Category: Love

Divine Blessings in Successful Marriages, etc.

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Marriage, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Success, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2023-01-18.
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 127:1-3
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 If the Lord does not build the house, it is useless for the builders to work on it.
If the Lord does not protect a city, it is useless for the guard to stay alert.
2 It is useless to work hard for the food you eat by getting up early and going to bed late. The Lord gives ⌞food⌟ to those he loves while they sleep.
3 Children are an inheritance from the Lord. They are a reward from him.

APPLICATION: Solomon, known as the wisest man on earth, was also the richest man of his time and he was looked up to by leaders of neighboring countries because of his success. Solomon was also known as a man of God – obedient to God’s commands, and he honored his God in ways that man had never before witnessed such devotion and tribute. Why then do we see such division in our marriages, home life, and even in our children today? It seems a rarity to meet a couple who is still married to the spouse of their youth. In America, the records show that over 50% of first-time marriages fail. Unfortunately, Christians make up a good portion of that number. It is evident that even if you are walking close to the Lord, you will experience attack and assault on your marriage. It truly irks me to hear a young man respond, ‘I know she is another man’s wife, but I love her any way’. Unfortunately, this goes both ways, for women do the same thing, because they are intrigued by another man’s attention. In the Bible, we are told that in the same manner that God loves the church, that’s how He has enabled a man to love his wife. So as a man demonstrates that love, Satan is angered and tries his best to destroy that love. But Christians, we also know that greater is He (God) that is in us, than he (Satan) that is in the world. So, if we asked God to forgive us of our sins, and have trusted Him to do so, then we must learn to surrender our decisions to His will, and for His purpose. This includes our lifelong mate, our children – should we be blessed with one or more, our jobs and our everyday challenges. Can you see where this would really agitate Satan? God would force him to keep his hands off that which belongs to Him. That’s why we encounter conflicts, for Satan is constantly looking for our weak points. Friends, when we belong to Jesus Christ, we should take Matthew 6:33 very seriously, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ultimately, all these other things will be added to you’. Now, as we enjoy marriage, God may bless us with little ones who could learn to be just like us. Children are a blessing from the Lord (vs 3), not an inconvenience, nor obstacles to our success in life. Because our spouse and our children are blessings from God, we should devote our attention to their happiness and give them our undivided attention. That’s a challenge for us folk! Electronic devices, old friends, hobbies, and a greed for more, more, more, is the norm for most families today. Yet in verse 2, God comforts and assures us that there is no need to labor night and day, or even long hours each day, for He is our Provider! Oh, that God would give each reader and listener the reassurance today that our priorities might be in order to achieve the success that God wants for us: God first, family second, church third and work, friends, hobbies and greedy desires to follow. To those considering marriage, let me encourage you to consider the priority I listed above for a long, happy and contented marriage. When you start off with dating, if God is first, then you will find in His Word that He wants you to wait until marriage before you give into sex with your partner. Living together is intended for a couple already joined in marriage. When you start off on the right track, with the right leader in charge of your life and willing to bless you beyond your wildest expectations, then your marriage will follow in like manner. But no matter where you are today, seek the face of the Master and ask Him to direct your path and help you get on a holy tract following His commands and living in righteousness like He exampled before you. I believe God will hear your heart’s cry and help you press that ‘reset button’ to walk in His ways until He calls you home to glory.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I was blessed to catch a glimpse of how God will bless us, if we stop our selfish and greedy drive for success and allow Him first place in our lives. Just imagine, God is waiting to bless us, if we will let Him. I don’t believe we will find anyone else on earth that could take His place in His unselfish, unconditional desire to bless us! Oh, what a Savior!

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord for creating us and showing us how to love others, just as You have loved us. Thank You for family – spouse, children and relatives who will love us in spite of who we are. But in the Scripture today, You reminded us of what it takes to be the child, as you designed; the spouse, as You have blessed us with in our marriages; the dad and mom, in response to the child(ren) You have blessed us with; and the citizens at work, with friends, and in all relationships where we aim to example You. It is often said that we are not perfect in any of these ways, but in knowing the only Perfect One, I believe today that we can call on You to help us do a better job of portraying You to a lost and dying world. Live through us, work through us and love through us, Lord, so that the world will be reminded of the One we call Master, Lord, and Savior of the world. Help us Lord, to help others in their walk, and in their desire to be more like You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

A Demonstration of God’s love For His Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-12-6
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 13:1-6
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 1-3 …. Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria—a rule of seventeen years. He lived an evil life before God, walking step for step in the tracks of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel into a life of sin, swerving neither left or right. Exasperated, God was furious with Israel and turned them over to Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. This domination went on for a long time.
4-6 Then Jehoahaz prayed for a softening of God’s anger, and God listened. He realized how wretched Israel had become under the brutalities of the king of Aram. So God provided a savior for Israel who brought them out from under Aram’s oppression.

APPLICATION: Why should it matter how people see us, you might ask. I believe it is obvious that the people under each king’s rule in the Old Testament, were impacted by who they were, and how they responded – based on their principal values. Is that what happens in the department you have supervision over at work? Will your beliefs and principles become a part of them? What about your family, does the same happen with them? I believe the BIG question for us to consider today is: how far will you be permitted to impose bad habits or cruel treatment or rudeness on those who look up to you, before your reins are pulled in and you are held accountable? How bad will it get before God gives up on you and refuses to listen to your heart’s cry? Jehoahaz was described as a king who couldn’t be bothered to change any bad habits, rules, or laws introduced by his predecessors. In fact, as this translation says, ‘he didn’t swerve to the left or the right of the habits, laws and actions handed to him’. Although there is no evidence that this king accepted God to rule over His life and lead him to be the best king they ever had, yet we could see that the king knew where his only source of help would come from – God alone. When the enemy had totally destroyed his kingdom, and he realized that there was not one thing he could do better, he didn’t turn to his astrologers, or his wise men, or his magicians, like some other kings did. He turned to the One true God, whom he had no doubt, could solve the dilemma he faced. Now, for you and me – whether we are a pastor, elder, deacon, other church leader of just a regular church member, I believe Jehoahaz would have been hard-pressed getting our attention or help, based on all the trouble he may have caused us. But thank God, the king turned to One much greater than us! The One whose example we should aim to follow all the days we have remaining on earth. For you see, knowing this king’s heart, knowing the disregard he had for God’s people, and knowing how this may be the very first time that he called on God for anything, yet because of God’s love for His children, God not only listened to the cry of Jehoahaz, but He also provided a savior to rescue he and his nation from the tyranny they were facing from Aram and his army. STOP! Wait just a minute. God provided a savior for this sinful man who caused such death and destruction on a whole nation? Who could ever forgive such an awful man? My friend, the story of Jehoahaz describes each of us meditating on this word from God today. While we were still sinners – just like Jehoahaz, yet God loved us enough that He sent His very own son – a Savior, to save us from our sin and destruction brought on by the enemy, then He gave us the rights to eternity with the Father and the Son. As I meditate on this, there’s a chorus that comes to mind, ‘If that Isn’t love‘. Stop for a moment and watch/worship with this short music video, I believe you will be blessed as you reflect on all that God did in providing a Savior for you. In the story of Jehoahaz, the people did like many of us today. They were happy about the help from God, but they quickly returned to their sin and sinful deeds. Make your experience and commitment a lasting one my friend. God loves you today, and every day for the rest of your life. Let your commitment to Him be just as lasting – until you see Him in glory someday soon!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In spite of Jehoahaz being disobedient and disobeying God’s commands, yet because of God’s love for His children, He sent a savior to rescue them and restore their peace. Because of God’s love for us, He also sent a Savior for us – Jesus Christ, His Son! Praise be to God!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus, that because of God’s wondrous love for us, He sent You, His one and only Son, so that we, even while we were just sinners – undeserving of anything from Him, to be our Savior and Lord. Oh, what a Savior! Oh, what grace from our Almighty King! Thank You Father, Son and Holy Spirit for loving me, and for loving each and every reader and listener who will commit their lives to Your amazing grace today. Lord, You are more wonderful than anything we could imagine! Please touch our hearts so that we might be more like You in every way, to all that we come into contact with, so that You may be glorified through our words and actions. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Express Your Love For God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love God, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Things God loves, Unconditional love3 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2022-10-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL.

Bible Reference: Psalm 123:1-2
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 1 O God-Enthroned in heaven, I worship and adore you!
2 The way I love you is like the way a servant wants to please his master, the way a maid waits for the orders of her mistress. We look to you, our God, with passionate longing to please you and discover more of your mercy and grace

APPLICATION: I’ve seen this done at church, where the congregation was asked to give descriptive words of how they know that God loves them, and why they love God. Very often this comes with a lot of Biblical terms, churchy words, and words that you might hear from the pulpit, or over Christian radio. But I wonder how much more personal this might be if it was just you and God. If there were no devices, and no distractions, but you became overwhelmed with the thought of how powerful God is; how loving He is; how forgiving He is; and that God had brought you to a point where you realized that He is an awesome God who loves you – individually, more than anything else in the world. What would you have to say to Him in return? Remember, it’s just you and God present and He wants to hear your heart. What would you say? I remember at one time at a marriage retreat, couples were asked to find a spot where just the two of you could be alone with absolutely no distractions. That kind of alone time is what I’m thinking of with God. I live on a ranch with almost 1000 acres of land. There are places I could visit and talk out loud to God without anyone else thinking that I must have lost my senses. That’s the kind of alone time where I believe one could pour out their heart to God. Perhaps you’ve seen Him in the Word as you meditated on it today; perhaps in a song; perhaps in the beauty of the outdoors; perhaps a beautiful animal – one of His wonders, just ran in front of you; or perhaps your mind reflected back on the love of God, and/or how He touched you during a recent life event. Friends, our God is always present, and I believe He is just waiting for us to praise Him for His amazing greatness, if only we will separate ourselves from the busyness of life and allow our hearts and minds to connect with our Creator. Although a church service, or a sermon may cause us to focus closely on God, it will not reach inside, open our hearts and open our mouths to speak lovingly to our Lord. Allow these words of David to reinvigorate your heart, soul and mind and cause you to focus on your Maker. Take time away from every distraction and get alone with God. Tell Him how you feel about Him, for He is so worthy of our praise, our love and our affection. Nothing is more important, dear friends!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, how can we say thanks for the things You have done for us? How can we love You near as much as You love us? How can we give to our Master who has everything? Yet You loved us enough to sacrifice Your one and only Son for our salvation. You have also prepared a place for us to spend eternity with You and Your Father for all eternity! Praise God that in spite of our inadequacies, yet You love us anyway, and You have given us life itself to enjoy while here on earth. Thank You for who You are, and for all You do and show to us precious Father. May we show love and appreciation to You in every way and as frequently as our hearts could imagine. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

LOVE – What It Is and What It’s Not

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-06-14
WRITTEN AT: Jensen Beach, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. 5 It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. 6 It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. 8 Love never comes to an end….

APPLICATION: I will endeavor to share a comparison between the list of items taught by Paul to help us discern good habits of loving each other vs things that normally create a sense of pretense – a false pretense.
What love is: Patient; Kind; Happy about the truth; Never stops – being patient, believing in others, hoping, nor giving up on people we love; Love never ends.
What Love is not: Jealous; Sing its own praises; Arrogant; Rude; Selfish (doesn’t think of itself); Irritable; Keeping track of others’ wrongs; Being happy with injustices done to others;
One of the things that I have always found helpful in my Christian walk, is to keep a list of the negative aspects of something front and foremost as a reminder to me. Why? Because when I see any of those negative things sneaking into my life or my character, then I realize that I must seek the face of God immediately to help me overcome that bad characteristic and instead seek to do the things that God desires of me. I believe that you will recognize when either of the items in the second list is happening in your marriage or relationship, for things are not really at its best in your home. Something needs work, or correcting. I believe you will also see that homes and/or relationships are broken when one of the habits from the second list goes unnoticed or ignored by the individuals. Friends, when we surrender our life to the lordship of Jesus Christ, we commit to being obedient to His will, and we surrender our own will to the will and design of our new Master. Similarly, when we commit our lives to our spouse, we promise each other that we will set aside our selfish desires and we will love that person as ordained by God in His Word – just like our Scripture dictates today. Let’s try to remember that God’s will is for us to live and love like Jesus did, and to follow His commands as He shared through His Word. When we take things into our own hands, we screw things up. Is it any wonder why we fail in so many ways to love another creation of God? The first few words of verse 8 had a lasting impact on me – Love never ends. So many times we have heard about ‘love turning to hate’, for when we can’t have our own way in love, often we will turn to revenge, and that leads to actions that totally aggravates the other person and often leads to hatred. Friends, the example set by Jesus Christ is that: love leads to sacrifice; love will continue even if the other party rejects us; love is unconditional, meaning that one will love even if they are not loved in return, in the way they feel is necessary. Questions may sometimes arise in your mind about the love of the other person for you, but it is your responsibility to ensure that your love is persistent and everlasting. Only you can decide in your heart to love someone Jesus’ way, no matter how much others try to persuade you to do it ‘their way’.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Love never fails. It didn’t fail in the way Jesus loves us, and I will claim today to love others just as Jesus loves me, God being my helper.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for creating us to love one another the way You demonstrated true love to us. Thank You for having Your servant Paul detail in Your Word how we should love. May we examine ourselves and determine in our heart to follow Your example. Loving others in total sincerity leads to a happy and satisfied life that undoubtedly pleases You, for You created us to be just like You – including Your devotion to love us in spite of our efforts to make sure that no one loves us. Forgive us Lord when we so easily assume the characteristics of this wicked and sinful world. Your ways and Your teachings are perfect. Help us to aim for that same perfection that You intended when you placed us here in our current situation, for we want to look, sound and love just like You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Sacrificial Love

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Sacrifice, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-04-11
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 12:1-2
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way.2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

APPLICATION: It seems like mankind is designed to try and return a favor when they feel like someone went out of their way to bless them in some way. In our Scripture, Paul reminds us that Jesus did something for us on Calvary that cost Him His life. God had demanded animal and other sacrifices from our ancestors for the forgiveness of their sin, but He later decided to send His very own Son so that He might not only live among us, but: Showed us how to love unconditionally; He not only taught us everything that God had given Him to share with us, but also demonstrated being a mouthpiece for His Father, and showing us how to live in a way that would be pleasing to the Father. Over the years, our forefathers decided to set aside certain days for us to celebrate: the birth of Jesus – Christmas; a day to remember what Jesus did on Calvary for us – a true sacrifice, because He could have called ten thousand angels to protect Him from the evil men that sought to kill Him – Good Friday; the day that we would celebrate the resurrected Jesus – Easter; and a day each week that we would set aside to worship our resurrected Lord! I wonder, what might we sacrifice, in return for the sacrifices of Jesus our Lord, by actively participating in the above days set aside for us? Jesus desired that the cup of punishment, that occurred that first Good Friday, be taken away from Him. But He quickly snapped out of that thought by submitting to the will of His Father, even if it meant a deep embarrassment as He was arrested, charged, beaten, marched through the city streets and hung on a cross in a public display that led everyone to believe that He was helpless. Jesus knew that His commitment to the Father, and His sacrifice in surrender to the wicked men of His day, was for the eternal benefit of all mankind. ‘Not my will, but thine be done,’ were the words Jesus uttered to His Father. When you fail to sacrifice of yourself daily, weekly or on the above mentioned special days, what do you suppose Jesus might be seeing or thinking of your commitment to Him? Whose will are you submitting to, yours or that of the Father? Remember, without a second thought, you will submit to the will of someone you love and are committed to!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus loved us so much that He gave up everything and was crucified on a cruel, rugged, cross for our sin. Although we could never repay the debt He paid, our willingness to sacrifice the desires of this world would go a long ways in showing our appreciation for what Jesus did at Calvary.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, we could never adequately say thanks, nor offer to repay You for what You did for us at Calvary. Because Your love was pure, You never demanded repayment, but Lord I pray that my readers, listeners, family and Christian friends, would never consider our opportunities to worship, or serve, You as a ’sacrifice’ of our time, fun, activities, etc. Father, You sacrificially gave us Your very best – Your precious Son. Please help us to examine our hardened hearts the next time we find excuses that would cause us to miss opportunities to return thanks to You. In not sacrificing our time, efforts and money to spend time with You, and/or Your people who gather to worship You, might be an indication that You are not as valuable in our lives, and we are to You. Please forgive us for our lack of commitment, and help us to rededicate ourselves to sacrifice everything this world has to offer, so that we may spend time dedicated to You. Help us to seek Your will for our lives, and not our own selfish and prideful will. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Work At ‘Peace’ and ‘Holiness’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Getting Along, Holiness, Love, Obedience, PeaceLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-10-04

Bible Reference: Hebrews 12:14
Translation: The New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

APPLICATION: I saw a greeting card that read “Short on words, but loooong on best wishes!” I found this verse to be short on words, but packed with a powerful message for us today! God’s inspired Word is warning us that living at peace with everyone and living a holy life before our Lord, does not come easy or perhaps ‘natural’ to us, but are two things necessary for the follower of Christ. Our natural tendency is to sin, therefore it is challenging for anyone to get along with us, or for us to accept everyone the way they are, to love them, and live at peace with them. In this chapter of Hebrews we are being taught to listen to God. We have been shown in this New Testament book that our ancestors accomplished a lot in faith, believing in, and depending on, the power of God. We are therefore challenged to call on, listen to, and depend on God to help us accomplish everything that He has commanded of us. In this particular command, I would dare say that God has proven Himself powerful, and able, over and over. He proved His love for us in ways that we would never have to, for He sacrificed His life for us, while the world hated Him, mocked Him, spat on Him and crucified Him. So I believe you will agree that He definitely knows all about how challenging it will be for us to ‘love’ someone who despises us, or may even hate us. So friends, when we are commanded to ‘Work at It’, be comforted in knowing that we don’t have to do this alone. For Jesus promised us that He would never leave us or forsake us – that means that He is always there for us. Therefore part of our working on these commands, must include humbling ourselves before the Master and seeking His help. Furthermore, I am convinced that my loving Jesus would never command something of us that would be impossible for He and us to achieve. We gladly work at being our best in our jobs, in our families, in our marriages and in our relationships. As an obedient servant, we must also ‘Work at’ being holy in our lifestyle so that the world will know to whom we belong. Also, we must determine in our own hearts to live at peace with each other as children of the ‘Prince of Peace’. We must ‘Work at It’ with all of our being and with the help of the King, Jesus our Lord.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our time here on earth is short, and we can therefore not afford to procrastinate on ‘Working At’ being all that You demand of us in Your Word. Holiness begets holiness, so if we are truly a son of the Holy God, then we are to represent that holiness in our everyday life. For one to meet a son, there should be good enough representation that they would tell the world that they have truly known the Father. Lord, may it be so in my life today, and may You fill the hearts and lives of all my readers and listeners that are willing to live obedient lives in conformity with Your will. Shine through us today Lord Jesus, so that our friends might see Jesus. For I ask these things in and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Effects Of Your Sin

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Live in peace, Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, Needs, Peace, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-09-05
WRITTEN AT: Sebring, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 22:16-18
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 All of the Lord’s people have gathered together and have sent us to find out why you are unfaithful to our God. You have turned your backs on the Lord by building that altar. Why are you rebelling against him? 17 Wasn’t our people’s sin at Peor terrible enough for you? The Lord punished us by sending a horrible sickness that killed many of us, and we still suffer because of that sin. 18 Now you are turning your backs on the Lord again. If you don’t stop rebelling against the Lord right now, he will be angry at the whole nation. 

APPLICATION: When disaster strikes, the impact of that terrible time will often stick with us much longer than we care to even think about. In Peor, the Israelites saw many of their leaders killed, and also many of their own people – over 24,000 of them. Because of their unfaithfulness to God, that resulted in them creating idols and worshipping them, there was a time of desperation and mourning because of the loss of life and hurt throughout their camp, even though they were not necessarily a part of the evil they were doing. But just as we try to shy away from things that caused previous hurts, the hearts of the Israelites were immediately affected when they heard of some of their fellow tribes building another altar. They had already decided that they would go to war over this infraction, but before they did, they wanted to try and work out the problem in love first. So they sent a contingent of leaders to speak with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. There are a few lessons for us in this story: 1). The sin that we commit will often have a detrimental effect on others. Stay true to God and to each other by considering everyone before you go out and commit crimes that will affect them; 2). Nip the problem in the bud immediately. Don’t let it fester and allow you to build animosity against your neighbor. Remember, it is always good to consider the heart of an innocent Brother in a situation before forging forward with your own selfish desires. Loved ones can and will be impacted by your selfish and angry motives; 3). Always try to resolve matters diplomatically and in love before you start a war that you will soon regret.
Notice that the contingent not only satisfied their own minds about what they thought was a huge issue, but they were able to return to their own tribes and speak favorably about their neighboring tribes. It is always better to be the encourager and peacemaker, rather than the agitator who arouses the anger of those opposed to a situation to which they don’t have all the facts. I learned as a child that you will either through gas on a fire already inflamed, or you could through water to extinguish the fire. For as much as lies within you, be a peacemaker rather than one who creates a war that will impact many other innocent members of your group, family and/or friends.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The Israelites were ready for war against their neighboring tribesmen, but they did all within their power to avoid war and death. Often our actions could create war, but by the grace of God, may we all strive for peace and goodwill in order to protect the innocent.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I believe that we were created to live in peace and with hearts filled with love, like our Maker. Please intervene when the evil one interferes and raises up anger in our hearts. Help us to always stand for what is right without ever building animosity for the one destined to do life by following their own inclination. May the lesson learned from the Israelites who tried to stop, what appeared to be evil in the making, be an ongoing example for Your children today. May the world see that Jesus is alive and well, because they see You at work in the lives of Your children. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

An Attitude of Appreciation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Attitude, Love, Love God, Love your Neighbor, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Unconditional love, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-08-06
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 7:44-47
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love….

APPLICATION: Although our Scripture seems longer than normal, it is packed with a challenge from our Savior about what He sees as appreciation from His children. I believe that each week when we meet in church services, we always make sure that we’re dressed properly, we have our Bible with us, and that our favorite preacher will be in the pulpit that day at church. We arrive at church and we carefully examine all the new fashions on display by attendees, and we pay close attention to who will come over and greet us. Most of the time we will participate in the worship songs, if they are appealing to our ears, and we anxiously wait for the preacher’s ‘entertainment’. We are the first out, so we could avoid the traffic in exiting the property, and it also allows us first dibs at the local restaurant. If the pastor requests a visit to our home, it must be cleared in advance to allow us time to make our home presentable. Sounds pretty typical, right? But how well will you handle variances? What if the local drunk barges in while the pastor is visiting? What if a known prostitute walks right up to a front row seat in your sanctuary? Will you need help staying composed? How do you suppose Jesus would handle either of the aforementioned examples? Friends, these are scenarios that we could possibly face any, or every day. Our response will be based on what’s in our heart. If Simon’s heart was overflowing with the love of God, I believe He would have welcomed anyone who came to worship his Lord, or wash His feet, instead of being critical of who the person is, or from what background they may have come from. She’s a sinner, but so was Simon before He found Jesus. Well guess what? That’s exactly the same case with you and I. God sacrificed His only Son for us – even while we were still sinners, so what are we willing to endure? How appreciative should we be to a generous and sacrificial God? My friend, we don’t have time to look around and judge others, we have a full time job getting ourselves ready for the Kingdom and staying in a shape of readiness each and every day. When we call ourselves ‘Christian’ or a ‘follower of Christ’, it means that we vow to live here on earth just like He did. We will obey His commands and follow His example, so that we may look just like Him. Jesus accepted the prostitute just as she was, doesn’t that mean that we should do the same? In other Scriptures, Jesus said that He came to minister to, and save, the broken and the vilest sinner. If we are truly determined to follow His example, then we too must be willing to accept the vilest sinner. When our hearts are humbled to this degree, I believe that we will then live in appreciation of all that our Lord has become to us, and we will then look forward to personal worship to our King, and for His love and appreciation for us as a church. Search deep inside my friend, and reexamine the reasons for seeking God out each day. Recognize His goodness, then you will praise Him in all honesty for His goodness. Allow me to encourage you to especially love those who seek after our Lord, for they are our Brothers and our Sisters!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus lovingly welcomed the prostitute and accepted her gifts of worship. We must be willing to do the same to sinners of all professions. All are equal in the eyes of the One who created them!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I’m ashamed to say today, but as I look over the roster of my church, I would place certain members at the top, some at the middle and others at the very bottom of my list of ‘great’ members. But I believe that You showed us in our Scripture today that You created all of us, and You love each of us equally. Please help us to be as neutral as You are in loving all Your children, and please help us to welcome sinners into our midst with open arms as we sing praises to the One who created them. Help us to look at our times of worship with one purpose in mind – to glorify our King! I believe that when we concentrate on You, our eyes are distracted from others around us that we tend to criticize and pull down. Please help us to love others like You did, and to be more like You in every way, every day! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Loves You & He Will Keep His Promises

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-07-22
WRITTEN AT: Canton, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 7:5-8
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 “You must break down the heathen altars and shatter the obelisks and cut up the shameful images and burn the idols. 6 “For you are a holy people, dedicated to the Lord your God. He has chosen you from all the people on the face of the whole earth to be his own chosen ones. 7 He didn’t choose you and pour out his love upon you because you were a larger nation than any other, for you were the smallest of all! 8 It was just because he loves you, and because he kept his promise to your ancestors….

APPLICATION: When you look at the largest issues around you, don’t you often sit back and question: Why Lord? What can I possibly do to help correct this? When you see sin occurring all around you, and often impacting your life, don’t you often question God as to why? and on what you should be doing to help correct the problem? Let’s stop for a few minutes and see what the Israelites were facing, and if God reassured them through Hi servant Moses, might He also have a word for us in the Scripture today. This huge body of people were enslaved in Egypt, and they were only released from that after God intervened and forced Pharaoh to release His people. They were led, fed and directed for over 40 years through the wilderness by God’s servants, because they had no control over their circumstances, nor could they do anything about their daily needs and dilemmas. The new, Promised Land, into which they arrived, were already occupied, and by nations much bigger than them, so we could only imagine that they felt as helpless as we do in the circumstances used in my introduction. But here’s where the answer comes in for the Israelites, and for us, I believe. Moses assured his people, and I believe that God assures us, that we are a chosen people. Drawn to the foot of the cross where Jesus forgives us of our sin and draws us into a sweet relationship with Himself. It is there that Jesus promises us a place in heaven where we will worship He and the Father for all eternity. Friends, our God will then watch out for us, just like He did for the Israelites. They were the smallest nation, facing huge challenges, but let’s be reminded that there is nothing too big for our God. If He told them through His servant Moses, that there were seven nations they would conquer (vs 1), it doesn’t matter what size they are, or how strong their army is, nothing could come against our God that He couldn’t handle. I am convinced that reminder is still very true for us today, so why do you suppose we struggle in realizing that our God will take care of us? We are part of the winning army, and we know that there is nothing that our God can’t do, so what’s the problem? We may not be facing seven nations, but for some reason our challenges sometimes seem larger than that. The answer is still the same, there is nothing that our God can’t do! If you know Jesus personally today, then you’re on the winning team. If you have chosen not to walk the path of righteousness, then you may very well join the opposing army. My desire is that You will see TRUTH in the Word of God today, and that you will make the necessary changes in your life. Know God my friend, and know the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Many have prayed for our salvation. God will meet every need, because of what He promised in His Word, and because of what He promised to our ancestors who prayed for us. Rest assured, there is nothing that our God can’t do!

PRAYER: Lord, now I see why You look at Your children and remind us of the lack of faith that we possess. You could move mountains, and You facilitated multiple victories to the Israelites over armies much bigger than themselves, yet we withdraw into our corner and worry over not being able to handle an earthly situation. We serve the same God, so Lord Jesus, please give us faith to believe, to ask, and to receive. Please continue to be God to us, and give us the faith needed to overcome earthly doubt and fear. May we be Your people who the world will look at in wonder, and gain strength from, as they seek out the kingdom of God. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Watches Over You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Love God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-06-29
WRITTEN AT: Tucumcari, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 37:23-24
TRANSLATION:New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.

APPLICATION: It seems like many days are filled with challenges that cause us to wonder: can it get any worse? Often it feels like we are at the end of our rope and holding on only by a knot, but we are thankful that all days are not like that! For the believer in Christ, we have a hope that surpasses all human understanding, for God repeats over and over in His Word that He watches out for us; He cares for us; He loves us unconditionally; He restores us from our brokenness, despair and disappointments and as promised in our Scripture today, He delights in every detail of our lives; He directs our paths and He holds our hand, especially when we stumble or fall! For my Christian friends reading this devotional, all of this is enough to help us rise above our doubts and fears. But it saddens us for our friends who have said ‘no’ to our Savior, and they are enduring serious days where they feel all alone and forsaken by the whole world around them. These are often our close friends, and we wish there would be something that we could do to help them. Sure enough, there is lots we can do to help. For you see, we are Christ’s representatives here on earth. Our friends need to feel the same love coming from us that we receive from Jesus Christ. They need to know that we are not judging them, but rather we are wanting desperately to help them through their struggles. They need to know that when they feel the world around them are against them and looking for ways to ridicule and punish them, that they could depend on the children of God to unconditionally love and care about them. To be Jesus in the flesh before them. Friends, we will never replace Jesus or be a substitute for Jesus at anytime – it’s impossible. But oh that we might be reminders to our unsaved world that Jesus is truly alive, because they see evidence of Him in us. May we always point them to the Savior so that they too might find rest and peace in Him in this troubled world. Always remember that God is watching over us – not just so that we might gloat in His goodness, but I believe, so that His goodness might overflow through His children here on earth to encourage others who need Him. A good friend always likened us to to one beggar giving bread to another beggar who needs Jesus! Just as Jesus watches over us, may our friends sense that Jesus wants to watch over them, because they could see first hand how His love reaches through us to love on them!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We have a Savior who not only saved us from our sin, but He watches over us when we struggle and/or fall. I need that reassurance, and I hope that you will also benefit from that reminder!

PRAYER: Praise You Jesus, for You care for us like no one else does, and when others despise us because of our failures. What an awesome reminder that, as Your children, we are to express that same kind of love to those that we know and/or come into contact with. But oh what joy it is to know that instead of giving up when we feel distraught and forsaken, we could lift our heads up high, knowing that the Creator of this Universe loves us and cares for us. Thank You Lord Jesus for showing us what real love is all about. We know that it’s easy to love those that love us and are kind to us, but now we know that through Christ we can also love everyone, just like You love us! May others see Jesus today, even if the only person they see is one of His children! Draw all men to Yourself today dear Lord, especially those we touch in some way. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!