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