Tag: Give Thanks

Recognizing the Lack of Appreciation in Our Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, GratefulnessLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Monday, December 9, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) and found in Jeremiah 2:5-8

THE SCRIPTURE READS
5 This is what the Lord says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness….
7 “And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. 8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I trust that this Scripture today will not be read just as a piece of history about the stubborn, ungrateful, and sinful Israelites. For I believe that God wants to remind us that not a whole lot has changed over time. I am certain that God still sees, and must be saddened by, the broken, neglected, haphazard and lackadaisical relationships with His Son, Jesus, by children – you and I, still today. It is unfortunate that this comes even after allowing us time to understand how sad this was for God, to experience this disregard with the Israelites. How heart-wrenching it was to read about the saddened heart of God when He saw how His children disregarded all the good, and the many miracles He performed to enable safe passage for them out of slavery and towards a new beginning – a thriving, abundantly producing country that God had prepared just for them. Yet God saw them turn aside from Him during their travels to, and again, in their new land. However, dear friends, it is vitally important that we examine our own hearts. Did we give God reason to jump with joy at our attitude of praise and thanksgiving this morning as we celebrated His blessings of opening our eyes one more time? Did we take time to celebrate in appreciation for His provisions, protection and guidance over past days? Or could God possibly be looking at us like He did with the Israelites, in wondering what fault we are finding with Him? Let’s be reminded that when we look for our blessings, Satan will do his best to push his evil agenda by showing us our problems and sometimes unfortunate circumstances. But let’s always remember that ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’. From a very early age, we were taught to appreciate what others do for us. Know that God is on our side, dear child of God, and He will look out for His children and love us until He returns to take us home to glory to be with Him. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and let’s be so filled with love and appreciation for our Father, that there would never be a time He may see, or feel, our ungratefulness.

PRAYER
Precious Lord, please take my hand and guide, protect and direct my path one more day, so that others may have one more opportunity to experience Your goodness. Please give me protection from the evil one, so that my heart, soul and mind would be fixed on You, and remain constant in my faith. I am saddened by the thought of You feeling slighted by Your children, but this has opened my heart to being more alert to the times when I fail to share my gratitude for all that You do for me, and also recognize how awesome are Your works in every way, every day. Please continue to bless Your people, oh God, and also speak intently to those who may become lax in their relationship with You. My unsaved loved ones need a touch from You and also those around me who may not know You as Lord. Please continue Your work in their lives and draw them to Yourself, is my humble plea today oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Make Good Use of Your Time

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Give thanks, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Time, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2023-01-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 4:2-6
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God. 3 At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison. 4 Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.

APPLICATION: Paul was a born again, bold, dedicated man of God. His life was transformed from that of a persecutor of Christians, to that of loving Christians so much that he would take time to speak truth into their lives, even from prison. It was for the very reason that Paul was in prison, that he rose up to share with believers, even while still being punished. My heart was touched by Paul’s declaration to Christians, for I could see that individuals and their churches could rise up and be a mighty force for the Kingdom, if only we would take Paul’s instructions to heart. Let’s look deeper into how effective we have become in following the commands of Paul:

  • Be Persistent in Prayer while Giving Thanks. And Stay Alert (vs 2-4) – There’s probably two words in this one command that challenges the church of God today. For it is challenging to find workers who are persistent in their commitment and in their lifestyles. Many, but not all, who claim to be ‘Christian’ will find their way out to church on Sunday mornings, if there’s nothing better going one, or if the weather is not good for beaching or other activities. To pursue the godly needs of our community, we cannot disappoint a Sunday School classes by not having a teacher show up because this was not their priority that day. The second challenging word in the command is ‘Prayer’. There was an elderly gentleman who threatened the pastor, at a church I attended, that he would not return to midweek services if all he was going to do was ‘Pray’ at our ‘Prayer’ meetings! Many times, I wonder if that is the mindset of many church members, because Prayer meetings are the worst attended service, and the one that forces attendees into a withdrawn corner of their world. They can’t pray in public, is the frequent excuse. Do you suppose that one who doesn’t pray in private might be one who is challenged to pray among other believers? But isn’t the value of prayer seen throughout the Bible? Remember what happened on the day of Pentecost? Always give thanks for what God has already done in response to your prayers, and always stay alert to what others are praying for, for those are their needs and their cry for fellow believers to pray with them for those concerns. Just as Paul asked his church to pray for him and his ministry, I am convinced that our own pastors flourish in their calling when the Holy Spirit responds to our prayers for our pastors and their respective ministries. I had a pastor who said that he tried very hard to use the KISS method in his preaching. Keep It Simple Silly! In the secular world we were encouraged to make our correspondence readable by a 6th grade level student. For if we wrote something very professional, spent postage for mailing the letter, only for the recipient to struggle in understanding what we wrote, then we have truly wasted our employer’s money, and failed to get our purpose across in writing the letter. Paul knew that time was short, so he asked that the people pray for him to keep his message clear and simple. I am convinced that our pastors still need that same prayer on their behalf today. Keep it simple Pastor! Dummy that message down so that even the illiterate could understand!
  • Be Wise how you Act towards the Unsaved (vs 5-6) – Some say that you must not visit the local theater, or pub, or…. anywhere else that non-Christians hang out. While I understand why proponents of that statement feel that way, I’m not so sure that principle has not taught believers to avoid non-Christians. I believe that Paul is proposing that we show the love of Jesus to everyone, especially the unsaved. Don’t shrug off questions by the unsaved, but instead try to encourage them through the love and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Be ready to speak to what it is that inspires, blesses, heals, and fills you to overflowing each and every day, and how you are anxiously awaiting the day when Jesus will call you home to glory!

Friends, as we read our Bible each day, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to what we need, and how we should use what we have. It worked for me today, and I pray that in my sharing, it will help you catch a glimpse of the glory of knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Imagine God using you to represent Him, or be an ambassador for Him, to all that you come into contact with today!

PRAYER: Who are we that a King should live and die for? Yet You loved us so much that the very purpose of Your life became evident when You hung on the cross at Calvary, and rose again, so that we might enjoy our final destiny – our heavenly home with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Thank You Jesus that You saw such value in a sinner such as I, that You saved me and handed me the keys to Heaven! My readers, listeners and I are forever grateful for the hope of eternal life. But while allowed to remain on earth a little longer, please use us for Your glory to encourage the unsaved and point them to the empty grave and their hope for eternity in heaven. Give us boldness to stay as strong as Paul was and give us a deep desire to adhere to Paul’s instructions to the church, plus Your commands and teachings. Oh, that they might see Jesus, is my humble plea for all that we will make contact with today! 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!

Be Thankful

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Give thanks, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Thanksgiving, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-08-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Dear brothers, giving thanks to God for you is not only the right thing to do, but it is our duty to God because of the really wonderful way your faith has grown and because of your growing love for each other. 4 We are happy to tell other churches about your patience and complete faith in God, in spite of all the crushing troubles and hardships you are going through.

OBSERVATION: It seems unfortunate that we tend to bash someone and find fault with everything they do, rather than concentrating on their good points and positive results. I like the way that Paul shares in these verses that it is our ‘duty’ to God. As we meditate today, let us examine where Paul may have been coming from in this statement of thanksgiving.

APPLICATION: Ever heard someone say that they may as well do a certain evil, because that’s all that friends ever notice anyway? That’s a sad statement, because it paints a picture of who we truly have become. But why exactly did Paul see such importance in this point of thanksgiving? First of all, if Paul and his co-laborers were praying for God to move in the lives of the church, and cause them to have more faith in Him, so that they may show more love towards one another, don’t you suppose that they would be overjoyed to see the results of their prayers? I believe their hearts would be overjoyed and therefore very thankful. So this makes me question whether we take time to pray for those fellow Christians who always seem to lead the pack in causing trouble in the church. Are they such trouble makers that we tend to think they are beyond God’s help? Or is it that we find a certain amount of joy in putting others down? I trust that it is not the latter. Secondly, wouldn’t it be good practice to always give thanks when we see God at work in our midst? Whether He answers our prayer and convicts the sinner, or simply reenergize the hope that lies inside of the Christian, it is always a joy to see our God at work in our midst! Thirdly, when we know that a people is down and out, burdened by something that has happened to them, we tend to know what to expect – crying; discouragement; bitterness; hopelessness; etc. However, when we recognize just the opposite in attitudes and reactions to life, we should be energized to give thanks for what must be the miracle working God at work in their midst. You see, it is very easy for us to celebrate God when everything is going better than we deserve, but it’s an even greater joy to give thanks when we see Christians celebrating in the midst of their storm, for they are proving to us the One in whom they have placed their faith, their strength and their hope, is far greater than he that is in the world. So friends, please help me as we all try to do like Paul, in giving thanks for our respective churches, no matter what they are struggling with at this time. Let’s be willing to see the hand of God at work, even if it is in unexpected ways and quite different to anything we would ever do. Praise God, He knows our heart and He blesses and provides a way for those who truly love and obey Him, regardless of what we might see wrong with the picture.

PRAYER: You saw enough good in us that You sacrificed Your one and only Son on the cross at Calvary, dear Lord, so that we might have a chance at eternal life with You in Glory. It wasn’t something we deserved, or something we achieved in order to be forgiven, but solely because of Your love for us. Thank You, thank You, thank You dear Lord for looking down on us in mercy and through Your grace. Seeing that our desire is to be just like You, I pray that You will help us to evaluate and correct our ways, especially when it comes to relationships with others. Please help us to put aside our critical spirit, and instead look at others in love. Help us to automatically love others, just like You first loved us. Oh that we may share our hearts with them in love, so that You may be glorified. 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!

A More Fulfilled Life!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The SpiritLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

15 So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. 16 Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. 17 So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Do not be drunk with wine, which will ruin you, but be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord. 20 Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Century Version – Ephesians 5:15-20)

Thoughts:

I believe that most of us would agree that our lives are more fulfilled when we feel good about something we have done, or when we receive compliments about something we have done. I don’t believe this is selfish pride, but rather, it helps us to know that our time here on earth has not been in vain. To achieve this fulfillment in the way God ordained, we are given some tips by Paul in these verses, for we are taught to:

  1. Be careful how we live – I believe this can also be interpreted to live your life intentionally. Don’t just let it happen. Think about it, we would never intentionally plan for failure. However, if we don’t plan for success, guess what will probably result? Based on all of the verses, I believe we are being taught to carefully plan our lives based on God’s will for our lives. So let’s constantly be in the Word so that we might carefully seek His perfect will;
  2. Do good at every opportunity – yes even amidst the darkness and evil around us. We are called to be children of Light, and to be that ‘light’ we must be totally opposite from the evil and darkness. With God’s help, we can be just that.
  3. Learn what God wants you to do – another Bible verse says that we are to ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you’. When we just let life happen, we live by the influences of the world (Satan), so it is impossible for us to live any differently to the rest of the world. Let’s seek God daily and learn to wait on Him for what we should do, for His will is perfect!
  4. Be filled with the Spirit – When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He gives us the Comforter, His Holy Spirit, to live inside us. Each day we become stained with the effects of sin that is so prevalent everywhere we go, so let’s plead with God to refill us each day so that we might be ready to protect ourselves from the evil one. With God’s Holy Spirit active inside of us, and us being personally ready to listen to, and obey Him, we can face this world and overcome its evil desires;
  5. Replace gossip with praise and worship – This not only gives the world insight into who’s inside of us, but it also centers our lives on Jesus, instead of the ill that comes from gossiping about each other. This is a very positive change for us that will bless our heart!
  6. Always give thanks – not just at Thanksgiving, but daily look for things to give God praise and thanksgiving for. You may not be able to ignore the painful left arm, but you can praise Him with your right arm! Get the drift? Find things to praise God for, because things could always be worse, just look at those around you!

There was an old saying: ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me’! With God’s help, we can make this old saying a reality friend! Commit to living a life filled with the Holy Spirit!

Prayer:

Lord, there is so much that we can whine and complain about, but there is so much more for the Christian who committed their life to You and who requests a ‘top-off’ of Your Holy Spirit each day, for greater is He that is in us than he who is in this world! You are my King, and I humbly ask that You fill, and refill me each day with Your awesome Holy Spirit so that I may have strength, boldness and confidence to be a child of Light to those around me who are so steeped in the darkness of sin and its master, Satan. I also plead that You might influence each reader today to commit in a similar way. We cannot live the life You intended for us to live, without You being in charge. May we be open to Your leading today, is my humble plea oh Lord, that I ask in Your precious and holy name, 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!