The Word of the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:8  "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever".

Observation:

The word of the Lord is strong enough to outlast everything else.  It will be standing when nothing else is left standing.  It can be trusted, tested, examined, and will always come out untouched.  God's word will stand the test of time and already has.  Other things will come and go, but the Word of the Lord will never fail.

Application:

We need solid ground to build the foundation of our lives on.  The Word of God is stronger than the strongest foundation.  It will endure forever.  We must live our lives based on and in obedience to the Word of the Lord.  We need to follow His word with all our heart.  His word will lead us into victory and will bring blessing into our lives.  Everything else will fade, but God's word will last forever.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to live according to Your word at all times.  Help me to build my life on the foundation of your word and not on my own will, desires, etc.  Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight.  I want to be strong in You and your word to lead my life into all You have for me.  Give me a stronger desire for your word.

Yours,
Jeff

His Plans and Wisdom

Scripture:

Isaiah 28:29  "All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent".

Observation:

From this verse I see the prophet speaking about the Lord.  He lets us know that God's plan is wonderful and his wisdom is magnificent.  When we follow God's plan for our lives, we will see his wonder and just how good His plans are for us.  He is also wiser than the wise and all wisdom belongs to Him.  He knows what is best for us and His plans are beautiful for our lives.

Application:

We must realize that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but the Christ came to give life and life more abundantly.  We must stop blaming God for every bad thing that happens to us.  His plan is wonderful and His wisdom is magnificent.  James tells us if we lack wisdom, we should ask of God who gives it liberally and doesn't hold it back.  We can walk in the magnificent wisdom of God when we seek Him.

Prayer:

Lord, Help me stay on Your plan and not my own.  You have all wisdom and I ask You to let me walk in Your wisdom.  Help me make right decisions and to see your plans for me come to pass instead of my own.  I trust You.  Lead me today I pray.  I need You more now than ever.

Your Son,
Jeff

Peace for the Steadfast

Scripture:

Isaiah 26:3  "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You".

Observation:

Isaiah declares that God will keep people in perfect peace whose minds are steadfast because of their trust in God.  When people trust fully and completely on God, they can have perfect peace.  Their minds will be steadfast because they won't be stressed out over what is happening to them.  They will be focused on God, who is able to conquer every problem.

Application:

Our job in this is to keep our minds steadfast by trusting in God.  He is the one who is able to defeat every enemy and fix every problem that rises up in our lives.  He should be our focal point.  As we fix our minds on Him, peace will come.  One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace.  When the Spirit of God is really working in our lives, we will experience perfect peace.

Prayer:

Father, let me walk in perfect peace today because my mind is steadfastly fixed on You.  Help me to accomplish your will today.  Help me walk through the stressful time I'm in with confidence in my God.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Key to the House of David

Scripture:

Isaiah 22:22  "I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open".

Observation:

God is speaking of Eliakim, who He said He would raise up to rule and to be a father to the people of Judah.  God then says of Eliakim that he would place on his shoulder the key to the house of David.  He says that with that key, if he shuts it, it is shut and if he opens it, it is open.  He said He was going to give Eliakim the authority of the house of David.

Application:

God this man with awesome authority.  God saw something in him that said he could be trusted with spiritual authority.  He basically said, if this man wants it... he will get it.  If he doesn't want it, it won't happen.  May God entrust us with that kind of spiritual authority.  May we live lives that cause God to trust us with authority in the earth.  May God give us the keys to the house of David.

Prayer:

Father, let me live a life that you can bless with authority.  Help me live a trustworthy life.  Let my yes be yes and my no be no.  Let truth flow through me and help me to do what needs done and say what needs said.  Give me strength today.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

In That Day

Scripture:

Isaiah 19:23  "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria.  The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria.  The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together."

Observation:

Isaiah is prophesying about Egypt and what will take place.  During the prophecy, he continually says the words, "in that day".  It is like he is letting everyone know that there is an appointed time for them when He is going to work powerfully among them.  He gives several things that will happen "in that day".

Application:

God does work in times and seasons.  There are appointed times in God when He is going to do certain things nationally and internationally as well as in our own lives.  It seems like, "in that day", is something we have heard prophetically from the Lord before.  We just wish "that day", was today.  We long for "that day" that we know is coming, while today we must move forward in faith, waiting for "that day".

Prayer:

Lord, there are so many "that days" that have been spoken over my life.  Help me to walk in faith until "that day" comes.  Help me to walk through each season with a pure heart and a loving spirit.  Help me to be prepared for "that day" when it comes.  Speed up the fulfillment of words spoken over my life.

Yours,
Jeff

The Difficult Will of God

Scripture:

Isaiah 6:10  "Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed".

Observation:

Isaiah had his encounter with the Lord which was powerful.  The Lord said, "Who will go for Me?" and Isaiah answered, "Here am I, send me".  You hear this scene preached all the time, but the next verses tell what God was sending him to do.  Verse 10 says God wants to use Isaiah to harden the people because God wants to bring judgment on them.  He wants Isaiah to make them calloused because God doesn't want them to repent and be healed.  Wow!  What a calling!

Application:

Can God give us the tough jobs or do we only signup for the ones that seem easy?  When we answer, "Here am I, send me", we better be ready to do whatever He wants.  Not every calling is easy.  Not every calling causes people to love us.  Not every assignment is going to feel good to us.  Can God trust us with the difficult will of God?

Prayer:

Lord, this has been a difficult week for me.  I have been frustrated, upset, and anxious because things don't seem to be going the way I think they should.  Help me to follow Your voice when it seems things are not working out right and when obedience is difficult.  Help me understand what You are doing in my life and ministry.

Yours,
Jeff

Trust in God, Not Man

Scripture:

Isaiah 2:22  "Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils.  Why hold them in esteem?"

Observation:

Isaiah is prophesying destruction in Judah because the people were trusting in idols made by man.  They were trusting in the works of man.  God hates when His people put their trust in anyone but him.  In this case, people were putting their trust in man rather than God.  One day, man will be brought low and the true God will be exalted in all the earth.

Application:

So often, we struggle with trusting humans over God.  Humans make mistakes and lead us down wrong paths.  God's ways are right and perfect, but the ways of man are crooked and messed up.  We have partial understanding and He has perfect understanding.  We must learnt to trust God, even when He doesn't make sense to us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more and more each day.  I need to hear Your voice leading me and I will follow.  Teach me to hear clearly and to follow wholeheartedly.  I am Yours.

Forever,
Jeff

Guard the Good

Scripture:

II Timothy 1:14  "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us".

Observation:

Paul is writing to Timothy, his son in the Lord.  He had just told him that he should keep a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ.  He then tells him to guard the good deposit that had been made in him.  He said the Holy Spirit would help him guard it.

Application:

You guard only what is valuable and important in your life.  Paul tells us we should value the good deposit of teaching, faith and love that has been put in us.  We can't let anyone steal our faith, the word of God nor our love for any reason.  We must guard the deposit at all costs.  We can't let it decay through sin.  We can't let it be lost because we just haven't been using it for a while.  We must guard our faith daily and watch over it to make sure we don't stray away for any reason.  We must also trust the Holy Spirit will help us with this.

Prayer:

Father, you are awesome and I love you deeply.  Help me to guard what has been put in my life.  Holy Spirit, help me to guard the precious gift of your presence in my life.  Teach me to value  my faith more and more each day.

Yours,
Jeff

Love is Unstoppable

Scripture:

Song of Songs 8:7  "Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot sweep it away.  If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned".

Observation:

Solomon understood that love is a powerful force that is unstoppable.  He tells us that many waters cannot quench love.  It is  like an unquenchable fire that won't be put out.  God's love toward us is like this love.  Many waters can't quench it.  It can't be swept away.

Application:

God loves us with such unquenchable love.  He loves us beyond comprehension and His love is unstoppable.  We, as God's children, should demonstrate the same love.  Our love for people and for God should not be stoppable, no matter what they do to us.

Prayer:

Lord, let me love with unstoppable, unquenchable love.  You love me that way, so help me love others that way.  Let me love you and others with real love that never gives up and can't be washed away.

Your Son,
Jeff

Life Happens

Scripture:

Proverbs 9:12  "Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:  As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them".

Observation:

The author here is saying that sometimes bad things happen unexpectedly.  A fish is simply swimming along, doing what it does every day of its life, suddenly they are caught in a net and can't get out.  A bird may fly for years every day, but one day they are flying and caught in a snare.  Suddenly life is shortened and everything changes.  Sometimes things happen that are out of our control.

Application:

Life happens to the good, the bad and the ugly.  Sometimes in life we are suddenly caught in a trap and everything changed quickly, usually not for the good.  We begin to think God doesn't love us, we must have some hidden sin, we are under a curse, or that we don't pray enough.  Sometimes it may be an attack of the enemy, sometimes life just happens and we have no control over it.  We need to learn to trust God in those times and know it will all work out to bring Him praise in the end.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to handle the unexpected challenges of life well.  Help me walk in faith through the difficult times.  Help me see that sometimes there isn't an answer as to why things happen the way they do.  Help me to trust You more with the outcome of surprise situations.

Yours Always,
Jeff

Wise and Happy

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 8:1  "Who is like the wise?  Who knows the explanation of things?  A person's wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance."

Observation:

When I look at this verse I feel like the author is saying that wise people tend to be happier and have a softer countenance.  They  look like people who are really enjoying life.  Foolish people put themselves in bad situations that harden themselves.  Wise people make decisions that make life easier in the long run, therefore, their face brightens and softens like someone who is really enjoying life.

Application:

Wisdom delays gratification.  When we want instant gratification, we are going to struggle down the road.  Those who put think long term and sacrifice in the present always appear happier in the long term.  I want to be happy in the long term and not just right this moment.  I want to live in wisdom and not folly.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I love you and honor you today.  You are amazing!  Help me to live like the wise.  Forgive me for being foolish so many times and doing things I knew would not be the best idea in the long run.  Help me walk in wisdom from this point forward.

Your Son,
Jeff

Envy Gets You Nowhere

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 4:4  "And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another.  This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind".

Observation:

The author, one of the wisest men to ever live, is letting us know that toil and achievement really spring forth from a person's envy of someone else.  This is true.  Most achievement is simply trying to outdo someone else's achievements.  People work incredibly hard to break records and achieve higher and greater things in every area of life.  It is usually someone's envy of someone else that leads the pursuit.

Application:

What if our achievement and work was not to outdo someone else, but truly to fulfill God's purposes in our lives.  What if we were led by the Spirit instead of being led by envy of someone else or their accomplishments?  Achievement birthed in competition will always be outdone by someone down the road.  There will always be someone who does things better.  A life of purpose fulfills God's will instead of always competing to be number one.

Prayer:

Father God, help me not to compare myself with others.  Help me to accomplish what You put me on earth to accomplish and not feel bad if it doesn't compare with what someone else has done.  I want to fulfill Your will above all else.  Let my achievements be your achievements and not motivated by envy of another person.

Your Son,
Jeff

A Healthy Church and Life

Scripture:

II Thessalonians  1:3  "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing".

Observation:

Paul is speaking to the people of Thessalonica and lets them know that he is proud of them and thanks God for them because two things are increasing.  They were increasing in faith and they were increasing in love for each other.  Paul says in the next verse that they always boast about them to the other churches because, during a time of persecution, they were increasing in faith and love.

Application:

Am I increasing in faith and love?  That's the question.  When God was looking at churches and speaking about them, you would usually hear a comment about their faith and their love.  When we feel like we are grown and mature as a Christian, we need to ask ourselves, "are we growing in faith and love?"  These are the benchmarks God uses when looking at a church and they are the benchmarks we should use as well.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  Help me to trust You more completely and to walk in faith in every area of my life.  Teach me to love others more than myself.  Help me to see people as You see them.  Let faith and love increase in my life.

Your Son,
Jeff

Lips that Speak Knowledge

Scripture:

Proverbs 20:15  "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."

Observation:

Solomon here tells us that gold and rubies are abundant.  They can be found anywhere and there are lots of them, but people who speak knowledge are a rare jewel.  A rare jewel is more valuable because of it's scarcity.  There are not a lot of people speaking true knowledge.  Those who are speaking knowledge should be valued as a rare jewel.

Application:

We should honor those who truly speak knowledge into our lives.  People can say lots of good things, but people who speak true knowledge are rare and extremely valuable.  I want to strive to be a person who speaks with knowledge.  When I speak to others, I want God's words and knowledge to flow through me.

Prayer:

Father, fill me with knowledge and let my words be empowered by You.  Help me to speak your word, which is the source of incredible knowledge, accurately.  Let me speak well on your behalf.

Yours,
Jeff

A Crushed Spirit

Scripture:

Proverbs 18:14  "The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?"

Observation:

The author tells us here that our human spirit is strong enough to endure through sickness.  Our human spirit can remain strong through adversity, but when that spirit is crushed, nobody can bear it.  According to this, the spirit of a person is strong, but can be crushed, and when crushed, it is hard to bounce back.

Application:

When a person's spirit is crushed by disappointments, frustration, separation, failure, etc., it is a very difficult thing to walk through.  Many today have been crushed in spirit when they did the right things and were punished for it.  Many have a crushed spirit because of words spoken over them by their parents, etc.  Out human spirit is strong, but a crushed spirit is really tough.  Only God can help us when our spirit is crushed.

Prayer:

Father, I know many people who have a crushed spirit, who just want to give up on life because they see no hope.  You are hope to the hopeless and life to the lifeless.  Touch and lift the heavy hearted who feel crushed by the circumstances of life.  Only You can bring them out.

Yours,
Jeff

A Heart at Peace

Scripture:

Proverbs 14:30  "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones".

Observation:

In this passage I see how important it is to have a heart at peace.  Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit.  It should be part of every Christian's life, but few find it today.  People are worried about everything.  We worry about every little detail because we are envious of the way others are living their lives.  Envy rots our bones, but a heart at peace gives life to the body.

Application:

Peace gives life to the body, envy rots our bones.  We must seek to be at peace.  Godliness with contentment is great gain.  If your bones are rotting within us, we need to do a peace check.  Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the understanding and conviction that God is with us through the conflict and there is really nothing to worry about.  Seek peace and give life to your body.

Prayer:

Lord, let your peace that passes understanding come into my life more and more.  Let me be at peace and let my body profit from it.  I want a full and enjoyable life.  Help me live at peace more and more.  Teach me not to be envious of others.

Yours,
Jeff

Generosity Brings Prosperity

Scripture:

Proverbs 11:25  "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."

Observation:

Solomon, the author of Proverbs, understood wealth, riches and honor.  He was the wisest and wealthiest man to live on this planet.  He was given a gift to understand and to lead God's people.  With that wisdom, he realized that generous people prosper and those who help or refresh others will themselves be helped or refreshed.  In other words, those who give with the right heart, also receive.

Application:

Generosity brings prosperity.  When we determine to live a life of blessing others, we will be blessed.  When we determine to refresh others, we will be refreshed.  What we do for others, God will make happen for us.  God's blessing actually falls on a generous spirit and they are blessed with more.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I want to be a generous person more and more.  I want to help people in bad situations.  I want to support missionaries around the world who are advancing your kingdom.   I ask you to prosper me this morning, so I can prosper others.  As you entrust me with resources, I will be a giver.

Your Son,
Jeff

Parental Wisdom

Scripture:

Proverbs 6:20,22  "My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake your mother's teaching...When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you".

Observation:

This proverb speaks about the power of parent's teaching.  It tells me that my parent's teaching will guide me through life, it will watch over me, and it will speak to me.  Parent's words are powerful in the lives of their children.  Good parents and bad parents are remembered for the things they taught their children.  Their influence guides them all the way through life.

Application:

I am fortunate to have great parents who laid a very solid foundation for me.  So often today, I hear the voice of my father or mother when I need to make a decision.  It's like their teachings never leave my life.  I want the words my sons hear from me to walk with them throughout life and for them to hear my voice and the voice of the Holy Spirit in everything they do.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for this verse today.  Let my words have impact on my children.  Let them hear your voice and mine throughout their lives.  Let them serve you and develop into the men you want them to be.

Yours Forever,
Jeff