Remain Faithful Till the End

Scripture:

I Kings 11:3-4 "He had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.  In Solomon's old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been."

Observation:

Solomon had an incredible run as a leader for many, many years.  He was blessed with more than anyone had ever had or would ever had.  God blessed him so much that people traveled huge distances just to see his wealth and kingdom.  God gave him peace, prosperity, and victory over all his enemies, but Solomon allowed his heart to be turned to other gods because of his disobedience in marrying foreign women.  After decades of the favor of God, he worshiped other gods and lost his kingdom for it.

Application:

Sometimes the most dangerous place to be is walking in God's blessing, abundance and victory.  It is there that your faithfulness will be tested.  When things are difficult, it is easy to remain faithful because you see your need of the Lord at all times.  When things are going well, we must be careful to remain faithful to our faithful God.  Though we can be faithful for decades, a person can still fall away near the end of their journey.  We must remain alerted to this.

Prayer:

Father, help me to finish well.  You are amazing and there is nobody like You.  I love you and want to serve you well all the days of my life.  Help me to stay the course and empower me to finish stronger than I started.  I want to finish my days stronger in You than I started.  I want to do more for you in my later years than I could have imagined in my early years.

Your Son,
Jeff

Who God Is

Scripture:

I Kings 8:23 "O Lord, God of Israel. there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below.  You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

Observation:

Solomon was dedicating the Temple he had built for the Lord.  While he was dedicating it, he prayed this prayer that tells who God is according to Solomon.  He says there is no God like him in all of heaven or earth and that God keeps his covenant and shows unfailing love to those who walk in wholehearted devotion.

Application:

God is faithful to His word.  There is no other god like Him.  He remains faithful to His promises when we walk wholeheartedly devoted to Him.  This coin has two sides, God is faithful, when we are completely devoted to Him.  Our devotion creates a covenant that He is always faithful to .

Prayer:

Father, let me walk in complete devotion to You at all times.  Help me to keep up my part of the deal.  I love you and want to serve you well all the days of my life.  There truly is no God like you!  You're the best.

Yours,
Jeff

If you...I will

Scripture:

I Kings 6:12-13 "Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David.  I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel."

Observation:

As Solomon is building a Temple to honor the Lord God Almighty, the Lord gave him a powerful message.  He told him that IF he would follow all the decrees and regulations of the Lord and obey His commands, God would live among the Israelites and never abandon them.  It was an incredible promise, but as always, it came with an IF.

Application:

Many times we claim the promised of God, yet we don't want to follow His ways.  We love to talk about the blessings and the promises and hod God to His word, but His promises usually have and IF attached to them.  Our job is to live out the IF, His job is then to fulfill His promises.  He does His job well, it is usually our job that goes undone.  If we don't do our part of the contract, He is under no obligation to do His part.

Prayer:

God, let me live my life in obedience to You and Your word.  I want to live under the promises of God, knowing that I have done the IFs.  I want to fulfill my end of the promises, then I can expect the blessings that come with obedience.  Let me learnt to walk closer to You than ever before and give me the strength to live out the IFs.

Yours,
Jeff

Be a Man

Scripture:

I Kings 2:2 "I am going where everyone on earth must some day go.  Take courage and be a man.  Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all His ways.  Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go."

Observation:

David was dying and he spoke these words to his son Solomon.  He told him he was dying, but that Solomon must take courage and be a man.  He went on to say that he needed to follow all the commands and decrees of the Lord so that he could be successful wherever he went.  His last words to his son were, "take courage and be a man". Powerful words from a father to a son as his son was assuming his place a king of Israel.

Application:

Sometimes we need to speak to people and tell them to take courage and be a man.  As a father and as a pastor, I have been a good encourager, but not the type of leader who pushes people to greatness by telling them things like this.  I am a better cheerleader than a coach.  A coach tells his players how to man up and do a better job.  God has been speaking to me alot about being a coach to men and to push them toward good lives without giving in to excuses.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to raise up men who are strong and not given to excuses.  Help me to train them well and to prepare them for life and ministry.  Help me to know when to speak and when to listen.  Show me how to train up men who are strong in You and prepared for kingdom work.

Yours,
Jeff

Work With Enthusiasm

Scripture:

I Corinthians 15:58 "So, my dear brothers, be strong and immovable.  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

Observation:

Paul here encourages the Corinthians to be strong and immovable in their faith.  He wants them to be deeply rooted and for nothing to be able to move them from what they believe.  He adds that they should work enthusiastically for the Lord, realizing that nothing they do for the Lord is useless. 

Application:

Whatever we do for the Lord is not useless, but He sees everything we sacrifice, everything we do in His name and all efforts we put forth.  We are to be strong and immovable in our faith and to serve the Lord with enthusiasm.  Everything we do for the Lord is a good thing and we should serve Him with all our heart.  Today I will preach in an old-folks home after preaching two services in our church.  May I do it with enthusiasm.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk in enthusiasm as I serve You.  You are worthy of all I have.  Help me to walk strong and immovable in my faith.  Let nothing come between us at any time.  I want to see You move in power and great grace among Loudoun County.

Your Son,
Jeff

Loving Others

Scripture:

I Corinthians 13:1 "If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal".

Observation:

Paul is coming out of a section where he is talking about spiritual gifts and moving into what he considers more important, love.  He says if we could speak every language in heaven and earth, but we don't love people, we are useless and just noisemakers. 

Application:

Love must be the driving force behind our gifts and our lives.  When we can operate in the power of God, without the love of God, we are not doing anyone any good.  We must ask God to let love flow through our lives and to be known more for our love than for our gifts.  Christ came and died because of His love for us.  Our love must be our motivation.

Prayer:

Father, let me love like You love.  Let Your love flow through my life.  Help me to see people the way You see them and to love them like You love them.  Touch my heart with Your love and let me be filled with it.  Help me to love those who others don't and to love them wholeheartedly.

Your Son,
Jeff

Run with Purpose

Scripture:

I Corinthians 9:26-27 "So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.  Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."

Observation:

Paul says here that he runs this spiritual race with purpose in every step, training his body like an athlete so that he doesn't get disqualified after preaching to others.  He is speaking about running a race with purpose in every step in his life.  He speaks of disciplining his body like and athlete.

Application:

I know I have fallen off of keeping my body healthy lately and it has had devastating results.  The past 9 days I have been fighting excruciating pain with gout, which is caused by things in my diet.  I knew I was falling out of shape physically, but this has caused me to re-evaluate my habits.  With the pain I was in last week, I would not be able to continue preaching without extreme pain.  I have decided to begin a healthier lifestyle so my ministry won't be negatively impacted by poor health conditions.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to eat right, drink right, and exercise right so that I am healthy enough to preach Your Gospel for many, many more years.  My life is yours and I don't want my poor choices to impact what I can or cannot do for you.  Help me to live a more disciplined life physically.  I want to have full strength to give to Your kingdom, but I need your help, willpower, and strength to do it.

Yours,
Jeff

Invited into Partnership

Scripture:

I Corinthians 1:9 "God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Observation:

Paul says here that God will do what he says he will do, then he goes on to say that He has invited us into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ.  From this verse we are called to be the partners of Jesus.  We are to be one with him.  We are to walk and talk like Him and with Him.  We are to be partners in His mission on the earth.

Application:

We are called to partner with Jesus to fulfill His mission on the earth.  What an amazing thought!  Jesus wants to be my partner in doing what He wants me to do for Him.  I am not alone in ministry.  I have a partner, who works together with me to accomplish the will of God in the earth.  What better partner than Jesus?

Prayer:

Jesus, I want to partner with You closer.  I don't want You to be my silent partner.  I want to hear Your voice and to partner with to to accomplish the Father's will.  Speak to me clearly and partner with me to do Your will.  Show me the way forward and speak to me each day.  I want a true partnership with You.

Your Partner,
Jeff

He Delights in Me

Scripture:

II Samuel 22:20 "He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me."

Observation:

David was humble, yet had incredible confidence in his relationship with God.  He knew God had rescued him over and over and declared here that he did it because God delights in him.  He knew he was loved by God and that God was looking out for him.

Application:

We should be able, like David, to walk in confidence in our relationship with God.  We should be able to know that He delights in us, not just that He loves us because His word says so, but because we have seen His faithfulness in our lives over and over.  We need to believe His word and be confident that the Lord delights in us.

Prayer:

Lord, I know You love me, but I want to understand how You delight in me.  I want the confidence of David that knows You are absolutely delighting in him.  Help me to walk in that confidence that You are my God, You love me, and that You delight in me.  David also said later that he had walked in your ways and upheld all your statutes.  Help me to do what is pleasing to You, my confidence will rise with my level of obedience.

Yours,
Jeff

Honor Your Enemies

Scripture:

II Samuel 19:27-28 "Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come.  But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best.  All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table!  What more can I ask?"

Observation:

David had taken care of Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson.  Normally the descendants of the old king would be killed to ensure that nobody could take the throne back.  David trusted God and honored his relationship with Jonathon by honoring Mephibosheth and letting him eat at the king's table for life.  He gave him property, wealth and honor, when most kings would have killed him.

Application:

Jesus said to bless our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us.  We are called to live a different kind of life than the world.  We are called, like David, to honor our enemies and to see value in them.  We must trust our Lord to deal with those who hate and despise us, our job is to love, honor and bless them.

Prayer:

Lord, let me walk in the humility of David and fulfill the command of Jesus.  Help me to love those who hate me and bless those who persecute me.  Enable me to walk in a trust relationship with You that trust You to fight my battles while I love people.

Yours,
Jeff

Trusting God

Scripture:

II Samuel 16:11-12 "The David said to Ahishai and to all his servants, 'My own son in trying to kill me.  Doesn't this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so?  Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it.  And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses,'"

Observation:

David was being attacked and overthrown by his own son and a relative of King Saul was shouting curses at at him.  His reply was to let him curse and leave his son alone because his trust was in the Lord.  He could have easily had both of them killed, but David didn't take matters into his own hands, he let the Lord fight his battles.  He, he trusts the Lord and says that maybe God will see the wrongdoing and bless him for it.  That is trust.

Application:

When we really know God and have walked with him for a long time, we will begin to trust him more and more.  Trust is built by winning battles together.  When enough battles have been won by the Lord, you can trust and believe, He will bring me out of this again.  I want to walk with God is a true and strong trust relationship.  When people try to tear me down, I want to know deep within that God has my back and walk in that confidence like David.

Prayer:

Father, I trust you, but help me to trust You more.  Fight my battles and strengthen my faith.  I want to have that complete, unshakable confidence that David had that You will defend me in every situation.  Move in out church this morning Lord.  Heal, deliver and set free. 

Yours,
Jeff

Would Have - Hard Words

Scripture:

II Samuel 12:8 "I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much, more."

Observation:

God was speaking to David through Nathan the prophet after David had Uriah killed and had taken Bathsheba to be his wife.  God told David that He had given him so much, and would have given him much, much more, but he sinned horribly by taking Bathsheba. 

Application:

I don't ever want to hear the Lord say, "I would have given you much, much more, but..."  I don't want to hear the Lord say He would have blessed me much much more if I had been obedient and done what He asked me.  I want to hear "well done"  not "I would have".  I want to live a life of obedience where God blesses with much much more.

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow You completely.  Teach me to walk with you and obey Your voice above every other voice in my life.  Give me a strong back to say "yes" to the right things" and "no" to the wrong things.  Guide me Holy Spirit.  I am Yours.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Victorious

Scripture:

II Samuel 8:14 "He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects.  In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went."

Observation:

David had the favor of God on his life.  This verse tells us that the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.  It was totally a God thing when David won his victories.  It wasn't his incredible army though they were amazing.  It wasn't his leadership, though it was great.  It was the hand of the Lord working on David's behalf that made him successful in everything he did.

Application:

I want the favor of God to be on my life like it was on David's.  David sought the Lord diligently and the Lord favored him because of it.  Instead of fighting for victory, I want to seek the Lord and let the Lord bring the victory.  I want some unexplainable events in my life that have to be the hand of the Lord.

Prayer:

God, work in my life.  Lead me.  Guide me.  Show me what to do and when and how.  Make my life victorious because of Your hand and not my leadership expertise.  When great things happen, let me be able to say, "It was all God, because I am not able to do that in myself."

Yours Son,
Jeff

Covenant and Anointing

Scripture:
II Samuel 5:3  "So there at Hebron, king David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel, and they anointed him king of Israel."

Observation:

When David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel, he was anointed king of Israel.  David wasn't anointed king over all Israel until a covenant was made with the elders.  Apparently the two were intertwined in that day so that when you made the covenant, you could be anointed.  We aren't told what the covenant was, but we know it happened before being anointed.

Application:

God anoints those who are in covenant to do his work.  I believe that when God sees you are serious about His work and are in covenant to see His will done in the earth, then you can walk in His anointing.  In others words, the Lord doesn't anoint those who are not serious about his business.  When you walk in covenant, you can also walk in anointing.

Prayer:

Lord, we made a covenant many years ago about my life.  It belongs to You and You alone.  I will go where you open the doors and do what You want me to do as long as I live on this earth.  I am yours!  Help me to walk in a greater level of anointing as I seek to do Your will and not my own in this earth.

Yours,
Jeff

Ask the Lord

Scripture:

II Samuel 2:1  "After this, David asked the Lord, 'Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?'  'Yes', the Lord replied.  The David asked, 'Which town should I go to?'  'To Hebron', the Lord Answered".

Observation:

I love that David has this conversation with God.  He asks a simple question and gets a simple and clear answer.  He asks a second question and gets another very clear answer.  David was called a man after God's own heart.  We know he was a seeker of the Lord and relied completely on the Lord, but he also heard from the Lord very clearly.

Application:

My application today is really just my prayer request.  I want to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly every day.  I am going to pursue Him with all my heart until I get simple, clear answers like David did.  I want to know the Lord intimately and walk with Him according to His ways.

Prayer:

Father, open my ears to hear Your voice and open my eyes to see what You are doing in the earth.  I will seek You until I find You and hear Your voice clearly.  Help me to stay on this relentless pursuit and to continue to seek You.  You have promised that you would be found my me when I seek with all my heart.

Yours,
Jeff

Value Lives

Scripture:

I Samuel 26:24 "Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today.  May he rescue me from all my troubles."

Observation:

David refused to kill Saul, who was chasing him down to kill him.  David refused because he didn't want to take things into his own hands.  He decided to trust God rather than take the king's life.  Since he had valued king Saul's life, he could ask the Lord to value his life.

Application:

Valuing people and trusting God to work in them is huge.  Our job is not to get revenge on everyone who does us wrong, but to love people and value them.  When we do that, our life becomes more valuable.  When we add value to people, our value increases.  We need to learn to add value to people.

Prayer:

Father, help me to add value to those around me.  Today, let me add value to someone.  Let my life become more valuable because I choose to value people.

Yours,
Jeff

Go To The Man of God

Scripture:

I Samuel 19:18 "So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him.  Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth."

Observation:

When David was in real trouble and didn't know what to do, he went to the man who anointed him, prophesied over him and who he knew was a man of God.  His life was endangered and he knew where to go when he was in trouble.

Application:

All of us should have a man of God in our lives who has prophesied over us, anointed us and helped us along the way.  When they are the real deal, we should go to them when we don't know our next steps.  My second application is that I want to be a man of God that people can come to when they don't know what to do about something.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to never be to proud to go to a man of God when I'm in trouble to seek the Lord with me about my life.  Empower me to be that man of God for someone else who needs direction.  Bottom line Lord, I want to be a man of God.

Yours,
Jeff

Anointing Jealousy

Scripture:

I Samuel 18:12  "Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul."

Observation:

Saul realized he had lost the presence of the Lord and that David was walking in it.  Saul realized David had the anointing of God in his life and he was lacking it.  It was evident who was now anointed, but rather than seek the Lord for his anointing back, Saul attacked David.

Application:

It is easy in leadership to see the anointing on someone's life and get jealous, nervous, etc.  When you lead and others begin to get recognition, it is hard not to get jealous and to let them lead.  Our natural tendency is to fight to stay in our position of power, but we must trust God and not the arm of the flesh.  Saul used his power to try to put down David, when he should have been seeking God and repenting.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be sensitive to You and Your voice in my life.  Show me when I am jealous of others anointing.  Help me to walk in confidence in my relationship with You and to humbly do Your will.  Teach me how to empower leaders who are stronger than I am and not to run them away because of my insecurity.

Yours,
Jeff

Fear of People

Scripture:

I Samuel 15:24  "Then Saul admitted to Samuel, 'Yes, I have sinned.  I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.'"

Observation:

Saul admitted to Samuel that he had disobeyed the Lord when the Lord told him to totally destroy the Amalakites.  He was told to destroy everyone and everything.  When they got to it, his men brought back the king and brought back the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord.  They did what seemed good to them and not what was ordered by God.

Application:

Proverbs says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death".  Sometimes we are in positions where we can do things that seem right to us, but they are disobeying God.  Saul admitted he was afraid of the people and what they thought.  We can't be more afraid of people than we are of God.  We must fear God more than anything else.  We cannot allow fear of man to stop us from doing what God wants us to do.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing and I love you with all my heart.  Help me to fear You above all other relationships.  I know obedience is better than sacrifice, but help me to live it out every day.  Help me to over come the fear of people and what they think so that I may walk in complete obedience to You.

Yours,
Jeff

God is our King

Scripture:

I Samuel 12:19 "Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die! they all said to Samuel.  For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king."

Observation:

The people of Israel wanted to be like other nations and have a king over them.  They wanted to function like everyone else instead of being a Theocracy, they wanted to be a Monarchy.  God gave them what they wanted, but considered it sin to seek another king besides himself.  By this point, they tell Samuel to pray YOUR God for us or we will die.  They began to finally understand that they had rejected to the Lord reigning over them.

Application:

When we lean on the arm of the flesh and want to be like everyone else, we are actually missing out on God's best for our lives.  There is nothing wrong with having a king, but if it is not what God wants for you, then it is wrong.  There is nothing wrong with being like others, but as God's children, His will trumps everything else and we are to do His will.  We cannot rely on our own intellects and imaginations to determine what He wants.  Our job is to follow Him completely.

Prayer:

Lord, help me not to compare myself with others.  Help me to be content with what You have given me and to pursue You more.  Teach me to hear Your voice and follow exactly what You want and not what seems like the best thing to do.  Show me the way forward.  Bless the congregation I lead and let them see the incredible blessing of following You.

Yours,
Jeff

Man of God

Scripture:

I Samuel 9:6 "But the servant said, 'I've just thought of something!  There is a man of God who lives here in this town.  He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true.  Let's go find him.  Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.'"

Observation:

Samuel's reputation caused those in this region to know that he was a man of God.  He was held in high honor because everything he told people came to pass.  He was trusted to bring a word from the Lord that was accurate and people knew who he was.  His reputation was that of a man of God, a man who really knew God.

Application:

I have always been intrigued by the term "man of God".  I have always wanted to be known by those around me as a man of God first and foremost.  My desire has always been that when people think of my life, they would say, "he is a man of God".  This verse has re-stimulated that desire.  It has stirred up that flame.  I want to pursue my relationship with God in stronger and deeper measures.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be a man of God.  I want to walk with You.  I want to know You intimately.  I want to grow into the man You want me to be.  When people need a word, I want to be a vessel You can flow through.  Help me to keep my eyes on You and to become a man who hears from You and declares what You are saying to Your people.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Don't Be Stubborn

Scripture:

I Samuel 6:6  "Don't be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were.  By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go."

Observation:

The ark of God had been captured by the Philistines and wherever they would put it, problems would happen and judgment would begin to come on the people.  They decided it was better to send it back to Israel then to suffer the consequences of keeping it themselves.  They understood what had happened to the Egyptians when God was angry with them.

Application:

Just as the Philistines realized it wasn't good to be stubborn and rebellious, we need to do the same.  They realized what had happened to the Egyptians and learned from it.  May we learn that disobedience to God never brings His blessing.  May we learn that obedience is better than sacrifice and that we must never be rebellious toward God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to live a life that pleases You.  Teach me to follow You completely so that I may live in your blessing.  Help me to never be stubborn, but to comply with Your will in everything.  I want to live under your blessings and in Your favor.  Forgive me for being stubborn at times.

Yours,
Jeff

Call Me Mara

Scripture:

Ruth 1:20 "Don't call me Naomi, she said, Instead call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me".

Observation:

Naomi had just come back home to her people.  Her husband and both sons had died and life wasn't going very well.  When she returned, her people called her Naomi, which means "pleasant", but she wanted to be call Mara, which means, "bitter".  Things had been difficult for her and it affected how she saw her life.  All along, God had a plan to bless her and take care of her, but in the moment it felt bitter.

Application:

We can't be controlled by our circumstances, but must be controlled by our God.  We can't allow our circumstances to determine whether we are going to have a good and prosperous life.  We can't call ourselves bitter, when God has named us pleasant.  When going through bad times, we must remember that God always has a plan.  It may not be comfortable right now, but He will bring us through and take care of us.   Instead of getting bitter, we should get better.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see life through Your eyes.  Help me not to get bitter when things go bad, but to know You are in control and that You will make everything good in Your time.  You are faithful.  Help me to put my trust in your faithfulness.  Help me to walk by faith and not by sight.

Yours,
Jeff

Harmony

Scripture:

Romans 14:19  "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."

Observation:

Evidently, there was a lot of division going on in the church and Paul wrote them to tell them to love each other and not to judge each other based on what they ate or when they worshiped, etc.  People have always had the same tendencies to make others look bad or be judgmental or critical.  Paul warns us against it.

Application:

We are to build each other up and not tear each other down.  We cannot judge others based on our reading of scripture or our personal convictions.  We may be stronger or weaker than someone else.  Our job is not to determine who is right or wrong, but to love people and build them up.  Our job is to strive for harmony, which is different sounds coming together to make one sound.

Prayer:

Father, let me be a unifier in Your Kingdom.  Help me to build people up and bring harmony to your body.  Show me how to build harmony and unity.  Lead me and I will follow.  I want to see Your body strong.

Yours,
Jeff

Don't Think You re Better Than You Are

Scripture:

Romans 12:3 "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning; Don't think you are better than you really are.  Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Observation:

Paul is writing here and warns the Romans not to think they are better than they are, but to be honest when they evaluate themselves.  He says we are to measure ourselves with the faith God has given us.  Notice here it is the faith God has given us, we can't even take credit for that.

Application:

As believers, we are to walk a life of humility and dependence on God.  He is faithful and loves us with an everlasting love.  We should not think too highly of ourselves because without God in our lives, we are nothing anyway.  It is only by the grace of God we can do anything.  He is our source of life.  Humility always draws the attention of God.  He gives grace to the humble, but is against the proud.

Prayer:

Lord, You are amazing!  Help me to walk in humility and to not think more highly of myself than I should.  You are my source of life and everything I have comes from You.  You have been really good to me.  You are the one who blesses my life.  All I have and all I am is because of You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Overwhelming Victory

Scripture:

Romans 8:37 "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is our through Christ, who loved us."

Observation:

Paul says here that despite death, life, persecution, danger, calamity, etc. we have overwhelming victory through Christ.  I notice here that it is our through Christ who loved us.  Christ is the pathway to overwhelming victory and I want to live there.

Application:

When we are connected to the vine, all of our nutrients come from Him.  When we are connected to Christ, overwhelming victory is ours because we are one with Him and He flows through our lives.  Everything we need is found in being connected to Christ.  That is where our victory lies.

Prayer:

Jesus, live in me and through me.  I want to stay connected with you every day.  Let your victory flow in my life.  Let me live a life that Christ can flow through to touch the world around me.

Yours,
Jeff

The Faith of Abraham

Scripture:

Romans 4:20  "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise.  In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises."

Observation:

Abraham was about 100 years old and never wavered at the promise that he would have children like the stars of the sky.  It says here that his faith actually grew stronger.  He was fully, not partially, convinced that God was fully able to do whatever He promises.

Application:

I want to live a "fully convinced" life of faith.  There are many things I know God has promised me.  I want my faith to increase throughout my life instead of decrease.  I want to grow more in faith every day.  In my old age, I want to have more faith than in my younger age.  I want to fulfill everything God has for me in my life.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  Increase my trust in Your promises like Abraham.  Help me to follow You fully and never waver in my faith.  Let my life be an example to others that God will take care of His people when they live by faith.  Let my faith in Your be strong and increase all the days of my life.

Yours,
Jeff