Category: Obedience

The Results of Unfaithfulness and Disobedience

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2023-01-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 10:13-14
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 13  Saul died because he was unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord. He even asked advice from a woman who talked to spirits of the dead, 14 instead of asking the Lord. So the Lord had Saul killed and gave his kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how we’ve come to believe that being good enough, or attending church regularly, or standing out as an obedient and upright citizen, could all lead to eternity in heaven? In fact, we may even skip over Scripture verses such as the one today, because we personally feel like we serve such a God of love, that He would never beat up on us or destroy us. Saul, the first king of Israel, was approved for the position by God. He was successful in many ways during his reign, but we also know that he was pretty headstrong in many things, particularly in his actions towards David as his jealousy constantly increased against him. However, one thing that is evident in this story today, is that our God – our Creator and Sustainer of life, is a jealous God, and He will not stand for open disobedience and mockery to His holy and righteous name. Children are often excused from accidental actions that a peer may have encouraged them into, or they may have innocently tried because they didn’t realize that it would offend their parents, friends or even God. But parents would become irate over actions that children have been warned against, taught right from wrong in, and practiced before them consistently. For parents could clearly see that such actions were done in spite of what the children were taught. As we fast forward into adulthood, we find ourselves still wanting to do those things that we know displease God, but we do them anyway. Why? Dear friends, the enemy is still on the prowl and working diligently to steer us away from God. Satan is the one that makes you so busy in the mornings that you ‘can’t find time to read God’s Word’. Let me encourage you to reword that phrase just slightly as you are tempted to give that excuse in the future. Say this instead: ‘It was just not a priority for me to read God’s Word this morning’. The end result is the same, but the latter excuse better explains why you didn’t read God’s Word! Satan loads you up with lots of excuses why you don’t need to attend church services, and I’m sure that as you reflect back on the excuses given over recent weeks, you will clearly see that it was just not a priority for you and your family to be in church, learning more about God, blessing others, taking in the encouragement and blessings from others, and strengthening your walk with the Lord. Corporate prayer meetings are one of least attended services held by a church. If folk were praying regularly to God, would they not desire to share in that experience with fellow believers who are also seeking God’s face with the celebrations of praise, and petitioning for their needs, their family, their church, their employer, their unsaved friends and all who are hurting? How do you suppose Satan is trying to destroy your time in talking with God? I pray that God will open your eyes to see how these very weaknesses I just mentioned, are some of the very things that weaken our stand for the Lord. When one is weak, they become confused about who can help them, so they may turn to witchcraft for help in solving problems or seeing into the future, just like Saul did. When one is weak in their position with God, they tend to fall prey to their own selfish thoughts and practices, most of which may have nothing to do with God’s design for their life. It seems to me that God particularly placed this account of Saul’s death very boldly in our faces through this account in Scripture. Now that we have been reminded of how God will treat unfaithful and disobedient children, I believe He is offering the challenge to us today: What will you do about this in your life? Do you have changes to make in your priorities? Please don’t look at God’s Word as a threat to your life’s performance. God designed us, brought us into this world, and is patiently waiting for us to worship Him, accept Him as Lord and King of our lives, understand His Word and live obediently without looking for excuses. It’s your call my friend! What will you do with this lesson today?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are reminded of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the death of Saul. Praise God that we know the rest of the story! God sent His Son, Jesus, so that all those who acknowledge Him as Lord, will be saved. In acknowledging your Lord, I believe you will live a fully dedicated life to Him where you will follow in obedience and seek only Him in all of life’s decisions.

PRAYER: Lord, I surrender, again, – all of me, to all of You. Teach me Your ways and help me in my priorities to always place You first and foremost in what I fill my heart with each day. May I be so filled with You, that Your goodness, mercy, love and commitment will be indicative of You in every way. After such awesome wins in battle, and in being such a great first leader of Israel, it all seems like such a waste when Saul life ended in such an unfortunate way. I believe this is eye-opening to my readers and I today, for we can’t continue to do the same as Saul and expect different results. Open our eyes each day Lord, so that we may see Your glory, and desire to live in obedience and dedication to our Father all of our days. Use us Lord to touch the lives of those who need 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!

Willing To Break the Norm

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-12-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 21:1-3
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them.

APPLICATION: Surely one of the hardest jobs of parents (myself included), is to raise up a child in the way that helped us to be successful in our own lives. For as soon as we open the door and allow them into the community, whether at church, or school, or with friends, they are exposed to other principles, and they must then decide whether they will adopt their friends’ principles, or to continue following what they are taught at home. This is the challenge that I believe many of David’s generation were faced with, and it may have been the deciding factor in helping them chose the course of their reign. To please our parents, we tend to lift them up and earn their love and respect. To please our friends, we tend to not only earn their respect and admiration, but we gain a sense of being accepted, and possibly being popular among our friends. However, when we learn what pleases God, and we commit to following His commands, we will learn such commands as obeying our parents in the Lord. This was so important to God, that He followed the command with the promise of a reward – that our days may be long on earth. But for those parents who are meditating on this devotional, and perhaps nodding your head in agreement, thank you! However, let me also remind you that children thrive on understanding why we make certain requirements of them, and they do better in obeying when they understand why they are being asked to do something. Are you, yourself, in the Word every day and making every effort to obey the commands of God? Are you sharing your learning from the Word with your children? Do they know that honoring their parents is actually a command of God, and not just something you feel compelled to demand of them out of respect to you? It is so important for us to not only practice what says the Word the God, but to also teach our children from a very early age what God commands of them. The Bible reassures us that if we do this, and even if they stray from the Truth in their later years, yet the Word will be implanted in them and prompting them to listen to God’s correction, and His will for their lives. In the case of Manessah’s father, king Hezikiah, he received word from God that he was about to die (2 Kings 20:1), but in spite of his sin, he remembered that God was still on the throne in heaven, and he pleaded for an extension of his life from God. Although Manessah still chose to do what was evil in the eyes of God, can’t you imagine that somewhere in the back of his mind, he must have known that you can’t declare evil in the face of a holy God and get away with it? I believe that’s how our kids are. They may stray from the Truth, but deep inside they know that they are dishonoring God, and they will personally pay for their sin. How then do we help them become stronger, bolder in their commitment, and different from the rest – if that’s what it takes to stay in the center of God’s will? Of course, this might cause them to be different to what they see as the norm; what they have seen practiced by others in similar position to themselves, and in spite of all the recommendations pushed at them by the world. But remember, the God you know is much bigger, stronger, caring and more loving than any of the forces working on your children. To honor God, and to be a child following His example, will look much different to the ‘norm’, but it will be the right way if we are pleasing Almighty God. Those of us connected to God and have a personal relationship with His Son, have a direct connection to the throne of grace. In prayer, let us seek the face of God on behalf of those we love who need redirection and/or correction. Let us pray, dear friends!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God still answers the heart cry of those who seek Him, like He did for Hezehiah. I believe that God also watches as rebels do their own thing instead of following the example and teachings of our heavenly Lord. Oh, that we would strive to help those who choose to disobey God.

PRAYER: Lord, when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we showed the world that we were willing to ‘break the norm’, stop following in the ways of the world and instead follow You and obey Your commands. This becomes easier said than done, at times, and while we must first and foremost ask that You please help us achieve a consistent walk with You, even more so, we need Your help in offering support and prayer for our children and for those we come into contact with who struggle in their walk with You. It’s easy for us to look down on folk, as in the case of king Manessah that we read about today. But just as many prayed, and no doubt are continuing to pray, for us today, please give us the desire to also pray for others instead of seeking out their faults and failures. Help us Lord to love others enough to want to lift them up in prayer. 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 Honors His Obedient Servants

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Honor, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-12-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 18:3; 18:5-7; 19:25;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Hezekiah obeyed the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done. 
5 Hezekiah trusted the Lord God of Israel. No other king of Judah was like Hezekiah, either before or after him. 6 He was completely faithful to the Lord and obeyed the laws the Lord had given to Moses for the people. 7 The Lord helped Hezekiah, so he was successful in everything he did. He even rebelled against the king of Assyria, refusing to be his servant.
25 Sennacherib, now listen to me, the Lord. I planned all this long ago. And you don’t even realize that I alone am the one who decided that you would do these things. I let you make ruins of fortified cities.

APPLICATION: The two chapters referenced are extremely encouraging and exciting, as they remind us of our awesome God who is very much alive and responding to our commitment to Him. Please take time to read these two chapters again today. I was intrigued by the level of commitment by king Hezekiah. Let’s remember that many kings decided to not ‘rock the boat’ and change any of the evil practices of their countrymen. However, David was a standard bearer, as new kings were always compared to their ancestor, David. Changing the ‘norm’ is something that will raise up the people against their leaders, for they are comfortable with doing the same old, same old. Yet Hezikiah decided in his heart that he would continue to be faithful to his God, whether he was king or pauper. I wonder how often we let down our guards just to go along with the crowd, and not stand out by being different? Hezekiah must have often questioned whether it was worth it to be different and stick to his principles as taught by God and his ancestors, because he was challenged on many fronts. However, I was blessed to see how God took care of Hezekiah and his people! Hezekiah may have gotten nervous when the powerful Assyrian king threatened to wipe out he and his country, just as we get nervous when we listen to the news and hear about world threats that could easily escalate to include our own country. But notice how the similarities may end when Hezekiah sought the advice of a godly role model in his day – the prophet Isaiah. Notice how Hezekiah never cursed God, but instead went to the temple and prayed even harder. Notice how Isaiah shows nothing but sincerity in relaying to Hezekiah exactly what God told him, without adding any of his personal ideas or recommendations. Notice how, through God message to Isaiah, He revealed to Hezekiah that these challenges from the Asyrian king was not a surprise to Him, but it was all in God’s plan! Notice how, even when things we read in the Bible, or in prophesies revealed to us, things may seem so far out that it’s hard to imagine the plan of God, yet we see through yet another situation where God will never withhold His blessing, or reserve His mighty plan, but instead He will do what He promised. Things beyond our control often seem impossible to us, but with the grace of God, and in His mighty power, God will never renege on His promises – He will take care of us! Let me encourage you, dear friends, to trust in the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind, and He will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). He did it for Hezekiah and He will do it for you!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Overnight the Asyrian army lost 185,000 men, while Hezekiah did nothing but trusting, obeying and believing. There’s no army too big, or battle too complex for our God to handle – all by Himself! Believe in Him and watch it happen!

PRAYER: So much seems impossible to us today, Lord. The economy, war, hatred, politics, family squabbles and more. Yet we are reminded in today’s Scripture that You are a God who specializes in impossibilities for those who trust in You! Praise God that You saw me in my sin. You rescued me and saved me from sin and gave me eternal life with the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. While remaining here on earth, I tend to see in my human strength. Thank You for reminding me of the supersized challenges that You overcame for Hezekiah, who had fully committed His life to You. Because You proved Yourself over and over again in the Bible, I believe that my readers, listeners and I could stand at ease, knowing that we serve a God of miracles, and that Your power is much greater than anything we could ever imagine. Instead of panicking over issues that seem so huge to us, please help us to always turn to You as our Savior, and also as our all-powerful King over all heaven and earth. Nothing is too big for You, for You made it all and You have every right to do whatever You want with it. May our faith grow each day so that we may place our faith and trust in You, being confident that You can handle every situation just as You had planned for it! 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!

On Following Instructions

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 5:10-12
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed and you’ll be as good as new.” 11-12 Naaman lost his temper. He spun around saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not bathe in them? I’d at least get clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet.

APPLICATION: Throughout the Bible we are told of many things God did – that the people impacted, could never have thought of. Having never rained before, God had Noah build a boat to preserve the life of those God chose to save from drowning. Who would have thought? During their Wilderness travail, The Israelites were brought to a point where they couldn’t turn back without being eliminated by the Egyptian army, yet on ahead they faced the Red Sea. But God’s mighty hand made a way where there was no way for His people to cross on dry land, and the same miracle served to eliminate the Egyptian army that was in hot pursuit. Who would have thought? Word had gotten out about the miracles brought about through the prophet Elisha, so Naaman didn’t hesitate to travel in order to present himself to Elisha for healing. However, as indicated in the first two examples, God has the advantage of seeing what we need not just for the moment, but something that will draw us to Himself for as long as we are left on earth. Faith means that you would are willing to believe in something just because God says so, and not based on any previous experience or knowledge. Noah and his people had never seen rain before, but Noah was obedient to God’s command anyway. The Israelites had never heard of bodies of water being separated before, yet they chose to believe that the same God who showed them the parting of the waters, He would also keep them back while they obediently followed His command through Moses to cross over to the other side. Naaman felt like he was special, and as such, Elisha would methodically perform a personalized miracle on him in grand form. But notice in Naaman’s explanation of his disappointment that he was still referring to ‘his God’, meaning Naaman’s God. Wouldn’t you think that if you were going to travel a distance to see a prophet of God, for healing from God, that you would want to know that God actually thinks enough of you to heal you? Doesn’t it sound like perhaps Naaman should have met the Master, before asking someone to lean on Him on your behalf? Isn’t that how we tend to do it today though? Friends will demand that we have our pastor come to the hospital and pray for Susie’s healing – Susie, the one who has been a terror all her life and wants nothing to do with God. But doesn’t it sound like your friend, Susie, and Naaman must feel like God’s puppet will do whatever you demand of them? But wait, where is the healing coming from? Without God in the mix, let me assure you that Elisha, nor your pastor who is being demanded by your friend, could heal anyone. It is God, and God alone who heals. Both Naaman and Susie need Jesus. Yes, He may choose to heal their physical bodies, but what Jesus is really after is their heart, soul and mind, for then He could save them for all eternity and present them to the Father in heaven as a blood washed child of the one true God. Let’s show by example that we could follow God’s instructions exactly. Perhaps others will then see the love and mighty works of God in our lives and want to know Him also.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Naaman was brought to his senses and realized that God knew what He was doing through the instruction given through Elisha. Oh, that we may also acknowledge that Jesus is Lord – Lord of all lords.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for not giving up on us, even in our stubbornness, disobedience, and especially when we feel like we know it all, like Naaman. Please forgive us and help us to always respect Your commands, Your healing and Your love. Help us to never stand in the way of God working through us to touch the lives of others following in our footsteps. Your ways are not our ways and Your thought are different to our thoughts, so help us to always follow in obedience instead of looking for evidence or past experience to support Your mighty work. 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!

Obedience, As Unto The Lord

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-11-10
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 6:5-8
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

APPLICATION: To understand the full potential of this Scripture, we must look at the time in which it was written and the primary crowd for who it was originally intended. Paul wrote this at a time when there were over six million slaves in the Roman Empire, and at a time when slaves were considered less than ordinary people. This helps us to see these words in their original perspective. However, we know from other Scriptures that God not only prompted Paul in ways that might help slaves and their masters, but He also prompted David to be true and trustworthy to his master, king Saul, in spite of the king making endless efforts to pin him to the wall with his spear. In our Scripture today, Paul wanted to remind the Ephesian church that because of their main Master, they were to be humble slaves so that they might touch the heart of their earthly masters. I don’t believe that it was happen-chance that this teaching made it into the Bible, for I believe that God still has a message for His children – His slaves, to stand firm on their principles and the teachings of their heavenly Master, so that their earthly masters might better understand the truths and ways of our Lord. Friends, our earthly masters/bosses and our earthly slaves/employees always need to see whether we are sincere in our beliefs or our boasting about our Savior. Do we talk the talk and walk the walk? Under pressure and in full obedience, can we still praise the Lord? I believe that when we do as Paul instructed – “do as unto the Lord”, then we will remember that it was God who strengthens us each day for the job, He who gives us wisdom to understand the job, and He who blesses us with income so that we could bless others. When we keep that first and foremost in our minds, I believe we will work without grumbling, smile without the worry of the boss taking advantage of us, and feel appreciated without complaining of our pay. You know, it wasn’t until I retired and didn’t depend so heavily on my income, that I became very relaxed and enjoyed my temporary job to the fullest. It helped to open my eyes of the needs around me and helped me concentrate more on the concern for others. As workers in the Kingdom, imagine how much more effective we would be, if we served as unto the Lord, and not because we are tired of doing more than our share while others just sit around and complain. As a child of God, we owe it all to our Father!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: May God be the Master of our whole being, and not just our Spiritual Father.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for all that You bless us with. Please teach us to stop whining about our jobs and our bosses when we have a job. Also Lord, please help us to live confident in the God that we serve, especially when we don’t have a job. Please teach us to stay strong in our faith and in the Master of it all, in every aspect of our lives. Teach us to also strive to please You as our Designer, Creator, Way-Maker, Savior and Eternal Master, whether we have an earthly boss or not. For Lord, I firmly believe that when we please You, others will recognize whose we are, and will want to know our Savior as well. 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!

The Cause and Cost Of Disobedience

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-10-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 13:7; 15;
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 Then the king said to the prophet, “Come to the palace with me and rest awhile and have some food; and I’ll give you a reward because you healed my arm.”
15 Then the old man said to the prophet, “Come home with me and eat.”

APPLICATION: We are looking at two different encounters with the same prophet who was given instructions by God on how to respond to such questions. In the first instance, the prophet followed God’s instructions completely, even though it was the king who invited him to his palace. The prophet was promised a good meal and a reward, but the prophet stayed true to the instructions given to him by God. Very admirable. However, word got around quickly what transpired at the palace, so an old ‘prophet’ in Bethel thought that he would try his persuasive powers to see if he could get the young prophet to follow him, instead of the strict instructions given to him by God. So, as the young prophet walked away from the king and started his journey back home, the old prophet started his conniving actions. No doubt the young prophet was hungrier by now, so the old prophet caught up with him, convinced him that he was also a prophet of God with instructions for him and offered him to come and dine with him, the young prophet gave in. So, what do you suppose caused the young prophet to disobey God? Based on my personal experience, I believe that it would have been extremely challenging for me to disbelieve an older gentleman, and even more challenging to disagree with a man representing himself as a prophet of God. So, I really don’t know if I would have acted any differently, had I been in the young prophet’s situation. For much of my working career, I was told that I only see black and white and am almost blinded to any grey areas and decisions. Perhaps this means that I would have stuck to my guns and stayed true to the word of the Lord. But based on hindsight in knowing the end of the story, we know that the prophet’s disobedience led to his death. Friends, each and every day we are faced with decisions like the one the young prophet had to make. We know what the Word of God says, yet we cave in to the pressures of those around us, or to the attraction of more advantages offered to us. I had an old preacher friend say that he had to stay at our church until God told him to move on. For it was God who sent him there, and he couldn’t move until God released him from that obligation. I believe that principle may have worked well for the young prophet, for he was given instructions and he was expected to follow those instructions unless told otherwise by God. In trusting the old ‘prophet’, it appears like the young prophet may have felt like God sent him with different instructions for him. But Satan comes at us in various forms. He will give us every excuse on why we shouldn’t follow the will of God. And we are left with deciding in whom we will place our faith and trust. Perhaps today you feel tossed around in many areas of your life. Please allow me to suggest that you seek God and be willing to follow His commands exclusive of all other options that may come your way. How will you know it’s God? Know that His Word is always aligned with His will. There is no coincidence in you coming across Scripture on a day you are looking for confirmation from God on a decision. If this is also confirmed by a true saint of God in some form or the other, then you are looking at multiple confirmations to the instructions you received from God. Learn from our Scripture today that when you are tasked with carrying out a mission, do it without allowing any interference by one just posing as a fellow Christian or even a ‘Christian’ leader. Satan can choose the most unsuspecting person to misdirect us into his path.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will always guide us aright. His ways are not our ways, so His will might be way more than we could ever expect to see, but we are to trust God and watch Him work miraculously in us, through us, and all around us.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have given us the right path to follow and You have opened the doors of heaven to bless us way more than we deserve. Please Lord, strengthen and embolden us to be obedient servants, even when others try to distract us in ways that may even seem like they were sent by You. Help us to discern the way that is right and directed by You. I believe that when we follow You in obedience, You place us in the path of those who need Your help and Your guidance. Satan is very busy roaming around in search of all that he could devour. Lord, we want to be just like You and help to fulfill Your mission here on earth while we are able to. Please open the doors of heaven and bless us with all we need to represent You in perfect form so that those who are in need of the Savior will see you evident in our lives. Bless as only You can, heal as only you are capable and save as only You have the power to do so, In Jesus’ name, 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!

Strive To Please The One Blessing You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Glorify, Needs, Obedience, Pleasing to God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-10-30
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 4:29-32
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 29 Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌞another person⌟. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. 30 Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free ⌞from the world of sin⌟. 31 Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. 32 Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.

APPLICATION: In growing up, I’m not sure at what stage children’s eyes are opened to the sacrifices made by parents so that they might thrive. For example, how many meals did mom and/or dad have just vegetables so that the kids might enjoy an extra piece of meat? How many Christmases did moms and dads forego giving each other a gift, so that they could bless their kids with an extra gift to open on Christmas morning? God is even more giving to His children, for He sent His only Son, knowing that we needed so much help in seeking forgiveness of our sin. Yet Paul saw that the Ephesian church members were still acting like the world (unsaved rebels living like there was no God). Because God saw fit to have this as part of His final instructions to Christians, I believe He desperately wanted us to catch the heart of Paul in this teaching, as it clearly explains the heart of God for His children. I feel like the key phrase in these verses is ‘Don’t give the Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you’. Other translations say, “don’t cause the Holy Spirit to grieve over you”. Such words are used when a close family member dies, for the remaining family ‘grieves’ over losing their loved one. In the examples given in my introduction, we can easily see the expression of pride and happiness on our parent’s face when they see us achieving greatness or successful in our endeavors, but what if we stood near them as they prayed, and we heard them grieving before the Father over their disappointment in what they are seeing in us? That would tear us up and cause us much pain. I believe that’s the idea that Paul is portraying about our Savior, for He gave His very life for us, and it must hurt beyond all measure when He see us still acting like the world – like a sinner who has never even heard about grace or forgiveness. I believe we should be encouraged by this challenge given by Paul, for he not only encouraged us to put aside the evil practices of our old life, but since we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, with every intent to turn away from our sin and heartache, and follow the King of all kings, so too ought we to do the same in our habits and practices that once identified us as an unsaved sinner. In Christ, and with the special power afforded to us by the Holy Spirit residing inside of us, WE CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens and guides us towards holiness and righteousness, just like Jesus did. As you live each day, think about the words you would like to hear from Jesus when He calls you home to glory. My goal is to hear my Savior say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’. I pray that you have once again been encouraged to follow Jesus Christ in total commitment and to spend your life being just like Him, even while allowed to remain here below. Jesus paid the price for my sin, and He left me a ton of instructions to help guide me into all righteousness under the inspiration, and with the help of the Holy Spirit. I know we can do this fellow Christians, let’s just commit to it and do it – with God’s help.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God forgave us by separating our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. Now if we could only learn to forgive like our Father in heaven taught us to and exampled for us!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for loving us enough to sacrifice Your very own Son for the redemption of our sin. Please Lord, embolden us to be different and to live in love, like you did; forgiving others, like You did; loving even the unlovable, just as You did; and sacrificing for even them just as You did for us. Please help us to make a difference in this world, just as You made a difference in our lives. May we live in a way that pleases our Maker, our Savior and our Friend. To God be the glory for the things You have done in and through each of your children. Now, be glorified in us and through us Lord Jesus. 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!

Overwhelming Blessings!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Blessing, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-08-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Samuel 7:18-21
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 18-21 King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: “Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming, for you’ve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am. You’ve done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart! – but you’ve let me in on it.

APPLICATION: Based on the Word of God, I believe that we would easily discern that there was good reason for God to consider David ‘a man after my own heart’! For God not only saw the works of David, but He also knew the heart of a man, He created, that loved Him in return, and who was persistent in following the commands of God honestly and without reservation. It is so unfortunate that many in our day will try to attend church – if there’s nothing better on television, or no favorite stars performing nearby, or inclement weather for beaching or boating. In other ways, some will work on deals and relationships that are totally private to their bank, their pastor, their friends, and especially their family, so of course they think that God would never know about what goes on behind closed and private doors. Pastors and church leaders have lost their ministries when these things come to light, and church members who looked up to them, often leave churches while vowing never to entrust such a person again. Yet we wonder why such ‘honorable’ ministers are not receiving God’s rich blessings? I have noticed in reading up to this place in the Scriptures that David sinned, because of frailties in his human qualities. However, David persistently displayed a humble heart dependent on God for his position as a servant of the king; as the captain of his armies; as a father to his children; as a king to the largest nation of his time; and to everything ordered of God. In the prayer included in today’s Scripture, David acknowledged to God that he was so surprised over His goodness, because he knew that nothing was hid from God – none of his sins were unknown to Almighty God. Friends, when we know the will of God, and still commit our sinful deeds – especially those we think are in private, we can expect God’s wrath while trying to correct us, redirect us and still love us enough to see us return to Him. When we experience otherwise from God, like David did: loving on us; blessing us with good health; showing us what He has planned for our future; and giving us more than we could possibly handle; then we are forced into the humble position David found himself in when he sat before the Lord and prayed this appreciative, celebrative, yet humble prayer. Let’s be reminded today that there is nothing we can do to demand God’s forgiveness or His goodness, even if we attend church every time the doors open, of demand total honesty and transparency in our businesses. In the words of David, God will bless us because of who He is, not because of anything we have done or said in His name. We are no different to our ancestor, David, so God is looking for more men and women who are willing to live out the heart of God like David did. Has God discovered your attributes yet? Do you suppose that He sees His righteousness displayed though everything that you are in the eyes of the public here on earth? How’s your heart? Can it be likened to a heart after God’s very likeness? Not sure about you dear friends, but it seems like I have need to stay on my knees before God so I would quit acting out the heart of ‘man’, and start acting, speaking and loving like a man after God’s own heart, God being my helper. Pour out your heart to God today, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God blesses us because of who He is, not because of anything we have done to deserve His goodness!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, in deepest humility I dare pray to You, because I am reminded that You know my heart, You are well aware of my thoughts, and You know my intentions and prejudices. Thank You Lord for including me when considering the sacrifice needed at Calvary. Nothing, absolutely nothing can wash away my sin, but the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Lord, as my readers, listeners and I approach Your throne today, we come like David, knowing that You will bless because of who You are, because there is nothing, we can do that would be worthy of such mercy by the King of all kings. Thank You for Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your everlasting love that transcends all human love. We worship and adore You Lord Jesus for who You are, and for all that You have done, presently doing, and promised to continue doing for us! 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 Responds To Our Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-07-21
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 10:6, 9,
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 
 9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 

APPLICATION: Somehow I believe that many of us postpone doing what we feel God has ordered for us. We tend to wait for confirmation from other trusted sources, and we tend to wait until the very last minute, just in case we’re not sure it was truly God speaking to us. Where is our faith? Compare this story of Saul to that of a situation that we may hear is going on at our church. Saul was appointed king by the prophet Samuel. One of Saul’s first assignments involved an encounter with a band of Philistine prophets while visiting Gibeah. Samuel convinced Saul that he would also begin to prophecy with these men, because the power of God will come upon him. Ok, so what would you and I do in response to an old priest telling us such a far-out story? Having just been appointed king, don’t you think that our minds would be racing with ideas on what we would want to accomplish as king? We may hear about these extreme predictions by the older priests of our community, often we will try to respectfully dismiss what he is suggesting. After all, we can hardly believe they think that are about to prophecy?? Yeah, right! But friends, remember what I said earlier – God knows our very thoughts. Based on what we read in these verses, Saul had no reservation about doing what Samuel ordered him to do. He had no reason to question the actions of the priests he would meet, nor the matter of God’s powerful hand in his own life. Saul had faith to believe that if God’s messenger said it, he could believe it and proceed with the necessary orders given to him. Notice that God didn’t wait until Saul arrived at the well, or when he would be greeted the prophesying priests. God knew Saul’s heart and intent, and He changed Saul’s life when he turned and began to obey his orders. I believe that God might search our hearts today and examine our faith, to see if this story of His ministry to and through Saul might have an effect on us. Whether it would enhance our level of obedience without a bunch of questions. What do you suppose God would find? Would He be as quick to empower us because of the evidence of faith that He sees in us?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God performed His awesome work in Saul because He saw the immediate response to all that Samuel ordered of him!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for keeping us accountable for all that You demand through Your Word and through Your servants. Please forgive us for the times that we doubt and insist on doing things ‘our way’. Lord, may we always look to you for all things necessary for life here on this earth. We want to obediently follow Your commands, and to be Your hands and feet while allowed to remain here. Please continue to work through us so that the world will know You and witness Your good works. Humble us to be Your servants and Your likeness to a lost and hurting world. 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!

What Happens When God Calls You?

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-07-15
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 3:1-5
TRANSLATION: The Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, 2-3 but one night after Eli had gone to bed (he was almost blind with age by now), and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, 4-5 the Lord called out, “Samuel! Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. What do you want?” he asked. “I didn’t call you,” Eli said. “Go on back to bed.” So he did.

APPLICATION: We often hear that familiarity breeds contempt! In other words, it’s not until our spouse takes a trip without you, that you truly miss her company, her jokes, her cooking and of course, her love. When our daughter was young, she spent a weekend at a friends house. She returned home with a deep appreciation for our humble abode, and she immediately started cleaning up her room, because she realized how uncomfortable she was in an undesirable environment. But let’s examine the life of a Christian? Immediately after salvation, we are fired up and ready to save the world, but as time goes on, and as we are tempered by other ‘Christians’, we tend to be less consumed in our walk with the Lord. This is unfortunate, because if Christians do what, I believe God intends for Christians to do, then we would allow God to change our daily lifestyle. Dear friends, it is through the study of God’s Word that we learn His will for us; we learn to adopt His character; adhere to His teachings; and take particular note of what He is saying to us that day. It is through prayer that we get to speak with God, and as we pause to listen to Him, He speaks very boldly into our minds. It is through visiting the sick and shut-ins that God helps us to appreciate His rich blessings to us, while helping us to comfort our family member or friend that we are visiting. Of course we feel inadequate, and we might even feel sorry for what the individual is going through, but when we go in Jesus’ name, we are merely the messenger and encourager who delivers the hope of our wonderful Lord! In all these things, I believe we will subtly realize that this life is very temporary, and unless we and our family/friends have a brighter future to look forward to with the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords, then our time on earth may have been in vain. However, in doing these things, we find reason to exist and we remain in touch with our Master and Lord. We place our minds in a position where we are ready to hear from God and obey His every command. Samuel is an awesome example of this, for he was dedicated to the Lord’s work at a very young age. He could have rebelled, like many kids do today, but instead he prepared himself for a close relationship with God – one that would help him to hear the voice of God when He called out to him – albeit just as young lad with almost no experience. God could have chosen an older man, but what He had in store for Samuel, was suited especially for Samuel. That’s the way it is for you and I. We must never sit on the sidelines and wait for God to speak to our pastor, or our elders, or to our Sunday School Teacher. God’s message for us will be totally unique, compared to what He may ask of them. Friends, let’s just be like Samuel in realizing that, if God calls us to something, He will guide and help us through it, for His glory alone. Remember, we are the servant, and He is the Master!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God calls us to His service without consideration of our abilities, or age, or position in the church. We are His servants and we are expected to obey our Master’s commands!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for entrusting young Samuel with the awesome task of relaying Your message to a seasoned veteran like Eli. We stand at Your feet each day awaiting Your commands for us. Please help us to never complain about our inabilities, but always rejoice in the abilities of our Master who gives us our instructions. I believe that the world is looking for Jesus in action, so please Lord, help us to always be obedient to Your call and to always allow You the proper permission to work through us each and every day. Lord, be glorified in and through Your servant today! 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!