God’s Word Says….

Romans 1:16-17 (NCV)

¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the Good News, because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes—to save the Jews first, and then to save non-Jews. ¹⁷ The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself—that it begins and ends with faith. As the Scripture says, “But those who are right with God will live by faith.”

My Thoughts…..

Like Paul, occasionally we must stop and evaluate why we are doing what we do. Yes, this is especially appropriate in our ministries today, for denominationalism, financial greed and selfish desires often become the driving force for growing churches. Paul reminds us that the following are some reasons why we should be busy about God’s work:

1. A deep love for God;
2. A love and admiration for God’s precious Word;
3. A full understanding of, and acknowledgment in, the fact that it is God’s Word that saves the wicked and ungodly of this world, not anything of our own ability;
4. A pure love for people of all races and all walks of life who need the Lord;
5. A personal desire to build up our faith in God, so that we can encourage and win others for the Lord. An act that requires ‘faith’ from beginning to end.

Challenge……

Friends, I know that you will not find all of the above things verbatim in the highlighted verses, but these are things that God directed me to an understanding of as I studied this passage. Perhaps you might be drawn to these things and even more as you study this passage. I believe that the bottom line is that we must learn to listen to God and be obedient to His voice. We must be ready to acknowledge that our efforts are not to be centered on what we can do or what we might get out of our efforts. As we love others and inherit a desire to see God’s very best for them, we will learn to earnestly pray for their spiritual welfare, and how God might be glorified from their changed life. I once heard a preacher say that he loved us way too much to see us go to hell! We need to take on more of that attitude, instead of constantly looking to promote self or gain from every experience for our own selfish good. Isn’t it time that we put self aside, love our family and friends enough to share the Truth and awesome power of God’s Word with them? It is the only thing that can save them and the only thing that can help them develop a right relationship with God.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, please help me to center my life on You and Your desire for my family and friends who are currently showing no fruit of ever being saved. I must acknowledge that I can’t save anyone. In spite of my desire to see this miracle, I just do not have that power. Please use me for Your glory today, as an instrument to share Your love and Your Word with those that I come into contact with. There are people in my realm of influence that need the Lord. I pray that I may not get in the way of Your much needed work in their lives, but that I may be obedient in sharing Your Word with them, so that it’s very power may indwell their spirit and convict them of sin and the need for a Savior. Thank You for the promise that You love us and care enough about us to save us from the ill effects of this world in which we live. Please impress the importance of this scripture upon the lives of my readers today so that they too might open their hearts to Your Holy Spirit and allow Him to accomplish His work among their lost family and friends. For I ask all this in Your most precious and holy name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Romans 1:2-6 (MSG)

The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God’s Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ!

My Thoughts…..

I believe that it would be a good idea for all who enter into service for the Lord, whether as a pastor, evangelist, elder, deacon, teacher or as a leader filling other areas of ministry, to stand up and declare their stand for the Lord Jesus, and their declared ministry purpose. I believe that Paul did this when addressing his fellow Jews at the very beginning of the great book of Romans. I also believe that if we are to be of any impact on the lost within our realm of influence – family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances, then we should, like Paul, clearly state the power of our awesome God, the purpose of Him sending His Son and the importance of why and how we must believe on Him. Especially if we want to live a noble life here on this earth and impact its inhabitants with the good news of the only One who can save us from our life of sin, and who makes His home accessible to us after our life here on earth. I believe this would be ministering with a purpose, and not just filling a job description. Paul declared this at the very beginning of the book, can we expect anything different as we continue through its chapters?

Challenge……

I believe we would show great expectations and goals in our ministries, if we would declare our purpose, and our allegiance to our Master, as we accept areas of ministries and commit ourselves to serving our Lord through His work here on earth. Too often our work for the Lord has been brought about because of an obligation by church leaders to fill a job description that might go unfilled, unless we step forward and accept it. Friends, I don’t believe that is scriptural, and I don’t believe God will use us if we do something out of a sense of obligation, and not from a heart of love and purpose. Now, I do believe that often God will use other leaders to encourage us into areas of ministry that we may not otherwise voluntarily step forward to do. But in accepting, I feel like we should have a similar sense of purpose and commitment that we could easily share, like Paul did, what we hope to achieve with God’s help and for His Kingdom. Sure, every job will have a job description, but we must learn to accept areas of ministry as a place to serve the Lord and to fulfill His great commission. If we aim at achieving anything other than God’s kingdom work, then we are leaving Jesus out of the picture and essentially doing our own think. We must love like He did, and we must serve showing His love through everything that we do or say. We must always remember that it is His work we are called to do, so we are to promote Him in everything we do, not ourselves.

Prayer……

Lord, from the very beginning You declared the heavens and Your glory in all that You did. You called men so that they too might fulfill Your purpose and Your will, so that all glory might be Yours. Please forgive us for so often getting in the way, for so often not allowing You to rule and reign through everything that we do. It often feels like the battle to win our world for You is being lost. Please help us towards surrendering Your work into Your powerful hands to accomplish Your glory. If You can use us to help in any portion of that, we would be willing, and eternally grateful. I acknowledge that we are mere instruments available to be used by You to accomplish Your work among Your people here on this earth. Please help us to be available to You, and not step in the way of Your mighty work. May Your will be the primary purpose and focus of our efforts in ministry for You, is my humble plea today, and I ask all this in Your most precious and marvelous name, “Jesus” my Lord. AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Psalm 1:1-3 (NCV)

¹ Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do. ² They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night. ³ They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don’t die. Everything they do will succeed.

My Thoughts…..

We are told in God’s Word that God himself said that David was a man after His own heart. In other words, David’s life looked like what God expected from His creation and His commands and/or teachings. This should be every Christian’s goal! In this very first Psalm, David gives us some attributes, or indicators of a blessed person, and I wanted to draw attention to these qualities so that today we may strive to achieve these qualities ourselves:

1).  They don’t listen to the wicked – this might happen when we listen to what the world is directing us to for happiness. Every time we turn the TV on we are given these options.

2).  They don’t go where sinners go – don’t go to a place where you would be embarrassed to take Jesus with you. Remember, you invited Him into your heart. Remember He lives and reigns in us, through His Holy Spirit. Will you really take Him into a questionable place?

3).  They don’t do what evil people do – these are folk that don’t know Jesus and have no concern for Jesus in the things that they do. Our actions are to be compared to what Jesus did or what He taught us to do. Pilots and doctors follow their text book for obvious reasons. We should be doing the same thing – those things that God has taught us to do or that His Holy Spirit is directing us to do. These will be totally opposite to what the evil person might lead us to do.

4).  They meditate on the Word of God, love His teachings and continually think about them – God’s Word is our text book. It is our guide to living like Jesus expects of us. To keep it fresh in our minds and to follow its directives, we must make it a priority to read it and meditate on it regularly.

When we follow the above, we become strong in our faith and committed to God’s commands. We will not be easily eroded away like a tree beside the water’s edge, but we will stand firm so that others might catch a glimpse of what Jesus actually looks like, and how, through faith, our lives are living examples to the unsaved.

Challenge……

As you reflect back on your life over the past few days, who have you imitated? Does your life reflect the ways of Christ, or just the general public? Did your life show enough of the qualities of Jesus that you were accused of being a Christian? Friend, you shouldn’t have to tell someone you are a Christian, they should know you are by your actions, your speech and your demeanor. Let us all commit to live our lives with the teachings of the Psalmist very prominent in our character and our actions.

Prayer……

Lord, we your children need You, and we need you desperately. To live in this world, yet to not live like the world, is very challenging. It’s like swimming upstream. It’s like doing just the opposite of what the rest of the world does. And this has become quite a chore for us. Please mold us into the persons that You need here and now to touch the hearts of the folk that need to surrender their heart to You. I know that it was this same power that gave David the strength to be called a man after Your own heart; that gave Moses the fortitude to stand firm for You, even when his people were plotting to kill him. I know that You can still give that kind of strength to me and also to my friends that are committed to serving you today. Please have Your will and way in our lives today, I humbly plead in Your precious and holy name, AMEN!

Action…

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 2:5-6 (GNT)

⁵ In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. ⁶ So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.

My Thoughts…..

I was once cautioned not to say to someone “I know how you feel”, especially if they are going through a circumstance that you may have never before experienced. We go to church every week, but unless we prepare our hearts for worship (in prayer and study of God’s Word), and unless we participate in the worship service by singing, worshiping, opening our Bible and following as the Word is read, and taking notes of what God is saying through His Word and through His messenger to us, we could very easily spend the hour daydreaming during these respective phases of the service. I have seen time and time again where one person may leave complaining that it was the most boring service they ever attended, while another attendee may have been totally impacted by something said or done. I believe that Job was saying he had been in ‘attendee’ mode up to this point in his life, because he had heard about the one true God. However, revival came to Job when he was shown how much God really cared for him. The scales were removed from his eyes through this personal experience!

Challenge……

In today’s scenario I believe Job would have said that instead of just attending church, and instead of just hearing the Word, He is now an active participant and an obedient servant who would do what the Word teaches. Friends, it is so easy to add knowledge to our database, but it is altogether different when we commit to follow in obedience all that is read taught and preached. Like Job, I believe that when our eyes are opened to the real truths of the Bible, and when we commit to living out its commands in our lives, then we too will be ashamed, convicted of our shortcomings and determined to be obedient to its teachings. So where do you stand today? Is your life based on Biblical here-say, or based on your personal experience and relationship with Jesus Christ? I pray that it is the latter. If you need to make changes, I encourage you to invite a friend to pray with you about it, and ask them to be an accountability partner for you. Please feel free to drop me an email and allow me to pray with you about the change God has convicted you to make in your life.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, I invite You to work boldly in my life. I must be an active participant in Bible Study and in a preaching service, otherwise my mind wanders or I fall asleep. I need You every day. I need Your guidance and Your touch upon my life so that I may stay closely in tuned with You and obedient to Your commands. Please break down every wall that stands in the way and interferes with me actually experiencing Your presence and Your touch on my life. Lord, please also touch the lives of my friends who might read this devotional today, that desperately needs a similar touch from You. Please convict them of their need for a Savior – my Savior and Lord, and for a living, active, personal relationship with You; and not one based on what someone else is experiencing and then sharing the experience with them. You are my Lord, dear Jesus, please have Your will and way in my life today so that I may represent You honestly and in reality. I ask all this in Your precious name, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 28:3-6 (NCV)

³ Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and bit him on the hand. ⁴ The people living on the island saw the snake hanging from Paul’s hand and said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He did not die in the sea, but Justice does not want him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt. ⁶ The people thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, “He is a god!”

My Thoughts…..

When you first start to attend a church, you will go through a time where members are sizing you up! Soon they will find ways to describe you to others, like you may never have imagined! When you start a new job, or join a social club, the identical thing will happen to you. Another great example of this is when a new pastor starts ministry at a church. The congregation will soon determine if he is ‘one of them’, of if he is going to be ‘a thorn in their side’!!! There was a similar experience with Paul landing at Malta (Melita). I could only imagine how the people watched every move he made and carefully analyzed every word he said! When Paul first got bit by the snake, the people immediately deduced that God was getting him for all the sin he had committed. When Paul showed that there was a greater Spirit working in him and defending him from such venom, the mindset of the people changed, and their analysis of Paul changed to be that of a god.

Challenge……

Are you consistent in your walk and in your talk? I once heard this old saying “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time”!! Friends, when Christ leads your life, His glory will shine through in all that you say, all that you do and all that represents your character. When you step into a room, people will quickly size you up. I believe that if Christians are ever going to impact this world for Jesus Christ, then others had best see the love and character of our Master, our Deliverer, our Friend, our Savior and our soon coming King. They will only hear us, trust us or believe us, if they feel our words are genuine, heart-felt and honest. Don’t just tell them what the Bible says, but instead show them! Let me encourage you to deepen your relationship with Jesus, so that His character and His love will be very evident in you! God was able to use this introduction of Paul to the people of Malta as a means of opening their hearts and minds to the ministry that He had planned to do through Paul. Let’s be sure that our lives are worthy of God being able to use us for His ministry.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, a doctor will only use a sterile, clean instrument to perform surgery on us. How much more You must look at us and question whether we are worthy to carry out Your work. How often You must brush us aside because of our unruly tongues, or our bad attitudes, or because we would only make a mockery of Your work in our present condition. I acknowledge Lord, that I can’t fool You. Others might see the nice suit on the outside, but only You can see the filth and dirt on the inside. Cleanse me oh God, see if there be any wicked way in me. Patiently show me Your perfect path and give me strength, boldness and obedience to follow Your will in all that I do and all that I am. May Your perfect will be accomplished through me in ministry to those that I come into contact with.

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:39-41 (NCV)

³⁹ When daylight came, the sailors saw land. They did not know what land it was, but they saw a bay with a beach and wanted to sail the ship to the beach if they could. ⁴⁰ So they cut the ropes to the anchors and left the anchors in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Then they raised the front sail into the wind and sailed toward the beach. ⁴¹ But the ship hit a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck there and could not move, but the back of the ship began to break up from the big waves.

My Thoughts…..

There are times in our lives when we realize that we are at a crossroads, knowing that if circumstances continue, based on what we see and understand, then we will certainly perish. This story about Paul and the passengers of this fateful ship faced such a challenge. While still out in the dark, deep, rough waters, while it appeared like there could be no possible hope, yet Paul received reassurance from God that no lives would be lost, even though they would lose the very ship that was carrying them. Paul shared this with the sailors and the passengers, and they were forced into the crossroads of believing Paul, or to simply rehearse their last moments on earth. Later, as the ship hit the sandbank and started to break up, I’m sure that a few of the doubters to what Paul prophesied, must have realized how God’s plan was coming together, in spite of their unbelief and doubt. But even at this stage we are told that the ship was still a ways offshore, plus we also know that not all of the passengers could swim, so I could only believe that there was still some panic taking place – a crossroads where they had to decide whether they should place their faith in what Paul shared with them, or jump into the waters that could possibly have led to their death. I believe that this story tells very clearly what happens in our lives, even today. We’ve heard that God can do all things, yet as we look at the circumstances around us we cannot see how our situation could possibly be resolved in a good, positive way. This is also a moment of faith, friend!

Challenge……

Where is your faith, friend? You want to believe, but you need to see and understand how it can, or will happen? Is that faith in an all-powerful and almighty God, or are you depending on man’s abilities and visible, humanly possibilities? God’s ways are not our ways, friend! Faith is believing in things unseen, yet possible through the powerful hand of Jesus. In any relationship, you build faith and trust in the individual that you spend intimate time with. You prove them to be true to their word over time. This is no different in your relationship with God. He will always be true to His Word, but on our behalf, it takes a proven relationship with Him to believe and trust everything that He tells us. We owe it to ourselves to build that kind of relationship with our Savior, friend! The same miracles performed for Paul and the 256 people on board that ship, are very possible in our lives, in all the various circumstances that we find ourselves. This is your moment of faith! Do you believe that your God has the power to perform miracles even today? Build up your faith in Him today, won’t you?

Prayer……

Heavenly Father, the Creator of all things, the Savior of all mankind and the great miracle worker, I am a privileged citizen to be able to approach Your throne with worship, thanksgiving and petitions today. Thank You for being such an awesome God to me over the years, and for showing me time and time again that You are truly God and that I have no reason to doubt You. Unfortunately there are still times when I look at life’s circumstances and feel like they are bigger than anything I or You can handle. I’m ashamed dear Lord of my weakness and lack of faith. Thank You for not giving up on me, and for continuing to speak to me like you did to Job – through the storm (Job 40:6), and like you did to Paul in this passage under review, in the middle of life’s storms when there seems like there is no way through. Lord, You are truly awesome and all-loving and all-caring. Your love goes beyond anything I know of today. I am Your child and I place my faith and trust in You. With my eyes fixed on You I can weather the storms of this life knowing that You are in control and will work all things together for my good. Please touch the hearts of my readers today so that they too may share in this revelation from You! For I ask all this in Your wonderful and precious name, Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:22-25 (NCV)

²² But now I tell you to cheer up because none of you will die. Only the ship will be lost. ²³ Last night an angel came to me from the God I belong to and worship. ²⁴ The angel said, ‘Paul, do not be afraid. You must stand before Caesar. And God has promised you that he will save the lives of everyone sailing with you.’ ²⁵ So men, have courage. I trust in God that everything will happen as his angel told me.

My Thoughts…..

Try to catch a glimpse of what Paul was facing and compare that to the challenges that you face. Paul was on a ship and caught in extremely bad weather. The sailors had lost control of the ship and had basically allowed it to drift with the winds. They had even strapped the ship to help protect it from falling apart. There were some 276 passengers and crew on board, and from all outlooks, it would appear that they were all going to perish. Now before I continue, does this sound like certain times in your life – especially times when so much seems to be facing you, and over which you realize that you have no control? But let’s have a look at how Paul handled this. He was able to go beyond the worries of current events and get before His Father in earnest prayer. He came away from that time with God assured that so souls would be lost, but the ship would actually be lost/destroyed. With this type of peace, Paul was able to stand before the people and share God’s word on the matter.

Challenge……

Like Paul, We too have peace in knowing that the same God who has charge over the winds and the seas, is also in charge of our struggles, our pain and our direction in life. Remember, we are His children, and especially at this time of year when we recognize our earthly fathers, we should know that God, our Father will tenderly touch our lives with His powerful hand of healing, new birth or simply give us direction for areas of our lives where we may ordinarily struggle to discern His perfect will. His love is unending and He will lead us and give us the desires of our heart that help us to be His imitators. I can only imagine God whispering to our troubled hearts, “No need to worry my child, I’ve got this, and there is no need for you to worry your little heart. I have shown you where I am capable of much larger things than you are facing, so turn it over to me. ‘Peace’ my child” Wouldn’t you yearn for that type of peace my friend? To those that know my Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, that type of peace is ours, praise be the name of the Lord! To those that would like to know this Jesus of mine, please contact me and allow me to pray with you and guide you. I would be honored!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, You know how stressed we are every day with all of life’s challenges, heartaches, decisions and hurts, so thank You for placing such scripture as this in our path. Thank You for reminding me that the main ingredient for peace in my life lies in my faith and belief in the anchor to my life, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have nowhere else to look, no one else to depend on, no other possible power to compare to You, so Lord Jesus, I commit myself to You wholeheartedly and ask that You kindly be merciful and energize me with the will to live like You did, talk like You did, care for others like You showed us in Your Word, and to show Your love in every phase of my life. My family and friends need You. May they see enough of You in me that they may be drawn to You more than they can ever dream of doing themselves. I ask all this in Your most awesome and powerful name, Jesus, my Lord. AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 27:21-22 (MSG)

With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.

My Thoughts…..

Many of us face challenges in this life, either personally or through the lives of family and/or friends very near and dear to us. We sometimes worry about whether there is any hope or good expectation that might come out of the situations that concern us. Friends, this is exactly the scenario that Paul and his friends faced out on this ship. As in our case, we are warned by God through various messengers – a pastor, Sunday School teacher, Christian friend or a family member, that our lives are not reflecting the image of Christ. However, in our independent, selfish and often obnoxious attitudes, we often snarl at them and send them away, so that we can do our ‘own’ thing. This is precisely what the ship’s crew did, they had no desire to change their plans because of one man’s warnings. Unfortunately, we often face obstacles along the way, much like Paul’s hardened audience faced, and unfortunately these obstacles can sometimes be catastrophic. Sometime we may survive the catastrophes and are able to hear the warnings once again, as we are given a second chance. Notice how Paul finally got the attention of the boat crew after they had tried everything they knew to do? It is so unfortunate that some folk are only open to God after they have tried everything else. Too often our idea of having time to try ‘one more thing’ has very little surety, just as the ship could have easily been destroyed prior to Paul having another opportunity to speak with the sailors. Our take away on this story is that we should never delay responding to God.

Challenge……

I have had young friends who have recently been called from this life very unexpectedly. In the prime of their lives, where it was really important for them to properly raise their young families. I’m sure they never dreamed that they would not have time for one more prayer request before their lives were taken. Not all of us can count on the second chance that these sailors were blessed with. Are you ready to meet Your Maker? How will you answer the question “Why should you be accepted into God’s heaven”? Because you are reading this devotional, it means that you have been given another opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus and give Him control of your life. But friend, the warning is clear throughout God’s Word that you have no assurance of your next minute or hour. Therefore, I am very motivated to encourage you into making a decision to invite Jesus into your life, right now. Today is the day of salvation, friend. The sailors paid no attention to Paul’s warnings and almost lost their lives without Christ. Please learn a lesson from this story and delay your decision no longer.

 

Prayer……

Dear God, I am so thankful that You send messengers into our lives, like You did with Paul to those sailors. This story is a warning to those of us who read it, that we must listen and obey the warnings You send our way. Please help us to see the need to open our hearts and allow You to govern our lives, our desires, our wants and our future. You loved us enough to sacrifice Your very own Son so that we might enjoy eternal life with You. Lord, may we love You enough to live our lives in obedience to Your commands. I pray that my unsaved/uncommitted friends that may meditate on this devotional, may catch a glimpse of Your love and subsequently make a decision to invite You as Lord and Savior of their lives this very day. Jesus, this is an awesome task that can only be accomplished by You, so I ask this in Your most worthy, and all powerful name, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 38:4-9 (MSG)

Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.

 

My Thoughts…..

I believe that Job felt like God and everyone around him had withdrawn their love and relationship from him, so for several chapters Job had really been criticizing God and blaming Him for wrongful punishment. His friends had made attempts to love on, and correct Job, but it seems like he was really having a hard time snapping out of it. God finally had enough and decided to give Job some perspective on who He really is. Friends, I believe that anytime we feel like God has abandoned us, the book of Job would be a good book to reflect on. Further, if there was ever a time when you may have felt like you really had this ‘life’ thing figured out, I believe that this particular chapter, and conversation God had with Job, would be a great reminder of how you need to get a grip on yourself, open your heart and mind to what God has to say and make every effort to surrender the controls to your life back to God. We have excellent reminders here of how God carefully, intricately and powerfully put this planet together, then He created us to enjoy its many blessings. If He loves us that much, won’t He all the more take care of our problems, concerns and difficulties while we live here, if we would only humble ourselves and ask Him to?

 

Challenge……

Friends, I was reminded in a recent sermon from Isaiah 40:7-12 that although this earth is made up of two thirds water, yet God said that the oceans and its water is held in the cup of His hand. The earth’s dimensions are measured across the span of His fingertips! Whom, or what then shall we fear? When old Satan tries to distract us with untruths we need to remind ourselves and Satan that our God is so much bigger than our largest problem or concern. I believe also that His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. So with all this in mind, why would we ever follow in Job’s footsteps and worry about our problems, or blame God for our circumstances. In our midweek Bible Study we are reflecting on scripture that show us how important it is to worship God before we ever start to ask Him for anything or complain about anything. When we praise Him, we remind ourselves of His awesome love and power. Don’t you suppose that our problems become less of an issue or worry to us when we remind ourselves of the awesomeness of our beautiful, wonderful, matchless God? I certainly believe so!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for often trying to take the reins of this life from You. It is very obvious that You created me and all that is around me, so please forgive me when I bellyache and complain. I am but Your humble servant, You are the Potter, and I am but the clay that is mold-able and usable by You. As I recognize You and allow you control of my life, I can actually be at peace, and my problems then would seem to disappear. Lord, I believe this is vital to our witness, for if the unsaved world see us worrying as much about the concerns of this life as they do, we are showing them that we are not surrendering to any greater power than what they do. This is very wrong, so I ask forgiveness, and I ask for added strength every day to stay focused on You and Your wondrous love for me. For my friends that might meditate on this devotional today, please fill their hearts with Your peace, and the determination to overcome evil, and worldly problems with the love and dedication that only You can provide. Thank You Jesus for loving us this much! All this I therefore ask, in the matchless name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.