Category: Worship

Live Worthy of God’s Calling

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, How to Live, Live in peace, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2023-03-14
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATION: When God calls you to be His child, diligently pursue what it means to be adopted by God. When God calls you to preach, or teach, or pray, or visit the sick, or evangelize your city, be diligent in seeking how you can give God your very best and accomplish all that He has asked you to do. In the preceding verses, Paul had just explained what it will look like for the saved, and the unsaved, when Jesus returns. Although not pretty for the unsaved, Paul wanted the church to know that he was constantly praying for them. What will you do in preparation for Christ’s return?

APPLICATION: Many believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is and for what He can do for them. But there comes a time when each of us must decide who it is that we will follow and allow to be our master. The way this works is that when you become of age and able to understand the dangers of this world and its leader – Satan, and you do nothing about accepting a different, better, more loving, more moral, godlier leader, then you have accepted the fate of the evil one. God created us, and He wants the very best for His dear children, but He is quite the gentleman and therefore allows us to make our own life decisions. However, God made us smart enough to understand the consequences of our decisions. That’s why, in the preceding verses God permitted Paul to show no pity on those who know differently but decide to sin anyway. Today, mankind is no different to the ones Paul referred to in our Scripture today, other than we should not only learn from the words expressed in God’s Book, but also from the millions of saints and sinners who have gone on before us. Paul knew the temptations that saints would face while here on earth among wolves – Satan and his demons, so he vowed to always keep his church in his prayers. If one is saved and they struggle to see the difference in their lives, they may struggle with that, so Paul vowed to pray that God would empower each one to live worthy of all that God has called us to experience. As I meditated on that, I could only imagine that many of us take our decision to follow Christ way too lightly. We accept Jesus, because we felt His tug on the door of our heart; because we know that He loves us more than anyone has, or ever can love us; because we have heard, possibly seen, and actually experienced God’s healing in the life of others in need, and we want to experience the power of such an awesome God. But then what? Do we just continue life as before, knowing that we have an awesome power in reserve somewhere? I hope not, for there are millions out there who need that same Savior in their lives. When God saves us, He gives us a special gift. We don’t hide any other gifts in the sand so we could have it later in life, we put it to good use. The gift of salvation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, were meant to help us live like Jesus. You see, we may have heard of Jesus through going to church over years of church attendance and out of tradition. But many don’t go to church, so how will they hear about Jesus? Paul tells the church in our Scripture today, that he is praying that we would live our lives worthy of the calling to which God has called us. I believe that some have been called to serve in our churches in a fulltime profession. But I don’t believe they were called to do church for us. God wants us to let the world know who Jesus is to us – by the way we live. I believe that Paul discerned the need to pray for us in this respect, because if we feel it is ok to one day join with the guys at the local bar and drink ourselves into a drunken stupor, or cut up with the girls, all while our wife is at home caring for our children, then on the following day try to witness to a coworker about the love of Jesus, what type of witness did we display for them on who Jesus is? You see, others won’t just look at a given moment in life to discern from us who Jesus is, but they will look at our lives during the good times and in the challenging times; under stress and in total calm; on Sunday and on Monday. Will they see enough good evidence to truly know who Jesus is? If so, then I encourage you to join with Paul in praying for our church and its members, because I could guarantee you that not everyone can do as good as you! As a closing thought, please allow me to encourage you to stand firm in your faith and do the work you feel God has called you to do. If it’s cleaning the church, do it as unto the Lord. If it’s teaching Bible School, do it after complete study and making sure that you have applied the teaching to your life before trying to convince others of the need to apply it. Do let others see Jesus in you – your words, actions, lifestyle, consistency and in your obedience to God. Don’t waiver from the truth of God’s Word, just do life like Jesus did, and in obedience to all that He taught us to do, God being your helper.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: May the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified in you, and you be glorified in Him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: ‘Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on’. I love that old hymn because it reminds me of how dependent I am on You oh Lord. It’s only through Your power and Your strength that I could possibly be an example of You to others. But Lord, there are so many who need You in their lives. Give each reader, listener and Christian an extra portion of grace to be all that You have called them to be. Although many will refuse to pick up their Bibles, or to attend a Bible-teaching church, I pray that they will see enough of Jesus in us to desire a relationship with You. Use us Lord for Your kingdom, and for Your glory. 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 Impact When The Bible is Taught

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Impacted by the Word, Lives Impacted, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, 2023-03-13
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 17:7-11
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah….  8 He sent Levites along with them, ….. He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They took copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people. 10 Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

OBSERVATION: The Bible shows us how lives were impacted when the Book of the Law of God, the Bible, was taught. Current day history must include the impact when well recognized evangelists traveled the world and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ – as the Bible was taught. Churches today are still impacted when the Bible is taught, and the unsaved of our families and communities hear it and accept it. Perhaps we can take a few moments and allow the Word to speak into our lives, open our eyes, and show us the truth of God’s Word and how It can be applied to our lives today.

APPLICATION: In the days that the Bible was written, things were really tough – financially and morally. Yet we see God actively at work among His people in spite of those very tough times. So, what’s different now? Things are still very tough for many financially, and our country has probably never been so bankrupt morally. I find it very interesting in both the chapter we are reviewing today, and again over in 2 Chronicles 34, – king Jehoshaphat in chapter 17 and king Josiah in chapter 34 recognized that there was tremendous power in teaching the Law of God. Many responded, and surrounding nations who heard about the revival taking place, grew in fear of the Lord God. Why, some of their allies even brought gifts to the king in appreciation of the God that he had shown them through the Book. However, in considering where we differ today, it would appear that our leaders must be reading a different kind of book, for they seem to be more concerned about padding their own pockets than they are about the souls of their countrymen. Churches seem challenged to attract worshippers, and consequently challenged to find workers willing to sacrifice their time and effort to afford church leaders the opportunity to reach out to the unsaved in our communities. But you know, I believe that church leaders would be encouraged if they really caught hold of the impact that these two kings witnessed when they made reading the Book of the Law of the Lord, or The Book of the Covenant, or the Holy Bible to their people. Imagine the next time that church leaders were looking for Sunday School teachers, if they shared the excitement evident in response to these kings and their simple teaching from the Book that we still revere today? I’m afraid that we may approach folk with the depressing thought that the class may be suspended if you don’t soon find a teacher for it, or if you downplay the power of God to work through the teaching of His Word. In Hebrews 4:12 the Word declares that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, for it can cut to the root of man’s sins and his evil lifestyle. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 the Word declares that it is useful for teaching and points out to us when we are not living according to God’s design. Friends, this Book that David and his ancestors chose to read to convict their people of sin, is still the Book we use today. It was effective then, and it’s still effective today. May we allow it to do the work of Almighty God, instead of the constant badgering of our law makers for whom we are commanded to pray. We cannot continue to use the platform intended for promoting the Word of God to His people, to challenge and demote every decision that our lawmakers put in place. Our power rests in the name of the Lord, and in the freedom to vote out those whom we feel make bad decisions on our behalf, or against the teachings of the Almighty God. May God be our helper in all areas of life, especially in promoting His Gospel to an unsaved world.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Reading the Word of God brings results that only God can perform. Let the church work at making sure everyone hears the Word of God for correction and reproof.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please continue to teach us the importance of making Your Word a priority in the work of Your church, for from it we will see men convinced of their sin and saved from the terrors of Hell. Please Lord, impress upon everyone in Your service to keep the main source of ministry, as the main thing in reaching lost ones. I am so disappointed at how we use Your platform to put down politicians and the choices they make. Even if those mistakes are in opposition to Your teaching, that will still not save the lost who walked through our church doors. It is simply, and only through the blood of Jesus that man’s sin can be washed away. We don’t have a point to prove in Christianity to prove politicians in being right or wrong in their decisions, we have a Savior who loves us and who died to see us surrender our lives to Him. Then, because of the One who lives and reigns in us, we can follow the protocol of our respective countries in voting out bad politicians and voting in ones committed to serving our country in in line with Your teachings and Your will for mankind. Lord, let the church be the church. Teach Your Word and convict the lost of their sin. Politicians may follow suit if they see that we can do our part. instead of meddling in their 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!

Personal Descriptors For Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-03-12
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 144:1-4
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Bless the Lord who is my immovable Rock. He gives me strength and skill in battle. 2 He is always kind and loving to me; he is my fortress, my tower of strength and safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield. He subdues my people under me.
3 O Lord, what is man that you even notice him? Why bother at all with the human race? 4 For man is but a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

OBSERVATION: I pray that most of you will find your way to the house of God to worship today. Who you will worship, and why you will worship, will depend on your relationship with Jesus, God’s Son over the past week. I believe you can tell from today’s Scripture that David had a very intimate relationship with God, and because of that, he could describe the personal attributes he experienced with his God. If we could identify with David, then I believe we might be truly ready for worship. Be blessed as you enter into God’s house of worship today!

APPLICATION: In verses 1 and 2 we can allude to the fact that David was prepared for worship, and although nothing indicates that David was about to visit a church, yet in his mind, he had every reason to lift up holy hands and worship the God of this universe. In today’s environment, we tend to run through our week with total dedication to our secular jobs, with some attention to raising a family and strengthening our family ties. For those who feel committed to their relationship with God, they may knock the dust off their Bibles and read a few verses to satisfy the request of our Sunday School teacher last week. But if we are not careful, we may be challenged to respond honestly to the question “Why are you going to church today?” or “From your interpersonal experience with Jesus this week, what attributes can you use to celebrate Him today?”. After learning the heart of Dr. Tony Evans through several of his books and studies, I always admire his explanation of Bible passages! Here’s what he said about this Scripture today: David’s descriptions of God show us two things clearly. First, he considers God the definitive source of security. The Lord is a rock . . . fortress . . . stronghold . . . deliverer . . . shield, and refuge. To put this in football terminology, we would say that God is the ultimate defensive line. No opposition can break through. No other source of protection is as reliable. And the second thing that Tony drew to our attention is the evidence that David didn’t use these descriptions from a book he read, or from something he heard a recognized pastor or priest say, but in each description, David gave them his very personal touch – my rock, gives me strength and skill, kind and loving to me, my fortress (protector), my tower of strength, my safety, my deliverer, etc. Now, for you and I as we head out to worship today, we can borrow these descriptions from David, but to worship YOUR God, it sure would be more meaningful to reflect on God’s interaction with you this week and glorify Him from the personal feelings you felt in response. Remember as you head out to church, you are going to worship. Not just to show off your newest outfit; not just to hear your Sunday School teacher explain the Word of God – even though that would be a big plus; not just to fellowship with other believers – although that serves an awesome purpose; Not just from years and years of habit in checking off the box that says you attended church, even though that might be one of the best tasks you could repeat all week; Not just to keep the pastor off your back in following up on you for not attending church; etc. Try saying to yourself ‘because God has……, I will gladly go to His house and worship Him together with all my fellow worshippers. I will sing praises to my King because….., I will tell of His goodness because….. Friends, I serve an awesome God, and because this culminates a week of blessings, a week of identifying His will for my life, a week of Him healing my illnesses, a week of Him directing my paths, and a week of Him protecting me in my travels, I will go to His house and worship Him. He’s my God, and He treats me as His child. Nothing can compare to His goodness in anything else that I do. Dear ones, please remember the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind and worship Him today in the holiness that describes Him totally and completely.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Because of Your grace, Your power, Your goodness and Your holiness, who am I, no, who is mankind that You would love us, provide the means for our salvation, and prepare a place for us to be with You in Heaven one day?

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all that You have done for me. You have blessed me this week more than I could ever imagine or ask for. I worship You Lord! You are holy and righteous, and Your power is greater than anything or than anyone else could even imagine. Thank You for accepting me as Your child and blessing me in such awesome ways. Please also touch the lives of Christians today as they prepare for worship services, and for the unsaved as they consider attending church services. May this be the day of salvation for them oh Lord. 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!

Preparing For His Kingdom

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, 2023-03-11
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-6
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Dear brothers, giving thanks to God for you is not only the right thing to do, but it is our duty to God because of the really wonderful way your faith has grown and because of your growing love for each other. 4 We are happy to tell other churches about your patience and complete faith in God, in spite of all the crushing troubles and hardships you are going through. 5 This is only one example of the fair, just way God does things, for he is using your sufferings to make you ready for his Kingdom, 6 while at the same time he is preparing judgment and punishment for those who are hurting you.

OBSERVATION: Paul was able to help the Thessalonian church, to see beyond the heavy load of persecution, that God was still at work within them. But as we meditate today on the Word of God, I would like for us to especially tune into verse 5, then think about our prayers each time that we feel persecuted or tribulations arise in our life, or the life of our family, our pastor, and yes, even our church – God’s church. Seldom do we glorify God for them!

APPLICATION: Do you sometimes wonder if your prayers are on track – in accordance with God’s will, for you and/or others who are suffering in one form or another? We pray hard for God to cure that problem so the church could once again be like all other churches – relaxed in worship and praise over everyday blessings, don’t we? But what if Paul nailed it, when he said that God might be using those challenging situations to ready us for His Kingdom – just like he did told the church at Thessalonica? To help soften your mind and see where Paul was coming from with this line of instruction, think on these things: 1). Was Peter’s faith stronger when he sat in the boat marveling over the awesome power of God to allow His Son to walk on water, or was it stronger when Peter stepped out of the boat and trusted God to keep him on top of the water? 2). Could Moses have been just as faithful in believing that God was very capable of getting he and the million plus people following him across to the other side of the Red Sea, or when he simply held out his rod in response to God’s orders, knowing full well that God would make a way, some way, for them? and 3). Over the years I have been actively involved in a few churches. I can’t think of any that have not faced their challenges in one form or another. Really, it was a type of persecution, because those challenges tested the faith of those churches and their ability to thrive and show the communities in which they served, that their faith was in Almighty God and that they should choose to stand firm in their belief, and trust in the God who placed them where they were, under the circumstances they faced, and still represent Him as the Savior of the World. Yes, their faith was definitely tested, as indicated by Paul, but I never remember hearing any believer praise God for those times of testing as God solidified their faith for the Kingdom of God. Oh that God would send a ‘Paul’ to each of our churches to remind us that it’s God we serve, Him that we preach, teach and represent. It’s not the trials, temptations and tests of Satan that defines us, but the loving, all-powerful God of the universe, and He never changes. If only we could learn to always focus on our source, and not on our circumstances. Imagine being part of a congregation where we will hear our communities flock to our church because even though they heard about our struggles, temptations, trials and setbacks, yet we remain strong in the One who got our gathering started in the first place, and He will be waiting with open arms to receive us when life here on earth is over. Satan would love nothing better than to know that he and his demons are getting through to us and destroying the work of God. Please join with me in vowing that this will never occur under our watch, as God prepares us for His Kingdom!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: While God will take care of those who persecute us, we will benefit from His strengthening power as He helps us to keep praising Him – especially through the storms of life.

PRAYER: It’s easy to worship you and lift up holy hands in praise to You when we see Your good works and rejoice in Your blessings. But, oh Lord, it is very challenging to follow in the footsteps of the church at Thessalonica and continue to praise You when others persecute us and try to take advantage of us. I am convinced of what Paul told the church, that You would grow them spiritually when they stand firm in their faith during these difficult times. You didn’t promise us good times every day because we accepted You as Lord of our life. But in having You by our side, at least we can defy all odds and do things like walking on the water, expecting the waters to part so that we could safely march to the other side, and even more. Please Lord, teach us to trust You in the good times, and trust You even more in the challenging times, but to never lose hope in knowing that You are with us in every circumstance of life in which we decide to draw close to You. Show the unsaved that You are still Lord and that You are alive and well in Your church today – the ones that are flourishing, and the ones struggling to overcome persecution. 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!

Ensure Your Eyesight Is Properly Functioning

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, 2023-03-10
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 11:31-35
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 31 The queen of Ethiopia will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. She, an outsider, came from so far away to hear the wisdom given to Solomon, but now, something greater than Solomon is here: how are the people of this generation responding?
32 Similarly, the people of Nineveh will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. They, outsiders, responded and changed because of the preaching of Jonah, but now, something greater than Jonah is here: how are the people of this generation responding?
33 You need a light to see …. 34 Listen, your eye, your outlook, the way you see is your lamp. If your way of seeing is functioning well, then your whole life will be enlightened. But if your way of seeing is darkened, then your life will be a dark, dark place. 35 So be careful, people, because your light may be malfunctioning. 

OBSERVATION: I believe even today; we still ask for signs. Lord, shown me a sign that this is the right girl for me to marry. Lord, show me a sign that this is the right job for me to accept. Yes, Christians and non-Christians alike still ask for a sign from God. However, in our scripture for today, Jesus tells us of the primary sign that He will promote for all times. Let’s open our hearts to the Word of the Lord today, dear friends.

APPLICATION: This is not the first time that we read in the Scriptures where people asked Jesus for a sign, and as I said in my ‘Observation’, the practice continues today. Jesus declared that the sign of Jonah is the main sign He will promote. Remember, Jonah was in the stomach of a large fish for three days, and he survived to go on with the mission God had ordained for him – to evangelize the people of Nineveh. In like manner Jesus was in the heart of the earth for three days, and He also survived and overcame death, to go on with His mission of saving the lost of this world. I believe that Jesus wants us to identify with that example of Jonah, and the actual crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ, for in accepting that, we understand the only way to eternal life. But Jesus goes on to challenge us about other spiritual examples that mankind has grown blind to. I recently read the story of how the queen of Sheba went to visit with king Solomon. She had heard of his wisdom, and of course of his riches. Her visit revealed to her that she had not heard the half of it, for his wisdom, his riches and his godly attitude towards life and to others, way exceeded anything she had heard. Wonderful story, right? Well, Jesus reminded us that Solomon’s wisdom was nothing compared to that of the Son of God. Yet every generation have chosen to go their own way and accept their own vices to help them through this life here on earth. Why?? Secondly, the people of Nineveh, who were considered outsiders to the Jews, yet revival broke out when Jonah finally got on track and preached the message of God to the people. But wait, we have a message much greater than anything Jonah could have shared to gain the attention of the Ninevites. For there is One much greater than Jonah – He is the very Son of the living God. God sent His Son, Jesus, so that whoever accepts the free gift, or believes in Him, will not perish from the damnation of Hell, but will be blessed with eternal life in heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yet many choose to reject the free gift, while some accept it from a peer pressure perspective, or to please loved ones. So their eyes are still blinded to the pure, righteous, unconditional love that Jesus has to offer. Why?? Friends, unless we see Jesus clearly and accept Him honestly and unconditionally, then our eyes are blinded by the dark, just as those who have never heard of or accepted Jesus. Please don’t listen to religious leaders who try to lure you into their fellowship because they accept every form of person, or whether they truly believe, practice and adhere to the living Word of God. For you may very well have a spiritual malfunction in your eyesight. Remember, Jesus is who He said He is – it’s all in the Book – the Bible. When earthly ministers try to convince you otherwise, they are trying to blind you from the truth of God’s Word. Read the Book, my friends, and learn who God is and what He desires of you. He died for you, so that you might live in total 20/20 eyesight of Him and His kingdom. He made the way clear for you and nothing else will do. It’s impossible to follow any other path and end up in heaven with God. Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the light!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: There is only one way into heaven for mankind. Any other line handed to you is merely distracting from your mission to know Jesus personally and to follow His way!

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, You did so much for us, including Your sacrificial death on the cross. Please bound the hands of Satan from distracting Your children who are seeking to know, accept and serve You personally. Please clear the fog in our eyesight so that we can see You clearly. May that knowledge impact our hearts to desire a life fully committed to You. Please touch the lives of those who will read this devotional, may Your Word impact their hearts and bring eternity into focus. Only You can give us the strength to overcome the fiery darts of Satan, so I pray that each one will totally surrender to You and commit themselves for all eternity. May Your kingdom increase because of the eyes that will be opened 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!

No One Like Our God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, 2023-03-09
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 14:9-12
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 Now Zerah the Ethiopian (Cushite) came out against Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came as far as Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out against him, and they drew up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 Asa called out to the Lord his God, saying, “O Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and the weak; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in and rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” 12 So the Lord struck the Ethiopians [with defeat] before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 

OBSERVATION: In today’s world countries are troubled by larger and more complex countries and militaries, and the weaker might call on a superpower country to help them. Asa was known as a man who followed God’s commands, so when an army of 1,000,000 came against him with just 300,000 in his military, he also went to the only superpower he knew – Almighty God. As we consider these verses today, let us consider who it is that holds a position of power in our eyes, that we would dare call on when challenged by apparent giants – large armies, more sophisticated ammunition, large Satan-led corporations out to get the small man/woman, medical issues, loss of loved ones, etc.

APPLICATION: I wonder what it would take for me to build my confidence in God to a level like that of Asa. Although 300,000 sounds like a large number in an army, imagine facing an army over 3 times that size. But as you read the story of this king, you will see that he was so well known in the faith he exhibited in God, that people were actually moving from Israel to Judah so they could be under his reign. He didn’t just say he believed and then trusted God from afar, but he also acted on his trust in God. Think about this – Do you sometimes wonder why friends and acquaintances ask you to pray for them? Could it be that they see God in your life and in your reaction to the circumstances of life, and because they feel like you have a connection to God, they ask you to place their name before the throne? On the flip side, there may be some readers or listeners who may ponder why no one ever asks them to pray for them. But how’s your relationship with God, dear friend? Are you convinced enough about the power of the God you serve, and show evidence of the quality of relationship you enjoy with God, that others are convinced you actually serve the one, true, holy and righteous God of the universe? Remember, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool God, and hardly ever fool all of the people all of the time. The heart that’s impacted by the Word of God, and entrenched in sweet relationship with our awesome God, will be the heart that touches the lives of those they come into contact with. Asa showed those in his kingdom what it meant to be committed to God, to serve Him faithfully and to allow God’s love to make an impact on him so that he could have an impact on those who knew him. As we have been blessed, and as we have been diligent in communicating with God and reading His Word, so our hearts will overflow with the life and character of Jesus Christ, and so will our confidence swell in total trust to all that God is capable of. Let me encourage you to seek the Lord while He may be found, welcome His change into your life, so that you will always trust in Him and share His goodness – all for the glory of God.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Asa knew that there was no one besides God who could help his small army succeed against the huge army led by Zerah. Often, we face giants such as the one faced by Asa. Thank God for this reminder that He is able, just as He was for Asa.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for opening our eyes to the awesome power and love that You freely give to those who love and serve You. There are times that the things of this world will hit us like a ton of bricks, and we don’t know which way to turn. However, it is such joy to reconsider how serious our problems truly are, especially after hearing the challenge that Asa faced when going to battle with the Israelites. Please continue to push us towards the cross, the place that always reminds us of Your grace, and the power of God to overcome death. Help us Lord to always be diligent in seeing Your mighty works and be reminded of how nothing is greater than Your power over sin and the grave. Please draw that unsaved to Yourself oh Lord, so that heaven might be their eternal home. 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!

Our Daily Need For God

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Greatest Need, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, 2023-03-08
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 143:6-8
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude
7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

OBSERVATION: Although David’s issue may have been different to what any of my readers or listeners might face today, yet David served the same God that we do today, and He knew where to turn to when things were beyond his control. In his prayer, or conversation with God, we can be reminded of some key elements that we need each day to help us make it through. So, take a few moments to meditate on the Word of God with me, as we seek His face and His favor.

APPLICATION: When we are hurting in our bodies and our health seems questionable, we turn to our Primary Care Physician, or our family doctor. However, there are days that we just need a friend to talk to, with hopes of lifting our spirits and gaining more hope about the challenges we expect to face that day. Some turn to the daily horoscope, some to palm readers and some confide in friends or family who may have faced similar challenges in the past. But David had a proven track record with the Master – the Lord God Almighty, so I believe this was his first stop for help. In today’s world of social media, we read where some will demand certain actions of God, for they feel empowered to do this from certain Scriptures that they have interpreted a little differently to most of us. Personally, I tend to follow in similar footsteps to what David did. I believe David had such respect for God, that he probably bowed before Him in deep respect, or he may have even laid prostrate before a holy, righteous and upright God. David didn’t ‘beat around the bush’, as we sometimes tend to do. He openly acknowledged that it was not just happenchance that he chose to approach the throne of God, but he chose to approach God from a very desperate point in his life. He used a neat description to help explain how desperately he needed God and his help. So he went before God in prayer with lifted hands – declaring honor and praise to the King of all kings. When our land is parched from lack of rain, the ground cracks open ready to receive the blessing of rain when God determines the time is right. That’s how David felt in his need for God to rescue him in his desperation. That reminds me of mankind when we’ve tried every possible solution, then we finally turn to God in one final, desperate attempt to find answers. Notice that David was no different to us, in that this heavy burden was having an impact on his mental condition, for he was depressed, and he could even feel it worsening. However, our main lesson comes in verse 8, for David must have felt like something had come between he and God, for he asked that God fill him and place him on a right track each and every morning. Earlier I alluded to the fact that we tend to turn to God when all personal efforts have failed. What if we face each day with a prerequisite: I will make it a priority to seek the face of God – the One who created this day for me, and after much praise and honor to Him, I will open His Word to seek His will for me this day, and to ask Him to be my guide and help in every circumstance that comes my way today. Do you suppose that God will hear our prayer, see us turn from our wicked and selfish ways, and He will direct our paths towards opportunities that will promote the kingdom of God and remind every contact that Jesus is alive and well, because of the evidence they see in you and me? It worked for David, my friend, and I am convinced that it will work for you and me, because our God is still the same today as He was yesterday. I believe He anxiously awaits hearing from us each morning, so that He could bless us and send us on our way to be a blessing. Let’s not disappoint Him.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I am trusting you, Lord. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for another day. I know You created this day, and You created me and all those I will make contact with today. I believe that You have a divine appointment for me today, so I place myself at Your disposal. Please clean me up really good. Forgive me of my sin and make me whole again and a usable vessel through which You could complete Your work. Please place me in the right situations today where you can accomplish Your work through me. Please help me approach today’s challenges in the right way and through Your help, may I have the right words and actions to show someone my Master. Please touch the lives of each reader and/or listener and help them see You in some form today so that they might be reenergized to display Your works and honor Your will for their lives. Please speak to the hearts of the unsaved again today. Help them see You in real and meaningful ways so they will surrender themselves to 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!

Christian Conduct

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2023-03-07
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 12 Brothers and sisters, we ask you to show appreciation to those who are working hard among you and those who are your leaders as they guide and instruct you in the Lord—they are priceless. 13 When you think about them, let it be with great love in your heart because of all the work they have done. Let peace live and reign among you.
14 Brothers and sisters, we strongly advise you to scold the rebels who devote their lives to wreaking havoc, to encourage the downcast, to help the sick and weak, and to be patient with all of them. 

OBSERVATION: Many times, churches will split over division among its members, or if a conflict was not handled according to everyone’s wishes, even if Biblical instruction was closely followed. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is teaching the church how to avoid division and instead, see the work of the Lord flourish for the glory of God. That’s what we do in our homes, we insist on good conduct from our kids, and we demonstrate a great example before them every day, as instructed by God in His Word. Surely we can see the same success at church, right? Let’s see what might be missing.

APPLICATION: Why would God need to teach us about good Christian conduct, shouldn’t non-Christians be the target of such lessons? I’m glad you asked, because we all must be reminded that until we reach the gates of Heaven, none of us are perfect in our conduct here on earth. Satan is just too busy. That’s why we have law enforcement, courts and prisons. Just in case you are living off the grid and not keeping up with the news, there are many ‘Christians’ in prison also, for they too are being punished for disobedience to man’s laws. Many Christian marriages end in divorce, and many kids from Christian homes wind up in trouble just like their counterparts from non-Christian homes. Here are some principles that God wants us to be reminded of for His church. Perhaps if properly considered and applied in our church environment, we might also practice more Christlikeness in our homes:

  • Show appreciation towards workers and leaders (vs 12) – Imagine if this was practiced in our homes. Son, you did a great job mowing the lawn today, here’s some money to take you and a friend to the movies this weekend. OR, thank you Dad for working so hard to help our family enjoy such a comfortable lifestyle, for it truly hurts when I see some of my school pals come in tattered clothes, worn out shoes, and they hardly ever enjoy a good lunch at school. Don’t you know that this same attitude will carry over by these types of individuals while at church and seeing the mission of our Lord Jesus accomplished? Paul reminds us that this type of attitude will be ‘priceless’!
  • Develop a heart of love for your church workers (vs 12) – From a heart of love, you will bless, encourage, congratulate, thank, pray for and love those who work tirelessly in your church. Yes, they may ‘step on your toes’ every week as they teach, preach, admonish and try to help you walk the narrow way that leads to heaven. But remember, they are responding as honestly as they could to what they feel compelled of God to teach, preach, administer and promote.
  • Let peace live and reign in your heart (vs 13) – While we serve an awesome and all-powerful God who is very capable of loading you up with as much peace as you could handle, I believe that the Holy Spirit, who lives inside the Christian, will lead you into being a peacemaker in your marriages, in your homes, in your jobs and especially in your own minds as you speak with God each day, and from your meditation on the Word of God each day. The Bible is very clear that what is fed into your heart, will be reflected in the words you speak, the attitude of praise that you offer up to God and in your encouragement to workers of the Gospel. Seek to ingest the love, power and encouragement of the God who created you and stands ready to help you through every circumstance of life. Be sure that you can recognize His power that works for good inside of you.
  • Scold the rebels, encourage the downcast, help the sick and weak, and be patient with all of them – Friends, whether you personally fit in these descriptions by Paul, or if you just approve of your church and its leaders doing these things, know that each action is important, when handled in accordance with God’s Word. God didn’t mince His words when showing us, and telling us that we are sinners, but He does this from a heart of love for His creation. We imitate His discipline in our homes with our children. If we don’t discipline, do we truly love our kids? Helping the sick and those who cannot help themselves has almost gone by the wayside, all in the name of ‘COVID’. People who need us desperately are still waiting for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus. How are you doing with that? Lots of excuses we could find why we don’t visit the sick and help the weak, but if Jesus didn’t find any excuses in being there for us, so we should also not allow excuses when needs arise by those we know and hear about. Lastly, be patient with the rebels – remember, most of us were, and some still are, rebels! Be patient with the downcast, especially those who remain down and out even after you feel like you have done more than your share. Jesus didn’t give up on us, and we should imitate that characteristic when trying to encourage others. Be patient with the sick and the weak. Jesus may be trying to teach you something from the persistent and lasting help that you offer!

Especially when church workers are not paid for their time, they devote to ensure you are always ministered to, they may easily give up if they feel no one appreciates what they are doing. Encouraging the paid and unpaid workers will boost their enthusiasm to go on until Jesus returns! May you hear ‘Well done my child’ from the Master because of your prayers, support and encouragement to workers of the church aiming to present the full gospel to all who attend and all in their mission field.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God blesses us, and He also sends us to bless others in His name. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to You, Oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer!

PRAYER: To read Your Word, Oh Lord, is to realize that You know exactly what goes on in our minds what tends to discourage us, when we accept the challenges of ministry and try to do our very best in promoting Your love and mercy to Your children – churched and unchurched. It is so unfortunate that we tend to depend more on our human needs and wants while depending on our human desire for praise and appreciation. You went to Calvary after much humiliation and hung on a cross, as if powerless to do anything about it, although You are God and capable of doing everything. Speak to Your children today dear Lord and help us to always follow Your will while seeking to serve you in every way. AMEN!

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

Worship Blockers

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Distractions, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-03-05
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 15:16-20
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 Jesus then said: …. 17 Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? 18 But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. 19 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. 20 These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.

OBSERVATION: Isn’t it interesting how Satan distracts us from worship to our God by placing small petty things in our way to get our attention? The Pharisees, who were the leaders of the church in Jesus’ day, were keenly aware of the disciples not washing their hands before meals, but they were blinded to the sins that kept them from a personal, right relationship with God. Unfortunately, things light this may affect to us still today, more than we would care to recognize. Oh, that the Word of God might open our eyes today as we meditate on our Lord. That’s all – just on our Lord.

APPLICATION: As a teenager, I remember a situation where two sons of a prominent church member came to worship services one Sunday while I was at a certain church. One of the ushers immediately ridiculed the young men about their dress code not being appropriate for God’s house, for they wore a casual, short sleeved shirt. There’s no telling how long parents and friends had prayed for these young men to return to church, but the ridicule pushed them further away from the church than they ever were before. Yes, just the dress code prevented a person from hearing the Gospel or worshiping their Lord that day? If you have relatives who live by certain dietary restrictions, especially if they feel there are Biblical reasons, then you have probably been preached at for sinfully eating the wrong things. No doubt there are many other examples where people are considered ruthless sinners because they do not adhere to all earthly church rules. Jesus found the opportunity to speak to religious leaders over an issue very similar to what we experience today. As a child I was trained to always wash my hands before coming to the table to eat, but the Pharisees took this to the extreme by making it a sin if you didn’t wash before eating. But just as in the case of the Pharisees, Jesus is very aware of what the real sin is in our lives. Furthermore, He is teaching us in the Scriptures today, that sin against God has a serious adverse effect on our worship to the only holy and righteous God. But where does sin originate? As I read this teaching by Jesus, my mind immediately went on to think about what a person does when his heart is continually angered over certain things that he feels strongly about. I believe it would be virtually impossible for that person to respond in love, in happiness, in kindness and in a spirit of helpfulness, while sharing the unselfish, unconditional, love of Jesus with everyone they come into contact with. An angry heart invokes angry actions. You will note that Jesus used several other descriptors to help remind us that we will speak or react based on the content of our heart. Unless we fill our hearts with the attitude and character of Jesus Christ, then we cannot except to respond like He would. Take ‘love’ for example – Jesus went willingly to the cross for you and me, even while we were still steeped in sin. When we love like Jesus did, we can do His will and His work, regardless of the circumstances around us, or on what silly thing may have impacted us up to that very moment. To worship God in spirit and in truth, means that we can stand honestly before the King with no regrets, nor worries, about what may have provoked us into temptation. The Psalmist asked God to create in me a clean and upright heart. Perhaps we should seek God’s face in similar fashion so that we may stand before Him in all honesty and truth, with a clean and contrite heart. As we are sincere and true to God, then perhaps we could better enter into personal worship to Him, and treat everyone that we come into contact, with the love and grace of God. This is a day primarily dedicated to worshipping the living and almighty God. Please consider clearing your heart from anything that might hinder our corporate time together where God is the center and object of our worship.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our words to God in worship today will come from a heart that may be hardened because of worship blockers. May God cleanse our hearts once again, and make us wholly His, so that we may dedicate our time of worship to Him today, without any distractors or sin that might interfere.

PRAYER: I believe that the only heart that is clean when it comes into the presence of our Holy God, is a heart that has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, and one that has sought the face of Jesus for a renewed cleansing from the battle scars of this old world. So Lord, I beg of You to cleanse my heart and renew within me a right spirit, so that I may stand before You in worship without the distractions of this sinful world. Please also touch the heart of my readers so that they also might find peace in knowing You. May they desire a renewed cleansing that would present them faultless before the King of all kings. Forgive us Lord for trying to worship You through our distractions and our sin. May we not only come face-to-face with You in holiness, but may our lives be more usable by You when clothed in Your righteousness. 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!