This is from the Lord

Scripture:

Genesis 24:50  "Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other'".

Observation:

Abraham's servant had gone back to Abraham's people to find a wife for Isaac.  When he got where he was going, he asked God to confirm who Isaac was to marry by having her do certain things.  He was very specific and she did everything he had asked God for her to do if she was the one.  God's will in this situation became very clear and there was no doubt she was the one.  All her parents could say about having their daughter move far away to marry a stranger was, "This is from the Lord", and that was enough.  They trusted God enough to know He was speaking and that He would take care of their daughter.

Application:

It is a wonderful thing to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are doing what God wants you to do.  When it has been confirmed very clearly and without doubt, there is a peace that God will take care of you through every trial because you know you are in His will.  We need to seek the Lord again until the things we say and do are answered by, "This is from the Lord".  God doesn't get glory by hiding His will from us, but by revealing it so the world around us may also say, "This is from the Lord".

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be in Your will at all times and I want You to confirm it clearly so I can walk in confidence.  Teach me to follow You more closely and open doors in my life that would cause others to say, "This is from the Lord".

Yours Always,
Jeff

Laughter

Scripture:

Genesis 21:6 "Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me'".

Observation:

Sarah had just given birth to Isaac at ninety years of age with a husband of a hundred.  She said, "God has brought me laughter" and actually named her son Isaac, which means "laughter".  She associated the blessing and promise of God with laughter.

Application:

Today it seems that the more they grow in God, the less they laugh.  When they first meet Jesus, joy fills their hearts and they overflow with laughter and joy in their new found relationship with Christ.  As they grow, things go wrong, Christian people treat them wrong, God doesn't give them something they want, etc. and their joy disappears.  Many Christians look miserable most of the time.  I want joy and laughter to always be a large part of who I am.  I want to live a life that makes the world wonder where I found such joy.  I want to still be laughing when I am ninety.

Prayer:

Lord, I know I have lost my smile and laughter to some degree this past year.  I want it back.  I want to enjoy life again.  I want to be filled with your joy in a very real sense as has been the hallmark of my life.  Help me smile more and laugh more once again.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Omnipotence

Scripture:

Genesis 18:14 "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Observation:

The word of the Lord came to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child and would be "the father of many nations".  The problem was, Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 90.  They were way beyond child-bearing years and they knew it.  Sarah laughed when she heard the news that she was going to have a baby.  When she laughed, the Lord spoke to Abraham and said, "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?"

Application:

It seems lately that everywhere I turn, I hear "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?"  Prayer meetings, preaching meetings and personal meetings, all end up in the same words, "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?"  Apparently, God is trying to get my attention and is trying to increase my personal faith level.  It is like He is pushing me to trust Him more.  This morning I answer, no Lord, nothing is too difficult for You.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  Help me to see You in a proper context.  In the context of Your awesome power.  I want to know You more and to see Your power in my generation.  I know You are able, I just want you to touch my generation with a mighty revival and awakening.  Demonstrate Your great power in my nation Lord.

Your Son,
Jeff

Knowing Good and Evil

Scripture:

Genesis 3:22 "And the Lord God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.  He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever'".

Observation:

In this passage we see God having to deal with the fact that man had sinned and eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Now man had become like God in knowing good and evil and therefore God had to remove man from the garden so he couldn't eat from the tree of life also and live forever.  At this point man was banished from the garden of Eden and angels were dispatched to keep man from entering the garden again.  What seemed like a blessing, knowing good and evil, ended up being a curse on mankind.

Application:

From that point onward, we are born and our nature tells us there is good and there is evil.  Before that point Adam and Eve lived naked and unashamed.  Before knowing good and evil, they walked with God in perfect relationship.  After knowing good and evil, they were separated from God.  Jesus came to be the perfect sacrifice so that mankind can live eternally.  He came so that the separation that day, could be overcome and we could walk with God in personal relationship again.  Relationship with God is much better than knowing good and evil.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me more on this subject.  I want to know You more today and every day.  You are my everything and I want my relationship with You to grow deeper daily.

Yours,
Jeff

Refreshing Hearts

Scripture:

Philemon 7  "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people".

Observation:

Paul is writing to Philemon and asking him to accept back his former slave who had escaped, met Paul, and gave his heart to the Lord.  In the introduction of his letter, Paul says that his love has given Paul great joy because Philemon "refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people".  Apparently, Philemon allowed Christ's love and life to flow out of him to an obvious degree and people's hearts were refreshed because of it.

Application:

When people are describing me, would they say, "he refreshes the hearts of God's people"?  I want to be a refreshing stream or river that continually gives life to those around me.  I want the love of God to fill me up completely until joy and encouragement flow out of my life to as many other people as possible. 

Prayer:

Lord let me be a refresher of people's hearts.  Let my life bring encouragement to those around me.  Teach me to walk with You closer and let Your life fill mine with overflowing joy, that I may refresh hearts around me.

Yours,
Jeff

Reverence for the Lord

Scripture:

Malachi 4:2 "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves".

Observation:

As the Old Testament is closing, the prophet Malachi reminds us that as we revere the Lord, we can expect healing to be part of our lives.  From the beginning, God has declared He is our healer.  He has said it throughout the Old and New Testaments alike.  He is our healer.  This instance also associates a condition to our healing through Him.  It says "for those who revere my name".  As we revere the name of the Lord, our healing comes forth in our lives.

Application:

To revere is to honor, respect, and fear the name of the Lord.  As we lift Him up and give Him the place He deserves in our lives, our healing will come.  He is the healer of all sickness and disease.  He is the conquering King!  He is amazing and His name is to be praised.  I've been struggling with knee pain for some time now and have been for prayer many times, but now I feel like as I worship Him, He will arise with healing in His rays.

Prayer:

Father, I lift up Your name.  May your name be exalted above all other names.  Help me to honor Your name.  You are amazing and I am honored to serve You.  Teach me to revere Your name at a greater level.

Yours,
Jeff

We Have Heard that God is With You

Scripture:

Zechariah 8:23 "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you''".

Observation:

Zechariah is prophesying about the restoration of Jerusalem.  The Zechariah, the Lord tells Israel that He is going to bless them so much that people from other nations are going to be grabbing at their clothes and begging them to go with them "because we have heard that God is with you".  The presence of God changes everything.  When the presence of God is with you, those around you just want to be close to you.

Application:

Can you imagine the day when the ungodly are begging to be around us because they know that God is with us?  I want to live a life that makes the world say, "we have heard that God is with you".  When God is with you, even the ungodly should recognize it and want Him.  As a New Testament believer, we have God with us.  He is within us.  As we yield to Him, we see Him work in and through our lives to a greater degree.  May we yield to Him until the world says, "We have heard that God is with you".

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk with You in such a way that those around me know that You are with me.  I want Your voice to speak through me and your hands to touch through me so the world may hear and know that you are with me and want You in their lives as well.  I want to make the world jealous so they will look to You.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Prophetic "IF"

Scripture:

Zechariah 6:15  "Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.  This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God".

Observation:

Zechariah gave this message and within this message is the simple prophetic word "IF".  Scripture is full of prophetic "IFs".  Most prophecy contains an if, but we generally look at it as if it must happen because it was spoken.  Prophecy usually shows us the heart of God and what He wants to do for us, but then there is an "IF" that brings our obedience into the equation.  In this case, the promise is that people from far away will come and help build the temple, the problem is that it is conditional upon the obedience of God's people.

Application:

The prophetic "IF" is hard for us to deal with.  When we walk in complete obedience to the Lord, all of the "IFs" are removed and we will see the fulfillment of the prophetic promises.  God's job is to take care of the fulfillment, our job is to take care of the "IF".  As we walk in daily obedience to the Lord, His word will come to pass in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, I want Your will accomplished in my life.  I don't want Your will stopped up because I didn't take care of the "IFs" in my life.  Help me walk in complete obedience.  I want to see the fulfillment of all You have promised me and put in my heart.  Help me uphold my end of the deal.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Apple of His Eye

Scripture:

Zechariah 2:8 "For this is what the Lord Almighty says, 'After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you - for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye'".

Observation:

Zechariah is writing about the restoration of Jerusalem and His people.  The Lord was saying that He would restore them as they turn back to Him and that He would deal with their enemies.  An interesting side note is that God used their enemies in His plan to judge His people, then He says He will destroy them for doing it because they are the apple of His eye.  Zechariah says that the people of God are "the apple of His eye".

Application:

As New Testament believers we are spiritual Israel, therefore we can look at this verse and say that we are the apple of God's eye.  God loves us more than we believe.  He will fight against those who fight against us.  He will protect His people.  He doesn't let us out of His sight.  He may allow the enemy to attack at times for our own growth, but He always comes through for His people.  The devil will get what is coming to Him in the end because we are "the apple of His eye".  We must learn to live understanding how much God loves us and live in a way that bring Him pleasure.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to say back to You that You are the apple of my eye.  You are my everything and I love you deeply.  Thank You for reminding me this morning about your incredible love for Your people.  You are the best!

Yours,
Jeff

The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth

Scripture:

I Timothy 3:15 "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's house-hold, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth".

Observation:

Paul is writing to his spiritual son Timothy about how things should be done in the church.  He wants Timothy to be prepared to lead God's people.  As he is writing to show Timothy how things should be done, he throws in this section that tells us the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of truth.  According to this, truth is supported and given strength by the church.

Application:

If we see the church as the pillar and foundation of truth, then we need to take care of the the church.  A pillar holds things up and a foundation gives strength to the building.  The church is to hold up and give strength to truth.  Truth is what the world is looking for and we are give them something real.  The church needs to be strong so that the world can see the truth we carry.  When falseness goes on in the church, it weakens our testimony in the community.  Truth makes us strong.  Let's walk in truth.

Prayer:

Father God, let the church be the pillar and foundation of truth once again.  Let the church be the one place in the earth where truth is still the foundation.  Let me be truthful in everything I do so the church can be strong.  I want the church to make You look good to this community.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Four Things God Doesn't Like

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:2  "She obeys no one, she accepts no correction.  She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God".

Observation:

In this passage, God is rebuking Jerusalem and pronouncing judgment on her.  Zephaniah is prophesying of the Day of the Lord that will come and judge the nations.  He speaks of judgment coming on the nations, then turns to Jerusalem and pronounces judgment because: "She obeys no one, she accepts no correction.  She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God".  These four things are given as the main reason God is going to judge Jerusalem.

Application:

If we apply this to our lives in 2013, we would say that these four things are things we want in our lives to remain in the blessing of the Lord.  We must be humble enough to obey God and those who God puts over us in this life.  We must learn to accept correction and adjust when we are wrong.  We must learn to trust God in every area of our lives.  We also must be a people who draw near to the Lord.  When these four things are at work in a person, they will live under the blessing of God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in each of these four things.  I want to please You in every way.  Let my life bring you praise.  Humility and hunger for God are things I want in my life. Help me live my life in the way You want me to.

Yours,
Jeff

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Scripture:

II Thessalonians 1:7 "and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.  This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels".

Observation:

Paul was telling the Thessalonians that God would judge the wicked.  It says just before this that God will pay back trouble to to those who trouble you.  I just love Paul's depiction of Jesus coming back "in blazing fire with his powerful angels".  When Jesus comes back, it is not going to be like the suffering servant of his first revelation.  This time He is coming in power to judge the living and the dead.

Application:

When Jesus is revealed, He will repay everything that needs repaid.  He will right every wrong and dish out punishment where it is necessary.  He is coming again in blazing fire with his powerful angels.  God says that vengeance is His and that He will repay.  We should live our lives with the understanding that it is God who brings justice, not us.  We must trust Him, not only with our salvation, but with fighting our battles.  He will right every wrong when He comes again in power.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for this picture this morning.  You are coming back in power and I know You will right every wrong and straighten out every account.  Help me to live now trusting You in this area instead of wanting to take vengeance myself when opportunity arises.  You are the judge of the living and the dead.  Help me trust You more in this area.

Yours,
Jeff

The Awesomeness of God

Scripture:

Nahum 1:5  "The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away.  The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it."

Observation:

Nahum is describing the Lord God Almighty and uses several pictures of His awesomeness as he is telling Ninevah about the judgment that is coming their direction from God.  In his description, Nahum says, "the mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away.  The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it."  His description of the Lord is awesome!

Application:

Do we really see God as the one who causes the whole earth to tremble?  Do we see Him as the one before whom the mountains tremble and the hills melt away?  Do we perceive God as the most awesome and powerful force in the universe or do we see Him as a God who once in a while does something to help us out of a bad situation?  We must begin to see God like the prophets saw Him.  We must see that God is powerful and can't be messed with.  He is the Almighty!  At his presence, the mountains quake and the earth trembles.  Nothing can stand before Him and He is my father.  Wow, what a thought!  He is the master of the universe and He is my father.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see You as You are.  You are awesome and to be feared above all gods.  You are mighty and everything quakes before you in your presence.  As I see Your incredible power, let me also see that You are my father and you love me.  Help me to see all that power guided toward me because of You great love for me.  You are amazing!

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Whatever You Do

Scripture:

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters".

Observation:

Paul tells the Colossians that they should not be half-hearted in anything they do.  Whatever they did, they were to do it with all their heart.  They should do everything in life as if they were doing it for the Lord.

Application:

As believers, we should be people who are diligent and have a strong work ethic.  In our places of business, we should be the ones who are the hardest working, most productive employees because we are doing our work for the Lord and not our boss.  Those around us should be asking why we work so hard.  The philosophy of the day is "work just hard enough so you don't get fired" and bosses pay "just enough so they won't quit".  We need to turn this around.  Regardless of the pay scale, we should always be the best employees.

Prayer:

Lord, Help me to be diligent in every area of life.  Let me not be known as a slacker, but as a man who works hard.  Let the work of my hands bring you praise and honor.  Help me be excellent in every part of my life.

Yours,
Jeff

The Glorious Riches of This Mystery

Scripture:

Colossians 1:27 "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory".

Observation:

Paul talks about the glorious riches of this mystery.  What mystery?  Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Paul tells us that Christ in us is the hope of glory and is the glorious riches of this mystery.  It is a mystery that God would send His Son to this earth to pay the ranson for Jew and Gentile alike.  He paid a debt He did not owe.  He not only paid the sin debt for us, He now lives in us through the Holy Spirit.  Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.  The greater one live in us.  That is a mystery, but also a powerful revelation.

Application:

The hope of glory, Christ Himself, lives in us!  What a powerful thought.  He that conquered death resides in me.  He that defeated all temptation, lives in me.  He that trampled on Satan, lives in me.  What an incredible mystery!  We are alive with Christ and in Him we live and move and have our being.  If the greater one lives inside of us, we have nothing to fear.  We need to come to complete understanding of this and allow Christ to live through us much more.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to yield my life completely to You that Christ may live through me in every way.  I want to know You more every day.  I want you to live through me.  Let my body be a tent that you live in and work through.  Make me completely yours I pray.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Requirements

Scripture:

Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Observation:

Micah gives us a quick way to know we are walking truly with God.  What does God require of His people?  Simply this, "act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God".  God is simply looking for people who will be just in their dealings, merciful in their relationships and walk in humility because God hates pride in any way.  God really doesn't ask for much.  He wants us to treat others well and walk in humility, that summarizes it.

Application:

We must be a people who demonstrate we belong to God in the way we live our lives.  When we act justly and do the right thing, God is glorified in our lives.  When we demonstrate mercy to those who don't deserve it, God is glorified in our lives.  When we walk in humility and give God all the recognition, God is glorified in our lives.  God is glorified when we do these things and our lives become easier as well.  People like those who live this way.

Prayer:

Father, let me be more like You each day.  Help me in these three areas.  I want to always be a person who walk justly, shows mercy and walks humbly before you.  You are my source of life, love and liberty.  I want to live for your glory.

Yours Forever,
Jeff