May We Rule In Righteousness

The Bible – The Good News Translation

Psalm 72:1-5

1               Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God; share with him your own justice, 2   so that he will rule over your people with justice and govern the oppressed with righteousness.

3               May the land enjoy prosperity; may it experience righteousness.

4               May the king judge the poor fairly; may he help the needy and defeat their oppressors.

5               May your people worship you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon gives light, for ages to come.

Thoughts:

As I read the Word this morning I was touched by David’s request. Not only that he, as the greatest king of his time, would humble himself to ask such a thing of God, but as in vs 5, that he would do it to enhance the worship of his people. I feel like that’s the same thing as me asking such a favor of God not so that I might be lifted up in the eyes of my management team, but in order for my staff to receive a bigger raise this year, or to give my staff reason to recognize God’s hand at work and that they would be prompted to attend church services if only to give God praise for His mighty work, even in the heart of their boss. Friends, if we had more Godly managers and business owners, we wouldn’t need half the laws introduced by our government leaders, because businesses would not be out to gouge their customers or steal from the government. Furthermore, our churches would be filled with worshipers anxious to praise God the Father for having such great places to work, and desiring to have a heart like their employers. Wouldn’t that totally be a turn in events that would set us on fire for the Lord? I can only imagine that we would awake each morning super anxious to go to work and to give our employers an honest day’s work, with great expectations of them being very successful in the marketplace! Business owners, managers, supervisors, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you, just stand by and watch the hand of God work mightily in the success of your businesses and in happy employees anxious to offer up praises to God for their place of employment!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, although I am not ruler over a kingdom like David was, I am responsible for employees, my family and other domestic employees that may work for me from time to time. Please work in the life of this son of yours and continue to give me guidance that I might manage and/or rule in a manner that is pleasing to You and that might bring glory to You by others under my supervision/management. It’s all about You Lord! To God be all glory, for I ask this in Your precious and holy name, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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.

Our Lives are an Open Book

The Bible – Good News Translation

Psalm 69:5-6

5   My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been.

6   Don’t let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign Lord Almighty!

Don’t let me bring disgrace to those who worship you, O God of Israel!

Thoughts:

I believe that all of us can identify with David. If we are truthful, and not trying to hide behind a disguise, we know two things:

  1. That at some point in our lives we have sinned, especially in a place where we know that no one knew us. Perhaps we were out of town or even out of the country. Often we would say to ourselves, it is good to just be ourselves and enjoy. Dangerous words, right? What we are actually acknowledging is that we put on such a face for our friends when around them, that we can’t be ourselves. In other words, they don’t know the ‘real’ you. However….
  2. Our conscience is pricked to the point that we acknowledge that no matter how much we might pull the wool over the eyes of our friends, God is very much alive and knows exactly what we are thinking and/or doing, so we may as well be honest in our actions and/or words.

Are you one to blend right in with the crowd, or do you actually live by definite life principles? It is my desire that I might always live be God’s principles, but I sincerely need this to be action based and not just words that roll off my tongue. How about you, friend? I once heard a sermon where the preacher suggested that the congregation had best not tell him about a certain church member, because he knew what they stood for and the Christian principles for which they are guided by. I don’t know that I would dare say exactly that, but I sure wish that I could live my life so consistently in such a manner that others, especially God, would see exactly what that preacher saw. How about you friend, are you living life where ‘anything goes’, and no matter what company you are in you can fit right in? Remember, God is our guide and He loves us beyond our wildest imagination, but He is also our judge, and He doesn’t need a jury nor a lie detector when we answer the question “Why should I let you into my heaven?” or “Were you consistent in your everyday living and followed my commands to the letter?” Friends, there is no way of you fooling God or hiding the truth from Him.

 

Prayer:

 

Father God, thank You for Your awesome power and Your enormous love. Thank You again for what You did on Calvary so that I might have life eternal with You in Heaven. Thank You for providing the ways and means for us to follow so that our lives would be pleasing to You, and also reflective of You when in the presence of family and friends here on this earth. May we be reminded that our lives are an open book to You, and may we live in such a manner that others may thank You for what You have created and is currently working in and through us. All this I ask for your ultimate glory and for Your sake, and I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

,

 

NOTE: 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.

Trust In God at All Times

The Bible – The Good News Translation

 Psalm 62:5-8

 5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Thoughts:

When we think about the life of David we remember that from the time he was just a young boy he placed his faith and strength in the hands of the Lord – remember when he went to battle with the giant Philistine? David faced many battles as Israel’s king, and he was able to place the battles before God, seek His direction and in following God’s commands, David lead many armies into successful battles. Many of the Psalms were written either in preparation for battles, or in celebration and thanksgiving for successes in battles. Now for those who are still trying to follow my line of thinking here, you are probably saying under your breath that you are not a king, and you have no armies to lead. But where God got my attention on this is that we almost daily face battles of one type or another. For some, it may be jobs and unreasonable supervisors, for others it might be family members, friends, co-workers or just about anyone that Satan could send our way to test our faith in the Lord. The big question, or challenge, for us to consider is: will these ‘battles’ result in the world seeing that we are just like them, in that we caved in to jealousy, revenge, hatred or an attitude just like theirs, or will they see in return: forgiveness; love; turning the other cheek; understanding and a God-like attitude? You see, for us to truly be ‘little Christ’s’ (Christians) then we must respond like Jesus would. If we say during the good times of life that God is our Refuge and Strength, do we maintain that same truth when under pressure or tested by Satan’s tactics, and our enemies are attacking from all sides? Please re-read vs 8 and be reminded that God is saying through His servant David, “Trust in the Lord at all times, for He (God) is our refuge (our safe harbor) and our strength”, and we have nothing to fear!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, it is easy for us to trust in You when we are on a mountain top looking down on our ‘enemies’ or looking down on the completed battle, but the challenge is for us to place our faith and trust in You before we go to ‘battle’, or during the ‘battle’. Lord, we are reminded in Your Word again today that You alone is God, yes over our good times, and the bad and the challenging times. Please help Your weak-at-heart children to always place our faith in You and to look to You for our guidance and victories. Way too often we try to take the wheel back from You and drive this life-ship ourselves. Please forgive us, for we should never forget that You are our Strength and our Refuge, a present help in times of trouble and in need. Lord, my unsaved loved ones will not experience this great Strength and Defender unless they have accepted You as their Lord and Savior. Please, may it be so, even today? I humbly ask all this in Your precious and all powerful name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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.

Mercy and Compassion – God’s In Charge!

The Bible – The Message

Romans 9:14-18

14–18       Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill.

 Thoughts:

We hear a lot of folk say that God’s not fair, and I cringe whenever I hear those words. Friends, we place ourselves in very compromising places at times, and unfortunately bad things happen, especially in places where Satan is very present. I heard a preacher speak on the subject “Why do bad things happen to good people”, and although he was the right person to preach that sermon, seeing that he himself had Multiple Sclerosis and had difficulty speaking. Yet he helped his hearers to understand that we are all blessed by God in that He sent His one and only Son to die a cruel death on the cross, so that all those that believe on Him might have eternal life. So who are the ‘all’ he referred to? People such as Saul who was a persecutor of Christians and the church, yet God made such a difference in His life that he became a great evangelist and writer, having written many of the New Testament books. He made such a turnaround in his life that his name was changed to Paul to reflect the total life change. What Paul is explaining to his audience at Rome, and what God is using this message to speak with us about is that:

  • God is the author and maker of mankind and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
  • God loved us while we were still sinners and provided a means to enter His kingdom, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
  • God showed compassion on us and chose us to be His children – because, friends sinners only has a mind for sinful things, not Godly ownership and Godly happiness, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;

So Paul’s question to his audience and to us today is, “what are we complaining about God not being fair about?” From the points above, I believe we can clearly see that God loves us way more than we deserve, and what is unfair about that? Let’s not question God when He doesn’t handle a situation the way that we instructed Him, He’s still God and above Him there is no other. Count your blessings friend, and I assure you that you’ll not have enough fingers left to consider the self-inflicted, unfortunate things that we tend to blame on God. I serve an awesome God, and my heart’s desire is to encourage as many as I can to know this Savior I love and adore! Are you ready to make a decision friend? Please use the contact information at the foot of this post to email me and allow me to pray with you, encourage you and introduce you to Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we are such an undeserving, yet very blessed people. Please help us to count our blessings and stop the whining and complaining. Where would we have been had it not been for Your love, Your mercy and Your compassion? Thank You for Your mercies on me. Thank You for Your blessings on me. Thank You for the assurance of my eternal home in glory with You. Please dear Lord, speak to the hearts of my friends and family that are not living life to its fullest today, because they have not given You full control of their lives. The sacrifice has been made, and I thank You for that, please help them to accept the gift that You so lovingly gave just for us. I am very thankful, yet I continue to ask on behalf of my unsaved friends, in Your precious and worthy name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

NOTE: **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.

How To Deal With Your Enemies!

God’s Word Says….

Nehemiah 4:13–14 (The Message)

So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

My Thoughts…

From the subject, I know that you probably thought that I was referring to that person that really dislikes you, or the person you can’t stand to be around because you just know that they are like a ‘snake in the grass’, looking for ways to harm you! Well, you are right to a certain extent, the examples that I gave might be classified as enemies. But how about a different type of enemy, what about the enemy of cancer, or heart disease, or aids? My take on these verses that God got my attention on, is that this can apply to anything or anyone in our lives that may serve to harm us or oppose us, or give the appearance of hating us. In these verses Nehemiah prayed that he might find ways to stabilize situations over which he was leading, and the first thing he found to help was to tell his people/army to think on the power of God – remember, remember, remember what He has done, and what He is capable of doing.

Challenge…

What if we took this advice when told about cancer in our bodies, or when we know that we are about to battle with someone who really hates us? Friends, we know that we will have enemies because any attempt to fulfill God’s desires will almost certainly draw opposition from the world. But here is a word of advice for us from a noted scholar ‘Breneman’: “God’s people should always regard prayer not as a last resort but as our primary weapon against opposition”. So friends, here is the word from God today: a). Always remember the power of the God that we serve. Deliberately reflect on the times that His power has helped us through situations, and of times that He has helped our forefathers in the Word through miraculous times. He is still the same God that we serve today, so let’s depend on Him! b). Let us be quick to pray and slow to react in anger and thoughtlessness when faced with opposition, or by those who may naturally offend us because of their lack of faith, The Bible tells us to fervently pray for those that despitefully use us. Let’s obey the Word friend!

Prayer….

Lord Jesus, You showed the example in that You went aside and prayed when burdened with everything that was about to happen in Your life or to Your followers. Please help us to also do this, instead of hitting back, instead of getting angry and saying things that we might later regret. Lord, we want to be more like You, so strengthen us to do Your will, and to follow Your example to always bathe our battles in prayer. Please also encourage us to always remember the many miracles of our powerful Lord, and remind us of Your ongoing power to do the same for us. We are so weak Lord, and it is only with Your power and Your strength, that we can look at heaven’s glory when old Satan is hitting at us from every side. Thank You for loving us anyway and being there for us through every circumstance! For I thank You, and I ask these favors, in the precious and all powerful name of Jesus, my Lord and soon coming King!

Whose Side Are You On?

Scripture: Luke 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 11:23 (NLT)

23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

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

In chapter 9 vs 50 Jesus said something similar, when he told His disciples that if someone is casting out demons they are on the same side as them. In this passage Jesus is actually illustrating how there is no middle ground. A person, you or I, are either committed to and actually serving God daily/on the Lord’s side, or we are on Satan’s side and living a life separated from God. Ouch! God has already won the battle, so why would anyone opt for the losing side? I don’t think that anyone in their right mind would do such a thing, but friend, we must not straddle the fence. We are either totally sold out, practicing our faith, and following God’s commands, or if we are not, then we are children of Satan. Is it clear whose side you are on, friend? We might fool some of the people some of the time, but God knows ALL things – we can’t fool Him. If we are not actively serving Christ, then we are against Him. I not only prefer always being on the winning side, but I am one who is dedicated to the one that I love and have committed my life to. Jesus laid His life down for me, I will do all within me to serve Him faithfully until the day He calls me home to be with Him. How about you? Please contact me if I can pray with You for strength and commitment to serve Christ daily, of if you don’t know the One who I love, adore and am committed to. Please allow me to introduce you to Him. He’s the best friend you will ever have, and He will never leave you alone. He loves you unconditionally!

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

Lord Jesus, my King, my Savior and my Lord, thank You for giving Your life so that I may live eternally with You. Thank You for being by my side day in and day out. I pray that You will continue to give me strength for life’s daily journey, to overcome Satan’s darts, temptations and distractions, for my desire is to serve You faithfully each and every day. I want it to be evident to You and to this world, whose I am, and who it is that I serve. May that evidence lead to someone coming to know You today. May I represent You in such a way that others will want to know the source of joy that exudes from me!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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As You Are Blessed – Give in Return

Scripture: Deuteronomy 14 – 17.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (NLT)

16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him. 17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.

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

Would there ever be a need in God’s house or among His people if we all gave as we are blessed? I dare say that there would not be the need for a church to borrow funds if we truly followed God’s Word on the subject of giving. I believe that too often we tend to give ourselves credit for all that we achieve in our jobs and in our income, so we find excuses as to why we shouldn’t give a portion to God in return for His blessing. I need to remind self and my friends this morning that life itself is a blessing from God. Health and strength is a blessing from God – after all why do we deserve to be healthy enough to rise and shine this morning, when so many are bed ridden and unable to move? Why are we so blessed to have a job to go to this morning when there are so many that are unemployed? God has seen fit to bless us in this time and place. What we do with that is our appreciation back to our Maker, our Provider, our Protector, our Sacrificial Lamb, our Savior, Our Lord and soon coming King. As we are blessed, let us recognize the blessings, and let us give in accordance with how we are blessed. We often say “God is good all the time”, the question today is: Are we good to others in return? Do we give freely to others as God has chosen to give freely to us? It’s all His, friend! Let’s not be stingy in how liberal we are in how we give to others and to His work!

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

Father, I pray that You will help me to be mindful of how much You bless me each and every day. Help me to not obligate myself so much in debt and/or bills that I find it challenging to give to others and/or Your work. Thank You for blessing me with so much. Please help me to bless others in return so that they may see You in material ways and want to know You in a personal way.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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As You Give, So Will You Receive!

Scripture: Mark 12.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 12:41-44 (NLT)

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

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

God freely gave to us; the ultimate unselfish gift being when He gave His only Son to suffer and die for us so that we might enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. Why do we then, give so selfishly of our money, time and talent. God gave it all to us, who are we to say that He only deserves a little portion of it? I am reminded of another scripture that says, “as a man gives, so shall he receive”. Especially during these tight economic times we may tend to think that we can’t afford to give financially, because we need every dime to survive. I can only say to you friend, that God can do so much more with the 90% that we may be left with after tithing, than we could ever do with the 100% that we may think that we earned and need to spend on our own selves. When we consider our time and/or our talent, can we possibly think that we could be selfish with something that was given to us by God to use for His glory? That just makes no sense to a smart, right thinking person. Whenever we feel like we are poor, whenever we feel like someone has more than us and we are not being blessed, let’s always remember to evaluate our giving at that point, for it is through our giving that we will receive. It is through the generosity and freedom that we give, that we will also receive.

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

Father, I am always in awe about how much You love me and all that you do for me and give to me every day of my life. You truly are awesome, and I so desperately need to be more like You in every way, so that others may know the joy of serving the Master of this universe. As I am reminded of this important principle in giving and receiving, may I always be one to give freely in consideration of all that You give to me. Thank You for blessing me in so many ways. Thank You for giving so much to me each and every day. Thank You for always loving me, and showing it in so many wonderful ways.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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The Results of Faithlessness

Scripture: Numbers 13-14.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Numbers 14:33 (NLT)

33
And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.

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

There are several instances in these chapters where God either punished his people for their faithlessness or told them of punishment that would result from their faithlessness. Besides the above verse, look at 14:11-12 and 14:20-23 and 14:43. Is this any worse than us today? I dare say that we are just as bad. We receive blessing after blessing. We see prayers answered. We read God’s Word and see the miraculous things that He has done, yet we sit back in self-pity and question God or show extreme doubt in our prayers to the almighty. Why should we wonder why so many things happen to us as a city, as a state, as a country or even as a wicked world? We must learn to take God at His word, believe wholeheartedly in Him and His mighty works and in faith receive His blessings and His miracles. So many things seem impossible to us, but with God ALL things are possible to them that believe. I serve a God bigger than all my troubles, all my worries, all my concerns and all the mountains and giants that I may feel oppose me and my Christian walk! I must learn to always, always, have faith in God.

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

Father God, You are Alpha and Omega, You are God of this universe and You are God of my life. I want to submit myself to Your leadership and Your direction today. Please help me to always be obedient to Your will and way for my life so that anything that I may do may bring glory to Your holy name.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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God Provides!

Scripture: Leviticus 24-25.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 25:20-22 (NLT)

20 But you might ask, ‘What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?’

21 Be assured that I will send my blessing for you in the sixth year, so the land will produce a crop large enough for three years.

22 When you plant your fields in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the large crop of the sixth year. In fact, you will still be eating from that large crop when the new crop is harvested in the ninth year.

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

The Bible records how faithful the Israelites were in following all that God instructed Moses to tell them however, as in these verses, it is evident that they sometimes had questions and concerns about what the outcome might be if they followed God’s commands. I am encouraged by the way that God showed them that He had everything under control and would provide for them if they followed His commands. Today we may be in a similar position. When God tells us to leave something that we are very comfortable with and move to unfamiliar territory, we may question if that move is really right for us. When we feel like we have lost everything and wonder how we could possibly survive and do all that we want, we may sometime wonder if God is really there with us. Friend, we must remember that God said that He will always be with us. He will never put more on us than we could bear. He loves us. He cares for us. He is our King and He will provide for His people. He will never leave us alone. Cast our cares upon Him. With all this in mind, thankfully we can rejoice in knowing that He will carry us through our situations. Let us place our faith and trust in Him today. Let’s rest our cares and concerns in His hands and watch Him provide for us in ways that we could never think of on our own. He will provide for years to come, not just for the moment in which we live. He did it for the Israelites and He’ll do it for us. Praise be to God!

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

Thank You Father for this assurance this morning. Please help and encourage me to follow Your will, for I need You to provide for me each and every day! Thank You for Your powerful and protective hand upon my family yesterday in their auto accident. Please help me to wait for, look for, and depend on You as You provide for my needs, just like You did for the Israelites. I love You Lord Jesus!