Category: Persistence

Persistent Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Perseverance, Persistence, PrayerLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-11-17

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 18:6-8

Bible Text: Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

Yesterday we looked at a passage of scripture that spoke to persistence in prayer. Our study today looks at an example of a widow persistently petitioning before a court judge to the point that he felt battered and forced to give in to the widow for his own peace of mind. Sounds pretty similar, especially for Jesus to use this example to remind us that when we are persistent in prayer to our Judge – who performs justice on us, we can be assured that He (Jesus) will also answer our prayers. However, in verse 8 Jesus took this to a deeper, and even more sobering point for us to consider. We hear a lot of people say they will pray for us, and a lot of people who ask us to pray for them, but in verse 8 Jesus  may have been saddened when He questioned, or pondered how many will the Son of Man (Jesus) find with persistent faith when He returns. Friends, only Jesus knows the heart of man, but I believe the evidence shows that persistent prayers on earth only lasts as long as there are persistent needs. This would leave one to conclude that our prayers are more need-based than relational. What would happen in your home if you only spoke to your spouse or relatives when there’s a need that you have? Probably won’t be much of a relationship there. This is also the case with prayer, for based on our faith in God and our relationship with His Son, we would naturally find multiple reasons throughout our day to worship Him in prayer; praise Him for His glorious love and peace that belong to us who know Him personally; and of course, share with Him about our earthly concerns. I would highly recommend that you spend more time in your prayer life seeking the face of Jesus; worshipping and adoring Him and thanking Him for all that He has done for you and for those you love. Oh, and if there is time, share with Him the things that concern you most here on this earth and ask for His guidance, boldness and likeness of Himself as you minister among His people today. Please don’t waste your prayer time with Jesus on just a list of needs and/or petitions. Savor in His goodness first, then ask, if you must. Without faith, one would never take the recommended  steps that I suggested because they’re only after getting answers for their specific needs. Be reminded friends, that our Lord and Savior is not a santa clause or a magician that some might call on for specific items, He wants a personal relationship with you and he wants to help you build faith in the Master of this universe. If Jesus returned today, will He be pleased with the relationship you have developed with Him? Please note that nowhere in scripture does it tell us the day or the hour when our Lord will return to take us home with himself. He just wants us to be prepared each and every day! Please read the suggestions in my Footnote to help you determine if you are scripturally saved and ready for the return of Jesus Christ! It will be a most wonderful day, if you’re ready!

Prayer

Lord, we are reminded again of Your return and the importance of our persistent faith in You, that makes a persistent prayer life possible. Please speak to the hearts and minds of all who might read this devotional today. If they know you, then I pray that they will work towards a persistent prayer life with You. If they are unsure of their faith in You, or if they know for sure that they have never accepted You as Lord, then I humbly pray that today will be the day of salvation for at least one. Please have Your perfect will in the lives of each of us today is my humble prayer oh Lord, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Persistent Praying

On By Ed AlgreenIn Perseverance, Persistence, Prayer, Seeking GodLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-11-17

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 11:9-13

Bible Text: 9 So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!

Bible Translation: The Amplified Bible (AMP)

My Take

At one time I asked a young man how did he land a waiter job at such a distinguished restaurant. He said he attributed it to the fact that he was persistent. He felt it was not enough to just complete an application online, but he kept checking with the restaurant manager to see if his application was reviewed and if he could have the job. Now friends, take a moment to consider that compared to the multitude of folk that apply so they could tell their loved one that they had filled out ‘x’ number of applications that day. The restaurant manager knew that the young man in my story wanted the job and would probably be just as persistent in being at work every day. In our story today, Jesus tells us just the opposite of what I have heard taught by man, for here we are taught to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. Do we think for a moment that God didn’t hear us the first time? No, but I believe God helps us to understand that if our need is important enough, we will continue asking. It really shows our heart’s deepest desire as opposed to just asking for something on a whim. In verse 13 we are told that we could ask for a deep indwelling of the Holy Spirit and God would be no less of a giver than our earthly dad, He would give the Holy Spirit to those of us that would ask. Now many of you may stop and ask like I did, how we thought that the Holy Spirit was given to us at new birth – when we invited Jesus to save us from our sin. Yes, Romans 8:9 confirms our belief about this. So I did some additional study on this and found that even after the promised Holy Spirit was promised to us, it was not an automatic indwelling with everyone as indicated in Acts 2:33; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4. The point that Jesus aimed to get across to His audience was that His Father will give of the very best that could be offered to His children when we ask. Friends I don’t believe that anything has changed in that last statement, for Jesus loves us with such a passion that He stood in our place at Calvary. He sacrificed His very life as the greatest gift to mankind, for His shed blood became the sacrifice necessary for us to be accepted into heaven to spend eternity with He and His Father. You need only to ask Jesus into your heart friend. Will you do that today?

Prayer

Father God, we give to our children, and we think at times that we even sacrifice for their well-being. However, You loved us enough to show us what the ultimate sacrifice could look like. Thank You for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus, and thank you immensely for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, our comforter and our guide in life. Lord teach us to love like You demonstrated love to us. I feel like this is required for us to present ourselves to a lost world as being your representative. Please have Your way in our lives this day oh Lord. May You be honored in every way through our character today. AMEN

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Be Diligent in Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Persistence, Prayer, TemptationLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-11-16

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 14:38

Bible Text:  38 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”

Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

Jesus had been around His disciples long enough that He knew their weaknesses, just like He knows yours and mine friend. However, He took a few of His closest disciples with Him to experience His agony; how He dealt with it (through desperate prayer before His Father); and how He wanted His disciples to be persistent in prayer at important times such as this particular time in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus also taught them to be very careful in saying things that they were not prepared to back up through their actions. This was particularly true with Simon Peter who vowed to stick it out with Jesus through good times and bad, yet when asked to keep watch and pray for just one hour, he failed. Friends, when we accept Jesus as Lord; when we are on a high because of a revival in our souls; and when we are around Christian friends, we sometimes feel like we could conquer the world for Jesus, and many times we promise Him to be a very consistent witness before the lost and needy. However, may I encourage you to examine yourself closely for the consistency in which you have lived up to your promises? In the presence of Jesus and the safety of like-minded friends it is easy to feel like, and promise to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but how often do we back down from that when faced with challenging individuals, or when we feel like we are on the’ battlefield’ of life all alone? Jesus coached His disciples, and I believe that His plea is just as sincere today for His followers like you and I, to be diligent in our prayer lives, because even though we may feel secure in our commitment to live noble lives before God and to be His witnesses everywhere we go and with whomever we meet, yet we live in this old sinful world that is ruled by the prince of darkness, Satan himself. Remember, our goal may be to stand firm in our faith, but Satan’s goal is to trip us up at every possible opportunity. So let’s trust God and obey Him when He pleads with us to pray diligently so that we may stand firm against the evil one. Satan is lurking around the corner to get at us, but only if we let him, for greater is He that is in us than he (Satan) that is in the world!

Prayer

Lord Jesus thank You for Your Word, and for Your encouragement and prompting to pray always. I’m sure that each of us face challenging times as we partake in this world in which we live, but as we were reminded in this scripture Lord, please help us to keep our eyes; our hearts and our very beings fixed on You. The source of our strength and the protection that we need from temptation is founded in You Lord. We need You daily to protect us and watch over us so that we may be living testimonies for You Lord. Please keep Your hand upon us today, so that as we go, our friends will witness the love of God in every way, and desire more and more to want to know You as their Savior. I ask these things in the name of the true and living Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 could 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Run With Purpose – You’re almost There!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Consistent, Persistence, Race2 Comments

THE HOLY BIBLE – 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ~ New Living Translation (NLT)

THOUGHTS: Imagine an athlete running down the track, and every time a friend shouts his name he runs off to the right to see who it is calling his name. Similarly, if a fan of his opponent calls his name, he steps off the track to check his running shoes, thinking that something is wrong. Do you think that athlete will ever reach the finish line in time to qualify? Paul drew an illustration similar to this in our scripture today. First, I believe you should settle this in your mind. Just as an athlete must meet certain qualifications to run a race, you will want to know that you have accepted Jesus as Lord of your life in order to enter the race that Paul is referring to. In other words, only Christians identify with the goal of seeing Christ face to face at the end of our race (the race of life itself), so you may consider that a prequalifier. Now when Paul refers to conditioning his body in order to run the race and endure to the end, he is referring to things like: strengthening our walk with Jesus daily so that we might know the Way, the Truth and the Life. Imagine running an athletic race without knowing the way to the finish line, or believing everything a coach tells you, or knowing for sure that the finish line exists on the other side of the track because you can’t see it from the starting line. Friends, we must remember that just as the athlete can’t purchase a ticket that will automatically take him to the finish line when the starting gun fires, so it is with the Christian life. When you invite Jesus into your life, you invite Him to save you, yes, but you also invite Him to guide your daily walk and talk so that as you travel this track (daily life here on earth) towards the goal (eternity in heaven with Jesus and the Father) so that you will look, sound and act like the athlete in competition – like a Christian ought to look – like Jesus. Friends, this is a very personal experience/relationship, so Paul reminds us that if we learn how to do this by the book, and we teach others, or preach to many, and don’t live like an athlete – a child of God, then we stand to be disqualified personally at the end of the race/life. I’m sure that you have found in life that in earthly relationships, way too many experiences arise, to possibly refer to a manual on the subject. However, if we live daily in close communion with the other party, we learn a lot about them and can generally handle the ups and downs as they arise. In our relationship with God, we must learn to communicate with Him – in prayer, Bible Study; church; fellowship with other believers; etc. so that we may condition ourselves daily to reach the goal, even if God called us home today? Think about it friend.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for making this life worth living by providing a promise for those of us that know You, to one-day reach out to grasp Your precious hand and hear You welcome us home to glory! What joy that brings to my heart today, even though I understand that the challenges of today may be even more challenging than the ones from yesterday. Lord, thank You for the assurance that You are by our side, guiding us, protecting us, encouraging us and loving us as we travel this challenging track, known as everyday life. Please continue to emphasize the importance of relationship with You, because that reminds us that it was You who took care of us and watched over us that day or that circumstance – something we really can’t attribute to happen-chance. Please speak to, and challenge my readers and I today about the need for daily conditioning, so that we may stay strong and determined to stay on course and stay the course right to the very day that You calls us home – our goal! I long to see that Day oh Lord, so I rejoice in the knowledge and expectation of that Day, yet plead for Your strong hand to be consistently upon me as I run this race. All these things I rejoice in, and ask for, in and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How to Avoid Relapses

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleansing, Healing, Persistence, SinLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 5:11-14): 11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. 13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”

THOUGHTS: The casual reader of this passage of scripture might cringe at the thought that Jesus would threaten the healed man that if he didn’t ‘stand up and fly right’ that something worse would come to him. The way that God spoke to me in this is that I was once healed from the awful disease of sin. However, if I keep playing with sin and giving in to temptation, then I will quickly relapse back into the world of sinful things. Often when this happens, the individual will sink deeper into sin than they ever were before. I feel compelled to challenge myself and my readers with this question: Who in their right minds would want to stand idly by and see a relapse of a decease such as cancer or aids (for example) and not want to do everything possible to hinder the relapse? Often a relapse will result into a deepening of the decease and could often lead to death, unless the individual takes the situation in hand and makes every effort to once again contain the decease. In the case of the man in this Bible story, he had been sick for almost 40 years. Although Jesus knew his need, he asked him what kind of help he needed. Jesus healed him of the effects of sin on his life, but He wanted to make sure that the man’s heart was right, so that his life would not become re-infected again. I believe it is evident from this story that doctors may treat us, and Jesus could even cure us of our deceases, but unless we do our part in obeying the same command Jesus gave to the man who was healed in this story, then we are subject to seeing even worse things happen to us. Let us therefore invite Jesus into our hearts and lives, so that by His power, we might be overcomers of sin. Perhaps then we might be healthy enough to actually help those who were once in ‘our shoe’, impacted by sin and seeing no hope of a cure to this world’s burden of sin and its effects on their lives.

PRAYER: ‘Jesus Messiah, name above all name, blessed Redeemer, Emanuel, the rescue for sinners…‘ Thank You Lord for rescuing me from my sin. Thank You for touching the lives of many who will read this devotional today in a very similar way. Thank You for caring about those who are careless and have no desire to invite You into their lives. May this be a day that each reader may examine themselves closely. May they be made aware of the impact of sin on their lives, and may they develop a desire to allow You into their lives and help them overcome the sin and temptations that this old world will quickly impose upon them. Lord, may eyes be opened today as to the effects of sin and the overwhelming impact that it has on our lives. May this prompt us to draw close to You, the only One with power to help us be overcomers. None of us would opt to live a life of sin, or return to a life of sin that we had recovered from. Please fill us with so much of Yourself that Your thoughts might become our thoughts, may Your desire for the lost of this world be our burden so that we might dedicate ourselves to drawing all men unto You. In appreciation, love and concern for my spiritual welfare and that of my readers, I ask all this in the powerful and strong name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak… with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Do You Believe?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, PersistenceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy To Read Version – John 6:64-69): 64 …some of you don’t believe.” (Jesus knew the people who did not believe. He knew this from the beginning. And he knew the one who would hand him over to his enemies.) 65 Jesus said, “That is why I said, ‘Anyone the Father does not help to come to me cannot come.'” 66 After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left and stopped following him. 67 Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.”

THOUGHTS: Divorce rates are at an all-time high. Churches are closing their doors because of low attendance, lack of commitment and/or lack of financial resources. What do you suppose might be the reasons for this decline in Christian/Biblical principles? Where do you stand friend? Isn’t it interesting to note from this scripture that this is not a new problem? In fact, these disciples who turned away and stopped following Jesus even had the opportunity to see Jesus physically, and hear Him speak in person, yet because they couldn’t grasp exactly what Jesus was teaching they decided to stop following Him? To put this into perspective, I believe this would equal the same thing as some today that leave the church because they don’t understand or don’t agree with the things taught about God, even if directly from His Word. I believe that we have become such a ‘politically correct’ world, that people are used to the idea of not being told directly that what they are doing is ‘SIN’. Folk have become accustomed to having things ‘sugar coated’ so that their blatant sin is dismissed as just a difference of opinion, or old school philosophy. A good friend had a pastor tell him and a group gathered this summer, that the Lord’s Prayer is outdated. Really? Unfortunately we have become so wishy-washy in our beliefs and our stand on what we believe, that we find it very easy to just walk away, like these disciples did with Jesus, instead of supporting our pastors and teachers with our prayers, our moral support and our attendance. Could it be that we have become so lax in studying the Word of God that we have lost sight of what it says, what it means, what it stands for, and the Master Designer that it teaches about? Could it be that we, like the disciples, turn a deaf ear to teachings that challenge our sin, and we find it very easy to just turn away and run from such direct teachings? Friends, let’s remember that we have a sinful nature, and since God’s Word is designed to challenge us on that ungodly nature, we will have our toes stepped on and our sinful beliefs and habits challenged. The BIG questions is: “What then will you do with Jesus”? Judas turned Him in and He was subsequently crucified. You may not be that cruel, but running from Him will hurt Him just as bad. Especially after He considers the return thanks for His enormous sacrifice that He made for you, even while you hated and rejected Him. You may attend church friend, you may have even walked the isle at church or you may read your Bible whenever you can get around to it, but do you truly believe in Christ? Have you invited Him to rule and reign in your life? Remember, there is no forgiveness of sin without first becoming intimate with God and asking His Son Jesus into your life as your Lord and personal Savior. Reading this devotional today is proof that it is not too late for you to seek Jesus, and His righteousness. Please read through my ‘Footnote’ for tips on how to know Jesus. Then commit to giving Him full control of your life, for the rest of your life! No turning back, friend!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe. Please help any and all areas of unbelief that may develop in me. Please touch the hearts of those reading this devotional who may think the same way as the disciples who walked away. We may not always understand why, but please help us to trust You with every fiber of our being and therefore find comfort in knowing that all things work together for good, to those who place their trust in You. We’re not prone to quit in other areas of our life, so please give us strength and confidence to never give up on You. It seems like there will be more and more pressure on Christians to stand firm in our belief. Lord, may we never sell out, but rather stand firm to the end. You did that for us and I pray that we will always be faithful to You. I ask for strength, persistence, commitment and assurance for believers today, so that Your people will be sure of the One in whom they believe and bold in standing firm in the faith right until the end of time. In the precious and everlasting name of Jesus, I ask all this oh God, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Persistent Faith Leads To Victory!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Overcomers, Persistence, VictoryLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – Daniel 6:19-23): 19 At daybreak the king got up and ran to the pit. 20 He was anxious and shouted, “Daniel, you were faithful and served your God. Was he able to save you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! 22 My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me. Your Majesty, I have never done anything to hurt you.” 23 The king was relieved to hear Daniel’s voice, and he gave orders for him to be taken out of the pit. Daniel’s faith in his God had kept him from being harmed.

THOUGHTS: I love that old hymn “Faith is the Victory“, for one line in that hymn states “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world”. This is the kind of faith that Daniel demonstrated. He and his companions had earlier been cast into a pit of fire because of their conviction to not eat the king’s food, but came out unscathed. Later, Daniel’s very jealous peers had a law enacted to trap Daniel into a definite arrest by the king. However, Daniel had a commitment to worship His God and that included praying to God at least three times per day. This led to his arrest and being thrown into a den of hungry lions. By this time in the king’s relationship with Daniel, he had gained confidence in Daniel’s God and therefore prayed that God would protect Daniel from the lions that he had him thrown into! Of course, it was a time of glorious praise when it was discovered next morning that God responded to the prayers of the king and Daniel by protecting him, even among very hungry lions. I believe where God got my attention in this story, and the area that I would like to challenge my readers on is: How secure or solid are we in our faith? Peter had enough to walk on water; Moses had enough to stand at the river’s edge and believe that he could lead thousands of people across to the other side without danger; Daniel had enough to be persistent in his actions of food choice and in his prayer habits to know that in all things he could bless the name of the Lord – whether in the fire pit or in the pit of lions. I was challenged to consider where I am in my level of faith, and I want to challenge you to consider the same question friend. Jesus said that if we have the tiniest little bit (the size of a pin head – a mustard seed) we could move even mountains. I believe that our ‘mountains’ are as pin heads (mustard seeds) to God. But do we have the faith to place our needs and concerns solidly in His hands and the faith to believe that “all things are possible with God”? I see no reason why we shouldn’t friend! For He has proven over and over in His Word that He is able! Why don’t we let Him be God in our circumstances today? We can celebrate with way more fireworks of praise than anyone in our country can for Independence Day this weekend!

PRAYER: Lord God, You’ve created the heavens, the earth and each human being. You provided a written account of all that You have blessed our early ancestors with and the miracles performed in their lives, just to show us that You care about Your children and that You would move mountains, if necessary, in order to display Your miraculous works. With so much to support our reason to have faith in You, yet we doubt at times. “Oh ye of little faith” is what you must constantly say to us weaklings, just as You said to Peter when He took His eyes off You. Please touch Your children once again with the miracle of life, healing, overcoming government oppression and overall confidence that You are still God and that You are still in control. Often things seem so out of control, that I believe we become depressed and feel defeated, as if You must have stepped away. Unfortunately, these may be times that You are challenging us to look inside and see if we have stepped away from our faith in You. Oh what a wretched people we are, for we are so often challenged to keep our eyes fixed on You and the wonder of our awesome God. Please forgive us oh Lord, and give us strength, power and will to keep our eyes fixed on You, in spite of what might be going on around us. You alone are God, and we are not. May we give You the rightful place in our lives today, is my humble prayer that I ask in the powerful name of my most awesome Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!