No Expense Too Great

Scripture:

I Kings 6:22  "He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished.  Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold".

Observation:

When Solomon did something for God, he spared no expense.  He wanted to build a house for God and it took him seven years.  He wouldn't offer God anything without value, so he overlaid the entire temple with gold.

Application:

Today, we would say this was a waste of God's money and resources.  We tend to throw up the quickest and cheapest thing we can to worship God in.  Solomon had a different perspective.  He wanted the place where God was going to be worshiped to stand out from all other buildings.  He wanted it to be magnificent, and it was.  I'm not into super expensive buildings, but I feel like God is speaking to me this morning about doing whatever I do with an excellent spirit because I'm doing it for the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, help me to worship You with excellence.  Help me to give You my best.  You are amazing and deserve nothing but the best.  You have blessed me beyond measure and I want to bless You as well.  Let my life demonstrated the goodness of God and let me offer You my very best at all times.

Yours,
Jeff

Show Yourself a Man

Scripture:

I Kings 2:2-3 "I am going the way of all the earth.  Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.  Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn".

Observation:

David was dying and gave this charge to his son Solomon.  As he was giving his kingdom to Solomon, David told him to show himself a man, then described what a man does.  He said that a man keeps the charge, the laws, decrees, commands, etc.of the Lord and follows the Lord wherever He leads.  He basically tells him that real men serve God.

Application:

The idea here is that real men serve God.  Real men follow God's ways instead of their own.  Real men care more about what God thinks than about what anyone else thinks.  We must pursue the Lord first and foremost, then the blessing of God will follow.  Showing yourself a man isn't by lifting more weights than someone else, defeating more enemies than someone else, etc. The real measure of a man is, can he follow God without reservation?

Prayer:

Lord, let me be a real man!  Help me to stand up for You at all times and to care more about Your will than my own.  Help me to put You first in everything and you worship You with all my heart.  You are worthy to have real men follow You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Open Doors and Adversaries

Scripture:

I Corinthians 16:9  "for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries".

Observation:

Paul was finishing his letter to the Corinthians and tells them that he has to stay in Ephesus for a while because a wide door had opened for effective service, yet there were many adversaries.  Paul did not apparently equate open doors with no problems or adversaries.  He saw the open doors for service and realized that open doors didn't mean no problems.

Application:

Sometimes we tend to equate wide open doors with "no problems or adversaries".  We generally thing that an open door means that there are no problems and that everything is going to go fantastic because the door is open.  Open doors do not mean that there are no adversaries!  We must realize we have an adversary and that he hates open doors.  Therefore we must fight the enemy to keep doors open.  Open doors usually mean that there will be adversity.

Prayer:

Father, let me see truth as I walk with You.  Help me to see things as You see them.  Teach me to walk through open doors, but to also realize that Satan doesn't like open doors and will do everything he can to close them.  Teach me when to fight through and when to walk away from open doors.

Your Son,
Jeff

Love is Powerful!

Scripture:

I Corinthians 13:2  "If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing".

Observation:

Paul tells us here that if we have powerful gifts, but no love, we are nothing.  He lets us know that love is more important than gifts, knowledge, and incredible faith.  Here Paul resets the standard to a standard of love.

Application:

Many times we ask God to let us walk in the gifts of the Spirit.  We ask Him for knowledge concerning things and we beg Him for faith to move mountains.  It seems from this passage we should be asking God to help us love more and better.  Love is crucial and when we get that right, we will see the rest work out properly.

Prayer:

Father, help me to love more and better.  Teach me to love like Jesus loved.  Let the love of God flow through my life.  You are amazing and I want to reflect You well.  Help me to love the unlovable.

Yours,
Jeff

Giant Killers Reproduce Giant Killers

Scripture:

II Samuel 21:22  "These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants".

Observation:

David's most popular story is probably his great victory over Goliath of Gath.  Most people don't realize he and his men killed all of the giants in his day.  Here, it records that the four sons of Goliath were also killed by David and his men.  Once David killed Goliath, he and those who served with him knew it was possible and their faith was raised because of David.  David wasn't the only giant killer.  His team also defeated giants!

Application:

I need to not only be a giant killer, but to raise up those who can also kill giants.  I want to be a person who pulls the best out of people and causes them to believe they can do what God is calling them to do.  I want to see the people around me kill some giants and take some cities for God.  I want to see those around me plant some awesome churches that defeat the works of the devil.

Prayer:

Father, I love slaying giants, but I don't want to do it alone.  Help me to invest my life in those who will slay giants in the future.  Help me to reproduce people of faith who believe God for the impossible.  Let my life affect those around me in a positive way.

Yours,

Jeff

The Love of a Father

Scripture:

II Samuel 18:33 "The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept.  And thus he said as he walked, 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!  Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!'"

Observation:

In this text I see the love of a father for his son.  Absalom had taken the kingdom from David and was out seeking his life.  David's men defeated Absalom's men and one of the ended up killing Absalom, which they thought should make David happy because his enemy was dead.  David was distraught instead of happy.  He wanted his son to live and not die.  Though his son betrayed him, he still wanted only good for him.

Application:

You can't get away from the love of a father.  We have a heavenly Father who loves us deeply and completely.  Though we mess up at times and decide to take things into our own hands and do what we want instead of serving Him well, He stills loves us and grieves over us when we separate ourselves from Him.  God's love for us is stronger than the love that David had for Absalom and we can rest assured of that.  He loves us, even when we walk away from Him.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to understand Your love more and more.  Teach me Your ways and let me walk with You intimately.  Your love for us is amazing and truly amazing.  Help me not to take that love for granted, but to let it move me to greater service in Your Kingdom.  You are worthy of my all!

Yours,
Jeff

The Stealer of Hearts

Scripture:

II Samuel 15:6  "In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel".

Observation:

Absalom sat outside the palace gate being helpful and kind, building a reputation of being a super caring individual who cared more about the people than the king did.  He stole the hearts of the people of God by what appeared to be sincere care and love.

Application:

Satan operates much like Absalom.  He will send someone who seems so caring, loving and kind to you to get you off track with God and His plans for your life.  Satan never deceives us with ugly, terrible people, but with those who seem to really be on our side and who seem to really care about us.  He uses people who make us feel good about ourselves to get us to question the leadership above us.  It is always people who seem to care more than our leaders, who lead us down this path away from God's best for our lives.  Be careful, your heart may be stolen away.

Prayer:

Father, as a pastor of Your people, help me not be deceived by people who seem to be very caring and kind, who seem to want the best for our church, etc.  Give me a discerning heart that I may see how the enemy works.  Help my heart not to be stolen away by anyone but You.  You are the best, help me to stay faithful to You at all times.

Your Son,
Jeff

God Hates Sin

Scripture:

II Samuel 12:10  "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife".

Observation:

David had sinned by sleeping with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed so that nobody would find out about it.  He was covering his sin, but Nathan the prophet exposed it and told David that his household would be affected forever because of this one sin.  I see from this, that sin has great consequences.

Application:

We should realize from this story that sin is horrendous in the eyes of the Lord and that there are consequences for our sin.  We should realize how much our sin hurts the God we say we serve.  He hates sin!  He gave His Son so that we might be free from the power of sin, yet we go on sinning and asking His forgiveness.  Sin has consequences and we must realize that.

Prayer:

Father, let me live a life that pleases You.  Convict me when sin is present in my life and don't let me go down a wrong path.  Let my life shine as a good example to others of what a Christian's life should look like.  Purify my heart and cleanse me daily with Your word.  I am Yours.

Forever,
Jeff

Our Helper is Fantastic

Scripture:

II Samuel 8:6  "The David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute.  And the Lord helped David wherever he went".

Observation:

I love this verse, which is repeated later in the chapter again, "and the Lord helped David wherever he went".  David was true to the Lord and always sought the Lord.  He never proceeded in anything without inquiring of the Lord.  I believe, because of that, the Lord helped David wherever he went.  God knew David wanted God's will in all things, therefore God helped him everywhere he went.

Application:

We have a helper who comes alongside our lives.  The Holy Spirit comes alongside us as believers today and helps us do what needs done for the Kingdom.  We are never helpless, we have a helper!  Just like David, God wants to be a helper to us.  The only key is that our lives must also be like David, desiring God's will and keeping in step with His will for our lives.  When we seek God's will instead of our own, we will see the helper making it happen in and through us.

Prayer:

Father, I want Your will to be done in my life.  I surrender to You and Your plan.  Help me to inquire more of You instead of just planning things on my own.  I want to lead as a leader who is hearing and following Your voice.

Yours,
Jeff

Inquire of the Lord

Scripture:

II Samuel 2:1  "Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?'  And the Lord said to him, 'Go up.'  So David said, 'Where shall I go up?'  And He said, 'To Hebron'".

Observation:

One of David's greatest attributes is seen in this Scripture.  David always inquired of the Lord about what he should do.  Here he asks God if he should go up to Judah, then he asks him specifically which city.  He didn't want to do anything on his own.  He wanted to be in the center of God's will and trusted God to bring that to pass.

Application:

I want to live a life like this.  I want to be directed by the Lord in every step I take and every move I make.  I love to see the way the Lord spoke clearly to David throughout his life and I strongly desire to hear clearly what the Lord directs me to do in my life.

Prayer;

Holy Spirit speak to me and I will listen.  Show me where to go and what to do and I will respond.  Open my ears to hear more clearly every day.  Remove anything that blocks that or hinders me from hearing your voice.

Your Son,
Jeff

Full Recovery

Scripture:

I Samuel 30:19  "But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back".

Observation:

David and his men had gone out to battle and left his town undefended.  When they returned, they found all their possessions, wives and children gone and Ziklag burned to the ground.  David and his men were distraught, but he put his trust in the Lord.  He went after the enemy and "everything" was restored to them and their enemy was defeated.  He made a full recovery after what looked like a total failure.

Application:

God is a specialist at fully recovery situations.  Job had everything taken from him, yet God restored him fully and gave him double for his trouble.  Here, David recovered "all" that was missing.  When the enemy of our souls comes and tries to discourage us, we must rise up in faith and believe that God does bring about "full recovery".  When loss happens, we must know that God is the God of full recovery.

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for full recovery in my life.  I thank You for full recovery in my finances, my health and the health of my family.  I thank You for full recovery of everything the enemy has tried to take away from me and my family.  Thank You God for bringing about full recovery.

Your Son,

Jeff

So Blessed that Your Enemies See it

Scripture:

I Samuel 26:25  "Then Saul said to David, 'Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail.'  So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place".

Observation:

Saul was still king and was pursuing David to kill him.  David had two opportunities now to kill Saul, but wouldn't.  He said he would not touch the Lord's anointed.  David realized that God lifts up and God puts down.  He knew he would be king one day, but he trusted God with when and how.  Here, David let Saul know he could have killed him and Saul replies, "Blessed are you, my son David; you will both accomplish much and surely prevail".

Application:

Saul couldn't fight against the purity in David's heart.  He knew that David was special and had the favor of God on his life.  Saul understood that God would bless David and make him king one day.  May we be so blessed that the world sees it.  May they understand that they can try to put us down, but God will raise us up.  May our lives be so blessed that the world can't argue against us.

Prayer:

Father, let my life be so blessed that the world can't comprehend it.  Let my light shine and help me to walk with You in purity of heart.  May every motive be pure and may my relationship with You grow daily.  Take me deeper in my walk with You.  Bless my life so much that my enemies can't help but realize that God does bless His people.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Confidence in God

Scripture:

I Samuel 22:23  "Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me".

Observation:

David gave refuge to Abiathar the priest who had escaped the hand of Saul when Saul killed 85 other priests.  He fled and found David to tell him what happened.  David knew that God would deliver him and knew that God was with him enough to tell Abiathar not to be afraid because Saul also wanted to kill David.  He could confidently tell a man who was being pursued by the king that he would be safe in David's presence.

Application:

We should have enough confidence in God that we are able to tell others, stay here with me, everything is going to be okay.  May we have the confidence in God that, instead of fearing for our lives, we trust God and know that not only are we safe and secure in Him, but those around us are as well.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You like David knew You.  His confidence in You was amazing and I want to walk in that confidence.  Teach me to hear Your voice and be boldly confident in what You call me to do.

Your Son,
Jeff

What You Defeat You Can Use

Scripture:

I Samuel 21:9  "Then the priest said, 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it.  For there is no other except it here.'  And David said, 'There is none like it; give it to me'".

Observation:

David was now running for his life, hiding from King Saul, who was trying to kill him.  When he fled fro Saul, he took no weapons because he had to leave quickly.  When he met up with Ahimelech, he asked if he had a spear and the only spear he had was the one Goliath used when David defeated him.  David was given Goliath's sword to fight with.

Application:

What you conquer, you can use.  When you conquer an area of life and defeat it, you can then use that for the glory of God.  As David conquered Goliath, then was given his sword, so when we conquer things in our lives, we can use them for God's glory.  Our next battle may be won with weapons we took possession of in this current battle.  Defeat every enemy and there will be plenty of weapons to defeat future enemies.

Prayer:

Father, help me to live a victorious life and to conquer every enemy.  Teach me to use what has been conquered to glorify Your name.  Take my life and let it be used for Your glory.  Let me lead someone to Christ today.

Your Son,
Jeff

Knowing Who are You Compared to Your Enemy

Scripture:

I Samuel 17:26  "Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, 'What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away  the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?'"

Observation:

David was young and not a super experienced warrior at this point, but He knew His God would deliver him from whatever came against him.  He knew that God would always be victorious over anyone who defied him.  David seemed to know that God was stronger than his enemy, even though his enemy looked huge and the fight looked impossible.

Application:

Just as David knew His God and therefore was not afraid of his enemy.  We must also realize that we are children of God and that He loves us and will not allow us to be utterly defeated by our enemies.  We must realize that we serve the most powerful God and that nothing any enemy throws against us will stand.  When we know the power of our God, we will be able to stand against any enemy.

Prayer:

Father, let me know you like David did.  Let me have that complete confidence that he had.  Help me to walk with You and know Your power.  Help me to never be afraid of my enemies because I know with confidence that You, not only can, but will, defeat my enemies.  You are the best and I love You.

Yours,
Jeff

Children's Ministry

Scripture:

I Samuel 2:18  "Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod".

Observation:

As a boy, Samuel was ministering before the Lord.  He grew up in the presence of God.  He knew the voice of the Lord at a very early age.  

Application:

I believe in children's ministry.  I don't believe we just need to entertain kids in church until their parents are done with their service.  I believe kids can know that Lord and can be mightily used for His glory.  I believe God wants to pour out His Spirit on children and that He will as we make room for that.  Just as Samuel did, all children can know the Lord intimately.  I want the children of our church to walk with God, to know His voice and to follow Him completely.

Prayer:

Father, pour out Your Spirit on our children.  May they see You high and lifted up.  May they be sensitive to the voice of Your Spirit.  Raise up a generation of Samuels, who know You at an early age and never walk away from You.

Yours,

Jeff

Reputation Makes a Way for You

Scripture:

Ruth 3:11 "Now, my daughter, do not fear.  I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a a woman of excellence".

Observation:

Boaz was speaking with Ruth about her redeemer and he said these words about her, "all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence".  These are powerful words!  She was the new kid on the block.  She was gleaning in the fields as a poor person, but the whole city saw her as a woman of excellence.

Application:

Excellence gets you noticed!  When you do things with excellence, people see it and a reputation is started.  Ruth has only been there a short while and the whole city knew she was a woman of excellence.  Her reputation of excellence made a way for her to experience the blessing of God.  We should be people who's reputation goes before us and we should live lives that bring God's blessing.

Prayer:

Father, let my life be a life well-lived.  Let me live a life of excellence.  Help me to have an excellent spirit.  Help me to treat people well and give me wisdom in every area today.  You are amazing and it is a pleasure to serve You.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Purpose of God

Scripture:

Romans 9:17 "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth'".

Observation:

Scripture tells us here that God raised up Pharaoh for His purposes.  Pharaoh thought he was powerful and the leader of the known world and was all-powerful.  God let him know that he was simply a pawn on God's chess board so that He could demonstrate His power in him and that God's name might be proclaimed throughout the world.

Application:

God has a purpose and that purpose is that His name will be proclaimed throughout all the earth.  This has always been and always will be His plan.  We are part of that plan!  When we make God's purposes our purposes, we will see his blessing in our lives.  He wants his name glorified in all the earth.  Our goal should be the glory of God in all the earth.

Prayer:

Father, let your rule and reign cover the earth.  May Your kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  Rule, Holy One on the earth you created.  Let your name be proclaimed in all the earth and let me be part of that.  I surrender my life to be part of your plan and purpose for the earth.

Yours,
Jeff

Fully Assured

Scripture:

Romans 4:20-21  "yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform".

Observation:

Paul was speaking to the Romans about Abraham.   He told them that Abraham didn't waver, but grew stronger in faith.  He was "fully assured" that what God promised, He was able to perform.  Wavering often robs our blessing.  Sometimes we "think" God "can" do something, but do we really believe He "will" do what He promised?

Application:

God wants His children to walk by faith and not by sight.  Sight tells us that God is not working in our lives like we want Him to, faith says, "He will do what He said He would do".  We must moved from "hoping" God will do something to being "fully assured" that He will.  I want to live a fully assured life of confidence in God.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk by faith and not by sight.  Teach me to not waver, but to be fully assured that You will do what You have said.  Help me to walk in complete obedience to You.  I am Yours.  Take me, fill me, use me for Your glory.

Your Son,
Jeff