Tag: creator

What God Wants From You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Love, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – John 6:28-29): 28 “What exactly does God want us to do?” the people asked. 29 Jesus answered, “God wants you to have faith in the one he sent.”

THOUGHTS: When someone does something special for an appreciative person, the first thing they try to think of is “what might I do to show my appreciation in return”. A humble person is often left with an unworthy feeling when someone does something special for them, because they realize how many other people are so much more deserving of the good works than they are. So let’s look at what the God of this entire universe desires of us in return to the greatest gift ever given. After all, He not only created us and the world in which we live, but God also saw the terrible time that mankind was having in trying to obey the law in order to stay free from sin, so He took the ultimate step of also sending His only offspring, Jesus, as a baby. He worked many recorded miracles through Jesus while here on this earth, but He also realized that He had to make things real simple for humans to ever see the light of heaven, so instead of the many sacrifices that mankind knew since the beginning of time, He decided to make one final sacrifice to prove His ultimate love, and to provide the clear path/access to heaven. This came through the sacrificial death of God’s only Son on the cross at Calvary. However, in the same way that we see many doubters and nay-sayers today, John shows us that their doubt is fed from those who doubted long before our time. Jesus proved His sovereignty in many ways while here on earth, yet in this passage of scripture today we hear, through minds filled with doubt, a question that many will eventually have on their mind, and that is: “what exactly do You want from me Jesus?” Notice how simple the response was in our scripture, and how simple the answer has remained. God simply wants us to acknowledge that we have come to a point where we realize that we cannot personally do anything in and of ourselves to gain righteousness and freedom from this world’s sin, so the only choice is for us to surrender ourselves to the One He sent for the redemption of our sin, His precious, only, Son, JESUS. Having accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, my heart is filled with the desire to make sure that no one that I know and hold dear to my heart is left behind. This includes family, friends, coworkers, and yes, ‘YOU’ friend, for you are reading this devotional today because of God’s design for you, and through me as His humble servant. You are therefore very special in His eyes, and mine, and I would be overjoyed to know that because of God’s precious Word today, you and I will have a central meeting place – at the feet of Jesus in glory! See you soon? Only God knows how soon! Please take time to read the ‘Footnote’ for help on taking the next step towards becoming a Jesus follower.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your love is beyond anything I can think or imagine, for You provided a way for filthy sinners to see the gates of heaven, by sacrificing Your one and only Son, Jesus as our eternal sin sacrifice. Thank You Heavenly Father! Thank You Jesus, Son of God, Redeemer, Deliverer and everlasting Savior! Lord, I pray that today will be the day of salvation for many who will meditate on this devotional and that they would be reminded once again of Your precious love and provision for them. May the words of verse 29 echo in the hearts of many that You will work on today “God wants you to have faith in the one he sent”. This is not just a statement that You are wanting us to be aware of, but it is a statement of love and desire to have us decide today to be with You, as badly as You want us to be with You. Thank You for expressing love in its purest and unselfish way, just for us. I love You Lord, and I ask all these things in faith, in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Have You Washed?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleansing, Transformed, WorthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Exodus 30:17-21): 17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. 19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. 20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! 21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die.

THOUGHTS: Most of us are diligent about making ourselves presentable in certain places and in select circumstances. As an example, it would not be impressive for one to come for an office job interview straight from working in the yard – filled with sweat and dirt. Growing up, I remember my mom settling into her seat at church, where her first course of action would be to bow her head and pray. I believe that was a prayer of preparation for her in asking God to take away the distractions; forgive her of her sin; and make her worthy to come before Him in worship and adoration. God showed early saints that cleansing themselves before coming into His presence was important, just as He demonstrated in the actions taught in these verses highlighted today. In verse 20 God said that He would strike dead Aaron and/or his sons who may have disobeyed His command to cleanse themselves physically before entering His presence. Earlier in this chapter we are told that Moses ‘burned with anger’ when he saw how his people had turned back to their life of sin so quickly during his absence. I can only imagine how God must burn with anger and disappointment when His children, who claim Him as Lord, enters His house (church) to praise Him but drenched in the sin of our weekly encounters. The unfortunate thing that I believe we must be careful of, is that after our first visit in such a condition, we tend to become hardened to our sinful attitudes; our rude and disrespectful encounters; our disregard for God and/or His Word during the week; and therefore lose the guilt of needing to seek cleansing from God before we seek an audience with Him. Friends, we must be very careful to not make a mockery of God. He is still the Creator of this entire universe and of you and I. He is the same God that sent His Son to us as our ultimate Redeemer, Savior and Lord. He is sin-less and deserves our humility, love and respect so that we approach Him in similar form as He demanded of Aaron and his sons in verse 21 – always clean. The consequence for us could easily be as severe as God threatened Aaron – death. In the New Testament we are warned that some who have taken the Lord’s Supper unworthily have even died. Friends, we must be reminded that we fool no one but ourselves when we deliberately sin in the face of God. There is no need to pretend we are worthy of His praise, when we are saturated in sin. God knows us better than we know ourselves, so we can’t fool Him. Let us therefore humbly bow before Him and ask for His cleansing on a daily basis. Perhaps then we might be more pleasing to Him, and better represent Him to the lost of this world.

PRAYER: Lord, You alone are holy, and we are not. Please help us to acknowledge that, and to always seek Your forgiveness and Your cleansing, for we have learned from this lesson today that You deserve a clean heart from upright people. Please help us to always be conscious of our filth – our sin, and to stay so in tuned with You and Your Word that our sin will be highlighted for us, so that we might be aware of our need for You. Please be very evident in our lives today so that we may enter Your courts with praise and so that we may be worthy of representing You before those within our realm of influence. Please touch the lives of those that need to hear this word today so that they may become more effective witnesses for You in every aspect of their lives. I ask these things in the worthy and all powerful name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Faith That Leads to Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Humility, Obedience, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – John 4:47-50): 47 ..when the man heard that Jesus had come from Judea, he went and begged him to keep his son from dying. 48 Jesus told the official, “You won’t have faith unless you see miracles and wonders!” 49 The man replied, “Lord, please come before my son dies!” 50 Jesus then said, “Your son will live. Go on home to him.” The man believed Jesus and started back home.

THOUGHTS: There are several things about this story that caught my attention:

  • Reputation: Notice that the official had heard about Jesus and His mighty works in the past, otherwise why would it have mattered if he heard that Jesus was coming to his town? People are burdened with needs today. Have they heard enough about Jesus and His mighty works in our churches and our families that they would become as determined as the official to take their concerns to Jesus? Is this our first stop – to take our deepest needs and concerns to Jesus?
  • Need: The official recognized a need that existed in his family, and he wanted to have it resolved. I believe that when we glorify God for all the good that He does every day, then we will automatically turn to Him in our needs also. Furthermore, I believe it is vital that we redirect our attention from the small selfish things and concentrate on the needs of others – especially our family members. Jesus, our role model, was always more concerned about others than of Himself;
  • Our view of Miracles: The official had predetermined ideas of what Jesus could, or could not do. Jesus chose to change His previous history of ‘hands on’ miracles, to merely heal the official’s son based on the faith of the father who asked and believed. That tells me that we must simply share our concerns with the Lord and not try to tell Him how, or when, to do His mighty works. God declares in His Word that His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. He is the potter, and we are merely the clay subject to His molding every day. In His molding process, He can fix broken or marred pieces along the way;
  • Faith and Obedience: Notice that the official didn’t turn away angry because Jesus didn’t do what he asked him to do. He had faith to believe in God and obediently follow His instructions. Will we just as easily turn aside and head back home with just a ‘go back home’ from the Lord? Where is your faith, friend? In this case, the obedience of the official resulted in extreme faith by he and his whole family, for in verse 53 we are told that they all placed their faith and trust in Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your Word is filled with proof that You are the great Physician; Healer and Miracle Worker. Yet You are also our Creator; our Savior and our Lord. Thank You for reminding us of being obedient to You even when You don’t respond exactly as we expect or may even demand. Thank You for the example of this official, for we are reminded that we are to be the obedient followers and not the demanding children trying to tell the Almighty God what to do or how to do it. This official simply followed Your command and great things happened. Lord, may we too be obedient servants, and simply let You be God. You know our needs and concerns today. Please have Your will and way in each of these and in growing us to be more like You every day, so that others may see, and believe in You. For I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Created to Be Virtuous

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Holy, VirtuousLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 7:28-29): 28 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! 29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

THOUGHTS: We often hear the term ‘Virtuous Woman’, especially around Mother’s Day, but I found these two verses touching and challenging. In fact, God really got my attention through these verses. Let’s first define the word ‘virtuous’ – “conforming to a high, moral and ethical standard”. Later in this chapter it is referred as ‘honest and true’. So I believe that God is really saying through His word here, “Hey, I made you to be honest and true, virtuous in every way, so how did you get to where you are today?” Now friends, as you consider this and perhaps seek God’s face about being more virtuous, I want to encourage you to put down your glasses of piety. Relax your pride and selfishness for just a moment. Be reminded that you are looking to the God of this universe for answers. Be willing to open your eyes, your ears and your heart to what He might respond, realizing that He not only knows everything about you, but is very aware of even your inmost thoughts. Remember, He created you! But what’s super important today is that He made you to be ‘virtuous’. Unfortunately, I believe that we are much like the folk that Solomon was thinking of when he penned these words – there wasn’t one who could be found in the whole lot, that he considered ‘virtuous’. So what’s the problem folk? I believe that it’s a small three letter word that has drastically impacted on our lives – SIN. Remember, God will not abide where sin abounds. Solomon said that we have each turned to follow our own downward path. In other words, a path that leads to nothing Godly or nothing good. Friends, if God created us to be virtuous, then I am convinced that He wanted us to live virtuous lives that He could be proud of and use for His earthly work. Are you worthy of this, or have you followed your own downward path that is good for nothing that imitates God? Christians, we are not perfect – just forgiven, so this challenge very much applies to you. Non-Christian, you may tend to think that you are so entrenched in sin that there is no way that you can ever be classified ‘Virtuous’. I have great news for you friend. God loves you and with such passion that He decided even while we were deep in sin, to send His only Son into this world as a sacrificial lamb, providing the only means for salvation and ultimately, virtuous living. This is all accomplished with Him as our Guide, our Defender, our Redeemer, our Master and our Lord. Jesus alone can turn your life around, and into something beautiful that can be used for His glory. Will you let Him do it? My ‘Footnote’ contains helpful tips.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, for I can hardly imagine the love of a Savior for those who had you crucified, yet You went to the cross for us. Yes, so that we might have a chance of seeing You face to face, but also to provide the means and direction for us to live ‘virtuous’ lives here on this earth. I know this is what’s required of us to be true witnesses of Yours, but in our carnal minds this seems so impossible. Yet we know that You are the God of everything that seems ‘impossible’ to us, so it is in that assurance that we come before You today asking for forgiveness of our less than virtuous living, and asking that You might give us power and a desire to turn our lives around and refocus our lives, our speech and our actions to closely imitate You dear God, so that we may be acceptable and usable witnesses. Bless us with Your presence and Your power today, is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of Your Son Jesus, AMEN

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Our All Sufficient God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Challenges, Circumstances, Hard TimesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 7:13-14): 13 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

THOUGHTS: Most of us tend to pray hardest when we are flat on our back and have no other choice but to look up and pray! That’s a saying that I’ve heard over the time that I’ve been a Christian, because most people pray hardest during times of adversity. At one point I had a pastor who would dedicate the first portion of our prayer meetings towards giving thanks to God in our prayers. It was amazing how challenging it was to just give thanks, without tending to also ask, ask, ask. I believe we are truly a ‘gi’me’ kind of people. In this scripture today, we are admonished to always remember to give God thanks when we recognize His handiwork, or as we prosper by His graciousness, His power and His provision for us. In fact, I would encourage you to join me in giving God thanks for everything. How dare us to attribute God’s goodness to happen-chance, or our lucky day, or coincidence, or any other description we may tend to use instead of simply thanking the Creator of all things, the One who gave His life so that we might enjoy eternal life. If God made such an awesome sacrifice just to show His love for us and His desire to have us join Him around the throne in heaven one day, don’t you suppose He will do everything possible to take exceptional care of us until such time that He calls us home? I can assure you He will!! However, an area that I believe many of us struggle with, is when things don’t seem to be going ‘peachy’ (as some would say!). Let me remind you of two songs that reflect on God’s awesome plan, and confirms that God is always with us: ‘God of the Mountain‘ and ‘Through It All‘. Listen to these two songs as you meditate on the rest of this devotional and be blessed. Friends, I believe that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, but while in this old world, life will not be perfect, so let us learn to trust in God when everything is going the way we think it should go, but we should especially trust in God during those times that we realize that we could only overcome our circumstances with a great big touch of the Master’s hand. May I encourage you to lean on a friend for prayer support and encouragement when life seems impossible? Often it is difficult for us to see outside of our struggles and circumstances.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I just want to thank You for who You are. So much bigger than my circumstances, so much stronger than my weaknesses, yet Your love is so awesome that You love me in spite of my inadequacies. Many will meditate on this devotional today that are overwhelmed with struggles and hardships. Thankfully we are assured in this scripture today that Your love and Your power is consistent and persistent, if only we will remain faithful in every circumstance of life. May it be so, please dear God. For I ask all this in faith, and in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Impossibilities to Man Are Very Possible With God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – Jeremiah 1:4-8): 4 The Lord said: 5 “Jeremiah, I am your Creator, and before you were born, I chose you to speak for me to the nations.” 6 I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.” 7 “Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! 8 I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”

Thoughts: I find it interesting how Moses felt unworthy to be used of God for the awesome job of freeing his people from slavery. Excuses such as unable to even speak properly, much less being used by God to lead a large number of people. Again with Jeremiah as he was told by God that he would go and speak to all the nations, he also found excuses to give God about his inabilities. In the New Testament we are told about tax collectors, fishermen and doctors, to name a few, that were called to share the Word of the Lord with others. As I look closer to our current times, I hear of great pastors and evangelists whose parents, school teachers and/or friends would never have projected their future to be in the ministry of Jesus Christ. In trying to imagine how these men must have felt, I thought that perhaps the reason for their doubt, or initial refusal, may have been their humility. Imagine with me for a moment, that the King of all kings were to visit us and tell us to leave our workplaces, our homes, our friends and our families and head out to a foreign country to speak with their king about all that he is doing wrong. No longer than it took you to read this devotional I bet you would have your bags packed and ready to go, right? I bet that not! But yet that’s how impossible these awesome tasks were to these great men of God when they were first given their orders. Friends, I believe that our takeaway in this scripture today is to note that:

  1. God can, and will, call the unqualified to do a work that must easily be credited to His mighty hand at work in accomplishing the task assigned;
  2. God made us, and if He could make a donkey to speak back to a troubled servant of His, I’m sure He can provide the talent, boldness and means to accomplish the work He assigns to us;
  3. God often chooses the most unlikely servants to do His work. It must always be evident that it is God busy at work, not some smart, talented bold servant that He could choose to do the work;
  4. To decline an invitation given by God is actually disobedience, because He really has the work cut out for YOU to do, not the qualified theologian you feel better able to do the job.

Friends, my take on this is that we are to be so attuned to God each day that we will understand His will and His call on us to do His work, and when He calls, we must be ready to follow through in obedience to Him. Please consider making this a day of tuning your life into alignment with God!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please prepare us for the work You have in mind for us. Please keep us so aligned with You on a daily basis that we will easily recognize Your voice and Your commands so that we may quickly follow in obedience to Your call. Thank You for considering the most unlikely people, in our minds, to accomplish the great work that You are ready to do in our midst or through our lives. It is my desire to see Your will accomplished, and to welcome opportunities to use my talents and/or availability for Your service. Please tender the hearts of my readers to recognize You as Lord, and to follow in obedience to Your call, should You desire to use us for Your work and Your glory! Bless us again dear Lord, is my humble prayer that I ask in Your glorious and wonderful name, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!, and

God’s Spirit Makes The Difference

On By Ed AlgreenIn Peace, SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 32:15-20): 15 When the Spirit is given to us from heaven, deserts will become orchards thick as fertile forests. 16 Honesty and justice will prosper there, 17 and justice will produce lasting peace and security. 18 You, the Lord’s people, will live in peace, calm and secure, 19 even if hailstones flatten forests and cities. 20 You will have God’s blessing, as you plant your crops beside streams, while your donkeys and cattle roam freely about.

Thoughts: I believe that almost anywhere in this world that you live right now, there is a certain fear for your safety. Don’t you stop and ponder why this is all happening and where might you go to find peace and security? God knew that this would be the case, so He spoke through Isaiah the prophet to tell us how this will all be resolved for us. Friends, please allow me to remind you that we can find the answers to all of life’s concerns and/or questions as we read the Word of God. Please also allow me to remind you that there is peace in knowing the Creator of this universe personally, and in surrendering your life to His control. It is very clear to see that we were designed and created by a wonderful Creator. He designed a beautiful world for us to enjoy and gave us lots of folk to communicate with and love. The challenge for us, is that He also gave us freedom to make our own choices on what we would do with all that He created, and how we would handle our relationship with our designer. (Sounds a whole lot like parenting – especially when we talk about ‘cutting the apron string’ and allowing our children to make their own choices, right?) It seems like we wander so far away from God that we see our world collapsing around us, then we come to our senses (sometimes) and wonder where God must be. Friends, God’s Holy Spirit was the key to making a difference in this world mentioned by Isaiah, and He is also key to making all the difference in our lives today. To get us from the point of disappointments, despair and a feeling of total collapse or failure in our personal world, I must challenge you with a couple questions:

  1. Do you know Jesus? – this is a personal decision that you would have personally made of your own free will. One where you did something along the following lines:
    1. Admitted before God that you are a sinner;
    2. Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ – that He died, was buried and arose again so that you might have eternal life in heaven one day with He and the Father (God); and
    3. Confessed your sin before Him and asked Him to come into your heart, control it, and direct you to live a life following His example as detailed in the Word of God.
  2. Are you living the life referenced in (c) above? It’s not too late. Go back to the foot of the cross, ask forgiveness and ask God to give you the strength and self-will to live a life dedicated to serving Him and as a living sacrifice to Him.

Friends, let me remind you that we cannot fathom the depth of God’s love for us! Think about the kind of love you have for your child, or a loved one. Now multiply that by millions and you will begin to slightly imagine the depth of God’s love for you! Just open your life to His Holy Spirit today friend. Not only will your lives be changed, but you too can be a light in this very dark world!

Prayer: Father God, thank You for planning this whole thing called ‘life’ out to the very finest detail. Thank You for creating us, and everything around us that makes us happy, comfortable and fed. Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we can join You in heaven as we worship and praise You forever and ever. While still on this earth, with all of it’s ills and challenges, please help us to stay focused on You and our eternal home, for this gives us hope and light at the end of the tunnel that we now find ourselves in. Please soften the heart of one that might be searching for answers to their life’s challenges today. Convince them of their need for a Savior, the Savior of all mankind. May this be the day of salvation for someone today after being reminded of the eternal peace that comes from knowing You. I ask this in the matchless name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

I Serve the master of the storms

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Disciple, Faith, God Cares For Us, Obedience, Righteousness, Surrender, Thank You Jesus, Victorious Life, Worry no moreLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 8 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matt 8:23-27 (NLT)

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

With the advent of another year and all the challenges that we could possibly face, I thought that this was a good reminder that for those who know the Lord, we have a connection with the One that can not only calm the forces of nature, but also has the power to handle every little circumstance of our lives. I pray that we will have the audacity to go first to the Master of the winds and waves, the Master of every thing that affects us as individuals, and seek His guidance and ask Him to save us, like the disciples did in the above story. There is no one else that we can turn to with that kind of power, like He does; no one who will understand our needs, like He does; no one who will love us unconditionally, like He does, because sometimes we bring the storms of life on ourselves. As we stand at the beginning of 2011 with many unknowns ahead of us, I want to be constantly reminded of the awesome God that I serve, and I want to always be open to His leading and His direction for my life.

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

What an awesome God that I serve, and oh how appreciative I am of the fact that He watches out for me and has all power, that I may surrender in confidence all my concerns and challenges! I pray that I will reach beyond what my eyes can see and what my mind can fathom, but through the power of God accomplish all that He may have in store for me in 2011. How comforting to know that I serve the Master of the winds and waves, the Creator of all mankind and the One that has shown so love towards me that He sacrificed His one and only Son for my good!

Is there anything too hard for the lord?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Encourage, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Helper, Hope, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, Righteousness, Surrender, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 18

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Gen 18:13-14 (NLT)

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

In the everyday rush of life and circumstances we often face challenges that seem insurmountable to us. When our selfish wishes don’t come true, or if our prayers are not answered like we envision in our own minds, we tend to feel like God is not in control and/or that He does not hear our prayers. In this chapter we read where Abraham and Sarah has grown very old, yet God has seen fit to still bless them with another child. Sarah felt like the plan of God was so far out that she laughed, because the plan sounded so far out to her. I believe that today as we face life’s challenges we may not even go to God with our concerns because we feel like our problems are way too big. I believe that God is saying to me, and/or to us, O Ye of Little Faith! Is anything too hard for the Lord? Friends, we serve the creator and developer of this universe, the One who spoke all this into existence. Is there anything too hard for Him? I would dare say that He can do all things! He can handle every problem or challenge that seem so impossible to us. Today let’s let go, and let God be God!

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

Father I know that You must look at Your children and often say “O ye of little faith, have I not proven myself to you on numerous occasions? Why won’t you let me help you?”. Please help me to learn to place my trust in You and allow You to be God in all circumstances of my life. You are well aware of all that is troubling me today. I have no need to worry, because I need to just place everything into Your care and allow You to take control. Thank You for reminding me of Your power this morning. Thank You for reminding me that nothing is too hard for You! As I place myself into Your powerful hands again today, I pray that You will relieve me of every concern that tend to burden me. I need You each and every day through each and every situation. Please take control of every decision and every aspect of this life, and allow me to look through Your eyes when I am tempted to worry. Thank You for loving me so much!

A Promise To The Righteous

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Heaven, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Peace, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Surrender, Things that make God angry, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE Studied: Genesis 5 – 7 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die.18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives.19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood.20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” Gen 6:17-21 (NLT)

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

Although I have heard and read the story of Noah many times before, I was touched by this again today. God made man in His own image and in these chapters studied I found where men were still having sons well over 100 years of age, plus living in excess of 900 years. However God became very upset over the increasing evil that He saw in man and vowed to maximize his life to 120. Still, evil continued to the extent that it angered God into wiping out all living things made by Him on this earth. However, He was able to find one righteous man, Noah. The covenant He made with Noah is similar to the one that he makes with those of us that accept Him as Lord and then strive to live righteous lives. Throughout all the destruction of all living things – water on this earth of more than 22 feet above the highest mountain, yet He kept Noah and his family plus a limited number of animals, safe. Later in God’s Word He provides another covenant for those of us that accepts His Son as Lord of our lives, and this covenant is that we may live eternally with Him in glory! I don’t know about you, but to have the love of the Father – our creator, poured out on me as a child of His here on this earth, plus to also be assured of eternity with Him in glory is enough to make this life tolerable and  worth every moment of every day facing the everyday challenges of this temporary world. Noah was saved, together with his family, because He followed the will of God and lived a righteous life in the eyes of God. We can do the same today if only we will follow the plan outlined by God. Do you know this Savior of whom I speak of here? The invitation is open to ALL who believe and accept Jesus as Lord of your life. Read John 3:16 to understand the full depth of God’s promise. Won’t you covenant with God today friend? Read though this help page for directions, or contact me by responding to this post. Jesus loves you, and so do I!

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

Father, You have shown in Your Word how important it is for Your creations to dedicate themselves to their creator. Thank You for the awesome job You did in wonderfully making me and then providing a means for me to have life eternally with You. I pray that everyone that reads this post today will be convinced of Your love, and that their hearts will be troubled enough to not let the sun set today before making a commitment to accept You as their Lord and Savior and to live a righteous life in Your sight, during the time they have left here on this earth. May You rule and reign in every aspect of our lives today!