should recognize the mighty God of all, the King of all kings, the creator of our universe – including mankind. Do we have reason to doubt? I believe that we actually have more reasons not to doubt the mighty works of God in our world today.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Praise be to God for accepting me as a humble child in great need of a Savior. Praise be to God for all the miracles performed in my life, in the life of our church and in the lives of my family and friends. May I be very alert to Your mighty hand at work in my life and all around me. May others see Jesus reflected in my life and in their own lives, so that together we can truly be a thankful people praising You for all Your mighty works and wondrous love. Thank You Jesus for caring so much for me. Please continue to work on me and mold me into something that  You can use to accomplish Your work. May I recognize Your mighty works each and every day!

God Can Use Us to Bless Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Chosen by God, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, Fruit of the Spirit, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God’s Word, Helper, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Love, Love God, Love your Neighbor, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Purity, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Servants of God, Surrender, Victorious Life, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 38-39  

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. ~ Gen 39:2-5 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I am always so thrilled to notice times when God blesses His people that serve Him faithfully. There is no indication in this passage that Joseph ever had to plead before God for anything, but many blessings were bestowed upon Joseph in return for his faithfulness and ongoing persistent commitment to God, and all this in spite of the circumstances where he had been sold by his own brothers, now resulting in him living in a foreign land with total strangers. I remember a plaque that read something like “God can do anything through a life totally committed to Him”. Joseph had no power to bless the home of Potiphar, but God certainly had the power to do it because of the faithfulness of His servant Joseph. I want to make my life so available to God and so responsive to His will, that He could easily shower His blessings through me and accomplish much for His glory.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

My prayer this morning will actually come directly from God’s Word, Ephesians 3:20-21:

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.  Eph 3:20-21 (NLT)

Woe To You……

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, All have sinned, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Eternal Life, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, God Reigns, God’s Word, Humility, Listen to the Word of God, Love God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Surrender, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 36 – 37; Matthew 11  

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”   Matt 11:20-24 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I believe that too often we tend to think about how good we are as a church, or a nation, that God would surely bless everyone in it. I also think that we tend to take it for granted that because we go to this or that church every week we will also go to heaven. Friends, there is only one way to get there, and that is to accept Jesus as Lord of you life. Just like Jesus may have done numerous miracles in our church, or in our family, so we may be tempted to think that we too are among those blessed, and will surely reap God’s blessings. These verses tell us that although Jesus performed many miracles in these towns, yet they (the people) will surely die and go to hell if they don’t make personal decisions to accept Him. We too must turn to God, and not think for a moment that we can depend on our blessed lineage to also slip into Heaven. It just doesn’t happen that way. Woe to any that believe that way. A personal decision to accept Jesus is THE only way to ever see Jesus and/or Heaven. The one good thing is that, if you are able to read this devotional today, there is still time for you to make the type decision of which I speak about here. Don’t delay your decision friend, we are not promised one moment past the present breath. Contact me if you would like a friend to talk with about this decision. Directly from God’s Word I will find the words to help you in your decision to accept Jesus. Respond to this posting today, please?

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Father for saving my soul. please help me to be sensitive to those who have yet to make this most important decision. Please direct me to someone today that I may help in their dilemma so that they may personally know that they will see You one day, regardless of what may go on around them. Thank You for making this provision for us and providing a means for forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.

Think about your ‘Marker’

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Allegiance to the Lamb, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Celebrate God, Christian, Disciple, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, God’s Word, Hope, Humility, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Reaching the Lost, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Share God’s Word, Surrender, TeamworkLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 33-35 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil.15 And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.   Gen 35:14-15 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Jacob went to Bethel because he was reminded of how God revealed Himself to him there when he originally escaped from his brother Esau over 20 years earlier. While there the second time, God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, gave him renewed strength to repopulate the land, and gave him much of the land that He (God) had once given to Abraham and Isaac. I got the impression that God was giving Jacob/Israel a new beginning, and telling him “Now go and get busy for me”. We just celebrated the beginning of a New Year. It started much like the old year ended, without much ado. It sure would have been nice to, and probably is not too late to, recommit ourselves to God as His children looking to restart our respective ministries and seek God’s direction for what He would have us do this year with all that He has blessed us with. I believe that if each of us reflect on the blessings that God has showered on us over the past year, then plant a marker to remind us of those blessings, then in all earnest seek to be involved in God’s direction for more successes in 2011, our churches would not be able to contain the overflow of His blessings. I feel like we need to set aside our personal agendas and ‘business as usual’ attitudes, and be willing to let God work mightily through us. We know the awesome spiritual needs of our community, and we believe that we know the God who holds all the answers to all of life’s problems and shortcomings. This is the same God that we, as Christians, have accepted as our King. Let’s let go of our selfish desires and let God perform miracles in and through us, so that His work can be accomplished in our community.   

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Praise be to God for His mighty hand and for all that He does for me each and every day. In being reminded of how You worked in the past dear God, I pray that You will again work in and through me and my church, and the churches of my community. There is no reason for us to have lost people in this community, or sinful acts a part of our neighborhood, for You are more powerful than anything or anyone else that we know. You are bigger than all these problems and challenges that we see, and You hold the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. I pray that You will find me faithful. I pray that You will find all those that worship You each week around Avon Park, Florida, willing and ready to bow before You, recognize Your Lordship and Your Kingship and that we will get off our personal thrones and allow You to be God, while we, as Your humble servants, stand ready to let You use us to do greater things for the Kingdom than we ever thought possible. May this be a year that we will look on as a ‘marker’ that future generations will come back to spiritually when they want to be reminded of Your power and move on a people and a community. Begin a renewed work in me, dear Lord, is my humble prayer.

Blessings that are showered on Us!

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Allegiance to the Lamb, Answered Prayer, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 32

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’10 I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!   Gen 32:9-10 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Jacob had worked very hard for his father-in-law Laban over the years, and because of his hard work he was rewarded with a lot of livestock. This never went to his head, but at this time when Jacob was worried about the possibility of there being trouble ahead for him, and especially knowing that he was following God’s instructions, he stopped to pray again to God for some reassurance. This was admirable for Jacob to do this, but what caught my attention was the humbleness of his prayer. He felt unworthy of all the blessings that God had showered on him over the years. While I don’t feel like I am anywhere near the humility level of Jacob, I often reflect on the poor around me and wonder in amazement about the ways that God has seen fit to bless me. I am convinced that God is in control and that He loves us so much that if we would only open our hearts to Him and surrender our stubborn selves over to the control of His mighty hand, we will stand back, like Jacob, in amazement and count our blessings and give God the praise that He alone deserves. Whether we live in what some may consider ‘a mansion’ , or whether we live in what some may consider ‘a shack’ let us thank God for His awesome mercy and blessings on our lives. Our pausing to recognize our blessing before God may never be recognized in print like Jacob’s experience was, but what is important is for God to know that our hearts are filled with amazement and thanksgiving for all that He does for us each and every day. Our God is awesome, there is no one like He is!

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Father for all that You do for me each and every day. I can’t imagine what I must do to deserve Your love, Your protection, Your provision and Your will manifesting itself in and through me. The amazing thing is, that I don’t need to understand all this, but rather just to know that You love me so much that although You sent Your one and only precious Son to die for me, You would go to any extent to continue extending Your love towards me. Thank You for all that You do for me, thank You for providing the means for me to one day worship at Your feet in glory! I have so much to look forward to today and every day because of Your love. Thank You Jesus!

Never make Rash Statements

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Getting Along, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Love your Neighbor, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Peace, Pleasing to God, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 30-31 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

31 “I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.32 But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.  Gen 31:31-32 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

No matter how sure we are about something, we must be extremely careful in making rash statements. We can truly speak only to the actions of ourselves, and even then we must be careful because we may forget that we possibly said or did something. In these verses, Jacob was unaware that one of his wives, one of Laban’s own daughters, had stolen from Laban, so Jacob made a very rash statement, assuming that he could have spoken for himself and all within his camp. If we constantly endeavor to speak words of love, and words that would please God, and live according to His statutes and teach the same to all within our sphere of influence, then there will be little room for others to act irrationally based on our mishandling of things. Let us live as Jesus did, doing things that would bless others and saying things that would always please God.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, I know that this can often happen to me also. Please help me to always seek to do Your will and say those things that will please You and represent You in every way. Please help me to be more like You every day.

Reach Out and Touch Him In Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, Healing, Hope, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 9

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.  Matt 9:19-22 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Like the woman with the issue of blood who followed Jesus and knew that if she could only touch Him she would be healed, today we too reach out to Jesus with all we have in us, knowing that He can heal us or mend our brokenness. Jesus looked at the lady in this story and told her that because of her faith, she was healed. Friends, this is the same Jesus that we serve today, and He is still looking for our faith and sincerity so that He can say the same thing to us. We know that many of our problems are well beyond our abilities. We know that all things are possible with, and through Jesus. Let us then place our faith and trust in the one with all the answers, with all the power to bring about the miracles that we need in our lives. Let’s let go and let God have His way with us. Let’s surrender to His power so that His miracle hand can begin a great work in us! Like the woman reached out to touch Jesus for her healing, let’s reach out and touch Him today.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father thank You for this reminder today, that I must reach out to the one with all the answers, the only One with all the power to heal and/or change things in and around me. You are in control and can be counted on to heal me as I reach out in faith to You. Please help me daily to walk in faith, help me to keep my eyes so focused on You that I will always surrender my concerns to You and allow Your power to work miracles in my life and in all walks of life that affect me. Speak the word today dear God and heal my concerns, may my walk with You become richer today as a result of my faith. Thank You for loving me so much to hear my prayer and work in and through me.