Refined to be His

Scripture:

Zechariah 13:9  "This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.  They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people', and they will say, 'The Lord is our God'".

Observation:

Just prior to this, the Lord was saying through Zechariah that He was going to wipe out two-thirds of his own people because they were following idols, etc.  It is a time of judgment in this scripture, but, even in judgment we see the heart of God.  The one-third left, He refines and purifies so that He can be theirs and they can be His.  He simply wants a holy people who He can have a deep relationship with.

Application:

God wants to refine and purify our lives.  He wants it, not to hurt us, but to help us walk with Him closer.  He has always desired a people who are fully and completely His.  He wants a people who are totally sold out to Him and who will do His will in the earth.  The cool thing about God is that He supplied His Son to make us righteous and His Spirit to help us walk the walk.  He makes is easier on us.

Prayer:

Father, you went out of Your way and sacrificed Your only Son so that I could have this special relationship with You.  You have blessed me with Your Spirit to show me how to live and to give the strength I need to live completely for You.  Thank You and help me to to follow You completely.  I want to know You, follow You, trust You and walk with You closer and closer.

Yours,

Jeff

Ask for Rain

Scripture:

Zechariah 10:1  "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.  He gives showers of rain to all people and plants of the field to everyone."

Observation:

Zechariah makes a simple, yet very profound statement here.  He says, "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime".  He goes on to give God credit for thunderstorms and showers that we need so much.

Application:

This verse causes me to think about some of the simple things I never ask God for.  In the springtime, we expect it to rain.  We simply expect that April showers will bring May flowers.  Sometimes we neglect to ask God for the simple things.  When it doesn't rain for a year, we begin to call on His name to rescue us, but do we pray every Spring for rain?  God wants us to ask for the simple things that we think are simply natural occurrences.

Prayer:

Father, sometimes I neglect to ask You for things because I feel like You already know my situation.  Remind me to ask for the simple things that I may take for granted.  Help me to ask You for the simple things and to rejoice when You provide.

Yours,
Jeff

Diligent Obedience

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:

In this passage, a prophetic word is given.  Usually, when a prophetic word is given, there is also a condition that accompanies it.  Here a beautiful promise is made about the rebuilding of the temple and how God would make it happen.  The promise is accompanied by the words, "This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God".

Application:

I have received many, many prophetic words throughout my life, and many of them have come to pass.  I have learned through the process that God can show you His will for your life, but if you stray away from following His voice and obeying His direction, He doesn't have to bring it to pass.  We must live in a constant state of diligent obedience to the voice of the Lord.  When we do, every word He speaks over our lives, will come to pass.

Prayer:

Father, I don't want to miss out on anything You have planned for my life.  I want to serve You completely and fulfill all of Your will for my life.  Help me to hear clearly Your voice and to obey with diligence, all you want me to do.

Your Son,
Jeff

At That Time

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:20  "At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.  I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, says the Lord."

Observation:

God had been speaking through Zephaniah about wiping out the whole world and destroying every nation for their disobedience.  He was speaking disaster that He was going to bring upon the earth.  Then He begins to talk about the remnant of Zion.  He says at that time He would restore their fortunes and give them honor and praise.

Application:

Generally, we give up on God just a little too early.  The word this morning is, "at that time".  God has set times when He is going to work.  We may have to put up with things for a while, but at the right time, God will intervene.  I'm sure the children of Israel thought He was way late when God decided to bring them out of Egypt, but it was at the right time.  We need to hold onto God and His promises and never give up.  At the right time, they will come to pass.

Prayer:

Father, there are many things I have felt in my spirit that have not yet come to pass.  Give me the strength to endure until, "that time" comes.  Help me to stay focused on You until "that time" comes.  I want to serve You well.  Strengthen my faith when I'm not seeing the results I would like to see at the time I would like to see them.

Your Son,
Jeff

Be Silent

Scripture:

Habakkuk 3:20  "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him".

Observation:

Habakkuk had been prophesying about Babylon and the judgment that would come on them because of the way they treated people and the gods they worshiped were made by their own hands.  Habakkuk closes his word to them by simply saying, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him".

Application:

Sometimes when we are in the midst of trouble, confusion, or not knowing what to do, we simply need to realize that God is in his temple and be silent before Him.  Usually when we are in trouble, we give God every detail of what He needs to do to get us out of the situation.  We pray exactly what we think needs to happen.   Sometimes, we need to simply come to the place of worship and remain silent before him.  He knows our needs before we ask.  Sometimes we need to simply be quiet in His presence and let Him do what He wants to do in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, help me to cast my cares upon You because You are for me, and then simply rest in Your presence.  Teach me to be silent in Your presence, knowing that You are God of all the universe and that You love me and have my back.

Silently,
Jeff

The God Who Cares and Crushes

Scripture:

Nahum 1:7-8  "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness".

Observation:

Nahum shows us both sides of our Lord in one statement.  He shows us the loving compassion of the Lord; He is a god who loves us, is a refuge for us, and who cares for us.  At the same time he is a just God who won't put up with those who are opposed to Him.  He is good to those who are His, but He will judge those who are not.

Application:

Some people really struggle to understand how a loving god can send people to hell or allow bad things to happen in the world.  He will go to the ends of the earth to help those who love Him, but He will also bring trouble on those who refuse to follow him.  His love made a way for us to have an incredible relationship with Him, yet His justice will bring punishment on his enemies.  As a dad and husband I understand this.  I love my wife and sons and will go overboard to bless them, but if someone speaks bad about them, I will not be very kind in my response.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing to me!  You have taken incredible care of me through the years and I am grateful.  One day every enemy of Yours will be defeated and You will reign over all.  Thank you for being my refuge and caring for me.

Yours,
Jeff

Loving life

Scripture:

Revelation 12:11  "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink back from death".

Observation:

John tells us in this passage about those who overcame the enemy.  He says that they did it by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.  The part most people leave off in this verse is that they also overcame the enemy by not loving their lives, even to death.

Application:

Loving Life, that is how I have answered many people through the years when they asked how I was doing.  I believe God wants us to love life, but to not love it so much that we are afraid of death.  We are to enjoy life on this earth, but we must be more tuned in to eternity so that we see things from an eternal perspective.  We can't love our lives so much that we are more concerned about this life than the life to come.  We must keep perspective while on this earth.  We must enjoy it, but not serve it.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to enjoy life, yet not be afraid of death.  Help me follow You through whatever may come my way.  Let my foundation in You never be shaken.  Help me to love my life less and less and love You and Your life more and more.  I never want to shrink back from death, but be an overcomer.

Yours,
Jeff

A Great Multitude

Scripture:

Revelation 7:9  "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands".

Observation:

John saw a multitude in heaven whose number was absolutely huge.  It was innumerable!  They were worshiping God around the throne and declaring that salvation belongs to Him and to the Lamb.

Application:

I love reading this because it demonstrates just how large the number of those who will make heaven is going to be.  It gives me confidence we are on the right team and it gives me strength to keep on going and sharing the Good News.  We must be about our Father's business of Kingdom expansion.  As we do, we will see heaven populated more and more.  Can't wait to see this awesome sight!

Prayer:

Father, You are worthy of all praise and honor.  You are the victor over all, both in this life and in the life to come.  Help me to keep my focus on populating heaven with people from every tribe, language and nation.  Help me keep the main thing, the main thing.

Your Son,
Jeff

A Kingdom of Priests

Scripture:

Revelation 5:10  "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth".

Observation:

John was talking about Jesus being the lamb that overcame and brought salvation for people from every nation tribe and tongue.  He goes on to say that these people from every nation tribe and tongue were made a kingdom and priests who will reign on the the earth.  What are the qualifications?  Be one who was purchased for God by the blood of Jesus.

Application:

Many people feel that when we are saved, we are simply going to miss hell and go to heaven.  We are not only going to miss hell and go to heaven, here we see that we are in training for reigning as a kingdom and priests.  We will not just sit on the clouds worshiping God and playing our harps, we will be reigning and ruling with Christ in his kingdom.  We can lift up our heads and know that our future is bright in Jesus, both now and in the world to come.

Prayer:

Father, help me keep eternal perspective in my life.  Help me to walk with You and fulfill Your will each day in my life.  Teach me to say yes to You in every area of my life as you prepare me for all that You have for my life and future.  Help me to walk by faith and not by sight.

Your Son,
Jeff

I Stand at the Door and Knock

Scripture:

Revelation 3:19-20  "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest and repent.  Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me".

Observation:

Jesus tells John that He is standing at the door and knocking and that if we open the door, He will come in and eat with us.  We use this scripture often concerning bringing people to salvation and a relationship with Christ.  In it's context, we are told to be earnest and repent when He rebukes and disciplines us.  Repentance and obedience opens the door to a closer walk and relationship with Christ.

Application:

We need to always stay in a position where God can deal with us at any time concerning anything in our lives that is not pleasing to Him.  We must hear His voice, receive the rebukes and discipline, and change our ways, then we will have a more intimate relationship with Him.  We need to stay quick to repent and never think we have it all together.  This opens the door to walking with God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to hear Your voice and be quick to repent when you rebuke me.  Keep me on the right track and on Your path.  I want to know You more and more each day.  I want to dine with You more intimately.  Help me to walk in tune with You, hearing Your voice and responding appropriately.

Yours,
Jeff

My Disobedience Affects Those Around me

Scripture:

Jonah 1:12  "'Pick me up and throw me into the sea', he replied, 'and it will become calm.  I know that  it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.'"

Observation:

There was a terrible storm on the water and the boat Jonah was in was going to be destroyed.  The captain of the ship had everyone call out to their gods, hoping someone would get through and peace would come.  When they found Jonah, he told them that he was the problem and that when they throw him overboard, the sea would calm down.  He realized that they were in danger and it was because of his disobedience.

Application;

The decisions we make and whether we decide to follow everything the Lord speaks to us, directly affects the lives of those around us.  Those who are close to us will feel the effects of our obedience or out disobedience.  We must realize that our decisions not only affect us, but those around us.

Prayer:

Father, for the sake of those around me and for my own sake, help me to follow Your words whole heartedly.  Help me to walk in obedience and blessing rather than disobedience and destruction.  Open my ears to hear exactly what You are saying.  I want to hear as clearly as Jonah did concerning what I am to do and not to do.

Yours,
Jeff

While We Wait

Scripture:

Jude 1:20-21  "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life".

Observation:

Jude tells us that in the last days scoffers will come and people will come with all kinds of wrong teaching.  He tells us that we need to do two things that will keep us in God's love while we wait for eternal life.  He tells us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith and he tells us to pray in the Holy Spirit.  These two things, he says, will keep us in the love of Christ while we wait.

Application:

We need to take heed from Jude that, in these last days, we need to build our faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  We build our faith by being in the word of God daily.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  We need to be in God's word more and more as the end approaches.  We also need to be praying in the Holy Spirit.  When we pray in the Spirit, we are being edified and strengthened.  These two things are end time secrets that we have n our arsenal.  We must use them.

Prayer:

Father, let Your word dwell in me richly.  Let me meditate on it day and night.  Help me to stay in Your word daily and let my faith increase because of it.  Also help me to spend more time praying in the Spirit.  Let these things be a major part of my life as I wait for eternal life.

Your Son,
Jeff

Love Walk

Scripture:

II John 1:6  "And this is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love".

Observation:

This scripture tells us what is important to God.  John tells us that God is love and that when we love, we are walking like Him.  This particular verse tells us that real love for God walks in his commands and that His greatest command is to love.  In other words, obey his command and love people.

Application:

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the little details of following God's commands.  Where does He want me to work?  Who should I talk to?  Should I go into ministry?  We have all the questions that demonstrate our desire to want to please God.  Really, we please Him when we love people.  He is most pleased and we are most like Him when we love people.  When we take care of the love part, He will open the rest of the doors necessary to bless our lives.  Let's walk in love.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to love like You love.  Help me to represent You well when it comes to loving people. I want to obey your commands and live a life worthy of the calling.  I know that is best done when I love others.  Fill my heart with love and make me more like You.  You are love!  Let me be love.

Your Son,

Jeff

Who Will God Use?

Scripture:

Amos 7:14-15  "Amos answered Amaziah, 'I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore trees.  But the Lord took me from tending the flock an said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel''".

Observation:

Amos here was letting Amaziah know that whatever message he delivered was from God because he wasn't a prophet nor the son of a prophet.  He was simply a shepherd and a tree-keeper, who listened to the word of the Lord and who God told to speak on His behalf.  He was able to say, "I didn't sign up for this and wasn't looking for it".  He was sent by God to give God's word.

Application:

No matter what your present occupation may be or where your income comes from, you can be mightily used by God.  When God is looking to deliver a message, He doesn't always use the most likely candidates.  He uses those who have made time to listen to Him and follow what He says to do.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for showing me Amos this morning.  Thank you for letting me see that You will use anyone who is willing and available and they don't have to be perfectly trained for the task You give them.  Help me never underestimate what You can do through my life as I walk in step with You.

Yours,
Jeff

Live as Jesus Did

Scripture:

I John 2:6  "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."

Observation:

John had been telling us that whoever keeps God's commands, is following Him.  He said that if we are not living according to His commands, we are not living in the truth.  Then he inserts this little, yet powerful phrase, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did".

Application:

We are told to follow the commands of the Lord and to live according to the way He wants us to live.  In this passage we are told to live as Jesus lives.  This simple verse really struck me this morning.  We are to live as Jesus lived.  Jesus was totally led by the Spirit and did whatever he saw the father doing.  He only said what He heard the father saying.  He also lived a selfless life.  He defeated the works of darkness.  He walked above sin.  He healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead.  We should live like Him!

Prayer:

Lord, I want to live like You lived while You were here on this earth.  Help me to be totally led by the Spirit, to speak what the Spirit is speaking, to live a selfless life, and to do the works that You did while You were here.  I submit my life to Your purposes.

Yours,

Jeff

Cry Out to the Lord

Scripture:

Joel 1:14  "Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.  Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord".

Observation:

Joel speaks of God's judgement that was coming to Him people.  He tells them that, when they see things are going terribly, that they need to call a holy fast and a sacred assembly.  He tells them to call for the elders and all others to come to the house of the Lord and cry out to Him.

Application:

There is a time when we must call a sacred assembly, a time to fast and pray and call unto the Lord.  God told us to call unto Him and He would show us things we can't imagine.  For years now in the United States God has been calling sacred assemblies on behalf of this nation.  Now is the time for the church to "cry out" to God.  There is a time to pray and a time to "cry out" to the Lord.  Right now is a time to "cry out" to God on behalf of our nation.

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for my lax prayer life.  Forgive me for not crying out to You as I have in the past.  I need You more now than ever and want to see You move in my region and nation.  Help me to hear Your voice and respond appropriately.  Teach me to weep again between the porch and the altar.

Yours,
Jeff

Everything We Need

Scripture:

II Peter 1:3  "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness".

Observation:

Peter makes it very clear to his readers that there is no excuse for not serving God well.  He lets us know that God himself has already given us everything we need in order to live a godly life.  He says this comes through our knowledge of Him who called us.  It is God who gives us the power to live right, not us.

Application:

Many people struggle with trying to live a life that is pleasing to God.  We try to live better lives by working harder and harder to please God.  The power to serve God well doesn't come through our efforts in the flesh, but through our knowledge of God.  It is He who gives us what we need to please Him.  Our seeking must be after Him.

Prayer:

Father, you are incredible.  You don't ask us to live perfect lives in the power of our flesh, but You give us the power to live the lives You want us to live.  Our dependence is not on ourselves, but on You.  You are the source of everything we need to serve You well.  You have done all the work for us to be able to serve You well.  Thank You!  Thank You! Thank You!

Your Son,

Jeff

Who is Wise?

Scripture:

Hosea 14:9  "Who is wise?  Let them realize these things.  Who is discerning?  Let them understand.  The ways of the Lord are right; but the rebellious stumble in them".

Observation:

Hosea closes his book with a powerful comment about wisdom and discernment.  He says that "The ways of the Lord are right; but the rebellious stumble in them".  No matter how wise or discerning we think we are, unless we walk in the ways of the Lord, we will stumble.

Application:

God wants us to realize that His ways are better than our ways.  He wants us to understand that His ways are right and our ways will lead to death and destruction.  When we think we are wiser than God, we are full of pride and God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  We need to humble ourselves before God and begin doing things His way instead of our own.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty,  You are amazing and Your ways are right.  You take care of your people when we are not rebellious and trying to do things our own way.  Help me to walk in Your ways every day and to fulfill all that You have for my life.  I am Yours!

Your Son,
Jeff

Seek God and Sow Righteousness

Scripture:

Hosea 10:12  "Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you".

Observation:

God speaks here and tells the people of Israel that they must begin sowing righteousness, which will cause us to reap unfailing love.  He tells them to seek the Lord until He showers righteousness on them.  Hosea basically gives us a farming example to say that if we plant righteousness, we will reap unfailing love.  This is so opposite from what most believe today.

Application:

God's love is not conditional, but it sure helps when He sees us living righteous lives.  He loves is when His people seek Him.  There seems to be an equation here, seek God and He will shower righteousness, then righteousness brings about God's unfailing love.  It starts with learning to be a seeker of God.  We must become seekers of God with all of our hearts.

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for not seeking You more.  Teach me Your ways.  Help me to seek You more and to live a life that You want to bless.  Help me to pursue You and Your righteousness, knowing that everything else will be added when that happens.

Your Son,
Jeff

Knowledge... We Need It

Scripture:

Hosea 4:6  "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.  'Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children'".

Observation:

Hosea is told here that God's people are destroyed because of a lack on knowledge and because they have rejected knowledge.  God wants His people to use the knowledge they have been given and to increase in it.  He expects His people to listen to His voice, which is the voice of knowledge.

Application:

We must be people who are ever-growing in knowledge.  God has given us wonderful brains and He expects us to develop and use the knowledge He gives us.  If God gave us brains, we need to do our best to use them for His glory.  We should never be satisfied with our present level of knowledge because our God is infinite and there is always more to learn.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be a seeker of knowledge.  Help me to discipline my life to be one who continually seeks to grow intellectually and spiritually.  You are worth the pursuit!

Yours,
Jeff

Like Stars in the Heavens

Scripture:

Daniel 12:3  "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever".

Observation:

Daniel is given a word here from the Lord that is a blessing for us today.  He is told that those who are wise, which was Daniel definitely, would shine like the brightness of the heavens.  He was told that those who lead many to righteousness would be like stars forever.

Application:

When we live with eternity in mind, our lives will be changed dramatically.  When we live for the rewards of the future instead of the pleasures of the now, our lives will be blessed. We should think about eternity more, where we will shine forever and ever, instead of living for the pleasures of now.

Prayer:

Father, keep me focused on eternity.  Let my life be about bringing many to righteousness.  Help me to see what You see and feel what You feel for those around me.

Your Son,
Jeff

Not Because of My Righteousness

Scripture:

Daniel 9:18  "Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name.  We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy",

Observation:

Daniel understood that his righteousness was like dirty rags in the eyes of God.  He knew he couldn't bend God's arm in prayer because he had lived a righteous life.  He knew that if God was to answer him, it was because of God's mercy and not his righteousness.  He came to God in humility.

Application:

When we approach the Lord, we must realize that, even our righteousness is only because of His Son.  We must come with humility before the Lord, knowing that we don't deserve His mercy.  When we come to Him, it is not based on our merits or good deeds, but based on His mercy.  We deserve nothing, yet He gave us everything.  How awesome is God!

Prayer:

Father, let me remember at all times that I can't merit Your favor, grace or mercy.  It is given simply because of who You are.  You are amazing and I love You much.  Thanks for reminding me that I can access You, not based on my deeds, but by You mercy and grace.

Your Son,
Jeff

Where's God When I'm In The Fire?

Scripture:

Daniel 3:25  "He said, 'Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods'".

Observation:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had determined that they would not bow down to any God except Yahweh.  Because of this, they were thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar.  When the king looked into the furnace, he say four men, and the fourth looked like the son of a god.  When they were at their worst, God was right there protecting them.

Application:

No matter what we go through, God will never leave us nor forsake us.  He is faithful and will deliver us when we are persecuted due to our obedience to Him.  We can rest assured that God will walk with us through every fiery trial.  Rather than thinking God has departed us when things are tough, we need to see that God is with us and will deliver us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see You as You are.  You are the deliverer.  You are the God who walks with His people through every trial in our lives.  Open my eyes to see You in the midst of the trial.  Help me to keep my focus on You and to follow Your voice no matter what situation I find myself in.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Favor

Scripture:

Daniel 1:9  "Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel".

Observation:

Daniel was brought into captivity with the rest of his countrymen, but he was seen by the captors as valuable for learning and leadership so he was set aside to become an aid to the leadership.  When he asked for special exception concerning his food, the Bible records, "God caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel".

Application:

When God decides to show favor on your life, even your enemies will like you.  When God decides to show favor on your life, you will be raised up when everyone else is going down.  When God decides to show favor on your life, nobody can stop it.  We need to live like Daniel lived, a life fully committed to God, then expect supernatural favor!

Prayer:

Father, thank You so much for the times of extreme favor You have shown in my life.  You have blessed me over and over.  You are amazing and You favor is fantastic.  Thank You for loving me and allowing Your favor on my life.

Your Son,
Jeff

Looking Intently

Scripture:

James 1:25  "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do".

Observation:

James tells us here that we will be blessed in whatever we do when we are looking intently into the perfect law that gives freedom.  He says we must continue in it and not forget what we heard, but do it.  When we look intently into God's word and determine to live what it says, we will be blessed.

Application:

We must learn to be people of the Word.  We need to look deeper into it and truly learn to apply it to our lives.  God's word gives freedom, but we must commit it to memory, do what it says, and continue in it every day.  We like shortcuts, but God says to put His word in our hearts, do what it says, then we will see the fruit of the blessing of God.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, Teach me to "look intently" into Your word every day.  This year has been such a blessing and Your word is growing more and more important to me.  Help me to look deeper than I have before and to truly meditate on Your word throughout the day.  Enable me to serve You well.

Yours,
Jeff

God Takes Care of His People

Scripture:

Ezekiel 46:18  "The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property.  He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property".

Observation:

God is giving instructions here to Ezekiel about property, sacrifices, offerings, etc.  In the process of talking about it, he made sure that the prince, or leadership, would not be able to take property away from His people and make it their possession.  Here You see God's heart for His people.  He protects the property of His people.

Application:

We must realize as the people of God that He loves us tremendously.  He watches over us and makes sure we are not going to lose what is ours.  He is always looking out for His own and thinking of them.  We are loved by our father and He doesn't want anyone to take our inheritance from us.  He doesn't want us separated from our property or to lose what He has given us.  We must hear His heart in this and respond with love and commitment from us to Him.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for loving me so much.  Thanks for taking care of your people and making sure we don't lose the things You have blessed us with.  In the words of Christ Tomlin, You're a good good father!

Thanks,
Jeff

Owning Nothing, but Having Everything

Scripture:

Ezekiel 44:28  "I am to be the only inheritance the priests have.  You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession".

Observation:

God has always wanted a people who were completely His.  A people that He wouldn't have to share with anyone.  In Ezekiel we see that God wanted His priests to be completely His and for them not to own any inheritance except Him.  He wanted them to have nothing that would compete with Him.  He wanted a people completely set apart for Him.

Application:

In the New Testament, we don't have an official priesthood, but God calls us a royal priesthood and a holy nation.  We are the people that God was longing for.  He wants us to be completely His.  He wants nothing in our lives to compete with Him.  He desires His people to have no other gods and nothing that competes with Him being Lord of our lives.  He wants to know that we are fully His.

Prayer:

Father, let my life exemplify Your desires.  Be my possession.  Be first in my life and let nothing compete with You.  Help me to fulfill Your will completely and to have nothing else in my life that competes with You.  You are my God and I love You.

Yours,
Jeff

The Questions God Asks

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:3  "He asked me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'  I said, 'Sovereign Lord, You alone know'".

Observation:

God had shown Ezekiel a valley full of thousands of dry bones.  God then asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?"  This question was not a question Ezekiel would be asked by anyone but God.  It is a faith question that sometimes God will ask us to see our response and to see where our faith level is.  Ezekiel answered very well when he said, "You alone know".

Application:

When God asks you a question, He may be wanting to see how much you believe He can do.  When God asks you a question, it will usually seem impossible because He is the God of the impossible.  When we are asked these questions, we must answer with faith answers like "yes they can".

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in great faith and to know that You are the God of the impossible.  That no situation is beyond You.  You are amazing and I want to serve You well.  Help me have the right response to You awesome questions.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Search

Scripture:

Ezekiel 34:16  "I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.  I will shepherd the flock with justice".

Observation:

God is speaking through Ezekiel here and rebuking the shepherds for not going after the lost and strays.  He says that, since they are not doing it, He will.  God says that He will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  He loves His people and will do everything possible to get them back on the right track.

Application:

If we want to be like God, we must be part of the search.  We must search for those He loves and the ones He is searching for.  We are to be God's ambassadors, on His mission.  His mission is searching for the lost and bringing back the strays.  We must make this a priority in our lives.  Jesus' missions statement was clear, He came to seek and save the lost.  We must be on His business.

Prayer:

Father, lead me to someone who is lost or strayed today.  Help me to be a better witness and to shine for Your glory.  Help me to see things as You see them and to search like You search.  You are always searching for the lost and the strays, help me to do the same.

Yours,
Jeff

The Display of God's Glory

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:22  "This is what the Sovereign Lord says, 'I am against you, Sidon, and among you I will display my glory.  You will know that i am the Lord, when I inflict punishment on you and within you am proved to be holy'".

Observation:

God tells Sidon that He is going to display His glory among them and will prove that He is holy.  He goes about this by inflicting punishment on them.  He says that His glory will be seen in the their destruction.

Application:

We usually think of God's glory and holiness being displayed in church services, when we feel His presence.  We generally think of His glory in good ways, but He also receives glory in His awesome works of justice and punishment.  We should stand in awe of God, not only because of His blessings, but because He is awesome in Judgment.  May the fear of the Lord come back to His people.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to fear You correctly.  Teach me to walk in confidence in my relationship with You, yet to have the utmost respect and fear of the Lord in my life.  You are awesome in both Your blessings and Your judgments.  May the world see Your glory whether through blessing or judgment.

Your Son,
Jeff

When God Brings Judgment

Scripture:

Ezekiel 26:21  "I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.  You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Lord".

Observation:

All of chapter 26 is a prophecy against Tyre.  Tyre was a godless nation who wanted nothing to do the Lord.  They were against the people of God and were considered enemies of God and His people.  Ezekiel 26 is God letting Tyre know what is coming their way.  In His judgment, they will come to a horrible end and will never be found again.  God's judgment is powerful and we should have a healthy fear of Him.

Application:

Generally we think of God as the wonderful, loving, father who would never hurt a soul and who would never bring punishment to anyone.  We think God only brings blessings.  Actually, God is love.  He is loving, kind and compassionate, but He is also a God of justice.  He will judge in the end and our end will either be horrible or blessed.  We have come again to the grace and love end of the pendulum where we act like God is all mercy and would never judge anyone.  God is full of mercy and grace, but also a God to be feared because He will be our judge one day.  Let's bring the balance back and stop messing with God.  He is awesome and should be feared, respected and listened to!

Prayer:

Father, You are kind, generous, compassionate, loving, merciful and full of grace.  You are also a God to be feared and who expects obedience and for Your people to listen to Your voice and walk accordingly.  Help me to walk according to Your ways and to fulfill Your purposes in the earth in my generation.  On judgment day, I want to hear, "well done good and faithful servant".

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Desire - To Recapture Hearts

Scripture:

Ezekiel 14:5  "I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols".

Observation:

Just before this passage we can see how God is going to punish His people for worshiping other gods and playing the prostitute with them.  He was very angry at their actions, but we must hear His heart.  He gives us the "why".  He says the reason is so that He can "recapture the hearts of the people of Israel".  God's discipline is meant to draw us back to Him, but push us away.

Application:

God strongly desires to be first place in our lives.  He want us to worship Him first and foremost.  When our lives get out of order and we begin serving ourselves or other gods, He gets jealous of our love and devotion.  He wants to recapture our hearts so that we love Him more than anything else.  We need to realize that God's discipline is not simply to punish us, but to make us want Him more.  The earlier we realize this, the earlier we will see His blessing.

Prayer:

Father God, let my heart be captivated by You at all times,  Be the center of my life.  I don't want you to ever have to "recapture" my heart because I went astray.  Help me to serve You well and to stay in love with You at all times.  You are the greatest!

Love Always,
Jeff

Speak What God is Saying and Not What Sounds Good

Scripture:

Ezekiel 13:9  "My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations.  They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel.  Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord".

Observation:

God never takes false prophecy lightly.  Throughout the entire Old Testament, God treats harshly those who say they are speaking on His behalf, but are not speaking accurately.  Just above this verse He tells exactly who He was speaking to, the prophets who prophesy peace  and safety when truly judgment is coming.

Application:

We should always be careful when we say we are speaking God's behalf.  He doesn't take it lightly when we misrepresent Him.  Many run around today and the only prophetic words they speak are that God is about to bless you and prosper you and give you a financial miracle.  I believe God can and does say those things at times, but we need to check and make sure we are speaking out of the heart of God and not our own heart.

Prayer:

Father, let my words be Your words.  Let me speak accurately what You want to say to your people.  Help me to fulfill Your will and not my own.  May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in all the earth.  Forgive me for speaking out of my own spirit at times and not seeking You more for a word from You.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Shouting is not the Answer

Scripture:

Ezekiel 8:18  "Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them.  Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them".

Observation:

Judah was living in total rebellion toward God.  They were offering sacrifices to other gods and following after them.  Everywhere Ezekiel went in the city, there were people chasing after other gods.  The Lord God Almighty replied to them saying, "Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them".

Application:

We can shout in prayer all day long, but if we lack obedience in our lives, our prayers will not be heard.  I know people who can shout incredibly in prayer and sound so powerful, but their prayers are not answered because their lives are not walking in obedience to the Lord.  I love shouting and do it quite often, but we are not heard for our shouting, but for our obedience.  Bottom line ... shouting in praise and prayer is not wrong, but needs to be accompanied by strong obedience.

Prayer:

Father, don't let anything hinder my prayers.  Help me to walk in obedience to You in all things.  Thank You for speaking to me day after day in these devotional times.  You are amazing!  You teach me so much from Your word.  Thank You for being You!

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Global Intention

Scripture:

Ezekiel 7:27  "The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.  I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them.  'Then they will know that I am the Lord'".

Observation:

As we read throughout the Old Testament this time, I see God's heart in judgment as well as in blessing.  When we see passages in Isaiah and Jeremiah, and now in Ezekiel concerning God's judgment of Israel, Judah, or any other nation, I see this phrase, "then they will know that I am the Lord".  In this particular passage God is talking about the land of Israel and how they had wandered far from God.  In His judgement of them, you hear His heart, "that they will know that I am the Lord".

Application:

God has a global intention.  He wants the world to know that He is Lord.  When He works on the earth, it is so that "they will know that I am the Lord".  When He would bless Israel for her obedience, it was so that the world would know that He is Lord.  When God works, it is so that the world will see that He is Lord.  When our lives become about letting the world know that He is Lord.  The blessing of God will come strongly over our lives.  We must be about God's overall intention on the earth.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for showing me this today.  Let my life bring Your honor and fulfill Your global intention.  I want the world to know You. May Your name be glorified in every nation!  May Your kingdom advance strongly throughout the earth in my days.  Help me to live a life focused on Your intentions and not my own.

Your Son,
Jeff

Following the Spirit

Scripture:

Ezekiel 1:12  "Each one went straight ahead.  Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went".

Observation:

Ezekiel describes these four creature in much detail in chapter one, but this part of the description stood out to me this morning.  These creatures were designed so that they could move straight ahead in any direction and they didn't have to turn.  It says of them that wherever the spirit would go, they would go.  When they went, they went straight ahead.

Application:

I want to be like these creatures in that I want to move wherever and whenever the Holy Spirit wants me to.  I want to go straight ahead when God speaks something to me and not to the right or the left.  I want to hear the voice of the Lord clearly and to obey fully and completely.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be more like the four creatures that Ezekiel saw.  Help me to pursue Your will at all times and to go straight ahead when I hear Your voice.  Help me to flow with the Spirit and to stay in step with the Spirit.  I want to truly live a "spirit filled, spirit led" life.

Yours,
Jeff

An Unshakable Kingdom

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:28  "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe".

Observation:

The author of Hebrews here reminds us that we are receiving an unshakable kingdom.  He tells us that, because of that, we should be thankful and worship God with reverence and awe.

Application:

God is amazing and His kingdom is unshakable.  As his children, we are part of this kingdom that is stronger than we can imagine.  We don't live for the things on this earth, but for the things that are part of God's awesome kingdom.  When we are shaken, He is unshaken.  When we feel things are falling apart, He is unshakable.  We must learn to trust Him and walk with Him, worshiping Him with awe and reverence.

Prayer:

Father, Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life.   Help me to live for You and Your kingdom and not get frustrated with life on this earth.  Your kingdom is unshakable, even when we feel our world is shaky.  Help me stay focused on You and receive strength from Your hand.

Yours,
Jeff

Reverent Submission Equals Answered Prayers

Scripture:

Hebrews 5:7  "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission".

Observation:

Jesus, while He was on earth, prayed fervently to his Father with many tears.  He allowed His emotions to be part of His prayer time.  He was heard though, not because of his tears and fervency, but because of His reverent submission.

Application:

God is more impressed by our submission to Him than He is by our fervent prayers.  He delights in blessing those who submit to His will and follow His ways.  I have watched people pray for hours and hours at extreme volumes of intensity, which is admirable, but because they didn't do what God wanted in their personal lives, their prayers were not heard.  We must obey God in all areas, then prayer is much easier.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for showing me this about submission today.  Teach me to submit every area of my life to You.  Help me to live a fully surrendered  life.  As I submit to You, I know You will hear my prayers.  I love fervent emotional prayers, but I realize they are only as powerful as my submission to You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Faithfulness

Scripture:

Hebrews 3:2  "He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house".

Observation:

This passage is speaking about Jesus and how He became our high priest.  When thinking of the characteristics of Christ's life, we seldom think of faithfulness, but He was extremely faithful to the calling of His Father.  He was faithful to the one who appointed Him.  He did what He was told by His Father and was raised up to the ultimate place of authority because of that faithfulness.

Application:

Is faithfulness what we long to be remembered for?  At our funerals, we will all be remembered for something.  Maybe we will be remembered as loving, kind, generous, funny, etc.  We want to be remembered for so many things, but does faithfulness hit the list of things we long to be?  As followers of Christ, faithfulness to the call of God and His will should be our ultimate goal and what we are known for.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be faithful to all You call me to do.  Help me to leave nothing undone that You have called me to do.  Come alongside and help me to be faithful in all things and trustworthy.

Your Son,
Jeff

Acknowledge Who God is

Scripture:

Lamentations 5:19  "You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation".

Observation:

In the midst of a book lamenting all the things that had happened and that God had allowed to happen to His people because of their sin, the author places this statement.  He says that God reigns forever and that His throne endures from generation to generation.  He acknowledges who God is, even though he is upset with what God has allowed.

Application:

Just as God's people in captivity and their land in destruction, sometimes we find ourselves in bad situations of our own making.  Sometimes we do things that cause us to be separated from God.  God hates sin, yet we continue to sin and bring problems into our lives because of it.  In the midst of the problems we have caused ourselves, we must acknowledge God for who He is.  He reigns and His throne endures all generations.  He deserves our worship, even when we don't deserve him.

Prayer:

Father, when I feel distanced from You because of my own choices, help me to run to You in worship and not away in disgrace.  Let me live a life of worship and praise because You are worthy and not because of anything I feel.  Help me to acknowledge who You are in everything I do.  You are worthy and I bless Your name!

Your Son,
Jeff

New Every Morning

Scripture:

Lamentations 3:22-23  "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".

Observation:

The author knows that his people had walked away from God and done exceedingly terrible things.  He knew that his people had not followed the ways of the Lord, nor done what God wanted them to.  He knew that they deserved judgment, but he also knew about God's faithfulness and love.  He knew that God loved them and that was why they were not consumed in His anger.  He understood that God's compassions are new every morning.

Application:

Even when we have done wrong, we can be confident that God's mercies or compassions are new every morning and that His faithfulness can always be depended on.  We can stand assured that, even when we deserve judgement, that God is a God of mercy and compassion and that He will not give us what we deserve.  He need to thank God for this, but also not use it as an excuse to live however we want.  Our appreciation of His faithfulness should cause us to serve Him more and better.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your incredible mercy and grace.  You give us what we don't deserve and don't give us what we do deserve.  Your mercies are new every morning and your faithfulness is awesome.  Thank You for making every day a new day.  Help me to serve You better each day.

Yours,

Jeff

Transformed

Scripture:

Philemon 11  "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me".

Observation:

Paul is writing to Philemon about his runaway slave Onesimus.  Onesimus had run away from Philemon in the past and ended up meeting Paul.  Paul sent him back to Philemon with a message asking Philemon to receive him back as a brother.  Paul describes Onesimus by saying he was useless, but now he is useful.

Application:

I love seeing things go from useless to useful.  I love shows on television where they take something very old that appears useless, and restore it and bring it back to life.  God does the same thing in our lives when we give Him opportunity.  He will take the messed up person with a lot of wear and tear, and transform them into something of great value.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see people for who they can be instead of who they are.  I want to see You transform lives from being useless into being useful.  Bring restoration in and through my life as only You can do I pray.

Yours,
Jeff

Guilty, Yet Not Forsaken

Scripture:

Jeremiah 51:5  "For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel".

Observation:

Jeremiah is speaking forth a prophetic word against Babylon, letting them know that God used them to bring about punishment for His people, but that now they were going to be judged and Israel and Judah would be restored.  God says here that, even though the land is full of guilt, they have not been forsaken by their God.  God knew the guilt of the people of Israel and Judah, but He also would not forsake them.

Application:

God says He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Sometimes, when we do wrong, we tend to feel like God has forsaken us and will never hear our prayers again.  God is a merciful God who doesn't hold our past mistakes against us.  Though, at times, we know we are guilty, He does not forsake us.  His desire is for His people to walk with Him and listen to His voice, but even when we mess up, He is faithful!

Prayer:

Father, thank you for showing me Your unfailing love.  You are incredible!  Help me to love the way You love.  Help me to represent You better each day.  Thank You for loving be when I feel like I have messed up horribly.

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Faithfulness Even in His Punishment

Scripture:

Jeremiah 46:28  "Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you, says the Lord.  I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished".

Observation:

God was speaking to his people and letting them know that, because of them running away from Him and serving other gods, He had to punish them by exiling them to another nation.  He let them know that he was punishing them by using other nations to put them into captivity, but that in the end he would judge the nations He used to punish His people and that they would return and be blessed.

Application:

Sometimes God allows us to go through some things temporarily so that we will turn back completely to Him.  Then He will punish those who punished us.  He will allow consequences for our sins, but then will make sure we return home to serve Him.  The bottom line is that He wants us to be fully committed to Him and Him alone.  When other things compete with Him in our lives, He will let us go for a while and fee the pain associated with not doing things His way, then He will bring us home again.  best choice... never leave Him!

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow You closely all the days of my life.  Let me live in Your blessing and see Your mighty hand upon my life.  I love You and want to serve You completely.  I don't want to serve any worthless idols, just You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Listening to God

Scripture:

Jeremiah 42:3  "Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go".

Observation:

A group of warriors came to Jeremiah asking him to pray to the Lord and ask Him what they should do and where they should go.  He did as they asked and gave them the word of the Lord.  They felt he was lying to them and therefore didn't listen.  They  went and did what was in their heart instead of obeying the word of the Lord and they were destroyed when they could have been saved by doing it God's way.

Application:

Many times we ask God for direction and he gives it to us, but when He gives it to us, we don't follow through on what he said.  When we ask God for direction, He will give it to us, but we must learn to be obedient to what He says.  he is not trying to hurt us, but put us into a place where He can bless us.  We must remember that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to listen fully and completely to You on all things.  Help me to follow you when it makes sense and when it doesn't in my eyes.  help me to listen to You over all the other voices speaking to me.  Direct my life.  Guide my life.  When You do, help me to obey and follow completely.

Your Son,
Jeff

Truth Prevails

Scripture:

Jeremiah 40:4  "But I am going to take off your chains and let you go.  If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome.  I will see that you are well cared for.  But if you don't want to come, you may stay here.  The whole land is before you - go wherever you like".

Observation:

Jeremiah stood for God and was punished for it.  he told the true word of God when all the other prophets were speaking good positive messages, he was saying that Jerusalem would be destroyed.  He was imprisoned, put in a cistern and a dungeon, but in the end, when his words came true, he was set free and given the option to do whatever he wanted.

Application:

Sometimes saying the truth is not easy.  Sometimes it is easier to just say what people want to hear instead of what they need to hear.  We need to be more like Jeremiah who would only say what God wanted him to say.  When we are honest and right with God and doing His will, we will be blessed in the long run.  We may be persecuted in the process, but God will honor those who honor Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to speak the truth in love.  Help me to declare Your word.  Help me to speak your words with clarity and boldness.  At the same time, bless my life and family.  As I honor You, bless my life and family.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Desire

Scripture:

Jeremiah 36:3  "Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them.  Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings".

Observation:

Jeremiah had prophesied much disaster over and over to the people of Judah.  He was constantly telling them that their sins were going to be punished and that God was going to send the Babylonians to wipe them out.  In the midst of all these prophetic words about God destroying Judah is this simple text that tells us God's heart in what was coming.  "Perhaps they will repent... Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings".  He was constantly hoping they would repent so that He didn't have to go through with their punishment.

Application:

God doesn't get pleasure out of punishing people.  His desire is always that people would repent of their sins and turn to Him so that He can forgive them and bless them.  We need to understand God's heart in judgment is always to forgive and restore.  When we understand His love for us, repentance should come easy.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for showing me your love and desire in the midst of your judgment.  You truly love Your people and desire to bless them, yet You are righteous and must judge sin.  Help me to walk in Your blessing and be quick to repent.  Help me to always run to You, knowing You are quick to forgive and bless.

Yours,
Jeff

Make Your Name Famous

Scripture:

Jeremiah 32:20  "You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt - things still remembered to this day!  And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world.  You have made your name famous to this day."

Observation:

God is telling Jeremiah that He is going to expel His people from their land for following other gods and not following Him.  He also tells him that He is going to bring them back again into the land and bless them exceedingly in the future, that He has not given up on them.  Jeremiah tells the Lord how awesome He is.  He says, "You have made your name famous to this day".

Application:

God is doing so much around the world.  His Spirit is being poured out in extreme measures and He is becoming more and more famous around the world.  In my area, it seems His fame is diminishing instead of increasing.  I want God to make His name famous in Loudoun County Virginia.  Father come and make Your name famous here.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty,  You are incredible and your name is worthy of all praise.  Let revival and an awakening come so strong here in Northern Va. that only You can get the credit.  May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here.  Make Your name famous in the Washington DC are once again.  Come and move powerfully among your people here I pray.

Your Son,
Jeff

Pray for the Place You Live

Scripture:

Jeremiah 29:7  "And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare".

Observation:

Jeremiah tells the people who have been taken into exile that they should work for the peace and prosperity of the place they had been exiled because the welfare of the enemies who took them is determines their welfare.

Application:

When we are in bad situations at work, home, etc., we should pray to the Lord for the blessing of God there.  Even if the situation is terrible, as it was for Israel, we should pray for the peace and prosperity of those around us.  Even when you hate the place where you are now, you should pray for the peace and prosperity because their welfare determines your welfare.  This is great stuff!  When we are in a place we really don't want to be, we should remember that their success equals our success and brings favor.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I pray for the blessing of Loudoun County Virginia.  I know at times I have hated the cost of living and wished I had been called elsewhere, but today I pray for the success of our county in every area.  May Your blessing come upon this region in huge ways.  Loudoun's welfare equals my welfare.

Yours,
Jeff

Like a Great Warrior

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:11  "But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior, before Him my persecutors will stumble.  They cannot defeat me.  They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated.  Their dishonor will never be forgotten".

Observation:

Jeremiah had been prophesying destruction of God's people for a long time and they were tired of hearing it.  They were coming against him to shut him up.  He was one man prophesying against a whole nation that had gone astray, yet he stood with boldness and declared the word of the Lord.  He understood that the Lord was standing beside him like a great warrior.  He understood that he could not be defeated when God was on his side.

Application:

When we are walking in right standing with God, we can expect the same kind of faith to rise up within us.  God will protect and provide for His people, but His people must be in right relationship with Him.  He is more than able to take care of those who rise up against us.  We must ask God in increase our faith to be like Jeremiah's.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to know in my heart that You are with me and that my enemies will fail because You are by my side.  Strengthen and increase my faith daily.  You are amazing and I should trust You more and worry less.  I want to walk closer to You each day.

Your Son,
Jeff

Influence

Scripture:

Jeremiah 15:19  "This is how the Lord responds: 'If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.  If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman.  You must influence them; do not let them influence you!'"

Observation:

God speaks to Jeremiah here and lets him know that he is to be the one who influences, not the one who gets influenced.  God desires his people to be the ones who make an impact and influence others, rather than simply being the ones who get influenced by those around them.

Application:

We are God's ambassadors.  We are to be people who influence the world around us.  We are not to be influenced by the ways of this world, rather, we are to be the ones influencing others.  We must ask ourselves if we are being influenced or are we influencing our culture.  We must realize that God gives us His power to be influential.  We must ask ourselves if our lives are truly influential and making a difference in our society.  As God's ambassadors, we must have influence.

Prayer:

Father, make me influential.  Let me speak Your words, with Your power, and bring about change that is needed around me.  Help me to follow Your voice and fulfill Your will.  Let me not be changed into the mold of the world, but help me to change the mold.

Yours,
Jeff

Lying Prophets

Scripture:

Jeremiah 14:15  "Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them.  They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!"

Observation:

Jeremiah is filled with pictures of God very upset because He is ready to send destruction for the disobedience of His people, yet those who are suppose to be His prophets are telling the people that everything is okay and that only good things will happen.  God detests prophets who speak what He didn't tell them to speak.  He hates when they say everything is good when it is not.  God has nothing good to say about those who always prophesy that good things are coming.

Application:

We live in a dark world with many terrible things going on around us.  If you walk into most churches today you will hear a message of peace, peace.  They will tell us that God is love and would never allow anything bad to happen to any of us.  God hates it when his spokespeople don't represent Him well.  He is a holy God and we must search our hearts to hear a word from Him before we speak.

Prayer:

Father, let me rightly convey Your word to Your people.  Help me to accurately speak on Your behalf.  If You are angry, let me convey it.  If You are pleased, let me convey it accurately.  Help me not to be like the prophets of Jeremiah's day, but to speak the truth in love.

Your Son,

Jeff

There is No one Like Our God

Scripture:

Jeremiah 10:6  "Lord, there is no one like You!  For you are great, and your name is full of power".

Observation:

God had been speaking to Jeremiah about His people and how they have gone after other gods to worship them.  He had told Jeremiah that these worthless idols were created by man to be worshiped by man.  Jeremiah interrupts God and makes this statement, "there is on one like You!  For You are great, and your name is full of power".

Application:

We must realize that our God is great and full of power.  We must realize that things we create, can't save us, heal us, or deliver us from our troubles.  Man's creations can be wonderful, but they don't have the power that God has.  There truly is no one like our God!  He is amazing!  He created us, and we need to worship Him for who He is.

Prayer:

Father, I love You and appreciate all You have done in my life.  You have brought me from darkness into You marvelous light.  You have delivered me so many times from the power of the enemy.  You are my strength and my song.  You are my life!  Apart from You, I can do nothing, but with You... All things are possible.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Speaking Truth

Scripture:

Jeremiah 6:14  "The offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound.  They give assurances of peace when there is no peace".

Observation:

God is speaking here through Jeremiah and calling out the prophets and priests of his day.  He tells them that they are offering superficial treatments for mortal wounds and giving assurance of peace when there is no peace.  God wants His servants to speak truth.  He wants His people to hear the truth and not simply something that will sooth them in their sin.

Application:

As a pastor, I stand before people every week and declare the word of the Lord.  I must bring the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  I must make sure I am truly giving the clear word of the Lord and not just something that sounds good and makes people feel good.  We can't offer superficial treatments for people's mortal wounds.  I must bring the truth about people's sin and not give false assurances to people either.

Prayer:

Father, help me to represent You well.  Help me to speak what You want spoken and to do it in the way You want it done.  Let my life reflect You well to those around me.  Help me to speak the truth in love and to lead people to You.

Yours,
Jeff

Don't Be Afraid of the People

Scripture:

Jeremiah 1:8  "And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you.  I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Observation:

When God was calling Jeremiah, He knew what would be needed for the type of ministry Jeremiah would have.  Jeremiah was being called to a very strong prophetic ministry where he would be speaking to the nation of Israel.  His message was to be very strong and it would be tough to say what needed said.

Application:

When God calls you and anoints you for ministry, He will also give you what you need in order to do it.  Sometimes in ministry, it is hard to say the things you need to say because you fear what people will think.  God tells us not to be afraid of what people think, rather, be afraid of what He thinks.  As a minister of the Gospel, I need to be bold as a lion, declaring the word of the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, embolden me to speak Your word.  Let me hear Your voice clearly and speak up.  Let me be a vessel You can speak through, whatever You want to say.  Help me not to fear what people will think,

Yours,
Jeff

Learning to do Good

Scripture:

Titus 3:14  "Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive".

Observation:

Paul told Titus that he must teach the people he was leading to learn to do good by meeting people's urgent needs.  He said that this way they will not be unproductive.  He knew that when people feel productive, they also feel good about themselves and their lives.  We all want to live productive lives.

Application:

We need to do what Paul told Titus and start meeting the urgent needs of those around us.  As we do, we will feel more productive, which in turn makes us feel better about life, etc.  When we get about helping others, our own problems seem smaller and life starts getting better all around.  When we live life focused on ourselves, we will be miserable.  I want to be productive and fulfilled.

Prayer:

Lord, let me help someone today who has an urgent need.  Help me to reach out to those who don't have and to lead a productive life.  Let my life count for your kingdom.

Yours,
Jeff

Asking and Seeking God

Scripture:

Isaiah 65:1  "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.  I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.  I said, 'Here I am!  Here I am!'  to a nation that did not call on my name".

Observation:

God is speaking through Isaiah and tells the people that He was totally ready to respond to their needs, but nobody bothered to ask Him or His opinion.  He was ready to be found by them, but nobody was looking for Him.  Sometimes, God is ready to work, but we don't ask Him or seek Him.

Application:

James tells us that we have not because we don't ask or because we ask with wrong motives.  We must realize that God wants to help us in our distresses, but that often we don't even bother coming to Him for help.  We often try to work out everything in our own way.  He wants us to come to Him with our problems, but we are not seeking Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to call on You and seek You first in my life.  I don't want to hear that You had answers for me, but I didn't seek You.  Help me God in my life right now.  I need to hear Your voice clearly.  I need Your direction.  I want Your input.  I desire You to lead me into all truth.

Your Son,
Jeff

Overwhelmed

Scripture:

Isaiah 61:10  "I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!  For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.  I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels".

Observation:

Isaiah describes what salvation should be like for us.  We should be overwhelmed with joy!  We should be clothed in salvation and have a robe called righteousness.  Revelation says that the white bridal garments are the righteous acts of the saints.  Our lives should look stunning to those around us.

Application:

I want to be radiant with joy again.  Sometimes through the difficulties of life, we lose our joy.  Joy and peace were the hallmarks of my life, but I have let the enemy steal them recently.  I want to be radiant for my Lord when He comes again.  I am making a decision to take back my joy and to be radiant again in my Lord's salvation.

Prayer:

Father, I love You and want to live a life of radiance!  Let my light shine!  Let joy and peace be my hallmarks again.  Let Your love fill my life.  Let Your joy fill my life and let me see the day of overwhelming joy.

Yours,
Jeff

An Ever-flowing Spring

Scripture:

Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring".

Observation:

God says to us here, that those who follow Him will receive water when they are thirsty and have their strength restored.  He let's us know that we will be like a well-watered garden and a spring that flows forever.  When we are "guided" by the Lord we can expect our strength to be renewed and to produce fruit.  We can expect to be satisfied in life.

Application:

Sometimes, when I get tired and frustrated, I don't feel like a well-watered garden.  I don't feel like an ever-flowing spring.  At these times I must take a step back and see if I am being led by the Lord.  When I'm being led by self, I over work and get frustrated.  When I'm led by the Lord, I prosper and enjoy life.  The question really is, "Am I being led by the Lord?"

Prayer:

Lord, you know my heart is to serve You faithfully.  You know I have laid down my life for You, yet sometimes I feel very empty and unfruitful.  Help me to hear Your voice and do what You want, not just what I see needs done.  Help me to live out Your plans for my life and not to get overburdened with things You haven't called me to do.  Teach me to lead well.  I want to be an ever-flowing spring.

Your Son,
Jeff

He Knows What's Best for Me

Scripture:

Isaiah 48:17  "This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow'".

Observation:

God says here that He is the Holy One and He teaches us what is good for us and leads us along the paths we should follow.  God is saying, like the title of the old television show, "Father Knows Best".  Our Father knows what is good for us and wants to lead us into that.

Application:

If I love and trust my Father, then I listen to His advice.  I need to listen to God's voice every day of my life.  Sometimes I think I know better than God what is good for me.  He wants me to trust Him as my creator, that He knows what is best for my life and which path to follow.  I need to listen more instead of trying in my flesh to work everything out.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to be a better listener than a talker.  You have every answer to every question in my life.  You are the source of all wisdom, yet I tend to try to live life and make decisions based on what I think.  You know much better than me.  Help me to follow Your voice and walk on Your path.  You do know what is best for me.

Yours,
Jeff

He Can Be Found

Scripture:

Isaiah 45:19  "I publicly proclaim bold promises.  I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner.  I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found.  I, the Lord, speak only what it true and declare only what is right".

Observation:

God is speaking through Isaiah and tells Israel that He would not have told Israel to seek Him if He could not be found.  God doesn't tell us to do things that are possible.  God tells us many times in His word that we will find Him when we seek for Him with all our heart.  He wants us to pursue Him and to seek Him, then He will let us find Him.

Application:

I'm seeing the days when my sons were little and we would play hide and seek.  I would hide and they would seek for me.  I didn't want it to be too easy to find me, but I also didn't want them to give up.  Therefore I made it where they would have to do some seeking before I let them find me.  God does the same, He is not purposely staying away from us, He just wants us to pursue and seek after Him.  He is worth the pursuit.

Prayer:

Father, help me to pursue You more and more.  I've been getting thirsty for You to move again in my life.  I want to know You more and to understand You better.  I want to see Your power and glory in my life.  When I played hide and seek with my boys, I would give them clues.  Give me some clues in the midst of my pursuit.  I want to find You.

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Promise When we Follow Him

Scripture:

Isaiah 41:10  "Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand".

Observation:

Isaiah is speaking to God's people about who He is and what He will do for them if they will simply serve and obey Him.  He tells them they have nothing to fear because God is with them.  He tells them not to be discouraged because God will strengthen and help them.  God promised to hold them up with His victorious right hand.

Application:

We have a God who wants us to trust Him.  He has already won the victory, but wants to hold us up with His mighty hand.  If God is the victor in all things, then we, as His children, can expect to walk in victory.  We need to take God at His word and be encouraged because He is with us and He will take care of us.  We cannot walk in discouragement, but boldness because our God promises to walk with us, defeating every enemy.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in boldness and confidence because my trust is in You.  Help me to never be afraid to do what needs done and what You tell me to do.  Teach me to walk in your victory and to never doubt.  Let my faith be strong.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Resting in the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 30:15  "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:  'Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength.  But you would have none of it'".

Observation:

God was speaking through Isaiah and letting him know that all of their fighting, dealing, etc. with their enemies, we useless and would give them no results.  He said that their only hope was returning to Him and resting in Him.  Instead of making deals with enemies and alliances with the ungodly, they would find their strength in quietness and confidence, resting in the Lord.

Application:

It is actually much easier to fight your own battles, figure out your own path, and do your own thing than to rest in quietness and confidence that the Lord will take care of you.  It is not easy to rest, when you see the enemy attacking.  It is not easy to let things go and be quiet when it feels like life is falling apart.  We must learn that trusting God produces better results than fighting every enemy on our own.

Prayer:

Father, help me learn to trust You more.  Teach me to rest in quiet confidence that You are working in my life and that Your will is going to be accomplished.  Help me to know when to fight and when to rest.  Show me the balance of leaning on You and using my own wisdom.  I want Your will above all else,

Yours,
Jeff

The Earth Suffers

Scripture:

Isaiah 24:5  "The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God's instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant".

Observation:

The next verse tells us that "therefore, a curse consumes the earth".  We speak of global climate change and the increase of floods, droughts, volcanoes, earthquakes, storms, waves, etc.  This scripture tells us that the reason for all of this is not our destruction of the ozone layer, but the earth is suffering for the sins of the people on the earth.

Application:

I believe we need to take care of the planet God made for us to live on.  I believe we should do everything we can to help it, but the greatest thing we could do for our planet is to repent for our sins and turn to Jesus with all our hearts.  If the earth suffers because of our sins, then it will be blessed when we return to the God who made it.

Prayer:

Father, let and awakening come to this earth You created.  May the people of this world see the glory of God and repent of their sins and turn strongly to You.  May the earth be blessed instead of cursed, because nations turn to You and begin to serve You.  Send forth a mighty awakening I pray.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Extreme Obedience

Scripture:

Isaiah 20:2  "the Lord told Isaiah so of Amoz, 'Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.'  Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot."

Observation:

The Lord spoke to Isaiah and told him to walk around barefoot and naked.  He did this for three years!  God often used the prophets as illustrations of the message He was going to speak through them.  He was telling Egypt and Ethiopia that they would walk naked and barefoot as slaves to another nation.  Though it seemed quite extreme, Isaiah did what he was told and became a living lesson to these nations.

Application:

Sometimes we complain that God is asking us to do things that don't make sense.  We feel like He is asking too much of us, yet none of us has been asked to walk around naked and barefoot for three years.  I would question, God pretty severely if He asked me to do something like that.  I would say it was the devil.  I would straight up disobey.  What can God ask me to do that I would say no to?  Am i really willing to say yes to whatever God asks me to do.  I need to be in the place where no to God is not an option.

Prayer:

Father, You have been so good to me.  I know I sometimes struggle with direct obedience.  I try to explain why I can't do certain things.  Help me to live a life of complete obedience to the things You place in my heart.

Yours,

Jeff

The Danger of Self-sufficiency

Scripture:

Isaiah 17:10  "Why?  Because you have turned from the God who can save you.  You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you.  So you can plant the finest grapevines and import the most expensive seedlings".

Observation:

God was talking about Israel becoming desolate and unfruitful.  He compared their future to a field that had just been harvested... Barren.  His reason is shown clearly in this verse, "because you have turned from the God who can save you".  He later tells them that they are importing the most expensive seedlings and planting the finest grapevines, yet they will be unprofitable because they are doing it without God.

Application:

There is wisdom to importing the best seedlings and planting the finest grapevines, so why would God have a problem with that?  Simply put, self-sufficiency.  God wants us to rely on Him and when we do, He will bless us and take amazing care of us.  When we lean on our own understanding and do things our own way, we are telling Him we don't need Him any more.  God truly wants His people to rely on Him instead of simply relying on our own thoughts and wisdom.

Prayer:

Father, let me do things Your way and not only the way I think things should be done.  Let me fulfill Your will in my life and do what You want me to do instead of simply living out of what makes sense to me.  Teach me to rely on You instead of making decisions based on what I think.

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Authority in World Events

Scripture:

Isaiah 14:24  "The Lord of Heaven's Armies has sworn this oath: 'It will all happen as I have planned, It will be as I have decided".

Observation:

Isaiah is in the middle of prophesying destruction for Assyria, Babylon, etc.  In the midst of his prophecy, he states that "It will all happen as I have planned.  It will be as I have decided".  God was saying that He is literally in control of world events and that He raises up and tears down nations.  The heart of every king is in His hands and He is in total control over world events.

Application:

Sometimes when we see world events unfolding, especially now as we near walk into the last days and prophecies are being fulfilled before our eyes, we tend to lose sight of who God is in the middle of all this.  The heart of the kings are in God's hands.  He is in control!  Right now, He is setting things in order so that His will can be done.  Nothing going on right now is a surprise to God.  He knows all and is actually placing people in certain roles for the wrap up of all things.  We can place our trust in Him.  He is in control.

Prayer:

Father, you are incredible!  I worship You this morning.  Your name is above all names and Your Kingdom is everlasting.  I see the signs of the times, but also realize that you are in total control.  Help me to trust you more and to walk in faith.  Speak into my heart things to come.  Show me what You are up to and what is really going on in the earth.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Joy of the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 12:3  "With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!"

Observation:

Isaiah gives us a word that we so desperately need.  He tells us that salvation should be a joy to us and bring our lives joy.  Literally the Hebrew would read here that with joy we will drink deeply of the fountain of Jesus.  Jesus is Yeshua, which is salvation.  Joy should be an outward expression of an inward fountain.

Application:

We need the joy of Jesus back in our lives.  I need my joy back!  Life hasn't been easy lately and I have had a lot on my mind.  I have allowed it to steal my joy.  I need to make the decision today to walk in joy.  It is a fruit of the Spirit and my walk with Christ should bring forth joy.  I have always been seen as a very joyful person and I want that back in my life.

Prayer:

Father, help me get my joy back.  I want to overflow with the life and goodness of God.  I want to live a joy-filled life that makes Jesus look good.  Help me to conquer this area once again.  Forgive me for letting the cares of this world rob my joy.  Empower me to live in joy again.

Yours,
Jeff

The Justice of God

Scripture:

Isaiah 3:10  "Tell the godly that all will be well for them.  They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned".

Observation:

At this point in Isaiah, there has been two and a half chapters of nothing but doom and gloom for the people of Israel because they had left the Lord and were serving other gods.  Isaiah was prophesying incredible destruction, yet in the midst of two and a half chapters of doom and gloom comes one verse that says, "Tell the godly that all will be well for them.  They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned'.

Application:

God is truly just.  In the end, people will get what they deserve.  Even when God is seen here judging an entire nation, He throws in the fact that those who have remained righteous before Him will enjoy rich rewards and everything will be well for them.  Even in the midst of God's judgment, we are safe and blessed if we are living a godly life.  Godliness with contentment is great gain!

Prayer:

Father, You are awesome!  You judge each one accurately.  You are just!  Thank You for showing me that, even when you are judging a nation, those who live godly are still blessed.  Help me walk in the ways of the godly and to serve You well all the days of my life.

Your Son,
Jeff

Confidence in God

Scripture:

II Timothy 4:18  "Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.  All glory to God forever and ever!  Amen.

Observation:

Paul, Timothy's spiritual father and mentor, is nearing the end of his life and he reminds Timothy that, no matter what people do to him, God will deliver him.  Paul had tested and proven God throughout his adult life and knew that God would truly deliver him every time.  He had incredible confidence in God, though he had been through so much stuff.  He was confident that God was going to fight his battles and bring him safely into heaven.

Application:

Paul had been through attack after attack in his life.  He had suffered for Christ much and had seen God deliver him every time.  I want to walk in that level of confidence and faith.  In this passage, he tells Timothy with great confidence that God will deliver him from every attack.  We need that kind of faith.  Imprisoned, yet knowing God would deliver him.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  I want to walk in that absolute confidence that Paul walked in.  I want to be able to boldly proclaim that You will absolutely deliver me out of every evil attack and bring me safely into Your kingdom.  You are amazing and I want to be a man of faith.

Your Son,
Jeff