Faith – Protect It From The Adversary

On 2023-02-142023-02-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2023-02-14
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 14:29-33
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁹“Come and join me,” Jesus replied. So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. ³¹Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” ³²And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased. ³³Then all the disciples crouched down before him and worshiped Jesus. They said in adoration, “You are truly the Son of God!”

APPLICATION: There are so many things we could learn from this story of Peter. I believe that most of us will share the reflection that this story shows us the faith of a man as he attempted something that defies nature, and that he had never thought possible before. Of his own power, perhaps the disciples expected Peter to jump out of the boat in the middle of the sea, as he prepared himself for the intake of water through his nose and mouth, or if he could swim, perhaps he would quickly assume the swimming position! However, things were a bit different with Peter, for: a). He had already experienced the power of the Almighty, and he knew that it would be this same power that would help him do even the very thing that seemed impossible in the eyes of the world; b). He paid attention to what Jesus was doing, and knew that if Jesus could walk on the water, He had power and authority to empower him (Peter) to do the same; and c). Peter heard the command by Jesus, and in spite of the yelling he could hear from his fellow disciples, he was compelled to obey His Lord. So what happened? Why does Peter’s effort seemed to have failed? I am convinced that Jesus already knew how quickly Peter would become cocky about being given this privilege/miracle, so Jesus seemed to have made it a point to teach Peter, and us, that faith requires that we keep our eyes fixed on the source of all power, the author of our faith – Jesus our Lord. You see, we have no power over such things in the universe, only God does. We have nothing to brag about besides God. I had a friend dying of cancer, and she traveled hundreds of miles to be prayed over by a TV evangelist who showed on public television that he had powers to heal. It just doesn’t work that way. Friends, as demonstrated in this story with Peter, and as we already know about our healing powers – we are reminded that it is God, through His Son Jesus that spoke the word for Peter to walk on the water, and it was Jesus who rescued him as he began to sink; it is God alone who heals a body that He created from dust, and who has the power to restore it to perfect health – so that He may be glorified. Our responsibility is to look to God for all things and keep our eyes fixed on the author and creator of life itself, knowing that through His power, lives might be healed, souls might be restored to the Kingdom, and the unsaved may recognize the grace and power of our God. It’s all about ‘God’, my friend. We are just instruments of His love and servants of our majestic King. The Master deserves all the praise for all that He does, for nothing of our own is merited, or worthy of praise, but only what He has done. Please be careful of the distractions that Satan will place before us. For Peter, it was the wind, the rough waters and perhaps self-confidence, that caused him to take his eyes off the Master. For us, unfortunately we live in a world that is totally filled with distractions that Satan places before us. Remember, our distractions are often those forces that draw us away from God, who is our primary power source. Don’t let Satan win over you my friend. In verse 31 we are reminded to not let ‘doubt’ win in our battle to ‘believe’. Trust in God, and all of this, plus a whole lot more could be yours, child of God!

PRAYER: Oh Lord, You are my God! The same God that created this wonderful world, and also created all of creation. I acknowledge again today that there is nothing that You can’t do. Please forgive me for my doubt and my lack of faith. Thank You for the reminder in today’s Scripture that You had the power to walk on water to get over to Your disciples. I wonder what You must travel over, or through, at times to get to my readers and I, and the trouble we find ourselves in at times. But I am assured that just as we saw where the water didn’t stop You from getting to Your followers, we need not let anything hinder our requests today, for many things will appear to be impossible to us, but with renewed assurance today, we KNOW that we can come before the throne of God and plead our case before an all-knowing, all-powerful, forever-loving God who says that ALL things are possible with God! You are our King, and we adore You and worship You today oh Lord, not just for what You can do for us, but for who You are! 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Your Level of Faith

On 2023-01-022023-01-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2023-01-02
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 7:6-7; 9-10;
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶So Jesus accompanied them. When they approached the Centurion’s home, the Centurion sent out some friends to bring a message to Jesus.
Message of the Centurion: Lord, don’t go to the trouble of coming inside. I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. ⁷That’s why I sent others with my request. Just say the word, and that will be enough to heal my servant.
⁹Jesus was deeply impressed when He heard this. He turned to the crowd that followed Him.
Jesus: Listen, everyone. This outsider, this Roman, has more faith than I have found even among our own Jewish people.
¹⁰The friends of the Centurion returned home, and they found the slave was completely healed.

APPLICATION: Unless we focus on the main lesson in today’s Scripture, we may drift off into wondering why the Centurion didn’t go to Jesus himself. Or why didn’t Jesus pronounce the healing as soon as He received word from the Centurion, for surely, He knew how dire the situation was. But let’s not forget to place ourselves in the shoes of the Centurion. Who are we that we would send friends to the highest religious order of our day and ask that he drop what he’s doing and rush on over to our house? What type of palace do we live in, that we would open the door and invite the Lord Jesus in? Inside our home, is everything in place to impress Jesus with our religious stand? Of all the people in the world who need help from Jesus, who are we that He would consider listening, or responding, to us? Friends, regardless of your answers to these questions, or even if this prompted more questions from you, notice that the Centurion still took action. Many will sit, waiting for their ship to come in, but if you didn’t send one out, why should you expect one to come in? Perhaps the Centurion felt unworthy, just as he said, but he may have also wanted to stay close to his servant, just in case the situation worsened. So many questions, and so many excuses we could conjure up to excuse our inaction, but the Centurion moved into action and asked his respected leaders to make the journey and ask Jesus, on his behalf. Of particular interest is the fact that even though Centurions were looked down on by the Jews, yet Jesus responded to the request of this Centurion when He first received the request, and again when the second message arrived asking Jesus to heal the servant remotely. My primary take-away in this story is that Jesus openly shared how amazed He was at the faith of this humble, caring man. In fact, He gave him the designation of being so filled with faith, that he put it into action for someone else. I believe that many of my readers and listeners are regular church attendees. Let me encourage you to meditate on this Scripture long enough to do a self-evaluation of your faith. Knowing that you can do nothing to impress Jesus, what do you suppose He would say about your level of faith? Do you suppose that your faith is strong enough that you would have attempted something like the Centurion did? If not, what do you suppose you need to help you grow in your faith? Jesus is not out of reach, dear friends. He loved you enough to hang on a cross and die for your sins. He loves you enough that He said that He has gone to be with the Father to prepare a place in Heaven for us, so that where He is, we may be also. Surely, He is more than ready to hear our cry for help, and also willing to heal – even from a distance, like He did for the Centurion’s servant. Trust Him, and call on Him, for He cares for you!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The Jews looked down on the Centurions, but Jesus listened to the cry from His precious child and answered his request. Others may look down on us, but we are number one in the eyes of our Master and Lord!

PRAYER: Lord, we are amazed by Your respect for all Your children, and Your willingness to accept all of Your creation, even those we may turn our noses up at. Thank You for hearing my plea and accepting me as Your child. Just as the Centurion found peace in getting a message to You about His dire need, my readers, listeners and myself know that each and every day will bring new challenges that we will need to call on You for. None on earth are truly righteous, but Lord I pray that You will continue to teach us to call on You for each and every need, or concern of our lives. Some on earth may dismiss us because we are not rich enough, or the partying kind, or we go to church too much, but I truly believe that when You forgave our sin, and accepted us into Your kingdom, we became true sons and daughters of the Most High God. Forgive us Lord when we listen to Satan and cower in our corner. Please give us the confidence so deserving of Your child and the boldness to call on You for the little and impossible things of life. You are God, and besides You there is no other. We acknowledge that today and wait for the time when You will call us home to glory! AMEN!

On Following Instructions

On 2022-11-192022-11-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 5:10-12
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁰Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed and you’ll be as good as new.” ^11-12Naaman lost his temper. He spun around saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not bathe in them? I’d at least get clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet.

APPLICATION: Throughout the Bible we are told of many things God did – that the people impacted, could never have thought of. Having never rained before, God had Noah build a boat to preserve the life of those God chose to save from drowning. Who would have thought? During their Wilderness travail, The Israelites were brought to a point where they couldn’t turn back without being eliminated by the Egyptian army, yet on ahead they faced the Red Sea. But God’s mighty hand made a way where there was no way for His people to cross on dry land, and the same miracle served to eliminate the Egyptian army that was in hot pursuit. Who would have thought? Word had gotten out about the miracles brought about through the prophet Elisha, so Naaman didn’t hesitate to travel in order to present himself to Elisha for healing. However, as indicated in the first two examples, God has the advantage of seeing what we need not just for the moment, but something that will draw us to Himself for as long as we are left on earth. Faith means that you would are willing to believe in something just because God says so, and not based on any previous experience or knowledge. Noah and his people had never seen rain before, but Noah was obedient to God’s command anyway. The Israelites had never heard of bodies of water being separated before, yet they chose to believe that the same God who showed them the parting of the waters, He would also keep them back while they obediently followed His command through Moses to cross over to the other side. Naaman felt like he was special, and as such, Elisha would methodically perform a personalized miracle on him in grand form. But notice in Naaman’s explanation of his disappointment that he was still referring to ‘his God’, meaning Naaman’s God. Wouldn’t you think that if you were going to travel a distance to see a prophet of God, for healing from God, that you would want to know that God actually thinks enough of you to heal you? Doesn’t it sound like perhaps Naaman should have met the Master, before asking someone to lean on Him on your behalf? Isn’t that how we tend to do it today though? Friends will demand that we have our pastor come to the hospital and pray for Susie’s healing – Susie, the one who has been a terror all her life and wants nothing to do with God. But doesn’t it sound like your friend, Susie, and Naaman must feel like God’s puppet will do whatever you demand of them? But wait, where is the healing coming from? Without God in the mix, let me assure you that Elisha, nor your pastor who is being demanded by your friend, could heal anyone. It is God, and God alone who heals. Both Naaman and Susie need Jesus. Yes, He may choose to heal their physical bodies, but what Jesus is really after is their heart, soul and mind, for then He could save them for all eternity and present them to the Father in heaven as a blood washed child of the one true God. Let’s show by example that we could follow God’s instructions exactly. Perhaps others will then see the love and mighty works of God in our lives and want to know Him also.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Naaman was brought to his senses and realized that God knew what He was doing through the instruction given through Elisha. Oh, that we may also acknowledge that Jesus is Lord – Lord of all lords.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for not giving up on us, even in our stubbornness, disobedience, and especially when we feel like we know it all, like Naaman. Please forgive us and help us to always respect Your commands, Your healing and Your love. Help us to never stand in the way of God working through us to touch the lives of others following in our footsteps. Your ways are not our ways and Your thought are different to our thoughts, so help us to always follow in obedience instead of looking for evidence or past experience to support Your mighty work. AMEN!

Reasons Why We Can’t Heal

On 2022-07-012022-07-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-07-01
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:18-19; 28-29;
TRANSLATION: New Life Version (NLV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁸Wherever the demon takes him, it throws him down. Spit runs from his mouth. He grinds his teeth. He is getting weaker. I asked Your followers to put the demon out but they could not.”
¹⁹He said, “You people of this day have no faith. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
²⁸When Jesus went into the house, His followers asked Him when He was alone, “Why could we not put out the demon?” ²⁹He said to them, “The only way this kind of demon is put out is by prayer and by going without food so you can pray better.”

APPLICATION: It would be enlightening to see the results of a survey answered by first time visitors to our church services. Think about how you might answer such questions as: 1). Why did you chose this church today?; 2). Did the pastor show an interest in you, or your needs today?; 3). Did a regular church attendee show an interest in you, or your needs today?; 4). What brought you out to church today?; 5). Based on what you heard today, do you have a clear understanding of how you might know, or draw closer to God?; and 6). Do you feel like your needs were met at this church today? | Based on our Biblical story today, I feel like we could probably answer the above questions for the dad who brought his son for healing. The bottom line is, that up until his encounter with Jesus, his needs were unfulfilled. BUT Jesus issues a compassionate invitation when He says, “Bring the child to Me.” The father had come seeking help from the disciples, but the disciples were unable to help. But isn’t that like us a lot of times? Perhaps we might bring a child, a friend, a co-worker to church or Sunday School, but they were not helped. However, we should be comforted that we brought them to where the disciples of Jesus are, and guess who shows up sooner or later? Jesus Himself! Through a testimony shared, a study given, a story told, a song sung—something will happen! Jesus will come! “Bring your child to Me,” Jesus said. But often we are so filled with doubt and fear, that we will quickly respond: ‘But how?’ Morning by morning in our devotional time with Jesus; teaching him what you’re learning from the Word as you do errands together; making sure he’s growing through fellowship with other believers; showing love and compassion like Jesus showed to us; etc. The cause of evil and destruction in this world is Satan. The cure is Jesus. The question is: Will you bring your friends and family to Him? For the disciples (followers of Jesus Christ), you might find the excuse that there was no time to fast and pray when a situation suddenly presented itself to you. Friends, we must maintain a life of prayer and fasting, because when the demonized boy is before you, it’s too late to start. Often something exceedingly important could take place, but we feel impotent and powerless because we haven’t been praying, fasting, reading the Word, or seeking the Lord. Let me encourage you by saying that: As a father, I have no other recourse than to maintain a life of prayer and fasting because I never know when the Enemy will strike my child – For he has, he does; and he will; As a believer, I have no other choice but to maintain a close walk with God because I never know the next conversation that will open up before me at work, the grocery store or in the park with a neighbor, and Jesus may speak through me with words that will impact them for eternity. We MUST be ready dear friends! Always ready!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus is compassionate about our needs, just as He was about the boy brought to Him by his dad. As representatives of the King of all kings, we must be filled with faith, ready, available and willing to speak truth and power in Jesus’ name, so that the Devil will flee and never impede us or our friends ever again.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for being patient with us, although we are reminded from Your response to Your disciples, that You become frustrated by our lack of faith and our willingness to open up and let You have Your will and way in the lives we touch each day. Please Lord, help us to be ready on every occasion to represent You and be used of You for healing, salvation or just encouragement to help others go on in the faith. Just as You touched the little boy that You called to You, I pray that You will powerfully touch the lives of those who place their faith and trust in You today, for this world needs Jesus more today than ever before. AMEN!

Nothing is Impossible To God

On 2022-06-132022-06-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Possibilities, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-06-13
WRITTEN AT: Jensen Beach, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 1:36-37
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ^36-37“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

APPLICATION: Mary, a young, virgin girl, who had not exposed herself to any man yet, was approached by an angel and given a proclamation that sounded really far out – that in spite of her virginity, she would bear a child. Moreover, this child would be the very Son of God. We may have heard this story so many times that our senses may have become dulled by the prophetic words the angel Gabriel, and the impossible announcement given to this virgin girl. But for the purpose of fully grasping the awe of this story again today, let us stop and consider the idea of our young, sheltered, child coming in to tell us that: #1 – They are pregnant; and #2 – They will be the mother of God’s Son. Wow, those two statements would probably knock us to the floor! So, stop for a moment and just imagine how you would honestly react to that news. Furthermore, imagine if you were that young lady who was touched on the shoulder and spoken to by a, a…. a what??? An angel??? Ok, perhaps you are now beginning to understand why Mary needed a little more convincing! But she was given another big shocker, that her elderly cousin Elizabeth – you know, the barren one? Yes, Elizabeth will also have a child soon. Oh my, how much more could this young lady’s heart take? But she was given the tag that helped her to make sense of all this shocking news, for the angel told her that the author of all this is God, and that nothing is impossible with Him. But, you might ask: why was this included in the Bible for us? Oh my friend, I am hoping that you might be encouraged like I was. For when life seems overwhelming, to whom shall we turn? When we feel like God is sending us in a direction for which we seem so unprepared, how will we succeed? When our loved oneis stricken by a deadly disease, like Covid, with little hope of surviving, at least in the eyes of the doctors, what shall we do?? When we can’t seem to have children, and we want them so desperately, how, how, how???? Let us remember the words given to Mary by the angel when she stood in disbelief and wonderment – Nothing is impossible with God! When God promised in His Word to be with us through all phases of life – He will fulfill His promises and see us through. When God leads us into a situation, He will see us through to His satisfaction! Remember, the same God that caused a virgin girl to bear the very Son of God, is the same God that we serve today! He is still the same God that we call on with our ‘impossible’ situations. I praise God that He is the One that I serve, and the One that I adore, for nothing – absolutely nothing, is impossible with God! Oh what a Savior! Oh what an awesome God that we serve!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What God did before, He is still very capable of doing even greater miracles today!

PRAYER: What a wonderful God we serve! Thank You Jesus, for the sacrifice You made so that our sins would be forgiven and that we would be privileged with life everlasting with our Father in heaven! Thank You for using Your children in things like bearing the very Son of God; the miracle of birth to a barren lady; healing of the lame, the blind and the dumb. Thank You for showing us that we are more than conquerors when we place our faith and trust in You. Please dear Lord, speak to those that choose to ignore You and the love and victory You provide to all who call You ‘Father’ and ‘Lord’ of their life. Oh that You may be glorified today in all that we are. AMEN!

Use Your Gift To Serve Others

On 2022-06-102022-06-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Gift, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Serve, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-06-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. ⁸Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. ⁹To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick ¹⁰or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God’s Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. ¹¹But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

APPLICATION: A great start to this study is to recognize that these gifts referred to by Paul are supernaturally given to us by the Holy Spirit. That’s what Paul indicated. So we must not dare cower in a corner and say that we have no gift, otherwise we are calling Paul a liar, and the Holy Spirit inadequate for forgetting, or refusing to give us our gift. Perhaps we subject ourselves to the ploys of Satan, who would much prefer that we remain moot on the subject of our risen Lord, or any power that He may bestow on us. Paul was addressing this subject because the believers of his day felt they were totally unspiritual and didn’t deserve such power from on high. Doesn’t that sound so much like us today? Imagine our response if someone referred to us as holy, or spiritual, or a saint, or as powerful as Jesus Christ in performing miracles or mighty works of God. We would probably quickly refer them to our pastor, or church elder, for surely they would not be talking about simple old us, right? But unless we cast doubt on the holy Word of God, and the Holy Ghost inspired words of Paul, we must believe that God is more than able to empower us with His Holy Sprit and the gifts that He spoke to us about through His servant. So if you are convinced that you have been blessed with a gift from God, then the remaining piece of this should be natural for you: be sure to use your gift for the building up of the church and for the glory of God. How do you do that? I believe the Holy Spirit opened my eyes as I read this Scripture and showed me that when we come together as a church – a body of believers in Jesus Christ, some will have the gift of great wisdom, while others will speak with awesome knowledge. Accept these as gifts from God and allow that knowledge to saturate my mind. Others may portray unbelievable faith or even possess the power to heal the sick or perform other mighty miracles. Stop accusing them of being a showoff and give God thanks for His gift to these ambassadors. There may be some who prophesy, and some recognize the mysterious presence of God’s Spirit. While I may not have my primary language mastered, there may be some who will speak different kinds of languages, and still others who can tell what these languages mean. The bottom line is that we serve an outstanding and awesome God – in fact, He’s the One who created us all and the earth on which we reside. It is His Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us. In community, when one has a gift and shares it with others present, it’s like WE (collectively) have all these gifts! Oh that God may be glorified through each of His children, especially because they are using the gifts handed down to them from the Father, for His glory! Do your part dear friends. Use the gifts endowed upon you and bless every on that you come into contact with!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him. Heaven and earth adore Him! What a mighty God we serve! We must be an extraordinary for an extraordinary to consider giving us extraordinary gifts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

PRAYER: Lord, I now believe that we are foolish to ever say again that we are just an ‘ordinary’ person here on earth, for I have been reminded of Your greatness and also how special we are in Your eyes. No doubt if we would consider everyone that we come into contact with in that same light, we would never again look down on what You have created. Unfortunately some have permitted Satan to spoil the good in them, but Lord, I pray that You would once again today remind Your children of the value You have placed in them and of the love You showed for them on Calvary. Please speak intently to the hearts of the unsaved again today, especially the ones who will happen across this devotional. Please work in the lives of Your chosen people and help us to use the gift so lovingly given to us – for the betterment of the church – Your worshippers. AMEN!

You Will See The Lord Give You Victory!

On 2022-05-022022-05-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Victory, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-05-02
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 20:15–17
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: Jahaziel said, “Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!”

APPLICATION: King Jehoshaphat faced the reality of an approaching army that was superior to his and overwhelmingly outnumbered his army. He was accustomed to prayer, leadership by God, and the awesome power of God. And, true to form, the king took full advantage of petitioning the help of the God who promised to be with His children in their time of need! Jehoshaphat gathered his people in the temple courtyard and he personally led the prayer to God on behalf of his people. After bragging on the known accomplishments of God, in vs 7 and again in vs 12 the king acknowledged that “You are our God”, meaning that You are the proven One that we depend on; You are the One that is powerful enough to bring us victory! In response to this intense, yet humble time of prayer, God spoke through an unknown prophet in their midst, Jahaziel. The prophet shared with the king and his people that they are not to be afraid or discouraged, the battle depends on God, not on them! Wow, we serve the same great God that gave this promise to Jahaziel! What an awesome and reassuring reality when we face our battles today. When we have placed the battle in God’s hands, we can rest peacefully knowing that the battle is not ours, but His! What an all-powerful, protective and awesome God we serve, fellow Christian! Take time to give Him praise, adoration and glory today! If you are facing a battle, no matter how huge, please consider reading the full chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles (30 verses), and be encourage to surrender that battle over to God. Imagine the peace of knowing that the God who created this vast universe, now has the issue that has been troubling you, under His control. The battle is no longer yours, my friend, but His! He will be glorified for the way that He handles this! Just surrender it to God, my friend! For He alone is our God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Surrendered hearts of believing Christians will seek God and surrender their battles to the Master of the sea; the healer of the blind, deaf and mute; the Victor of battles brought on against Jehoshaphat, and the One who loves, cares and waits for us in Glory. Our battles belong to Him!

PRAYER: Lord God, You know the mountains that we need to cross, and I believe that You know the challenges that seem overwhelming to us. Please comfort the hearts of Your children tuned in to this devotional today, and give us the reassurance that we need to help us face today, and tomorrow, knowing that You are still God and that our ‘mountains’ are very crossable with You as our Guide and our Deliverer. Praise be to God for the assurance of knowing teh God on the mountain is also God of our deepest valley. May we place our faith and trust in You at all times, for all things. AMEN!

Only God Can Give Inward Peace

On 2022-04-072022-04-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Peace, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-04-07
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 62:5-8
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.
⁶God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and he is the fortress where I feel secure.
⁷God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety.
⁸Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each of your concerns. God is our place of safety.

APPLICATION: David enjoyed a very intimate relationship with His Lord. Based on God’s help in many areas of his life, David grew to call on God for new challenges that came his way, and for situations that were bigger than he thought he could possibly handle, and God gave him inward peace. I believe this is well worth the time for believers in Jesus Christ to be reminded of, and I believe this might help unbelievers to better understand why Christians find such peace in the God that they love, serve and obey. My wife and I have often praised God for His mercies during rough times in our lives, and after feeling the calm and peace brought to us by God, I remember us commenting to each other about what could possibly bring such peace to an unbeliever. Notice how David had drawn so close to His God that he was able to depend on Him more assuredly, knowing that God had proven Himself already in many of the same areas that David was once again facing. How then, can we draw that close to God? First of all, compare the time you spend with God, to the time you spend with your spouse or best friend. Spending quality, personal, time with your spouse draws you closer together. You can recognize the things that make your spouse happy, or sad. Things that would cause them to draw closer to you, or withdraw from you. Now compare that to the total time you estimate spending with the Lord. Then subtract off the time you sat under someone’s teaching or preaching, and take note of the time remaining that you personally spend with the Lord. If you spent only that number of minutes, or hours with your spouse, do you suppose your marriage would last? Friends, our confidence in the power of the Almighty God, comes from the time we spend with Him – reading His Word and committing to obey His commands; praying; praising God; and spending time giving and receiving encouragement to/from other believers. Our dependence on God for everything in life will give us confidence in, and faith to, depend on Him when we are at our lowest. A friend of mine chose to pray for lost keys, or a misplaced wallet, and such. He found peace in knowing that just as God answered those small, simple prayers, he was confident that He could, and would, also answer the more complex worries of life when he called on Him. Notice that David enjoyed an inward peace, a firm and solid Rock on which to stand, and a fortress where he could feel safe from the dangers of the outside world. Because of these things David felt like God saved him, honored him, and supported him when he was weak and helpless. Friends, although David was a man after God’s own heart, I am convinced that we are just as loved, cared for and surrounded by the strong arms of God in every walk of our lives, IF we seek Him, accept Him, and allow Him to rule over us. SPECIAL NOTE: God is not a puppet that you can pull from your pocket when you’re in trouble. He created us in His image, and desires relationship with us, so that He could save, love, protect, guide and provide for us until we unite with Him around the throne for eternity.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Oh what a Savior! God cares for us in ways we could only imagine. In making an effort to mirror His ways, we too must learn to love others, just as God loves us!

PRAYER: Lord we praise You for loving us and taking such good care of us. It was encouraging to be reminded of the solid foundation David had in You and how he celebrated Your goodness to him. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal. So I am confident that as my readers, listeners and I place our faith, trust and emotions into accepting You, loving You, trusting You and obeying Your commands, You will also answer our prayer for help in life’s circumstances. Thank You Lord for the inward peace this brings to us – Your children. Please touch the hearts and lives of the unsaved today. Draw them to You Lord. Soften their hardened hearts so that they will realize their need for You. AMEN!

The Power of Our Awesome God

On 2022-02-262022-02-26 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-02-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 33:6-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
⁷He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
⁸Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
⁹For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

APPLICATION: Don’t we hear it all the time? Haven’t we been there at one time or another in our life? Where we sour in the thought of our problems and we see no hope for anything, or anyone who could help us overcome the pain that we are facing? We are resigned to accepting death as our only victor. But isn’t that how David must have felt? He moved into the shelter and isolation of the mountains, and he could hardly sleep because his ears were so attuned to every little sound – which caused him to automatically assume that one more enemy member was closing in on him. Would life ever return to normal? Will there ever be a safe place for him to live again among family and friends? For us it might be that awful disease that we never want to hear the doctors pronounce on us – cancer. But then, many have died from Covid and from other ‘less talked about’ ailments. Dear friends, I am convinced that the same God who spoke this world, and each of us, into existence, is the same God that got David’s attention and caused him to stop and think outside of his own issues, and find the One who is greater than all of his problems. I also believe that this same God is still very much alive, well, and ready to work with His other sons and daughters today, whom He loves just as much as He cared for David! Be reminded my friend that this is not just another doctor, whose qualifications are limited to a specific area of our body. Be reminded that this is not just another priest or pastor, whose powers are limited to earnest prayer before their Creator on our behalf. Be reminded that this is the King of all kings; the Lord of all lords; the One who healed the sick, restored sight, hearing and mobility to those who traveled many miles by foot, but were convinced that if only they could touch the hem of His garment! It’s the same God who David acknowledged in our Scripture today. The same One who turned waterways into roads for a million of His chosen children to walk safely through as they faced the barrier of water in the Red Sea! Please tell me again, what is it that you think He is incapable of doing?!! We have reason for complete faith in this God of ours, just follow David’s example and stop to think on His many miracles. Of course He can!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We have the answers to our problems right at our fingertips! Our God – the One who created everything from nothing at all, He’s available to us to still perform miracle after miracle for the one who places their faith and trust in Him! What a mighty God is this God – our God!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You did it before, and I believe You can do it again! Unfortunately we look at our problems, particularly our many ailments, and we give up to the fear of our end quickly approaching. As Your precious children, may we be as bold as David and give You permission to help us outside of our box – the one filled with doubt, fear and limitations. May we look fully into the face of our awesome God who had the power to create everything around us, and may we be reminded that You still have that same power to manage, heal and overcome every limitation that Your created ones face today. Praise God, I serve a God who can do all things! May my faith be increased to believe and trust in You to allow that to include every issues I face each day as well! AMEN!

Our God Will …

On 2021-08-282021-08-28 By Ed AlgreenIn God Can Do It Again, God Cares For Us, God's WillLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-08-28

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:5-10
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Scripture

Bible Text: Trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. ⁶In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
^7-8Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.
^9-10Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.

APPLICATION: Like me, I would imagine that, throughout your day there are times when you are overwhelmed as to how you will ever accomplish everything on your agenda, and that you wish you knew what might be happening in the coming days, weeks and years, so that you could make good choices today. Friends, I believe that God has placed the answer to this dilemma right at our fingertips – in these verses today. For I believe that you will see clearly that although we may not have all of the answers, there is a God who does – praise His name for ever and ever! As you read the first two verses of our Scripture today, let me remind you of Moses, God’s messenger and leader who had millions of people following him. Because He trusted completely in God, when he brought all these folk to the edge of the Jordan River, his ulcers didn’t explode from the stress of what to do next, for he was convinced that if God brought him to this crossroad, then obviously God would see him through, or across the river. These verses declare that when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He will direct us into right paths and make our journey, or actions successful. Notice that this is not something we need to understand how or when success or answers will come, we are to just trust God and He will… Notice in verses 7-10, there are certain expectation from us, such as:
* Trust and reverence God;
* Turn our backs on evil – of course the positive equivalent to this is to obey God’s commands;
* Honor God by giving Him the first of our income;
Just remember that God is all powerful and He could bless our health and give us vitality without us feeling like we had anything to do with the formula, but by demanding that we participate in the above simple actions, we learn that God’s goodness is for those who have an interest – those who want it. Similarly with our finances – God could very easily bestow great riches on everyone, but don’t you know that we always abuse anything that is given to us without us have some ‘skin’ in the game? When we give the first of our income, we are not only showing obedience to God, but we are acknowledging that there is nothing more important in our life. It also helps us to recognize that because we are blessed by God to be able to work and provide for our family, the least we could do is give back to Him unconditionally from our financial earnings. In true form to the goodness of our God, He foreknew the temptation of money, so He still threw in a blessing for those that obey this commandment to give. I believe that God’s Word is clear that we will be blessed financially in proportion to what we give. Are you ‘blessed’ financially? Check your giving, perhaps it needs adjusting!

PRAYER: Lord God, You have proven Yourself to us in so many ways, yet we often feel like we could handle this thing called ‘life’ all by ourselves. Please forgive us for our littleness Lord. You are Creator; Master; Lord and the Savior of this world. Thank You for giving us clear instruction of what is expected of us to receive optimal results from You. Please touch our stubborn hearts today and convince us of the need for obedience and faithfulness to You. Lord, we want to benefit from all the great things You have promised to us, but more than that, we are anxious to one day be with You in glory, where we could worship You endlessly. Bless us this day with Your grace and your mercy. Please lead us into total obedience to Your Word, for I ask these things in the gracious and loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: faith