Category: Humility

Who’s In Charge?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, King, RulerLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Daniel 4:34-35): 34  “I praise and honor God Most High. He lives forever, and his kingdom will never end. 35 To him the nations are far less than nothing; God controls the stars in the sky and everyone on this earth. When God does something, we cannot change it or even ask why.”

THOUGHTS: As a little background, King Nebuchadnezzar was an obstinate king who acted like his leadership and input in his kingdom had resulted in the best kingdom around. God started dealing with him through his dreams, and provided an interpreter (Daniel) to help the king understand what the dreams meant. The second dream came to fruition, and caused the king to be humbled to eating grass like an animal. When the king was finally brought to his senses, he recited the prayer included in the verses above. The prayer reminds me of the importance of humbling ourselves to pray, or asking for help. Imagine how challenging it is for us to acknowledge that we need help. Now think about how we feel when we humble ourselves to ask for help. Now put yourself in the shoes of the king, who had everything and acted like his kingdom would go to ruins without him – in other words it existed because of him, and he admired it as a great accomplishment of himself alone. Don’t you know that there was a deep humbling of this king to be taken from his palace – to the hills, and to eat grass like an animal? Friends, as we meditate on this man’s prayer following his eye-opening experience, I believe it is clear to note that his life was deeply impacted. I believe that it is clear to also note that there was one big thing that stood in the way of this happening prior to this experience, and that was the king’s pride and promotion of ‘self’. This leaves one huge question for us to ask ourselves daily – who’s in charge of our lives? Do we allow God to take control, or do we try to do life our way and only call on God when we’re in trouble? Are we a usable instrument to God, or are we hanging on so tightly to the things of this world that we love, that He is held at bay? 2 Chronicles 7:14 makes it clear that if we are to see God actively work in our lives, our families, our cities and our country, then we must humble ourselves, seek His face and be willing to totally surrender to His perfect will and way in our lives, so that He may heal the effects of sin in our lives, and that He may rule and reign in all areas of life so that He may be lifted up, exalted and work through us to achieve His purposes. Who reigns in your life friend? Will you commit today to allow God full control?

PRAYER: Dear God, please teach us to be humble, for without this characteristic our actions and submission to you appear nothing more than an appearance of Christianity. We need You in charge of our lives, our families, our churches and our country, for you alone holds the key to our eternity. Please forgive us for getting in the way and feeling like our role is more important than Yours. You have given us strict instructions of what You require of us, by providing Your Word as a light unto our path. By inviting You to rule and reign in our lives, may we learn to be humble, willing and obedient children through whom You can accomplish Your work without hindrance from us. May we be the kind of instruments that You can mold into Your perfect image, and may we be willing to be used of You to fulfill Your kingdom here on this earth. We are Your children oh Lord, and You are our Savior, Deliverer and soon coming King. Use us as You see fit to accomplish Your desires for this old sinful world in which we live. I ask all this in full surrender to Your will, 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 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!

Acknowledge God In All Things

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honor, Humility, RespectLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Daniel 2:26-30): 26 The king asked Daniel, “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?” 27 Daniel answered: Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. 7 But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future. 30 However, you must realize that these mysteries weren’t explained to me because I am smarter than everyone else. Instead, it was done so that you would understand what you have seen.

THOUGHTS: Leading up to these verses, the king had declared that he would kill all ‘wise men’ (magicians and such), if they could not tell him his dream and give the interpretation of what the dream meant. Yet, even under these very demanding conditions, Daniel stood tall in acknowledging God as the answer to his (Daniel’s) prayers and he identified God as the one who really interpreted the king’s dream. Now, to many this may look like a brazen young man who insisted on smearing in the face of the king that his God, whom the king despised, was the supernatural answer to all of man’s questions and precarious positions that we find ourselves in. However, I believe that Daniel had no intentions of doing anything spitefully, but merely to acknowledge his King, his Master, his Lord, in all circumstances and to everyone, even if it may have led to persecution. I mean, the life of Daniel, and other such men who considered themselves ‘wise’ before the king, were literally on the verge of extinction, yet it seems like this had no impact on Daniel and the way that he responded to the king. I sincerely believe that Daniel would have responded this way if he was the greatest aid in the king’s court, or if he was brought from a dungeon prison to speak before the king. He acknowledged that his God was responsible for the answer given, and that it was given for His glory and ultimate design, and nothing at all for the glory or benefit of Daniel himself. Friends, God spoke very loudly to me in this passage today, for I was reminded that in all things we must give God preeminence, and honor, and glory, and to always endeavor to praise Him and give Him credit for all that is accomplished in and/or through us, for He is our Guide, our Deliverer, our Creator and answer to all of life’s circumstances. We are as clay in His hands, molded in every way by His might works, for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom. I am here to encourage all of God’s children to join me in humbling ourselves and praying, seeking God’s face and His ways in all things, and turn from our wicked and selfish ways and desires. I believe that it is only then that we will hear from heaven and see our land healed, forgiven and lifted up (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is something that we need personally, corporately as God’s church, and nationally as a hurting, struggling country that seems to be heading down a very ungodly path. Are you willing to be like Daniel today and give God His rightful position in your life? I would challenge you to do this friend. He wants us to stand in awe of Him and represent Him here on this earth, and our nation needs this, especially at this time in our history.

PRAYER: Dear God, we have strayed so far away from You and become so self-sufficient in our own destructive ways. Please forgive us, and in Your own miraculous way, direct our paths and humble us to our rightful position, where You might once again rule and reign over us individually, and as a nation. I sincerely believe that You must first of all impact the lives of Your children, and in turn impact our nation. I acknowledge that You don’t need us in order to impact our nation, but I believe that if our nation is convinced – like king Nebuchadnezzar was, that You are ruling and reigning in the lives of Your children, then they too will know without a doubt that they can surrender their lives to You and, in turn, the nation that they were assigned to rule/lead. We need You Heavenly Father, please forgive us, hear our prayers and heal our land. All these things are possible through Christ, so it is in His name that I plead, seek Your face and ask these petitions today, with thanksgiving, 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 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!

Better to Do Good

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 1 Peter 3:13-17): 13 Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don’t be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don’t get upset. 15 But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 16 Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. 17 After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.

 THOUGHTS: I don’t believe we have ever heard of anyone getting into trouble for doing what is right. Of course in earthly terms, it will depend on who’s defining ‘good’ versus ‘evil’. However in God’s kingdom, good means that we are living according to the teachings of Jesus and for His name’s sake. A very key verse is buried into this same thought by Peter, and I could only imagine that God was teaching us through Peter, that when we concentrate on doing good, what is right, what is biblical, what may be totally opposite to the world’s view on something, it may be recognized that we must have a deeper and more powerful source working through us. So we are encouraged to not attribute our ‘good’ to happen chance, or good luck, or any personal contribution, but instead, be ready to explain the joy of the Lord that controls our life and directs our path. For when we give glory to the One who controls us, folk who may tend to gossip or destroy us, will then feel ashamed for putting us down, if we broach the subject with humility, gentleness and respect. Friends, it is an awful thing to find yourself in the hands of an angry God. So live according to His commands/instructions. Do good, just as He did when He was here on earth. And boast about the source of your goodness so that praise might be offered to the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the Savior of this world – all because of our personal relationship with Him and submission to Him. Praise to God for His wonderful works and His leadership in my life! I pray that we can stay closely attuned to Jesus, and His powerful works possible through us!

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are good, and Your mercy endureth forever! Thank You for loving even me. Thank You for saving my soul! Thank You for teaching me Your ways so that I may live in peace with You and my Brothers and Sisters here on earth. Please work powerfully in the lives of all who call on You today. May Your perfect will be evident in all that we do or say, so that others will desire to know more about You and Your wonderful works. May we be consistent in doing good, with Your help and for Your sake. Please touch the lives of my readers and myself in very meaningful and powerful ways today, is my humble cry that I ask in the precious and strong name of Jesus Christ, 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 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!

Maturity in Your Salvation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Humility, MaturityLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – 1 Peter 2:1-3): 1 So then, rid yourselves of all evil, all lying, hypocrisy, jealousy, and evil speech. 2 As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, 3 because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is.

 THOUGHTS: I believe that a very basic difference between an infant and an adult is that the infant is totally dependent on others, while the mature adult has experienced a lot, and looks for ways to share their experiences and/or knowledge with others. If we’re not careful, often we (adults) will become so independent that it becomes challenging to listen to advice and or follow good, sound advice. There are so many references in the Bible for us to consider the ways of a child, that I believe God is telling us to get over ‘self’ and be willing to listen to Him and or other saints that He may place in our path. Through Peter, God is warning us today that we should rid ourselves of some obvious sins that tend to impact our need for Him and/or His teachings. These include: all kinds of evil (think about this as a soiled garment that you should shed); all lying, all hypocrisy; all jealously and all evil speech. On the last item, I once heard: from the heart, the mouth speaketh. If your heart is full of Christ then You will speak of the One who was crucified, arose, and lives inside of us giving us hope and anticipation of one day living eternally with Him. I believe another way of saying this is that what’s inside will come out in our actions and/or our speech. In our group Bible study yesterday we learned from James 3:13-18 what we should look for in identifying our worldly actions vs our godly actions. I would urge you to read those verses in conjunction with this study today, because the sooner we could recognize Satan’s effect on our lives, the sooner we can realign ourselves with God and draw close to Him. When I think of maturing in our faith, I think of us realizing the futility in trying to solve all of the issues of the world ourselves, but instead realizing our dependence on God, who has proven Himself to us over and over again throughout our Christian life. So friends, I believe this is a message for all Christians today, let us shed off our cloak of evil, let us draw close to God, allow Him to draw close to us, and let’s be willing to stop and listen to Him as He works out His will and way in our lives. It is only then that we will be of any godly good to others.

 PRAYER: Lord God, You are merciful to us, in spite of our littleness, our weaknesses and our selfish attitudes. Thank You for loving us in spite of ourselves. Thank You for Your Word that is so alive and applicable to our lives every day. There is so much to be done with this child of Yours, and I am pretty sure that there are many out there in similar condition to myself. So Lord, I place myself at Your feet once again today and pray that Your perfect will might be accomplished in me, so that it might also be accomplished through me, and have an eternal impact on those that I come into contact with. I have a strong suspicion that my readers might all be in a similar condition today, so I pray for their total surrender and obedience also. Lord, we are Your hands and Your feet on the ground here, may we represent You well, and without wavering. May You be exampled in our lives so that the unsaved might catch a glimpse of Jesus. Like a baby, I need You Every Hour. Like an adult, I need Your wisdom, protection, direction, love and boldness to touch lives in the same way that You have been merciful to me. I ask these things in faith, and in the awesome name of Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, 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 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!

If You… Then God will…

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, Near to God, PurifyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – James 4:8, 10): 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you people who can’t make up your mind……… 10 Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you.

 THOUGHTS: God loves us unconditionally, but there are some things that He will not do unless He is invited/asked, or until He recognizes our seriousness in asking, by doing our part. Let’s think about this in everyday living. We may love to have company in our home, but unless we invite friends over, or unless we open the door to let them in when they arrive, we will never have friends in our home. God designed us with our own free will, and He respects that so much that He will not intrude into our personal space, or our lives, unless we invite Him to and accept Him with open arms. God is very aware of those times that our mouths may say one thing but our heart feels differently. So while we may say, especially in church, that we want God in control of our lives, but deep inside we expect to hang on to the world, or at least our worldly traits, then this verse is clarifying that God is very willing to wait on drawing close to us until He knows that we seriously want Him to be intimate with us. Friends, unlike other relationships where you may say one thing and mean something differently, remember that with God you are dealing with your very Designer and Creator. He knows how you are put together and He knows the intent of your heart. To meet the conditions placed in vs 8, we must wash our hands and our divided hearts (our inner attitudes and motives) by confessing our sin and repenting of our sin and asking God’s help to remove the filth of sin from our lives. Our hearts are divided when we want to hang on to our worldly desires (sin) yet we know we need a Savior and want to receive His blessings. Friends, this act of surrendering life as you may know it today, for a life fully committed to Jesus Christ, requires a deep humbleness and a total surrender to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it worth it? I can irrevocably say that after some 40 years of walking with the Lord, I cannot imagine how I would have handled life without the awesome love, protection, care and concern of my Savior, for He Walks with me, and He Talks with me, and He Tells me I am His Own! My life is complete know that Jesus is in control! I would urge you like James did in these verses, to draw close to God and enjoy His presence as He draws close to you!

 PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for loving a sinner like me so much that You actually sacrificed Your very own Son so that I might have a way, and the means, to receive forgiveness of my sin, resulting in the promise of life everlasting with You! What a glorious day that was, when You called me to Yourself, and what an even sweeter life this has been with You in control of my life while here on this earth! Thank You Father! I have many family members and friends who have not seen the value of making this important decision yet in their life, so this morning I plead with You to tender the hearts of these ones and all those who will read this devotional with doubts and/or uncertainties about their relationship with You. May Your miracle working hand touch their lives today, incenting them to draw close to You and accept You as Lord, so that You may draw close to them and bless them in miraculous ways. Please have Your will and way in their lives so that they may rid their minds of any divisiveness, and therefore completely surrender to You. I humbly ask all this in the wonderful and all-powerful name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, 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 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!

Pride Comes Before A Fall

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Jeremiah 38:17-18, 28): I told him that the Lord had said: “Zedekiah, I am the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I promise that if you surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar’s officers, you and your family won’t be killed, and Jerusalem won’t be burned down. 18 But if you don’t surrender, I will let the Babylonian army capture Jerusalem and burn it down, and you will be taken prisoner.”……. 28 I was held in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day Jerusalem was captured.

THOUGHTS: I am amazed that we can look into God’s Word and not just see the amazing things that He did such as bringing people back to life, or miraculously healing them, but to also see some of the same characteristics in the folk of that day that compares to much like we see and experience today. In spite of knowing that he could possibly be killed for sharing with the king exactly what God said, yet Jeremiah was faithful and told King Zedekiah just that. In verses 19 thru 27 we are told how the king asked Jeremiah to handle the questions when asked by the palace authorities about the meeting between Jeremiah and the king, because the king found it impossible to concede to what God wanted him to do, as it would burst the pride of his kingdom. I found vs 28 interesting, because it gives the idea that Jeremiah waited in full expectation of what God said He would do, and in later verses we will read the rest of the story! I believe that way too often we go off in our own direction and, in spite of asking God for His advice, we are so filled with personal pride that we do our own thing, although His warnings and/or directions have been made plain to us. Friends, God is all-knowing and all-powerful. If we are truly His child, and we want to be truly obedient, then we will allow His will to override our wants and our pride. This requires a close walk with God and demands our knowing His very thoughts and plans, and allowing that sense of direction to lead us into all truth, even if it looks like it will probably lead to folk laughing at us, or thinking that we have lost sense with reality. God’s true messengers tell the story as they understand it from God, not as they have manipulated it to best suit their purpose. We are chosen to be God’s messengers of His truth, not to dilute it with our wants and/or benefits. I believe that God is watching as we decide today whom we will serve. What shall it be friend?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for trusting Your servants to deliver Your Word to those that need it even today. You are well aware of how manipulative we are in still sharing that Word with our own personal prejudices and twists that help us to feel important and without including ourselves in the mix of all who need correction. Please tender our hearts, and please cause us to allow Your words to penetrate us first personally, before we ever think about sharing them with someone else. You are the Creator and ongoing Master of this universe. All things were made by You and are still under Your control. Please help us to understand that this will not change, even if we try to soften the reality of that, or not tell the whole truth of what it will take to draw mankind unto a saving knowledge of You. There is no need for us to be intimidated by others, for Your message is designed for us all. There is no gain for self, for Your Word is intended to draw mankind unto You, not unto us. Please forgive us for our littleness in trying to use Your message for our benefit. Please help us to wipe away self-pride and instead practice true servant-hood and be Your humble messenger simply delivering Your Word to lost mankind. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away the sin of mankind, nothing else. May Your will be done today in our lives, I pray, in the all-powerful and matchless name of Jesus my Lord, 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!

Nothing is Too Difficult for You, Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faithfulness, Humility, UnderstandingLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Good News Translation – Jeremiah 32:16-18): 16 ….. I prayed, 17“Sovereign Lord, you made the earth and the sky by your great power and might; nothing is too difficult for you. 18You have shown constant love to thousands, but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are a great and powerful God; you are the Lord Almighty.

THOUGHTS: Jeremiah had been faithful to God and followed every command and word given to him by God. In fact he was imprisoned because of obediently delivering a word from God to the king. However, Jeremiah was still human, and as such had to depend on God and His providence, even though His actions perplexed Jeremiah. I believe that can, and does, happen to us quite frequently, for we glory in the power and majesty of God, and for all that He delivers us from, yet we see where good faithful followers are shot in their homes, crash in car accidents on the roads, lose very young loved ones, and agonize over fatal illnesses of family members. How do we possibly explain that God loves them? How can we possibly understand the love of God in such horrific situations? I love what Matthew Henry says in his commentary about this prayer of Jeremiah, and I will quote it for you: “Jeremiah adores the Lord and his infinite perfections. When at any time we are perplexed about the methods of Providence, it is good for us to look to first principles. Let us consider that God is the fountain of all being, power, and life; that with him no difficulty is such as cannot be overcome; that he is a God of boundless mercy; that he is a God of strict justice; and that he directs every thing for the best. Jeremiah owns that God was righteous in causing evil to come upon them. Whatever trouble we are in, personal or public, we may comfort ourselves that the Lord sees it, and knows how to remedy it. We must not dispute God’s will, but we may seek to know what it means.” This spoke volumes to me, because I believe that we must often return to the cross when we don’t have all of the answers. God showed His love boldly at the cross – yes, through the suffering, crucifixion and death of His very own Son. So let us return to the Word when in question about why God is doing something that we don’t understand. Let’s go back to the basics and first Biblical principles. We KNOW that He loves us, so we KNOW He would do nothing to harm us, therefore let us give thanks for His mysterious work and depend on the outcome bringing glory to Him. This is difficult friends, but just remember to trust in God, no matter what we see, feel or witness occurring around us. This may often be a point at which an unrelated Brother or Sister might step alongside, encouraging you to keep the faith, so be prepared to also do that when you see difficult situations arise in the life of someone else.

PRAYER: Dear God, I am reminded that You are sovereign and that You created this earth and all that is in it. You were pleased with all that You created, so I can’t imagine why one of your small pieces of clay could find room to complain or find fault in what You did, or what You might currently do in managing all that You have made. Your servant Jeremiah has reminded me that nothing is too difficult for you, so once again I am reminded that even in those times when I don’t see the reasoning for something happening, to know and understand that You are still in control. Please touch the lives of Your people once again today with the sobering reminder that You are God, and we are not, therefore we must trust You to do what You know to be the best for us, and that will bring glory to You. I know that we would really screw things up in a hurry if You left it all up to us, so please have Your perfect will and way in my life today. Please be especially near and dear to those who are hurting today and wondering if You are still there. Draw them close to You and comfort them with Your love and reassurance. I ask this in the precious name of Jesus, my King, in all humility, 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!

Careful How You Boast

On By Ed AlgreenIn Boasting, HumilityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 6:15-16)

Thoughts:

I believe that way too often we accept praise for something that only God could have done. Way too often we give credit to a dynamite preacher for miracles that God performed during a worship service. I heard a pastor say at one time that he would not wear a particular suit again, because it appeared like all the people saw was his clothing and not the point he was trying to relay for his Master. Friends, when we are moved to do something godly, please remember that we can only give God credit for that, for in and of our sinful selves we would not give in to the things of God because of a nagging mother, or a simple invitation from a friend. It is only when the Spirit of God begins to work on us, convicting us of our sin and pointing us to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords that our spiritual eyes are opened and we experience a desire to change our life’s direction. Also, please never forget that although man can pray for a health issue or a spiritual shortfall, he does not have the power to transform either a person’s health or spiritual condition. Just imagine, if this was the case, no friend of a Christian would be lost, for he would miraculously have them all saved out of love for the individual. Paul showed us through his words in this text that we are to boast of nothing except the love and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that when we place Jesus in His rightful place, or better still, when we place ourselves in the humility of who we are, and allow Jesus to shine through in all that He is, perhaps then we will appreciate all that He does in our everyday lives, and also see how prevalent the need to see Him at work in the lives of our unsaved friends. Christians, we have a responsibility to promote Jesus, not pretend to be Him.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to take my place of humility and submission to You in all that I do and say, for I am nothing without Your power and grace. Father, I am convinced that this world can only be changed, and touched through the precious power of Your Son, so I ask that You not only give me grace to submit to You in everything, but also that my readers might be reminded of Your awesome power in every aspect of their lives. Lord, please constantly remind us of our position and to constantly place our faith and trust in You and in all that You are. Please prompt us to always boast on You and allow You to receive the glory for all miracles performed in and through us. You are my King and it’s in You that I place my faith and trust daily. Thank You Jesus! I respectfully and humbly ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, 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!

For No Selfish Gain, Just Glorify God

On By Ed AlgreenIn HumilityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

17 As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”(Jer. 9:24)

18 When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

(Bible Translation and Location: The New Living Translation – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18)

Thoughts:

Here Paul is defending himself against a bunch of ‘super apostles’, who couldn’t stand seeing someone not from their group come in to share the gospel with their people. Do we have these type folk in our churches today? In my opinion, yes we do, and they are usually the troublemakers, much like Paul encountered in the early church. However what I feel like Paul was trying to clear up for us, is that Christians are to be loyal to God and always striving to please Him. If we please others along the way, then glory to God for whom the pleasing was intended! We should never have to boast on ourselves, after all it is God who created us; God who provides life each day; God who fills us with His love and the knowledge necessary to discern His Word and be able to share it with others. We are therefore just servants of the Master Designer and therefore He who should receive honor and glory from everything accomplished by Him through us. Friends, we are to be careful to pass the praises on to our Lord and Savior, and not soak them up in selfish pride with the assumption that it was due to anything we may have done. We are merely empty vessels with the love and power of God working in and through us as we open our mouths and or work any good deed. Please let us continue to please our Lord, and then worship Him together with others as we are blessed by Him. Don’t let our selfish pride get in the middle of this, for we are nothing without You.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, in all humility I come before You today asking that You might continue to receive glory for any and everything that You might accomplish through my efforts. Thank You for even considering using me to help others and to represent You. May I fade into the backdrop as You maintain prominence and receive praise for working in the lives of your people. Please keep me volunteering to help where You know that You can use me to receive glory, especially through people surrendering their lives to You. Please make me very aware of the times that I may be less than humble, as my desire and wish is to see people won to You, and only You can perform such a miracle. Please soften the hearts of Your messengers who may be less than obedient, or less than humble before an awesome and perfect God. May this be a day that we all learn to pass the praises up to You while continuing to seek Your face and Your perfect will for our lives as we serve You. Lord I ask these things humbly in Your 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 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!

Brighter Days Ahead!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, HumilityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Thoughts:

Ever notice how you might visit a person laden with pain and discouragement, so much that they can barely move, but when they see you for the first time in a very long time, how they don’t notice the pain and they are ready to go wherever you take them? They quickly become very refreshed in their mind? I believe it is very easy for us to get in that rut also, because we tend to lose hope and the joy that once filled us, especially if we are not humanly seeing results. Paul had a similar experience in ministering to the church in Corinth. For with the bare eye, one may have looked at Paul and quickly agreed that they would stay far enough away from whatever he was proposing to them, because it only got him beatings, imprisonments and hardships. However, to the Christian who witnessed the joy, inward excitement, boldness and peace that exuded from this man of God, I believe that they would deeply desire a similar walk to that of Paul. In these verses, Paul is warning the church that we need to look beyond what might bless us today, and focus on the far-reaching effects of the gospel being proclaimed. You see, our hearts should overflow today when we do the Master’s work, especially when we do it in earnest for the Master’s sake and His glory alone. It is hypocrisy to promote self when attempting to teach and/or preach and/or witness, for without Christ we are nothing. It is His grace that saved us, His love that sustains us, and His promise to welcome us home in glory that center our hearts on Him, in anticipation of our glorious reunion with Him! I’m afraid that when we get discouraged, it may very well be ‘self’ that is not being satisfied. Let us always remember that our Christian work here on earth is to bring glory to God. When an earthly war is over, it is the country who sent the soldiers into battle that wins, not the soldier who fired the last shot. Many earthly soldiers will gladly place their life on the line for their country, are you and I willing to do the same for the battle we fight against Satan? Let’s learn to allow God to use us in His service for His glory, rather than us mentioning God’s name while promoting self. There is a hope friend! Let is rejoice in that hope as we present the gospel through our words and actions each day, knowing that one day soon we will be with the Master in all His glory!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, Savior of this world, please help me to keep myself in proper proportion to the One in whom I represent and witness to others about. Like Paul, I too must stay focused on who I’m working for and who will receive the glory from anyone touched by Your message. Lord, I am convinced that as I see glory going up to You by folk, there is little value in what I may have contributed to that, because I am merely Your messenger obeying Your commands. My desire is that I may be obedient to what You require of me. I am merely an instrument in Your hand to accomplish Your work with those who need You. You have strategically placed me here, with all of the experiences I have encountered, so that others who need You might identify with You through my earthly experiences. Thank You for choosing me to be Your child and Your servant. May Your Holy Spirit continue to use me – my talents, my experience and my hope, is my humble prayer this morning. Lord, may Christians that meditate on this devotional identify with what I have shared and grow stronger in their relationship with You. May the lost that You direct to this devotional find hope in the mighty works that You do, knowing that they too can become Your child, when they accept You as Lord and Savior of their life. I ask all this in the precious and all powerful name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, 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!