Tag: God

Most Important

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

Friday, 2019-05-24

Bible Reference: Mark 12:29-31
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 29 ….. “The most important of all the commandments is this: ‘The Lord Yahweh, our God, is one!’ 30 You are to love the Lord Yahweh, your God, with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, with every thought that is within you, and with all your strength. This is the great and supreme commandment. 31 And the second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.’ You will never find a greater commandment than these.”

OBSERVATION: A religious scholar of Jesus’ day wanted to know, and I believe all of us would want to know, what is of top priority importance to Jesus? Of all the commandments and teachings that He shared through His Word, all of which are super important to us, it is so good to know what Jesus considers most important. So let’s take time to meditate on this today.

APPLICATION: I believe that if these things are considered ‘important’ to Jesus, then surely He is happiest when He sees His children making an effort to obey these commandments and putting these things at the very top of our priority list. So let’s really dig into what seems important to our Master: (1) Love the Lord your God deeply and sincerely – with energy and compassion of heart – I believe this means that there is nothing more important to us, than to make Jesus the priority of every part of our lives and of our day. For if He is Lord of our lives, then He will automatically be Lord of everything we do. There is no compartmentalizing, meaning that Jesus is only Lord at home, or will only be obvious in our actions at church. Friends, I believe that if He is the source of our Joy, then it will exude from us and rub off on those that we associate with. For us to say that we love Jesus, and that He fills our life with joy, then to act like the devil around our friends, it’s like living a double standard. It’s like thinking we could pack Jesus away in the back corner of our heart,while we return to our old self in order to tell a friend off. It just don’t work that way friends! Jesus is either Lord of your life and Lord of all, or you’re still searching for Him. I am not saying that a Christian won’t, or can’t sin, because as long as we are on planet earth, that will happen. But if we have invited Jesus to rule and reign in our lives, I have faith to believe that He will guide us in His ways and to act in ways that would be pleasing to Him. If we mess up on that, then we must quickly seek His forgiveness, for Jesus will not reside where sin abounds. And (2) Love your neighbor in the same way that you love yourself – I believe that Jesus is teaching us to treat that friend/neighbor at the same level as we are, not looking down on them, nor feeling intimidated by them. We would never hurt ourselves, so don’t even think of hurting a neighbor. You always want yourself to look best, be fed the best food, and achieve the best in everything. Help that neighbor achieve the same thing. Because you want them to be just like you; have everything you have; and act just like you in response to life, then you will work hard to love them unconditionally and help them connect with the source of your joy and your strength and your hope. Our Lord Jesus said that there are no other commandments as important as these two. Don’t you feel like that narrows things down to a manageable level? We can do this friends, with the help of the one who died for us, so that we could one day be with Him in glory!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please touch my life today, and the lives of those who will meditate on these words that I’ve shared with Your help and direction. We want to be like You, and we want to be obedient children, but we need your help. I believe that You want us to follow in Your ways and according to Your commands, especially these two important commandments. Please enable us to hear Your will for our lives, and obediently follow where You will lead us. May others see Jesus today, begining with their encounter with us. AMEN!

The Lens Through Which You See Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Witness, WorshipLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-05-23

Bible Reference: Proverbs 7:1-3
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: My son, live according to what I am telling you;
    guard my instructions as you would a treasure deep within you.
2 Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well;
    make my teachings the lens through which you see life.
3 Bind cords around your fingers to remind you of them;
meditate on them, and you’ll engrave them upon your heart.

OBSERVATION: Too often we hear that old saying ‘garbage in, garbage out’. The Word of God teaches us today that when we take in the Word of God and let it saturate our hearts and our lives, then we would expect nothing less, what others might hear from us. This also comes into play with our sight, for we could see the good in a situation, or we could look for things that tear down a person. In desiring to be more like our Master, let us look for ways that He might respond in life and then determine in our hearts to do the same…

APPLICATION: The last time I saw my grandmother alive, she assured me that even though she could no longer see to read her Bible, she was able to recite Scripture daily and meditate on the Word of God. Our Scripture today encourages us to write the Word upon our heart. Could it be for times such as my grandmother experienced when her sight left her? Perhaps! And I could only praise the Lord for her ability to remember, for it seems like a struggle for me to do the same! But friends, I believe this is also important at other times in our lives: What spurts from your mouth when you are caught off guard, or frightened by someone? What comes forth when you are told shocking news? What words do you share with someone when you know its the last time you might see them here on this earth? Let’s be reminded that “from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Also remember, if it’s in you, it will come out of you! So dear one, let us be busy about the Master’s work. Let us daily commit to take in more of the Lord, by reading His precious Word. Not only will it give us direction for the day, but it gives us a path for us to walk, or a lens through which we could see the world and the richness of God’s love in this world. Let the love of God so live inside of you, that your life and your words will show evidence of that in everything you say or do. May your life count in multiple ways today as evidence of your King, to a lost and hopeless world.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand today and lead me on. May the Words that I’ve read today be a rich source of inspiration, and a witness, to someone without any hope. May they desire to know You personally and be willing to seek the source of all hope that results in eternity with You in heaven. Please touch the hearts of all who might read this devotional today, so that their hearts might be impacted by the King of all kings, my Master and my Lord. AMEN!

To Live In Expectation of That Day!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Joy, Temptation, Temptations, TrialsLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-05-19

Bible Reference: Job 19:23-27
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  23-24 Oh, that I could write my plea with an iron pen in the rock forever.
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! 27 Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!

OBSERVATION: In ways that we could never imagine, Job was tested and tried because of his faith. In ways that may have caused us to buckle under the pressure, Job stayed true to God and endured the persecution. All because He knew that a day was coming that he would unite with the King of Glory! What a lesson for us to ponder today as we meditate on the Word of God!

APPLICATION:  At the beginning of the book of Job, God said of Job that he was a true man of God that stood tall among other men and was firm in his commitment to God, in spite of what might come his way. Friends, we have seen for the past 18 chapters where Satan unleashed his power on Job and, yes it became very discouraging for Job, because he even wished he was never born. But praise to the God of heaven and the Savior of all mankind, Job never lost his allegiance to God. He knew that God was right there, and that it was he (Job) that needed to lift his eyes above the troubles and look towards the day when he would see God’s wonderful and loving face. I believe that when he wished that these words were written in stone for others to see and be encouraged by, he not only thought of us, but he also wished that he could be encouraged by his own words when discouraging times came. Job realized and acknowledged where his struggles came, but he also firmly acknowledged where his strength came from. Satan is very powerful friends, but our God is head and shoulders above him, He created this universe and He is very capable of ruling and reigning over Satan and any of his deceptions, lies or devious acts that could possibly be imposed upon us while living in this old world. What a lesson this is for us! If we would take time to analyze the cause of our sin, our frustration, our weakness and our failing, perhaps it would help us to do like Job and stand firm in our faith in spite of all that goes on in our lives. I believe that our application here is that we must make God so much a part of our lives that not only will He be able to say like He did about Job, but that He will also acknowledge our commitment, our dedication to the cause of Christ, and that our faith will be evident to our God and to those around us. Friends, others hear of Jesus but they are constantly looking for proof of His existence in the lives of His children here on earth. Will they identify whose we are, and in whom we gain our strength and guidance. While we are living each day in the fear of the Lord, others are watching for an example to follow, and they are making mental notes, so that when anything is said about us, whether in life or death, they will be ready to attest to our lives and what our principles and character meant to them. Let us then live in the light of eternity, in our everlasting hope, in the One who leads us to the love others like He did. Let us stand strong in our faith, no matter what may come against us by this world and it’s leader. Our God’s not dead, for He is very much alive in us each and every day!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are my hope and my strength in all that I contend with in this old world. My joy comes from You alone, and it causes me to reflect on heaven where I will spend eternity with my wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Thank You for loving me enough to make such provisions for me. Thank You for always being there for me! Please continue to give me strength to look above my troubles and look towards the heavens and remember all the joys that are mine! Lord, more than we could ever imagine, You are fully aware of our challenges here on earth, and You know full well everything that my friends and I face on a daily basis. Please keep us focused on You, so that our challenging times down here will seem miniscule compared to the overwhelming joy that is ours when we join You in heaven. Thank You for watching over Job, yet allowing his true strength and joy to be revealed to us in the scriptures. May the light of Your Word always be the path that we will follow all the days of our lives! Jesus, I ask all this in Your precious and most holy name, knowing that You are Master over everything that could possibly come our way, AMEN!

Forgive Before Asking God For Forgiveness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-05-20

Bible Reference: Mark 11:25-26
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:  25 And whenever you stand praying, if you find that you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also release you and forgive you of your faults. 26 But if you will not release forgiveness, don’t expect your Father in heaven to release you from your misdeeds.”

OBSERVATION: It appears like we easily place ourselves before God and ask for things, without giving any thought to what His Word says. Forgiveness is one of those things where the Word says that one must forgive others, before asking God to forgive them personally. There is a similar command on giving, but today we will focus in on forgiveness.

APPLICATION: How easy is it to forgive another individual? When considering the extreme hurt caused to you, it becomes pretty challenging, doesn’t it? However, I believe that we are capable of understanding how God feels about us also. Imagine for a moment: God created human beings – you and I; He placed us on this beautiful earth that He meticulously created for us to enjoy, to live on, and the survive from everything that He placed on the earth. Yet we carelessly destroy all the beauty He created, plus we sin against one another, and even murder one another over very silly things. We are hurt by others who may be jealous over our successes, or they just may not approve of our well being, compared to their own. We are therefore provoked to stay away from them and be on guard to take any action necessary to protect our own territory. The relationship we develop with these individuals is such that we want to stay far enough away from them, and it wouldn’t hurt our feelings any if we saw them struggling along the edge of the road or about to drown in the ocean. However, praise to the Almighty, we are a holy people, and although we have sinned, we know that we can present ourselves before our Master and ask for forgiveness. STOP right there! That’s where our Scripture today becomes so vital to us. For why would God listen to a man, or woman, holding such a grudge against a Brother or Sister to the degree that they are willing to see them harmed along the roadside, or sink into the depths of the ocean? Could such a person seriously want forgiveness of their own sin, without giving thought or attention to the awful sin bound up inside against a fellow Brother or Sister? I believe that God is saying to us in His Word today, that this type of pleading from Him is unacceptable. For He expects us to clean up our own act, before asking a perfect God, who knows every little itsy bitsy thing about us, to forgive us of our own sin. I believe that God is saying to us that He will forgive us, as we have forgiven others. Only you and God can answer what that might look like: completely? fully? totally forgiven with nothing held back? There’s a song that centers around this theme and it speaks to the forgiven person being asked by God ‘What sin?’. Can you honestly ask that question of God if He questioned you about your relationship with a Brother or Sister who hurt you and caused you to harbor sin in your heart? ‘What sin are you referring to, dear Jesus? I forgave them a long time ago’. I believe that the Scripture is telling us to consider any grudge we have against another, before asking God to forgive us of our trespasses and our sin.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, we stand before You as an opened book today, knowing that You are well aware of our comings and our goings; our sin and our readiness to forgive. Please touch deep inside the hearts of all who will read this devotional today, and cause us to forgive others, so that we might receive Your forgiveness. AMEN!

How To Live A Long, Good Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Blessing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-05-18

Bible Reference: Psalm 34:12-14
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:
12–13 Do you want to live a long, good life,
enjoying the beauty that fills each day?
Then never speak a lie or allow wicked words
to come from your mouth.
14 Keep turning your back on every sin,
and make “peace” your life motto.
Practice being at peace with everyone.

OBSERVATION: With the beginning of these verses, I believe it is very obvious that this advice is for all people, for who would not want for themselves a long, good life. So I believe it is important that we take the advise God ordained through His servant David in this Scripture.

APPLICATION: I believe that God placed us here on this earth so that we might be blessed of Him, and blessed by each other. Unfortunately Satan wiggled his way into this world, and found how he could upset individuals, families, communities, churches and even larger groups, so that they would never again be happy. However, for the Christian, we have the Word of God that reminds us that greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world, and we have Scripture such as this one from the book of Psalms admonishes us to practice being at peace with everyone. This tells me that we must put effort into it, and be intentional about turning our back on sin, and being at peace with everyone. Friends, I believe that if the love of God is truly inside of us, we can’t help but seeing it exude from us in every act, in every word, and in every deliberate step that we take. So how do we get there? Please allow me to remind you that Satan is much bigger than we are, and he is much more powerful than we are, so may we quickly be reminded that there is only One more powerful – God Himself. Let us therefore surrender our all before God, and let us seek His guidance, His power and His peace, and let us allow Him to guide us into a life that is so filled with Jesus and His love, that we would be overflow with His character and His peace. We live in a very troubled world, and we should do everything possible to be a light to the rest of the world, and not add to the darkness that already exists. Let us therefore seek the fullness of God and ask that we, His humble representatives be like He is. Filled with love and compassion for one another.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I come humbly before You today seeking Your power and Your grace. I would sincerely ask that You touch my life, and teh lives of those who will read this devotional today. Please fill us with Your love, give us the power to overcome, and give us teh peace that surpases all understanding, so that we might be . 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!

To Passionately Pursue The Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Passionate, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-05-17

Bible Reference: Psalm 34:9-10
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 9 Worship in awe and wonder, all you who’ve been made holy! For all who fear him will feast with plenty.
10 Even the strong and the wealthy grow weak and hungry,
but those who passionately pursue the Lord will never lack any good thing.

OBSERVATION: All too often we hear the saying ‘why do bad things happen to ‘good’ people’, or of course, just the opposite ‘why do good things always happen to ‘bad’ people’. But our Scripture verses today reminds us that for those who sincerely, and honestly, and diligently seek after the Lord, they will never lack in any good thing. What an amazing thought to ponder today!

APPLICATION: I’m sure that many could dissect each little word in these verses and offer their opinion on what David meant to say, or what they feel like he meant, or perhaps how these words should be applied to our lives in this modern world. However, I am innocent enough to believe; and based on my knowledge of my Lord; and the sincerity of His love for me, and all those who claim Him as Lord and Savior; that these verses meant nothing less than what His servant David said. You see, we need not be talked out of the blessing that God has in store for His chosen children – those who honestly and humbly seek to honor and obey Him, and follow His commands and His teachings. In other words, like the Scripture says in this translation – this applies to ‘those who passionately pursue Him’. So where do you stand with your relationship with God, my friend? Do you consider yourself ‘passionate’ about Your Master and King? Do you seek ways to learn more about Him and/or develop the relationship that you have with Him? Yes, even years and years after accepting Him as Lord, I believe it is still vital on your part, to: pursue the Lord and want to know Him even better; want to serve Him even more; want to act like Him even more; in fact, you are downright passionate about being His ambassador here on earth, until you are humbly at His feet in Heaven. So you may wonder why this is so important to you/us. My friend, I hope that this assures you of the love that the King of this universe has for even you! I hope that your goal to be more like Jesus every day has become more worthwhile and important to you after reading the words of David today! I hope that you have been reminded that although we will never attain perfection here on this life, our hope is in the Lord – the creator of earth, sky and each of us, and that He has a home prepared for us in Heaven – so we press on towards the mark with our greatest passion and unyielding desire, with Jesus as our helper and guide. Great things are in store for us friends, there’s no reason to ever turn back!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me – thy great salvation so rich, and free! What a blessing to know that You have so much in store for us while we are here on this earth, and especially after we join You in glory! Please continue to guide us and bless us as we deal with the challenges of this world, and until the day You call us home to glory. Oh that You may be glorified in everything we do and say, precious Lord, so that others may see, hear and believe. AMEN!

Are You Ready?

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

Thursday, 2019-05-16

Bible Reference: Mark 10:17; 21
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:
The Question: 17 As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running to him and knelt down and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get to heaven?”
The Answer: 21 Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. “You lack only one thing,” he told him; “go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor—and you shall have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.”

OBSERVATION: I’m sure that I’m not alone in wanting the very best for my life, right up to, and including my death/burial, or even beyond the grave. But what are we willing to do now, in order to achieve the very best for our lives after this point in time? Perhaps an insurance policy, or perhaps the right careperson, or perhaps if we take care of the preacher and our nearest family and friends, then they will look out for us? Surely the rich young ruler was thinking about such things when he questioned Jesus. Join me as we meditate on the response from Jesus.

APPLICATION: To the poor man, who might struggle to find daily food for he and his family here on earth, the thought of one day being with the Creator of this Universe might seem appealing enough to sacrifice anything that he has today. To the rich man, who must consider waking up in a place where money or riches is of no value, or the thought of giving up all earthly goods to follow Jesus – where value comes in relationships, love, commitment to serve Jesus, imitate Jesus in all aspects of life, etc. that might appear virtually impossible to consider. But friends, the challenge of this might become clear as you consider all that the rich man does today to protect himself and his net worth here on earth, while the poor man simply lives ‘from hand to mouth’. I feel like Jesus is telling us, dear friends, that at the foot of the cross all things are equal. The poor man will come as a beggar looking for food (mercy, forgiveness and the love of the Savior), and the rich man will come just as his poor Brother – nothing of earthly value, but as a sinner, or beggar, looking for mercy, forgiveness and the love of the Savior. The other important thing to consider here is that no one else can make that trip to the cross for you. It is something that you alone must do for you alone. Have you made that step yet my friend? Have you humbled yourself, forgetting all about what this world might attribute to your success, and approached the cross of Christ asking for forgiveness of your sin and acceptance into the Kingdom of God? We have no assurance of tomorrow. Do it today while you have the time and mental capacity to do so. The benefits of that decision are eternal, and ‘out of this world’!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are mere sinners looking into the face of a perfect Savior. Please help us to understand that there is no value in any worldly possessions or actions that will help us right our relationship with our Maker, but to seek a relationship with the Savior sent to us for that purpose. You are an awesome God! Oh what a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord! Thank You Heavenly Father! Please touch the hearts of my readers today, and draw them to the cross. AMEN!

Just Like A Child

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Children, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-05-15

Bible Reference: Mark 10:13-16
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

OBSERVATION: Jesus always welcomed children, however the disciples were challenged in wanting to keep the way cleared for Jesus to perform miracles and meet the needs of the adults. But Jesus saw, and He knew, how receptive children were in believing, without needing to know the how, what, when and where of everything that takes place, so He used His interaction with the children to teach a lesson to the adults present. We will meditate on the applicability of this to even us today.

APPLICATION: Parents and adults are constantly searching for ways to teach children more, and also ways that would help them become a better person as they mature. But how often do we ever stop to learn from these dear ones? Jesus saw the value in these precious gifts given to mankind, for He never had a need to deal with their rejection, or their hatred, or their pride. In fact, they felt very appreciative just to sit on Jesus’ lap and listen to Him teach, or whisper kind and loving words into their ears. It didn’t matter which knee they sat on, nor did it matter if they sat at His feet, as long as they were near to Him. Friends, can you see from just those few examples how many complications sin has added to our adult minds? For how many arguments will erupt over who got to sit on His lap this week, vs last week; who got to ask questions last week vs this week; whose parents did Jesus go over and speak to; who got more attention from Jesus; etc, etc. When I think of the words of Jesus in comparing the attitudes of children to those who enter the kingdom, I tend to think of us coming to Jesus in total surrender – no one pulling us back; no worries about what we will lose by following Christ; truly coming with outstretched arms and saying to Jesus ‘here I am Lord, take me and do what you would like to’; and seeking full repentance of our sin and willing to go in a totally new and different way – God’s way. Let me suggest that you take a close look at the ways of your child and see how forgiving they are, and how appreciative they are to just receive a hand up and be satisfied that they are with someone who cares and loves them. Don’t always demand your own way, but instead trust in God – for He cares for you! He loves you, in spite of all that you have done contrary to His commands, and He has a place prepared for you when He sees fit for you to leave this world and join Him in heaven. Know Him, today dear friend, and know the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for loving even us. As Your child, we are blown away with the love expressed to us daily in so many ways. Thank You for the children that You place in our lives to teach us lessons about our approach to You and to heaven. Please help us to use the actions and attitudes of our children to help us see You in a different, and innocent light, while all the while correcting us in all the negative ways we have been affected by this sinful world. We are Your children dear Lord. Please help us to act like that, and love like that. AMEN!

On Visiting The Sick and Shut-Ins – Listen!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Listen, Visitation2 Comments

Monday, 2019-05-13

Bible Reference: Job 13:5-6
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 
5 I wish you would just stop talking;
    then you would really be wise!
6 Listen to my argument,
    and hear the pleading of my lips.

OBSERVATION: For those considering a visit to a sick friend, a shut-in or hospitalized, I would challenge you today with the words of Job, please don’t fill the room with chatter but listen to the person. You are visiting to help them feel better, this might very well be best served by listening to them. This reminds me of our times with God, is that time spent mostly allowing yourself time to unload, or do you give yourself time to listen to God?

APPLICATION:  Ever have someone visit you and they don’t stop talking long enough for you to get a word in about how you are really feeling? Frustrating, isn’t it? I’ve been on both sides, so I believe I can identify with Job’s friends and with Job. As the visitor, we tend to feel like it is our responsibility to visit and make the person feel better. So we gather information about the person, then we either build up a wall of defense, just in case they decide to tear us apart, or we load up our minds with what we think they need mentally to help them feel better. As the sick or hurting person, Job in this case, we need someone that we can talk with and possibly identify with us. So if the visitor would just listen and nod their head occasionally to show they are listening or identifying with us, we would feel like we are not alone in our struggle. The last thing we need is a visitor, friend, pastor, elder or deacon, to visit and beat up on us about what we should have done, or how another church member never overcame the illness that they had similar to ours. We don’t want false hope, because although sick, we can quickly see through lies or false pretenses. Fortunately Job listened to all his friends had to say, but now he is lashing back at them. A visit to the unknown, and this would include a visit to a friend or fellow church member, is like walking into the unknown. Pray and ask God for wisdom, a listening ear and a kind word to encourage the person with. Remember, the sick person has been shut up in a room all day and needs someone to just listen to all they’ve been thinking about. Ask God to take away your desire to make them feel better with unending talk. There may be stuff the sick person would lay on the visitor that they want you to pray for and possibly help them find ways to deal with, like family matters or unresolved differences or best of all, to know Jesus personally! If we don’t listen, we will leave without knowing the heart of the one we visited!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in Your precious and wonderful name, I ask that You humble us to listen more and speak less. You are the designer and maker of each person, so You know how prone we are to build ourselves up and show off our knowledge and our experiences, yet You placed us here on earth to worship and praise You, and to be a blessing to others. Please help us to get off our ‘soap boxes’ and to show humility in all things, like You did, especially in our dealings with others. Yes, we may have something important to add to a conversation, but I know that we need to be more like You and place You at the very top, or leader of all things, then place others before ourselves. No matter how uneducated the other person is, they are a valued child of our King, please help us to always bear that in mind and learn from them and their experiences. As You lead us with the right words to say, may we be obedient and loving in sharing, so that You may ultimately receive honor and praise from all involved. We can only accomplish this with Your guidance and Your help dear Lord, so I ask this in Your powerful, yet loving name, Jesus my Lord. AMEN!

Mother’s Life-Giving Teaching

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Mothers, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-05-11

Bible Reference: Proverbs 6:20-23
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:
20 My son, obey your father’s godly instruction
and follow your mother’s life-giving teaching.
21 Fill your heart with their advice
and let your life be shaped by what they’ve taught you.
22 Their wisdom will guide you wherever you go
and keep you from bringing harm to yourself.
Their instruction will whisper to you at every sunrise
and direct you through a brand-new day.
23 For truth is a bright beam of light
shining into every area of your life,
instructing and correcting you to discover the ways to godly living.

OBSERVATION: As we head into Mother’s Day tomorrow, let us be careful to honor our mother, not just in appreciation for all they have done for us, but also in honor and obedience to what God instructed us in His Word. Notice that God was well aware that we would run into times where we might wonder if we could truly make it through this challenging life on earth. So He reminds us that the teaching we received from our mom was ‘life-giving’. Let’s try reflecting back on that godly teaching and ensure that we are applying it to our lives today!

APPLICATION: We are certainly going through some very challenging times right now, with crimes that we never thought possible during our lifetime. The church is also challenged to continue its mission through the discouragement of decreasing congregations, especially with our younger generation. Yes, I realize that this is a part of prophecy where the people will lose heart, and have no desire to worship God. But I believe this is also leaving our parents disheartened and disillusioned about what might they have done wrong in bringing their children up. Church leaders are constantly seeking God on what might they do differently to keep their ‘sheep’ interested in God, in the Bible, and in church ministries. Law enforcement is seeking answers on what might they do to stem the trend of increased crime and evil in our cities. Friends, I am convinced that the answers are all ‘in the Book’ – the Bible. Let’s be reminded that nothing catches God by surprise. It’s just us that always seem surprised. In addition to the wonderful, and timeless truth in our focal verses today, I was reminded in another Scripture that I read today, that when the disciples questioned Jesus on why they were not capable of ousting the evil spirit from the young man brought to them, Jesus responded that the issue was something that really required prayer and fasting. I wonder how often we manage to get over our little aches and pains at our prayer meetings, and instead go to prayer meeting after much fasting and prayer over the concerns of our young people who have chosen to ignore the teachings and leadership of their parents. Is it not serious enough for us to take such a drastic course of action? Friends, we the church, must be serious about our Father’s business, and make it a choice to attend our organized Prayer Meetings. We must be willing to make prayer a priority in our life – every day, and not just on Sundays and Wednesdays (or whatever days might be calendared by your church). To reiterate – tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I believe that there is no greater gift you can give to your mother than to hear her say ‘well done son/daughter, it is obvious to me that you are following my many years of teachings and instruction.’

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You showed us in many ways that Your love is beyond our comprehension. One of the ways that You have shown us love is by placing Your favorite daughter in our life, as our mother. I thank you for my mother – her love, her teachings and her dedication to make me the best that I could be. Please touch the heart of every son or daughter who reads this devotional, and help everyone to reflect on the godly teachings of our mother, and may we draw closer to You in ways that would make her proud and thankful that she had a part in our life. AMEN!