Tag: Honor

Living with the Fear and Respect of God

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

DATE POSTED
Sunday, August 17, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, 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
Read 1 Peter 1:17-25 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
By taking a moment to read the verses referenced above, you will be better equipped to grasp the context of this devotional.

Peter was addressing Jews scattered among the Gentiles, yet the truth of his words remains deeply relevant for Christians today. Much like pastors observing their congregations today, Peter may have recognized a tendency among his people to take their relationship with God for granted. We sometimes fall into the same mindset—believing that since salvation secures our eternal place with Christ, nothing further is expected of us on earth.

However, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter reminds us in this passage that once we are saved, we are to live with reverent fear of the One who redeemed us—until the day we meet Him face-to-face in Heaven.

Think of it in terms of family life: we know our parents love us unconditionally, yet out of respect and love we seek to honor their rules and guidance. To ignore them would be to disregard both their authority and their God-given role in raising us. In the same way, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, we should not assume that belonging to Him frees us from responsibility. God expects obedience to His Word and attentiveness to His voice as He teaches us truth.

That obedience is coupled with relationship. Imagine telling a friend your child always follows the rules, yet never speaks to you—it would hardly feel like a healthy relationship. Likewise, our walk with God requires communication. Meditating on His Word opens the door to learning what God would have us do in accordance with His will for us. Prayer allows us to share our gratitude, praise, joys, and needs with Him. A true relationship thrives only through a two-way connection.

So, how is your relationship with God today? If it feels less than it could be, let Peter’s words serve as a reminder to draw nearer. Click on the Scripture reference above and read the short passage again, and ask the Lord to show you how to deepen your love, reverence, and obedience to Him. One of the greatest ways we can honor Christ is by living in faithful submission to His Word, allowing it to enrich and transform our lives.

Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, all of the above will seem strange to you, so I would encourage you to seek the Lord today and ask God to open your eyes to all I have shared above. No matter your circumstances, Jesus paid the price for your sin on Calvary. Receive Him today dear friend, and be belled with His gift of eternal life!

PRAYER
Thank You, loving Savior, for all You have done for us. You endured judgment from the Jewish leaders, the suffering of the cross at Calvary, and the mockery of those who sought to destroy You. Though the cup before You was not one of joy, You surrendered fully to the will of Your Father in Heaven, honoring Him in perfect obedience. You did this because of our sin, to provide the only way of forgiveness, so that we might stand in righteousness before the Father when He calls us home.

It was all for us, Lord, and we thank You from the depths of our hearts. Please place Your hand upon all who are saved, strengthening us daily with boldness to stand firm in our faith—so firmly that others may be persuaded of Your saving grace and the promise of eternal life. For those who have not yet received the free gift You offer, we ask that You soften their hearts, so that when You call them, they will freely surrender to You.

Eternity draws nearer with each passing day. Please help the unsaved to choose without delay, securing their place in Heaven with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, forever. For we long to have them join us when together we kneel in reverence at Your feet. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian Walk while you invite God to work through you to bless 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!

Respect and Honor the Temple of God

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

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 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
Read it in your Bible or click John 2:13-17 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In reading this Scripture today, I believe the Holy Spirit caused me to reflect on what I, and others, might expect when we go to church. I remember back in the day when many went to be inspired by the new clothing and hairstyles, but today many churches have since changed to an atmosphere of ‘come as you are’ to encourage those who don’t have, or don’t like to dress up in order to worship the Lord corporately. In our Scripture, seeing that this was the Temple (of God), I believe that Jesus may have hoped to see many things that represent the holiness and kingship of the His Father. But instead, Jesus found a full-fledged marketplace going on, with greed and disrespect being very evident. But notice, dear friends, that in spite of His disappointment, Jesus didn’t turn around and leave, nor did he seek social avenues to share His frustrations about what He found. Instead, He – the One who was born in a stable, the one who ministered to the lowliest of people, He became indignant when faced with this disappointing disrespect to His Father. But how does this relate to our respective churches today? Would our church be know more as a commercial center? A place of worship? A holy place where God awaits the praises of His people? A salvation station where we are not only entertained, but encouraged to join in worship to our King, the Word of God taught without fear of retribution, and where sin is highlighted while teaching us to seek God’s forgiveness and His strength to overcome our sin? But it gets a whole lot more personal – in 1 Corinthians 3:16 we are told that ‘we are the temple of God’. To all believers reading this devotional, I wonder what kind of response we would see from Jesus if He inspected His temple in us? You know, our lifestyle, our commitment to Him, our obedience to His Word, or our following in His example. Perhaps we should ask our loving Lord to go through our life, overturn the tables, and drive out the cattle so we won’t be ripped off from what He wants to do in and through us. For the unbeliever, or unsaved reader, I pray that you will see from today’s Scripture that although Jesus was firm in responding to what He saw at the temple, yet He was in control and dealt with the dove owners quite differently, not wanting to bring harm to the living creatures. The God we serve is still loving and caring in the same way, and despite the disappointment He may endure by seeing His created ones choosing Satan over Him, I am convinced that He will receive as at any given moment that we surrender our all to Him. Remember, He is holy, and He designed us to be like Himself. Listen to that still small voice that gives you guilt feelings about your sin and disobedience. Turn your life around my friend and seek God’s cleansing of His temple inside of you. Be holy, as your Master and Lord is also holy!

PRAYER
Lord, there are many of us who become disappointed when our children follow in paths unbecoming of what they were taught in our home, and in the church we took them to, so we have an idea of what You must feel when You see us going on in life in our own way, or following the path Satan pushes on this world. Please forgive us Lord and continue to upset our ‘applecart’ of sin and disobedience. Continue to teach us the path we should follow to be more like You, and continue to prick our conscience when we stray. Oh that our commitment may remain strong, and may our desire increase daily to follow in Your footsteps, so that others may be encouraged to know You and live according to Your will for their lives. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make 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!

This Makes God and Your Parents Happy

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, January 31, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 23:22; 24-26

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Pay attention to your father—after all, he gave you life and don’t ignore your mother in her old age.
The parents of the right-living will celebrate; yes, parents of children who make wise choices are happy.
So make your parents happy; delight your mother—after all, she brought you into this world.
My son, devote yourself to me fully. Observe my ways, and follow my directions:

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: You might hesitate to think about times that you were totally agitated at how your parents acted around you when you were in ‘your element’, and how you almost wanted to disclaim them! Remember, when you were so proud of yourself, yet they were pounding on you about how you could do better! But there might be some in the audience who have been blessed to reach a fair age, and you might realize that some of the things you say or do really agitate your children today also! I tend to kid around a lot, so I am at the stage in life where I pray that God will help me to keep my mouth shut when I need to, so that I don’t lose the respect of my child! However, through the prophet Isaiah, God has a word for us all, for we all have parents, and many of us are blessed to have children, and God wants us to open our eyes to what pleases Him and our parents. For those who are estranged from their parents, or parents who are estranged from their children, I believe that our Father in Heaven has so much to help us open our eyes to what He desires of us. Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus was still concerned about His mother and wanted to make sure she was taken care of in His absence. In our focal passage of Scripture, God demands that we obey our parents, or as this translation puts it: pay attention to your earthly father and strive to delight your mother. To my male cohorts out there, a lot hangs on the latter charge, for daughters are told that when choosing a guy, watch for how they treat their mother, for it is highly likely that they will treat you in the same way. But why do you suppose that God saw this as important instructions, even for us today? Well, so often we hear today how much smarter kids are today than we could recall in our earlier days. It just seems that we are taught at a very early age to develop a stand on something, and then ‘stick to our guns’ on the matter. In this way, no unsuspecting person could win us over from what we know we believe in. While this might be a correct stand to take, I believe that godly wisdom teaches us to always listen to the advice and teachings of a person who has been there and done that. They are teaching from experience, and often they don’t want us to make the same mistakes as they did. Parents always want their children to be so much more that themselves. This can only happen when we humble ourselves and listen to the advice of our fathers and other older men and women. To not delight, or respect your mother, is clear evidence that you are unappreciative of what she did for you in raising you. Mothers are the first to eat bread and drink water, so that her children could splurge in the finer things at the table, and in life. To disrespect, or not do as much for her as she did for you, is basically saying that God messed up in providing the mother that He did to raise you. There is faithful saying that says we are an adult only once, but twice a child. Be very careful how you treat your father, and delight your mother, for in your second childhood, you children will have opportunity to practice just that on you! When you do what is right, and pleasing to God, for your parents, you can use that same experience in pleasing God in just the same way, for He calls for that in the very last verse today. Devote yourself to God, observe and honor His instructions and His ways, so that you might follow His directions. You can do this my friends, just accept Him as Lord of your life, and commit yourself to honor Him in all that you do and say. You will learn about Him from His Word, not by looking at, and following, what others say or do.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: 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! You saved me from my sin and showed me the path in which to live my new, changed, and dedicated life. Because I still live in this world, I sincerely and respectfully ask that You protect me from the teaching and practices of this world and its leader, Satan. Many that I know still need a Savior, so please help me to reflect You in every word and action, so that they may be convinced that You are still alive and active in the lives of Your children. Please teach us to always honor our parents in a way that You would approve of and help us to show our love and appreciation to them for putting up with us during those years that we ourselves were incapable and/or unwilling to be different to the ways promoted and urged by the evil one. It hurts me to see, or hear, children who has nothing to do with their parents, or parents who have pushed away unruly, disrespectful, children, for it becomes obvious that they are dishonoring You, Lord. Please teach us to be examples of how you lived, loved, and directed us to live. May the world see evidence of Jesus in my readers and myself as we strive to live more like You each day, so that You may be glorified in all aspects of our life. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 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. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. 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 growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Recognize and Honor The Power of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN Isaiah 25:1-3

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God; you do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them, just as you said! You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. The strongest forts are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong nations will shake with fear before you; ruthless nations will obey and glorify your name.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: God, the One who is creator of human life, and the guiding hand behind all good things that honor Him. He placed the world in place and everything that inhabits each part of this world. Don’t you know, dear friends, that He who created it all, can also erase unnecessary and unappreciated parts of it at will? But God is not like worldly dictators who hold life over the heads of their subjects, for our God not only created us in His likeness, but He also provided a Savior, His Son, to open the channel for access into His glorious heaven. Yet He has given us the option of choice to decide if we really want to live in this world and follow its leader, or if we will believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to redeem us of our sin and make us righteous in God’s sight. Many created ones have accepted this free gift of salvation and, like the nations mentioned in the very last verse of today’s Scripture, we shake in fear before this righteous, powerful, yet loving God and we glorify Him for who He is! It is unfortunate that many, even some who will happen across this devotional, still reject the Savior and the love shown for them on Calvary, for you are confident that you are in control of this thing called ‘life’. Friends, please carefully think this through: if you think you are in charge, then that applies to life, and in death. The Bible teaches that a place is also available for those who reject Jesus. But since sin cannot enter into heaven, you will be assigned to your earthly leader, Satan, and his eternal home – Hell/The lake of fire/Eternal damnation – a place where things will only worsen and magnify over what you experience here on earth. As one who has experienced the love and lordship of Jesus Christ, I feel an obligation to remind each reader that you fit into one of the nations mentioned in today’s Scripture. By default, you are assigned to the nations under the control of Satan, for you have lived on earth and been tainted by sin. However, many have opened their eyes and humbled themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and we are assured the glories of heaven while basting in the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost forever. We have a graduation day to look forward to, and not a Hell to fear. Not because we are favorites, but because of the choices we have made regarding our eternal destiny. This same assurance can be yours today dear friend. Please read my Footnote, especially the information behind the link ‘To know Jesus’. You have control over where you could be on Resurrection Day, but the choice must be made while you’re alive. Know Jesus today and know about the peace of which I have taught in this lesson! Be with the ‘nation’ who will obey and glorify Jesus as Lord!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, I believe that You have designed us to make smart decisions, such as readying ourselves and our family for natural disasters that we are warned about ahead of time. Every person alive will naturally face death, for in Hebrews 9:27 we are told that we all die once, then face the judgment of Almighty God. Oh Lord God, I humbly pray that every reader of this devotional will face that promised judgment with confidence, and in much anticipation of hearing You say, as You welcome them in for all eternity, ‘Well done good and faithful servant’! Knowing that calamity could come at any moment, home and auto buyers purchase insurance at the closing of their purchase. May these same ones, knowing that death could occur at any moment, not delay in making this very important decision about their eternal destiny. Nations who are ready for Your return, stand ready to praise and worship our King as we see salvation decisions made today! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 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. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. 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 growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Sing A New Song! Rejoice In The Lord!

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-07-13
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 96:1-6
TRANSLATION: The Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing it everywhere around the world! 2 Sing out his praises! Bless his name. Each day tell someone that He saves. 3 Publish His glorious acts throughout the earth. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does. 4 For the Lord is great beyond description and greatly to be praised. Worship only Him among the gods! 5 For the gods of other nations are merely idols, but our God made the heavens! 6 Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and beauty are in His Temple.

APPLICATION: Let’s think for a moment about the reasons we find to celebrate certain events with our family a friends: 1) Our child is born; 2) Our child graduates high school; 3) Our child graduates college; 4) Our child’s engagement party; 5) Our child’s wedding shower; 6) Our child’s wedding; 7) Our child’s baby shower; 8) Birthdays for ourselves and our family; 9) Our wedding anniversary; 10) Christmas party; etc, etc. I believe you can see that you must always be ready for a celebration of some sort, especially with a few family members and a few friends! Just as in each of the above instances where our meetings are new, fresh, and exciting, the Psalmist is teaching us that our God deserves an even greater preparation for praise when we plan to meet and celebrate His goodness towards us. It hurts me when we meet together with fellow believers and it’s like pulling teeth to really get a reason for praise and/or thanksgiving from each member. Friends, please allow me to challenge you to always have your praises for our God available right at the tip of your tongue. Encourage others by sharing those experiences, and always be ready to praise, bless, and thank God each and every day. Always be ready to praise Him in the church for His gracious love and miracles in your life. Remember, when a child of God asks for God’s blessings, and we see His blessings unfold, never think about calling it ‘good luck’ as the world might do, but instead shower God with your praises and thanksgiving for His answered prayers. It’s OK to pray one for another, but when asked to participate in praise and thanksgiving, it’s time to celebrate your personal blessings. I remember someone opening the door for me at my workplace on a Monday morning as I arrived for work. As in all courtesy greetings, I asked how the individual was doing. They said ‘I’m good, but I can tell from the smile on your face, that you must have enjoyed a great weekend?’ I shared a few reasons why I felt so blessed at that very moment, and they soon shut me down! Let’s learn to show off our wonderful Jesus who blesses us with way more than we deserve or expect. It’s a ‘new song’ for us, for we were blessed beyond measure yesterday, and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us today! As for the ‘earthly praise’ spoken of by the Psalmist, let’s get over ourselves in thinking that our beliefs are the only right interpretation of the Bible, and our church is the best and only church for us, and we won’t be tainted by mixing with other ‘Christians’. God sees only His children and we are all at the one level in His eyes. When we bow at His feet in heaven, there will be no segregation, just redeemed children of God. Let’s practice on that while we are here on earth!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Shout it from the rooftops – the goodness of God and the many answers to prayer that has been our portion. In being quiet, other believers might think that we either don’t know the same Lord as they do, or we are totally out of tune with Him. Jesus lives, reigns and blesses me each and every day, and I’m sure He also does the same for each believer who looks for His blessings and praises Him each day for His almighty hand at work!

PRAYER: Blessings and honor and praise belong to You, oh Lord, for You have been so good to me! Please Lord, instill an attitude of praise into the hearts of each born again child of God, so that we will always praise You and honor Your most powerful name. Forgive us Lord when we whine because our prayers are not answered how we dictate. We should actually praise You in these instances, for You found ways to bless us even more than we could have imagined or asked for! What an awesome and powerful God You are, and we are most appreciative for You loving and blessing even us. May we learn to look for, expect, and rejoice in Your blessings each and every day. May we not only share our praises with the church, but also with those who look on and still question Your authority and Your power. Blessing us should result in blessings to those in our circle of family and friends, so that they too might desire relationship with You. For the unsaved reading this devotional, please enlarge their minds to believe in Your miracle-working blessings to Your children and also have a deep desire to know You personally. We will be careful to praise Your all powerful name, oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer! 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!

The Joy of Gaining God’s Favor

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-03-16
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Leviticus 26:3-4; 9-12;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will ……
9 “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. 10 You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! 11 I will live among you, and I will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.

APPLICATION: When someone is very special to us, and we feel indebted to them, we will do almost anything to show our gratitude and love to them. However, in the case of the Israelites, God saw that they were weak and set in their ways, so He was extremely patient with them, because they were His chosen people. Think of your own child. When they turn from the ways that you taught them during their childhood, you do everything in your power to encourage them. Perhaps giving them a hand-up, instead of a hand-out that they seem to always want from parents! When they ‘come to their senses’ they pour on the love, for they then realize that it could only have been love that provoked our positive response to their totally selfish and sometimes evil ways/words. So if God gave us the strength and wisdom to deal with our children so well, don’t you know that He was even more forgiving, patient and loving in dealing with the Israelites? Don’t you know that He’s still the same God that will redirect our path and steer us aright again, even though we may feel like no one could ever put up with our rotten attitudes? God instructed the Israelites: ‘look, all I want you to do is follow my laws and obey my commandments’, and this simple condition was followed in the next several verses with a list of things that God promised He would do. Friends, God would never allow more on us than we could handle. His laws and His commandments were given to us so that we would know what pleases Him, and to help us walk a path that imitates Him while here on earth. The more we ‘rub shoulders’ with the enemy, the more we listen to his lies and then we start feeling like perhaps God’s laws were intended for the guy next door, or that very evil person who ….. It behooves us to listen to God and His teachings, and to follow the path He has set before us. I would encourage you to join me in making every effort to draw close to God, so that He may draw close to us. When we love someone sincerely, we will seek to please them in every way. Let’s commune with God each day; seek to know Him better; and obey His laws and commands because of our dedication and love towards Him. He promised a lot to the Israelites in return for their obedience. I can’t even imagine what else He has in store for us, because His daily blessings already seem more than enough.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: No greater and encouraging words that those of our God: ‘I will be you God, and you will be my people’! What a blessing to be reassured that we are children of the Most High God!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, please teach us to pray; encourage us to read Your Word; and to always call on You for everything we desire here on earth. As we learn from Your Word and receive direction from You, may our heart be willing to live by Your law and obey Your commandments. May we always seek to do Your will, and not follow our own inclinations, because we want others to see Jesus, not anything that might give us credit for. Lord, Your promises are true and we can depend on your Word. Teach us to obedient servants who always honor and worship our King. 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!

Stay Alert and Pray

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-04-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 26:40-41
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 40-41 When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

OBSERVATION: The reasons why Jesus took only three disciples closer to the point where He would pray to the Father is a bit unknown, but being reminded that God does everything in His perfect will and for our purpose, is sufficient. Jesus was very burdened about the hour fast approaching where He would be arrested, beaten and crucified. If we were encountering due rest, we would want our most trusted prayer partners with us, yet the three disciples fell asleep, as if nothing was concerning them about the burden Jesus was bearing . Let’s try to understand why it was important for the disciples to stay alert, so that we might do the same.

APPLICATION: It may seem like we try hard to let our minds wander when troubles arise, because we really don’t want to deal with the drama, and in most cases, the sorrow or disappointment that result from critical times. We could see in verse 38 that Jesus instructed the 11 disciples to stay and pray, while He went on a bit further to also pray. Surely the disciples saw from the Master’s countenance that He was heavily burdened, or sad, about something. The three disciples chosen to go even further with Jesus must have surely felt entrusted by Jesus to be His closest ally in this time of deep concern, yet it seems like they may have taken that trust way too lightly. But why would Jesus warn them about temptation? As in every case of Jesus’ ministry, he chose just the right opportunity/moment, or the gathering, to apply His principles in a way that would open the eyes of His hearers. Jesus saw that the disciples had let their guard down and they lost track of what was actually going on in their Master’s mind and heart at the time. Temptation is most effective based on the condition in which it finds us. If we are weak and powerless, then there’s is a greater chance for temptation to have its way with us. We know from experience that temptation overcomes just about anyone, for it impacts us all with no respect for the person weakened by sin or laziness. That’s why presidents, pastors, priests, bosses, parents and children comes too mind as being impacted by temptation, and many have fallen because of that impact. Jesus knew that He had only asked the disciples to stand by Him – support Him mentally, prayerfully and through encouragement. Obviously their take on His trust meant little to them, because they all fell asleep. God has given us the opportunity and responsibility of being His faithful servants here on earth while we’re here. I wonder how He might rate us on our faithfulness to His tasks? Have we fallen asleep because of lack of concern and/or commitment? Will He praise us as He welcomes us into His kingdom when life on earth is over, or will He scold us as He did with the disciples? We serve a loving, forgiving Father, but while He blesses us to be His witness here on earth, let’s make every effort to not fall into temptation, but instead be diligent about His work and alert for His return.

PRAYER: We are always saddened when we remember how You suffered and died for our Salvation Lord Jesus, but we are forever thankful and grateful. Thank You for the reminder in Your Word today about the importance of staying alert and ready for Your return, and in doing so, build a solid defense against temptation. It is so unfortunate that Satan tempts Your children so much, and has caused a certain amount of disgrace to Your good name. Please Lord, fill us with Your grace each day and empower us to stand strong in our Christian walk so that others will see Jesus and nothing of the weakness that we are made of. In Christ we can do all things – for Your glory. Of our own power we are very prone to temptation and misrepresenting the name of Jesus. Oh that You may rule and reign in us Lord Jesus for Your glory alone. 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!

About Your Teacher

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-03-29
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 23:10-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 … don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant.12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

OBSERVATION: Who is your teacher? If a child, then I’m sure you thought of your school teacher. But what about adults, who is that person who came to mind when you saw the subject of this devotional? Really, today is all about titles and what they do For those who give them, and for those called by those titles. Jesus was referred to as ‘Teacher’, and no one else is deserving of that title, nor are they any match for Jesus. Stay tuned!

APPLICATION: This is really just one of the titles referred to by Jesus as He spoke to the Pharisees about how they were making way too much over titles and self recognition than anything they could possibly accomplish for the Kingdom. But have we learned anything from that? In verse 8 of chapter 23, Jesus clarified this teaching by saying that we are all brothers and sisters, or equal to each other, and not one standing in authority, or above another. I have always compared Christianity to marriage, so once again I will do that. In a marriage, the Bible refers to the husband as the leader of the home. Does that make him better than his wife – no, for she is also a daughter of the same Father. Does that cause Him to require worship from his wife or to be exalted by his wife? Of course not, for she is an equal partner in the marriage. Similarly in the life of a believer, one might be blessed with the gift of explaining the Word of God and clarifying any mystifying parts of the Word, but because his students also have gifts in other areas that he is not blessed in, the point of superiority is automatically null and void. So why give that person a title? Friends, God placed us all here on earth as His children. Just as in your earthly family there are no favorites or superiority among siblings, it is perfected even more so in God’s family. We are all equal in His eyes. But to an even greater extent, we can see from this Scripture today that Jesus was concerned that the Pharisees were being called by titles that many referred to Him as. Jesus knew that this would soon lead to the Pharisees trying to assume the rightful place of God’s Holy Son among the people that they were in charge of. Please be careful friends to not even think about calling someone by a name that you may have heard given to Jesus or to the Father in the Bible. For there is only one God – our great God – God Almighty. There is only one Son of God – Jesus Christ. Any alternate titles given to these supreme beings are forever assigned to them and refers to them, so never find the need to call any man, or woman, by any of those names. Often we do it as a means of exalting that person for the awesome job they are doing in teaching/preaching/witnessing or just doing good work in the name of the Father. Because they are your Brother or Sister, you can simply refer to them in deepest respect as you would to your natural sibling. You diminish the value of our Lord, when you start calling mankind by any name attributed to Him at any time. Always acknowledge Jesus as Lord, for there is no other under the sun that takes His place. There are great pastors, teachers or workers for the Kingdom, but they are men and women just like you. Never make them anything more through a title you may give them. Intentionally thank God for them and ask Him to bless them richly for their efforts.

PRAYER: Lord God, You alone are holy, and You alone are God. Please help us to never attribute that authority to any man or woman, whether through title or through any other means. You have created great men and women of God who may often sacrifice their entire lives to Your ministry and to share the Good News with the world. Please help us to never feel the need to escalate their title or their worth beyond anything greater than a fellow Brother or Sister blessed of God. We may appreciate their value in knowledge, in giving or in education, but may we always show our appreciation as a sibling of the Most High God and nothing more. We want you to be honored and lifted up above all men, for You alone are God and You alone deserve our praise. We glory in Your name while we are here on earth, and we are anxious to bow at your feet and sing eternal praises when You call us home to glory. Until that time, please bless us with qualities that we can share with others that might help lead them to You. 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!

How To Handle Temptation

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-05-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 12 So be careful. If you are thinking, “Oh, I would never behave like that”—let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin. 13 But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it.

OBSERVATION: For the Christian, it seems like Satan turns up the heat a little each time that we seem to get closer to the Lord. For the non-believer, it seems like Satan will do the same when he notices that you are beginning to listen to the voice of God. So how are we to deal with this problem? The answer is included in our verses today, so let’s take time to meditate on the Word of God, for He alone is able!

APPLICATION: Some of the worse examples of temptation that we see, is when a pastor, or shepherd, or protector of the flock, or messenger of God is drawn into temptation. For we see not just the individual filled with embarrassment, but his wife and kids will often leave town because of the hurt and embarrassment; churches are often drastically impacted by the bad press and the embarrassment THEIR pastor has brought on them; and the word seems to standby jeering at the individual and the church for a ‘holy’ man doing just as badly as a son of the world who has never darkened the doors of a church. So we see where temptation could be brought upon the Christian as well as the world. Why? Why would God not protect His own messengers? Friends, I believe that God was very deliberate in having this lesson included in His Word, because He knew that His servants/His children/His church members, as well as His other kids that refuse to recognize Him as Lord, would continue to face temptation until the day He returns to take us out of this sinful world. But why would God make individuals with this weakness? I believe that God created man in His own image, for the purpose of worshiping his creator. Throughout God’s Word we could see where He did everything possible to facilitate man turning to a right relationship with the one true God, and although some believe, many still don’t believe in God nor do they allow Him lordship over their lives. As in this case where Paul had to deal with believers in the Corinthian church being drawn into temptation, God knew that this would continue as long as we are around sin. So in Revelation 3:10 God promised us that He would keep us from temptation. Friends, I believe that God wants more than anything, for us to be what He designed us to be. It is very obvious He would do whatever is needed to help us be obedient to His Word, worship Him and be with He and the Father in glory some day soon. Temptation is very high on the list of things that throw His children who are trying to live worthy of our calling. Let us therefore seek to be more like Jesus in everything that we do or say, and to seek His power in every aspect of our lives, for His glory alone. Perhaps when we do this, unbelievers will see Jesus in action and be convinced to surrender their all to Him also.

PRAYER: Lord, please lead us not into temptation, for thine is the glory, the honor and the praise. You promise to keep us faithful and strong from the sin that temptation brings into our lives, Lord. So I humbly pray that You may be very real to my readers and I today as we enter into this wicked world that is poised to temp us and try us. May Your holiness and Your power be evident in everything we do and say, and may we submit to Your direction in everything we do so that You may freely keep us from all harm and temptation. 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!

Guarding The Temple of God

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-04-30
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 Don’t you understand that together you form a temple to the living God and His Spirit lives among you? 17 If someone comes along to corrupt, vandalize, and destroy the temple of God, you can be sure that God will see to it that he meets destruction because the temple of God is sacred. You, together, are His temple.

OBSERVATION: Most of us will do everything possible to protect and respect God’s house, the church – His temple. There are certain things we would not permit inside, such as alcohol, drugs, wild parties, etc. And there are several things that we would always carefully control – selling material items, the wearing of caps/hats by men, etc. I believe we do this because we look at our church sanctuaries as a place where God lives, and He is hallowed there by His people. But since Paul is referring to our personal bodies as a place where God (the Holy Spirit) resides, are we quite as careful to protect and respect His holy temple in that respect?

APPLICATION: Doctors who are really concerned about the lives of their patients, will often get on our case about the condition of our health, that is mostly impacted by what we permit to enter our bodies and/or whether we condition it with regular exercise. Ranking much higher in importance is our spiritual bodies. When Jesus was crucified, God sent His Holy Spirit to reside inside of us as our helper until He returns to take us home to glory. So I wonder, how much have we changed the conditioning of our bodies, and how much different do we strive to be in protecting our bodies from the evil one? Are we as careful about protecting our bodies, the temple of God, as we are about protecting our church sanctuaries, now that part of the Trinity is occupying His temple inside of us? Although this may be elementary, we must remind ourselves that the Trinity means that Father, Son and Holy Spirit is ONE. Which means that God resides inside of us as our Comforter, Guide, Deliverer, Friend and everlasting Father. So are you always proud of where you take the Holy Spirit? Do we protect what goes inside of our bodies and our minds, knowing that the Holy Spirit resides inside – such as drugs, alcohol, filthy movies, bad language, hatred, disrespect, etc.? Is there anything we subject our bodies to, that we would not want present when we kneel at the feet of Jesus in Heaven? The Bible says that we are the temple of God, and it also says that God resides in His temple. Do we love, respect and honor our God enough to protect His place of residence from anything untoward? I believe that our Scripture today is a good reminder that our God reigns, and He lives and reigns inside of us. We needn’t wait until we get to church to behave, to honor, obey and respect God, for He is present right now, right where we’re at. Thank You Father for going to the extent of the cross for my sin. Please be a constant reminder in my life of the One to whom I belong, and the One who lives and reigns inside of me. There are many who acknowledge You as Lord, oh that we all may stand boldly before Your throne knowing that we did everything possible to protect, honor and respect Your place of abode, especially where it was so within our personal control.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for sending Your comforter to live inside of me. Please forgive me for failing to always respect Your presence and Your everlasting love for me. As You have reminded my readers and I today through Your Word, may we all be consciously aware of the One who lives inside of us and may we always treat You with the same respect that we expect to give on the day we see You face-to-face. You are our King, and we praise You Heavenly Father for all that You are to us. 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!