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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-09 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 4:18-22 (TLB) |
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Text: |
18 One day as he was walking along the beach beside the Lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—out in a boat fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen.
19 Jesus called out, “Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!” 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. 21 A little farther up the beach he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets; and he called to them to come too. 22 At once they stopped their work and, leaving their father behind, went with him. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In religious circles, we hear a lot of caution used to warn students of the Word not to take things out of context. I had been taught this story over and over from even an early age, but until this morning never really caught the context of Jesus calling His first disciples. Beginning up in verse 12 we are told that Jesus went to Galilee, a place known for its unbelievers. Yet as He walked along the lake and saw these fishermen, He simply gave the call to them, and without hesitation they dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus. This story is nothing short of miraculous, friends! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I wonder what has happened to cause so many who sit under the teachings of the Lord Jesus to be in such doubt about the same Lord who they’ve heard for years to be a miracle-working, loving, sacrificial, all-powerful God. I would imagine that in many of our local churches Jesus may walk in today, He could call on the pastor, or the elders, or the deacons, or the Christians who have boasted of Him over the years, and they may ‘prayerfully consider’ the request to follow Jesus into the unknown – although on second thought, to leave everything they have and follow Him wherever He may guide them, well that may create somewhat of a challenge for many! One old faithful retired missionary told us that when he was called to missions, he sold everything he had and gave the money to his local home churches, because he felt like if Jesus called him, then he would provide for him. Furthermore, it increased his faith in the one that he knew he would lean heavily on for the unknowns of a foreign land. That really takes ‘faith’ to a whole new level for me! So in my above analogy, we believe that Jesus may stand a chance getting a few to follow Him among our church leadership, but what if He went down just about any old street in your neighborhood, where people hang out for everything but church-related activities? Would Jesus be accepted there, and will the residents follow Him ‘at once’? Friends, I believe that as we study the Word of God, we are often reminded that our Lord is not just ‘anyone’ walking our streets, or the isles of our churches looking for a handout. He knows us by name, and Scripture says that He knows us so well that He even knows the number of hairs on our head. So when He calls us, it will not be a ‘hey you over there in that red shirt’ type of thing, but He could very well call you by name and give you plenty enough evidence that He is calling you personally, in spite of all the guilt you may feel about your inadequate, feeble walk with Him. If you designed and made a particular tool that you wanted to use every time that you worked on a particular engine, or that you might want to cook a particular dish with, you will remember every peculiarity about that tool. Please don’t forget that God made you also friend, and He knows every little dent or nick that you’ve received over the years. He is simply looking for your availability through which He might mightily move in His earthly ministry. Are you willing to respond unconditionally and immediately? If not, why not? Accept Him today and know that peace that passes all understanding, for He cares for you, and loves you beyond anything you can imagine! Read my Footnote if you would like more information about a personal relationship with my Lord! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You are so amazing! You created us and gave us the freedom to either follow You in faith and savor that enormous love that You have for us, or to encounter the evil of this world where Satan strives daily to destroy us. Unfortunately, it seems like our faith never matures to the state that we are quick to obey and follow You, like these disciples demonstrated to us. Please forgive us for our lack of faith, and our desire to do our own thing, in spite of the normal bad results that we read about, hear about or have witnessed personally. Lord, we need a fresh dose of Jesus every day of our lives, for we are weak and sinful beyond anything we ever thought possible. Only You can save us, and only You can direct us in the paths that You have set out before us. Please fill us with Your everlasting love, power and commitment to be obedient children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. For I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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! | |
Tag: direction
God – Our Provider!
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-03 |
| Scripture | |
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From: |
Genesis 2:7–8 (NCV) |
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Text: |
7 Then the LORD God took dust from the ground and formed a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose, and the man became a living person. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in the east, in a place called Eden, and put the man he had formed into it.
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| Observation: | |
| Please note how God had such an interest in mankind right from the very beginning of time. Having already created the earth and sky, God then created man, so that he could care of everything else that He would create. God knew that Adam would need food, so He immediately provided a garden. Next, was the creation of several rivers, and no doubt these were to provide the necessary water for the garden, and for Adam to see and harvest the fish in those rivers. | |
| Application: | |
| Isn’t it interesting how God didn’t just create a man and place him on earth to fend for himself? Just like He is still doing today, God placed Adam on earth and made sure that his every need was met, right up to and including a help mate. Notice also that God didn’t just cause the fruit to appear on Adam’s table one day, but He created the garden and told Adam to care for it and make use of most of the fruit, with only two exceptions. Yes, there were rules and restrictions right from the very beginning friends. This teaches us self-control and accountability to those commands. So I believe there is an interesting lesson in this Scripture for us today. When we realize that we have reached the end, and it seems like little hope remains, let us never fail to place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and await His mighty hand. We’re talking about the same God that provided everything for Adam, from the ground up. We’re talking about the same God that destroyed armies in the middle of the night in order to protect His chosen people. The One who gave sight to the blind and caused the deaf to hear. Why He even brought the dead to life again! That’s the Provider – the awesome God that believers can place their faith and trust in today! Do you know Him friend? Will You commit again to surrender to Him and His call on your life today? As descendants of one man, I believe that God is just as proud of His creation as He was of Adam. He wants to provide for us, but He as given us the choice of allowing Him to, or not. I have dear friends who were depending on God’s direction regarding a physical relocation. It appeared like God was not hearing their prayers, because their agenda was not being met. However it became increasingly evident that God was answering their prayers all along in the way He saw fit for their lives. He is our provider, friends. You can depend on Him – just try it! | |
| Prayer: | |
| Lord, as I reflect on all that You did for mankind right from the very start, I can ashamedly acknowledge how we have let You down in so many ways by following our own vices and self-proclaimed knowledge or even that of other earthly authorities. I can only come before You today feeling ashamed and unworthy of Your presence. I truly believe that You are still able, willing and ready to provide the needs of all who call on You as Savior and Lord. So Lord God, my readers and I come before that type of awesome God, as Your humble servants bowing at Your feet, and asking for a touch from You once again today. Most of us may not have physical needs, but Lord we need You to just help us deal with, and overcome the intrusion of Satan in to so many areas of our lives while we remain here on this old earth. May Your will be done in our lives today, oh Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer and soon coming Lord, AMEN! | |
| Footnote: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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! | |
Steeped In Sin, Yet God…
Saturday, 2016-12-03
Scripture
Bible Reference: Isaiah 64:6-9
Bible Text: We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves – sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.
Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O God. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.
Bible Translation:The Message (MSG)
My Take
We hear it often, and we may have even thought it at times ourselves: “I am so dirty with sin, that no one wants anything to do with me – not even God”. However, I hope that many of you who are guilty of that statement are actually reading this devotional today, because like me, I hope that you will find hope in what these verses are really conveying to us. You see, at this Advent season on the church calendar, we especially think of the reason that Jesus came to earth, and we specifically reflect on, and celebrate His miraculous birth at Christmas. Friends, I am convinced that God sent His Son for one specific reason – not just to heal the sick, broken-hearted or discouraged; and not just to raise the dead from the grave; but He also saw how bad it was getting on earth with blatant sin – murder; rape; adultery; and all sorts of wickedness. He realized that sacrificing of animals for forgiveness of sin was just not working, so in spite of the enormous sin going on at that time, He sent His very own Son to simplify the act of one seeking forgiveness of their sin. You see, God’s mission has always been to see His people live like He intended here on this earth, and to always seek His leadership and His guidance, so that we might desire to do what He originally created us for – to worship Him and Him alone. Friends, I wonder how saddened God must be with His creation, when He looks around earth and sees how far we have strayed from His design. Satan is rampant in our families; in our churches; in our cities, states, country, and indeed in our world. Unfortunately, God has given us freedom of choice in deciding who we will follow, and in spite of God’s perfect design; the gift of His precious Son; and the promise of eternity in heaven for those who believe in Jesus; yet it is very evident that the attraction of worldly possessions; fun; and self-indulgence has been more attractive to mankind – even at the expense of knowing that he will spent eternity in the pit of Hell with his worldly leader – Satan, who has nothing to offer but eternal damnation, unending fire, and nothing but pain and destruction. I believe our challenge for today is simply to open our eyes to the love of Jesus, for I don’t believe that anyone who acknowledges the love of God for His children by sacrificing His very own Son, will willfully turn their backs on Him and settle for the only other alternative – the offerings of Satan. We have a Savior who loves us unconditionally, and will accept us today, if only we will harken to His call. There really is no reason to wait friend. God will work with you to rid yourself of everything that causes you to sin against Him, so please don’t confuse the order of things. Accept Him first, and ask for His help to fully dedicate yourself to Him. This could be the best Christmas ever for you and your family and friends who ‘put up’ with you!
Prayer
Lord God, we are such a blessed people. You have been so patient, loving and kind to us in so many ways. I thank You for touching my life and convincing me of my need for Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I am very concerned for the unsaved in my family, my church and throughout my community, and I ask that You patiently tender their hearts again today so that they may hear about You and believe. I have a special place in my heart for my readers also Lord, and I ask that should there be one who happens across this devotional today that have yet to make a decision to surrender their life to You, that this may be the day. Lord, may this be a weekend that churches will be filled with seekers. Lord, may those churches release those parishioners into the world as new-born Christians, because of the preaching of Your Word, and Your miraculous touch on their lives. Lord may they be obedient to Your call on their life and accept You as their Savior, For this is my humble and sincere prayer, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
The God Who Knows Us Intimately
Monday, 2016-10-31
Scripture
Bible Reference: Psalm 139:23–24
Bible Text: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)
My Take
My Old Testament reading today took me into Genesis where God asked Adam why he had eaten from the forbidden tree. To think that through carefully, you will quickly conclude that God already knew that they had eaten from the tree, He just needed them to admit they had sinned. In this particular Psalm, David went before God acknowledging that He already knew his heart, and even his thoughts. Friends, we usually feel pretty good about ourselves when we feel like no one knows about our inmost thoughts, but if we have surrendered our lives to the lordship of Jesus, we should be reminded that purity before Him is at a much higher level, for He knows our thoughts and our intentions. I love the way that this particular translation puts David’s prayer, when he basically said: You know my heart and my thoughts oh God, so search me and test me, so that You can quickly tell me if there’s anything that makes You sad. I believe that God is looking for children who are not only sincere in their actions, but because of the purity of their hearts, their actions are genuine and follows the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, I believe that way too often, our actions, or our outward actions in the sight of others, may imitate what others may expect of a child of God, but I’m not so sure that our inward thoughts regarding everything we do, are always God-like and pleasing to Him. I believe it is for this reason that the Psalmist asked God to point out if there is anything, whether outwardly or inwardly that makes God sad with him. David even showed us why it is important for us to seek God in this way, because just like David, we want to win the ultimate prize, we want to rejoice at Jesus’ feet in glory eternally. Because we never know when that day will come that Jesus calls us home to glory, I believe that we need to live each day seeking the face of God and asking for a free evaluation of our outward actions and our inward thoughts and intentions.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, may the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in Your sight. Lord, please give us strength and boldness to fight off the likes of Satan that would cause our actions and/or thoughts and sadden You. Lord, we want to be just like You, inside and out, but we can only do that with Your strength, as we have no power over Satan. Please know our hearts and protect us in our thoughts that may often be fed by the evil one, so that You may have freedom to not only bless us, but also bless others through us. I ask these things in greatest humility, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
Obey God, By Obeying The Government
Saturday, 2016-10-22
Scripture
Bible Reference: Romans 13:1–2
Bible Text: 1 Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. 2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.
Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)
My Take
During this heated/sensitive time in America, with our general elections at hand, this subject may almost seem like provocation towards how we are to look at our government leaders. However, friends I believe I would be wrong to overlook my responsibility if I skip over regularly scheduled portions of the Bible where God has a word for me, and hopefully for all reading this devotional. In fact, I believe that our most worthy God is pointing out to us through His Word, that our elections are all about Him, and not about our ideals, or our wishes, or the platform of the candidates. It appears to me that God has a plan for us and our respective countries. Yes, our assumptions may be correct in saying that if a particular person is elected, we project that there are great times ahead for us, or perhaps to the contrary, that there are very challenging times ahead for us. The point is, when Christians look to God for His perfect plan for us, and submit ourselves to the leader that He would have us choose to fulfill His mission, God’s mission, then we will be at peace with God and with the results of our elections. God is the only one who could steer us towards choosing the right leaders so that He (God) might accomplish His will for His people over the next number of years. In looking for excuses, we may doubt this process because we don’t see godliness in any of our candidates. To reread the scripture is to remind ourselves that this is not one of the conditions. In fact, if the recent statistic is true that only 9% are followers of Christ, wouldn’t it be easy to conclude that our people will not vote in a proclaimed Christian? I believe that God is teaching us that in this life, there will be steering currents that will point us towards the cross, and some that will lead us to the depths of Hell. In this scripture today, God is teaching us about who’s in charge, even in our government, and how we are to be obedient to the fact that He will direct our paths, even through a corrupt government. Friends, the bottom line is that God said it, and our responsibility is to believe and obey His Word without analyzing it to pieces and trying to find a way to make it irrelevant to us, in this day and time. So I repeat the Word of God, our government leaders are put in place by God, and if we choose to dishonor or disobey our leaders, we are disobeying God Himself. I believe He will judge us for that friend!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for pointing out to us through Your Word how we are to be obedient to You in all aspects of our lives, even through the election, and leadership of, our government leaders. We easily see, and praise You for the good things done by our respective governments, but then we fail by assuming Satan has taken control when things are done that impact us negatively. Throughout Your Word You have shown us where various methods have been used by You when it became necessary to get the attention of Your people. We are probably more stubborn today than ever before, about wanting things our way, and wanting our lives coated with nothing but good, so I dare not question how You will get our attention, but learn to trust in You for all things. Traditionally bad things have brought out the best in Your children, but Lord we hope that You could teach us to honor all those that You have placed in authority over us, without asking why You’ve put them there. May our hearts and minds be fixed on You, and not the leaders or government that may prod us towards the path You have set out for us to travel. We are Your children Lord, bless us and make us usable by You to a lost world. For I humble ask these things 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
How To Be Changed From The Inside Out
Friday, 2016-10-21
Scripture
Bible Reference: Romans 12:1-2
Bible Text: ….Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)
My Take
We sometimes refer to kids as being ‘rude to the core’, meaning that we struggle to see any good thing in that particular child that we are dealing with at the time! Unfortunately I believe that adults probably say similar things about other adults also, and when we consider how devious we are in our minds, especially for those without the love and impact of Christ, then we should not be amazed by that statement! Friends, it is unfortunate, but we easily ‘melt away’ or blend into the culture around us. In other words, I believe that if a typical Christian settles into a community away from all churches, and filled with constant parties and celebrations, it may not be long before that ‘Christian’ is persuaded that if they expect to ever make friends with the neighbors then they had best ‘fit in with the crowd’. Paul encourages us in these verses to take every aspect of our lives and place it before God as an offering. I believe this means that we give what we have to God, ask Him to bless it, multiply its usefulness, and use us for His glory – so that His kingdom may benefit from every aspect of our lives. As indicated in the verses, when we fix our eyes and our attention on God, and not on what our friends, or the church, or the world can do for us, then God will be convinced that we are ready for His service and He will begin the change process – from the inside out. I believe this means that He will do away with the old thoughts and habits, and fill us with the glories of the heavenly, so that we may be usable instruments by the King of glory! In another part of scripture, Jesus warns that it makes no sense placing new wine into old wine-skins. Likewise, it would be highly unlikely for Jesus to leave the filth of the ‘old man’ in place and then ‘top him off’ with the joys and glories of heaven. I am convinced that God will empty us of the old sinful man and fill us with His grace, His love and His Holy Spirit, for our lost world will only be impacted when they see the purity of Jesus when they look at us. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will not reside where sin abounds. So to my unsaved readers, may I plead with you to not be tricked into making a superficial decision to accept Jesus as Lord in order to satisfy mom, or the pastor, or that friend that keeps bugging you. Instead, be ready to allow God to wash you clean – from the inside out, and then fill you with the beauty of Himself. Ask a beggar to act like a rich man, and he wouldn’t know what to do. The totally opposite is also true. Asking a sinner to continue in sin and wear the look of Jesus is also a total misfit. However, to ALL who calls on the Lord Jesus Christ, to them will He accept (save) and totally change from the inside out. I pray that will be your decision today friend!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, please forgive us for the decisions we make that are so superficial that we change our minds at the whim of every wind or circumstance of life. Please help us to think deeply about offering ourselves as a total sacrifice, or offering, to You, for Lord we desire a heart like Yours, and the humility to please You in every way possible. We already dedicate ourselves in similar fashion to our workplace so that our business owners could succeed. Please teach us to be even more committed to surrender totally to You so that Your eternal kingdom may flourish through our witness. Lord, we have family and friends who are destined for eternal damnation and unless they see, understand and believe on You, they will never see the glories of Heaven. Please grant us the deep desire to allow You to rule and reign in every way through us, so that they may recognize the King of glory and desire to know You personally. Change my heart oh God, make it ever true, change my heart oh God, may I be like You! 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
How To Stay Encouraged In A Challenging World
Monday, 2016-10-17
Scripture
Bible Reference: Philippians 4:8-9
Bible Text: 8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.
Bible Translation: Contemporary English Version (CEV)
My Take
Perhaps before you walk out of the door to your home this morning you already realized that there will be many challenges that you will deal with today. Perhaps there is overflow from the challenges you dealt with yesterday. There may even be unresolved contention that you know you must deal with today. You may be deliberating: why is it that you must awake from your ‘perfect’, ‘protected’, ‘uncomplicated’ dream of contentment and peace at home, and face the reality and cruelty of this wicked world. Friends, I want you to be encouraged with the words from God, through His messenger Paul, for I believe this can apply to all who are reading this devotional today:
- First of all, to the believer in Jesus Christ, here are some tips on how to handle life under God’s leadership, strength, wisdom and guidance today:
- Don’t allow your minds to be swayed by this world and it’s leader – Satan. Instead, aim towards being like Jesus, for He is true (so important in this world filled with lies, hatred and deception); pure (there is no ‘make-believe’ with Jesus Christ, for He is the real deal. He loved us when we were still steeped in sin, and He gave up His own life to provide the means of us living eternally with the Father in heaven); right; holy (remember Jesus is one with God, so He is holy just as God almighty is holy); friendly; and proper;
- Think about everything that is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise – in other words, we are to seek God’s help to not be pulled into the gutter of gossip; hatred; and the evil deeds associated with Satan himself. In other words, if we find ourselves thinking about something that we cannot truly praise God for, then we are probably ‘off-track’ with what God is teaching us here. For we are to think on those things that are ‘worthy of praise‘ to our heavenly Father!
- Secondly, I believe that there is help here for the non-Christian. Think about it friend: how can you possibly deal with life without the power of the Holy Spirit who is busy in the life of the believer? Without the power of Christ, Satan is free to beat up on you all he wants. Christians are not super beings with the capability of handling every aspect of life that is thrown at them. However, we are super excited about the promise that we can do ALL things through Christ, who strengthens us and guides us to all truth, through the awesome power and guidance of His Holy Spirit who controls us. I believe that your encouragement today is knowing that as long as you have life, there is hope in the option to also accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Know Jesus and know peace! That’s my recommendation to you today so that you may gain His everlasting joy and contentment in everyday living here on this earth.
Prayer
There are a few sayings that cross my mind dear Lord, “you are now entering your mission field” and “you are now entering the ‘real’ world”. I believe that most of us feel fairly secure and at peace in our own homes, and we fear the challenge of what this bitter world holds in store for us as we step into it today. Thank You for the encouragement given to us in this passage of scripture today. Lord, we believe in You, and we lift high the banner of truth contained in Your Word. We are more dependent on You today than ever before Savior, for we can only handle today’s challenges with You powerfully working inside of us, and helping us to be more like You. Lord, how will the world know about You if we don’t tell them? Oh that they may see everlasting hope and the love of Christ in all that we do or say today. For this is my humble prayer that I ask in and through 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
God Ordained Road Signs
May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………
Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 119:9–12
Today’s Bible Text: How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, GOD; train me in your ways of wise living.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)
My Take Away: While I can appreciate the wisdom in wanting to share the advice in this scripture with a young person, I want to really highlight it today for each of us. In fact, I want to encourage you to substitute the words “a young person” with your own name and then print out the verses to pin in a prominent place as a constant reminder to pray this request on a regular basis, for there is so much packed into these verses friends. Let me highlight a few:
- Road Map – With the popularity of smartphones and GPS navigational apps, many of my readers may not remember paper road maps as easily anymore! However, for those that do, or for those who still follow one, you might recall that in most cases you would get the map out and study your course before you leave on your trip. If not, you might leave your current location with several options on how to get to point ‘B’ and therefore become divided on the best route to take. To be undivided in your pursuit of God and His way for your life, it is vitally important to pull out His ‘road map’ (the Bible) every day and search for His directions. You will not only find directional instructions, but you will also find the road signs to be careful of;
- Road Signs – There seems to be thousands of different Road Signs that we must watch out for on our roads. I find them most useful when it is totally dark or obscured (fog, etc.) as they warn me about the dangers ahead that I cannot see. The Road Signs are there for our safety and for the safety of others on the road. When we obey disobey them, we stand a chance of getting our hand spanked by the law, as they try to protect others traveling the same roads as we are. Throughout God’s Word (His Roadmap) we are given many ‘Road Signs’ intended to help us stay focused on Him; love our neighbor; be a good witness for Him; and stay out of the reach of the Evil One. Our obedience to the Road Signs is closely linked to our faithfulness to God!
- Treasury of Promises – As we study these Road Signs and gain the assurance of their value to our walk and our single-minded pursuit, or purpose, we should flood our souls with these things so that we can pull from that treasury of promises during those times when life seems so helpless to us. Those things can serve as our reserves, or our reminders that the same God who protected us from the Evil One in the past is the same One who could do again, if only we would follow His predefined Road Signs.
Wouldn’t life be a whole lot less stressful for you if you know the path that you will take today, and that there will be road signs along to way to guide you and direct you? Even more, imagine the peace in knowing that you won’t have to worry about being in charge today. Because you have surrendered your life to Him, it is God who will take His role in your path to whatever life holds in store for you today. Take His lead and watch for the signs friend!
Prayer: Like the Psalmist in this scripture today, Lord I humbly ask that You train me in Your ways of wise living. I pray that You would open the eyes of those that read this devotional today so that our paths would no longer be distracted, or lured into the wrong path that is plagued with the attacks for Satan, but that we would have our minds so focused on You and Your will for our lives that there will be no room for error or misguidance. We need You blessed Lord. Please be our ever-living, wise Guide today, is my humble plea that I ask in the name of Jesus, my Lord, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!
2016
Recognize God’s Objection
THE HOLY BIBLE – 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. 32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. 33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.” 34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
~ Numbers 22:31-34 ~ New Living Translation (NLT)
THOUGHTS: In my reading of God’s Word yesterday I read about God becoming angry with Moses for not carrying out His orders as instructed. Moses got so angry at his people that he was leading that instead of merely speaking to the rock that would produce water for them, like God instructed, he actually struck the rock twice. I can picture Moses being angry and/or disappointed enough to do this, but it was a vivid reminder that God, nor His Word, requires any additions by us. Because Moses subjected himself to adding this special emphasis, God punished Moses by telling him that he would never personally enter the land He had prepared for Moses and his people. I’m sure this taught Moses a lesson, but remember that this is included in God’s Book of instructions for us, to show us the importance of obedience, right down to the finest detail. In this story today, Balaam had already received instructions from God on why He didn’t want him to follow through on king Balak’s request, yet when Balak insisted by sending an even larger crowd of messengers to plead with Balaam again, Balaam went before the Lord a second time. Surprisingly God agreed with him this time, but He gave Balaam specific instructions. Now although it is not specifically detailed in scripture, I believe that God knew full well that the head nodding that He received from Balaam was not sincere, because He sent an angel to reinforce what He wanted Balaam to do. Very interesting story, but as in the case of Moses, God showed us again in the case of Balaam that He knows our heart and our very intent. He is not pleased when we say ‘yes’ to Him, then leave His presence and do whatever we want to do. Friends, I believe that it behooves us to quickly recognize that God is God, and we are not. It is better for us to disappoint our boss, or our spouse, or our friends and be obedient to whatever God has called us to do. Doing anything else could very easily bring undesirable consequences, as God redirects us into the path He has set out before us. May I encourage you to not question why, and never feel like you have a better way than God? If you are His child, then more than any earthly father, my God knows what’s best for you. Trust Him and be obedient to His call, and to His directions. He will never lead you astray nor lead you wrongly. We are His chosen vessels and He is preparing for our arrival into heaven, so of course He will watch over us and protect us while we are still on this planet.
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being patient with us while we try to be so independent, thinking that we have this thing called ‘life’ under control. Moses accomplished a lot more that we could ever dream of, yet You disciplined him severely for ‘doing his own thing’. Please help us to not question, nor try to prove our insignificant abilities, but to be obedient down to the finest detail when we hear a word from You. We are so needy, and You are so worthy. Please help us to spend our days seeking Your face, praising Your name and worshipping You, so that Your commands will naturally lead to our obedience and not our questioning or modifying. It’s the power of God that saves souls, not any abilities of ours. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, my Savior, knowing that it is only through His name that souls are saved and lives touched for the kingdom of God, 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!
Who’s In Charge?
THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Daniel 4:34-35): 34 “I praise and honor God Most High. He lives forever, and his kingdom will never end. 35 To him the nations are far less than nothing; God controls the stars in the sky and everyone on this earth. When God does something, we cannot change it or even ask why.”
THOUGHTS: As a little background, King Nebuchadnezzar was an obstinate king who acted like his leadership and input in his kingdom had resulted in the best kingdom around. God started dealing with him through his dreams, and provided an interpreter (Daniel) to help the king understand what the dreams meant. The second dream came to fruition, and caused the king to be humbled to eating grass like an animal. When the king was finally brought to his senses, he recited the prayer included in the verses above. The prayer reminds me of the importance of humbling ourselves to pray, or asking for help. Imagine how challenging it is for us to acknowledge that we need help. Now think about how we feel when we humble ourselves to ask for help. Now put yourself in the shoes of the king, who had everything and acted like his kingdom would go to ruins without him – in other words it existed because of him, and he admired it as a great accomplishment of himself alone. Don’t you know that there was a deep humbling of this king to be taken from his palace – to the hills, and to eat grass like an animal? Friends, as we meditate on this man’s prayer following his eye-opening experience, I believe it is clear to note that his life was deeply impacted. I believe that it is clear to also note that there was one big thing that stood in the way of this happening prior to this experience, and that was the king’s pride and promotion of ‘self’. This leaves one huge question for us to ask ourselves daily – who’s in charge of our lives? Do we allow God to take control, or do we try to do life our way and only call on God when we’re in trouble? Are we a usable instrument to God, or are we hanging on so tightly to the things of this world that we love, that He is held at bay? 2 Chronicles 7:14 makes it clear that if we are to see God actively work in our lives, our families, our cities and our country, then we must humble ourselves, seek His face and be willing to totally surrender to His perfect will and way in our lives, so that He may heal the effects of sin in our lives, and that He may rule and reign in all areas of life so that He may be lifted up, exalted and work through us to achieve His purposes. Who reigns in your life friend? Will you commit today to allow God full control?
PRAYER: Dear God, please teach us to be humble, for without this characteristic our actions and submission to you appear nothing more than an appearance of Christianity. We need You in charge of our lives, our families, our churches and our country, for you alone holds the key to our eternity. Please forgive us for getting in the way and feeling like our role is more important than Yours. You have given us strict instructions of what You require of us, by providing Your Word as a light unto our path. By inviting You to rule and reign in our lives, may we learn to be humble, willing and obedient children through whom You can accomplish Your work without hindrance from us. May we be the kind of instruments that You can mold into Your perfect image, and may we be willing to be used of You to fulfill Your kingdom here on this earth. We are Your children oh Lord, and You are our Savior, Deliverer and soon coming King. Use us as You see fit to accomplish Your desires for this old sinful world in which we live. I ask all this in full surrender to Your will, and in the strong 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 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!
Nuggets From God's Word 