Don't Weary The Lord

Scripture:

Malachi 2:17  "Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words.  Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?  In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice?"

Observation:

Malachi tells God's people that they were wearying Him with their words.  They were saying they served the Lord, but their actions were not backing up their words.  They were telling people God was delighted with them, when actually they were not even right with God.  This was trying on the Lord's patience because they were not accurately depicting who God is.  His justice was being overlooked.

Application:

I think we are in dangerous waters today when I read verses like this.  Today we preach how God is head over heals in love with everyone, no matter how they are living.  We basically tell people they can do whatever they want and live however they want, and God is so radically in love with them that He doesn't look at the sin in their lives.  God doesn't delight in sin and iniquity.  He is a righteous God who empowers His people to live righteous lives.  We need to stop wearying the Lord's patience.

Prayer:

Father, let my life please You in every way.  Forgive me for taking Your sacrifice and love for granted.  Help me to live a life worthy of Christ's death.  Let me accurately reflect You when I preach to people.  Help me to rightly divide the word of truth.  I don't want to bless what You are cursing and curse what You are blessing.  Lead me Holy Spirit.

Yours,
Jeff

Rejoice Greatly

Scripture:

Zechariah 9:9  "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly; and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass."

Observation:

Zechariah prophesies here that the people of Zion would rejoice one day because their king would come to them.  He tells that this king will be just and having salvation.  He says he will be lowly and riding on a donkey.  Jesus fulfilled this passage exactly when he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Application:

Sometimes our answer doesn't come to us in the package we expected.  Sometimes God uses the little things of this world to confound the wise.  Sometimes God works in ways we cannot understand.  Our job is not to tell Him how to come, just to rejoice because we know the answer is coming.  We can rejoice in the fact that we have a God who loves us and is working on our behalf, whether we see the answer coming or not.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more each day.  Help me to realize that sometimes Your answer comes in the mighty and sometimes Your answer comes in the simple.  Either way, You always take care of Your kids.  Thanks for reminding me that sometimes the greatest answers come in simple packages.

Yours
Jeff

Dilligently Obey

Scripture:

Zechariah 6:15  "And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you.  And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God."

Observation:

Zechariah is given a word from an angel about people from all over coming to build in the temple.  He was told that hen he saw it happen, he would know the angel was sent from God.  At the end, the angel tells him something crucial to all of it.  He says, it will come to pass, IF he would diligently obey the voice of the Lord.

Application:

We all want to claim the promises of God, but promises in God's word generally are conditional.  When we are obedient to Him and walking in the Spirit, we can ask what we will and it will be done for us, but when we are walking in disobedience, we have nothing to stand on.  Our promises generally have an "if" attached to them.  We do our part of obedience and God does His part.

Prayer:

Once again Lord, I ask come before You and ask you to help me walk in obedience to You at all times.  Help me say yes, no matter what You ask of me.  Open doors and I will walk through them.  Let me hear Your voice and I will say yes. 

Yours,
Jeff

Seek Jehovah

Scripture:

Zephaniah 2:3  "Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger."

Observation:

Zephaniah was talking to people who were about to be punished by the Lord.  God was about to destroy many nations who were not following him.  To this people, Zephaniah says, "Seek ye Jehovah".  He was telling them that if they sought the Lord and righteousness, He may hide them in the time of his anger.

Application:

God can hide his people, even in times of His own wrath.  He that dwells in the secret place of the most high will be hidden from God's wrath and all other calamity.  The best thing we can do as we see the last days coming is to seek the Lord and seek His righteousness.  I want to be hidden away with Him.

Prayer:

Father, make me a seeker of You.  Help me to continue to seek Your face all the days of my life.  Draw me more and more into Your presence.  I want to be hidden under Your wings and to be close to You.  Teach me to follow You more closely each day.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Filled

Scripture:

Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea."

Observation:

Habakkuk is given a vision of a day when the entire world would be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.  He was told that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord would be so encompassing that it would be like the waters covering the sea.

Application:

I want to be part of helping this verse come to pass in my life.  I want the knowledge of the glory of the Lord to cover the earth like the waters cover the sea.  I commit my life to the expansion of the kingdom of God in all the earth till the whole world knows.

Prayer:

Father, let me be part of extending Your kingdom into all the earth.  Help me to follow You completely and to be an instrument in Your hands for the extension of Your reign and rule in the earth.  Let my life be used to bring other lives to You.

Yours,
Jeff

Washed Robes

Scripture:

Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city."

Observation:

In the book of Revelation, there is much talk of white robes.  We are told earlier in Revelation that the white robes are the righteous acts of the saints.  Here, we see that having the right to come to the tree of life requires washing of the robes. 

Application:

There is much teaching today in the body of Christ about grace.  Many teach that we can live however we want because Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus paid the punishment for our sins, but we have to choose to walk in righteousness.  We have to decide to live above sin and follow His ways.  I want to have the right to come to the tree of life.  Therefore, I want to live holy before my God while on this earth.  I want to please Him in every way.

Prayer:

Father, wash me, cleanse me, and help me to live in righteousness according to Your ways.  Help me to walk with You closer and closer each day.  I want to serve You well and to make Your name great.  Purify my life and help me walk in purity and power all the days of my life.

Your Son,
Jeff

A Great Multitude

Scripture:

Revelation 19:1 "After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God".

Observation:

When it's all said and done, God wins, the devil is defeated and God's people, "A Great Multitude", will be worshiping Him in heaven.  We will be singing hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and power belong to our God.  What a beautiful picture of how this all wraps up.

Application:

We are living in the last days and must remain alert and walk in close relationship with our Father.  It says that there will be a great multitude in heaven worshiping.  I want to be part of making the multitude larger and larger.  I want to extend the reach of God's kingdom farther and farther until the time of the Gentiles comes to an end.  I need to commit my life more and more to the extension of the Kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be in that great multitude one day, but I also want to be part of building that multitude here on earth until that day.  Help me to stay focused on winning souls and making disciples.  Help me to keep the main thing the main thing.  Keep me on track and empower me to build and extend Your kingdom here on earth into every nation, tribe and tongue.

Yours,
Jeff

All Nations

Scripture:

Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest".

Observation:

John was witnessing some pretty incredible stuff about the anti-christ and false prophet, then he comes into this section and declares the part of the song of Moses.  He talks about everyone fearing the Lord and all nations worship before Him when His righteous acts are made manifest.

Application:

One day, every knee is going to bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.  I want to be a person who worships Him now, instead of one who waits until its too late.  I also have volunteered my life to take His good news to the ends of the earth.  I want to be part of every nation knowing Him before its too late.

Prayer:

Father, I give myself fresh to You today for the building of Your kingdom in every nation of the earth.  Let me be part of extending Your kingdom into the whole earth.  I want to see the nations worshiping You together.  I want to see that here in my church and around the world and I give myself to You for that purpose today.

Yours,
Jeff

Picture of Heaven

Scripture:

Revelation 7:9 "After these things I saw, and behold a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands".

Observation:

In this verse, we get a glimpse of what goes on in heaven around the throne of God.  John saw a great multitude of people that was innumerable.  They were from every tribe, nation and language and they were worshiping the Lamb together.  The greatest demonstration of worldwide unity happens every day in heaven.  There is no division, race, or language discrimination.  Perfect unity!

Application:

As we pray "Thy kingdom come and the thy will be done", we must remember what we see in this passage, is the will of God.  God wants His children to worship together from all over the earth.  In heaven, there will be no race distinctions.  In heaven, there will be no race divisions.  We will all worship the King together in perfect unity.

Prayer:

Father, I give my life to building unity in Your kingdom.  I pledge to You that I will do my best to reconcile pastors, churches, leaders, and denominations to each other and to You.  Help me to do it.  Give me the platform and I will speak.

Yours,
Jeff

Dead Works

Scripture:

Revelation 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead."

Observation:

John is writing to the church at Sardis.  He tells them that they have a name that says they are alive, but that they are dead. 

Application:

Many have a name that says they are alive or go to a church that says they are alive, but in reality, they are full of dead works.  We need to stay close the Lord and walk with Him at all times.  We don't want to be dead and not know it.  I'd rather have name that is dead and be alive, than to have a name that is alive, but be really dead.  Our reputation must match our name.

Prayer:

Father, help me stay on track with you all the days of my life.  Help me to follow You well and to be alive in Christ always.  You are amazing and I want Your life to flow through me.

Yours,
Jeff

The Power of God's Word

Scripture:

Micah 3:6 "Therefore it shall be night unto you, that you shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them."

Observation:

God's people had walked away from Him and his prophets were not speaking truth.  His punishment in this case was to take away His word from them.  He said it would be night to them with no vision, no hearing the word of the Lord and the prophets shall have nothing but blackness.  God's punishment was to withhold the word of the Lord from them.

Application:

If withholding the word of the Lord is seen as punishment, how much should we value the word of the Lord?  It should be guiding us and bringing light into our lives on a daily basis.  We should be filling ourselves with His word so that we never go into darkness and so that we live according to His ways.  May the sun never go down on our ability to hear the word of God.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for reminding me of the power of Your voice.  Speak to me today.  Let me see what You are doing and follow You completely.  Help me to walk in the light as You are in the light.  Thanks for Your revelation.  It is everything to me.

Yours,
Jeff

Seek God and Live

Scripture:

Amos 5:4 "For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live."

Observation:

God had been speaking about the destruction of Israel before this portion.  He was talking about only one tenth of the population surviving His destruction, then He send them this message, "Seek ye me, and ye shall live".  He sent a clear way out of the consequences they were facing.

Application:

There is life in seeking God.  He is the author of life and He loves it when His people seek Him.  To seek means to search for.  We must search out what God is doing and who He is.  We must look for Him like we look for our lost cell phones.  We must pursue Him at all times.  He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to always be a seeker of God.  Let my life be full of times of seeking the Lord.  In You is everything I need.  You are my provider, my sustainer, my guide.  You are my source and my resource.  You are all I need.  Help me to never stop seeking You.

Yours,

Jeff

The Shepherd Prophet

Scripture:

Amos 1:1 "The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake."

Observation:

The book of Amos is a short, powerful little book of some prophesies by a prophet who was among the shepherds of Tekoa.  He apparently wasn't trained in the school of the prophets and probably didn't travel with a group of prophets as was customary in his times.  He was a shepherd who heard the voice of the Lord and apparently his message made its way to kings.

Application:

God can raise up someone out of nowhere to guide a country, speak to a nation, or to advise presidents and kings.  God can speak, and does speak to those of lowly estate, and allows their voice to be heard by leaders of nations.  God doesn't look at your resume when He needs something done, He looks at your heart and your willingness.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk with You and be willing to do whatever You speak in my life.  I avail myself to You this morning.  Speak through me.  Work through me.  Help me to walk in tune with You and to do Your will in the earth.  Let my life bring Your praise.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Commands

Scripture:

I John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Observation:

John had spent much time talking about love for most of his letter.  As he nears the end of his letter, he adds this little piece.  He says that if we love God, we will keep his commands and his commands are not grievous.  Love and obedience go hand in hand.

Application:

When you really love someone, you will go out of your way to bless them and make them happy.  It is not grievous to do what they want to do.  In marriage, one must live in a way that pleases the other person because love causes you to want their happiness.  We work hard to make sure the person we love is feeling the love.  God feels the love when we obey His commands.  Doing it out of love makes it not grievous, but a joy.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I love you and want to live a life that pleases You.  Help me to walk in Your commandments.  Teach me to love Your word more each day.  Show me where I'm messing up and I will work on it.  I want to walk as an obedient child, nor a rebel to your commands.

Yours,

Jeff

A Condemned Heart

Scripture:

I John 3:21 "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

Observation:

John says here that when our own heart doesn't condemn us, we have boldness toward God.  Therefore, if we allow condemnation in our hearts, we lose our boldness toward God and we don't receive whatever we ask of Him.  When we keep His commands and to the things that are pleasing to Him, our hearts don't condemn us and we will see more prayers answered.

Application:

We need to walk in step with the Spirit and do what He says.  When we do this, we have no self-condemnation because we know we are walking in purity before the Lord.  Walking above condemnation then allows us to have boldness toward God and receive what we ask of Him.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to follow You more closely every day.  Teach me to walk in the Spirit at all times.  Forgive me for the times when I get out of the Spirit and into the flesh.  I want to walk with You and talk with You throughout each day.  Help me today to remain aware of You and Your will at all times.

Yours,
Jeff

Grow

Scripture:

II Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory both now and forever."

Observation:

At the end of his letter, Peter tells his audience that, instead of falling away toward false prophecies and teaching, they should grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is saying that this will keep you from falling prey to all the crazy doctrines that will arise as the coming of Christ is closer.

Application:

We are told here to grow in grace and knowledge.  This is a command for us, not a prayer by Peter.  In other words, our growth is on us.  We have to make the decision to grow in grace and knowledge.  In both cases, we grow by knowing Christ more.  We grow in grace when we know that author of grace and we grow in knowledge by studying His word and life.  I need to take my growth seriously, especially in this time of my master's program.

Prayer:

Father, help me grow in grace and in knowledge of You.  Teach me Your word.  Show me how to grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Help me understand more clearly what exactly that means.  Work in my life and make me more like Jesus every day.

Yours,

Jeff

Who is Wise?

Scripture:

Hosea 14:9 "Who is wise, that he may understand these things?  prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein."

Observation:

Hosea tells us that those what are wise and prudent know and understand that the ways of God are right and they walk in them.  God's ways are always right and we must learn to follow His ways above all else.  We must humble ourselves before Him and not transgress His ways.

Application:

We are wise when we understand and know that God is right and we are not.  Our job is to do things God's way, wherein we can expect His blessing and favor.  When we do things God's way, we get God results. When we do things our own way, we can expect human results.  Our job is to find out what pleases God and walk accordingly.  Faith pleases God.

Prayer:

Lord, increase my faith.  Work in and through my life today.  Help me to walk according to Your ways and to do your will at all times. Thank You for the incredible blessings You have blessed me with.  Following You is incredible.  Help me to communicate to others the blessings of following You.  Work through me today.  Heal the sick, minister to the oppressed, and set the captive free in our service this evening.

Your Son,

Jeff

Sow Righteousness

Scripture:

Hosea 10:12 "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you".

Observation:

God is speaking through Hosea at this point and telling his people they need to sow righteousness and reap kindness.  He tells them to break up their ground and see God until He comes and rains righteousness on them.  It seems here that righteousness is both something we do and something that comes to us.

Application:

We are righteous because of the blood of Christ, who is our righteousness.  Yet, we need to sow into righteousness.  We need to plant some righteous seeds until Christ rains it down on us.  It is also on us to break up our hard, fallow ground.  We must prepare ourselves to live righteously by seeking God and pursuing Him.  We are righteous through Christ, but we still need to seek God and He will lead us into right living.

Prayer:

Lord, break up my fallow ground.  During this fasting time, take away everything that is not right and replace it with more of You.  Fill me with Your Spirit and Your righteousness.  Let me walk with You at a deeper level.  Help me to sow righteousness today.

Yours,
Jeff

Knowledge Beats Sacrifice

Scripture:

Hosea 6:6 "For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings."

Observation:

God was talking about His people whoring with other gods.  He wanted His people to return to Him.  Here we hear the heart of God for His people.  He says He desires goodness more than sacrifice and knowing Him over burnt offerings.  In other words, He wants relationship above religion.

Application:

God wants a relationship with us.  He wants us to know Him more than He wants us to attend church on Sunday.  Church attendance and everything that goes with it, does not guarantee we are right with God.  Those things should be the result of knowing God.  We should serve Him and want to grow in Him because we know Him, not so that he will be impressed by our sacrifice.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to know You.  I want to hear Your voice and walk in Your paths.  You desire goodness above sacrifice and knowing You above offerings.  Help me to desire the same and to know You more each day.  I love you Lord.

Yours,
Jeff

Extreme Obedience

Scripture:

Hosea 1:2 "When Jehovah spake at the first by Hosea, Jehovah said unto Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land doth commit great whoredom, departing from Jehovah.  So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bare him a son."

Observation:

Apparently this was at the beginning of Hosea's ministry because it says when Jehovah spoke at first by Hosea.  His calling to ministry required extreme obedience.  He was told to marry a prostitute as an example of Israel.  It simply says, "so he went and took Gomer".  Apparently he didn't question, he simply obeyed.

Application:

Can God trust us to do what He says, even when it doesn't seem to make sense?  We must learn to be people of extreme obedience.  When God speaks, we must be willing to act on what He tells us.  This week I need to practice quick and extreme obedience.  I need to obey first and ask questions later.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to implement extreme and quick obedience in to my life.  I want to serve you well.  Help me to walk in the Spirit each day and fulfill Your will for my life that day.

Yours,
Jeff

Subjected to Ordinances

Scripture:

I Peter 2:13-14 "Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well."

Observation:

God tells us here through Peter, that we should be subjected, or submitted, to every ordinance of man.  He says we authorities, even ungodly authorities, were put there by God to bring vengeance on those that deserve it and praise for them that do well."

Application:

Sometimes as believers, we act like we are above the laws of the jurisdictions we live in.  Sometimes we feel like the law only applies when we like it, understand it, or agree with it.  Scripturally, we are to obey the laws of the land we live in and submit to them.  Christfollowers should get praise from our authorities because we are walking in submission to what they say.  We should be the example for others of humble submission to the laws of our land.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in ways that bring you glory and honor.  Help me to submit to the authorities You have placed over my life.  Teach me to make You and Your kingdom look good to those around me.  I want to walk with you all the days of my life and to exalt Your name.

Yours,
Jeff

Set My Face

Scripture:

Daniel 9:3  "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes."

Observation:

Daniel was led by the Lord into a time of prayer and fasting.  When we went in, he went all in.  He began to seek the Lord in prayer, supplications, fasting, and sackcloth.  He "set his face".  In other words, he was all in.  He was committed to this time of prayer and seeking God.

Application:

There needs to be times in our lives where we push everything away and seek the Lord in prayer, supplications, and fasting.  We need to have times set in our lives where we really set our face to seeking the Lord.  He is incredible and worth the pursuit.

Prayer:

Father, draw me in to your presence and draw my to times of prayer and fasting.  I want to be completely yours.  Help me to set my face to be your servant and to knowing Your will.  I want to know You more each day.  Draw me Holy Spirit into Your presence.  I want to hear from You.

Yours,
Jeff

God Humbles the Proud

Scripture:

Daniel 4:37  "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar , praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase."

Observation:

Nebuchadnezzar had been taken by God from being king to acting like an animal in the field.  He went from kingship to literally being like a wild animal.  He was then restored to his role as king.  When restored, he praised, extolled and honored the king of heaven.  He saw God's ability personally and gave him praise for it.

Application:

God always humbles the proud and gives grace to the humble.  God is able to bring anyone down from their high place.  He is God and nobody is above Him.  He can lift up and He can put down.  He is amazing!  May we praise Him before we are humbled by Him.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I honor You today.  You are incredible and I worship You.  May Your name be praised in every nation of the earth and may Your kingdom ever increase.  Let my life be a life that honors You and gives You praise.  Help me to walk in humility and to know Your power.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Cleansed for Use

Scripture:

Ezekiel 45:18  "This saith the Lord Jehovah: In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish; and thou shalt cleanse the sanctuary,"

Observation:

As God showed Ezekiel the Temple and how He wanted to be worshiped, He let him know that it was very important to follow exactly what God said to him.  God wanted everything cleansed before it was used.  He wanted the sanctuary  cleaned before the first sacrifice took place.

Application:

God is a god of order.  He is very precise in what He does and how He does it.  Here, He laid out exactly what He wanted to happen when it came to worship.  He is a very detailed God and we are to do things His way.  God always cleanses something before He uses it for His glory.  We must allow Him to cleanse our lives, so He can flow through us and use us.  We must offer ourselves to Him as an offering.

Prayer:

Father, I offer You my life.  Take me, heal me, cleanse me and use me for Your glory.  I am Yours.  I offer myself to You again today for Your purposes.  Help me to stay on Your plan and not my own.  I want to serve You well and not just fulfill my own purposes.  I want to do things Your way and not just a way I figure out on my own.

Yours,

Jeff

Teach My People

Scripture:

Ezekiel 44:23 "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

Observation:

God was telling the priests that their job was to teach the difference between what was holy and what was common.  He also wanted them to teach what was clean and unclean.  He wanted His people to know right from wrong and for them to follow Him according to His ways.

Application:

In today's society, church leaders try to give people what they want instead of what they need.  We want people to come to our churches, so we don't teach on sin and obedience, we just want to give them messages that will build them up and encourage them to come back.  God wants His priests to tell the people what is right and wrong, what is clean and unclean, what is holy and unholy.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to teach the ways of God clearly and accurately.  I want You to come to the church You have entrusted to me.  Help me to teach right and wrong.  Help me to accurately divide the word of truth.  Open my ears to hear and declare what You want for Your people.

Yours,
Jeff

And They Shall Know

Scripture:

Ezekiel 39:28 "And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there."

Observation:

God's desire here, by allowing His people to go into captivity and then bringing them back home and restoring them, was that they shall KNOW that He is God.  Throughout the Old and New Testament, we see God doing works, "so that they will know that I am God".  He wants His people to KNOW He is God.

Application:

God doesn't want us to waiver back and forth like the wind and waves in our faith.  He wants us to KNOW Him.  He wants us not to always question our faith, but to know He is God and He will deliver us.  He wants His people to walk in confidence and faith that is based on who He is and what He has done in our lives and in history. 

Prayer:

Lord, You have proven to me over and over throughout my life that You are God.  You have blessed my life incredibly and I have witnessed countless miracles.  Help me to walk more confident in my relationship with You. 

Your Son,
Jeff

The Spirit Within

Scripture:

Ezekiel 36:27 "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them."

Observation:

This is a prophecy about Israel returning to its God-given land after being exiled, it so beautifully demonstrates some NT ideas to us.  When the people come back to their land, God says He will put His Spirit within them and cause them to follow His ways and laws.

Application:

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit comes into all of those who are children of God.  Jesus said the Spirit would no longer be upon you, but IN you.  Think about the fact that the Spirit of the living God lives in us for a moment.  If that is true, then we have the power to do whatever is necessary to live in obedience to our Father and to fulfill His will in the earth.  We are not left powerless, but He has put His own Spirit in us.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk in the Spirit daily and not to be led by my flesh.  Jesus died so Your Spirit could help me live life the way You want me to.  You have opened the way for the incredible Spirit-filled life.  Help me to to walk in the power of Your Spirit and to realize what tools I have to do Your will.

Your Son,

Jeff

And They Shall Know

Scripture:

Ezekiel 25:11 "and I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am Jehovah."

Observation:

In this entire portion of scripture, God is railing against the nations that have been bad to Israel and Judah.  As He is giving out his judgments and how He is going to wipe them away, He always says, "they shall know that I am Jehovah."  God wants His name known in all the earth.

Application:

God wants His name to be known in all the earth.  He wants the whole world to know He is Jehovah.  Even in judgment, He wants those He is judging to know He is Jehovah.  Throughout the enire Bible I see God doing things so that the world may know that He is God.  This is one thing we can help Him with.  We need to let the world know He is God.

Prayer:

Father, today, help me to be a witness for You.  Help me to make the most of every opportunity to bring You into conversation.  I am with You.  I want the world to know You are God and there is none like You.

Yours,
Jeff

I Sought For a Man

Scripture:

Ezekiel 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them, that should build up a wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."

Observation:

God was talking about bringing judgement upon His people because of their going after other gods and prostituting themselves with other gods.  He was preparing to destroy them and it says, he "sought a man among them, that should build up a wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land".  God went looking for someone who was willing to stand between His judgment and the people, but couldn't find anyone.

Application:

We call this standing in the gap, or intercession.  It is standing between God and His judgment for sin.  In America, we have walked away from God and are serving the gods of pleasure and good feelings.  We need men and women who will stand before the Lord on our behalf to pray for our country.  May He not only find one, but multitudes standing in the gap and praying for our nation that is going downhill quickly.

Prayer:

Father, this morning I stand in the gap for the US.  Forgive us for our sin and transgression.  Forgive us for the murder of unborn babies.  Forgive us for our lack of prayer and love for God.  Forgive us for being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.  Come and revive this nation.

Your Son,

Jeff

And You Shall Know

Scripture:

Ezekiel 20:42 "And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I sware to give unto your fathers."

Observation:

God tells His people they will know that He is Jehovah when He brings them into the promised land.  They had rebelled against Him and followed after others gods.  The Lord told them He would send them into Egypt, but He also told them they would come out and go into the Promised Land.  His purpose - then you shall know that I am Jehovah."

Application:

There are some things that happen in our lives that can only be explained by saying "it's a God thing."  When God decides to bless us, He does so in such a manner that our only explanation is that God is good and takes good care of His children.  His purpose is that we will know He is the Lord.  We must know deep down that He is the Lord, no matter how we feel at the present time.

Prayer:


Lord, I know You are Jehovah.  You don't have to prove anything to me.  You are incredible and I bless Your name.  You don't have to do anything to show me You are God, but I love it when You do.  Have Your way in my life and let me be a reflection of You to those I come into contact with.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Poor and the Needy

Scripture:

Ezekiel 16:49  "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: Pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she  strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy".

Observation:

Here, Ezekiel is speaking for the Lord and says that Sodom, though it is remembered for its sexual sin, also was wealthy, prosperous, at ease, and didn't take care of the poor and needy.  God spoke against them strongly for not strengthening the hand of the poor and needy.

Application:

God always wants us to be thinking of those who don't have enough.  When we take care of the poor and needy, God loves it.  He is blessed when we help strengthen those who can't help themselves.  We should always be looking for those we can help instead of only those who can help us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see the poor and needy like You do.  Teach me to treat them as You would.  Help me to discern when to help and when not to help.  Teach me to love like You love.  I am Yours and I ask You to make me more like You today.

Yours,
Jeff

God Hates False Prophecy

Scripture:

Ezekiel 13:23 "Therefore ye shall no more see false visions, nor divine divinations:  and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah."

Observation:

In this chapter, as well as most of Ezekiel, the Lord rails against false prophets who prophesy wrongly in the name of the Lord.  God wants His people delivered from those who prophesy falsely.  God takes this extremely seriously.

Application:

When we prophesy to people, we need to be accurate about what we are saying.  Misrepresenting the Lord is dangerous ground.  There are many today who are claiming "thus saith the Lord", who are not accurately representing the word of the Lord.  We will all stand before the Lord one day, may we hear him say, "well done" instead of, "get away from me", You wrongly represented me.

Prayer:

Father, open my ears to hear Your voice.  Open my eyes to truly see what You are doing at all times.  Give me confidence in hearing Your voice so that I can deliver the words You speak accurately.  Help me not to speak out of my own spirit, but to speak on Your behalf.  Flow through me accurately and let me represent you well.

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Judgment

Scripture:

Ezekiel 7:26  "Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor; and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; but the Law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders."

Observation:

When God was going to judge Israel and Judah for their continual disobedience and continually seeking after other gods, He said they would seek a vision of the prophet, but the Law would perish and counsel.    People knew when they were in trouble and had done wrong to go to the prophet who would tell them how to get right with God.  In this case, God said he would take away the prophet, the counsel, and the priest, so they wouldn't now how to restore their relationship with Him.

Application:

It is a terrible thing to stop hearing the word of the Lord.  When we stop hearing from God, we are in dangerous territory.  Fortunately we have the written word of God and therefore are not as bad off as Israel in Ezekiel's time.  We never want to lose the ability to hear the voice of the Lord and His counsel.  When we lose that, we lose everything.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and I thank you for loving me.  May I always cherish Your words, receive Your rebukes, and walk in godly counsel.  Teach me to walk before You humbly and in the fear of the Lord.  I never want to lose Your guidance.  Speak to me daily.  I want to hear and respond.

Yours,
Jeff

Talking with God

Scripture:

Ezekiel 3:22 "And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me; and He said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee."

Observation:

God told Ezekiel he wanted to meet with Him and talk to Him.  He told Ezekiel to go to the plain, a place away from everyone, and He would talk to him there.  God wanted his undivided attention.

Application:

God still speaks, but sometimes we are too busy to take time to get away from all the noise and spend time in His presence.  Sometimes we need to set apart time and a place to go and meet with God.  We need a place to go and speak with the Lord that is away from all social networks, where we can be alone with God.

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for not taking more time to spend in Your presence listening to You and conversing with You.  I want to hear Your voice, but I am guilty of not taking time away to hear what You want to speak.  Help me to set aside time and place to meet with You.

Your Son,
Jeff

A Sacrifice of Praise

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:15 "Through Him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name."

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us we should offer up a continual sacrifice of praise.  We should be confessing his name at all times.  This is a sacrifice we must offer continually and without reservation.  God wants our praise at all times.

Application:

We are not to praise God only when things are going wonderful in our lives.  A sacrifice is something that costs you.  Praise isn't a sacrifice when everything is going great.  It is a sacrifice when nothing seems to be going well.  We must learn that God is worthy of praise, whether He is doing what we want Him to in our lives.  My praise cannot be determined by my feelings, but by my faith.

Prayer:

Lord, let my faith be stronger.  Help me to praise you in the storm.  Teach me to continually have praise on my lips.  I want my life to honor You.  When I don't feel like it, help me to praise You.  You are worthy of all my praise.

Yours,
Jeff

Provoke unto Love

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:24  "and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works."

Observation:

The author is talking about the New Covenant available through the blood of Jesus.  Then he says, "and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works."  Basically, understanding what Jesus did for us should cause us to provoke love and good works from those around us.

Application:

I want my life to provoke others.  When I think of the word "provoke", I think to push or encourage others.  My life should encourage others towards love and good works.  I want my life to cause people to want the same.  My life should cause others to want to walk in love and good works.

Prayer:

Father, let my life be an example to others of love and good works.  Let my light shine in order to provoke others toward You.  Help me to follow You closely and to do Your will above everything else.  Let my life make a difference to those around me and be an encouragement.

Your Son,
Jeff

Saving the Uttermost

Scripture:

Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them".

Observation:

Jesus is our high priest after the order of Melchisedek.  We are told here that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw near to Him.  It says we can do this because he ever lives to make intercession for us.  Jesus is always making intercession for us and therefore, even the worst can be saved.

Application:

Not matter who we are praying for, we can rest assured that the "uttermost" can be saved because Jesus is making intercession for them.  When we pray, we must realize that Jesus wants them saved and is interceding with us for their salvation.  We can pray with authority because we know it is God's will for them to be saved and that Jesus Himself is praying for them.

Prayer:

Lord God, I pray with Jesus, for those around me who don't know Christ.  I pray they will draw near to Him and to salvation.  Let everyone I know come to Christ.  Draw people by Your Spirit.  Help me to bring as many people as possible to Christ during my time on this earth.

Yours,
Jeff

The Throne of God

Scripture:

Lamentations 5:19  "Thou, O Jehovah, abidest forever; Thy throne is from generation to generation".

Observation:

In the midst of a lament, we read the words, "Thy throne is from generation to generation".  The author realized that lamenting lasts for a while, but God's throne is permanently positioned and is not going anywhere.

Application:

When we go through trying times, we must remember that our God is faithful and eternal.  He isn't going anywhere tomorrow because of stress today.  He abides forever and nothing will make that go away.  We must trust God more.  He has been around the block a few times and knows what is best for us.  His throne is fixed in heaven and He will rule forever.  We can trust in this.

Prayer:

Father, You are forever and Your throne is from generation to generation.  There has never been a generation when you were off your throne.  There has never been a time when you were out of a position of power.  Help me to trust You more and not to get burdened down by the temporary things of this life.

Your Son,
Jeff

Hearing of love and faith

Scripture:

Philemon 4 "I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers, hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast toward Jesus Christ, and toward all the saints".

Observation:

Paul is writing a letter to Philemon about his slave Onesimus.  Paul opens the letter with a greeting and tells Philemon that he prays for him often because he has heard of his love and faith toward Jesus and all the saints.  Apparently Philemon had a reputation for being loving and full of faith.

Application:

If we want to be known for something, may it not be our money, our influence, our success or anything else.  May it be because of our love and faith toward God and others.  Jesus said the most important things are to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor.  May my life be remembered for my love for God and people.

Prayer:

Father, I need you right now in my life.  Let my life be known for loving God and loving people.  May my heart remain true in that.  Keep my life simple and let my love for You and others be the motivating factor of my life. 

Yours,
Jeff

God's Battle Axe

Scripture:

Jeremiah 51:20  "Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war: and with thee will I break in pieces the nations; and with thee will I destroy kingdoms."

Observation:

God is speaking to His people and calls them his battle ax and weapons of war.  He says with them, He will break kingdoms in pieces.  God had allowed the surrounding nations to plunder His people out of punishment for their sins, but his anger is for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime.  When God was done punishing His people, He then judges those who punished them.  He calls his people battle axes and weapons of war.  He was going to use his people to bring judgment on the nations.

Application:

God can use anyone at any time, for any reason He chooses.  God is God and He can do what He wants to do!  There are times when as God's people, He wants us to be His battle axes and times He wants us to walk in peace with our enemies.  Our job is to hear the voice of the Spirit and to be led by Him daily.  Our job is to be ready to be a battle ax or a peacemaker.  Our goal is simply to advance His kingdom in the earth, however He wants to do that.  We must have our ears open to hear what He is saying.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to follow Your voice at all times.  Help me to know when to be a battle ax and when to be a peacemaker.  I want to walk in Your Spirit at all times and not live life on my own, doing my own will.  I have surrendered my heart to You and want to walk in step with You every day.

I am Yours,
Jeff

Don't Mess with the Lord

Scripture:

Jeremiah 48:26  "Make ye him drunken; for he magnified himself against Jehovah: and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision."

Observation:

God speaks about Moab to Jeremiah.  He says that because they magnified themselves against the Lord, they will wallow in their vomit and be in derision like a drink person.  He says that those who lift up, or magnify, themselves against the Lord, will have serious trouble in the future.

Application:

Don't mess with the Lord and His people!  God takes care of His people and when people or nations come against God and his people, they are in serious trouble.  God is a righteous judge and one day everyone who stands against Him will be judged.  I want to be on the side of His blessing and not the side of His judgement.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring you glory and honor.  Teach me not to  lift myself up, but to trust You more and more each day.  Let me live a life of humility before you every day.  Forgive me to magnifying myself over You at times by only seeing my problems and not submitting to Your ways.  Help me live life well and walk in submission to You day by day.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Heart

Scripture:

Jeremiah 46:28 "Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith Jehovah; for I am with thee: for I will make a full end of the nations whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished."

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah to those who God was punishing because of their unfaithfulness.  God was allowing other nations to come in and capture them.  He was punishing them for the unfaithfulness, but in the process, He lets them know they are still His children and that He will bring them out of the oppression and will deal with the nations that hurt them.  He lets them know they will be punished, but also that their punishment will be in measure, then He will return them to a place of favor when they have surrendered to Him completely.

Application:

God does discipline His children, but His discipline is always for the purpose of restoration.  We can rest assured that when we are being chastened by the Lord, He is doing it for our good and then His favor will come again.  God's heart is to bless His children, but sometimes when we do things our own way instead of His, we block ourselves from His blessing and receive correction from Him.  Even when correction comes, we should be happy because it proves He still loves us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for speaking to me this morning.  Your heart is always to bless my life, but sometimes I get off track and move ahead on my own.  Help me to always wait on You instead of plowing ahead.  Your love never fails.  Let me life out of Your love and spread your love everywhere I go.

Yours,
Jeff

Good Intentions

Scripture:

Jeremiah 42:3  "that Jehovah thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do."

Observation:

The people told Jeremiah to go speak to the Lord and to come back and tell them so they could know what to do and how they should walk.  With their mouth, they wanted to follow the Lord, but when it came right to it, they didn't believe the word of the Lord.  They had good intentions of following the Lord, but lacked the follow through when He spoke.

Application:

We are all filled with good intentions.  We all intend to follow the Lord completely, until He speaks and we have to do something we don't want to.  We all have good intentions of doing whatever the Lord speaks to us, but lack the follow through to do what He says.  It we don't do what He says, we shouldn't expect to hear His voice more.

Prayer:

God, give me a pure heart.  I don't want to live out of good intentions, but out of obedience to You.  I want to fulfill Your will for my life.  Speak clearly to me and let me hear.  I want to be a true follower of Yours, not matter what.  I want my life to be a life of surrender to You.

Yours,
Jeff

Nothing is Too Difficult for Thee

Scripture:

Jeremiah 32:17  "Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for thee".

Observation:

Jeremiah prayed this prayer to the Lord.  It is a prayer of declaration about who the Lord is and about what He has done and what He is capable of.  He took time to think about the Lord and His awesomeness.  He took time to reflect on how powerful God is.

Application:

There are times when we need to think about the awesomeness of God and just how powerful He is.  When we do this, our faith begins to rise and increase.  When we think about the incredible power of God and what He is capable of, our problems appear smaller and smaller.  We need to take time to ponder the awesomeness of God.

Prayer:

Lord, nothing is too difficult for You.  You are incredible!  You spoke and the universe was created.  You opened the Red Sea and brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.  You opened the Jordan River and caused them to walk across.  You have healed me over and over in my life.  You have sustained me in difficulty.  You have worked miracles over and over in my life.  You are all-powerful and I love serving You.

Your Son,
Jeff

I Will Bring Them Up

Scripture:

Jeremiah 27:22 "They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be, until the day that I visit them, saith Jehovah; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place."

Observation:

Jeremiah gave a word to the people of Judah from the Lord.  He told them that God was going to let them be carried off to Babylon for punishment because of their pride and following after other gods.  Even when God tells them of the their punishment, He is already speaking to them about their restoration.  He says He will bring them up and restore them.

Application:

Psalms tells us that God's anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.  Even when God gets fed up with people and brings them to a place of punishment, His eye is on the day day He can restore them and raise them up.  He is always working to restore people back to Himself.

Prayer:

Father, You were in Christ reconciling the world to Yourself.  Help me to be doing the work of reconciliation.  Teach me to always be looking for Your restoration in people's lives.  Help me to grasp the fact that, even in your punishment, your eye is on restoration.  Help me to be more like You.

Yours,
Jeff

Thou Hast Persuaded Me

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:7 "O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocketh me."

Observation:

Jeremiah here is telling the Lord about his internal dilemma.  In the next verse he says that because of the word of the Lord, he had become a reproach to the people and in his own mind, he felt like his only message was about the destruction.  He wanted to stop speaking the word of the Lord, but it says here that the Lord persuaded him because the Lord was stronger than he.  He was being laughed at and scorned, but God made him keep going forward.

Application:

Sometimes God asks us to do things that we don't understand.  There will be times when people don't understand what God is asking you to do.  Even so, we must walk in obedience. When Jeremiah wanted to just be quiet, God's word was like a fire shut up in his bones.  We need to walk in obedience, even when it makes us feel uneasy.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in obedience.  Help me to walk with You and to fulfill Your will for my life.  Teach me to hear the word of the Lord and to follow completely, even when it doesn't make sense.  You are amazing and I love you.  Help me to trust You, when I don't understand what You are doing.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Blessed Life

Scripture:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when the heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit".

Observation:

God says here that the man who trusts in the Lord will be like a tree next to the river that doesn't fear heat or drought.  It says he will have strong roots and it will always be green and never cease from bearing fruit. 

Application:

From these verses, I see that when we really walk in a trust relationship with the Lord, we will be very strong and always producing fruit.  When we follow His ways, we get His results, therefore, we need to trust the Lord more and more.  Our strength comes from Him and in Him we become like a tree planted by the water.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be like a tree planted by the water.  I want to trust You more each day.  Help me to follow You completely.  Teach me to trust You more and more.  Let my life be fruitful for You and Your kingdom.  I am Yours.

Your Son,
Jeff

Don't Pray for this People

Scripture:

Jeremiah 14:11-12 "And Jehovah said unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.  When they fast, I will not hear their dry; and when they offer burnt-offering and meal-offering, I will not accept them, but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence."

Observation:

In this passage, God tells Jeremiah to quit praying for the good of his people, because He was not going to bless them.  He told Jeremiah that this people could offer all kinds of offerings, but He would not accept them because they had rejected His ways.  There was coming a harvest of the seed they had sown and nothing would change that.

Application:

God is more interested in our obedience, than our sacrifice.  He wants us to walk in obedience to His ways more than He wants us to do our religious duties.  Sometimes, we are praying for people who have sown terrible seeds.  Those seeds will have a harvest that will not be favorable, but if they start sowing good seeds, the harvest will turn around.  My spiritual father told me many times, "You can't rebuke a harvest".

Prayer:

Father, help me to sow good seed and to walk according to Your ways.  You are amazing and I want to serve You well.  Teach me to follow you completely and with a pure heart.

Yours,
Jeff

In These Things I Delight

Scripture:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah."

Observation:

Jeremiah tells his people that they should glory in the things they have.  They shouldn't glory in their wisdom, their might, nor their wealth, but in having understanding and knowing God.  God said that in this He delights. 

Application:

God delights in us when we glory in Him.  He wants to be the center of our lives and desires for us to put our trust in Him and Him alone.  When we realize He is smarter, richer, and mightier than us, we will humble ourselves and at that point, we are right where God wants us to be.  Our glory is totally in Him.  He is the one who demonstrates lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness.  God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  He delights in our humility and blesses it.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You praise and glory.  Help me not to trust in anything of myself, but to trust in You alone.  I can't do anything without You.  You are my source and my resource.  You are my strength and my deliverer.  You are my everything.  Guide me today and let me hear Your voice clearly.

Yours,
Jeff

Forward not Backward

Scripture:

Jeremiah 7:24  "But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward".

Observation:

In the verse prior to this is says, "Hearken unto my voice... and it will be well with you".  Here we see God telling His people He wants to be their God and for them to be His people, but they would not incline their ears, not hearken to His voice.  Therefore, they went backward and not forward.

Application:

When we are hearing from God and doing what He says, we will see our lives moving forward.  When we are not inclining our ears and listening to the Word of the Lord, we can expect our lives to go backwards.  We need to hear the voice of our God and walk with Him as friend with friend.  Then we will always be moving forward. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are faithful and You are true.  Help me to incline my ears to Your voice.  Help me to tune in and hear what You are speaking to me.  I'm tired of not moving forward in some areas of my life.  I want to move forward, but I need to hear from You.

Your Son,
Jeff

What Will Ye Do in the End?

Scripture:

Jeremiah 5:31 "the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?"

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah and tells him the prophets are speaking falsely and the priests are doing their own things.  He says the people love it that way.  He asks the question, "what will ye do in the end thereof?"  In other words, "where does all this lead?"

Application:

It is a powerful thing to ask yourself, "Where does all this lead?"  or "What will ye do in the end thereof?"  When I as that question, it helps me focus in on what is really important.  When I am working for the kingdom, I have to ask myself, "where does all this lead?"  What will be the long-term outcome if I do this?  Thinking long is really important and asking, "if I take this direction, where will I end up?" is really important in life.

Prayer:

Father, You know my long term goal in this life is to hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant".  Help me to evaluate the things I do in light of that day.  Teach me to think long and look at the end of things.  Teach me to think about where things ultimately lead.  Help me to lead Your people well.

Your Son,
Jeff

Whatsoever I Command

Scripture:

Jeremiah 1:7  "But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak".

Observation:

When God called Jeremiah, He made it clear that Jeremiah was to go wherever God sent him and to speak whatever God told him to speak.  Jeremiah was commissioned to hear the voice of the Lord and to speak what He was saying. 

Application:

I want to clearly hear the voice of the Lord and I want to speak what He is saying at all times.  I want to speak the words of the living God and not words from my own spirit.  I need to continue to seek the Lord and consecrate my life to Him. 

Prayer:

Father, direct my steps and open the right doors in front of me.  I gave you my life a long time ago and I ask You to lead me, guide me and let me hear Your voice more clearly.  Teach me to walk with you as friend with friend.  Open my ears to hear what You are speaking.  I want to represent You well.

Yours,
Jeff

Set in Order and Appoint

Scripture:

Titus 1:5  "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge".

Observation:

Paul tells Titus the reason he left him in Crete was to set things in order that needed it and to appoint elders in every city.  He also tells him, "as I gave thee charge".  In others words, he had already told him what to do and was putting it in writing.

Application:

I need to set some things in order right now in our ministry.  There are some things "wanting" and I feel like the Lord wants me to take some time of setting in order and appointing people to do what needs done for the Kingdom.

Prayer:

Father, help me to set the house in order and do what needs done for the advancement of Your kingdom.  Give me strength to make hard decisions and to communicate well to those You have put around me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent

Scripture:

Isaiah 54:2-3  "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of they habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen they stakes.  For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited".

Observation:

Isaiah gives a word to Israel here that they should enlarge the place they live.  He tells them to stretch the curtains and to "spare not".  They are told they will stretch out on the right and left and that their seed shall possess the nations and desolate cities will be inhabited.

Application:

The application was definitely for Israel, but I believe we can apply this to our own individual lives.  There are times and seasons in God.  There are times of enduring difficult things.  There are season of development, but there are seasons of growth.  When we come to that season, we must prepare by expanding the place where we live and strengthen our stakes.  I feel like this is a word to me today about expanding the place we meet as a church and to strengthen the stakes of our ministry.  I believe God is saying we will send people to the nations.

Prayer:

Father, I hear Your voice this morning.  Help me to walk by faith and do all that You put in my heart.  Thank You for speaking to me clearly.  I love it when You do that.  Let Word of Life possess the nations and make cities of uninhabited places.

Yours,
Jeff

Joy and Gladness

Scripture:

Isaiah 51:11 "And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away".

Observation:

Isaiah is speaking to God's people and he tells them that the people of God will return to Zion one day and that when they do, they will get gladness and joy instead of sorrow and sighing.  He tells them of a day when things will be better and when their joy will return to them.  Joy is promised to God's people, yet few walk in it.

Application:

The second fruit of the Spirit is joy.  Joy is central to the Gospel.  Everywhere the Gospel was preached, there was joy in the city.  Joy should be part of serving Jesus, but most Christians are not walking in His joy.  I know I get burdened down at time with the cares of life and my joy tends to run low.  I need a good dose of joy in my life at the present time. 

Prayer:

Father, I need Your joy.  You said that joy would be upon your people's heads and that they would obtain gladness and joy.  I want to walk in Your joy.  You are amazing and there is no reason why I should be downcast.  You are faithful and always deliver me.  You are my strength and song.  Help me to walk in  You joy.

Your Son,
Jeff

I Have Called Thee

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:6-7  "I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house".

Observation:

This seems to be a reference to the coming of the Messiah.  We can definitely see Jesus in these verses.  He came and God was with Him.  He was a light to the Gentiles, opened prison doors and brought people out of prison.  Jesus came to fulfill this prophetic word.

Application:

When Jesus left the earth, He gave the authority to us so that we could continue His work in the earth.  We are to finish the task Jesus came for and we have been empowered to do it.  Therefore, God is calling us in righteousness and He will hold our hand wherever we go.  He will flow through us to open bind eyes and set prisoners free.  We must offer ourselves to Him in righteousness and do what He sent us to do.

Prayer:

Father, let Your Spirit be upon my life to fulfill the ministry of Jesus on the earth.  Lord, help me to follow You completely.  Help me to hear clearly everything You want me to do.  Open doors and shut doors that Your name may be glorified in and through my life.  I am Yours.

Your Son,
Jeff

What's Impossible for God?

Scripture:

Isaiah 38:8  "behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.  So the sun returned ten steps on the dial whereon it was done down".

Observation:

God gave Isaiah a word for Hezekiah.  To confirm that word was from Him, he told him the shadow would move ten steps backward on his sun dial and it came to pass.  There is no physical explanation of this except that God is God and He can do whatever He wants to do.  If He wants to change the times and the seasons, He can.  If He wants to turn day into night and rearrange the planets, He can.  He is God!

Application:

If God can make the sun dial turn backward ten steps, He can do anything.  Why do we act like He is powerless?  Why do we act like He can't deliver us?  We must learn to come to God in faith and believe Him for the impossible.  We must come to God in faith, knowing that His power is limitless.  He can truly move heaven and earth on our behalf.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing!  You are incredible!  Your power is limitless!  Thank You for reminding me of how awesome You are this morning.  I am in awe of You.  Help me to live a life of faith that pleases You completely.

Yours,
Jeff

He Will Come and Save You

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:4-5 "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you.  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped".

Observation:

Isaiah gives a word to God's people and tells them to be strong and not to fear because, one day God will come with vengeance on their enemies and he will save them.  They may be under His discipline right then, but that He would come to rescue them and at that time blind eyes will open and deaf ears will hear.  It was a promise of ultimate salvation that will happen.  One day, every negative and wrong doing will be overturned.

Application:

As servant of the Lord, we can stand assured that one day every wrong will be made right and judgment will come for every evil deed.  One day the Lord will come in power and every knee will bow before Him.  When we feel like we have been wronged, we can have hope and be confident that the Lord will take care of our enemies and those who have wronged us.  Nothing escapes His sight and He records every deed.  One day our oppressors will stand before a righteous and holy God and give account.

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to take vengeance, but to let your day of vengeance come.  Help me to trust You knowing that every wrong will be made right in the future.  Help me to live in the now in forgiveness and kindness while knowing and being confident that there is a future day when every wrong will be made right.  Let peace invade my life.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Fear of Jehovah is Thy Treasure

Scripture:

Isaiah 33:6  "And there shall be stability in thy times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah is thy treasure".

Observation:

Isaiah says here that the fear of Jehovah is your treasure.  He also says that there will be stability, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge.  God gives all these things as we pursue Him. 

Application:

God will give stability in His time, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge.  These things come from God and we must seek Him.  As we seek Him, these things will fill our lives.  He closes this section by saying that the fear of Jehovah is our treasure.  Treasure is something you pursue because it is of great value.  Fearing God is extremely valuable and we must seek it out in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to fear You properly.  I want to know You in every way.  I want to see the abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.  I seek you today and ask You to direct my paths.  Let me see Your hand revealed in every are of my life.

Yours,
Jeff

Your Ears Will Hear

Scripture:

Isaiah 30:21  "and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left".

Observation:

Isaiah is speaking of a time when Israel would hear the voice of the Lord again.  They had strayed away and were going to be punished, but he prophesied that there would be a time again where they would hear a word saying, "this is the way, walk ye in it".

Application:

My theme for this year has been that I want God to speak clearly to me.  I want to hear clearly, "This is the way, walk in it".  We must desire the word of the Lord to guide us.  We are told that the Holy Spirit was sent to guide us and to lead us into all truth.  I desire to walk in truth and to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly.

Prayer:

Father, I want to hear Your voice saying, "this is the way, walk in it".  More than anything else, I want to hear Your voice more clearly.  Help me to listen and to know what You are speaking at all times.  I sincerely want to do Your will in every area of my life, just help me to know clearly what that is.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

I Will Exalt Thee

Scripture:

Isaiah 25:1 "O Jehovah, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, even counsels of old, in faithfulness and truth."

Observation:

Isaiah is speaking to the Lord and declares that Jehovah is his God and that he will praise him and exalt him for the wonderful things he has done.  Isaiah took time to worship and exalt the name of the Lord and to give Him glory.

Application:

True worship should come naturally to us when we see the works of the Lord.  When we read of what He has done in the past and when we see what He does in our lives, the response should be worship.  God deserves our highest praise and worship and we need to spend more time lifting His name because He has been so good to us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to worship and praise Your name more and more in my life.  Help me to take time out of my schedule just to spend time in worship.  Help me to discipline my life in this way, but also put a worshiper's heart in me and let worship exude from my life because You are worthy!

Yours,
Jeff

The Joy of Salvation

Scripture:

Isaiah 12:3  "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation".

Observation:

This scripture is a prophecy about Christ coming to the earth and bringing salvation.  His salvation is meant to bring us joy.  Jesus said that out of our bellies would flow rivers of living water.  Joy is a strong part of the Gospel and one of the fruit of the Spirit.

Application:

God's people should be a joy-filled people.  We should be the people who are living in the joy of the Lord.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  Satan knows that when we are joyful, we are strong, therefore he will do whatever he can to steal our joy.  We must learn to walk in the joy of the Lord at all times.  When we don't know how, we simply need to think about our salvation, out of that, just contemplating that should bring up our joy level.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in great joy.  It want to be filled with all of the fruit of the Spirit, but I really want my joy back.  Joy should be a hallmark of my life and I want it to be again.  Help me to walk with You at a deeper level where I know everything is going to be well so I can exude joy everywhere I go.

Yours,
Jeff

Light Has Come

Scripture:

Isaiah 9:2  "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon then hath the light shined".

Observation:

Isaiah here sees a picture of Christ, the Messiah.  He says about Him that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Jesus said, "I am the light of the world".  He also told us to be light like a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.  Jesus came to light up the dark areas of this world.

Application:

Darkness disappears when the light is turned on.  We need to invite Jesus to shine into every area of our lives.  We need him to shine in our homes, our personal lives, and our work lives.  We need to see the light and let him lead us.  Where there is light, you can see where you are going.  If Jesus is the light, then we need to follow Him closely.  He knows where we need to go.

Prayer:

Jesus, light up my world.  You are the light of the world.  Shine in my life.  Show me the direction I need to go and make the way clear before me.  Help me to walk in the light at all times and cause me to see clearly what I need to do in every situation.  I want to be led by Your Spirit.  Light up my world!

Yours,

Jeff

Send Me

Scripture:

Isaiah 6:8  "And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then I said, Here am I; send me".

Observation:

Isaiah had an incredible encounter with God and the cherubim and seraphim.  He saw the Lord high and lifted up with His glory filling the Temple.  After the angel had cleansed his lips, the Lord spoke to him and asked him who could the Lord send to represent him and speak for him.  Isaiah replied, "Here am I, send me".

Application:

When we have had an encounter with God like Isaiah did, it is easy to say, "Here am I, send me".  When we haven't had quite that powerful of an encounter, the Lord still wants our hearts to say, Here am I, send me to be Your voice, Your hands, Your feet, to my generation.  When we humble ourselves and offer ourselves to the Lord, He will raise us up and allow us to speak on His behalf.  Can the Lord trust us with His message to our generation?  We must offer God all of ourselves.

Prayer:

Lord, I give you my life.  I lay myself at Your altar and ask You to have Your way in my life.  Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit and let me accurately represent You to Your people.  Help me to walk in the Spirit at all times and be led by You completely.  Direct my steps and let Your will be accomplished in my life at all times.  I am Yours.

Your Son,
Jeff

I Am Loved

Scripture:

Song of Solomon 7:10 "I am my beloved's; And his desire is toward me".

Observation:

This passage is talking about two lovers, yet it also can reflect how we feel in our relationship with God.  This lover feels confident that she is her beloved's and that his desire is toward her.  She is confident in her love and in her lover.

Application:

Does my spouse know that she is mine and my desire is toward her?  Is she confident in my love enough to say to people around her that she is mine and that I desire her?  In the same way, am I absolutely confident that God loves me as His bride and that His desire is toward me?  We can rest assured that God absolutely loves us and desires to fellowship with us, yet sometimes we need reminded just how much He loves us.

Prayer:

God, help me to make sure Cheryl feels my love, devotion and knows that my desire is towards her.  Help me to pursue my wife as You pursue me.  Also, help me walk in confidence as Your bride, that You love me and desire relationship with me at a deep level.  I love you Lord.

Yours,
Jeff

Spousal Perception

Scripture:

Song of Solomon 4:7  "Thou art all fair, my love; and there is no spot in thee".

Observation:

In this text I see a person in love, who is telling his lover his thoughts about her.  He says that she is "all fair" and that there is "no spot in thee".  When the author sees his love, he sees no imperfections.  He sees no spots in her life.  He sees everything about her as "all fair".

Application:

When we first fall in love with someone, we tend to only see the good about them.  We tend to only see the positive in them.  As we grow in our relationship, we tend to see all the things we don't like about them.  I need to get back to the place where I see my wife as "all fair" with "no spots".

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see my wife the way you see her.  Help me to see her as all fair and with out spots.  Forgive me for judging her and not appreciating her like I should.  Teach me to love my wife and show me how to communicate that well to her.

Yours,
Jeff

Godliness with Contentment

Scripture:

I Timothy 6:6-7 "But godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out".

Observation:

Paul tells Timothy here that he shouldn't get wrapped up in materialism, but rather to be godly and content.  He goes on to tell him that we brought nothing into this world and that we can take nothing out of this world.

Application:

Sometimes we need to be reminded that having more and better stuff will never make us happy.  We need to live godly and content where God has us.  It is easy to compare ourselves with ourselves and to feel bad about not being at a certain place in life concerning material things, but God wants us to be content.  We can work hard to have nice things, but in the end we cannot take those things with us into heaven.

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to get carried away with the abundance of things.  Help me to walk in contentment with where You have me at this period of time in my life.  Teach me to live in contentment, being glad for how you have provided for me and my family.  Instead of seeing what I don't have, help me to be content with what I do have.

Yours,
Jeff

The Pillar and Ground of Truth

Scripture:

I Timothy 3:15  "but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth".

Observation:

Paul is writing to Timothy and here he tells him part of why he was writing.  He said he was writing so that men would know how to behave in the house of God, which is the pillar and ground of truth.  He calls the church, the pillar and ground of truth.

Application:

The Church of Jesus Christ is suppose to be the pillar and ground of truth.  It should be the place where the truth is making people free.  Pillars support buildings and the ground is the foundation.  We need to make sure the church is on solid foundation and that it is build strong on the word of God.  We ought to behave ourselves in a way that let's the world see that the church has a strong foundation.

Prayer:

Father, let me live in such a way that people see Your church as a strong place where people live solid lives.  Let my life reflect your strong foundation and pillars.  Let truth be the foundation of my life and let me live a life that is pleasing to You above all else.  Show me the way forward.  Guide me in every step of my life.  Show me how to live godly in Christ Jesus.

Your Son,
Jeff

Distractions and Excuses

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 11:4  "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap".

Observation:

Here we are told that those who observe the wind won't end up sowing and those who look at the clouds won't reap.  In other words, if you get distracted by what is going on around you, you won't accomplish anything.  If you make excuses, you won't see a harvest.

Application:

If you are looking for excuses, you will always find them.  If you are easily distracted, you will never get your work done.  This verse tells me that I need to stop making excuses and start being productive.  I need to stop being distracted by so many things around me and get the job done.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be a person of action.  Help me to accomplish all you want me to.  Teach me not to make excuses, but to do what I need to do.  Show me how to live a productive life and to see Your blessing.

Your Son,
Jeff

Promises Promises

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 5:5  "Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay".

Observation:

Here we are told that it is better not to make a vow, than to make a vow and not pay.

Application:

We need to be careful about making promises that we can't deliver on.  It is better not to make a promise, then to make a promise and not deliver.  When we don't deliver on our promises, we lose trust.  When we don't come through on things, people around us trust us less and less.  We need to be careful about making too many promises.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk in wisdom and not open my mouth until I'm sure I can do whatever I am claiming.  Help me to walk and talk faith, yet be able to deliver.  Help me not to make promises that don't come true.  I want to be a man of my word.

Yours,
Jeff

Fear of Man

Scripture:

Proverbs 29:25  "The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe".

Observation:

In this Proverb, I see that the fear of man puts us in a trap, but putting our trust in God will cause us to be safe.

Application:

It is easy to get caught in the trap of fear of man.  When we fear man and his opinions, over God and His opinions, we will get trapped every time.  Our job is to please God and fear God, not to fear man.  Jesus told us not to fear man who can take our lives, but to fear God who can send us to hell.  When we trust in God, we will be safe from all snares.

Prayer:

Lord, increase my trust in You.  Help me to follow You completely.  I do struggle with wanting people to like me and therefore, somewhat fearing them and what they think.  Help me to trust You more and fear man less.

Your Son,
Jeff

Wisdom and Knowledge

Scripture:

Proverbs 24:5  "A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth in might".

Observation:

We are told here that a man who is wise, is also strong.  Wisdom makes you strong on the inside.  We are also told that knowledge increases might or strength.  When our knowledge increases, our might also increases.

Application:

I need to pursue wisdom and knowledge.  In doing so, I will increase in strength and might.  The more I learn, the stronger I will be.  The more is increase in wisdom, the stronger I get.  I need to focus at this time in my life on increasing in  wisdom and knowledge so that I may be strong for the future.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk with the wise.  I want to grow in You and be a person of understanding.  As I pursue this Masters in Ministerial Leadership, help me stay focused and finish the course.  Help me to learn all I need to in order to be a better leader for You and Your kingdom.

Yours,
Jeff

Jehovah will save

Scripture:

Proverbs 20:22 "Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee".

Observation:

Solomon tells us here that, rather than fighting for ourselves and bringing retribution for evil, we should wait for the Lord and He will save us.

Application:

When we take judgement into our own hands, we are stopping God from bringing the judgment He would bring.  We need to trust the Lord, even when it comes to being hurt by others.  We need to learn to leave them in God's hands and allow Him to punish.  OUr job is to forgive, His job is to fight on our behalf.

Prayer:

Father, help me to forgive quickly and easily and leave people to You.  You are my defense.  Help me to trust You more and more.

Yours,
Jeff

Being Generous

Scripture:

Proverbs 11:25  "The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself".

Observation:

Solomon observes here a fact that is so true.  People who are generous always have money coming back to them and those that water, or give away, always have money coming back to them.  When we take care of others needs, we get taken care of ourselves.

Application:

I need to be generous at all times.  A generous person lives a blessed life and God causes them to receive.  When we give, we are opening the hand of God to bless our lives.  Generosity is one of the characteristics of God.  He gave His only Son as well as everything we see around us.  We need to be more like Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in generosity at all times.  Teach me to always be generous, even when I don't have a lot.  I want to reflect you well in every way.  Help me to do it.

Yours,
Jeff

Finding Wisdom

Scripture:

Proverbs 8:35  "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of Jehovah".

Observation:

Proverbs here is telling many things about wisdom.  It says that whoever finds wisdom finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.  Walking in wisdom brings an abundant life and puts us in position to have the favor of God on our lives.

Application:

We need to pursue wisdom.  Solomon chose wisdom over everything else and God blessed him incredibly for his choice.  When we pursue being wise, we are going to see the favor of God.  Our job is to seek Him for wisdom and to begin to walk in it, then the blessings and life will come.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to walk with the wise.  Thank You for allowing me into this MAML cohort.  Teach me wisdom through it.  Help me to make wise decisions and not emotional decisions.  I seek Your wisdom this morning.  Help me find it for my life, my church, and my community.

Yours,

Jeff