God’s Word Says….

Job 37:6-7 & 14 (NCV)

⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the shower, ‘Be a heavy rain.’

⁷ With it, he stops everyone from working

so everyone knows it is the work of God.

¹⁴ “Job, listen to this:

Stop and notice God’s miracles.

My Thoughts…..

Elihu continues in his efforts to encourage Job, and this chapter has armed me with so many ways that I too can recognize God at work, and in turn, try to encourage a Brother or Sister who is so inward focused that they have lost sight of all that God has done, and is continuing to do for them, and all around them. Because we are not affected by snow in this part of the world that I live in, I will focus on the rain mentioned in verse 6. We often consider the blessings of the rain because of all the good it does for our growing plants, especially citrus, vegetable and flower vegetation. However I don’t believe that we stop to consider, like Elihu did in verse 7, that we had to stop our outside work during the heavy rain and storm. Why? So that we can stop and recognize the handiwork of God! Wow, how awesome is that thought? Now as I mentioned already, this entire chapter is devoted to showing Job, and us, how awesome our God really is, and in verse 14 Job was asked to just stop his whining, complaining and looking inward at his own dilemma, and instead reflect on the miracles and handiwork of God. In this way, he might be encouraged to recognize that God is still very much alive, active and providing his needs in so many ways. A lesson for us all friends!

Challenge……

Our challenge in this chapter of Job, is to take our focus off self and all that we wish God would do for us, to instead look for, acknowledge and praise Him for all that He is already doing to bless us and provide for us in so many marvelous ways. I was once told that instead of complaining about our broken arm, we should instead concentrate on praising God for the blessings of the good, whole arm that was unaffected by the accident we were in! I truly believe that in all of life’s circumstances we can still see God very much alive and at work. In many situations we may feel like the worst possible thing has happened to us, yet as we look back on that scenario years later, we could see how some part of that was used to bring glory to God – perhaps through a loved one coming to know Him as Lord, or something similar. We must remember, God’s work is way more important than our particular, personal problems. Let’s look to Him to work all things out for His good and His glory. Praise God if He can use us in that process, but let’s not focus so much on ourselves and our circumstances that we lose sight of the blessings occurring all around us by our wonderful, all-powerful, awesome God! Let’s be still and know that He is God!

Prayer……

Father God, please forgive me for my littleness and selfishness. Thank You for reminding me in Your Word today that Your work is really what matters. Ministering to me, my community, my country and this world will encompass times where things may not go the way I want them to. I must always look to You as God, so that You may accomplish Your will for Your glory and Your honor in everything that happens. At times this will not involve me, but please help me to praise You anyway. After all, if You heal a sick person in hospital, not only can I praise You for that healing, but I can recognize that You have truly blessed me with great health, otherwise I might be that person in hospital needing the healing. I am blessed dear Lord, and I praise You for being so gracious and wonderful to me. Help me to always look beyond my circumstances and reflect on Your handiwork, so that I might always remember and recognize the God who loves me so much. Please help me to be a lighthouse to my friends who are hurting today, so that I may point them to You and Your handiwork. For I ask all this in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 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 36:27-31 (MSG)

“He pulls water up out of the sea, distills it, and fills up his rain-cloud cisterns. Then the skies open up and pour out soaking showers on everyone. Does anyone have the slightest idea how this happens? How he arranges the clouds, how he speaks in thunder? Just look at that lightning, his sky-filling light show illumining the dark depths of the sea! These are the symbols of his sovereignty, his generosity, his loving care.

My Thoughts…..

Job was still being ministered to by Elihu because Job had really gone to the extreme in blaming God and accusing Him of wrong doing, because he especially saw himself as such a righteous person. Elihu had given a lot of advice to Job, but in these verses he was highlighting the awesome power and ability of God to overcome, overrule and correct any issue that Job had. During this time of the year when, where I live, we witness a lot of thunderstorms, these verses especially spoke to me. The last sentence was especially descriptive, as it helps us to understand that the whole concept of rain, clouds and lightning are all symbols, or illustrations or reminders of God’s awesome sovereignty, generosity, love and care for us! Friend, there truly is no God like our God!

Challenge……

Wow, how awesome is this reminder friends? For as long as we remember this, I believe that we will reflect on, and glow in, God’s glory anytime we see rain falling, or the lightning flashing across the sky! Is that not how we should be in our everyday demeanor? Others should reflect on the things we say and/or do and realize that God’s love is overflowing through us to truly bless them. Friends, let’s remember that God is sovereign, for He alone has the power to send the rain to bless our land, to heal our diseases and save our souls. His generosity is beyond measure, for in spite of our sin and ugly attitudes, yet He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die a cruel death on a cross, so that undeserving folk like us would have a chance of getting to heaven to be with Him throughout eternity! That’s true love demonstrated in ways beyond our comprehension or imagination! But do you know this Savior of mine personally and intimately? You’ll never accept these gifts of love from a stranger, so please consider surrendering your life to Jesus today, and allow Him to shower His gifts on you in real and amazing ways. Please contact me if you would like help and/or direction in surrendering your life to Christ. This is THE most important decision of your life friend! Please don’t take the risk of postponing your decision.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, You are awesome in so many ways! Thank You for loving us enough to care about our destiny long after we leave this old earth! In reflecting on this passage of scripture this morning, I also thank You for declaring your majesty, power and blessings on us every day. Things we tend to take for granted, yet You are fully aware of their importance to us for plant growth and food for Your children! Lord, there are some that will meditate on this devotional that may not have a personal relationship with You. Please use this as a means of awakening them and causing them to totally surrender their life to you and subsequently soak in, and enjoy the blessings that You lovingly shower on us every day.

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 26:17-20 (MSG)

“…. ‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.” What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life

My Thoughts…..

Paul was captured for openly proclaiming Jesus as the messiah, and in these chosen verses he continues with his self-defense, and especially his understanding of why he believes he was arrested. His life before Christ was awful. Filled with hatred for Christ, His church and His believers. We too are, or were filled with sin and openly rejected Christ and hated to see a believer getting too close to us, because old Satan kept reminding us that they would only try and share the mystery of the cross with us. When God enters our lives through our invitation, and with our permission, there are many changes that He draws our attention to. Please don’t brush this story off because you feel like Paul was so much worse that you ever could have possibly been. Your sin and Paul’s sin looked the same to God, for both lives were following a path of destruction and opposition to what God desires in His teachings in the Word of God (the Bible). Friends, for us to compare our lives to that of Jesus, and the ideals taught in His Word, I hope that you will agree that without Christ, our lives could easily have been considered ‘awful’ also. Please remember that our plumb line is Jesus, not our friends, and not even another Christian. He is the only perfect one, and He is the only One that ever sacrificed His life for us, so that we may look forward to life eternally with Him and His Father (God).

Challenge……

Hopefully most of my readers attended church sometime over the weekend. Reflecting on this story of Paul and his court case, it made me wonder what might have happened in our respective towns this weekend if, as we exited from church the authorities were waiting to arrest us? What might possibly be the charges? If we stood before the best judge in our town court, would we possibly use our commitment to Christ as an excuse for anything we may have done in our community? Are we prepared to say in a public setting what we feel that God has called us to do in and through our servanthood and commitment to Him? Paul boldly spoke up, caring less if this may have created even more problems for him before the king. Although it appears that our leadership, and especially our courts, are very open to Christian principles, and perhaps even hearing of why Christians feel they are so special, I believe many of us would be very challenged to explain our personal conversion before a judge. In fact, I would even question if our legal system would possibly find enough evidence to arrest any of us for being a Christian! Would we use the effects of God in our lives as an explanation of anything we have been found guilty of? We have nothing to be ashamed of friend! If God resides in, and has true ownership of, our lives, then I can guarantee you that your life has been impacted. Don’t bottle it up, tell the world who Jesus is and what He has done in your life!

Prayer……

Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive us for hiding Your amazing forgiveness, love and provision from our lost world. Please use this devotional to touch the hearts of Your people once again, to remind us of all that You have done, and the transformation that occurred when we allowed You to rule and reign in our lives. The daily impact of having You rule our lives is an ongoing blessing. Please humble us to open the parts of our lives that we still hold dear. Please help us to surrender all of ourselves to all of You so that You may truly work through us to reach the unsaved of this world. Please give us boldness to freely tell our story and to give You credit for all that You have been to us, and all that You are involved in everyday of our lives. It’s You I live for Jesus. Please take charge and use this instrument for Your glory. For it is only in the name of Jesus, my Lord that I ask, 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 33:14-19 (NCV)

¹⁴ God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another – even though people may not understand it. ¹⁵ He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds. ¹⁶ He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings ¹⁷ to turn them away from doing wrong and to keep them from being proud. ¹⁸ God does this to save people from death, to keep them from dying. ¹⁹ People may be corrected while in bed in great pain; they may have continual pain in their very bones.

My Thoughts…..

I believe that many of us are like Job where we feel like God must have left the scene, as everything is going wrong that could possibly go wrong, in spite of our plea to God through sincere prayer and meditation. Further, I believe that many of us are like the young Elihu, who was respectfully speaking to his elder Job at this crucial time in his life, where we might feel like we are too young to speak to that older saint of God and offer support, encouragement or especially godly advice. But friend, I was reminded here that God is no respecter of persons, and that He can choose whatever age person He desires to faithfully carry His message. I believe that He also showed me that when I pray expecting a word from Him, it will not be my choice of persons who might bring the answer from God. If I plead with God about something, then I had better be prepared spiritually to receive a response from God through whatever means He chooses. Elihu also brought a good message to Job and to us by giving examples of how God speaks to His various kids in need.

Challenge……

Isn’t it sad that it takes God pounding on us through circumstances for us to believe and accept His response? In the New Testament we are reminded that it often takes faith like a child to believe, and that a small ounce of faith could move a mountain! It is unfortunate that we instinctively turn to God in our time of need, but find it challenging to receive His response and believe in faith? Two questions for my friends and I: 1). Let us talk with God about our level of faith, and ask Him that we might just as easily receive His response and believe, as we would in asking Him for a need; and 2). We must be obedient like Elihu and allow God to speak through us to whomever He desires. Whether older or younger than we are. Remember, it is God that wills and it is He that is speaking through us, so there is nothing to fear!

Prayer……

Dear Lord, You have shown me two things in this chapter of Job. First, that I must be careful to receive Your response through Your messenger of choice, not mine. Please help me to concentrate and dedicate myself fully to You and to humble myself to other saints that You might choose to use to bring You glory. Who am I to question? I am but a particle of dirt in this land compared to You. Please help me to always recognize your power and acknowledge Your strength, wisdom and direction. Secondly, I thank You for showing me through Elihu that I too can be used for Your glory, if You so choose. My responsibility is to be obedient to Your voice and carryout the instructions that You might lead me to, regardless of the stature or social status of the individual You might lead me to. Please touch Your warriors, my friends and I that might meditate on this devotional today, so that we may do Your will in ways that You may dictate, and to whomever You might lead us to. These things I ask in Your awesome and powerful name dear Jesus, 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 25:16-19 (MSG)

Governor Festus continued in verse 16:

“I told them that wasn’t the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don’t throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand”. The accusers came at him from all sides, but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive.

My Thoughts…..

I believe that God included this passage of scripture so that we may see at least two important things:

1. Like Paul, we should know what we believe, why we believe it and then be willing to stand our ground for what we believe, even if it means having to defend it before the highest authority, or before the majority rule; and
2. Seldom can we take note of an earthly figure head, but Festus was not willing to listen to what his supporters, or the majority, or the town leaders had to say to him about Paul. He wanted a sound footing to base his decision on. In other words he wanted to make his own decision, based on the facts, not based on what the leaders wanted and on their strong influence in order to get what they personally wanted.

Challenge……

Unfortunately when our boat is rocked a little, or when our belief system is challenged, or our leadership is questioned, most of us will normally jump to quickly defending ourselves. Regrettably, we often do this by pulling our opposition down. This might also involve using information at hand against the opponent in order to prove them wrong or incompetent. Governor Festus quickly saw that this was the case with the Jewish leaders who presented Paul. As leaders in our churches, we too must be prepared to separate what is truth, compared to what is exaggeration or twisted facts to suit the opponent’s desire. Thank God that He is our ultimate Judge! Also, notice Paul, then place yourself in his shoes. Some may have caved in to prevent further discussion or to prevent more folk getting involved. Let’s aim to follow Paul’s example – he knew what he believed, he was convinced of what he believed, and he was willing to defend what he believed before the highest authorities. He didn’t mind being made a spectacle before the King or those attending the high court, because he was convinced of his beliefs. Are you that confident of your belief in Christ, that you would defend it before even our highest courts? Many of us need to get off the fence, but we can’t do that until we are 100% sure of what we believe! May I encourage you to devote time towards your relationship with Jesus? In knowing Him in a very personal and intimate way, you will desire more time in the Word and you will want to talk with Him (pray) on a regular basis. When this happens, you too will know Him well enough to defend Him, and defend your love and faith in Him. Let me encourage you to make this a priority friend!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, unfortunately we have become such a weak and misunderstood people that we are easily led to change our belief to that of the crowd in which we find ourselves. This has caused multiple church denominations and multiple splits in churches. In fact, this has caused the world to look at our churches and want no part of us, so our world is dying and going to hell without being introduced to You. I pray that my heart will be changed to claim You and Your great love with such passion that, that I can easily defend myself and the Savior who purchased my sin with His life on Calvary’s cross. I pray that the residents of my town will find such a sweet aroma of Jesus in my church that they might be attracted to You like a magnet, and that they too will want to experience Your love, because of seeing such love in everything we do and say. I humbly plead with You to grant me peace in the decisions I make. May they be filled from the saturation of prayer, Your subsequent approval, power and guidance, so that I might represent you well, and may You receive honor and glory for any praise derived from my actions. Please give readers who meditate on this devotional a similar desire so that You church may indeed be the church of our respective areas. I ask all this in Your precious and most holy name that is worthy of all my praise, 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 31:13-15 (MSG)

^13–15 “Have I ever been unfair to my employees when they brought a complaint to me? What, then, will I do when God confronts me? When God examines my books, what can I say? Didn’t the same God who made me, make them? Aren’t we all made of the same stuff, equals before God?

My Thoughts…..

Job analyzed all areas of his life to determine what might be out of sync with God’s demands that might be at the root of all his punishment. He carefully examined his dealings to see if he had treated them like an equal human being – like he would want to be treated. Still in today’s society we find where employees might be classified as just a tool to get the job done, not necessarily as a fellow brother or sister. I feel like we should think very much like Job, in that he reflected on the fact that his employees were born humanly just as he was. They were no less human that he was. If he treated them unfairly or unjustly, what might he expect from God when he stands before Him?

Challenge……

To the supervisors or managers that might meditate on this today, I would ask: If God will judge you, based on the way that you treat your employees, what might you expect on Judgment Day? To general employees, I would ask: are you being treated in a manner that resembles the way that you treat your children or your family? Our God is a just God, and I am convinced from His Word that He will not be patient with unjust kids. Are you OK with facing God today, knowing that He will challenge you on the way that you have treated others, including your employees? When we talk about living the Christian life, it means living our lives in a manner obedient and pleasing to God. Do you truly live up to God’s commands on this? This is a case where you must live the Christian life while also being pleasing to your boss. I am here to tell you that it is possible. God will give you wisdom and boldness to live your life like He wants. Please don’t try doing it your way, then asking God to bless it. Although you may have difficulty being honest with yourself, God knows right down to the desires of your heart and the whispers of your mind. Do yourself a favor and live justly before God in all walks of life – even to your very employment.

Prayer……

Lord, I thank You for being a just and holy God. Yes, I thank You for correcting me and giving me a godly conscience so that I may quickly recognize when I’m not aligned with Your will – yes, right down to my worldly employment. Please forgive me for the times I have been less than perfect – less than 100% perfectly aligned with Your will. Father, please continue to be patient with me, but I ask also that You continue to open my eyes to Your Word, as You have done this morning, so that I might receive direction and guidance from You. Lord, I am concerned that many ‘Christians’ might be fooled into a false sense of security because they have followed a preacher’s plan, or through peer pressure have made a decision to carry the label ‘Christian’. Please continue to touch my life, and the lives of all that might meditate on this devotional, that together we might be reminded of the importance of our relationship with You, the most important responsibility this side of heaven. Relationship will only happen when we spend time with You and when we follow Your commands, whether we want to or not. Please help us to develop such a love for You that we will want to be Your humble servants (employees) and that we will treat all those over whom we have authority, in the same fashion that we are being loved and treated by You. This world needs this kind of love, and we need to be this kind of people. Please accomplish Your will through us, for I ask this in Your most 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 31:2-4 (MSG)

So what can I expect from God? What do I deserve from God Almighty above? Isn’t calamity reserved for the wicked? Isn’t disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong? Isn’t God looking, observing how I live? Doesn’t he mark every step I take?

My Thoughts…..

As I read this passage today, I was reminded of a sermon I once heard that has long since remained in my heart and mind. It was titled “Why do Bad Things happen to Good People”. No doubt we have felt that way before ourselves, for we see the good-hearted Christian person, who has served God and his church faithfully, dying of cancer, while at the same time we see a person living in open sin flourishing in wealth and no health issues, and we tend to ask God “why?”, don’t we? Friends, we see a good example of this in this present stage of Job’s life, and like Job, we may tend to ask God, “why?”

Challenge……

I believe that Job is showing us in his response, that in our acknowledgment of what appears to be punishment by God, we are to open our eyes and seek God’s face all the more, as we are actually witnessing His hand of discipline and we may need help in asking Him to show us in a clearer form exactly what it is that needs our attention. In this chapter Job goes down the list of things that he feels God might be opening his eyes to. No doubt as we see these things happening and we have an honest conversation with self, we can immediately seek God’s face in humility and ask for His forgiveness and subsequent help to overcome that thing that is getting our attention. That thing that is not aligned with God’s written Word and His desire for our lives. I believe that in this wicked world, we seldom find purity in its God-given, honest and true form. In other words, there is often incentives, or ulterior motives in our actions, and not always a sincerity to obedience of God’s will and His Word. Job was going through a litmus test of things that he wanted to check his purity against with God. I challenge you to join me in laying our list of things before God today and seek His approval on everything we do and/or say, that our intentions might be pure, and aligned with His perfect will.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, I am reminded of that song “Create in me a clean Heart, Oh Lord”, because in and of our own weak selves we cannot see beyond the sin that grips us and holds us hostage every day. Like Job, I want to be honest and guiltless before You oh God, because while here on this earth it becomes an almost impossible task. Please shower Your wonderful blessings on me and Your powerful touch on my life so that I might easily fight the evil around me, the sin that is so prevalent everywhere I turn. It is so difficult to represent You in a world where there is so much opposition to You, but I know that You are all powerful over everything, and that through Your strength and power, I can do all things. As I learn from You each day, may my life and my character exemplify Your love and Your character in every way. Many of my friends are also Your holy children Lord, so I ask that You provoke them into a closer walk with You also, and that You bless them with power from above to live a similar life to the one I requested. May Your army become stronger today as a result of spending time with You, is my humble prayer that I ask in Your name alone, 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 24:24-25 (GNT)

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.”

 

My Thoughts…..

When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Now, meditate with me on what happened in your respective church services over the weekend. Hopefully the message of the Gospel was presented, and attendees were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts of sin. They delayed their decision to act at that time for various reasons. The big question is, what might this delay have cost them? Perhaps they said like Felix did, “I will deal with this another time”. Will there be ‘another time’?

 

Challenge……

Friends, we must leave the last question without an answer, because we have no control over whether we will have another opportunity. Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Remember, at our borders all those arriving with proper authentication (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their desired home with Satan and his band of demons. Please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the Master of this universe. The creator, Savior and King, who loved you enough to die in order that you might receive forgiveness of your sin, when you ask Him. Your delay could cost you big time. Don’t even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay make a decision today.

 

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church yesterday and here you are beating up on us again today through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul and then follow through in accepting You as Lord. Thank You for loving us enough to do this. Many fathers would just dismiss this as a bad choice by their children, and sometimes they may even disassociate themselves from their kids because of their bad decisions. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead that You melt the hearts of those that meditate on this devotional with me, so that given another opportunity, they may come to their senses and make this vital decision. As indicated above, I am so afraid of, and anxious about my friends not making a very costly mistake in delaying their decision. May today be the day of salvation for all who might meditate on this with me, is my humble and earnest prayer, and it is in Your most powerful name that I ask this, 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 24:15-16 (NCV)
15 I have the same hope in God that they have—the hope that all people, good and bad, will surely be raised from the dead. 16 This is why I always try to do what I believe is right before God and people.

My Thoughts…..
There are several things worth noting in the passage surrounding these verses highlighted today:
Paul was being presented before the governor (Felix) on charges that he was inciting the people and causing an uproar in the temple and the town. The easiest and safest thing for Paul to have done, was to either keep quiet to avoid further incrimination, or to blast out against his opposers. Instead, Paul chose to use this public forum to further speak the Word of God and so that these hearers, who under normal circumstances may not have visited the temple, would know of the hope that lies within him! Wow, commendable!
Paul had no regrets. If Felix demanded his death, like Tertullus wanted, Paul knew that his conscience would be clear and that he could stand before Jesus without guilt and embarrassment.

Challenge……
How is it with us, friend? Are we consistent with our testimony? Our witness? Our teaching? Our preaching? Can we truly share the Word in an open setting without the worry of fingers being pointed back at our actions on the same subject? Can we stand before God, the One who knows and sees all things, and face Him with without embarrassment that we lived the life He demanded in His Word, and that we honestly shared the Word openly and without guilt ourselves? I know we are not perfect, especially as long as we live here on planet earth, but the question today is “Do we live our lives according to the blessed hope that we possess?” I believe that opposition to what Paul was claiming would have been lies by his openents/accusers. Would we be as confident about the same scenario friend?

Prayer……
Lord Jesus, I pray that I would live my life in total honesty to You, and before all my family and friends. I pray that what they see is exactly what You know to be the case also. Please help me to avoid pretense. Like Paul, may I live, and may I present myself before You with no regrets or embarassment. Please also touch the heart of my friends that might meditate on this devotional so that they too may present themselves before You without regret. May we be the image and voice of You dear Lord to this evil and lost world in which we live. Father, all this is only possible through Your intervention, grace and power, so I ask this in Your awesome name and for Your glory, 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.