Scripture: Jeremiah 32.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NLT)
²⁶ Then this message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
²⁷ “I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

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

In reflecting back over Bible stories we can quickly discern how awesome God was, and rejoice with saints of old about the wonderful acts performed by God. Fortunately, we serve a living God and can also remind ourselves of the wonderful gifts God has bestowed on us today, including the miracles that we see and hear about with healing of family and friends who have sought God’s face and pleaded for His healing in their lives. Yes friends, God is still alive and very much in the same business as He always has been. Nothing is too hard for Him, but remember that He is a person and will welcome those He knows to chat with Him at any time and plead for His grace whenever needed. Do you know my Savior? Is He someone you can call on today? He is not Santa Claus, but He is a loving, caring, wonderful Savior that cares about You. Why not accept Him as Your Lord today and call on Him for all things in your life?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, thank You for reminding me this morning that there is nothing too hard, or difficult, or complex or impossible for You! To serve an all-knowing, all-powerful, yet loving and awesome God, is beyond all that I can fathom or understand, yet so thankful for. I am so aware of things around me that are way more than I can do anything about, so Lord I pray that I will learn to place those things at Your feet and seek Your will, Your touch, Your healing, Your renewal and Your genuine grace and love. You are aware of my family members who are hurting today because of medical complications, relationship challenges and a stubborn heart that makes bad choices and refuses to surrender to Your will and Your way. Please be gracious in these situations today. Please bring peace where needed; healing as needed; softened hearts where they have become hard and cold to You. May You rule and reign in my life today, and in the lives of those that I love. This is my humble prayer, knowing that Nothing is too hard for 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: James 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

James 1:19-22 (NLT)
¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
²⁰ Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

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

I would encourage anyone reading this devotional to read the whole chapter of James 1, as it is loaded with advice for us on how to live a Godly life. In these verses that I chose to highlight this morning, God is reminding me to always listen very carefully and be slow to get angry, because human anger is not indicative of God’s righteousness. I believe that many times we will be tempted to get angry, and many times we get angry because things are not done the way that we personally want them to be. I believe that I should always live in accordance with verse 21, live in accordance with the Word of God that is implanted in my heart. When I listen to God’s Word and act in accordance with what He is saying to me then I will be honoring God in my obedience, otherwise I am but a sounding cymbal, like another scripture says, meaning that I am making noise but it is not of God. Friends, unless we honor God in obedience to His Holy Word, then we are only fooling ourselves (vs 22). Let us therefore study the Word of God, plant it into our hearts and obey all that God commands of us and plants in our hearts.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, I am reminded that all good things come from above, and that You offer guidance to me through Your Word. Please may I be found righteous today because I have followed Your commands and honored Your Word. May this be so, not just for my own righteousness Lord, but so that others may see enough of You in me to want to know the Savior that I love, worship and adore. Please help me to be Your obedient servant this day, and may others that recognize this, want to know You as Lord and Savior.

 

**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: Hebrews 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 11:27-29 (NLT)
²⁷ It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
²⁸ It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
²⁹ It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

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

I believe that more today than ever before we throw up our hands and ask the BIG question, how can I keep on going? Another thing we say is that I just don’t know how much more of this I can take. In the verse/sentence that I bolded and underlined, Moses showed us how to keep right on going. As we look to God’s Word for guidance in all things, we see that we can keep right on going by keeping our eyes fixed on the only One who has all of the answers, the only One who could help us through life’s struggles and hardships; yes, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. I was reminded recently about the faith of Moses in trying to move over three million people through the wilderness, to the promise land. Imagine the amount of water and food needed per day to feed such a multitude. Imagine the width of the opening in the Red Sea to move such a multitude across in such a short period of time. Friends, we have quite a record of the faith that our forefathers displayed. We are serving the same God that helped them through such challenging times. Must we really wonder about how we will keep on going, or how we could ever make it through such challenging times? For those of us that know Jesus personally, we can be encouraged and reminded to know that we have the power of the creator of this universe at our fingertips, so let’s place our faith and trust more fully in Him today and expect a miracle. Moses did this every day for 40 years and the record shows that God came through for Him. However, Moses had lots of faith. I pray that we would have the relationship with the Master and the faith to also believe in Him and the miracles that He could perform.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord, You know exactly what we need, and You already bless us with so much already. I pray that You will always remind me that your power displayed in so many ways to my ancestors, and even to me in times past, is still available to me today. Please help me to keep in such close communion with You that I would never doubt Your power, and will always seek Your direction and help in all things. You are my King, and I am so proud to be an heir to Your throne and a recipient of Your grace. Thank You for loving and providing for me in such wonderful ways!

 

**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: Jeremiah 26.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 26:12-14 (NLT)

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city,” he said. “The LORD gave me every word that I have spoken.

13 But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.

14 As for me, I am in your hands—do with me as you think best.

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

Jeremiah had laid a lot on the leaders/officials, and he realized that their patience was probably growing thin with his bad and challenging news. One thing that really challenged me with this passage is in verse 14. I believe that Jeremiah was so convinced that he had to share what God had laid on his heart that I could only imagine in verse 14 he was saying something like this: Now you have heard the facts straight from God, if this results in you ultimately deciding to shut me down/destroy me, then so be it. In other words, I am willing to go to my grave knowing that I have been obedient to the Lord and told the people everything that God wanted me to say. Friends, so often today we place our pastors and church leaders under so much pressure about cutting off their lifeline if they don’t tickle our ears with good stuff, and lifting us up above the rest, that we force them into a corner of compromise. To my pastor friends, let me encourage you to tell it like it is, share exactly what God has laid on your heart. Share the unadulterated Word of God and know that you will be blessed exceeding more than any church member could ever bless you. In Jeremiah 22:15 we are reminded that Josiah was blessed because of his righteous and just dealings. When we are truly servants of the King, we should expect to be blessed when we are truly obedient to Him. When we waffle and wander because of what others may think about what God wants us to share, we are serving God with too much influence by folk who oppose what He really wants us to share with them. Let’s pray for our pastors and ministers of the Gospel that they will speak the Word of God in confidence and without any influence from those looking for their fancies for the day.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, You have blessed us with Your church – Your bride. As part of that gathering, You have blessed us with Your messengers to lead Your flock and to expound Your Word to us. Please help us to pray for those who lead us, and pray that You can use them as vessels to share Your Word so openly and truthfully and without influence from anyone else, that each time we leave our worship services we could honestly say that it was good to have been together with Your people and to have been directed by Your Word as spoken through Your messenger. I believe that time here on earth is getting short – much too short to waste our time beating around the bush and tickling the ears of our congregations. Lord, may You work diligently in the lives of our pastors and ministers of the Gospel so that they may share Jesus freely and often with our lost world, and with their very own congregations.

 

**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: Jeremiah 19.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 19:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the LORD. He said to the people there,
¹⁵ “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.'”

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

Over the last few chapters God, through the prophet Jeremiah, tried in every way imaginable to reach the hearts of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. As I read towards the end of chapter 19 I could see where God was really losing His temper and about to bring terrible destruction on them. In chapter 18 God used the example of the potter and the clay. I have tried before to make something, and after making such a mess of it, I found it easier to scrap the whole project and start over. God used this same example to help show His people that He may have to resort to such measures with them. In the verses above I underlined and bolded a sentence that really caught my attention for you see, Jeremiah was outside the church giving this message to church members and attenders. We often hear these type challenges from our pastors, and most of us pass the challenge to the person beside, behind or in front of us as we quickly claim our saintly pious position of righteousness. Are we really in that position? The Psalmist pleaded with God, as we should, “Search me oh God, and know my heart today”. If we’re not careful God will have another messenger outside our church doors to once again remind us of our sinful position and how our hypocrisy could affect the way that He reacts to us as a nation.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord, please see if there be any wicked way, or sin in my life that would separate me from Your perfect will. Please guide me in the way of righteousness today and help me to be the image of You in all that I do or say. Please touch my brothers and sisters that may read this today and help us that we can openly receive Your Word as it is intended for us personally, and not try to do Your job of passing the message on to the person next to us. Thank You for loving us enough to discipline us and show us Your perfect will for our lives. Please help us that through our example today we could pass this blessing on to others that need to know You in a personal and intimate way.

 

**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: Hebrews 10.

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 10:22-25 (NLT)
²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

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

We have significant privileges associated with our new life in Christ: (1) We have personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to him without an elaborate system (10:22); (2) we may grow in faith, overcome doubts and questions, and deepen our relationship with God (10:23); (3) we may enjoy motivation from one another (10:24); (4) we may worship together (10:25). Why then do we spend so much time whining and feeling down about our life’s circumstances? It often appears like we are a very ungrateful people. Further down in this chapter (vs 23) we are encouraged to “.. hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” In fact, let us be so encouraged by this that we should (vs 24) “motivate one another to acts of love and good works”. Friends, we can only do the latter if we have the first part entrenched in our hearts and our minds. I believe that today if we have trouble encouraging someone in the faith, we need to go back to verse 23 and pray that God will help us to grasp the depth of His love and to have unrestricted faith in His promises. Praise be to God for His unlimited love towards us! What a mighty God we serve!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Lord for this encouragement this morning. You have done so much for me, You have provided so much for me to enjoy. You have promised me heaven and the opportunity to baste in Your presence when I leave this world. What more can a man ask for? I have so much to be encouraged with, and so much to encourage others with. Lord, may You be honored in all that I may do today to encourage another believer!

**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: Jeremiah 15.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT)
¹⁹ This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!

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

When we look at all that is going on around us today, many times we stop and ask ourselves if sin and evil has ever been this overwhelming in our history, and even more importantly, will it ever get better. God was dealing with Jeremiah in this chapter, much like I believe that He would deal with us if we questioned Him today, for I believe that God is dealing in the hearts of Christians to live the life that He expects of us. Almost as important, is that we live the life that will separate us from the world and be an example to them. It is sad today to walk into a party, or visit a restaurant, or attend a wedding, or any other normal place that we could find ourselves today where there may be a mix of people, and not be able to discern Christians from non-Christians. Often I will compare married life to that of Christianity, for I believe that a similar commitment should be evident in both. Imagine me walking into any of the above examples and could not detect the married folk from the singles? What would that say about our marriages? Similarly, what impact would Christians have on the unsaved world if they can’t see a difference in us? I love the last sentence in verse 19, where God said to Jeremiah, and I believe wholeheartedly that He expects from us: We must influence the world for Christ, the One who lives and reigns in us and operates through us, and not allow the sin of this world to rub off on us, or influence us. How strong is your influence on an unbeliever, Christian friend?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, You have shown me today how important it is for me to influence the world for Your glory. You have further shown in other parts of Your Word how important it is that we be light in this dark world, and how we be salt to this world that has become so bitter towards You and Your people. Lord, May this be a day that You might be glorified through me because of someone seeing the character of You in me. May their eyes be opened to Your love and Your grace, and may they want to also have a relationship with the Creator of this universe, my Master, my Friend, my Lord and my Savior!

 

**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: Jeremiah 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 11:3-5 (NLT)
³ Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant!
⁴ For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
⁵ I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.'” Then I replied, “Amen, LORD! May it be so.”

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

In reading this passage this morning I could only think that today we are no better than the Israelites that God brought out of Egypt. If anything, we have probably falling a few steps below the sinful nation that they had become. I have therefore taken what God said and applied it to my life and to our nation. If we obey Him and do whatever He commands us, then we will be His people and He will be our God. In another recent study I was reminded that when I don’t see God answering my prayer, I need to examine myself, and better yet ask God to examine me, and see if there is sin separating me from God. God is opposed to sin and He will not work in our lives when there is sin present. Let us therefore examine ourselves and clean up our act before a holy God. I can only imagine how awesome it will be to see Him smile and perform mighty acts for us as He sees us making an effort to be obedient to Him. He is holy and worthy of our praise! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, You know all too well how difficult and challenging it is for us to face the trials of each day here on this earth, yet You have left us here so that we might be representatives of Yours and live a life like You have exampled before us. Please help me to constantly seek Your face and ask for Your power to help me through each day as a pure example of what You have taught in Your Word.

 

**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: Jeremiah 9 and 10.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)
²³ This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.
²⁴ But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!

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

In my study today these two verses stood out and caught my attention more than anything else. I believe that God said to me, and in turn is saying to our nation, that you may be proud of your accomplishments, your wisdom, your defenses and so much more, but yet let Me tell you about the most important thing that really matters at the end of the day or at the end of your life on earth, and in verse 24 He goes on to tell us about what is really important to Him. Friend, the bottom line is that God created this earth and He created you and I. He blesses us with daily health and strength to meet the challenges of each day. He provides for our future through jobs and any other means that we will one day recognize as a ‘God thing’. When we start bragging about ourselves, we make such a small impact on the world, and oh how disappointing to God that we try to take the credit for all that He has done. I heard a neat letter read yesterday that was written by a Christian leader who had just gotten the news that his wife had cancer, and what an encouragement and role model that leader would be for the Christian community, because in his letter he prayed that God would continue to use he and his wife and allow them to serve faithfully and successfully for a long time. In fact, he prayed as if he was just joining the ministry. The bottom line is that we must learn to celebrate and talk with God at times when we are on the mountain top, with all of life’s successes and good times in our favor, but also to thank God for the times when things seem impossible to us and we are required to lean so heavily on Him. The lessons learned in the latter instance will impact our Christian walk and give us more to brag on God as we celebrate Him in worship. God delights in these things!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, I thank You for all that You do for me, in me and through me. I give You praise today for who You are, for salvation through You and for all that You do for me every day. May I be quick to pass any credit pointed at me straight up to You, for I realize that had it not been for Your grace, I would be of no value or help to anyone around me. Thank You for loving me so much! May I always find a place in my heart for worship and adoration to the One who sacrificed Your life for me.

 

**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: Hebrews 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Hebrews 7:25-27 (NLT)
²⁵ Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
²⁶ He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
²⁷ Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

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

Jesus should be everyone’s ultimate authority for spiritual life. In our culture today, however, many people have advisers and counselors whom they elevate almost to the role of priest. People look to political leaders, lawyers, physicians, insurance agents, and financial advisers to provide hope, long life, and security against all disasters. Many Christians regard the advice of priests and ministers, Christian friends, and even pop musicians before they consider the words of Jesus written in the Bible. Make sure your first allegiance and priority is to know and follow the advice given by Jesus.
No one can add to what Jesus did to save us; our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven, and Jesus is with the Father as a sign that our sins are forgiven. As our High Priest, Christ is our Advocate, the mediator between us and God. He looks after our interests and intercedes for us with God. The Old Testament high priest went before God once a year to plead for the forgiveness of the nation’s sins; Christ makes perpetual intercession before God for us. Christ’s continuous presence in heaven with the Father assures us that our sins have been paid for and forgiven. This wonderful assurance frees us from guilt and from fear of failure. If you are a Christian, remember that Christ has paid the price for your sins once and for all.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my mediator before God our Father. Many times temptations, trials and hardships come my way and often before I could take time to whine or complain I notice where the matter soon become pretty irrelevant. Now I understand why, You have intervened on my behalf. Wow, what a Savior! This is an ongoing need, as many things will come my way even today that I may be tempted to throw up my hands and surrender, but I pray Lord that as You have cared for me in the past, today will not be an exception. I place my hand in Yours, and pray that Your will be accomplished in and through me today. Please protect me from the evil one and keep me in the path of righteousness, holy and pleasing 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
**