Category: Our Help comes from God

God Provides!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, God Cares For Us, God our Provider, Obedience, Our Help comes from GodLeave a comment

Scripture: Leviticus 24-25.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 25:20-22 (NLT)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holiness in Personal Conduct

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, God’s Word, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness1 Comment

Scripture: Leviticus 19.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 19:1-2 (NLT)

1 The Lord also said to Moses,

2 “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

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

The very first words I read in this chapter this morning caught my immediate attention. Let me set the stage and compare this to how applicable I see this to our lives today. God had just rescued the Israelites from the abuse of the Egyptians. He brought over 1,000,000 people through days, weeks, months and years of challenges through a wilderness travel experience. He kept them safe from theirs enemies, healed their sick, provided food and water in miraculous ways, and while not just proving Himself holy before these people, He provided many ways of showing them how they should live. Does this not sound like the way that our God still loves, protects and directs us today? In the verses observed here though, we can see how God seemed to have said to Moses: look, I want you to share with my people that they are set apart as my chosen people, they have seen my hand at work among them and they have seen that I am a holy God. I want them to live their lives imitating me, so they must be holy also. Wow, in applying this to our lives today, I believe that we can see that God is saying that we should leave the dirt and filth of our old lives behind us, and as taught in our decision to accept Jesus, we are to make a 180 and turn the other way, for we no longer follow the ways of Satan, the world and sin, but now serve a wonderful Savior that has shown us the way to finally be holy, loving, kind and destined for heaven. The rest of this chapter goes on to explain various principles that Moses was to bring to the attention of the Israelites, and these are still applicable to us today, because we have fallen into the same bad habits. Here are a few of the highlights that I feel are still applicable to us today:

  • Respect for our parents;
  • Observing a day of rest and worship – Son worship, not ‘sun’ worship!!
  • Helping the poor and needy;
  • Honesty in our dealings with others;
  • Careful in our speech – may others know whose we are through our speech and mannerisms;
  • Respect and help those who are handicapped – blind, deaf, etc;
  • Be a Christian boss and/or employer;
  • Don’t gossip – lift up, don’t tear down someone else;
  • Love your neighbor as yourself – physical neighbor, relative, anyone we spend time around;

Instead of highlighting the whole chapter, I hope that I have given you enough to encourage you to get into the Word and follow its teachings. As a practicing professional you would follow the guidelines and rules of the profession so that there will not be grounds for a suit. In Christianity, we follow the ways of God and His written Word (the Bible) so that we may honor God and look forward to His future rewards in heaven!

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

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my God. Thank You for showing me how to live my life pleasing to You. Help me to brush aside the ways of this world and stay focused on serving You, and practicing my everyday living in accordance with Your directions that are spelled out in Your guide/rule book, the Bible. Please may I be holy, even as You are holy!

It Will Be Worth It All

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Celebrate God, Christian, Encourage, Faith, God Cares For Us, God Reigns, Hope, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Peace, ProtectorLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 39-40.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Exodus 40:38 (NLT)

38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

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

This last verse of Exodus sums up how the people of Israel had maintained their faith in spite of all the challenges they faced during their stint in the wilderness. In fact, the book begins by telling us of their slavery in Egypt, but as we can see from this verse, it ends in glory by telling of God’s presence being evident during the day and the comfort of knowing that His presence was there during the night. During our Christian walk we encounter ups and downs like the Israelites encountered. I know that our challenges have been, and probably will be much different to anything we read in Exodus, and depending on how we look at those challenges, many of us will probably even say that ours were a lot greater than anything the Israelites faced. Friend, if we truly know and trust God then we will agree that we are on the winning side, the victorious team, with a bright future ahead of us, regardless of the circumstances we have come through or find ourselves in the middle of at this time. I love that song, “It Will be Worth It All“, for whatever I may go through here on this earth, it will be worth it all when I see the face of my Jesus, and live forever in His presence singing praises to Him. While here on this earth, I must learn to look beyond my challenges and see what victories will result for Jesus because of my circumstances. It’s all about Him friend of God! My challenges, or even what I may see as my setbacks, are all for His glory. What am I learning from these circumstances and how am I being made stronger because of these, should be my points to ponder, not crying the blues because of what appears to be heartaches and trials to challenge me. Thank You Father for being by my side and holding my hand each and every day!

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

Father, please help me to look at each day as a victory for You. Many days may appear to be normal and filled with challenges that may make me question if You were even there with me, but as a child of God, I know that You love me and that You hold my hand through all of life’s ups and downs. Please help me to not lose sight of Your presence and your promises to hold my hand each and every day. Please help me to be Your obedient servant by placing my hand in Yours each day so that I may stay connected to the power source and the source of encouragement, strength, guidance, protection and love that I need every day. I am on the winning side, and I have You as my Savior, Lord and soon coming King. There is nothing more that I need dear Lord! Thank You!

Do It All for God’s Glory!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Evangelism, Faith, God our Helper, God our Provider, God’s Word, Imitator of Christ, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Servants of God, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Matthew 25:34-36 (NLT)

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

Matthew 25:40 (NLT)

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Matthew 25:45 (NLT)

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

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

There is such a tremendous lesson in this passage that teaches us several things, or at least it has taught me:

  1. God has given us each gifts that we should use for His glory;
  2. These are attributes that may not cost us a dime financially;
  3. God demonstrated these attributes for us to follow, and He is the only one that we truly need to imitate;
  4. I need not look at a need and think about WHO should meet that need. If it was laid on my heart, then I need to follow through in meeting that need;
  5. No one is exempt from unmet ‘needs’ in their lives, so I should never exempt a person due to their financial status or the denomination of the church they attend or if they attend any church at all;
  6. The only praise that may result from the things I do is from God himself, but then He is the one that I want to always please anyway.

Oh to hear the words from my Master’s mouth, “Well Done Thou Good and Faithful Servant”! This is my desire friend, I hope that it is your prayer and daily desire also. Let’s make it our daily goal!

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

Father, I thank You for all that You have blessed me with. Please help me to use each and every talent, each and every gift, for Your glory. Please make me very sensitive to the needs of other and help me to do my part without prejudice as to who they are or what church they may attend, or even if they attend no church at all. They are all your children in need of a touch from the Master. May I be Your hands extended in human form!

Those with a vested interest, Give!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Giving, God our Provider, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Thank You Jesus, TithingLeave a comment

Scripture: Exodus 35-36.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Exodus 35:29 (NLT)

29 So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord.

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

I know that anytime there is a sermon on ‘giving’ someone will leave disgruntled, because they don’t appreciate anyone telling, or reminding them about their giving, or lack thereof. But before I talk about the verse above, let me just remind us that if we are to be imitators of Christ, we should never choose which attributes to imitate, otherwise we will miss imitating Him in all things! Let’s remind ourselves about how much God gave, and quickly remember that He gave it all – His one and only Son, Jesus, so that we may have life eternal. Now, can we really qualify why we shouldn’t give at least 10% of the money that God has blessed us with the health, knowledge and wisdom to earn in the first place? Can we disqualify God’s teaching about giving at least 10% for the ongoing work of the church? I thought it was extremely eye-opening to read the above verse this morning and note that for those with a vested interest, in other words they were anxious to help in the work of the Lord, and so they gave freely! Wow, does that speak to us today? You bet it does. When we become interested enough to give back to God in thanksgiving for all that He gave to us, then we will not only give of our talent and hard work, but we will freely bring our gifts to further His work. This is the method and teaching in 2 Corinthians 9:7, that we give cheerfully to the work of the Lord, not from a guilty conscience. If you are vested in the work of the Lord, you will give!

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

Thank You Father for giving so much to me. Especially I want to say thank You for giving Your only Son upon the cross so that I might accept that free gift and live eternally with You in heaven when You see fit to end my time here on this earth. Thank You for giving me health and strength each day to be able to work and earn a living. Thank You for blessing me with a job, especially during these days when I look around and see so many who are jobless. Thank You for doing such an awesome job in helping me budget the 90% of my salary that I am left with to meet my expenses. Thank You that I have always been able to honor my financial commitments. I realize that there are many times that I wish I had 150% of my salary, but those are times when my ‘wants’ are in overdrive, however as long as I stick with my ‘needs’ then I have no trouble. Thank You for being God and for being so very special in my life, especially in my financial affairs.

God’s Presence Sets Us Apart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Draw Me Close to You, Faith, Fruit of the Spirit, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Reflecting Christ, Things that make God angryLeave a comment

Scripture: Exodus 32-33.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Exodus 33:15-16 (NLT)

15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

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

In the preceding verses we see where God had really gotten angry with the Israelites for melting their gold jewelry and making a golden calf to worship, while Moses was up on the mountain spending time with God and not babysitting them. In fact, God became so angry until He decided to prepare the path for the ongoing journey of Moses and his people, but that He would not personally go with them – primarily because He didn’t want to lose His patience with them. I love the plea of Moses, and wish that I could take more actions similar to this during my leadership of God’s people. Moses pleaded with God for His divine presence with and through His people, otherwise he (Moses) was afraid that they would lose their identity with other people of the land. This sounds so much like where we are at today, it seems like the church (God’s people) has lost its flavor, its identity, its character. In fact, lost its first love, and therefore does not appear to the world to be anything like the Jesus they have heard us preach and teach about. There is little evidence that would set us apart from the people of this wicked world in which we live. Oh my, this is so sad, because God teaches us all through His Word about His character and the characteristics that we are to imitate in order to be more like our Father. Unfortunately, we have chosen to accept many of the precepts of the world instead, so we look more like them than we do the Father. Oh, how it must sadden my Lord when He sees His stubborn people who refuses to humble ourselves, pray and seek to serve Him wholeheartedly so that He might dwell among us and set us apart as His chosen people for a time such as this in which we live.

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

Lord, I am called by Your name. Please help me to: humble myself and pray often; Seek Your face in all that I do; Turn from my wicked ways and follow Your ways daily, so that You may claim me as Yours, use me as Your servant and heal me of my weaknesses and indecision, and in turn heal this land in which I live so that our eyes may be opened to Your love and Your truth, with anticipation of the day that You will call us home to be with You in Heaven. In other words, please help me to be all that I can be for You while here on this earth so that I can look into Your welcoming face and recognize the pleasure that You will have in being in my presence without anger. Thank You for loving me enough to encourage me through Your Word to live a life worthy of the Lamb of God! I need thee every hour, dear Lord!

Prepare for God’s Blessing

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, God Cares For Us, God our Provider, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 23; Exodus 29.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. Matt 23:37 (NLT)

… I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence. 44 Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.
Ex 29:43-46
(NLT)

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

My daily devotional normally takes me across one or more chapters in the Old Testament and perhaps one or more chapters in the New Testament. God spoke to me on the verse in the New Testament, about how He not only blesses me each day, but how He is looking to even bless me more – if only I would surrender myself to Him and allow Him to do all for His child that He wants to. This made me think about how I feel sometimes like a parent. We want to do so much more, but we need our child to do their part in order not to spoil them. Sometimes we want to do more but they rather try and do it themselves. I never stopped to think that we are doing the same thing to God when we take the reins and try to do things ourselves. We often mess up, but God is the designer and creator of this complex body that we live in, the creator and designer of this world with all of its intricacies, so why would I withhold from Him? I have nothing to gain. Total surrender to Him can bring blessings beyond anything I can ever imagine! Then in the Old Testament reading I saw where He did so much for the Israelites, including several chapters explaining every detail about how God detailed the material and design of the temple, then the same for the dress and ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests, then in the verses above it sounds like He just sat back and looked at all He had done and felt relieved that now He could meet with His people in the temple, made holy because of His presence. Now the people will recognize Him as their God who brought them out of Egypt and now they might accept Him as the Lord their God. Wow, what love displayed here and what an awesome father-figure shown here. God loves us so much and wants so badly to bless us beyond anything we could ever imagine, and our part is to just let go and let God. He’s our Father, He wants to do this for His children!

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

Father, often life seems so complex, and so often I realize that the challenges are way more than I could ever handle alone. Thank You for reminding me that You are very capable, and willing to handle these challenges and direct my paths. I am convinced that You want nothing more than to love on me; to protect me from the things of this life intended to harm me; to guide me through those challenging times of uncertainty, especially when I don’t know which way to turn next. Please help me to daily recognize that You are God, in fact You are my God and the same love shown towards the Israelites, is the same love that You would love to shower on me, if only I will let go of self and let You have Your will and way in my life. While this is my personal prayer, I also pray for my brother and my sister who may read this devotional and perhaps going through the same challenge, and ask that they too may receive a touch from You today and be reminded of Your love, protection and guidance. Thank You for being such an awesome, powerful, yet a super loving God!

God, Provider of All Our Needs

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Our Help comes from GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 27-28.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

29 “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord. 30 Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord. Ex 28:29-30 (NLT)

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

In Chapter 27 there were great pains in explaining how the temple should be built by the Israelites, now in chapter 28 great pains to explain every detail about who the priests would be and what they should wear. While this sounds very archaic, it reminded me about the respect we should have for God’s house and for His priests/preachers/pastors. These details were given to a people who wandered in the wilderness without food or water of their own. With all the details about the fancy building and contents we may wonder where the money was coming from to pull something like this off. However, when we consider that God provided food and water for a crowd, well over one million in size, each and every day. When we consider that He parted the waters to allow the Israelites safe passage across, then collapsed the ridge of water at just the right time to drown the enemy who was chasing them. Is there any wonder WHO would provide the means for them to build such a temple? Today we are so used to whining about everything that we really have trouble seeing through those things that seem impossible to us humanly, and seeing all that God can do as owner of all things and provider of all things. When we worry about how the church building will be funded, how the repairs will be funded, how the pastor will be paid, how the budget will be met, etc, etc, we must stop, drop and pray. The same God that provided all this for the Israelites, is the same God that we serve, and the same God that can provide for us out of situations that seem impossible to us. He made it all and He can provide even more – a lot more than we can ever imagine. As He shows us what to do, let’s never question where the funds, or means will come from. Let’s remember, we serve a Mighty God!

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

Lord, thank You for opening my eyes this morning to be reminded that You are God and God alone of this universe. You own it all! You will guide us into what You would have us do to spread Your Word and win the lost for You. To accomplish that, You will provide the means. Ours is not to question, but to obey and follow Your commands. Thank You Jesus for being my King, my Provider and my Shepherd. May I always lift You up as such and obey You in all things!

What an Awesome God We Serve

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Reigns, Love God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Surrender, WorshipLeave a comment

Scripture: Exodus 23-24.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

25 “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness.” Ex 23:25 (NLT)

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

In the chapters around this verse God had been dealing with the Israelites in their exile to the Promised Land. In all that God was doing for them, and in all the miracles He performed in helping them reach the point where they were at, yet He had to warn them about their temptation to worship other gods. Unfortunately I don’t see any difference in our walk today and in the way that God must deal in our lives. We read from God’s Word how awesome He is in all that He did for our ancestors; we celebrate almost daily over the way that God answers prayer and walks with us each day, yet we have such difficulty in giving Him our total commitment and undivided attention and worship. We may say that we worship no other gods. Friend, if you agree with my statement that we don’t give our undivided attention and worship to God, then we must ask ourselves where does the divided part of our attention and worship go? I would dare say that we are distracted by our other ‘gods’, such as work, worldly entertainment, etc. Oh how I realized, and was reminded how awesome my God is and how He alone deserves my praise, my obedience and my total dedication.

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

Lord, please so fill my heart with You that I will not have time to be distracted by other gods. Please allow me to display Your love in all that I say and do so that others will know that You live fulltime in my heart and rule my life in every way. May You always be prominent in my life.

Our Loving, Compassionate Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Faith, God Cares For Us, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 20.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” Matt 20:32 (NLT)

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

Two things were brought to my attention today from this chapter, all culminating in this short verse:

  1. I believe that Jesus holds His hand out to us daily and asks “What is it that you want me to do for you, dear child?” This is what He asked of the blind men who cried out to Him, so I have no reason to believe that He would not do the same thing for us when we cry out to Him for mercy, or whatever the needs are in our lives that bear so heavy on our hearts;
  2. Although I know how much Jesus cares for us, yet I was touched by this story today. Here it is Jesus is on a journey with His disciples and a crowd of people thronged all around Him. Yet these two men caught His attention more than all the crowd of people around Him. He was not too busy, or caught up in the moment with all His followers to stop everything, and go over to attend to the needs of these two men. Praise God that we serve a loving Savior with such qualities. No doubt there are millions that call on Him everyday, but I am once again reminded of the compassion He has for each of us that call on His name. He loves each of us individually, and will find time to stop, listen and respond in accordance with His will for our lives.

Praise be to God that we serve such a loving, caring and compassionate Savior!

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

Thank You Father for hearing my cry. Thank You for loving me enough to stop what You are doing and listen to my need. Thank You for responding in ways that only You can, because You know that I may ask unwisely. Thank You for protecting me by answering according to Your holy will for my life, and not always “yes” to my selfish and silly requests, that could ultimately harm me. Thank You for caring enough to stop, listen to me and answer with what You know I need, in order to bring ultimate satisfaction to me and full benefit to Your kingdom. You are my God, and I adore You!