Where To Turn When In Doubt

On 2024-03-27 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, March 27, 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 New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Isaiah 40:28-31

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: ….The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: In the verses preceding our focal Scripture, Jacob and Israel had showed some doubt about whether God is still watching over them. And that’s not a strange phenomenon, for whenever life is not going like we expect or want, we also tend to feel like God has abandoned us. But Isaiah used this as an opportunity to remind them, and us, that we serve a mighty God, One that has no equal, and He stands in a category all by Himself. Friends, I am convinced that we can only understand and truly appreciate the power of this God who created the universe and each of us, if we truly ‘trust in the Lord’ as stated in the above Scripture. However, I believe it is important for us to remember that this is not a trust that we gain from the relationship that our Christian parents spoke of when they were alive and faithfully trusted in God. It is not a trust that we gain from attending church a few times per year, nor from what we heard our pastor speak of the last time we attended church. Just as faith comes from hearing and believing the Word of God, trust comes from a personal relationship with the Master. A relationship where we read His Word and meditate on it daily; from conversation (prayer) on a regular basis; from trusting in God for even the little things of life; believing in His mighty power and His answer to our prayers; a consistent reminder of His love and His power as He answers our prayers that gives us reason to build a repertoire that we could use as a basis for our trust. We find in this world that ‘trust’ is earned. I believe that based on the Word of God and the many ways that our God has proven Himself worthy, and in the experience of many that we come into contact with, we have a basis for finding our God faithful and trustworthy. So let’s seriously consider accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, if this has not already been done. Then let’s develop a committed relationship with Jesus, and start trusting Him to do what He said He would do. The Bible said that we will find new strength. We will soar high on wings like eagles. We will run and not grow weary. We will walk and not faint! Praise God that He is worthy, He is faithful, He is trustworthy, and He will accept us as His very own! There’s no god like my God, dear friend!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Glorious Jesus and Almighty God, what an awesome and mighty God I serve! Thank You Lord for loving on me, watching over me, healing me, protecting me and guiding me through all the complexities of this life. Your Word became light to me today as You reminded me of these strong qualities that assures me of Your trustworthy character. Lord, through this devotional I am presenting my thoughts to the public, so I pray that You will do Your work in having the right person read these words today and use them to brighten and transform their lives. This world and its leader (Satan) is tough on Your children, and many are stressing out more than ever before. You know how badly they need one more reminder of Your grace Lord, so I ask that You use this simple explanation of Your word through Your prophet Isaiah to encourage them and draw them to Yourself. Have Your own way in my life and the lives of those reading this devotional, for Your glory. 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!

Goals for Teaching and Learning

On 2024-01-12 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, January 12, 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 New Century Version (NCV) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 22:17-19

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Listen carefully to what wise people say; pay attention to what I am teaching you.
It will be good to keep these things in mind so that you are ready to repeat them.
I am teaching them to you now so that you will put your trust in the Lord.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I sure wish that over my years of teaching in Sunday School, Marriage Enrichment classes and elsewhere, I would have had as my goal ‘So that they (my students) might trust in the Lord’. I found these verses today very intriguing, for in verse 18, I believe that students will learn that you’re not just in class for a perfect attendance award, but instead, to listen careful to the wisdom being taught, and to record those words in your heart so that you will have wise words of advice to give to others. When you sit in front of a television and fill your mind with all the unfortunate reporting that fill our evening news channels, or if you sit in a local bar and listen to the anger, frustration and brokenness of families today, your heart may very well be soured by, and disappointed from, everything you hear. But God’s Word is filled with wisdom for every good and perfect desire of a man’s heart. Solomon, the author of Proverbs, is known as the wisest man that ever lived. One can expect to find his words of wisdom filled with useful advice for any child of God seeking to follow the desire of the Holy Spirit who inspired this writer as an integral part of God’s Word. So where then should you spend your spare time? I believe that as your mind is saturated by the Word of God, and you make it a priority to meditate on the Creator of this world, you will have a growing desire to be more like Jesus in everything you say and do. As you seek His face, learn about His commands, desire and direction for your life, I believe you will wind up seeking Him out more and more each day. This will come from your desire to communicate with Him, learn more from his Word every day, and seek out learning opportunities frequently. Teachers of the gospel, please notice the responsibility and commitment these thoughts place on you. Why do you teach? Just to fill a vacant spot at church? Have you set an overall goal you are asking God to help you achieve through your teaching? This Scripture might be yet another reminder that your teaching is more of a God thing than anything you can drum up from your own resources. Your students need more of God, and less of you and your personal desires and wishes. Do you teach every lesson so that your students might be encouraged to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ?

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us again today the importance of opening our ears of understanding and our hungry minds that yearn to grow more like You every day, so that we might always be better representatives of Yours before a lost and dying world. If a natural disaster was approaching, we would be in the highest form of urgency to convince our family, friends, students and all others in our circle of influence, that the need for salvation from material destruction is at hand. Please Lord, teach us that same urgency when it comes to teaching and sharing the urgency to set aside material gain, and instead, see with urgency the need for a Savior who would accept us and forgive us of our sin. Please open our minds to accept the wisdom taught to us by our teachers, pastors and elders. Please gift our leaders with more and more wisdom, and their need to trust in You for all things, while losing sight of the need to please others who need so much more of you. Oh Lord, may Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, on earth and in the hearts of all who will meditate on this devotional today. AMEN!

Reflect On God’s Miracles

On 2024-01-01 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: Monday, January 1, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Kyle, Texas 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 Passion Translation (TPT) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:35

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Then he said to all of them, “When I sent you out empty-handed, did you lack anything?”
“Not a thing,” they answered. “God provided all we needed.”…..

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: During my 47 year career in the workplace, I remember that my employer would reflect on, and try to improve on, what has worked for the company in the past, or what may have worked well for others in the same field in the past, as we look to develop new opportunities. Can you think of any better way of approaching a brand New Year, than to reflect on the ways that God has blessed us in 2023, or even in our lives up to this point? I had a good buddy who told me how diligent he would pray over his misplaced car keys when he was trying so hard to get to work on time. I looked at him puzzled as to why he would bother God with something so trivial, to which he quickly added, that in those times of answered prayer over simple things, he gained reference and confidence in the times he felt more desperate in his prayers. Those simple words and testimony have always stuck with me. But then I read the words in our focal verse today, and saw where Jesus reminded His disciples to also reflect on a time when they probably thought that He had lost all sense of reasoning. For He told them to go out and preach the Word, but don’t take anything with them – no extra sandals, no travel bag and no money. They were reminded that in spite of what they initially thought, they had need of nothing while carrying out God’s instructions. We’ve just come through a year where we may have enjoyed times of celebration, but there may also have been challenging times. I believe that God would have us reflect on whether He was ‘BIG’ enough for us in every circumstance of this past year. For you see, only He knows what this new Year will bring. I believe He is reminding us that the God of the mountain – our victories of 2023, is also the God of the valleys – the One who didn’t leave us in our lows, but delivered us from the pit of despair, and brought us up close and personal to see His wonderful face, to remind us of His precious love for us, and His all-powerful hand that is capable of victory in every circumstance of life. Yes, we don’t know what 2024 holds for us. But for the child of God, we know who holds the future and who can help us overcome every challenge that may be in store for us, and to continue in strength, encouragement and victory with our hand in the hand of the One who rules from heaven on high. Let me encourage you to look at the faith of one elderly missionary who had retired from the field and shared with my men’s group. When he initially felt his call to missions, he was so confident that God would take care of his workers as they go in His name and under His banner, that we sold his home here in the US. Now, here comes this man’s amazing faith – he gave all the profit of this sale to his home church! We were flabbergasted as we thought he had lost his mind. What on earth would he do when he returned home? But he assured us that he never went hungry, nor wanting. As a confirmation of this, I overheard him asking another man of God to join him in helping a needy church in the country where he served on the mission field. And although a retired missionary, on what I can only imagine to be on a very limited income, yet he was chipping in thousands of dollars to help a church on the other side of the world in need. How dare we squabble over paying our tithe to the local church as God instructs us to? Wow, that story of current-day faith has never left my vivid memory. If only I could imagine that kind of faith, what challenges might I fear in 2024? I might say like the disciples responded to Jesus – we lacked nothing while living in absolute faith during our ministry. How is it with you precious friend? Do you know this Jesus of mine? I have tips in my Footnote that will help you know and understand Him better, but don’t approach this year as a loaner – invite God to be a part of it with you. Place you faith and trust in Him and invite Him to be Lord of your life. He is very capable!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Precious Lord, we have seen where You turned water into wine, and You made dry land in the middle of a body of water. You made the lame to walk again and the blind to see, and You brought life back into a man who had already died. Thankfully, we are reminded that You also helped Your ministers to go and share the Gospel while, in total faith, depending on You for everything. Like my friend mentioned above whom You helped in finding his keys, we also have a lot to base our faith on. So as we face the unknowns of 2024, we KNOW that we can face it with a tried and proven God who could lead us through safely; deliver us from all evil; and bring to fruition the gift of eternal life that you designed, prepared and readied for those who surrender their life to You. Lord, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We anxiously await Your return. AMEN!

What or Who Are You Trusting In

On 2022-07-162022-07-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, Trust, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-07-16
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 10:17; 24-25;
TRANSLATION: The Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁷As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running to him and knelt down and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get to heaven?”
²⁴This amazed them. So Jesus said it again: “Dear children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God. ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

APPLICATION: It’s interesting to notice how certain things, and certain lifestyles might be considered acceptable by us and how we may even see open doors for acceptance into heaven. For us, it may not necessarily be riches that we may have placed our faith in, although many consider that as an open door for gaining access to any person. But we may feel like our position in church, or our giving to the church, may gain us access into heaven, as God may seek to reward us for our good works and giving spirit. It could be that our willingness to accept everyone at face value and not judge them for actions that are opposed to our personal beliefs and values in life; or our commitment to avoid cursing; drinking; or doing drugs; that may force us to feel safe and accepted by God. But friends, if it was as easy to enter heaven’s portals as our earthly minds would lead us to think, why do you suppose God saw the need to send His only Son into the world and contend with all the evil and sinful acts that we are well aware of? Why would God have seen the necessity to sorrowfully permit His Son to be beaten, abused, cursed, and hung on a cross, for the redemption of our sin? Are you naïve enough to believe that God went through all of the above to simply offer a suggestion to men who couldn’t find their own way into heaven? The rich young ruler probably had everything he needed to get into every place on earth; mix with everyone, no matter what their position was on earth; associate with the richest of men or the poorest and most unfortunate on earth; but his eyes were opened to the fact that there was nothing in his arsenal of assets that would get him into heaven or live eternally with the King of all kings. Jesus’ instruction to the young man is something that applies to everyone in search of eternity in heaven, or the endless joy and happiness of being in the presence of the Creator for ever and ever: “redirect your trust”. You obviously know that monetary; nor youthfulness; nor earthly leadership; nor even obeying the commandments will get you into heaven. There is only one way, and it is spelled out by Jesus in John 3:16 – ‘Whoever believes in Jesus – will be saved and receive eternal life’. Notice that ‘Whoever’ clears it all up on who qualifies to believe in Jesus: Rich or poor; Young or old; world leader or slave; church leader or new member; living in a palace or a hut; Baptists of Methodists. Friends, I believe you will see from the aforementioned that because God made us all, He also accepts all who will place their trust in Him. No respecter of persons. If you are ready and willing to accept Jesus as Lord today, let me encourage you to view my Footnote and dive in to the Biblical references available when you click ‘To Know Jesus’. Speak with a Bible teaching pastor, or believer today and allow them to lead you, walk with you and encourage you on this new walk of life!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved from their sin, and look forward to eternity in Heaven!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for making salvation available to ALL, and thank You for guiding the rich, young, ruler from our Bible story today into a walk that led to Eternity in heaven. Lord, I pray that this devotional and Bible lesson will catch the attention of many who are yet to be saved. Please soften their hearts and show them Jesus, the One who died and rose again for the salvation of their sin. Convince them of their need for Jesus and give them the strength and boldness to make this important step in their life today. Be glorified because of sinners being saved through Your grace and because of Your sacrifice. 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!

Only God Can Give Inward Peace

On 2022-04-072022-04-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Peace, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-04-07
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 62:5-8
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.
⁶God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and he is the fortress where I feel secure.
⁷God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety.
⁸Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each of your concerns. God is our place of safety.

APPLICATION: David enjoyed a very intimate relationship with His Lord. Based on God’s help in many areas of his life, David grew to call on God for new challenges that came his way, and for situations that were bigger than he thought he could possibly handle, and God gave him inward peace. I believe this is well worth the time for believers in Jesus Christ to be reminded of, and I believe this might help unbelievers to better understand why Christians find such peace in the God that they love, serve and obey. My wife and I have often praised God for His mercies during rough times in our lives, and after feeling the calm and peace brought to us by God, I remember us commenting to each other about what could possibly bring such peace to an unbeliever. Notice how David had drawn so close to His God that he was able to depend on Him more assuredly, knowing that God had proven Himself already in many of the same areas that David was once again facing. How then, can we draw that close to God? First of all, compare the time you spend with God, to the time you spend with your spouse or best friend. Spending quality, personal, time with your spouse draws you closer together. You can recognize the things that make your spouse happy, or sad. Things that would cause them to draw closer to you, or withdraw from you. Now compare that to the total time you estimate spending with the Lord. Then subtract off the time you sat under someone’s teaching or preaching, and take note of the time remaining that you personally spend with the Lord. If you spent only that number of minutes, or hours with your spouse, do you suppose your marriage would last? Friends, our confidence in the power of the Almighty God, comes from the time we spend with Him – reading His Word and committing to obey His commands; praying; praising God; and spending time giving and receiving encouragement to/from other believers. Our dependence on God for everything in life will give us confidence in, and faith to, depend on Him when we are at our lowest. A friend of mine chose to pray for lost keys, or a misplaced wallet, and such. He found peace in knowing that just as God answered those small, simple prayers, he was confident that He could, and would, also answer the more complex worries of life when he called on Him. Notice that David enjoyed an inward peace, a firm and solid Rock on which to stand, and a fortress where he could feel safe from the dangers of the outside world. Because of these things David felt like God saved him, honored him, and supported him when he was weak and helpless. Friends, although David was a man after God’s own heart, I am convinced that we are just as loved, cared for and surrounded by the strong arms of God in every walk of our lives, IF we seek Him, accept Him, and allow Him to rule over us. SPECIAL NOTE: God is not a puppet that you can pull from your pocket when you’re in trouble. He created us in His image, and desires relationship with us, so that He could save, love, protect, guide and provide for us until we unite with Him around the throne for eternity.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Oh what a Savior! God cares for us in ways we could only imagine. In making an effort to mirror His ways, we too must learn to love others, just as God loves us!

PRAYER: Lord we praise You for loving us and taking such good care of us. It was encouraging to be reminded of the solid foundation David had in You and how he celebrated Your goodness to him. At the foot of the cross, we are all equal. So I am confident that as my readers, listeners and I place our faith, trust and emotions into accepting You, loving You, trusting You and obeying Your commands, You will also answer our prayer for help in life’s circumstances. Thank You Lord for the inward peace this brings to us – Your children. Please touch the hearts and lives of the unsaved today. Draw them to You Lord. Soften their hardened hearts so that they will realize their need for You. AMEN!

Because Of Your Faith

On 2022-02-092022-11-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-02-09
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 9:2; 22; 29;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
²²Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
²⁹Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

APPLICATION: One might ask ‘but what is faith?’ There was a tight-rope acrobat who chose to show his skill by walking a tight-rope across the Niagara Falls. He did so well in his first trip across, that he asked how many in the audience felt like he could make the trip back across with a wheelbarrow. Many had seen the skills of this acrobat before, so they were convinced that he could succeed in making the return walk across with the wheelbarrow. But when asked by the acrobat which of his fans would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, he could find no volunteers. Their faith in the acrobat was limited to his stunts that did not involve them personally in the stunt!! Is that how you tend to be with the abilities of Almighty God? You are faithful in reading His Word, and you are good at selling His abilities to others, but you just can’t strum up the faith to present yourself before Him for healing, power or renewed strength. After reading for the third time in our chapter today the words of Jesus ‘because of your faith’, I felt compelled to share with you that perhaps one of the greatest needs you and I might have, is to grow our faith in the Creator of this Universe; The Savior of the World; The King of all kings; The Lord of all lords; Our Master and our Lord. For it is through faith that we can look forward to all eternity in glory with the Father and the Son! But while here on earth, we must also have the boldness and faith to approach the throne of God for all things. In fact, let’s stop and consider what ‘F A I T H’ is, and how we might increase our faith. I believe that a simple, non-theological, explanation of faith might be: When you are confident deep inside that God has the power and ability to do something, even though you are powerless to do it yourself, and you know of no one else here on earth who could do it. Then it becomes incumbent upon us to trust that faith and believe in the One in whom we have faith in. Now, here’s how I might suggest that you increase that faith. I had a dear friend who shared with me that he chose to use his faith on what we might consider ‘the little things’ of life. In other words, when we come across things that we have no ability to remember, or to do, then ask the God who can do ALL things, for His help. In this way, you will gain confidence/faith to approach the throne when the ‘BIG’ things come your way, for you have a personal reference point to fall back on. God, I saw how you handled the little things, now I need you for this huge challenge that seems totally impossible to me. Remember, nothing is too BIG for our God. He created this beautiful world we live in from the void of nothing-ness. He created man from dust. Won’t He most certainly be able to heal our brokenness from disease and injury? In our story today Jesus said it for our assurance – ‘because of your faith….’ Show Him your faith, and I believe He will show you His power!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our God not only knows our very thoughts, but He knows our needs. He is the one true God who created us, so let our faith in Him remain strong, so that His miracles may impact our lives. Let’s ask in faith, believing and knowing that He can do ALL things.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your willingness to meet the needs of those in our Scripture today and giving us extra assurance that we serve such a mighty God. Please help us to get over self and all that we think we could do. Teach us to deepen our faith and our relationship with You, so that You may show us Your power that is available to us. In our day there seems to be complexities that arise that stump world medical teams. We serve the awesome Creator of this universe and all mankind, so of course You know how to repair these bodies that You have created. Teach us Lord to turn to Jesus for our every need, having faith to believe that He could make all the difference in the world. What an awesome God we serve! Thank You Jesus! AMEN!

Always Trust In The Lord Our God

On 2021-09-022021-09-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Thursday, 2021-09-02

Bible Reference: Psalm 56:9-11
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: …This one thing I know: God is on my side!
¹⁰I trust in the Lord. And I praise him!
I trust in the Word of God. And I praise him!
¹¹What harm could man do to me?
With God on my side I will not be afraid of what comes.
My heart overflows with praise to God and for his promises.
I will always trust in him.

APPLICATION: So often we face challenges that we would rather happen to anyone else but us, because often trial and struggles will come our way and impacted us in life altering ways. No one in Louisiana was expecting such a powerful hurricane, after just being impacted a year ago by Laura. So could you even imagine the residents raising their hands in praise and thanksgiving to our Lord? I have family and friends who have been battling Covid. Some have lost a spouse, a coworker, a great friend, etc, but I can’t even imagine them standing in praise to the Master? Perhaps you know of friends who have suffered loss of jobs, or perhaps going through a divorce, or some other life-changing event. What would you do or say if they asked you to join them in praise to our King? Wouldn’t that amaze you? I believe that God wants to remind us today that regardless of our circumstances, He’s still God! I believe that He wants us to know that whether we are celebrating a mountain top experience, or whether we are going through the deepest ‘waters’ of our lives, He’s still God. We tend to fret and moan over the loss of material gain, but dear friends, let us always be reminded that the One who gives life; the One who guides us through every circumstance of life; the One who comforts us like no other, Our God – Our One and Only God – He’s still our very best friend; He’s still our Deliverer; He still loves us in spite of our failures or circumstances. Let us always remember that God loves us so much that He orchestrated the crucifixion of His Son so that we won’t have to face Hell and the grave because of our sin. So He knows what it’s like to see loved one perish or suffer. Most of all my friends, Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, where we will dwell eternally with Him in glory! That’s our God my friend! We have nothing to fear or fret about. Just know that He cares for us and He is waiting for us to join Him around the throne when this challenging life here on earth is over! Yes, He’s still God – He is our loving and eternal God! Let’s learn to praise Him today in spite of our circumstances!

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all thy hands have made! It’s all Yours Lord. Thank You for allowing us to occupy a small part of this old earth. Thank You for surrounding us with family and friends who love us. Please dear Lord, take hold of our hearts today and remind us that we are enjoying temporary quarters here on earth, so until we unite with You, many things will come our way that tend to dissapoint and perhaps even sadden us, but we have a hope! We have a promise! We have a Savior that awaits our departure from this earth, so that we could live eternally with Him. Oh Lord, I stand in awe of You and patiently await Your return! Please speak to those who might meditate on this blog and struggle with the things of this world. Only what’s done for Jesus will last! May we be found busy about Your work oh Lord, until You take us home to be with You! 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!

Made Right With God Through Faith

On 2021-08-292021-08-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faithful, Faithfulness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-29
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Hebrews 11:6-7
TRANSLATION: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.
⁷Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.

OBSERVATION: Can you imagine the mockery that Noah experienced during construction of the ark? Even more so when he boarded animals of all sorts, and his family, on the ark while it was high and dry in the middle of the land? Yet his faith remained strong! God still directs His people today, and we must have faith to trust Him as He sets our agenda, taking into consideration all that’s ahead for us. How’s your faith? Will you trust Him today, even if you’re mocked by others?

APPLICATION: In this chapter of Hebrews we see where faith in God brought new life, new concepts and new miracles to all who believed in Him. In the example shown in verse 7, Noah had faith to believe God that He would send something to the earth for the very first time – ‘rain’. In fact he went further by believing that God would send so much rain that the whole earth would be flooded, so he set out to build a boat that would protect the lives of he, his family, and all types of animals. There are many that God has sent us to minister to, but they be challenge us by saying that we must be nuts to believe that Jesus died, and actually arose from the dead. While others may actually want us to pray when their loved one is sick or possibly dying. The faith expressed in each case may vary widely, yet you are expected to stand firm in your faith, while God works on those you meet. Faith – what is it to some folk? They will say they have no faith in God, because they can’t see Him. Yet they fill their gas tanks in their cars, and although they never see the gas or the tank, some gauge inside tells them how much is in their tank, and they have faith to believe that! Friends, God proves Himself to us in many ways, and for those who will trust Him, because they have faith in His existence; His promises; and His all powerful hand; we all can look forward to all that He has in store each and every day. Faith means that we are to believe in the God who has everything planned out for us, and although we cannot see these things, we are to believe that God is working all things out for our good. As we place our faith and trust in the One who loved us enough to sacrifice His life for us, and as we place our faith in the One who promised to never leave us alone, and faith in the One who promised that He has prepared a place for us, so that we may rule and reign with Him while worshiping our blessed Lord, then we will know that each day will be filled with anticipation of all that God has in store for us, to bless us, to love on us, and to provide encouragement for us to continue living for Him until He returns to take us home! God has so much in store for His precious children! Through faith we can rest assured in knowing that we are in good and faithful hands! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Although limited by natural sight, we must rest confidently in our faith, knowing that God has everything under His perfect control!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we have no reason to doubt Your love for, and Your almighty power towards, Your children. Knowing that You can do ALL things, just as you have already proven to us, gives us faith to place our full trust in You. Please strengthen is when there is unbelief and doubt. Please touch the lives of those that have chosen to ignore the mighty works of our King. Lord, I’m sure that each day will bring its challenges and that we will need you more each and every day Please help us to stay strong in our faith, and to always stay connected to You in everything. You are our awesome God – One that we can place full faith, trust and deliverance in. AMEN!

Our God Will …

On 2021-08-282021-08-28 By Ed AlgreenIn God Can Do It Again, God Cares For Us, God's WillLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-08-28

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:5-10
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Scripture

Bible Text: Trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. ⁶In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
^7-8Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.
^9-10Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.

APPLICATION: Like me, I would imagine that, throughout your day there are times when you are overwhelmed as to how you will ever accomplish everything on your agenda, and that you wish you knew what might be happening in the coming days, weeks and years, so that you could make good choices today. Friends, I believe that God has placed the answer to this dilemma right at our fingertips – in these verses today. For I believe that you will see clearly that although we may not have all of the answers, there is a God who does – praise His name for ever and ever! As you read the first two verses of our Scripture today, let me remind you of Moses, God’s messenger and leader who had millions of people following him. Because He trusted completely in God, when he brought all these folk to the edge of the Jordan River, his ulcers didn’t explode from the stress of what to do next, for he was convinced that if God brought him to this crossroad, then obviously God would see him through, or across the river. These verses declare that when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He will direct us into right paths and make our journey, or actions successful. Notice that this is not something we need to understand how or when success or answers will come, we are to just trust God and He will… Notice in verses 7-10, there are certain expectation from us, such as:
* Trust and reverence God;
* Turn our backs on evil – of course the positive equivalent to this is to obey God’s commands;
* Honor God by giving Him the first of our income;
Just remember that God is all powerful and He could bless our health and give us vitality without us feeling like we had anything to do with the formula, but by demanding that we participate in the above simple actions, we learn that God’s goodness is for those who have an interest – those who want it. Similarly with our finances – God could very easily bestow great riches on everyone, but don’t you know that we always abuse anything that is given to us without us have some ‘skin’ in the game? When we give the first of our income, we are not only showing obedience to God, but we are acknowledging that there is nothing more important in our life. It also helps us to recognize that because we are blessed by God to be able to work and provide for our family, the least we could do is give back to Him unconditionally from our financial earnings. In true form to the goodness of our God, He foreknew the temptation of money, so He still threw in a blessing for those that obey this commandment to give. I believe that God’s Word is clear that we will be blessed financially in proportion to what we give. Are you ‘blessed’ financially? Check your giving, perhaps it needs adjusting!

PRAYER: Lord God, You have proven Yourself to us in so many ways, yet we often feel like we could handle this thing called ‘life’ all by ourselves. Please forgive us for our littleness Lord. You are Creator; Master; Lord and the Savior of this world. Thank You for giving us clear instruction of what is expected of us to receive optimal results from You. Please touch our stubborn hearts today and convince us of the need for obedience and faithfulness to You. Lord, we want to benefit from all the great things You have promised to us, but more than that, we are anxious to one day be with You in glory, where we could worship You endlessly. Bless us this day with Your grace and your mercy. Please lead us into total obedience to Your Word, for I ask these things in the gracious and loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

With All Confidence, Trust Jesus

On 2021-08-162021-08-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-08-16
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 14:13-15
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ ¹⁵He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”

APPLICATION: The disciples on the lake late one night in boisterous waters gained confidence in the Lord when they saw Him walking on water, and then He calmed the rough waters. They knew His power, because they watched as many miracles were performed in their presence. But seeing first-hand what He was capable of, and how He saved their lives, they grew to be way more confident in His almighty, awesome, power. Jairus had a similar experience when He leaped outside of his Jewish faith and asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter. By the time Jesus arrived at the home of Jairus the child had ‘died’, at least in the eyes of the family and friends present. But Jairus watched as Jesus took his daughter by the hand and helped her to a position of the living! His faith in the miracle-working Jesus jumped to a whole new level that day, for his child who once was dead, stood before him in perfect health! Jairus knew that it was only Jesus, who could raise the dead. In our story today we are reminded of the awesome power of Jesus Christ. For only He could tell His disciples what to expect in actions and words, and with such precision. Can you imagine their expressions as they saw everything coming to pass just as He said? But for us, dear friends, we have a lot of proof available to us in the Word of God, that this same God we serve, is the same One who spoke this world into existence. The same God who created you and I. The same God who told us in His Word that that ‘if we humble ourselves, seek His face, and pray, then He would heal our land and forgive our sins’. With the confidence that this message brings us today, is there anything too big for our God? Can Covid stump Him or challenge Him beyond His ability to heal us, and our land? Many of our loved ones are struggling today, and that may also include many of my readers and listeners. Please go out in faith today, knowing that there is nothing too big for our God. Nothing is impossible for Him. But let me be quick to remind you also, that God told us in His Word, that He has not promised us tomorrow. Be ready for His return and/or your in-person meeting with Him today, for it’s up to God alone when He decides to call you home. It may not be Covid, and it may not be any known health issue you are dealing with, our God holds the key to your life. Be ready to meet Him today. Tomorrow will take care of itself, if you’re around to enjoy it here on earth. If not here, then there is no greater joy than being in the presence of Jesus!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our God sees and knows all things. I must trust Him with all my heart, soul and mind, God being my helper!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You know what we need and when we need it. This word was so encouraging today, because everywhere we look, it seems like everything is out of control and meeting with disaster after disaster. But praise be to God, You have reminded us in Your Word that You know exactly what’s ahead, and what’s around the corner. I have no doubt that You knew about Covid long before it ever surfaced to humans, and I know without a doubt that regardless of man’s attempts to find good medical solutions to save us, You are still the same miracle working God who created us, and You have made Yourself available to u,s even today. Lord, may Your will be doing and may Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Trust