The Voice of Triumph!

Scripture:

Psalm 47:1 "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"

Observation:

The Psalmist tells us to clap our hands and to shout to God with the voice of triumph. God is not afraid of a little volume! He asks us to clap our hands and shout to Him with "the voice of triumph". There is a sound to triumph. There is a sound of victory that is very real and the author tells us to shout to God with that victory voice.

Application:

Last night I was coaching a wrestling team and periodically, when a tight match was turned around or a defeat was turned into a victory, there was a sound that went through the gymnasium. God is not nervous and He enjoys hearing the sound of victory coming from His people. He wants us to verbalize our excitement about what He has done for us. We must give Him a shout of praise and victory. He loves seeing His children win.

Prayer:

Father, let Your people walk in victory and let the sound of their praise be like the sound of a gymnasium when a victory takes place. You have defeated the devil, death, hell and the grave! Help me to act like it and let my voice declare the sound of victory at all times.

Yours,
Jeff

The Source of Hope

Scripture:

Psalm 42:11 "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God."

Observation:

The author of this Psalm apparently had experienced being down, discouraged, and full of anxiety. He said his soul was "disquieted" within him. This would mean there was no peace in his life at that point. He realizes the depressed state he was in and reminded himself to place his hope in God. He realized that in God there is hope and that God is the source of hope. He also understood that this was a temporary thing he was going through because he said, "yet shall I praise Him".

Application:

When Satan tried his best to get us down and discouraged, we need to put our hope in God, who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or imagine. We must be a people who don't allow discouragement to get a root in our lives. When we feel it coming, we must hope in God. He is able to deliver from every situation. He is our strength and source of hope.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and your love is everlasting. Thank you for adopting me into Your family. You are the source of my strength and the joy in my heart. You keep me from destruction and cause me to triumph. You are amazing! I put my hope in You this morning.

Yours,
Jeff

National Blessing

Scripture:

Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance".

Observation:

The Psalmist makes a declaration here about the nation whose God is the Lord. He says that nation is blessed and the people are chosen as His own inheritance. The blessing of God can come upon a nation that places their trust in Him and when it does, that nation is blessed! The United States once was blessed in that way. It's God was the Lord. It's founders trusted God and the nation was blessed with an amazing history. It became a superpower in a relatively short time. The problem is that our nation has turned away from God and written Him out of their history books.

Application:

America must turn back to God. We need a third great awakening. We need to turn back to the God of our fathers and get under God's blessing once again. We experienced God's undeniable blessing for many years, now we no longer place our trust in Him. The blessing of God has left our nation and the only way to get it back is to turn to Him as a nation.

Prayer:

Lord, let America turn back to You. Let the hearts of men be pierced with the truth of Your word. Let transformation come to our nation. We have seen the day of Your blessing, now we are no longer under the hand of blessing. Forgive us oh Lord for turning away from You.

Yours,
Jeff

Joy Comes in the Morning

Scripture:

Psalm 30:5 "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning".

Observation:

This Scripture lets me know that there are times of weeping in our lives, but morning is as faithful as it gets and joy will come again. There are phases we walk through where we don't feel the joy and we may even feel distanced from God, but weeping only lasts for a period of time, then joy returns. I hear the author saying that joy will come again if we just hold onto God. Weeping is not a permanent situation.

Application:

Sometimes during the hard times, it's hard to think that we will ever smile a real smile again. Many people get caught in the trap of the enemy that says life is terrible and it will never get any better. Life may not always deal us the best hand, but when we are faithful to God, joy will come again. We are never doomed to a life of despair and trouble. Joy will return if we hold on through the storm.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for reminding me this morning that joy always comes in the morning. As faithful as the sun rising in the east, so joy will return to those who serve You. Thank You for reminding me that there are seasons of life that are happier than others, but joy always comes again. We are never defeated in You. You are my rock and my fortress! You are amazing!

Yours Completely,

Jeff

Examine Me

Scripture:

Psalm 26:2 "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart".

Observation:

In this Psalm, David asks the Lord to examine him, prove him and to try his mind and heart. WOW! He is asking the King of Righteousness to examine him thoroughly all the way down to his heart and motives. David knew in his heart that he was living a life pleasing to the Lord. When there is nothing hidden and you know you have a pure heart, you don't resist inspection, you encourage it.

Application:

God wants us to live lives that are pure. In purity is power! When we ask the Holy Spirit to examine our lives, we may not like what we see. This process is extremely necessary. This desire David had should be the heart's desire of every Christian. We should constantly be asking God to examine us, prove us and try us. We should desire to be more like Christ every day and our lives should be growing closer and closer to the full image of Christ. In this way, we will begin to look more like Him every day.

Prayer:

Father, You are awesome! I love you with all my heart. You have been so good to me. Open up my heart and examine me this morning. Search me O God and show me the areas of my life that need to change. I want to be an excellent representation of You and Your kingdom. Help me to represent You well.

Yours,

Jeff

Who is this King of Glory?

Scripture:

Psalm 24:8 "Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle."

Observation:

This is a Psalm of David the great king of Israel. His description of the Lord is fantastic. This entire Psalm is talking about the awesomeness and majesty of God Almighty. David's view of the Lord is that the Lord is strong and mighty. He sees the Lord as able to defeat any enemy. He sees the Lord as a victorious warrior.

Application:

Our view of things in life determines our outcome. If you believe bad is going to happen, it probably will. If you believe God is small or unconcerned about your life, that how his response will be. God wants His children to see Him like David saw Him. He wants us to be people who declare how strong and mighty He is. There is no enemy that can overpower Him. There is no situation He cannot rescue. There is no problem He cannot fix. He is the Lord strong and mighty.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see you like David did, as the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Help me to view You as my father, yet as the one who cannot lose. I want to see You as the mighty God and declare how mighty You are to the nations of the world. You are amazing. Help me to walk in the understanding of who You are and how powerful You truly are. I want to walk by faith in the un-defeatable God.

Jeff

A Pure Heart

Scripture:

Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer".

Observation:

In this passage I see David's heart of wanting to please the Lord in every area of his life. He asks the Lord to let all his words and thoughts to be acceptable to the Lord. This is a pure heart and a heart that the Lord blesses. David didn't live a perfect life. He made many mistakes including some huge ones, but his heart was continually wanting to please the Lord. He asks the Lord , then declares that the Lord is his strength and redeemer.

Application:

We must all have a strong desire to please the Lord with our lives. We should have a heart like David that desires a clean and pure heart, motives, words and actions before the Lord. David saw his sin as sin against God and therefore cried out to the Lord to keep his heart pure. One of the secrets of keeping yourself pure is found in the second part of the verse, "O Lord, my strength and my redeemer". It is God who gives us the strength to please Him. As we focus on bringing Him praise and honor, our thoughts and actions will please Him.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to keep my heart on You today. Help me to stay in tune with You throughout the day. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. You are my strength and my redeemer. You are my life!

Yours,

Jeff

The Words of the Lord

Scripture:

Psalm 12:6 "The words of the Lord are pure words. Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times".

Observation:

David is describing the words of the Lord and he says they are "pure words". They have no impurity. They are not tarnished. His words are perfect. He says they are like silver tried in a furnace of earth seven times. He is basically saying that the words of the Lord are as pure as you can get and pure is extremely valuable.

Application:

If the words of the Lord are pure and precious like silver refined seven times, we do we not treat it with more respect and apply it to our lives more often? If we say we believe that God's words are pure like silver refined seven times, who don't we read it more? Why don't we study it often? We must begin to value the words of the Lord as the Psalmist David did. We must apply them to our lives, then great growth will come.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for your word. It is true and does not lie nor fail. Help me to respect and honor Your word more. Help me to discipline my life more and be able to spend more time in your word and with You.

Yours,

Jeff

Wise Advice for the Angry

Scripture:

Psalm 4:4 "Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent".

Observation:

David is reminding himself how to deal wisely with anger. Apparently, people were ruining David's reputation and telling all sorts of lies about him. He must have felt anger welling up in himself and made the decision not to be controlled by anger, but to think about it and make a wise decision.

Application:

When people get angry, they tend to lose control. One of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. God wants His children to control anger and not allow anger to control them. He wants us to be mastered by nothing but the master. One way to control anger and not let it control you is to "think about it overnight and remain silent". The more we think about it, the less angry we remain and we don't make choices in our anger that we will regret later.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your word. It is life to me every day. Help me to remain silent and sleep on things that get me angry instead of acting in a way that I will later regret. I want to walk in the fruit of self-control / Spirit control. Help me to be a witness for You today. I want to see souls saved every day in my life. Help me to be bold in my witness.

Yours,

Jeff

Trees Along the Riverbank

Scripture:

Psalm 1:2-3 "they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do".

Observation:

The Psalmist speaks here of those who delight in God's word and meditate on it day and night. He describes them as trees planted along the riverbank who bear fruit each season. He says these people never wither and that they prosper in everything they do. I see here the absolute power of God's word to change our lives. It will make us stable, fruitful and prosperous when we meditate on it day and night.

Application:

This Daily Wash has been the best thing in my life spiritually in decades. It has brought a fresh awareness of how God speaks through His word. I need to be stronger in this discipline and never let a day go by that I don't do it. God is truly speaking and His word is powerful, we must read it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to grow stronger in Your word. Meditation is not really much a part of our culture, but teach me to meditate on Your word. Help me to memorize scripture and commit it to heart so that what flows out of my life is the word of God. I want to be fruitful above all else in Your kingdom.

Yours,

Jeff

Devote Yourselves to Prayer

Scripture:

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart".

Observation:

Paul is speaking to the Colossians and as he is beginning to close his letter to them, he throws in this simple phrase. He tells them that they must be devoted to prayer as their first priority and to do it with an alert mind and a thankful heart. He says that as we pray we should keep an alert mind. We must meditate on God and His word as well as walk in thanksgiving continually.

Application:

To be devoted to something means that you are going to do it whether you feel like it or not. When we speak of a devoted athlete, they train in good weather and bad, when they feel good and when they don't. We must have the same devotion in our prayer lives, keeping our mind alert and giving thanks. I think Paul throws in keeping the mind alert because sometimes in prayer, our mind tends to drift. We must pray a keep alert so our mind doesn't wander.

Prayer:

Lord, Paul closed this simple phrase with "a thankful heart". Help me to have a thankful heart for all you have done in my life. Thank You for Your many blessings. Thank You for sustaining me all these years and keeping me. You are awesome! May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in my life. Help me keep my mind alert as I pray and read Your word.

Sincerely,

Jeff Jacob

Stop and Consider

Scripture:

Job 37:14 "Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!"

Observation:

Elihu tells Job to pay attention, to stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God. This is great advice. We all need to stop and consider the miracles of God and all He has done for us. After these words, Elihu begins to tell of all the awesome things God has done in nature.

Application:

Stop and consider tells me that sometimes we need to stop everything and contemplate the awesomeness of God. Maybe at times we need to take a drive through the mountains and see His handiwork and simply think about God. We need to take time once in while to just think about the miracles we have seen in our own lives. Miracles are for today and we should see them regularly. Think on them and ponder the goodness of God.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to take the time to stop and consider the miracles of God. Thank You for letting me see the video last night of Your miracles and using it to increase my faith. Help me to stop and think about Your miraculous intervention in my life so many times in the past. You are truly amazing, but help me to renew my mind by thinking about those miracles I have seen in my life.

Yours,
Jeff

All Are Equal in His Sight

Scripture:

Job 34:19 "He doesn't care how great a person may be, and He pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all".

Observation:

Elihu, Job's friend had some good insight into who God is and what He is like. He has a healthy respect for the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. In this passage he brings out the fact that God is no respecter of persons. He does not pay more attention to the rich than the poor because He made them all. God does not give preference to anyone based on their economic level, looks, or other human measuring stick. He made them all.

Application:

It is easy to fall into the trap of respecting one person more than another because of their economic, political, physical, or social distinctions. In God's sight, all are equal. He loves all of His creation. All art doesn't look the same, some paintings are better than others no matter who the artist is. Most paintings are valuable, not based on their own excellence, but on who the painter is. Certain painters, no matter how bad a painting really is, will be purchased at great expense, simply because of the painter, not the painting. It is the same with God. The value of the individual is not shown by their bank account, but by their maker.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to be more like You. Help me not be a respecter of people based on anything except the fact that their maker is valuable, therefore they are valuable. Thank You for showing me this point about You this morning. You are amazing and have made us all!

Your Son and Creation,

Jeff

The Breath of the Almighty

Scripture:

Job 32:8 "But there is a Spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent".

Observation:

Job's friend Elihu is about to tell his version of why Job is going through the problems he is going through. As he starts his comments, he throws out this little saying that is totally true. He lets his friends know that God's Spirit is within people which makes them intelligent.

Application:

Man was made above the animals and is different than every other living thing. Into man alone did God breathe the breath of life. In giving man the breath of life, God gave him an advantage over every other living thing. Man is wise and intelligent because God breathed into him. Man is powerful because we have the breath of the Almighty in us. We were created in the image of God and then God breathed His life into us. God is powerful, if He breathed life into us, then we are powerful. God is intelligent, if He breathed into us, then we are also intelligent. We need to understand this better and we will walk differently.

Prayer:

Father, open the eyes of my understanding to see Your plan for us clearer. I want to fully understand being made in the image of God as well as being filled with Your Spirit. Help me to walk in the reality of being "filled with the Spirit". I want more of You in my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Wisdom

Scripture:

Job 28:17 "Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold".

Observation:

Job declares how important wisdom is. He says it is more valuable that gold or crystal that people dig in the earth and work so hard to find and bring out. He is saying that wisdom is worth whatever it takes to get it. Wisdom makes life so much better and it is worth the work.

Application:

Wisdom is valuable to us in our everyday lives, but wisdom comes from God. He is the creator of everything we know. He is the one who is full of wisdom. In order for me to be full of wisdom, I need to be full of the Holy Spirit. Fill me today with Your Spirit and let me become more like You in wisdom.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be more like You in every way. I want to walk in wisdom and insight from You. I desire a closer walk with You. I want Your nature to become my nature. I want to become more like You every day. Fill me today with Your precious Holy Spirit.

Yours,

Jeff

A Clean Conscience

Scripture:

Job 27:6 "I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live".

Observation:

Job's friends believed that he must have done something wrong in order to have so much terrible stuff happen to him. He lost everything including his children, possessions and even his health and they were trying to figure out why. Though they were examining his life to see if there was a reason for all this bad to come upon him, he maintained his innocence and knew he had a clear conscience.

Application:

When you know you have done nothing wrong, it is a real blessing. Job's closest friends were looking for some reason why all this bad was happening and he was able to look them in the eye, knowing he had done nothing wrong. A clear conscience gives us confidence before God. When you know you have done nothing wrong, you have no feelings of guilt and condemnation, which hold back most believers. Living a life of integrity and a clear conscience is the only way to go.

Prayer:

Lord, I love You and Your Word is a blessing to me. I want to walk like Job who knew he had nothing wrong in his life. Purify me and cleanse me. Show me every area of my life that needs cleared up. I want a clear conscience in every relationship, every act, every thought, and every part of my life. Let me be more like You today.

Your Son,

Jeff

YET

Scripture:

Job 8:21 "He will YET fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing".

Observation:

Job's friend Bildad is trying to comfort him after he has lost everything and is personally being attacked by Satan himself. Speaking of God, Bildad says, "He will YET fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing". I see here the truth that, if we remain in the Lord, no matter what we are going through, joy will come in the morning.

Application:

The application of YET is HOLD ON. Many people give up just before the big breakthrough. Many people come right to the pushing and never bring forth the child. The word of the day today is HOLD ON, YET, God will bring the joy back into your life. He will fill your mouth with laughter again and your lips with rejoicing. We must hold on and be faithful, then we will see our joy return.

Prayer:

Lord God, I worship You and declare Your praise. You are magnificent and beautiful. You are radiant and you care for your children. Forgive me for complaining at times when things don't go like I want them to. You are the one who always brings our joy back and You love to fill the mouths of Your children with laughter. Help me to laugh more.

Yours,

Jeff

Reverence and Integrity

Scripture:

Job 4:6 "Is not you reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?

Observation:

Job's friend Eliphaz makes this statement to Job as he is going through incredibly difficult times. He tells Job that he can have confidence because he has had reverence for God in his life. He goes on to tell him that he can have hope because he had integrity in his ways. He relates reverence to confidence and hope to integrity. In other words he was telling his friend that his character would win against whatever came against him.

Application:

When you are living right, you can expect God's blessings and His promises to come to pass. When you reverence God, you can have confidence that He is with you and will see you through every situation you come up against. When you have integrity, you also have hope because you know that you have done nothing wrong. Living an honest life and honoring God brings confidence that God will take care of you.

Prayer:

Lord, You are incredible! Help me to revere You more each day and to live a life of integrity. I want to walk before you in purity every day. Let my life be a reflection of You and let me look more like my daddy every day.

Your Son,

Jeff

Haman's Friends

Scripture:

Esther 6:13 "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will surely fall before him".

Observation:

Haman had plans to kill Mordecai. He hated Mordecai because Mordecai wouldn't bow down before him. He had built a gallows specifically for Mordecai the night before and now his luck was running out. When the gallows were finished, the king decided to honor Mordecai and made Haman do it. Haman told his friends and they understood what was going on. Apparently they had heard or seen how God works on behalf of His people. They knew that the Jews had a God that would bring about Haman's fall. They prophesied their friend's fall.

Application:

If Haman's friends, who were not Jews, nor followers of God, understood the power of God, how much more should we as God's children understand that when God decides to bless you, every enemy will fall around you. They could see it better than most Christians today. When God decides to bless you, there is no power, decree, or anything else that can stop His blessing. Haman's friends realized that Haman was going to fall simply because he was messing with God's child. We should realize how much God loves us and that He will fight our battles. We are in the hands of a great God who loves us immeasurably.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for showing me how awesome You are. Thanks for reminding me that nothing can stand against the person who is standing for You. You truly are amazing and your enemies should fear You. Let me see as clearly as Haman's friends how much you have my back.

Your Son,

Jeff

Took Her as His Own

Scripture:

Esther 2:7 "When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter."

Observation:

Mordecai was the cousin of Esther. When her parents died, her cousin took her in and provided for her as he would his own daughter. Mordecai demonstrated love and concern for Esther. We don't know how old she was when this happened, but she was a homeless young lady that needed cared for. Mordecai stepped up to the plate and gave her his best. Esther became the woman who is probably the most revered woman in the Bible because someone cared enough to step in and adopt her.

Application:

When we step out to provide care for the broken and hurting, we never know who we are ministering to. As in this story, we may be taking care of the future queen. When we care for others, especially those with needs, we should treat them as royalty. We should take them in as our own and treat them as we would want to be treated. Mordecai invested in a young struggling life and a nation was saved because of it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to treat people as royalty before they get there. Help me to do everything possible to heal the broken and hurting around me. Teach me to reach out and show love to those who have nobody else. You are a father to the fatherless. I want to be like You.

Jeff

No Confidence in the Flesh

Scripture:

Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh".

Observation:

Paul is speaking to the believers in Philippi and he uses a statement that jumped out at me this morning, "no confidence in the flesh". Paul had many personal accomplishments, but his confidence was not in his great accomplishments. His confidence was in Christ and Christ alone.

Application:

Many times today we talk about self-confidence, Paul talked about God-confidence. Without Christ, we are nothing but sinners on our way to hell. When Christ comes on the scene of our lives, everything changes. Our confidence is no longer in ourselves. It is in Him! He is what gives us confidence and not our personal accomplishments. Fleshly confidence brings about pride, God confidence brings about humility and God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. I want to remain humble before Him.

Prayer:

Lord, I want my confidence to be in You and You alone. Help me to trust You more and self less. Help me to train others to receive their confidence, not from themselves, but from God. Help me to train my sons to walk in God-confidence and not self-confidence.

Yours,

Jeff Jacob

Rallying God's People

Scripture:

Nehemiah 4:20 "Therefore, wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us".

Observation:

Nehemiah and his people were working incredibly hard with one hand and fighting with the other. They realized they were getting weak in the battle and the build. Nehemiah gave an instruction that is powerful, "wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us". I see that he understood that when God's people rally together, God fights their enemies.

Application:

Unity is one of the most powerful forces in our universe. Put God in the picture and nothing is impossible. God's people sometimes need a rallying cry to pull them together so God can fight their battles. When there is unity, God commands His blessing! No enemy is too difficult when God's people rally to each other and call out to the Lord. We must learn the art of a rallying cry, unity, and calling on the name of the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be person who rallies people together, brings unity, and defeats enemies. I want to see the body of Christ at it's best, destroying the works of the devil in our region. Teach me how to rally the troops effectively for the advancement of Your Kingdom.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Will Prosper Us

Scripture:

Nehemiah 2:20 "So I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem".

Observation:

I love Nehemiah's response to the enemies of God's people. There is no record of doubt or unbelief. He knew God was going to help them accomplish this thing and that what God started, He was going to perform. He says, "the God of heaven will prosper us". I hear no doubt in that statement, rather, I hear total faith and belief that God was on their side, they were on His agenda and He would see them through. You can't fight against a person with that kind of faith in God.

Application:

The key words to me in this verse are "God will". Many times when we are faced by our enemy, we say things like "God can heal me" or "God can help me". There is a huge difference in the words "God can" and "God will". "God can" is a wonderful statement of belief in the all-powerful God and it is true. "God will" is a faith statement that will move mountains. Most believers know He can do anything, most doubt that He will. I want to be the one who knows that He will work on my behalf.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk by faith and not by sight. I want to be a "God Will" person and not a "God can" person. I want to be on Your agenda, filled with Your power, knowing You will defeat my enemies and that your will prosper us. Help me step into that level of faith.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Did Not Forsake Us

Scripture:

Ezra 9:9 "For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem".

Observation:

God never gives up on His people. Ezra receives incredible favor from the king to go back and rebuild God's temple in Jerusalem. He was in exile because the people of God had done wrong in His sight, yet God gave gave mercy in the sight of the kings of Persia to go back and rebuild His temple and His city. Ezra says it this way, "God did not forsake us in our bondage".

Application:

I love the fact that God doesn't forsake us in our bondage. Though we get ourselves into messes of our own making because we chose to do things that God wouldn't have wanted us to, He still does not forsake us, but orchestrates a way for our deliverance. God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is faithful! God is merciful and full of compassion. He is amazing!

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for Your faithfulness to us even when we don't deserve it. Thank you for bringing us back when we mess up. You are amazing in your love for your people. Help me to be more like You and to demonstrate the same kind of loving kindness to those around me.

Yours,

Jeff

Leadership Challenges

Scripture:

II Chronicles 34:33 "Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers".

Observation:

The beauty of Josiah's leadership is in the fact that he was more concerned about what God thought than with what people thought. As a leader, he set the bar high on following God and doing things His way. He removed every idol and worship of other gods from Judah. This doesn't set well with those who worship those gods, but it does sit well with God and God blessed him for it. As king, he basically ordered the true worship of Jehovah. Everyone had to follow the word of the Lord.

Application:

When Josiah set the bar high, the people rose to the occasion and served the Lord under him until his death. As leaders, the challenge of pleasing people instead of pleasing God is always a hot spot to be watched out for. Josiah did what was right and pleasing to the Lord and expected the same out of his people. We must please God first and let Him deal with the people.

Prayer:

Lord, make me a great leader of Your people. Help me to pursue You above all else, then set the bar high for your people. You are amazing and deserve our fullest dedication and devotion. I want to do things Your way and not just operate from my mind concerning the things of God. Renew my thoughts and transform my life. Help me to see Your perspective on all things and do what You would have me do.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

When God is Silent

Scripture:

II Chronicles 32:31 "God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that is in his heart".

Observation:

Hezekiah was a great king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He fully relied on God in every situation, yet we see here that God at one point, withdrew Himself from Hezekiah. He did this, not to punish him, but to test him and see what was in his heart. Sometimes when God feels far away, it is nothing more than a test to see how we will respond.

Application:

Feeling distant from God is not always a bad thing. Sometimes the heavens feel like brass and it seems no prayers are being answered. In those times, it may simply be a test of God checking all that is in your heart like king Hezekiah. When it seems God isn't there and nothing is going right, it is in those times that you prove your relationship with Him. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit and sometimes He pulls away a little just to check our faithfulness level. Will you do what He wants even when it seems He is distant?

Prayer:

Father, find me faithful. Help me stand strong through the tests, trials, and temptations of life. Let me be found faithfully doing what You have called me to do when things look good and when things looks bad. Teach me to walk in obedience and not be led by my feelings. Help me not be frustrated when it seems You are distant.

You are Awesome! Thanks for the download this morning.

Jeff

Single Heartedness

Scripture:

II Chronicles 30:12 "Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord".

Observation:

God gave the word of the Lord to the king and leaders, then He gave Judah singleness of heart to follow the command. Notice it was God's doing all the way. What God chose to give the people was awesome. Nothing will get a job done like singleness of heart. Singleness of heart means that the people had one heart, to follow what God was saying to the leaders.

Application:

When singleness of heart is reached in any group of people, the results will be amazing. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, singleness of heart is a necessary ingredient. When a group of people has one heart, they can turn the world upside down for God. Unity brings God's commanded blessing. I also see here that it is God who gave them the singleness of heart. They didn't work it up themselves. God gives us all we need to follow Him fully.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be single hearted about the things of God. Help me to keep the main thing the main thing. Teach me to walk in single hearted obedience to You. I want to follow You totally and completely. You are my God and I want to serve You well.

Yours,

Jeff

Preparing Your Ways Before the Lord

Scripture:

II Chronicles 27:6 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God".

Observation:

This scripture has something significant to say. The reason Jotham became mighty was simply because he prepared his ways before the Lord. The "ways" of a person are his basic mode of operation. Your "ways" are "how" you do things. Basically Jotham prepared everything he did and even how he did it before the Lord. He sought God in every decision and therefore became mighty.

Application:

We need to learn from Jotham that being mighty doesn't come through self promotion, it comes from seeking the Lord. Jotham prepared his personality, his way of doing things, his outlook on life, etc. before the Lord and was mighty as a result. What happens to the person who fully commits their "ways" to the Lord? We must become a people who submit every area of our lives to the King, even the way we do things.

Prayer:

Father, it sounds like You are looking for complete surrender and a heart of humility. You are looking for people who die to flesh and self, and live for Your purposes instead of our own. I want to be that person. I want to live a life that is completely surrendered to You. Let my personality, way of doing things, etc. reflect You in a very positive light.

Jeff

Victory Comes When We Rely on God

Scripture:

II Chronicles 13:18 "Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers".

Observation:

Here I see two nations, both having their roots together in serving the Lord. Both have great history of God fighting their battles and destroying their enemies, but now Judah prevailed in battle against Israel "because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers". Victory comes through relying on God and not ourselves. Israel had a bigger and better army, but Judah humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God.

Application:

Victory comes when we fully rely on God in our lives. No matter what the battle looks like, when you are serving the Lord with all your heart, He will deliver from every enemy. The heart of the matter is in our "relying" on Him. Many times we say we rely on Him, but don't even call out to Him when we are going through a difficult situation. He wants us to express our need of Him, then He delights in bringing us the victory. We must stop relying on our selves so much and give ourselves to fully seeking God.

Prayer:

Father, I know that self-reliance is a dangerous place to be. Keep me depending on You. I love spending time with You and begin able to trust You completely and fully. You are my everything and this morning I reaffirm my need of You. I rely on You to defeat my enemies and bring victory to my family and my church.

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

Heart Preparation

Scripture:

II Chronicles 12:14 "And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord".

Observation:

King Rehoboam, the son of the great king Solomon, didn't follow in the ways of his father. He went after other gods and did his own thing. He listened to his peers instead of listening to the wise counsellors of his father. In this piece of scripture, as the author is summing up his life, it throws in this little comment, "he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord".

Application:

Scripture is full of references about the heart. It is a powerful tool in our lives. We are to serve the Lord with all of our heart, but the heart can be led astray easily. This reference says that Rehoboam did evil because he didn't prepare his heart to seek the Lord. Heart preparation can make all the difference. If you don't lead your heart, your heart will lead you! Sometimes people fall in love and their heart tells them how wonderful this person is, when in reality wisdom would say RUN! the heart tells a different story and the person is miserable for life because they followed their heart instead of the wisdom of their elders. We must learn to lead our hearts, then serve the Lord with all our heart.

Prayer:

Lord, let my heart be pure before You. Teach me to prepare my heart to follow you and your voice. Don't let my heart take me where I don't want to go or get me in trouble. This morning I ask You to help me prepare my heart to follow You closely. I love You with all my HEART.

Jeff

When God Gives a Gift

Scripture:

II Chronicles 9:23 "And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart".

Observation:

God gave Solomon great wisdom, like no other person ever. When God gives a gift, it is awesome and others will covet it. Kings from all over the world came to Solomon just to hear his wisdom. He became world reknowned simply because God gave him a gift of wisdom.

Application:

DO the gifts of God in our lives bring that level of astonishment to those around us? When God gives us a gift, it should cause the world to stand in awe of Him. He has given the gifts of the Spirit to the church, maybe we need to use them as He intended and the world would look o the church for wisdom and direction. May our lives be so in tune with God that the world gets jealous of the lives we live as they did with Solomon.

Prayer:

Father, if You gave Solomon such wisdom that the kings of the world came just to hear his wisdom, how much more do You want to display your awesomeness to the world through the church. Help me to represent You well in everything I do. May my life bring You praise and cause others to be jealous of my relationship with You.

Jeff

The Cloud of His Glory

Scripture:

II Chronicles 5:14 "so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God".

Observation:

This scripture has always blessed me. I see here that man's human work of ministry can't even operate when the true glory of the Lord comes. The priests could not even perform their functions because of the cloud of His glory. When human meets the omnipotent God, the human can't even function as they have always done.

Application:

I want the glory of God to come back to the church and the body of Christ. As members of the body of Christ, we are the dwelling place of the Most High God. Let His glory fill us to overflowing until we can do nothing apart from what He wants us to do. In the glory realm, works of the flesh die and works of the Spirit prosper. God should receive glory from our lives in everything we do.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk in Your glory. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit and I want Your glory to fill my life as it did on the day Solomon dedicated the Temple. I want to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. I want Your glory more and more at Word of Life. Come Holy Spirit in all Your glory and power! Help me not to get in your way.
I Love You,
Jeff Jacob

Asking for the Right Thing

Scripture:

II Chronicles 1:11 "Then God said to Solomon, 'Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have asked long life - but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king - wisdom and knowledge are granted to you: and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the the kings have had who were before you, not shall any after you have the like'"

Observation:

Solomon had made a huge sacrifice to the Lord. After the sacrifice, God came to Solomon in a dream and spoke to him saying, "Ask, what shall I give you?" He could have asked for anything, but Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead Israel right. Because he asked for the right thing and wasn't selfish, God made him the richest king in history and honored him like nobody had ever been honored.

Application:

I have to ask myself the question; "what am I asking God for?" Am I praying selfish prayers, or am I asking God to enable me to do what He is calling me to do? AM I asking for the right reasons? God honors a person who is willing to sacrifice for him and who asks for the right things from Him.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to have right motives in prayer at all times. Guide my prayers into asking for the right things. Let me fulfill Your will and not my own. Never let me get out of Your will. Help me follow You more fully and completely every day. I want to lay down my life more each day.

Seek the Lord

Scripture:

I Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore!"

Observation:

David is writing and singing a song of praise when they set the ark in the tabernacle he had prepared for it. He wrote a song for the special occasion. Verse 11 tells us to "seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore". David saw the Lord defeat his enemies, crush armies, do the supernatural. He saw God's work before his very eyes. He realized that his own strength came from the Lord and from seeking the Lord. He knew he couldn't run the country without the Lord.

Application:

I have spent years in self-sufficiency. At this point in my life, I just want more of Him. In my Spirit He is saying "seek Me and you will find me when you seek Me with all your heart". He is pulling me closer and drawing me to Himself. I have realized recently that my strength comes from Him and not my own works. He is my source of everything. I must know Him more.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You more intimately than ever before. I want You to direct my every step. I desire to live a life that represent You well. I want to see the will of heaven enforced on the earth. I want to walk with You destroying the works of the devil and lifting up the name of Jesus. I seek You and your strength this morning.

Your Son,
Jeff

Vibrant Praise

Scripture:

I Chronicles 15:28 "Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps".

Observation:

I love Davidic worship and praise. David wasn't afraid to shout, dance, crank up the music in worship of his God. As the ark was coming back to the place prepared for it, they come with shouting, horns, trumpets,cymbals and stringed instruments. David gave the Lord "emotional" "loud" praise, and apparently God loved it.

Application:

Today most people want their worship to be controlled, not too loud, not too emotional, and definitely don't dance. David was a man after God's own heart and the Lord loved his "wild" praise and worship. We need to learn that praise and worship is not about us feeling good, but making God feel good. It's not about us doing it the way that is comfortable to us, but about us making Him feel comfortable. Heaven is going to be a noisy place. Let's practice by making our praise vibrant and uninhibited.

Prayer:

Lord, let my worship be true. Let me bless Your name with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I want my worship to come from my whole heart and everything I am. Teach me to praise the way You want to be praised and not the way that makes me feel good. Let my praise grow stronger and stronger because You are Lord!

Sincerely,

Jeff

Like the Army of God

Scripture:

I Chronicles 12:22 "For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God".

Observation:

Many times in the Old Testament we hear references to "the commander of the Lord's army" or some reference to the army of God that doesn't appear to be a physical army. I believe God's got an army in heaven that can defeat any army of the earth. In this verse David's army was great "like the army of God". I have never seen God's army physically, but I know He has a magnificent army.

Application:

The spiritual life is a battle sometimes. At times we may feel like we are in a battle against the forces of darkness all by ourselves. When we feel this way, we can know that there is an unseen army at our God's disposal and we can walk in victory at all times. We can be more confident because our God has a massive army that he can deploy on our behalf at any time. David's army was great, but God's army is greater. No enemy can stand when they are deployed.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to realize that You have an amazing army who follow Your orders at all times. I want to walk in confidence and faith. Thank you for showing me that there is an army ready to fight on my behalf. Help me to see like the servant of Elijah, the chariots of fire that can destroy every enemy. I am yours! Thank you for defending me and deploying your army on my behalf.

Your Son,
Jeff

Generational Ministry

Scripture:

I Chronicles 9:19b "...were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord".

Observation:

The Levites were chosen of the Lord as those who would be totally dedicated to worship and the things of God. They were set apart for ministry. As I look at this section of Scripture I see how the Levites each had a part to do in the service of the Lord. I also see that the gatekeepers of the tabernacle were the sons of the gatekeepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord. Generational ministry is seen here in that the sons of the gatekeepers became gatekeepers.

Application:

I love the idea of generational ministry. I love when fathers teach their sons how to minister to the Lord. Today, there is a movement in the body of Christ where we see a generational ministry taking place. Many sons are taking over their fathers ministries and continuing the legacy. I am blessed by this and want to see my sons, no matter what their vocation, be servants of the Lord first and foremost. I want to be a father to my sons that makes them want to be like dad and for them to see that serving the Lord is the only way to live.

Prayer:

Father, let me be a dad who passes on generational ministry. Let my kids see the blessedness of serving You. May they see that there is no other way to live except in service of the Lord. Let them see You working in my life and ministry and help me to train them in the work of the Lord. Let me be a father who prepares my sons for ministry to the Lord. I want to pass everything God has placed in me to my sons. Teach me Holy Spirit and let my sons see Jesus living big in dad.

Jeff

Called to Liberty

Scripture:

Galatians 5:13 "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another".

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Galatians, who had been falling back into a "works based" faith in God. He is letting them know that the Law brought death, but the Spirit brings life. He brings balance to things when he says, "you have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another". He says that really following Jesus is more about serving one another through love than following the letter of the Law.

Application:

Most of us are pre-wired into a works based salvation. It seems that the better we do at following all the Law, the more God will love us. God loves us because He chooses to love us. We are called to freedom, but we don't use that as an excuse to live however we want. When we will by the Spirit, He will lead us to live excellent lives in which we love God and love our neighbors. We will live more and more like Christ did when He was on this earth. Our goal should not be to follow every Law in the bible, rather, it should be to be like more and more like Jesus, which fulfills the Law.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be more and more like Jesus. I want to partner with the Holy Spirit to produce the results You want in my life. I want to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Help me to do things Your way and not my own.

Sincerely,
Jeff

Man-pleasing

Scripture:

Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ".

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Galatians about falling back into a works-based salvation. In doing so, he is cautioning them about people coming and preaching any other gospel than that which he preached to them. As he is presenting his argument, he puts in this phrase, "if I still please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ". Paul understood that a bond servant of Christ does what Christ wants and is not concerned what men think about it.

Application:

Most of us are more concerned about what people think of us than what Christ thinks of us. If we are going to become who He wants us to be, we must get beyond being controlled by what people think of us. People didn't like Jesus because He wasn't religious enough, but He didn't give in and become a people-pleaser. He was committed to doing what His Father wanted Him to do and only what His Father wanted Him to do. How much of what we do is because we feel it is what people want and how much is because it is what we think God wants? That's a huge question!

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for leading me down this path of hunger and desperation for You. I feel You working and drawing me closer. I know that a big step for me is getting over pleasing people because I love people and want them to like me. What You mean to me is more important than what people think. Strengthen me in this area. I want to please You more each day. Let me live a life that brings You praise and that honors you above every other thing.

Yours,
Jeff

Turning to the Lord

Scripture:

II Kings 23:25 "Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him".

Observation:

Josiah is seen here as a King of Judah like no other king in their history before or after him. It says that he "turned to the Lord" with all his heart, soul and might. When Josiah turned, he really turned. He read the book of the Law, repented, and turned away from his old lifestyle. He tore down the altars of other gods and destroyed their places of worship. He didn't intermingle with them, it was God or nothing.

Application:

I want to see more and more people "turn to the Lord" with all their heart, soul, and might like Josiah did. I want to see the power of the Gospel transform hearts and lives. I long for the day of true revival where there is a strong conviction of sin and a turning to the Lord with everything we have. May it begin today in our hearts. Now is the time to seek Him and turn to him completely.

Prayer:

Lord, I turn to You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I want you to work in my life. Draw me closer and strengthen me to live how You want me to. Increase my passion for You and let my life shine for Your glory. You are amazing and I love you.

Jeff

Do Not Be Afraid

Scripture:

II Kings 19:6 "And Isaiah said to them, 'Thus you shall say to your master, Thus says the Lord: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed me"'"

Observation:

As I noted yesterday, the Rabshakeh, ad representative of Assyria had come to boast about how they were going to destroy the people of Israel and how their God would not be able to help them. King Hezekiah went to the Lord and God sent Isaiah the prophet with the above word. I have noticed through the years that God continually has to tell His people not to be afraid. God wants His children to know that there is nothing to fear when they are serving Him.

Application:

Where fear exists, there is a lack of faith. Where faith exists, there is a lack of fear. Satan is a master at making things look worse than they are. He wants us to have fear about our lives because he knows that when we fear, our faith level is diminishing. We must be people of faith and live lives of faith. God told His people many times in the word not to fear. We must move from fear to faith and when we do, we will see God work stronger on our behalf.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith and decrease my fears. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Thank You for Your incredible blessings recently. You are showing me how much You love me and how much I can trust You. Thank You for loving me, caring for me, providing for me. You are the best! Help me to live a life that fears nothing but You.

Jeff

The Voice of the Enemy

Scripture:

II Kings 18:30 "nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, 'The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria'".

Observation:

The Rabshakeh, a representative of Assyria, was coming against God people and trying to get them to compromise with him. As he was speaking to them, he spoke loud enough for all the people to hear him and told them not to believe Hezekiah when he said that God would deliver them. It was a pure attack on their faith. He knew the God of the Hebrews was powerful and could deliver them, but he wanted the people to doubt their God.

Application:

Satan works exactly like this in our lives. He wants to destroy our faith. He doesn't want us to believe that God would step in and fight our battles. He doesn't want us to believe that God is going to work on our behalf. We are people of faith and faith conquers our enemies. Therefore Satan wants to attack our faith more than anything else. We must hold onto God and walk by faith and not by sight, then we will defeat the enemy.

Prayer:

Father, Help me to walk by faith and not sight. You have delivered me many, many times. You are my strength and my deliverer. You are the one I trust. Thank you for working in my life in the past and thank you for keeping me in the future. You are faithful and I won't listen to the voice of the enemy that tries to bring doubt.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

God's Promises

Scripture:

II Kings 8:19 "Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever".

Observation:

King Joram and his father Ahab were terrible kings in Judah. They did evil in the sight of the Lord. Even though they did awful things and took Judah into idolatry, God didn't turn His back on them. He continued to love and forgive them. God had made a promise to David and was fully intending to keep that promise. He does not lie.

Application:

Sometimes people get frustrated when God doesn't meet their needs, heal their sick, take great care of them, on their time frame. We tend to blame God for our problems and never give Him the credit when something goes well for us. We must come to the understanding that God keeps His promises. If He said it, it will come to pass. This would bring us into a stronger trust relationship with the Father. He completes His tasks and finishes what He starts. We must learn to trust His promises instead of our own rationale.

Prayer:

Lord, You didn't give up on Judah, even when their kings were terrible and angered you. You are quick to forgive and full of mercy. You always stand by Your word. You are amazing! Help me to trust Your promises fully instead of doubting. You are the faithful on. Help me to worship you as that.

Yours,

Jeff Jacob

What Do You Have in the House?

Scripture:

II Kings 4:2 "So Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?' And she said, 'Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil'".

Observation:

Elisha was approached by a woman who was the widow of one of the sons of the prophets. She had nothing and the creditor was coming to take away her sons to pay her debt. When she approaches Elisha, he asks her what she has in her house. God usually starts with what we have and performs the miracle from that. All she had was a little oil. All the disciples could come up with was 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed a multitude. When both gave the little they had to the master, the miracle happened.

Application:

We must give all that we have in our house to the Lord and ask Him to bless it and multiply it. In His hands, it is enough for a miracle. Many times we may feel like we don't have anything in the house to give, but we have the person of the Holy Spirit living in our "house". This lady had little, we have the all-powerful one, living inside of us. She had little in her house and God blessed and multiplied it. We have the Holy Spirit in our house, nothing is impossible!

Prayer:

Father, teach me to pray faith-filled prayers. Let me become a man who realizes exactly what it means to be "filled" with the Holy Spirit. Help me understand what is truly in my house and to be able to release it to others. Show me how to let You flow through me in a greater measure.

Yours,
Jeff

Man of God

Scripture:

II Kings 1:10 "So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, 'if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.' And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty".

Observation:

I love the prophet Elijah. He was one of the boldest prophets in history. He depended on the Lord to back him up. He was a man of faith and a man of God. He knew he was a man of God and he knew that God would honor his faith and the words he spoke. He says to the people, "if I am a man of God", then fire will fall. He knew who he was in God and that God would see him through.

Application:

I want a relationship with God like Elijah had, one full of faith and confidence in the Lord God Almighty. If we are ever going to see God really move in power in our region, we must become people of God who through faith, do great exploits for our King. We must abandon self-pursuit and seek the face of God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. I desire more God-confidence. I want to know that He will back up my prayers like He did for Elijah.

Prayer:

Lord, I want more faith to make bold declarations like Elijah did. I probably would have been so concerned in this situation that I was being presumptuous, that I would never have spoken the words, even if they were burning in my heart. Help me to know when it is You and when it is me. I want to accurately represent You on the earth and I want to advance Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Teach me to walk with You stronger each day. Use me today to build Your kingdom.

Jeff

Repentance and Forgiveness

Scripture:

I Kings 21:29 "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house".

Observation:

In this passage I see the Lord stopping judgment that He had said would come to Ahab due to Ahab's repentance and humbling himself. Just a few verses before this the Lord tells Ahab that dogs will lick his blood and how there was nobody who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord like Ahab. God is declaring that this man was one of the worst men in history, then after verse 27 when Ahab mourns, fasts, and lays in sackcloth, God removes the punishment that was coming to him.

Application:

God loves when people humble themselves and repent of their wrongdoing. He is gracious and compassionate. He is longsuffering and full of mercy when people repent of their sins. When we mess up, God is simply looking for a repentant heart. He wants us to humble ourselves before Him and ask His forgiveness, then He will cleanse us and make us pure again. Repentance must be true and not just an act, but when it is true, God will honor it every time.

Prayer:

Father, Your lovingkindness is better than life. Your forgiveness and restoration are amazing. When your people mess up, you just look for a heart of repentance. You forgive and erase the penalty of a person like Ahab who you said was one of the worst people ever. Teach me to be more like You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Gratitude and Sacrifice

Scripture:

I Kings 8:63 "And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord".

Observation:

King Solomon had just completed the construction of the temple. He had worked for years to build the temple his father had desired to build for the Lord. He was so blessed by the Lord in seeing the glory of the Lord at the dedication of the temple that he decided to offer the Lord a sacrifice. His gratitude to the Lord caused him to offer 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. I cannot even imagine seeing that many bulls and sheep, let alone sacrificing them. This was an incredible and huge undertaking, even for the richest man who ever lived.

Application:

Solomon's response to God for God's blessing and favor on his life was to offer the Lord the largest sacrifice possible. Many people today expect the blessing of the Lord and, because it is expected, they don't offer thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. God has done so much for us. We should continually be offering Him the best sacrifice we can give. We need to demonstrate a thankful heart to God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in thanksgiving for all You have done for me. You have provided for me every day of my life. You have taken care of me, rescued me, healed me and preserved my life. You are amazing and I offer you myself as a living sacrifice this morning. Use my life for Your glory. I don't have much else to offer, but You can have all of me. I am yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

God's Wisdom

Scripture:

I Kings 4:34 "and men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon".

Observation:

God gave Solomon supernatural wisdom. He became the wisest man who ever lived. From this verse I can see that kings from all over the world came to hear Solomon's wisdom. People all over the earth had heard about his wisdom. This wisdom doesn't come from studying harder, but from seeking the Lord and hearing His voice more and more.

Application:

God has all wisdom. He has all knowledge. He is all powerful. Therefore, we, as His people, should stand out from the crowd as having wisdom, knowledge and power. Wisdom comes from God and we must seek God. As we seek Him, we become more like Him and wisdom fills our lives. Solomon was extremely wise and the whole world knew it. God has been around since before the beginning. He possesses all wisdom.

Prayer:

Lord, Once again I tell you, I want to know You more. I want to hear Your voice of wisdom clearly. Whenever I have a decision to make, let me not lean on my own wisdom, but on Your wisdom, guidance and direction. Open my ears to hear Your clearly and give me a heart to respond in obedience to whatever Your call me to do.

Yours Forever,
Jeff Jacob

God Rewards Sacrifice

Scripture:

I Kings 3:4 "Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar".

Observation:

The verse following this verse tells the story of Solomon's being asked what God could do for him. Of course Solomon replied that he wanted an understanding heart and discernment to lead Israel well. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord and the next thing you see is the Lord asking Solomon what he wants. It appears that God rewards sacrifice. I can't even imagine what a thousand burnt offerings looks like, but Solomon offered them as a sacrifice and was rewarded for it.

Application:

God sees every sacrifice we make for Him and He is faithful to reward those who are willing to sacrifice for Him. When we give sacrificially and serve God and others sacrificially, God sees it and keeps good records. Solomon made a huge sacrifice and received a huge blessing from the Lord. Instead of being afraid to sacrifice for the Lord, we should be giving Him our all and trusting Him in the fact that He does reward sacrifice. When we lay it down, He can pick it up and bless it.

Prayer:

I love you Lord! Thanks for working in my life lately. Show me Your Kingdom! I want to build Your kingdom in Your way. Help me to lay down my life for You and give myself completely to Your cause. You are my Lord and I will follow You all the days of my life.

Sincerely,
Jeff

Besides all this

Scripture:

II Corinthians 11:28 "Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches".

Observation:

In this passage, Paul was trying to prove his apostlic authority because some "super apostles" had come in and were saying he was not truly an apostle. As part of his defense, he tells amazing details of what he had been through for the Gospel, then he says "besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches". He went on to say that he felt what each person felt.

Application:

Sometimes I feel like Paul in this way. "Besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches". I am a very busy person with a lot of commitments and things on my schedule and besides all this, there is a constant weight of the church here and ones I have helped to start elsewhere. This verse helps me understand somewhat of the heaviness that comes on me at times. Understanding helps!

Prayer:

Lord, You said to cast my care on you because you care for me. I cast my care this morning on You. This is Your church and Your Kingdom. Thank you for allowing me to be part of Your great plan. When I feel overwhelmed, speak peace into my heart and help me to live above the burdens of life. I want to walk in Your Spirit and be led by You. I want to see Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Seed to the Sower and Bread for Food

Scripture:

II Corinthians 9:10 "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness".

Observation:

Paul was thanking the Corinthians for their giving. He was asking for another offering to be prepared for the work of the ministry. He had just told them that those who sow bountifully would also reap bountifully and the same for those who sow sparingly. In verse 10 he talks about the Lord who is our supplier. He supplies seed to those who are givers and bread for food. In other words God will give you what you need to eat and more to give away.

Application:

God is our source of everything in our lives when we are fully and completely surrendered to Him. He will take care of our daily bread and give us what we need to be a blessing to others. I must realize that it is God who supplies everything in my life and I must worship Him for it. He has given me so much and always provided for me. I must be ready to sow when the time comes.

Prayer:

Lord, help me in my finances to bring You glory. I want to have enough so that I can sow into mininstries, lives and the poor. I want to extend Your kingdom! Help me to be wise with my finances and use them the way You would want me to. Convict me when I spend unwisely and continue to show me the way into the blessed life.

Yours,
Jeff

The God...In Whom I Will Trust

Scripture:

II Samuel 22:3 "The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence".

Observation:

David has had a good and pleasant rule over Israel for many years. He fought many battles and saw the faithfulness of God over and over. As he talks about the Lord, you can hear how much he depended on the Lord for everything. David was the greatest king in Israel's history and in the place of leadership that he had, you could still see the secret to his success. His secret to success was his simple trust in the Lord as his all in all. David saw God as the source of all his needs.

Application:

Though David had amazing leadership qualities, the greatest quality of David was his total dependence on the Lord. We need to learn this lesson today. David never became proud, but fully leaned on the Lord for everything. God was his "all in all". Today we operate so much from our mind and rational thinking that we don't even act like we need God. We must become as dependent on the Lord as David was, then we will see God work like He did for David.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to lean more and more upon You. You are my Rock and my Defence. You are my deliverer and shield. You are my everything! Teach me not to move unless You say go. Help me not to speak except what I hear You speak. I want to be Spirit-filled, Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered.

Yours,
Jeff

A Mighty Man

Scripture:

II Samuel 17:10 "And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men".

Observation:

David was running and hiding from his own son Absalom, but even while hiding, he was considered by all Israel to be a mighty man and his men were known as valiant men. David had a reputation for being a mighty man and his men for being valiant. His reputation made enemies hearts melt completely. They knew they were no match for David and his mighty men.

Application:

We may not be valiant warriors in the natural, but we can make a spiritual application to this. Am i living a life that causes my enemies to fear God? Am I living the life of a mighty man spiritually so that Satan doesn't want to mess with me because I have a reputation for defeating my enemies? I must live the life of a mighty man.

Prayer:

Lord, I have often said, "there is no such thing as a mighty man of God, only men of a mighty God". You are mighty and I ask You this morning to live through me. Fill me. Saturate me. Use my life for Your glory. I offer You my life and ask that you strengthen me to defeat every enemy. Let those around me be valiant as well.

Yours,

Jeff

Absaloms in Life

Scripture:

II Samuel 15:6 "In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel".

Observation:

David and his son Absalom had serious relational issues due to some terrible events that had occured in their past. David had brought Absalom back to Jerusalem, but really wouldn't have anything to do with him. When Absalom realized that David was not going to promote him, he began to work a plan to be king. He stood at the gate and talked to the people who had problems about how he would solve them if he were king. He began to plant seeds in people's minds about how great it would be if he were king. He used trickery to win the hearts of the people away from his father who had been a great king.

Application:

There are always Absalom's around when you are in leadership. There is always someone who is disgruntled and who begins to tell others about how disgruntled they are. They even make themselves look good in everyone's eyes by telling them how they would do so much better if they were in charge. They will be quick to point out the areas that are not good. We must be aware of Absaloms who talk a good talk, but are destroying us behind the scenes. We must not be ignorant of Satan's schemes.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be more like David and less like Absalom. Help me to treat people right and with integrity. Help me to walk humbly before You and treat people as I want to be treated. I want to be more like You every day. Show me the way.

Jeff

Doing the Right Thing

Scripture:

II Samuel 11:11 "And Uriah said to David, 'The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my Lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing'".

Observation:

David had slept with Uriah's wife and got her pregnant. He brought Uriah home from the battle so that he would sleep with her and later would think that the child was his. Uriah was such a man of honor that he would not go home and eat, drink or sleep with his wife while his men were still in battle. David, the king, was ordering him to go home and relax from the battle, but his integrity would not let him do it. He chose to do the right thing instead of the easy thing.

Application:

We may not be faced every day with the exact same circumstances, but very often we have choices to make between what is right and what is convenient. People like Uriah impress me as they choose to do the right thing over the easy thing. Like Uriah, we may be tempted with things that are not sin at all, just things that are not best for us. Good leadership does like Uriah and thinks about the others serving with them instead of only focusing on selfish pleasures.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to always do the right thing over the easy thing. I want to live a life that You can bless. Thank you for people like Uriah in whom we can see true integrity that goes deeper than what is right or wrong. Thank you for examples of self-sacrifice instead of self-indulgence. You never cease to amaze me!

Jeff

No Fear of God

Scripture:

II Samuel 1:14 "So David said to him, 'How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?'"

Observation:

David had just been told of Saul's death by the person who killed him. Saul asked the man to kill him and he did so. Saul had been chasing David for quite a long time trying to kill him, but David refused to fight back because he understood that God places people in positions of authority. He had a healthy fear of God that said, "if God put that person in that position, who am I to try to remove them?" David immediately had the man put to death because he did not fear killing the Lord's anointed.

Application:

It seems today that there is no fear of God or no trust in God. If we fear God, we will trust that He knows what He is doing and that He placed us under the authority He wanted us under. I don't believe in blind submission when someone is messing up, but I also think we are far too quick to judge God's servants and accuse them. A healthy fear of God must come back to the church.

Prayer:

Father, I have seen this verse abused in the past. I have seen this verse misused, but I want to fully understand it. I love David's fear of God and, though anointed king, how he wouldn't put forth his hand against Your anointed even when your anointed was doing wrong and trying to kill him. I want to trust You at that level. Treating people right, even when they are trying to destroy you. Help me be more like David and more like You.

Jeff

No Fault

Scripture:

I Samuel 29:3 "Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me".

Observation:

King Achish had been with David for a long time. He had seen David under incredible pressure and difficult times. As people questioned whether David should fight with them, Achish says of David, "And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me". David was seen as a man of integrity and character, even when he was hiding out from Saul who was trying to kill him.

Application:

I think it would be amazing to have the testimony of others that says, "I have found no fault in him". Many times I say that I want to live a life in which "those who know me best, respect me most". I want to live like David so that unbelievers around me say "I can find no fault in him". I want to live so that my fellow bus drivers say, "I can find no fault in him".

Prayer:

Father, let me be more like Jesus today. Shape me into Your image and let my light shine among men. Give me opportunity today to share Your love with someone. Let me live a life that others may say "I can find no fault in him" as they said of David. Show me the way.

Yours,
Jeff

Let God Fight Your Battles

Scripture:

I Samuel 26:24 "And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation".

Observation:

David has been running from Saul for his life as Saul was trying desperately to kill him. Just before this verse, David had the opportunity for the second time to kill Saul. David would not because he didn't want to touch the Lord's anointed. I see a total trust in God instead of in self here. He has opportunity to kill the person who is trying to kill him and David decides to let the Lord fight his battles and win his victories.

Application:

As humans, we are geared naturally to fight our own battles. We like to defend ourselves and destroy our enemies. David wasn't like that. He had much power and could have destroyed Saul twice, but didn't do it. He sought God to be his protector and defender. We must come to a new level of trusting the Lord and allowing Him to fight our battles. He is much better at it than we are.

Prayer:

Lord, here I am once again asking you to help me trust You more. I want You to fight my battles and defend me. Teach me to trust You more instead of taking things into my own hands. You are amazing! Help me to trust You over self in every situation of my life. I want to be fully dependent on You.

Your Son,

Jeff Jacob

The Voice of Deception

Scripture:

I Samuel 23:21 "And Saul said, 'Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me'".

Observation:

Saul was searching for David that he could kill him. Jealousy had invaded Saul's heart and he was on a search for David. At this point in the search, the Ziphites came to him and told him where David was and that they would deliver David into his hand. At this comment Saul calls them blessed of the Lord for doing what was wrong.

Application:

Deception is a powerful force. Satan is a master of deception. He will make you think you are doing God a favor when you are doing the opposite of God's will. In this story, Saul calls the people who are in the wrong "blessed of the Lord" and probably really thought the Lord had delivered David into his hand. The voice of deception will make you think God is working on your behalf when it is not God working at all. In these last days, we need to make sure we are hearing, not the voice of the flesh, but the voice of the master. We must seek Him out on all things and follow Him closely. We cannot afford to be deceived into thinking we have the favor of God just because something goes the way we wanted it to.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to walk in truth and integrity of heart. I want to hear Your voice and be pure in heart. Keep me from deception and let my heart be true. I want to hear Your voice more than ever. I want to know You intimately. Speak to me today Lord, then confirm it so I know it is from You. I don't want to miss what You speak to me.

Jeff

Knowing Where to Go in Trouble

Scripture:

I Samuel 19:18 "So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth".

Observation:

When David was in trouble and figured out Saul was after him, he went to the man of God he knew he could trust. By running to the man of God, David was running to God in his trouble. He was seeking out a word from God for his life and what to do from here.

Application:

When we are in trouble and don't know what to do, we need a man or woman of God to be able to run to for direction, strength and help. Everyone needs a man or woman of God who they can trust will direct them in the way God would want them to go. David knew who he could trust spiritually and he ran to him when in trouble. We must build relationships with people who we trust spiritually and who we can run to with any problem in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, show me how to better implement this in my life. I thank you for men like Pastor Garcia who You have placed in my life. Teach me when to run to them as David knew to run to Samuel.

You are the best :)

Jeff

Consider what Great Things He has Done for You

Scripture:

I Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider what great things He has done for you".

Observation:

Samuel the prophet was speaking to the people of Israel after Saul had been installed as their king. Samuel knew it was not God's will for them to even have a king. He knew that God wanted to be their king, but because the people wanted a king, God gave them one. He warns the people to "fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart". He goes one step further and tells them how to do it "consider what great things He has done for you".

Application:

We must take advice from this wise prophet. In order to serve the Lord best, we must remember what great things He has done for us. Many don't feel like God has done much for them, therefore their commitment level is low. We must realize that God has done everything for us. He sent His son to die so we could have a relationship with Him. He sent His Spirit to give us power to serve Him well. We would do good to take time each day to consider what great things He has done for us.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to never take for granted all you have done for me. You have provided for me in amazing ways. Even this week, You have shown yourself strong in my life. Help me to never take Your blessings for granted, but to consider what great things you have done for me. Thank You for looking out for me and taking care of me.

Yours,

Jeff

They Have Rejected Me

Scripture:

I Samuel 8:7 "And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them'".

Observation:

Israel had told Samuel that they wanted to have a king over them like every other country. Israel was designed by God to be a theocracy where God was their leader and they were to follow Him. He fought their battles, provided for them, etc. He did an incredible job, but the people still wanted to be like the other nations. They rejected the Lord and the way He wanted to rule them.

Application:

Today we do the same thing to the Lord. We say we want Him to be our Lord, but we really want to run our own lives. We want to be king and when we do, we are rejecting the Lord from leading us, guiding us, providing for us, etc. As long as we are on the throne of our lives, Christ is on the cross, but when Christ is on the throne, we are on the cross. We must give Lordship of our lives over to the King and let Him reign over us. He has been around much longer and knows everything!

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for rejecting You and Your leadership in my life. I'm sorry for the "I've got this, I can do this on my own" attitude. I want to rely on You more and more each day. Teach me to walk with You and yield to You in every area of my life. Jesus, be Jesus in me. No longer me, but thee. Resurrection power, fill me this hour. Jesus be Jesus in me.

You're the best,
Jeff

Who is Able to Stand?

Scripture:

I Samuel 6:20 "And the men of Beth Shemesh said, 'Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?'"

Observation:

The ark of the Lord had been captured by the Philistines. When they brought it into the temple of their god Dagon, he fell on his face during the night. The next night he fell again in the presence of the true and living God. The people broke out in plagues and realized it was because the God of Israel was in their midst. They sent the ark away to Beth Shemesh and the men of Beth Shemesh looked into the Ark and fifty thousand seventy men dropped dead. Finally they said "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?"

Application:

Sometimes the enemy knows the power of God better than His own people. These non-believers came to believe that the God of Israel was more powerful than their gods. Nobody can stand against the power of our God. He is amazing and able to defeat every foe. Nobody and nothing are able to stand before Him. May we realize the awesome power of our God and submit our lives completely to Him.

Prayer:

Lord, even the Philistines saw Your power and believed in You. They saw the demonstration of your power when you were in their presence. Arise oh Lord and demonstrate your great power that the world may see that you are God! Move strongly in this region and let the skeptic and the scoffer see the power of God in action. May Your name be lifted up forever.

Jeff

I Will Build Him a Sure House

Scripture:

I Samuel 2:35 "Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever".

Observation:

God says that He will build a sure house for the priest who does according to what is in His heart and mind. Eli's two sons were living terrible lives as priests, causing Israel to stumble. God told Eli that he was going to kill both sons in a single day and that He would raise up a faithful priest who would do what was in His heart. God is still looking for a people who will do what is in His heart instead of what is in their own hearts.

Application:

When we put God's priorities before our own, He will establish us and build us a sure house. He desires to be first place in our lives. He wants us to have His priorities instead of asking Him to bless our priorities. He wants us to be on His agenda instead of creating our own agenda. He is still looking for a people who truly want "His kingdom to come and His will to be done". We must make the transition from asking God to bless our plans to asking Him for power to accomplish His plans.

Prayer:

Thank You once again for confirming Your word to me. Help me to convey correctly what is in Your heart. Let me be more concerned with what You want in my life than what I want in my life. I want to live a truly "Christ-centered" life. Help me to put your priorities above my own and establish my house.

Yours,
Jeff