You Know Him Already

On 2024-03-22 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: Friday, March 22, 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 Hebrews 8:10-11

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: ….I will write my laws in their minds so that they will know what I want them to do without my even telling them, and these laws will be in their hearts so that they will want to obey them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. And no one then will need to speak to his friend or neighbor or brother, saying, ‘You, too, should know the Lord,’ because everyone, great and small, will know me already.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: The Old Testament is known for instructions given to man on what he should do, while the New Testament is known for telling us what God will do. Throughout our lifetime, we will encounter friends, coworkers and perhaps even relatives where we will wonder how could they possibly be so blind to the love and work of God. They may try to tell us how much they hate the church, and how impossible it is to believe that God is real. But then we see circumstances come before them, that may cause them to ask us to have our pastor pray for them, or visit their dying relative, or encourage their son in prison. This sudden change in attitude causes us to wonder what must have changed in their hearts. But then God places Scripture before us, like this one we are meditating on today. The writer of Hebrews felt the need to revive the words God spoke to Jeremiah and recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It became evident to me as I meditated on this reminder today, that I needed to hear these words again, as is probably the case with you. When mankind simply attends church to fulfill a traditional habit/obligation, he will often leave the church without ever having a personal encounter with the God who created everything and who sacrificed His very own Son so that we might seek the glories of heaven and fellowship with the Creator Himself. However, I have found it extremely rewarding to see how God will suddenly stir up deep inside of us a need for a touch from Himself. Often it seems worthless how our words and actions seem to affect the unbeliever, yet God will choose something that appears very insignificant to us, but life changing to the unbeliever, to stir up the gift of salvation and/or revival in the heart of that stubborn one who chose to do life his own way. A pastor once told of a parishioner who acknowledged he hadn’t been to church lately, and questioned why he hadn’t come after him. The pastor responded that was not his job, for the New Covenant says you already know what you should have been doing because the Lord wrote His will on your heart!
Please Lord, make us keenly aware of the knowledge and peace You have placed within us. Help us to ignore the many, many weird beliefs that Satan tends to place in the way of Your people and help us instead to keep our eyes fixed on You as our current Lord and everlasting Father.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Each day, and every hour, we make choices on who we will follow, the divine and holy will of God, or the evil, hateful, envious and wicked ways of Satan. You created us Lord, and You proved your unconditional love for us by providing the only sacrifice worthy of forgiveness of our sin, and acceptable to the Father for entry into heaven. You did this while we were still sinners without respect for the work of God, our Creator. The Scripture is clear that You have burned Your will into our hearts, so our evil actions are in strict defiance to the good You have shown to us, and placed prominently in our hearts. Please Lord, impress upon us each day Your love and Your holy and righteous will You have placed within us to guide us to eternal peace with You and the Father. 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!

Willing To Break the Norm

On 2022-12-262022-12-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-12-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 21:1-3
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. ²He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. ³He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them.

APPLICATION: Surely one of the hardest jobs of parents (myself included), is to raise up a child in the way that helped us to be successful in our own lives. For as soon as we open the door and allow them into the community, whether at church, or school, or with friends, they are exposed to other principles, and they must then decide whether they will adopt their friends’ principles, or to continue following what they are taught at home. This is the challenge that I believe many of David’s generation were faced with, and it may have been the deciding factor in helping them chose the course of their reign. To please our parents, we tend to lift them up and earn their love and respect. To please our friends, we tend to not only earn their respect and admiration, but we gain a sense of being accepted, and possibly being popular among our friends. However, when we learn what pleases God, and we commit to following His commands, we will learn such commands as obeying our parents in the Lord. This was so important to God, that He followed the command with the promise of a reward – that our days may be long on earth. But for those parents who are meditating on this devotional, and perhaps nodding your head in agreement, thank you! However, let me also remind you that children thrive on understanding why we make certain requirements of them, and they do better in obeying when they understand why they are being asked to do something. Are you, yourself, in the Word every day and making every effort to obey the commands of God? Are you sharing your learning from the Word with your children? Do they know that honoring their parents is actually a command of God, and not just something you feel compelled to demand of them out of respect to you? It is so important for us to not only practice what says the Word the God, but to also teach our children from a very early age what God commands of them. The Bible reassures us that if we do this, and even if they stray from the Truth in their later years, yet the Word will be implanted in them and prompting them to listen to God’s correction, and His will for their lives. In the case of Manessah’s father, king Hezikiah, he received word from God that he was about to die (2 Kings 20:1), but in spite of his sin, he remembered that God was still on the throne in heaven, and he pleaded for an extension of his life from God. Although Manessah still chose to do what was evil in the eyes of God, can’t you imagine that somewhere in the back of his mind, he must have known that you can’t declare evil in the face of a holy God and get away with it? I believe that’s how our kids are. They may stray from the Truth, but deep inside they know that they are dishonoring God, and they will personally pay for their sin. How then do we help them become stronger, bolder in their commitment, and different from the rest – if that’s what it takes to stay in the center of God’s will? Of course, this might cause them to be different to what they see as the norm; what they have seen practiced by others in similar position to themselves, and in spite of all the recommendations pushed at them by the world. But remember, the God you know is much bigger, stronger, caring and more loving than any of the forces working on your children. To honor God, and to be a child following His example, will look much different to the ‘norm’, but it will be the right way if we are pleasing Almighty God. Those of us connected to God and have a personal relationship with His Son, have a direct connection to the throne of grace. In prayer, let us seek the face of God on behalf of those we love who need redirection and/or correction. Let us pray, dear friends!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God still answers the heart cry of those who seek Him, like He did for Hezehiah. I believe that God also watches as rebels do their own thing instead of following the example and teachings of our heavenly Lord. Oh, that we would strive to help those who choose to disobey God.

PRAYER: Lord, when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we showed the world that we were willing to ‘break the norm’, stop following in the ways of the world and instead follow You and obey Your commands. This becomes easier said than done, at times, and while we must first and foremost ask that You please help us achieve a consistent walk with You, even more so, we need Your help in offering support and prayer for our children and for those we come into contact with who struggle in their walk with You. It’s easy for us to look down on folk, as in the case of king Manessah that we read about today. But just as many prayed, and no doubt are continuing to pray, for us today, please give us the desire to also pray for others instead of seeking out their faults and failures. Help us Lord to love others enough to want to lift them up in prayer. 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!

Then and Now

On 2022-03-082022-03-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-03-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Leviticus 8:4-5
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and when the community had assembled, 5 he said to them, “What I am now about to do is what the LORD has commanded.”

APPLICATION: I remember at one stage in my life as a church leader, I chose to challenge someone complaining about the differences in today’s worship music selections compared to the ‘old days’. But in reading today’s Scripture, I was forced to reflect on the differences in today’s acts of obedience to that which God has demanded, especially when compared to the Biblical account of Moses. Having been blessed to serve in leadership positions in the local church, I can tell you first hand that if our story is ever relayed to future generations, it will look quite different to that of Moses. Having said that, I can assure you that I have no doubt that the God we serve today is no different than the God Moses feared and served. However, it seems like today we have so many influences that tend to distract our thought process and our communion with God, that I’m not so sure that our decisions are as pure as that of Moses. For example, distractions might include prominent church members who stop their giving when the leaders don’t lead the church in the direction they dictate. I’ve participated in church study groups where the leaders seem to try diligently to find a different meaning from what it appears like God intended for us in the Bible. It seems like current-day church leaders decide that it’s time for larger and more updated (fancy) facilities, so they start their search and then beg for God’s buy-in. But Moses showed us that God said it, and he immediately found a way to implement what God demanded, no questions asked. I believe that our first excuse today might be that we don’t hear God speak verbally to us, as it appears like He spoke to Moses. Dear friends, we are children of the Almighty God and we heard Him loud and clear when He called us to His saving grace. We heard Him and we obeyed His call. Many of us have found companions that we are convinced that God directed us to. Do you for a moment believe that His communication to us is limited to just those things? Do you suppose that He is dead and therefore never communicates with us anymore? I am convinced that my God will direct my paths for as long as He leaves me here on earth. I am His child, and He actually died voluntarily on the cross of Calvary so that I might find new life in Him, which will lead me to life eternally in heaven one day. If you have connected with God, then you have that same assurance. If so, then you are fully aware that He still talks to us today and guides us through every decision of life, especially the work of His bride – the church. I believe that where the difference comes, is the many distractions we allow to interfere and draw our attention from the purity of God’s voice. I believe that, we try so hard to be politically correct in what we say, and in every effort to please everyone, until we tend to hear only those things that we know will please those on our favorites’ list. Can we honestly be like Moses in our witness, our decisions, our preaching and our teaching and still have the same friends that we bend over backwards to please? I believe there will be many conflicts in our spirit to do that. It is evident that Moses obeyed God wholeheartedly, and ‘the chips fell where they may’ for everyone else that witnessed Moses in action. I pray that we might become more like Moses today. Tell it like God intended, not how we might ensure that our popularity continues among our people. God being our Helper and our Guide!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Moses didn’t ask God for His buy-in on something he felt necessary, instead He listened to God’s instructions and followed them!

PRAYER: Lord, please teach us to not run ahead of You. We want to be obedient servants, not ones who ask you to bless what we decide is best for us. You hold the key for our life today, and for whatever time You will allow us to remain here on earth. You created us in Your image, and You promised never to leave us alone, so I am convinced that You have a perfect plan for us while we’re here. Please teach us to wait on the Lord, and to be willing and ready to obey Your every command, without allowing any distractions that may cause us to soften Your message or obey Your every command. May we clearly hear the commands of our Father, and may our churches hear and act on the same. AMEN!

Obedience Even Under Dire Circumstances

On 2021-07-192021-07-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-07-19
WRITTEN AT: Van Horn, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 26:52-54
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵²But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. ⁵³Don’t you know that I could ask my Father, and right away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? ⁵⁴But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?”

APPLICATION: I wonder… how obedient we might be when we know that the result of our actions, or beliefs, may cause us imprisonment, beatings or even death? One of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, called ‘The Rock’ by Jesus, for his hard and fast stand on what he believed, yet he crumbled under pressure when identified in the kings’ court where Jesus was tried. No doubt Peter knew that he would have been killed or badly beaten if he went along with the identifiers, so instead he lied, and even disowned Jesus, in order to escape punishment for his association. How are you doing in your workplace with this, dear friend? Does your boss and coworkers know that you are a Christian? Or do you act differently at work than you do at church to avoid ridicule? What if your boss said that he would not tolerate Christians in his workplace, will you disassociate yourself with Jesus Christ in order to keep that job? Friends, notice that Jesus was emphatic about doing what God had already prophesied through the prophets. Can you imagine the confusion for saints who believed what the prophets foretold, yet to then hear Jesus pleading with the Father to undo what He had already prophesied? But our God is not a God of confusion. He also knew that this would be extremely tough for Jesus to endure, and any parent will immediately agree that it hurts us more than our children when we see them suffer. However friends, there are often times when we are faced with very big challenges, and like any normal human being, we gather all our friends around us to help us pray that God would find another way to handle our situation. As children of God, shouldn’t we be aiming to be just like Jesus? Should we not submit to God as Jesus did, and instead of calling down angels to defend us, heal us, or protect us, instead we simply say to God that we are prepared to accept whatever He would have for us? Your will be done oh God, on earth as it is in heaven. Just give me the strength to endure and the boldness to claim my God until my very last breath leaves my body. That’s a tall and very challenging order dear friends, but God’s will might be for us to enjoy blessing after blessing, while at times also facing challenges that may compare to that of Jesus. I don’t believe that obedience to God comes with multiple choices on what He is allowed to do in our lives. Just as we said in our marriage vows, we should also say to God – for better or for worse, in sickness or in health….. He has promised never to leave us alone my friend and that He would be with us until the very end. So why worry?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God has a purpose for each of us, so may we all say: ‘Not my will, but Thine be done, precious Lord’.

PRAYER: In the good times when all is going well, it is easy and very desirable for us to thank You Lord for Your goodness, mercy and love towards us. Today we are reminded that if we have given You full control of our lives, then we may often glory in the cross of Jesus Christ, while at other times we may bear that cross that suspended You at Calvary. Please give us endurance to be committed fully to You right to the very end – in the good times and in the very challenging times. Knowing that You are by our side and guiding our every step will be glory for us. May we never turn back or disown You for as long as You give us breath here on earth. AMEN!

Listen To the Warnings

On 2021-03-302021-03-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Warning, Warning Signs, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-03-20
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 24:27; 30-31
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁷For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man^[e] comes…..
³⁰And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.^[h] ³¹And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world^[i]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

OBSERVATION: I recall a bad storm that hit western Florida and the press was badly criticized for not giving fair warning to residents. What would the residents have done differently? Some may have done a little more to protect their homes from the violent waves that battered them. But some may have done nothing until they saw proof of a bad storm approaching. As we meditate on the Scripture today, perhaps we will analyze how the above example displays our actions each weekend as we hear the warnings of Christ’s return. God’s chosen, or those who chose God, will be removed from the scene by His angels. Will you be included in that number?

APPLICATION: In a bad lightening storm, many are terrified because of stories they may have heard about death, or very serious injuries that folk may have sustained from lightening strikes. However, you can also appreciate that you can look into the skies and see lightening flashing hundreds of miles away. I believe that Jesus used this example to help us understand that it will be no secret that Jesus is returning to take His church home to glory. In this same chapter, we are also told that our people will be partying and having a ball, just as in the days of Noah. Today, it is very easy to listen to the news reports of large parties where police find it almost impossible to disburse the crowd and retain peace for communities. So could the return of Jesus really happen any day now? The Word declares that there will be ‘deep mourning’, and some versions say ‘people will weep’. Friends, for the child of God, I believe that we will be rejoicing with the angels that our Savior has come and to rescue us to a peaceful, happy home where we may worship God endlessly and without interference, or any type of hindrance. No more sorrow, no more loss of loved ones, but peace and contentment for evermore around the throne of God! But wait a minute, what about those who were unconcerned about the Lord and found many excuses not to give up the world and accept Jesus as Lord? Unfortunately their eternal outcome has also been decided by them, for they have chosen to give Satan control of their lives here on earth and throughout eternity. Will things get worse for them? Unfortunately I believe that the Word is true for them also, for it tells of a place of torment; of fire and brimstone; of anguish worse than anything ever experienced before. Friends, there are stark contrasts between day and night, and so is the case between heaven and hell. Does one choose to go to Hell? Yes they do – whenever they reject the invitation of Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their life, they have just responded positively to Satan and to joining him in Hell when life here on earth is over. The good news about all of this is that at this very moment, you know without a doubt where you will spend eternity, for the Bible tells you so. I pray that there will not be one reader who has not made a deliberate decision to accept Jesus as Lord. I look forward to knowing each of you personally as we glorify Jesus and His father personally around the throne. Please don’t disappoint me. If there is any doubt in your mind, please read my ‘Footnote’ carefully and allow God to convince you through His Word.

PRAYER: Because You have promised to blast a trumpet ordering Your angels to collect us from earth and join You in heaven, I believe that You are more than fair in extending Your Word out to all parts of the earth, even through the medium of daily blogs that extend worldwide through the World Wide Web. Your message is clear and it touches all mankind. Your children (believers) will be lifted up and will join You in heaven, praise the wonderful name of Jesus my Lord! Saying no to You, is saying yes to Satan, and unfortunately some have chosen to do that. Please touch the hearts of all my readers today so that they may catch a glimpse of heaven and my wonderful, amazing and awesome Savior, and that the choice will be clear and deliberate for them today: Yes to Jesus, and no way to Satan and his burning Hell. Be glorified today dear Lord as your children heed the warnings and accept You as Lord. AMEN!

How Much Are You Worth?

On 2020-05-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Proverbs 22:1
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: A beautiful reputation^[a] is more to be desired than great riches, and to be esteemed by others is more honorable than to own immense investments.^[b]

OBSERVATION: Having a background in banking, I heard about the days when loans were granted based on a handshake – meaning one’s reputation. In my day in the trade, we struggled to have loans repaid properly even if we held most of the assets owned by the borrower. So often we work so hard to enable a better bank account – for a rainy day or to best take care of our family even when regular income diminishes. Today I would ask that you meditate with me as we examine our own value, as God may sees it.

APPLICATION: There is one thing that all the people of the world has in common at this very time, we are all facing the challenges of our income flow that may have been severed for an unknown number of weeks, and in many cases we can’t find items to purchase, even if we have money. During this time, there are inumerable cases where families are working together on projects, playing together for mental and health benefits, and talking more to one another, seeing that we are not distracted by the demands of work. While I realize that when our respective countries reopen, life will eventually return to ‘normal’, I also know that almost everyone in the world has been impacted by the temporary refocusing on the important things in our life. In fact, I am really hoping that the things we learned during this time of shutdown, will remain boldly in our minds, and impact our personal lives for years and years to come. We had time to be reminded of what truly is important in our lives, even when the rest of the world is out of focus, or nonexistent. Solomon was known as the wisest man in the world, and he was always known as a man who listened closely to God. Because this Proverb is found in God’s Word, I believe that He influenced Solomon to write this so that His children for all time would benefit from its truth. This is not outlandish advice, but it is something that we need to be reminded of personally on a regular basis. In fact, I would recommend that we each keep a copy of this verse, in printed form, in a very prominent place to act as a reminder that our decisions, our words, our attitudes and our will for every day belongs to God. As we plan our day, and as we talk business over the phone or in person at the shop, we remember and practice that it’s all about God and not ourselves. Imagine for a moment if we promoted God first and foremost in all that we think, all that we do and all that we say, and as a result we see where our employer or our business is becoming way more profitable and way more popular, would it not cause us to raise our hands in thanksgiving to God for being so gracious to us and to all that we are a part of? Friends, let’s be quick to remember that we can’t out-give God. And while this is often referred to in monetary terms, I want us to use it as a reminder that when we give honor, praise and credit to the One who made it all possible, then we will surely benefit from His ongoing blessings. When we concentrate on riches instead of blessings, we tend to easily cave in to Satan’s sneaky, cheating and conniving ways of overstepping those who bless us and those who need us. Our relationship with God and our daily endeavor to draw closer to Him, will go so much further than we could even consider. Trust God today dear friend and make Him a priority in your life – personally, at home, at work, at your social clubs, at the store and wherever else you may find yourself. I am convinced that He will bless you beyond anything you could imagine when you lift up His name and worship Him in the good, bad and unsure times of your life.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, it is easy to praise You when everything is going well for us and we are succeeding in every aspect of our lives. However, today we are reminded that our success in life is impacted more by our reputation than anything we might own materially. Lord, I believe that our reputation is worthless without You being a vital part of our daily lives. Please help us to be reminded of this on a regular basis, so that we might draw close to You and depend on You in the good times, as well as the most challenging times in life. For a life filled with the love of Your Son Jesus is priceless, and Your teachings are intended to attract our focus on You and all that You established for our good. Glorify Yourself in us dear Lord, and may the works of our hands and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to You oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Please use this devotional to draw men and women to the foot of the cross so that they too may meet the One who laid His life down for us, and who lives in anticipation of us joining You one day soon – in Heaven! 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!

Where Wisdom Comes From

On 2020-03-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Let go and let God, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, WisdomLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-03
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 18:12–13
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: Meanwhile, the official who had gone to fetch Micaiah said to him, “All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same.” But Micaiah answered, “By the living LORD, I will say what my God tells me to!”

OBSERVATION: As we meditate on this Scripture today, let me encourage you to click on the Scripture reference above and read the whole chapter, for you will not only see where Micaiah listened intently to God for his direction, but also we see the same with king Jehoshaphat. The facing challenge for us today is to determine if we are a ‘crowd pleaser’, or a true servant of God seeking to obey Him in every way that He ordains. I believe that way too often we tend to be the former, instead of the latter. Is that pleasing to God?

APPLICATION: Hopefully we will see from our Scripture today that King Ahab had a lot to learn from God’s servants, and I hope that we too will take serious note of these men of integrity. Way too often we respond to people the way that we feel they want to hear, not the way that we feel prompted of God to speak. Notice in verse 6 that King Jehoshaphat did not give the automatic response that King Ahab expected of his friend. Notice in verses 12-13 that Micaiah was known for being the type person who would be obedient to God in spite of what the king or anyone else wanted to hear. This was so common for Micaiah that in vs 7 the king shared that he would just as soon not even have Micaiah come to prophesy for him, because he was known to say unexpected things. Often this strong minded, honest, dedicated type individual would meet with opposition from his peers, as seen in vs 12. But imagine the peace that Micaiah must have felt when he laid his head down at night, knowing that he laid truth on the line and allowed the chips to fall where they may. Imagine the alternative and how ineffective the prophet would have been if he merely spoke the popular word and then saw disaster follow. He could have gone into depression knowing that his faithfulness could have prevented a disaster. Friend, it is way more important to seek God’s face, listen to His voice and obey Him, in spite of possible breaks in friendships, popularity or even lack of promotion. We should strive to be popular in God’s sight, regardless of man’s opinion or desire. Our obedience to God supersedes everything else. So teachers, teach what the Word says, in spite of what might be going on in the lives of your class members. Pastors/Evangelists – preach what God lays on your heart, and especially what the Word declares. Let God speak to His people. He really don’t need you to sugar-coat things for Him. Sometimes saying it the way that it is written is far more effective, and will have more of an impact, than anything we can add to it. Let God be God and speak to, and through us as He speaks from a loving heart to His people!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for speaking so boldly to our hearts today through this Scripture and through the actions of King Jehoshaphat and through your servant, Micaiah. Ashamedly, I must acknowledge that I am often swayed by popular vote rather than always begging Your wisdom and Your direction. Please forgive me, and if there are others who read this devotional and acknowledge a similar trend in their life, please also speak to their heart about this matter today. You are Master over everything here on earth, and only You are wise enough to know what tomorrow brings. So as Your servants, please instill a sense of obedience and dependence on You, so that our decisions will make a difference for You, and remain in line with Your will. From a ‘self’ perspective, we tend to think way too much of self and our own gain. What this world needs now, is more of You and to be led in Your way through every decision and in every walk of life. Oh that Your servants may be the catalyst of seeing Your will revealed in every aspect of life in which we are involved. All for Your honor and Your glory, oh Lord. AMEN!

Our Miraculous God

On 2019-06-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Believe, Know and Believe, Miracles, Miraculous, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-06-12

Bible Reference: Luke 1:18-20
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: ¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, “How do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is too old to give me a child. What sign can you give me to prove this will happen?” ¹⁹Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel. I stand beside God himself. He has sent me to announce to you this good news. ²⁰But now, since you did not believe my words, you will be stricken silent and unable to speak until the day my words have been fulfilled at their appointed time and a child is born to you. That will be your sign!”

OBSERVATION: Way too often we pray for God’s wisdom; His healing; His direction; and His protection, yet when God is on the move we tend to find explanations on why certain activity is occurring, or we may even attribute the turn in events to ‘good luck’. Oh my, where is our faith truly at? Who is our God? I have two similar Biblical characters to consider today that reacted surprisingly to God’s orders/miracles. Let’s examine our own hearts as we look at this.

APPLICATION: In my Old Testament reading today, there was the story of Balaam. He spoke to God about whether he should visit with king Balak. God directed him not to go. However, Balak was persistent and he sent back a different team of messengers to plead with Balaam to change his mind. Although having been given a Word by God, Balaam went before God each time that Balak’s team of men asked. I can’t imagine God changing His mind, neither telling Balaam that He had made a bad call in His first response. But eventually God saw the need to teach Balaam a lesson by letting him go with the messengers. Then I turned to my New Testament study and found this story of Zechariah, who encountered a similar discipline to that received by Balaam. I’m sure it is easy for us to look down our noses at both of these servants of God and in shock wonder how on earth could they possibly respond in the way that they did. But are we truly any different in our response to God and/or His miraculous work? I don’t think so, for I believe we are equally as bad, or perhaps even worse. Now think about this: we have learned from Balaam, we have learned from Zechariah, and I’m sure there are many other similar examples throughout God’s Word, but way too often we place God in a box only as big as our vision and our capacity. How often do we go beyond those borders? I have a very personal experience, I can share with you from my church: our leaders are stretching and testing their faith in trying to solve a challenge of overcrowding. Through faith in our all-powerful and fully capable God, they are led of God to find property to relocate, or expand our ministries to meet the needs of adequately ministering to the people He is sending our way, and will send our way over the foreseeable future. To approach our God for something like this – something that is several times larger than what we have; something that will meet the needs of ongoing ministries way beyond our ability to imagine – this requires a persistent faith that is strong and immovable. Please consider praying with BFC, Sebring, FL about this need. We want to see Jesus lifted up and glorified, even through our humble efforts. We are convinced that God has blessed us with the crowds He has sent our way, even in spite of a community that is largely unchurched. However, we take the Scripture very seriously, and He has encouraged us with the words, that if I am lifted up, I will draw the people unto myself. We are in a continual mode of lifting up the name of Jesus in all that we do. As for you, may I suggest that you stand in awe of who God is, and all that He has done, plus all that He has the power to do again. Try looking beyond things that your natural eyes can see, and try trusting God in the small and in the great things. Try listening to what God wills, and allow Him to stretch your vision and your faith so that you will openly allow His work to be done for His glory alone.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for saving a sinner such as I. It is hard to imagine that a miraculous working God like You, who has the power to do all things, and see all things that are yet to come, yet You loved me enough to use even me in Your mighty work. Lord, my readers and I stand in awe of You. We want to experience your awesome work, and we want to participate in the many blessings that You shower on us each day. Please teach us to pray. Please strengthen our faith to believe and deepen our trust in You for all things. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, so that You may be glorified in all things. Thank You Heavenly Father for loving even us. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Obey God