Tag: Reputation

How Much Are You Worth?

On 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!

Faith That Leads to Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Humility, Obedience, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – John 4:47-50): 47 ..when the man heard that Jesus had come from Judea, he went and begged him to keep his son from dying. 48 Jesus told the official, “You won’t have faith unless you see miracles and wonders!” 49 The man replied, “Lord, please come before my son dies!” 50 Jesus then said, “Your son will live. Go on home to him.” The man believed Jesus and started back home.

THOUGHTS: There are several things about this story that caught my attention:

  • Reputation: Notice that the official had heard about Jesus and His mighty works in the past, otherwise why would it have mattered if he heard that Jesus was coming to his town? People are burdened with needs today. Have they heard enough about Jesus and His mighty works in our churches and our families that they would become as determined as the official to take their concerns to Jesus? Is this our first stop – to take our deepest needs and concerns to Jesus?
  • Need: The official recognized a need that existed in his family, and he wanted to have it resolved. I believe that when we glorify God for all the good that He does every day, then we will automatically turn to Him in our needs also. Furthermore, I believe it is vital that we redirect our attention from the small selfish things and concentrate on the needs of others – especially our family members. Jesus, our role model, was always more concerned about others than of Himself;
  • Our view of Miracles: The official had predetermined ideas of what Jesus could, or could not do. Jesus chose to change His previous history of ‘hands on’ miracles, to merely heal the official’s son based on the faith of the father who asked and believed. That tells me that we must simply share our concerns with the Lord and not try to tell Him how, or when, to do His mighty works. God declares in His Word that His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. He is the potter, and we are merely the clay subject to His molding every day. In His molding process, He can fix broken or marred pieces along the way;
  • Faith and Obedience: Notice that the official didn’t turn away angry because Jesus didn’t do what he asked him to do. He had faith to believe in God and obediently follow His instructions. Will we just as easily turn aside and head back home with just a ‘go back home’ from the Lord? Where is your faith, friend? In this case, the obedience of the official resulted in extreme faith by he and his whole family, for in verse 53 we are told that they all placed their faith and trust in Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your Word is filled with proof that You are the great Physician; Healer and Miracle Worker. Yet You are also our Creator; our Savior and our Lord. Thank You for reminding us of being obedient to You even when You don’t respond exactly as we expect or may even demand. Thank You for the example of this official, for we are reminded that we are to be the obedient followers and not the demanding children trying to tell the Almighty God what to do or how to do it. This official simply followed Your command and great things happened. Lord, may we too be obedient servants, and simply let You be God. You know our needs and concerns today. Please have Your will and way in each of these and in growing us to be more like You every day, so that others may see, and believe in You. For I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!