He is a Shield

Scripture:

Psalm 18:30  "God's way is perfect.  All the Lord's promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection".

Observation:

David is singing a song to the Lord about how God has rescued him from all his enemies.  He is praising God for his protection and for defeating Israel's enemies.  I notice that David doesn't take the credit for having a great army, rather, he gives honor to God for every part of his victory.  Here he says that God is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.  When God's shield is up, we are totally and completely safe from all harm.  When God's shield goes down, we are vulnerable to every attack.

Application:

I want God's protection and shield operating well in my life.  It was when Job's shield or "hedge" of protection came down, that his life fell apart.  The end of this verse is important because the Psalmist says that there is a part of this equation that we must do.  We must look to Him for protection.  I need to start looking to God more for my protection instead of trying to defend myself.  I want God to be my protector, He does a better job at it than I do.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are the protector of those who look to You for protection.  I look to You to protect my life, my health, my finances, my family, my church, my friends, etc.  I look to you to stop every attack of the enemy spiritually, emotionally, and physically.   You are my God and I trust You with taking care of me.  You are amazing and I love You.  Show me Your plans for me today and make clear the path.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

I Will Sing

Scripture:

Psalm 13:6 "I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me".

Observation:

This Psalm shows the heart of David.  The first four verses basically he is asking God why He has forsaken him.  He tells the Lord he is going to die if God doesn't do something to rescue him.  He feels like his enemies are defeating him and God isn't working on his behalf anymore.  Then he says, "But I will trust in Your unfailing love...I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me".  Even when He felt like the Lord wasn't listening to him, David worshiped.

Application:

It's hard to sing songs of praise to God when it feels like He isn't answering our prayers and is nowhere to be found.  We need to be determined, like David, that God is good and His love is unfailing, no matter what we are feeling at the time.  He is faithful! We must realize that and worship Him for who He is.  We must worship, not just because He did some special deed in our lives, but because He is God.  Singing a song of worship nearly always changes our perspective on our current situations.  David said, "I will sing", and I am determined to do the same this morning.

Prayer:

Father, You love is amazing and You have been good to me.  Help me to love and appreciate You more each day.  I want to declare like David that You have been good to me, even when I don't feel like it is true.  I want to know You more.   I want my life to honor You in every way.  Show me Your desire for my life and give me strength to follow it.  I am Yours.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Lord Still Rules

Scripture:

Psalm 11:4 "But the Lord is in His holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.  He watches everyone closely, examining everyone on earth".

Observation:

The Psalmist is grieving over why the ungodly seem to prosper and God doesn't seem to punish them.  He is saying how he doesn't understand why God does this, but then he throws in "but the Lord still rules from heaven".  He realized that things didn't seem right to him, but that God still rules and reigns.  He knew God was in control even when he couldn't understand why God was allowing the things He was allowing on the earth.

Application:

As long as I live, I will never understand God and why He does the things He does.  Usually I feel like I could do a better job picking who gets healed, blessed, etc. than He does, but I am not omniscient and don't really know all the details.  He knows what He is doing and is pretty good at it.  There are times in life that we just simply don't understand what is going on around us and why God would let it happen to us, but we must say with the Psalmist, "the Lord still rules".

Prayer:

Lord help me to trust You more.  So often I feel like you should do things differently than you do, which is really just pride.  This morning I humble myself before You and say you are awesome and I apologize for questioning You so much.  You are God and I am not.  Help me to trust You more each day and not to spend my time wondering why You did or didn't do something.

Yours,
Jeff

Authority

Scripture:

Psalm 8:6 "You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority".

Observation:

The Psalmist is talking to God about mere mortals and how much God has blessed them in creation that they would be made just a little lower than the angels.  In describing how God originally made man, he states, "You gave them charge over everything you made, putting all things under their authority".  The Psalmist understood that God had given authority over all his creation to man, who was formed in His own image.  He says "all things" have been put under our authority.

Application:

Most of us don't feel like we have authority over anything, let alone over everything.  We can't seem to take authority over our own lives, therefore we don't believe we have authority in life.  I can't seem to get authority over my own body, how can I take authority over my city?  The fact is, truth is truth, and that doesn't include my feelings or my own opinions.  If God said it, it is true.  He said we have authority over all of His creation.  We have it!  We must begin to live like we have that authority.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to walk in Your authority.  Help me to realize that You have given authority to us and that we are to use it properly.  I want to walk by faith and not by sight.  I want to listen to Your word and not my feelings or opinions about Your word.  If you said I have authority in the earth, then I want to walk in that authority.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Command: Love

Scripture:

II John 6 "Love means doing what God has commanded us, and He has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning".

Observation:

John writes this brief letter to the church of Jesus reminding us what is important.  He speaks about those coming through and teaching falsely.  His number one standard to see whether someone is real or not as a believer is love.  If love is really flowing from the person, then they are fulfilling the will of God and obeying His commands.  This person must be true.  If there is no love flowing, the person must not be true.  John very much equates spirituality with love.  It is like his number one measuring stick for whether someone is a fake Christian or not is love.

Application:

Apparently, love reveals how real we are.  Maybe we should examine our own lives and ask the question, "how's your love life?"  If we are not loving others, we are missing the main point of the Gospel.  God is love and those who are fashioned in His image are going to have love pouring out of them.  Loving others should be as natural to us as believers as eating or drinking.  Jesus summed up all the commands by saying love God and love others, then you fulfill all the Law.

Prayer:

Lord, help me love others more and more each day.  I want to be in love with You and then let that love spill over into loving others as You love me.  Let me experience Your love today.  Help me to love everyone who comes onto my path today.  Let Your love flow through me to those around me.  Help me love my family, my coworkers, the kids on my bus, and everyone I come in contact with today that I may show Your love.

Yours,
Jeff

Praying for Those Who Hurt You

Scripture:

Job 42:10 "When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes.  In fact the Lord gave him twice as much as before".

Observation:

Jobs friends had said a lot of bad things about him during the time of his trial.  They were looking for why he was being punished by God and in the process, they said many hurtful things to him about his life, his integrity, etc.  When God was ready to bless Job again, he asked Job to pray for his friends.  As he obeyed God in this area, everything he ever had was restored double.

Application:

Jesus told us to pray for our enemies and bless those who persecute you and say all manner of evil against us falsely.  Job is an example of someone who was falsely accused and persecuted by his friends.  When he prayed for them, his fortunes were restored double.  The best thing I can do when ministry or life hurts is to pray for those who did the hurting.  As I pray for them, God opens the floodgates of heaven my direction.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to be a person who doesn't fight back when falsely accused, persecuted or simply lied about.  I want to be a person who prays for those who hurt me.  I want to remain under the hand of Your blessing.  Help me to respond well when things don't go as I planned.  Teach me to follow the voice of Your Spirit throughout my life.

Yours,
Jeff

The Greatness of His Power

Scripture:

Job 37:5 "God's voice is glorious in the thunder.  We can't even imagine the greatness of His power".

Observation:

Job's friend Elihu is speaking in this portion of scripture and is telling Job about how incredible God is.  While talking about God, he says, "We can't even imagine the greatness of His power."  This verse jumped out at me this morning because this guy had a good perception about how awesome God really is.  He knew it was beyond our comprehension.

Application:

If I really believe that God's power cannot even be imagined by me and that I am His child, then I should live much differently than I do right now.  When you know that the most powerful person in the world is with you every day and lives in you,, your life should change dramatically.  I need to get a glimpse once again of the power of the God I serve.  I know He is great and powerful in my head, but I don't live every minute of every day like He is within me.

Prayer:

Father, you are absolutely powerful and You have chosen to fellowship with me.  You are amazing!  Help me to see your power and to walk as someone who knows your power is with me at all times.   Teach me to walk in your power and not fret the little things of life.  I know I get stressed out financially and wonder how we will make it when my father's city has gold streets.  Help me to be in the place where I can tap into that amazing power of yours.

Sincerely,
Jeff

He Doesn't Care

Scripture:

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

Observation:

Job realizes that God is no respector of persons.  He says that He made them all, so why should it matter to Him if one is rich and another is not.  He understands that God loves all people the same, regardless of their wallet.

Application:

Sometimes we feel like God doesn't love us if we are not rich, wealthy and everything going great for us.  Nobody has gone through what Job went through, but he realized that we must see God as one who is no respector of persons.  God loves us right where we are because He made us, not because we have impressed Him with our greatness.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to be more content.  Living in a very wealthy area sometimes makes us feel like you bless some more than others, but you don't care about the money, You care abou the heart.  Thanks for loving me always.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Testing Times

Scripture:

Job 23:10  "But He knows where I am going.  And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold".

Observation:

Job understood the fact that God does test us from time to time and was determined to come out of the testing as pure as gold.  He was being tested at levels that are beyond our imagination.  His children had died, his health was almost gone, his fortune was gone and there was barely anything left and yet he says, "when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold". 

Application:

Most of us would have already thrown in the towel and given up on ever seeing better days.  When we are being tested, it always appears that we will never come out of it.  Testing is no fun to us, but it demonstrates our level of commitment to God.  Unless we are tested we don't know whether we are gold, silver, or wood, hay or stubble.  When seasons of testing come into our lives, may we say like Job, "I will come out as pure as gold" rather than turning from God or taking matters into our own hands.

Prayer:

Father, when I am tested, help me come out like pure gold.  Help me not to be a whiner when testing comes, but to be a strong individual who understands what is happening and passes the test with flying colors.  I want to serve You well and I want my life to count for eternity.  Help me pass the tests.

Yours,
Jeff

But As For Me

Scripture:

Job 19:25 "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer Lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last".

Observation:

Job is speaking in response to Bildad.  He is telling them how God's hand has been against him and he can't figure out why.  In the midst of his questioning and wondering why God would do something like this, he throws in this little statement, "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives".  He goes on to say that he will see him face to face one day.  In the midst of his crisis, Job still knew, no matter what his friends said, that God was with him and that his Redeemer lived.  He knew God would somehow work everything out.

Application:

When nothing seems to be going right in life, we need to remember that our Redeemer lives.  Things may not always seem to be going the way we would like them to, but we can rest assured that our redeemer lives.  We need to determine, like Job, that our Redeemer lives and that He will judge rightly one day.  Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.  Weeping may endure for a while, but it will all turn around one day.  We must know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that our Redeemer lives and that He will reign and rule justly.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to say, "but as for me, I know me Redeemer lives" when things don't look so good.  Help me to walk by faith an dnot by sight.  Teach me to trust You more fully and completely every day.  I know You live, but sometimes I do wonder why You don't do the things I think You should do.  Help me to trust that You know best and not me.

Your Son,
Jeff

Intercessors Needed

Scripture:

Job 16:21 "I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends".

Observation:

Job is really struggling to understand why all this terrible stuff has happened to him.  He had a hedge of protection around his life that was amazing and God has blessed him immensely.  Suddenly it is as if the hedge is gone and God is no longer looking out for him.  His life goes downhill quickly and he can't understand why.  In his search for answers, he says he needs a mediator between him and God.  He was looking for someone to stand between him and God to figure out what was going on in his life.

Application:

Job was basically saying he needed and intercessor.  He needed someone to stand in the gap for him before God.  An intercessor is one who does exactly that.  An intercessor stands and prays on behalf of another.  They stand between God and that person.  We all need what Job needed, someone to stand in the gap and pray for us.  I generally find that when I answer someone else's need, God sends someone to answer mine.  Therefore, the best thing I can do when I need an intercessor is to begin interceding for someone else.

Prayer:

Lord, let me stand in the gap for someone else today.  Teach me to be a better intercessor.  Show me how to be more effective in praying for others who are going through serious troubles.  Teach me Lord.

Yours,
Jeff

The Fear of God

Scripture:

Job 13:11 "Doesn't his majesty terrify you?  Doesn't your fear of Him overwhelm you?"

Observation:

Job asks two questions as he is pleading his case about wanting to argue his case with God.  He says, "Doesn't his majesty terrify you?" and "Doesn't you fear of Him overwhelm you?"  These are powerful questions.  You can see here that Job has a very strong and healthy fear of the Lord.  He understands how awesome God is and how powerful He is as well.  He understands that God could destroy you in a moment if He chose to.  He understands that God isn't a person to be messed with.

Application:

We talk so much today about the love of God that we neglect talking about the fear of God.  In speaking with people recently I have felt, "is there any fear of God anymore?"  It seems people today want to take the blessings promised by God in His word, live how they want to and do the parts of the Bible that feel good to them, but have no fear of God that would drive them to change their lifestyles.  God is a holy God who is to be feared and reverenced.  Is there any fear of God in our lives anymore?  There absolutely should be.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to have a proper and healthy fear of You.  Help me never to take sin lightly, but to flee quickly and repent.  Teach me to live a life that respects, fears and honors You enough and in proper ways.  I want to know You.  Teach me how to communicate the fear of the Lord so my people can understand it and walk in it.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Unfailing Love

Scripture:

Job 10:12 "You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love.  My life was preserved by your care".

Observation:

In the beginning of this chapter and after this verse, Job is talking to God and asking why He even allowed Job to be born.  Job was miserable and was asking God why He would have let him live this long.  In the midst of his questions and remarks to God about wishing he had never been born, he makes this statement, "You gave me life and showed me Your unfailing love.  My life was preserved by your care".  He knew, even in the midst of a terrible trial, that God gave him life, showed him unfailing love and had preserved him.

Application:

Even in the midst of the worst situations, we can know that God loves us and that He will continue to take care of us.  At this point in Job's life, everything was taken from him and even his own wife had told him to curse God and die, yet he was honoring and speaking well of the Lord.  We must learn to be people who truly trust God and remember that He is in control, even when we don't understand what is goin on or why He would let things happen in our lives.  He is the reason we haven't died yet.  He is our everything!

Prayer:

Lord, I trust You with my life.  You made me.  You know what I can handle.  You know where I am today and I trust You to work strongly in my life.  You are the God of amazing power and I submit myself afresh to You.  Have Your way in my life.  I trust You to do in me all You want to do.  My life is in your hands completely.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

God's Wall of Protection

Scripture:

Job 1:9-10 "Satan replied to the Lord, 'Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.  You have always put a wall of protection around him, and his home, and his property.  You have made him prosper in everything he does.  Look how rich he is!'"

Observation:

Satan has come to God and God asked Satan about Job.  God was showing Satan what a good man Job was when Satan made the above statement.  Satan knew that it was God who had put a wall of protection around Job.  He knew it was God who gave him his property and made him prosper in everything he did.  God had made Job rich and Satan knew it.  God's love and grace for His people makes Satan mad, but God loves to bless His people anyway.

Application:

Every good and perfect gift comes from above.  When we are blessed in any way with houses, lands, cars, children, business, etc. we should realize where our blessing comes from.  In this story there is no argument from God when Satan tells Him that He has been incredibly good to Job and protected him, his family and their possessions.  God is good to His people!!!!  He doesn't apologize to Satan for being good to Job either.  He does allow the Job's commitment to Him to be tested, but then blesses him double in the end of his life just because He is God and He can do whatever he wants.  When God decides to bless you, nothing can hold Him back!!!

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty,  You are awesome indeed.  You bless You people and there is nothing Satan can do about it.  Thank You for blessing my life so many times.  You are amazing and I love you with all my heart.  Release You favor and blessing over my life, my family, my church etc.

Yours,
Jeff

Hate and Murder

Scripture:

I John 3:15 "Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart.  And you know that murderers don't have eternal life in them".

Observation:

John is a very direct author and writer.  His message is very clear and he doesn't mix words.  Here he basically says that hatred of a brother or sister is murder at heart and murderers don't go to heaven.  It is the same junk working in us to cause us to hate as it is that causes people to murder.

Application:

Hate is a very strong word that, as a Christian, we should never use toward anyone.  John tells us that when we hate, we do not have eternal life in us.  In other words, you cannot have Jesus living in you and hate anyone because Jesus doesn't hate anyone.  One of the primary fruit of the Spirit is love and it's opposite is hate.  When we are full of Jesus, we are full of love.  When we are full of ourselves or the devil, we are full of hate.  We need to be very cautious in this area because God looks at it the same as murder.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, Thank you for sharing this with me today.  I have recently heard people who think they are Christians using this hate word and it really bothered me.  Thanks for letting it stand out today and helping me to understand how You feel about hatred.  Help me to be a peacemaker and to bring caution when I hear someone say they hate another person.

Yours,
Jeff

Power Evangelism

Scripture:

Esther 8:17b "And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them".

Observation:

God did such a mighty work of reversal for the Jews that the non-Jews wanted to become Jews so they could have God working on their behalf as they had seen.  God used Esther and Mordecai to turn an entire nation and gave them such blessing and power that those around them became very nervous.  They wanted God to work on their behalf like He did for the Jews.  This story was nothing short of an absolute miracle on every side.  It is one of those stories that had to be God and there is no other expanation.

Application:

God still uses power evangelism to turn people to Him.  Power evangelism is still one of the most effective forms of Evangelism.  We serve a supernatural God with supernatural power.  Why should we present Him to others as anything else.  When the world sees the true power of God, they will run to Him and want to serve Him.  We must present Him to the world with signs and wonders so they may know what He can do for them, then they will desire to become Christians.

Prayer:

Father, demonstrate Your power in my life on a daily basis.  Let me have testimonies every day of your provision, power and supernatural blessing until the world sees it and wants to serve You.  Let's work together to provoke the unsaved to jealousy.  Demonstrate You power until they come running to churches wanting to know more about this awesome God!

Yours,
Jeff

God's Make His Enemies Look Bad

Scripture:

Esther 9:1 "On that day, the enemies of the Jews has hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened.  It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies".

Observation:

God has a great way of making His enemies look really bad.  On this occasion, the enemies of God's people had planned to overpower them.  They had been planning for a long time the destruction of the Jews.  Just before it happened, God had the right person find out about and he gave that person wisdom and guidance to do and say the right things.  His obedience caused a divine reversal to take place and on the very day the Jews were to be annihilated, they overpowered their enemies.

Application:

If God can save a nation in a very short time from destruction, what can He do in our lives?  He is awesome and His enemies are smart enough to fear Him.  When it looks like the enemy is winning in our lives, we must listen to the voice of God who will direct us on what to do in order to bring about our victory.  Mordecai had to listen to God's voice and do the right thing, then God gave the victory.  We must do the same if God is going to turn our disasters into testimonies.  We must follow hard after God and trust Him with our future and destiny.

Prayer:

Father, nothing is impossible for You.  Help me to grasp that more and more every day.  Teach me to follow hard after You and trust You with every decision in my life.  I belong to You and You can make my enemies be defeated.  You are able to bring victory out of the jaws of defeat.  Teach me to walk in You and to walk in victory.

Your Son,
Jeff

Grace, Peace and Knowledge

Scripture:

II Peter 1:2 "May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord".

Observation:

Peter is writing a letter to Christians who are following the Lord.  In the introduction to the book he prays that God would give them more and more grace and peace as they grow in Him.  It is God who gives us the grace and peace to know Him more.  We can't really grow in God ourselves.  It is He who give us growth grace!  We can study and do the knowledge of God part, but even that is empowered by God's grace, not our works.

Application:

Grace is the empowering of God to do what He wants us to do.  Peter prays that our grace would grow more and more.  We should take away from this today that our spiritual growth is important and we need to study hard and pray hard, but that it is God who gives us the grace to do that.  It is He thats put spiritual growth in our hearts in the first place.  It is He who empowers us to live a life that pleases Him.  The more we desire to know Him, the greater grace will come into our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me about your grace and peace.  Give me the grace to know You deeper and more each day.  I want to know Your heart on many matters right now in my life and I ask You to direct my thoughts and path.  I need your grace and peace to flood my soul today as I pursue You and Your will today.

Yours,
Jeff