Scripture: John 4.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 4:28-30 (NLT)

28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,

29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”

30
So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

39
Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

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

Friends, this is the ultimate story about evangelism. We could sit and learn hour after hour what we should say when we witness to someone or invite them to church, but when we give a personal account of what Jesus did, or is doing, for us, it will impact the audience. Giving the account of something that occurred to someone else, or that we read about, is open for discussion. But our personal account adds a whole new dimension to the story. The Samaritan woman went into the village and gave an account of something that happened to her (vs 29). In verse 39 we are told that many believed because of the woman’s personal account, but in verse 42 we read that the crowd accepted her invitation to come and see Jesus, and because of that they reaffirmed their belief because they heard, or encountered Jesus for themselves. Doesn’t this sound a lot like us inviting friends and family to church? I believe that we can easily see that our invitation will be a lot more impactful if we are able to share how Jesus touched our lives, and therefore we want to invite our neighborhood in for the same experience. I have no reason to doubt that we would see the same results as this Samaritan woman, the people will come!

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

Lord Jesus, we have seen so many different ways and lessons on how to best witness to a lost loved one, but this story has reminded me that I must have a personal story to share and not just invite folk to visit the same building that I do on Sunday mornings. When I encounter You, and see You impact my life, then I will excitedly invite folk to meet this same Jesus that touched my life. Please help me to always tell my story and not just what You did for the Samaritan woman. Please help me to be bold in my sharing so that others might come to know You. Please touch the lives of my friends that will read this today so that they too might tell their story and watch excitedly how You will work in and through them. People need the Lord, now may those of us that know and experience You help with this as we tell our story.

 

**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 2.

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 2:23-25 (NLT)

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him.

24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature.

25 No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.

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

It’s surprising how we sometimes feel like we need to apprise Jesus about the condition of those around us, especially when we feel like they are in direct opposition to our personal desires. Friends, in verse 25 we are told that there is no need for us to blabber about our audience/friends/congregation, because Jesus is fully aware of their issues and their honest, or dishonest hearts. So often we let things like this distract us from what we really need to be doing with our time before the Lord. Think about it, would there be enough hours in the day for us to truly go before the Lord in total honesty and seek His face about our shortcomings; to ask His forgiveness for the many ways that we have sinned against Him, and to praise Him continually for all His wonderful blessings? Taking ourselves before the Lord is a fulltime endeavor friend. Yes, plead the needs and requests of our friends before the Lord, but leave the judging and correcting up to Him. Let’s get the board out of our own eye, before we start criticizing our neighbor for the speck in their eye. Remember, God has this under perfect control! I love that old spiritual song, It’s me, It’s me o Lord, standing in the need of prayer!

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

Lord Jesus, it is so unfortunate how we waste so much time trying to explain to You about the affairs of this world, about which You are fully aware. Our time with You is precious. Please help me to personally take full advantage of my time with You in total honesty before You. I fall short in so many ways that I would probably never have time enough to plead my case. Thank You for loving me anyway, and for lifting me out of the mire and evil of this old world. Thank You for royalty, in being a child of the King!

**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: 1 Samuel 8.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

1 Samuel 8:6-8 (NLT)

6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.

7 “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for it is me (God) they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.

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

Times have not changed very much, for when we consider how churches treat their pastor when he starts to preach the Word without regards to whose toes he might step on, then I believe that we could easily identify with the Israelites, even though in print it sounds like they were such awful and ungrateful people. Friends, it is so unfortunate that we tend to blame someone else for issues that we have caused. It is likewise unfortunate when we look beyond the issues in our own lives, or the condition of our family, or our church or our group, and see so much wrong with others. Let’s think for a moment about issues with a church, you know it can’t be the building where the church meets that is causing the problem, it’s folk like you and I that attend the church that cause the issues. So look no further than inside yourself when issues arise. Getting a new pastor will have the same effect as God telling Samuel to go ahead and give them what they want, because unfortunately, things will only get worse. Friends, unless we commit and dedicate ourselves to becoming more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives, then anything we become part of will suffer from the sin brought into our lives by the world. Becoming one with Jesus, means a perfect life, a life without sin – and that should be our aim everyday friends. Only then will we contribute positively to our churches and the groups that we become involved in.

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

Lord we so desperately need You in our lives. Instead of adding positively to groups that we become involved in, as would happen if we were One with You, instead we add more confusion, we add more hatred, we add more gossip, we add more envy towards each other, we tear it down and we mess it up. Unfortunately, this also happens in church groups we join, so we are seeing churches that are marred terribly by the impact of this evil world, instead of seeing a church that is always ready to forgive, always looking out for the best in the other person, always contributing to the best in others, always praying for and supporting their pastor/shepherd/leader. Lord, it is very obvious that we need more of You in our lives individually so that we can see more of You in our churches, so that we can see Your church effectively reaching out to the lost community that we see and endure every day. We need You in our lives personally Lord, please humble us to earnestly seek Your face and allow You to rule in our lives.

 

**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: Luke 24.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Luke 24:52-53 (NLT)

52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.

53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

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

I found this chapter very inspirational, because the events described (Jesus’ resurrection) that led the two followers of Jesus to end up praising God, as described in verse 53 above, compared to the unprepared manner in which many of us go to church/worship on Saturday or Sunday, shows some very stark differences. Take a moment and read the chapter friend. You will see that these followers were discussing Jesus’ death, and then the reported resurrection as told by the first females who went to the tomb to embalm the body. Although unrecognized by the followers, Jesus shows up in their midst and asked them to explain their dilemma. Think about their response, compared to how careful/afraid/respectful we try to be in sharing our Christian beliefs/witness with a stranger. After all, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying something that may offend them! Down in verses 25 thru 27, Jesus was actually allowed to explain the scriptures to them. When last have you ‘had the time’ to sit down and listen to the Word explained to you? When last have you felt that you ‘had the time’ to ask about the scriptures? Look at the attendance to Sunday School or Sunday and Wednesday evening services and notice the small percentage of the Sunday morning attendees that have any interest or ‘time’ to learn more about the Word. Friends, there is so much going on in our fast paced lives with sports, hunting, fishing, dance (for our kids), work and so many other things, that we quickly conclude that there is just ‘no time’ to also attend church yet a second or third time in our busy week. Now, compare this rushed/busy life of ours and evaluate if you feel we really have ‘time’ to listen intently to Jesus and allow our ‘eyes to be opened so that we may recognize Jesus’ as the followers did in verse 31 of this chapter. Also let’s think about what our weekend worship services might be like, if we came filled with so much joy about our interaction with Jesus during the week? The followers of Jesus were able to ‘spend all their time in the Temple praising God‘ because of their interaction and time with Jesus!

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

Lord Jesus, we have gone so far in our busy lives that we acknowledge that we don’t spend enough time with You and in Your Word. This has affected the joy and enthusiasm of our worship, because we go to our worship services as people who have not expressed personal worship of You, or actually slowed down enough to listen to Your voice through Your precious Word. We are often unprepared to worship and come to services hoping that there will be something charismatic enough about the band, or the music leaders or the pastor that may excite us enough to think that we have connected with You. Please forgive us, and please open our eyes to the truths of Your Word. Please teach us to spend time with You so that You may minister to us individually, and have such an impact on us that we may in turn minister to others.

 

**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: 1 Samuel 2.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

1 Samuel 2:1-2 (NLT)

1 Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.

2 No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

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

Today we hear so much about the needs of each other and often we are asked to pray with friends, or fellow believers, about their needs that are often so desperate, at the time. When last were you invited to a praise time, for answer to prayer? That would almost come as a shock to us! In this chapter of 1 Samuel, Hannah has stopped her world, and dedicated time to just praise God for answered prayer. I don’t know about you friend, but whenever someone shows appreciation for something I may have done for them, or given to them, it normally encourages me to give them even more. I know that God loves us all equally, but I would not be surprised if God is not also impacted by His appreciative children! The opposite to this is to be unappreciative and act like spoiled brats, by expecting God to automatically do something for you because of who you are or for what you have done. When you consider that it was our sin that sent Jesus to the cross, then we should stop and ask ourselves, who are we that God should do anything for us? We should always be mindful and confident of God’s ultimate control over the events in our lives, and we should be thankful for the ways God has blessed us. By praising God for all good gifts, we acknowledge his ultimate control over all the affairs of our life. Why not stop and give God praise for all things – family; church relationships; church ministries; friends; jobs; good health; food to eat; clothes to wear; etc. God’s miraculous hand is upon each of us, and He is so deserving of our praise every day in so many ways. He deserves our constant praise!

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

Lord, I am thankful for who You are, for what You did on Calvary and for all that You continue to do for me each and every day. Thank You for hearing my cry and for answering my prayers. There truly is no one like You! You are awesome, and so worthy of my praise and worship. Thank You for accepting me into Your kingdom and watching over me as Your child.

 

**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: Ruth 2.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Ruth 2:11-12 (NLT)

11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.

12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

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

Ruth’s life exhibited admirable qualities: She was hardworking, loving, kind, faithful, appreciative, honest and brave. These qualities gained for her a good reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas of her life. Wherever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the same.

Our reputation is formed by the people who watch us at work, in town, at home, in church. A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in—no matter what group of people or surroundings you are in. Jesus also set the example for us to follow when He was kind to even those that hung Him on the old rugged cross. Ruth reminds us of the importance of such qualities. Jesus has modeled these for us, so that those of us that follow Him will know the way to live.

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

Lord, today I am asking for consistency in my Christian character. I pray that circumstance nor people will change that, but that Your example will be a consistent reminder to me today. I pray that something resulting from this might touch the hearts of those I deal with today, and that they will want to know more about the Savior that I love, adore and follow. Thank You for choosing even me to be an ambassador for You here on planet earth. Please work mightily in the hearts and lives of my friends that may meditate on this devotional 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: Luke 21.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Luke 21:27-28; 34-35 (NLT)

27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.

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

I tried to think of times in my life when I really looked forward to an event. I thought of High School graduation, because I was ready to be done with school and begin my working career. I thought of my Wedding Day, because I had found the woman of my dreams and I was ready for my day of lifetime commitment to love and take care of her. I thought of the day our daughter came into our lives, because I felt like my wife and I had so much love to share with her and to help her blossom into all she could be. Then there are annual vacations and special family/holiday times like Thanksgiving and Christmas; vacations and other special events that arise. However friends, all of these times and the excitement they bring cannot compare to the glory that we can anticipate with the coming of our Lord! For you see, I have already been blessed with His touch on my life, His awesome power in speaking to me and directing me to salvation that comes only through accepting Him as my Lord and Savior! Now the bonus in all of this is found in the verses highlighted in this devotion, for He has promised that He will come and get His children one day, and take us on to live with Him in a perfect place – Heaven. The Bible describes my final home as best it could in writing, but being in the presence of my Lord and Savior, with no more war, pain, strife, crime and all those things that we despise here on this earth, will be nothing less that GLORIOUS! One of my favorite hymns describes just a glimpse of my feelings – What A Day That Will Be, when my Jesus I shall see! This brings great excitement to me!

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

Lord, who am I that You should have sacrificed Your Son so that I might enjoy eternity with You in Heaven? Thank You for that love displayed on Calvary’s cruel cross. Thank You for working in my heart to convince me of my sin and showing me the wonders of Heaven. Thank You for forgiving even a sinner such as I. Thank You for accepting me as Your very own dear Jesus. What a Day That Will Be when I see You face to face! Please soften the hearts of my family and friends that have not been able to see and accept the gift that You offer to each of us. May they see the urgency of the hour referred to in this Bible passage this morning.

 

**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: Judges 17.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Judges 17:6 (NLT)

6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

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

Today, as in Micah’s day, everyone seems to put his or her own interests first. Time has not changed human nature. Most people still reject God’s right way of living. The people in Micah’s time replaced the true worship of God with a homemade version of worship. As a result, justice was soon replaced by revenge and chaos. Ignoring God’s direction led to confusion and destruction. Anyone who has not submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right at the time. This tendency is present in all of us. To know what is really right and to have the strength to do it, we need to draw closer to God and his Word. Friends, let us look diligently in our lives and in our homes for those things that might be replacing true worship to our Lord. There is so much being offered via TV and the internet that we might hear folk say that they could just as easily worship God around the TV or through evangelists on the internet, or out on the lake while fishing, or perhaps in the woods while hunting, and for some this may be true. We can be no one’s judge, because that is God’s role, but I would recommend that we commit like Nehemiah to the fact that, as for me and my house – we will serve the Lord. I believe that as we commit to such a statement, we will see the need to encourage others, be a light to those who have strayed away, obey God by assembling ourselves together with other believers, and friend, there is no way to accomplish this in our ‘alone time together with God’. Like in the case of Israel, we tend to do our own thing when the Word of God has not penetrated our lives and become the pillar of our decision making and commitments. How is it with you today, friend?

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

Lord God, I seek Your forgiveness for the times that I have not sought You faithfully and followed Your way closely. I am reminded from this passage this morning that, like the Israelites who had fallen prey to this type living, the end result is not good at all. Thank You Father for dying on Calvary’s cross just for me. Thank You for providing Your Book of Instruction, Your Holy Word, so that I might learn the way of true life in You, thank You for Your power in directing me to a path directed by You! Thank You for the promise of eternal life with You in Heaven. Now, may I talk the walk and walk the talk so that others may also come to a saving grace in You and live their lives pleasing to You in every way. Thank You for loving me in spite of my weaknesses and sin. May Your strength in me serve to overcome the power of sin that face me each and every day.

 

**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: Judges 13.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

Judges 13:1 (NLT)

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.

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

I believe that we all can conclude that we are no different to the Israelites, and I’m sure that we can conclude that God is the same today as He was back in the days referred to in the book of Judges. With that being cleared up, I’m sure that we can also conclude from this one verse that God will not put up with the repeated sin of His people today. Friends, unfortunately that includes you and I. You see, when it comes to blessings, we often remind ourselves that God will bless us today, just as He did throughout the ages, and I believe that to be true. However, I also believe that God will not put up with us flaunting our sin in His face. He oppressed the Israelites for 40 years in this one instance, much like He also oppressed their forefathers that traveled 40 years through the wilderness, who received His daily blessings, and yet continued in their pagan worship and sin. How long, and how many times will God have to oppress us, or punish us for our sin before He gets our attention to straighten up our act? He is a holy and righteous God, He will not allow sin in His presence. Have we tried doing exactly that with expectations of a blessing anyway? Read the book again friend, and you will quickly be reminded that God doesn’t work that way.

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 us in spite of our sinful nature. Thank You for standing firm to Your genuine holiness and sinless life exampled before us so that we may know the way and live our lives accordingly. Please forgive me for my failures in meeting these ideals. I pray that You will continue to work in my life as You have done in this passage this morning, so that I may stand accountable before You today and every day. Please give me the wisdom, strength and power to overcome the evil of this world and its many temptations. Please help me to be more like You each and every day that I am blessed to be here on this earth. Please touch the hearts of all readers of this devotional that their eyes may be opened and that there will be fresh commitments to You towards more holiness in their walk and everyday lives here on this earth.

 

**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
**