Future Hope

 Scripture:

“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews tells us just prior to this, that God cannot lie, what He promises He will perform.  We have great hope because of His oaths and promises.  After his portion, the author speaks of us going through veil one day because Christ went through the veil.  Hope of eternal life Strongly anchors our hope in this life.  Hope takes us into God’s inner sanctuary.

Application:

The hope of eternal life is a promise from God and He does not lie.  This hope should become the anchor for our souls.  It is the hope of heaven that draws me to live right now.  It is the hope of heaven that causes me to obey and walk according to God’s ways.  If I have no hope beyond the grave, why work for the Lord in this life?  Our hope is not in a president or a politician.  Our hope is in the one who conquered death and has promised eternal life.  Our hope is strong and this hope leads us through the veil and into God’s presence.

Prayer:

Father, I anchor my hope to You and Your purposes.  I anchor my hope to eternal life and not the things that are in this life.  Help me to live with hope in a world that has none.  Help me to demonstrated to others that you can walk in hope because of Christ when everything looks hopeless.  Increase my faith and trust of You each day.

Yours for Eternity,

Jeff

Hard Hearts

 Scripture:

“Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.””  ‭Hebrews‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews says here that when we hear God’s voice, not to harden our hearts like Israel did when they rebelled.  He associates hard hearts with rebellion.  Nobody wakes up one day and decides to rebel against God.  They just allow their heart to harden a little bit because of things around them.  As the heart hardens, it doesn’t feel what it use to feel and doesn’t respond to the voice of the Lord like it once did.  It then ends up in rebellion.

Application:

A hard heart is dangerous in our relationship with God.  Our job is to keep our heart soft and pliable.  Hearts get hard when things don’t go the way we feel like they should.  Hearts get hard when we cry out and God doesn’t answer like we think He should.  Hearts get hard when we do what we want instead of what we know He wants us to do.  The only way to keep our hearts soft and pliable is to respond quickly when we hear God speak and to spend time in His presence.  We must allow His word to penetrate our hard hearts and open ourselves to Him and trust Him, even when it feels like He hasn’t done what we think He should have.

Prayer:

Father, let my heart be tender and soft before You.  Let me never have a hard heart, which leads to rebellion.  Help me to always be sensitive to Your will, Your ways, and Your leading.  Help me to understand that Your ways are not my ways and You that You don’t have to do the things I want You to do.  Let my heart remain soft before You all the days of my life.  Let me never grow hard.

Yours,

Jeff

A Word for America

 Scripture:

“Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!”  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The people of Judah had been disobedient to the Lord and had forsaken His ways.  They had worshipped other gods and the Lord God Almighty was punishing them for it.  Jerusalem was in ruins and there was no hope for the people.  Devastation was everywhere the prophet looked.  Then the prophet cried out, “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!  Give us back the joys we one had.”

Application:

I don’t like to look back very often because I am a forward looking individual, but recently I have been looking back on what the US was like when I was young.  It was a joyful place.  It was a blessed nation who couldn’t be compared to.  We always had our enemies and those who didn’t like us, but life was good and we felt safe at all times.  We never had to worry about the things we worry about today.  My cry today is for God to bring us back to the joys we once had.  That will require a massive turning toward Him, but it is possible.   America must turn back to God or we will never have our peace and prosperity again.

Prayer:

Father, would You move in America one more time.  I cry out to You.  Have mercy on this nation and pour out Your Spirit here.  We have left our first love and I ask You to forgive us.  Let America be a Christian nation once again that sees the goodness of serving You.  We have forsaken You and I ask You to forgive us.  May our hearts turn toward You and may Your blessing once again come upon my country.

Yours,

Jeff

Waiting on God

 Scripture:

“The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”  Lamentations‬ ‭3:25-26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah was lamenting Jerusalem being destroyed and God’s people being destroyed.  Even in his crying and tears, he knew that they were being punished for their disobedience, yet God was still good to those who search for Him.  He was confident that it is good to wait quietly for God’s salvation instead of trying to do things on our own.

Application:

Waiting on God isn’t easy in a culture where we want to be in total control of of destiny and future at all times.  Waiting quietly is even harder.  Waiting for God is sometimes viewed as laziness or failure to exhibit a strong work ethic.  We need to be the hardest workers in the world, while waiting on God for the next step.  What He gives us to do, we must do with all our might, yet wait on Him quietly.  We must work His works while we wait for His salvation.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to balance of waiting on You and working hard for You and Your kingdom.  Help me to walk the line of being diligent about the things You have definitely spoken about, yet wait in the areas You have not spoken.  Help me not to work ahead or without You, but to wait and work together with You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Put Generosity into Action

 Scripture:

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.”  Philemon‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing to Philemon about Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave.  He tells Philemon that he is praying that he will “put into action the generosity that comes from your faith.”  Faith should cause us to put generosity into action.

Application:

Faith should cause generosity in our lives.  We have to put that generosity into action.  As we understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ, we should also put into action our generosity.  As believers, we should be the most generous people in the world.  Christ gave Himself completely for us, we should also be generous as we take on His likeness and allow Him to work in and through our lives.  I want to live a generous, Christlike life.

Prayer:

Father, I want to live a generous life.  I want to put this into action and live a life that exemplifies generosity.  You are generous and always give more than enough.  Help me to live a life that is generous in every way.  Teach me to trust You to be generous to me as I try to be generous for You.  Help me put generosity into action.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Defends His People

 Scripture:

“But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!”  Jeremiah‬ ‭50:34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking of Israel and Judah here when He says “He who redeems them is strong.”  Even though God punished them through the Assyrians and Babylonians, he still says He will defend them and give them rest again.  He also declares that He will punish the Babylonians for their treatment of Judah, even though they were doing it at His command.  God fights for His own, even when He punishes them.

Application:

Our God is faithful, even when we are unfaithful.  He will always bring us back to a place of rest when we trust in Him and turn from our own ways.  He will punish those who persecute us and will have vengeance of those who bring us harm.  We can also know from this verse that God is STRONG.  He is the LORD of heaven’s armies.  The one who fights of us is STRONG, therefore we have nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Father, You are strong and You give strength to Your people.  You are the God who fights our battles.  Fight for your daughter Cheryl today.  Heal her completely of this COVID 19.  Let her breathe freely and rest in You.  Help me to see You working in and through this.  My life is in Your hands.  I will follow You forever.  I am Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Uses Ungodly People to Bring About His Judgment

Scripture:

 “I myself will go with Elam’s enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam,” says the Lord. “Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭49:37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah here concerning Elam.  He says He will shatter it and bring disaster on it.  Then He says how He will do it.  He says, “Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”  In other words, God is going to use their natural enemies to destroy them, but it would be Him doing it.  God uses ungodly people to bring about His will in the earth at times.

Application:

God can use anyone He chooses, whether to bring about justice, blessing, judgment, etc.  He has used ungodly kings to bless Israel in great ways.  He has used evil nations to destroy other evil nations.  God uses unlikely people and nations to bring about His will on the earth.  We must realize that some of the things that happen in the natural may actually be coming from God.  He can use natural disasters, enemy armies, etc.  He can use whatever means He wants to wake up His people.  We need to be able to see what is Him and what is use natural.

Prayer:

Father, open my eyes to see into the spiritual realm.  Help me to discern what is You working and what is just natural events taking place.  When my Father is doing something in the earth, I don’t want to mistake it for something else.  Help me to see clearly what You are doing and who You are working through.  Let me not judge Your choice of people, nations, and nature, but see what You are doing and work with You to accomplish what You are doing in the earth.

Your Son,

Jeff

Ministry Struggles

 Scripture:

“Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!”  ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had been prophesying to a remnant in Judah who told him they would listen to whatever he said and would do exactly what he told them.  When he told them to stay put and not to go to Egypt to try to rescue themselves, they said he was lying and decided to he was the problem.  He ended up having to go to Egypt with them.  He was accused of being a liar when he spoke on God’s behalf.

Application:

When you deliver God’s mail, some are going to like it and some are not.  Some will listen and do what God is speaking and some will leave you, thinking they know better and that you are not hearing from God anymore.  We must stand faithful to deliver the word of the Lord whether people want to follow what He says or not.  We must speak God’s word, even if nobody listens.  Our accountability is to the LORD, not to those around us.

Prayer:

Father, give me a backbone to speak what You are speaking.  Help me to hear clearly and deliver accurately the word of the Lord.  I want to be Your voice.  Help me never to waiver when I know I have heard from You.  Enable me to stand strong when people don’t want to receive Your word.

Yours,

Jeff

Bad Things Happen to Good People

 Scripture:

“So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.”  ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭38:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had been clearly and passionately delivering the word of the Lord to his people.  As a result, they didn’t turn to God, but had him thrown into an empty cistern.  He was put down into a thick layer of mud on the bottom to die.  He was eventually saved, but had to walk through this awful experience.

Application:

We tend to think that when we are obedient to the LORD that everything will go well for us and we will never have problems.  Jeremiah was one of the godliest men who ever lived.  He prophesied on the LORD’s behalf with excellence, yet ended up in a muddy cistern.  Sometimes we end up in bad situations because of the Gospel.  It is in those places that God shows up and resumes us.  Being in a muddy cistern may be because you did something right and not something wrong.  Sometimes bad things happen to really good people.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, thanks for reminding me today that things not going my way doesn’t mean that You don’t love me or that I have missed you.  Help me to not equate blessing and prosperity with serving You correctly, but to serve You with integrity, whether I see the goodness of God or I’m in an old muddy cistern.

Your Son,

Jeff

Then

 Scripture:

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

Observation:

God is speaking through Jeremiah to the people of Judah and tells them that He is planning some pretty bad stuff for them because of their disobedience and unbelief.  His heart is heard clearly in the word “then”.  He says that when they hear the terrible things I have planned for them... “THEN” they will repent and I can forgive them.

Application:

God’s heart is always to restore fellowship and relationship with Him.  When He disciplines, it is so that people will turn and repent so He can forgive them and bless them.  His heart is always for relationship and He will do whatever He can to keep us in a good relationship with Him because He desires to bless us.  Therefore, we must take out anything He convicts us of or that we know hinders our relationship with God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow You completely.  Help me to endure discipline, knowing that You desire to bless me and strengthen me.  Help me to walk according to Your ways and to pursue You above all else.  Heal Cheryl today and make her well.

Your Son,

Jeff

What They Deserve

 Scripture:

“You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve.”  ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah says of the LORD that He has all wisdom and does great and mighty miracles.  He also says that God sees the conduct of all people and gives them what they deserve.  The same God who has all power, wisdom, and does great miracles, is the same God we will stand before one day in judgment.  We love to talk about His power and His love, but we don’t talk much about His giving us what we deserve.

Application:

God has all wisdom and the power to do great and mighty miracles.  He know exactly what needs to happen for each and every person.  He also knows our conduct and whether we deserve His blessing or not.  God’s grace stepped in through Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and now I don’t have fear judgment.  Jesus was judged on my behalf so I don’t get what I deserve, I get what Jesus paid for.  All I can do is thank God for the price Jesus paid so I can walk in God’s blessings and not in what I deserve.

Prayer:

Thank You LORD for letting me see that You are great and incredible in power and might, yet You have chosen to operate at this time in grace.  Thank You for sending Your Son to die so I can live in freedom from sin and it’s power.  Thank You for not giving me what I deserve, but what your Son paid for.  You are incredible and I appreciate your sacrifice.  Let me live my life in honor of your precious gift of grace.  Let me never take Your grave for granted.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Seasons of Discipline

 Scripture:

“I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.””  Jeremiah‬ ‭29:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had just told the people that God was putting them into captivity for 70 years because of their disobedience to Him.  He tells the people to pray for the peace of the place they are being banished to.  He tells them during that time to seek the LORD and He will be found by them.  He then tells them He will end their captivity, restore their fortunes, bring them home.

Application:

God never turned His back on His people.  He allowed them to be overthrown by Babylon because of their disobedience, but He gave them instructions of what to do during the season of discipline so they cold come back out and be restored.  God has our restoration plans before we even get disciplined.  He always has a plan to bring back, restore, and bless no matter what e have done.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for not giving up on me.  You always restore and bless my life,  You never give up on us.  You are faithful and trustworthy.  Help me to be more like You every day.  I want to reflect Your glory and represent you well.  Enable me to walk in Your traits and remain faithful to You all the days of my life.

Yours,

Jeff

The Power of God’s Word

 Scripture:

“Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23:29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Lord speaks here through Jeremiah and says that His word is like fire and then goes on to say that it is like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock in pieces.  God’s word is powerful and can burn out the bad in our lives as well as crush the areas that need crushed.  His word will burn, but it will also heal.

Application:

After many years of reading through the Bible each year and doing these daily washes, I can say that God’s word continually speaks to us as we are faithful to read it and study it.  We must allow his word to burn out everything that needs to go from our lives.  We also need to let the hammer of His word crush things in us that are not right.  I don’t want to just read words from a history book, but want to let God’s word change my life into what He wants for me.

Prayer:

Father, I want to serve You well in my generation.  Let Your word burn and crush my life.  Renovate my life with fire and let me be more like You as a result.  Help me not to just read Your word, but let Your word read me and refine me.  Teach me to live according to Your word and Your ways.  Pour out Your Spirit in my life, my home and my church.  I need You now more than ever.

Yours,

Jeff

The Lord Stands Beside Me

 Scripture:

“But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭20:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah was ranting about the destruction of God’s people and how God was going to destroy them.  He was frustrated with being a prophet and speaking the word of the Lord because it was always bad news and nobody wanted to hear what he had to say.  He would rather not speak, but couldn’t hold the word of the Lord inside.  He came to the realization that the LORD stands beside him and that God would cause those who persecute him to stumble.  He knew in his heart that God would defend him for speaking on God’s behalf.

Application:

When we speak the word of the Lord, the Lord will defend us much better than we cold ever defend ourselves.  I need to walk in confidence that the LORD is standing beside me, even when I feel persecuted.  I want to walk by faith and fulfill the will of God in my life, then trust Him to fight my battles.  There is a great warrior standing beside me.  I need to act like it.

Prayer:

Father, let me see You as the great warrior who is standing next to me, ready to deliver problems to my enemies.  Help me to walk by faith and to know You are fighting my battles and that You have my back. Let me walk in confidence every day that You are with me and that no weapon formed against me will prosper.  Teach me to trust You more.  Show me the way forward and help me to walk in it.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Words

Scripture:

 “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Jeremiah discovered the word of the Lord, he devoured it.  He ate God’s word as much as he could. The word of the Lord became the delight of his heart and his greatest joy.  

Application:

God reveals Himself in and through His word.  When we go the Word of the Lord, we should be constantly discovering and devouring.  We should be seeking out what God is trying to tell us through His word.  His word should be our joy and delight, but often we don’t even read it.  As believers, we are to fall in love with God’s word and stay hungry for it throughout our lives.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never take Your word for granted.  Help me to find joy and delight in studying Your word.  Let my life be built on Your word and help me to never stray from Your words.  You are my everything and I want to serve You well.  Help me to fall in love with your word once again.  Let it change my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

Only God

 Scripture:

“Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭14:22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah asks the question, “Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?”  He completes the thought by saying, “You are the one, O Lord our God! Only You can do such things.”  Therefore, he determined, “we wait for you to help us.”  Jeremiah realized that only God can really help us when we are in trouble.

Application:

When trouble comes, no other god can help us.  We can’t help ourselves.  Only God Almighty can really help us.  There are times when we need divine intervention.  There are times when nothing we do will be able to get us out of the situation we are in.  No other gods can make it rain, only God.  We need to learn to wait on God because He is the only one who can really help us.  We can’t help ourselves.  We need Him.

Prayer:

Father, I need You in my life.  Only You can bring the rain and only You can turn things around for me.  Only You can restore what the enemy has taken away.  Only You can bring Cheryl and I to the place You have for us.  Only You can bless Word of Life with all You have for it.  Only You can take us where we need to be and bless us.  SO I wait for You Almighty God.

Yours,

Jeff

The Whole Earth Trembles

 Scripture:

“But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah tells us here, under the influence of the LORD, that God is the only real and true god.  He is the living and everlasting king.  All others gods are made by man’s hands and can do nothing on their own.  Here we are told that the whole earth trembles at God’s anger and nations can’t handle His wrath.  he is the Almighty God.

Application:

Do we really believe that the whole earth tremble at God’s anger and the nations can’t stand up to His wrath?  Do we really believe we serve the Almighty God?  Do we really believe what His word says about Him?  If we do, then we must also learn to submit to Him and His ways.  We must learnt to follow His voice and serve Him well in our generation.  We have lost the fear of the Lord in our time.  We need to get back to realizing that God is able to destroy us, as well as the nations of the earth with one word from His mouth.  If the whole earth trembles at His voice, we should also.

Prayer:

Father, bring back the fear of the Lord to Your people. Let us respect You as You deserve to be respected.  Help me personally to walk in the fear of the Lord at a new level.  Help me to hear Your voice and to walk in submission to You and Your Plans for my life.  Teach me to live a life You approve of.  I don’t jus want Your anointing, I want Your approval.

Your Son,

Jeff

Prepare for Action

 Scripture:

““Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking to Jeremiah getting him ready to speak to Israel and Judah as a prophet.  He tells Jeremiah to “Get up and prepare for action.”  He is then told to tell them everything God says to tell them and not to be afraid of them or what they think.  God was setting Jeremiah apart to speak on His behalf and wanted to make sure he was ready for what he would face.

Application:

Sometimes we feel like preparation is not important when it comes to ministry, especially prophetic ministry.  Because prophetic ministry is oftentimes fairly spontaneous, people feel they don’t need to prepare because God will speak to them and they will deliver what He says.  Preparation is an important part of ministry.  We should always be preparing for the next thing God has for us.  We should never settle in where we are and feel like we have arrived, but be constantly preparing for God’s next move in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, let me now despise the seasons of preparation, but work hard so that I am ready for whatever You place in front of me.  Teach me to live a life that is constantly preparing for greater things in You.  Train me, teach me, prepare me, mold me, shape me, and form me into what I need to be in order to fulfill Your will in and through my life.  Help me to live prepared for the next thing You want to do in me.

Yours,

Jeff

Wisdom, Righteousness, and Devotion

 Scripture:

“And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,”. ‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage we are told to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.  These were the things we did in our past and they are unfruitful for our lives.  Rather, we are told, we should live with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God.  These attributes will bring about the best in our lives.

Application:

Wisdom comes from God who is the all-wise one.  He knows exactly what we need to do in every situation.  Righteousness is right standing with God.  He makes us righteous, not by our works, but my the blood of Jesus Christ.  The first two things here come from God.  He gives wisdom and righteousness comes from Him.  The last thing is up to us.  Our devotion to God comes from a decision in our lives to live lives that are devoted to Him.  Our devotion is on us.  We have a part to play.  As we seek to be devoted to the Lord, He will give wisdom and make us righteous.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and I love You more every day.  Thank You for sharing with me this morning.  Help me to live a devoted life of obedience to You and Your will in my life.  Teach me to be wise and let Your righteousness fill my life so I may shine for You in a dark world.

Your Son,

Jeff

Ask

 Scripture:

“The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Lord is speaking here and lets His people know that He was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.  He says He was ready to be found, but no one was seeking Him.  God is looking for us to seek Him and to ask of Him.  He desires a people that humble themselves and seek Him instead of trying to do everything on their own.

Application:

We need to stay in a position of asking God for help.  When we become self-reliant, we are in danger.  When we stop seeking God because we feel we can take care of everything ourselves, we are in a bad place.  Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.  The best place we can be as believers is in the place of humility and brokenness before the Lord, inquiring of Him for His help.

Prayer:

Father, let me never walk with out You.  Help me to always call on Your name.  I need You desperately in this season.  Come mighty God and fill my life.  Show me the steps I need to take.  Open doors that no man can close and close doors no man can open.  My life is Yours.  Lead me Holy Spirit into everything You have for my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Works for those Who Wait

 Scripture:

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah speaks here about the LORD and says that from the beginning of history, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a god like Yahweh.  There has never been and never will be another god like our God.  He goes on to say that He works for those who wait for Him.

Application:

The world has never seen any god like the one I serve.  He is mighty and powerful and the nations are but a drop in His hand.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present, yet He works on my behalf when I wait for Him.  I need to get better at the waiting for Him part.  Though He is all-powerful, this tells me there are times I have to wait for Him to move.  I also need to walk in faith while I’m waiting.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in faith while waiting on Your promises.  There has never been another God like You.  You created all things.  All things exist for You and all things are from You.  You are the commander of the armies of heaven.  Help me to never doubt or walk in unbelief about who You are.  Let my faith grow stronger and stronger all the days of my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

Overwhelmed

 Scripture:

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

Observation:

God has just said what He was going to do for Israel an dhow He was going to have their enemies serve them and great wealth would come upon them.  Isaiah breaks into song here and says he is overwhelmed with joy in the Lord.  Why? Because has dressed him with salvation and gave him righteousness as a robe.  He felt like a bride being adorned for her groom.

Application:

Sometimes we need to step back and be overwhelmed with the goodness of God in our lives.  He has turned us around and put us on a firm foundation.  He has purified and cleansed us from all unrighteousness through His death on the cross.  He loved us so much that He sent his one and only Son to die in our place to save us.  Every good thing in our lives is because of Him and we should feel overwhelmed because none of it is because of our righteous deeds, but by His pure and Holy blood.

Prayer:

Father, let me never become unthankful for my salvation but let me live overwhelmed that You have chosen me.  Help me to live a life that bring You honor.  Thank You for clothing me with righteousness and making me beautiful as a bride getting ready for her bridegroom.  Every good thing in my life is directly because of You.

Yours,

Jeff

Waters that Don’t Fail

Scripture:

“The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”  Isaiah‬ ‭58:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

God says here that He will guide us continually and satisfy our souls in drought.  He says He will strengthen our bones and we would be like a good garden or a spring of water whose waters don’t fail.  He is promising to refresh us as we follow after Him according to His ways. 

Application:

As we pursue God and follow His ways, He will keep us refreshed with health, strength, peace, etc.  Our job is to follow His ways and do what He wants.  His job is to take care of us as we do.  Too often we want the blessings of living refreshed, but we don’t want to follow God’s ways.  When we do it His way, we get His results.  At 53 these refreshing scriptures are feeling more and more important.  I want to be a spring of water whose waters never fail.  I want to finish strong in the Kingdom and life-giving water flowing from me all the days of my life.

Prayer:

Father, let You living waters flow through my life.  Keep me refreshed and give me all I need to do Your will.  I want to serve You and make the greatest impact I can for Your kingdom.  Help me to follow Your ways.  Bless the work of my hands and let me bring water to the thirsty around the world.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Plan From the Beginning

 Scripture:

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ””. ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

God here is speaking to His people and tells them that it is too small for Him simply raise up and restore Israel.  He declares that they will be given as a light to the Gentiles and that salvation would come to the ends of the earth.  God had the Gentiles in mind all the time.  He wanted His glory to be seen in all the earth as a light since the foundation of the world.

Application:

Today is our missions convention and we will be focusing on the nations of the world and the cultures, languages, etc.  We will be praying for the nations and pledging to give to the nations.  We need to realize that missions to all the earth has always been His focus and heart.  When we do missions work, we are doing Isaiah 49:6.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, may this missions convention be the best ever.  May Your people see the heart of God for the nations of the world.  May we raise enough pledges to increase our budget and take on many new missionaries.  Help us to represent Your heart for the nations well as we present to Your people.  Ankit everything that is said and done.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Wants Your Peace

 Scripture:

“Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”  Isaiah‬ ‭48:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah here is speaking for the Lord to His people.  God cries out to His people that He wished they had heeded His commandments because He wanted to give them peace like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea.  God’s desire was to bring peace and good things, but He needed the obedience of HIs people.

Application:

Cheryl and I always taught our children that obedience brings blessings.  When we obey, good things come our way.  The peace we are all looking for is found in obeying the commands of the Lord.  God strongly desires to bless us, but His blessings are conditional and require our obedience.  I want to be better at hearing His voice and doing as He wants me to.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for wanting to bless me with Your peace.  Forgive me for not following You completely.  Help me to heed Your commands.  Empower me to live out everything You put in my heart.  Show me the way forward each day and help me to follow You well.  I am Yours and I desire to walk with You each day.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Look and Live

 Scripture:

““Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭45:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah declares here on the Lord’s behalf, “Look to me, and be saved.”  He declares that God is God and that there is no other.  He had just finished talking about men making gods with their own hands and then praying to them and how futile that was. 

Application:

God wants us to look to Him.  We should look to Him for our needs to be met.  We should look to Him for everything we need in life.  We should look to Him for protection, provision, healing, restoration, emotional help, etc.  We are saved when we look to Him and stop trying to do everything ourselves.  Our job is to humble ourselves and look to the Lord.  His job is to take it from there.

Prayer:

Father God, You are incredible and have opened the door for relationship with You.  I look to You this morning for what I need to do today.  Empower me to walk in Your Spirit today and to fulfill Your will in my life.  Teach me to hear Your voice and to always look to you in every situation.  I am Yours,

Your Son,

Jeff