Scripture: Numbers 20.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Numbers 20:8-11 (NLT)

8 “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”

9 So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the LORD. 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

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

I want to draw your attention to a few facts in these verses. By way of introduction, know that Moses and Aaron were about to throw their hands up, because their people who they led through the wilderness were giving up on them as leaders. They did the right thing by going and bowing down to the Almighty and seeking His face and wisdom on what to do next. In verse 8, God told Moses what to do. From previous history, Moses knew that God would do what He promised, but it appears like Moses was becoming a bit obnoxious with all the powerful acts performed by God through him, so in verse 10 he asked the people if ‘we’ (he and Aaron) should bring water from the rock. Furthermore, he added his own special effects to the whole scene by not just smiting the rock once with his rod, but a second time. Although not included above, in verse 12 God punished Moses for not trusting Him enough to follow His instructions. Friends, we punish our kids for not obeying our instructions, and I know from this passage that God will also punish us when we try to assume the leadership role over Him. He knows what’s best for us. He knows what danger lies ahead. He knows what opportunities could be met up ahead when we follow His plan. Remember, He’s the one who created and put this whole earth together. He’s the one who put our complex bodies together. Most of all friends, remember that He’s the one who has a plan for our lives long after we tire out from this old world. But to take possession of that plan, we must be obedient to His call on our lives. Friends, there is no greater purpose than to follow the perfect will of God, and as we do that it’s amazing how everything else falls into place! What will you do with Jesus today?

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, I know from everything You have taught me that You are in control and that You have a master plan for my life. Please continue to mold me and work on my obedience so that I may be all that You have designed and planned for my life, so that Your perfect will might be accomplished through all that I do. Thank You for loving me enough to use even me in Your plan!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Mark 10.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Mark 10:46-49 (NLT)

46 …… A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.

47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” ……..

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

In this chapter we can see in three different instances that Jesus is so much more accepting and forgiving than mankind. The rich man came to Jesus – He found time to talk to the man and explained what was lacking in the man’s life. The children came to Jesus and while they were brushed away by the disciples, Jesus welcomed them and even used their character to illustrate the humbleness of heart that adults must have to truly accept Jesus. In this instance, a blind beggar was calling out to Jesus. Yet again the disciples brushed him away, but Jesus did the opposite for He called the man to him and healed him. I am thankful that Jesus also had mercy on me and forgave me of my sin and welcomed me into His fold. Friends, I believe that all too often folk attributes the qualities of being good enough to being worthy of standing before Jesus and asking Him into their heart. It is demonstrated in this chapter that Jesus accepted folk as they were and told them what was necessary to then follow a life of holiness. What about you friend, are you using one excuse or another to hinder you from making this most important step in life? With His help as your Lord and Savior He could help you through any challenge that you might have. He doesn’t expect you to try and correct all that before you invite Him in, He wants to help you overcome the effects of sin in our lives. Let me encourage you to make this decision today friend! Contact me by email (using the link below) if I may help you or pray for you about this decision, or feel free to see your local pastor for help in this. Jesus loves you way too much to see you miss out on heaven!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me so much that You accepted me into Your kingdom. Thank You for Your sacrifice that made salvation possible. Please help those who are struggling with this decision today. Tender their hearts and give them the boldness to make this step of faith today. In Jesus name I pray!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: John 17.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 17:4 (NLT)

4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

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

In these first few verses of John 17 Jesus is having a conversation with His Father, God. In this particular verse 4, Jesus says to His Father that He has completed the work He was sent to do – to bring salvation to the world. The way that God spoke to me through this passage is by showing me that if I am to be an image of Jesus, following in His footsteps and taking His lead on the things I should do here on this earth, then I too will be striving to follow the will of God with all my heart. In fact, I believe that at the end of each day I should be able to reflect on the day and say to my Savior that I have completed the work that He placed me here to do. For as I do that each day, I believe that I will definitely gain the confidence to say to Him at the close of my life here on earth, much like He said to the Father, thanks be to God I have completed the work for which I was called. I don’t know about you friend, but I don’t feel like I could honestly say that at this point in my life, but I do believe that if I make this my goal, and if I seek the Father’s face daily for His help in achieving this awesome goal, that He will surely give me the direction, the strength and the fortitude to serve Him in sincerity each day by accomplishing all that He has placed me here to do. Are you prepared to join me in following Jesus in this way? With Jesus as our Savior and our Guide, we can do all things through Him who strengthens us!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, please give me strength each day to follow Your will. Please help me to be obedient in all that You might lead me to do, so that Your perfect will might be accomplished. Please give me determination and commitment to do all that’s necessary to honestly say each day that I have completed all that You have asked me to do. May Your will be done oh Lord, not mine!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Numbers 13.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Numbers 13:30-31 (NLT)

30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”

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

This story is evidence that a majority vote will normally win an argument! However, as Christians we must be careful to measure even the popular vote against what God says in His Word. For in this story we can see where the majority of the men that went to scout out the Promised Land that God had promised to them, returned with very negative thoughts. In fact, reading their accounts it is very evident that they only accounted for their abilities, in spite of all the miracles they had seen firsthand while travelling through the wilderness. Caleb, on the other hand knew the power source behind them and was convinced that this challenge was nothing compared to the obstacles they had overcome with God’s help while traveling through the wilderness. Friends, this is typical of people in general where some may look at the glass half empty, while others see it half full. We have a book with story after story that detail miracle after miracle. We meet together with other believers that testify to the great power that our God demonstrates in their lives day after day, and with all that as our back drop, we should display all the faith, courage and abilities as anyone here on earth could possibly muster up. Unfortunately, there may be times that we focus on the majority vote, instead of the awesome God that we serve. May we all be encouraged to be like Caleb today and stay focused on God and His awesome power, and not on the circumstances that could very easily lead us astray. Think about it, there is nothing that our God and us cannot conquer. Why not let Him?

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, I believe with all my heart that, as children of the all-powerful, almighty God, we are more than conquers in all things. Please help me to keep my eyes focused on this truth today. Please touch the life of that friend who is struggling to see the positive side of Your power and strength today. Please give them the confidence of Caleb to encourage them in their circumstances today.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Numbers 11.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Numbers 11:21-23 (NLT)

21 But Moses responded to the LORD, “There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’ 22 Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?”

23 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”

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

All too often we allow the spirit of weakness to well up in us and overpower us. We are reminded from God’s Word about His great power and we see from current miracles that our God’s not dead, He’s very much alive and just as powerful today as in all the evidence that we see in His Word. Yet we come before this awesome God like weak and defeated folk who has no knowledge of God. In verse 23, God became visibly upset with Moses, because in spite of the miracles God had done through Moses and in his presence, yet Moses had the audacity to doubt how he and God were going to feed the multitude of people gathered as an army for Moses. Friend, don’t beat up on Moses. We are even worse when we go before God in prayer on behalf of something or someone, with challenges that appear to be a mountain to us. Friends, we serve an awesome God, whose power excels anything we could ever imagine. Let us place our total selves in His hands and immerse ourselves in His love, and allow His mighty hand to reign over everything in our lives or anything that could ever trouble us. Rest assured, He has this covered. He’s in control! We just need to let go and let God have His will and way. He can do it!

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for falling short in the area of faith and complete confidence in You at times. Thank You for this reminder this morning, that You are God and God alone. I have no reason to doubt Your power, Your grace and Your love for me. Please allow me to place my hand in Yours today with the greatest confidence in knowing that You are still God and can do all things that bring honor and glory to You.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Mark 8.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Mark 8:27-29 (NLT)

27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

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

I believe that if the right person asked us how we feel about Jesus, we might respond that He’s my best friend, my Lord and Savior, my deliverer and I love Him wholeheartedly. Now, I also believe that if we were challenged with that question by someone we didn’t know very well, or we didn’t know where that person stood, we may respond a little more reservedly. My challenge today is verse 29, where Jesus is asking very pointedly to each of us, but who do you say I am? This takes on a new perspective, because Jesus knows us very personally. He knows if we respond hypocritically, for He knows our very heart. So my challenge to us all is, how would we respond to Jesus if asked this question today? I bet for those of us without challenges, this may be a quick, easy, very positive answer. For those of us that are faced with challenges, I need to remind us that Jesus is Lord of all, yes all of life’s challenges and good times. He died a sacrificial life for us, while we were yet sinners, so of course He loves us and cares about all that is going on in our lives. Let’s not turn our backs on Him, or love Him any less if we are thrown a cure ball today with a challenge that may cause us to question “where is God?” Jesus said that He will be with us, even until the end of time here on this earth. Careful not to disown Him or think less of Him when things are not going our way.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Thank You Lord for loving me even through the worst of times. Yes, even in times that I may not be very proud of. Please strengthen Your people today so that we may learn to stay loyal to Your love, and our Savior, even in times when things are not going the way we want them. Thank You for loving me. May I always be loyal and loving to You in return.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Mark 7.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 2 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Philippians 4:8

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

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

Folk may sometimes say that the Bible is full of negative things, because all it ever tells you about are the things that you shouldn’t do. This passage in Mark is probably one of those, because Jesus is warning us about how important it is for us to protect our heart and our soul, for most terrible things that occur come from a heart that is defiled, or soured. Praise God though, that over in Philippians 4 we are told what should occupy our mind, our heart and our soul. Friends I want to encourage you today to: a). Protect your heart from the things mentioned in Mark, for we are warned that these will lead to no good, and b). Look at the positive side of things when faced with challenges or just everyday life. I believe that as we look at the good in folk, we will see good folk, and we will allow them to influence areas of our lives that we may struggle with. Let’s not allow the negative found in many folk to have a negative impact on our already challenged lives.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, I will be faced with choices and decisions today where I will decide whether to respond negatively or positively. I am convinced that with Your help, strength and direction, I can make wise choices that will lead to a positive experience others may have in dealing with me. Lord, I want to be just like You, so it is important that I stop and listen to Your voice before making stupid responses or acting in ways that will not reflect Your loving nature. Please have Your will and way in my life today, so that I may represent You well in all of life’s circumstances.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Mark 6.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Mark 6:5-6 (NLT)

5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.

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

I wonder what Jesus is saying about our faith today? Yes, I mean those of us that have accepted Him as Lord; that attend church regularly; that pray daily. Now wait just a minute you might say to those comments, why else would I go through the motions every day? Friends, I believe that if we stop for a moment and really think about the doubt that we really show when we seek God’s face in prayer about a health problem, but then we go on to great lengths to seek doctor’s advice, or perhaps the special prayer of an evangelist who we have been told really has success in his healing services. What happened to the prayer that you and a fellow Christian had together? Not effective enough? Not enough faith between the two of you? Unfortunately these are questions we must ask ourselves when we go to God in prayer. Are we asking with enough faith and confidence that we can walk away believing that it will be done? Or are we filled with so much doubt that Jesus might move on to the next town as He did in Mark 6:6? I have a gut feeling that if Jesus would audibly speak to many of our churches today, He would probably first say “O ye of little faith”. Friends, this same Jesus whose death and miraculous resurrection we celebrate at Easter time, is the one we question in our faith when we doubt His healing power. Really no reason for us to do that, right?

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, please forgive me when I doubt. I have so much in Your Word to reassure me of your miraculous power and Your healing touch, yet I constantly question Your power to impact my life and the small issues that I bring before You. I know that I serve a Mighty God. I know that I serve an all-powerful God. I know that Your wisdom and Your abilities far exceeds any need that I could ever have, and because of Your love, I know that You are just waiting for me to ask in true humility and faith. There is nothing more that I need than to know You intimately and trust You completely. Thank You for humbling Yourself to impact even me. I love You Lord!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Leviticus 22.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Leviticus 22:31-33 (NLT)

31 “You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD.

32 Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy.

33 It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD.”

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

God had just given Moses a lot of rules and procedures that He wanted the people of Israel to follow. At first glance, these appear to be onerous and almost strange when observing the liberties and ways that we see in our culture today. However, we must realize that this was the first time that these folk were exposed to following any type of strict rules, for we saw in the wilderness that as soon as Moses turned his head and went up the mountain to meet with God, their minds went back to their old ways and they began worshipping idols. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior today, we come to Him with a lot of preconceived ideas on how to live life. It takes Bible study, church attendance and being around other Christians to help us understand and live according to God’s design. God is reminding us today, like He did through Moses to the people of Israel, that He is the Lord that makes us holy, and that we are to obey His commands as laid out in His Word, for He is holy. In verse 33 I believe that God is also saying to us that He rescued us from our world of sin so that He might be our God. He wants us so badly to follow His ways so that He can be our God. Having seen the mighty works of the almighty God, I would recommend that we do what He says. Are you ready to join me, friends?

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus I pray that You will be forever on my case to follow You carefully and in all sincerity, because I want You to always be my God. I acknowledge that You are Lord, and I want to daily live like You are Lord of my life in every way. Please guide me to follow Your ways and obey Your commands. I love the song that goes something like this, “I’m Yours Lord, Everything I’ve Got, Everything I am, …..”

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

Scripture: Mark 4.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Mark 4:39-40 (NLT)

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.

40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

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

In our times of trouble, distress, stress, pain, loss, heartache or fear, do we sometimes feel like the disciples did when they felt like Jesus had fallen asleep and/or forgotten about them? Of course we, unfortunately do this. Jesus’ disciples had seen the miracles and the awesome power of God, so they knew what He was capable of doing, that’s why they went to wake Jesus up – because they knew that He could handle the whole situation for them. Today, we have the good fortune of having God’s Holy Word, and we could read about the many different ways that Jesus exerted His power, so we know what He is capable of doing. Why then do we allow our fears to run away with us and create that doubt in our mind? Friends, stand firm in your faith and in the mighty God that we serve. Allow Him to protect, guide and direct our ways for His good. Remember, even though we may sometimes feel like we are so out of control over a situation, we serve a God who can handle it all, therefore we need to let go and let God be God.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, so often we face situations that we feel so out of control in. We face giants in our lives that make us feel so minute and out of control. This passage today has reminded me that You are the Master of this universe, and as such You have the power to control every little detail. Please remind me to willingly surrender my concerns to You and allow You to be God. I know that You love me beyond compare and that You will do things for my ultimate good. Thank You for that kind of love!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**