God Takes Care of His People

 Scripture:

“And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9:6-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The plagues were coming on Egypt in great fashion.  The Lord was letting Pharaoh know who was more powerful.  Pharaoh continued to harden his heart toward the Lord and His people and the plagues kept on coming.  On this occasion, all the cattle of Egypt died, but not one animal of the Israelites died.  God’s curse affected the entire nation, except His people.  Even in plagues of judgment, God takes care of His people.

Application:

Even in the midst of judgment, God takes care of His people.  When the whole nation is affected by things, God’s people don’t have to be affected by it.  God can bless His people, regardless of what is going on around them.  I’m reminded this morning that during 10 months of COVID 19, I have dedicated probably eight new homes for people from our church.  In the midst of a difficult time for our country, our people have prospered.  I need to walk more confident in the goodness of God, no matter what the government, society, etc. does.  He is good!!!

Prayer:

Father, thank you for reminding me of Your faithfulness this morning.  You are amazing and I love You with all my heart.  Help me to walk in Your love and power every day.  Teach me to live a life of faith, knowing that You will take care of me in every and any situation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Commissioned by God

 Scripture:

“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.””  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

When God met with Moses and told him to go and bring His people out of Egyptian bondage, Moses said he wasn’t the one for the job.  He told the Lord that He should send someone else, but God had a plan for Moses.  God commissioned him and told him, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  

Application:

When God sends you to do something, He will also HELP you speak.  In other words, He will give you the power to do what needs done.   He will empower His people to fulfill His will.  We should never feel inadequate in doing God’s will, because when we are doing that He wants, He will help us.  Secondly, God told him He would TEACH Moses what to say.  When God sends someone, He will not only help them speak, but will teach them what to say.  When It’s God’s commission, it’s God’s help and teaching.  When it’s our commission, we are using our power and our wisdom.  I want to live a life commissioned by God to do His will in the earth and not on my own agenda.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I offer myself to You once again this morning.  Today, I have to preach my father’s funeral.  Empower me with Your Spirit and show me what needs to be said.  Strengthen me to stand strong and confident in You.  Let my words be Your words and let there be a strong anointing to destroy the lies and yokes in people’s lives.  Speak through me today.

Your Son,

Jeff

Multiplying in Oppression

 Scripture:

“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites”. ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Joseph took care of his family, the children of Israel, during a very difficult drought.  He had been blessed to become the second most powerful person in Egypt.  His family stayed in Egypt for many generations.  Eventually they became slaves to the Egyptians.  The more they were oppressed as slaves, the more they multiplied until the Egyptians were afraid of them.  They multiplied in the midst of oppression.  God’s people don’t need the political and governmental situation to be favorable for them to be blessed and multiply.  God can bless His kids in the midst of slavery and oppression.

Application:

There are times we feel like we are being oppressed by everything going on around us.  Sometimes, during this Coronavirus, God’s people have felt isolated and have been struggling in their faith.  The fact is, God’s word doesn’t only work in good times, but in bad times.  God can multiply His church, even in the midst of troubling times.  We must believe God for multiplication in the midst of struggle because our God is not controlled by the economy or the government.  God can multiply our impact, even while we feel like slaves.  We must not settle for less than multiplication during this season.

Prayer:

Father, multiply our ministry.  Multiply our impact in our region.  Multiply our effectiveness.  Help us to reach more people in midst of seeming oppression because of things out of our control.  I look to You.  Multiply the work of my hands.  Let Your blessing be evident in everything I touch.  Let this not be a season of survival, but of thriving for You and Your kingdom.

Your Son,

Jeff

Proof to the World

Scripture:

“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:54‬ ‭NIV‬‬ 

Observation:

When Jesus died on the cross, there was darkness on the land for three hours while He hung there.  When He died, there was an earthquake and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  In this text, the Romans Centurion and those who were with him exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”  They saw some powerful sign and wonders at His crucifixion that day and were convinced He was who He said He was.  Even the unsaved heathen Roman Centurions could not deny on that day.

Application:

I want to see a revival that is so strong and clear that nobody can deny who Jesus is and what He does in people’s lives.  I desire to see signs and wonders, not for show, but so that people can be convinced that Jesus is the Son of God.  I am believing for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit so strong that the heathen are convinced that God is real and that they need to give their lives to Him.  I want people to Encounter Christ in such ways that they are convinced of the power of God and that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer:

Father, pour out Your Spirit on all flesh once again.  Let us see another great awakening in our nation and around the world.  I pray for it to be so strong and clear that lost people can’t deny the power of God.  I ask You to confirm Your Word with signs following.  Shake up this world and let them see Your glory.  Come Holy Spirit and work in and through Your people.  Come and work in and through my life.  I am Yours!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Last Days Living

 Scripture:

““But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut... “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”  Matthew‬ ‭25:10, 13‬ ‭NIV‬

Observation:

Jesus told the story here about a bridegroom coming for his bride.  When he came, the women were suppose to be ready for his coming and go with him to the wedding ceremony.  When the bridegroom arrived, half of the young women we not prepared and had no oil in their lamps.  They were left behind while they tried to go buy oil.

Application:

Jesus is the bridegroom and we are His bride.  When He returns, we need to be expecting Him and prepared for His return.  He never told us the day or the hour He would return, but He did give us signs that His coming was soon.  According to those signs, we are very close and now, more than ever, we need to live ready for His return.  We prepare for wedding day by cleansing our garments and Revelation tells us our white robes, or wedding apparel, is the righteous acts of the saints.  As wedding day approaches, the bride and groom talk more and more as they make preparations.  We should be focusing on our relationship with our bridegroom and be spending more time with Him while we wait.  We should also be living pure, holy, Christ-centered lives.

Prayer:

Dear Bridegroom, I want to know You more and more.  I look with great anticipation to our wedding day. Help me to live ready for Your return.  Help me to stay pure before You at all times and never to allow wrong things into my life.  Teach me to walk in constant communion with You.  Empower me to do all that You have prepared for me to do.  I believe Your coming is soon and I want to live a life that honors my bridegroom.

Your Son,

Jeff

Living Ready

 Scripture:

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Jesus is talking about the last days and what to expect.  His disciples wanted to know when and how He was going to establish His rule and reign.  They wanted dates, Jesus gave them seasons.  He told them they must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect Him.  If you know when He is coming you can prepare for it.  If you don’t know when He’s coming, you must live prepared.

Application:

Lately, I find myself looking up at the sky a lot on my morning prayer walks.  I am expecting His soon return.  As believers, we are to see the signs around us and begin to live ready at all times to hear the trumpet blast.  We don’t want to be like the five virgins who had to go buy oil and when they came back, everyone was gone.  Living ready means staying in close touch with the Lord.  It means staying in His word and spending time with Him in prayer.  Living ready means doing everything possible to preposterous others as well and get them ready for the coming of the Lord.

Prayer:

God Almighty, the world seems to be preparing itself for the second coming of Christ.  The conditions I see in this chapter seem to be happening all around us.  Empower me to live ready at all times and to help as many as possible to be ready for the coming of the Lord.  Teach me to live in steady and constant contact, preparation, and let my lamp be full of oil at all times as I see Your day approaching.  Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Yours,

Jeff

Miraculous Provision

 Scripture:

““But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

The disciples told Jesus they were being questioned about whether their master paid taxes or not.  Apparently it was causing some problems.  Jesus tells them, “so that we may not cause offense, go...”. He didn’t want to cause offense.  He then tells His disciples to go fish and the first fish will have a coin in its mouth.  Go pay my taxes and yours.  He miraculously provided taxes for his followers to stop any offense from happening.

Application:

If Jesus could multiply loaves and fish to feed thousands and bring tax coins from the mouths of fish, He can surely take care of my needs.  God has always been faithful to me throughout my life.  He has provided over and over again.  At the same time, I want to see more miraculous provision in my life.  I am believing for a church building that costs a huge amount of money, but I also know God can change that in a second.  I want a miraculous provision testimony about our church building.

Prayer:

Father, You can put coins in the mouths of fish and feed thousands with fragments.  I ask You today to provide for Word of Life our own building so we don’t have to pay these terrible rent payments.  You are the God of miracles and I ask You for financial miracles to manifest in my life and ministry.  Increase my faith in this area.

Your Son,

Jeff

Blessed Eyes

Scripture:

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus was explaining to His disciples why He spoke in parables.  A parable had the ability to explain deep truth, but if you didn’t have spiritual ears and eyes, you wouldn’t understand it.  It was to hide what He was saying so the hungry for Him would seek out the truth.  While He was explaining to His disciples He said, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”  Blessed are the eyes that are open spiritually and the ears that hear beyond the words.

Application:

God wants us to be people who listen, not just with our ears, but with our spiritual ears and spiritual eyes.  He wants us to seek Him and hear what He is saying to the church.  I want to have “blessed” ears and eyes.  I want to see what God is doing and say what He is saying.  During this 21 days of prayer and fasting, my theme has been, “Open my ears Lord.”  I want to know the voice of God like the voice of my wife.  I want to hear the words within the words, like the disciples.  

Prayer:

Father, You know my heart’s cry.  I want to know You and Your will for my life every day.  I want to be one with You and clearly hear Your voice and see what You are doing.  Help me to stay in step with You and not be led by my own feelings, emotions, etc.  Open my spiritual ears and eyes that I may see.  Enable me to represent You well in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Judged by our Words

 Scripture:

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:36-37‬ ‭NIV‬

Observation:

Jesus is speaking here and tells us that we will give account on the day of judgment for every empty word.  We will be acquitted or condemned by the words we speak.  Jesus also told us that words are the product of what is in our heart.  When our heart is right, our words will be right.  This verse should cause us to seriously evaluate the words we speak.

Application:

Jesus only said what He heard the Father saying.  We would be wise to do the same.  Words are powerful in people’s lives and in our own lives.  We will live up to what we speak.  The power of death and life are in our tongues and we need to be cautious how we speak.  We will be acquitted or condemned by our own words, therefore, we must learn to bridle our tongues.  I need to be cautious about the words I speak, they are life and death, and I will be judged by them.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to speak what You are speaking and not throw around empty words that are useless.  Help me to know what to speak and when to speak it.  Teach me to have, not only a pure heart, but a pure mouth.  Let my mouth be used for Your purposes in the earth.  Let my heart be pure and let that purity flow out of my mouth.

Yours,

Jeff

Laughed At

 Scripture:

“he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:24-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

A synagogue leader came to Jesus and told Him that his daughter had just died.  He asked if Jesus would put His hand on her and make her well.  Jesus got to the house and there were mourners crying and sobbing about her death.  Jesus told them to quit crying And go away because the daughter was just sleeping.  It then says, “But they laughed at Him.”  Afternoon they were out of the house, the girl got up.

Application:

True faith will cause people who don’t understand to laugh at you.  When you live a life of faith, people will say you don’t make sense and that you don’t live in reality.  Being laughed at is simply part of living a  life of faith.  When you are laughed at, remember you are in good company because they laughed at Jesus.  People laugh at what they don’t understand.  I want to live a life of faith that proves the scoffers wrong.  I want to walk a faithful walk that shows the world that Jesus is Lord. They may laugh in the process, but they will see the power of God in the end.

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith.  Let me not be concerned about what the people around me think, but what You think.  Help me to walk in the type of faith Jesus walked in that causes people to laugh, but then see God work.  Increase my faith in the area of healing mighty God.  Heal mental illness.  Heal physical illness.  Set the captive free and heal people.  Let my faith for healing increase.  You healed the sick and commanded us to do the same, but we are not seeing it at the level You did.  Fix what’s wrong and let me do the works of Jesus in my generation.

Yours,

Jeff

Treasure in Heaven

 Scripture:

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jesus says some really powerful words about the treasures of our lives in this passage.  He tells us to store up treasures in heaven and not on earth.  In heaven He says nothing will be able to corrupt it of destroy it, inferring that the things of this earth will fade and be destroyed in time, but the things in heaven never fade.  He adds the statement that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  In others words your heart follows what you treasure.

Application:

We don’t live like any other people.  Our hopes and plans are not for this world, but for heaven.  We are to store up treasure, not on this earth, but in heaven.  Our rewards will be there and that should be our focus.  God can bless us here on earth, but our focus and passion must be heaven.  When we invest there, our hearts will be there as well.  I want my heart in heaven.  I want to live a heaven focused life.  I need to adjust priorities on earth to keep my heart on heaven.

Prayer:

Father, let me live a heaven focused life.  Help me to live for eternity and not live for the here and now.  Teach me to follow You completely and live a life that You can bless.  Enable me and empower me to bring more people into Your kingdom.  Help me to extend Your kingdom in all the earth.  Let me treasure what You treasure.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Communicates Through Dreams

 Scripture:

“And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 Observation:

In the story of Christ’s birth, and many other stories in the Bible, God spoke to people through dreams.  In these two consecutive verses, God warned the Magi went home another direction and then Joseph was told to take Jesus to Egypt for protection.  I realize this is during a very critical and important time in world history where each step was crucial, but God does speak through dreams to His people and to get things done.

Application:

Today is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.  He is most known for his speech, “I have a dream”.  I don’t believe his dream was God speaking to Him in the night, but a vision of a better future.  There are times when I have had spiritual dreams and then time when I have not.  I love when God communicates through dreams and I want Him to do that more often in my life.  I fully believe dreams were pretty common in Scripture and I want them to be mor a part of my life today.

Prayer:

Father, speak to me in my sleep.  When I put my head on the pillow, open my eyes to see You and to hear from You.  Show me things to come and next steps for my life.  I desire to hear from You clearly through every means possible.  I want to live a life that pleases and honors You and that does Your will.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Encounters

 Scripture:

“Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me”. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Joseph had heard that his father was near death and he took his sons to be blessed by his father.  The first thing Jacob did as they entered their conversation was to remind his son that God Almighty had appeared to him at Luz and blessed him.  That one encounter with God shaped Jacob’s entire life and even at the end of life, that is what we see him talking about.

Application:

One encounter with God can shape your entire life.  There are times in my life where I have had God encounters that have marked me forever.  I can recall each of them with extreme detail.  One still brings tears to my eyes when I try to talk about it probably 13 years later.  People can argue your theology, but nobody can argue your encounters with God.  It bring a deep knowing that never leaves.  We need more God encounters in our lives.  I also need to continue to seek the Lord diligently and let my life not just be about a few encounters with God, but a life of God encounters.

Prayer:

Father, let me encounter You more and more.  Thank You for the times when You have touched my life in powerful ways.  Thank You for the times in Your presence when You have revealed Yourself to me.  I long for more.  I don’t want to live off of what happened many years ago, but on what You are doing today.  I long for You.  Come and move in my life during this 21 day fast.

Yours Forever, 

Jeff

It Was God

 Scripture:

““So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into Egyptian slavery and told his father he had been eaten by wild animals.  They never expected to see him again.  When they needed provision, they came to Egypt looking for food and found their brother as ruler of the strongest nation on earth.  When Joseph revealed himself to them, he told them that it wasn’t them that sent him to Egypt, but God.  Joseph realized that it was God who took him out of the pit, out of Potipher’s house and out of the prison.  

Application:

Sometimes, God has to allow bad situations in our lives to get us where we need to be.  There will be times when you feel like everything is going wrong and that it hasn’t been good for a long time, but God is always working to bring good out of bad.  He turns things around for His people, but sometimes has to let them go through some difficult times to get them where He needed them in order to bless them.  Sometimes, when we are rebuking the devil for our bad situations, it may be God setting us up for something greater.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to know when You are positioning me and when the enemy is fighting me.  I feel like in these days we need discernment more than ever before.  Open my ears to hear You and my eyes to see You.  Help me to have a right attitude like Joseph did while I go through things here on this earth.  Teach me to trust You day by day, when I haven’t seen the answer to my prayers yet.

Your Son,

Jeff

Forgotten, but not Forgotten

 Scripture:

“The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.  When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,”. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭40:23-41:1 ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Joseph had a really long, hard battle with things going wrong and being falsely accused.  He was in prison and interpreted two dreams for some high ranking people who could have rescued him.  He specifically asked them not to forget him and to tell Pharaoh about him.  When their dreams came true, this verse tells us the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph for another two years.  

Application:

Sometimes in life, it will seem like God and people have forgotten us.  There will be times when we feel like nothing has gone right in a long time.  Like Joseph, our job is to remain faithful to God and remain a blessing to those around us.  At this point, Joseph’s personal dreams had not come to pass, yet he served and loved God faithfully.  Like Joseph, there will be times when we are forgotten by people and it seems like even God isn’t coming through on His promises, but God never forgets His promises.  We must hold strong on His promises and be faithful until they come to pass.

Prayer:

Father, help me to remain strong and confident while waiting to see some of the things You have spoken over my life.  Help me to faithfully serve Your people and have a great attitude while waiting on the promises.  Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight.

Your Son,

Jeff

God is With You in Trouble

 Scripture:

“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Joseph had been sold into slavery by his own brothers.  He became the most trusted man in the house because God was with him as a slave.  He was falsely accused and thrown into prison.  This is where we meet him today.  While in prison on false pretenses, the Bible says, “the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

Application:

The favor of God is a powerful thing.  When the favor of God is on your life, people will recognize it and bless it.  Joseph’s life wasn’t going very well at this point from most people’s perspective, but even in the midst of very wrong and difficult situations, God was with him.  We need to understand that our surroundings don’t mean anything as long as the Lord with us.  God says He will never leave us nor forsake us.  When we go through troubled times, His word still works.  Trouble doesn’t mean that God is absent, it means He’s working things for your good.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never get overwhelmed with everything that goes on around me.  Help me to walk with You and remain confident that Your favor and blessing still works, even in difficult times.  Help me to walk in boldness, knowing my God is with me and will never leave me, no matter what I have to go through on this earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Build an Altar

 Scripture:

“Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭35:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Jacob had met the Lord at Bethel previously.  Just prior to this Scripture, Jacob’s daughter Dinah had been raped.  Her brothers took revenge and went after those who had done it.  Jacob was upset because he knew the relationships with the surrounding people was destroyed and that they would gang up and come after him and his family.  When he was in trouble, he told his family to get rid of any idols or other gods and go with him to Bethel, which is where he had met the Lord.  In his time of trials, Jacob built and altar to the Lord and he described the Lord as the one who answered him in his time of distress and who had been with him everywhere he went.

Application:

When troubles come, we must put away anything that distracts us from God Almighty and build an altar to Him.  We must come before the Lord humbly.  We also need to remember He is the one who has rescued us in our times of distress in the past and that He has been with us wherever we have gone.  When troubles come, our response must be to run to the Lord and let the Lord fight our battles.

Prayer:

Father, help me to run to You before the battle ever needs to happen.  Teach me to seek You out continually in my life.  I don’t want to have to run to You in trouble because I have walked with You for years.  I want to know You and walk with You.  Open my ears to hear Your voice and open my eyes to see what You are doing around me.  

Your Son,

Jeff

When God Speaks on Your Behalf

 Scripture:

“I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭31:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Laban had chased Jacob down after God told Jacob to go back to his household and his people.  Laban had planned to harm Jacob once again or cheat him as he had done many times in the past.  This time was different.  Laban declared, “the God of your fathers said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’”  God spoke to someone who served other gods on behalf of his chosen.  He came looking for whoever had stolen his gods, but the God of heaven spoke to him and told him not to mess with Jacob.

Application:

With God, anything is possible.  God can speak to heathen bosses, leaders, and people who serve other gods when He is ready to work on behalf of His people.  When God wants You to do something, He will make a way for you, even if He has to speak to those who don’t know Him.  I have always said, “God can speak to the leaders of our nation and change their hearts even if they don’t serve Him.”  We must realize that we have a God who knows how to speak to people, even unsaved people, to bring about His will.

Prayer:

Father, You spoke to Laban, who didn’t serve You, on behalf of Jacob.  You protected Jacob by speaking to somone who doesn’t even follow You.  Speak to those in leadership in our nation.  Confront those with wrong intentions.  Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in the USA and let nothing stop that.  Speak to those who don’t even understand You.  Help me to walk in confidence that You will speak to those around me to bring about my blessing.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Lord Appeared

 Scripture:

“The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Verses like this one grab my attention.  It says, “The Lord appeared to Isaac and said...”.  God is a personal God who will speak to His people.  It says the Lord “appeared” to Isaac.  He revealed Himself to His servants in the Old Testament.  I realize they needed it because they were coming to a God who they had never met and He needed to make sure they did things right in the beginning.

Application:

The reality is, I get jealous when I read verses like this.  I want the Lord to appear to me and speak as friend with friend.   I desire to have personal encounters with God.  I long to be in His presence and to experience Him in greater ways.  He appeared to them when they were not even pursuing Him.  I am pursuing Him and want Him to appear and speak clearly to me.  I want to know “thus says the Lord” in a real, pure and powerful way.

Prayer:

God, I will serve You every day of my life.  I am Yours.  I am jealous of those who You appear to because I want to know You more deeply and hear Your voice more clearly.  Show me the path to Your presence.  As so many of Your people in the Bible had personal encounters with You, I want to know You like that.  Thank You for the incredible times of encountering You in my past.  Thank You for the times You have shown me things, but I want more and more each day.  Open my ears and open my eyes.  I want to know You more and more.

Yours,

Jeff

Moving Forward

 Scripture:

“If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭24:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Abraham had sent his servant back to his people to get a wife for his son Isaac.  He didn’t want his son to marry a woman from his new area, but one who was from the same area he had been from.  When he sent the servant, he told him, “do not take my son back there.”  He wanted to make sure his son would not go backward, but would continue to fulfill the promises of God for their lives.

Application:

Sometimes it is easier to move backward than forward.  As I get older, I remember the good old days and love to reflect back to what God has done in my life, but there is still life to be lived.  Once we advance in some area of our lives, we should not return to the old ways.  Going back is never best.  Moving forward, following the cloud and the fire, is the best way to live.  I don’t want to spend my time looking backward, but moving forward.  

Prayer:

Father, help me to always be a person who continually moves forward.  When battles are won, I don’t want to retreat.  I want to live from glory to glory.  I want to move closer and closer to Your heart and never get satisfied.  Help me not to look backward for too long, but to continue to move forward throughout my life, doing Your will to the ends of the earth.

Your Son,

Jeff

Never Forgotten

 Scripture:

“Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭21:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Hagar was once again kicked out of the house of Abraham when Sarah had her child.  This time God once again took care of them.  Even though he wasn’t the son of promise and was brought into the world through wrong attempts to fulfill the will of God, God took care of Ishmael.  It says here that God was with him.  In the previous verse it said he would still become a great nation.  God didn’t give up on him because he wasn’t the son through whole the promise would come.

Application:

Even when we mess up and do things in the flesh, God still works everything together for our good when we love the Lord and are the called according to His purposes.  Even when we miss God on things, we are never forgotten.  God will take care of us, even when we have messed up.  His promises are faithful, even when we don’t do what we should.  We can trust the God will take care of us, even when we are the ones who have done wrong.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for showing me that I am never forgotten, even when I caused things to go wrong.  You are faithful to Your people!   You are amazing and I love serving You.  Help me to walk in complete obedience to You and Your will for my life.  I want to live a life of impact for You and Your kingdom.  I offer You my life, my heart, my everything.  I am yours!  You have never forgotten me and I appreciate it.

Your Son,

Jeff

The God Who Sees Me

 Scripture:

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Hagar, Sarah’s servant, had been kicked out of her house when Sarah realized she was pregnant with Abraham’s son.  Even though Sarah set the whole thing up, she got jealous because she was not able to give Abraham a child.  Hagar was kicked out with Ishmael and had nowhere to go, but God saw her and met her there.  He let her know that she was going to be okay and that her son would as well.  She called the name of the Lord, “The God who sees me”.  God saw her in her brokenness and met her there.

Application:

This name Hagar gave to the Lord is so powerful. We must see God as “the God who sees me”.  We know God sees everything and knows everything going on, but sometimes we need that extra encouragement when He shows up and delivers a special word to us.  Just like God saw Hagar, He sees us.  He knows every detail of my life.  He knows where I’m going and what I’m doing.  Nothing escapes His sight.  He sees exactly where I am this morning and knows my next steps.  I must learnt to trust Him more and more each day.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see You as “The God who sees me.”  Help me to comprehend Your love more and more.  Help me to know at all times that You are with me and that You see every detail of things that have happened to me.  You know my successes and my failures, yet You love me.  Thank You for seeing me and loving me where I am.

Your Son,

Jeff

Our Shield and Reward

Scripture:

 “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ””. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

God spoke to Abram and told him He would be with him and would bless him with countless descendants.  He told Abram here not to be afraid because God was his shield and his very great reward.  At the time, Abram was dealing with other nations and groups of people.  A shield would protect him from the nations around him and a reward would take care of provision for him and his people.

Application:

We need to see God as our shield.  We need to know that God will fight our battles and protect us from everything that comes against us.  A shield protects from the attacks of all enemies.  We also need to be confident that God is our great reward.  In this passage and previous passages, we see clearly that God blessed Abram and made him wealthy.  This is part of God’s great reward.  He does bless His people financially.  I want God’s protection and provision in my life at higher levels.

Prayer:

Father, You are a a great Father who knows how to take care of Your children.  Thank You for taking care of me and Cheryl all these days.  You have always come through for us and provided for our needs.  Now protect us and prosper us as a testimony of Your goodness.  Teach me to live a life of faith and a life that You will bless.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Takes Care of His Own

 Scripture:

“But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Abram had told Sarah to tell the Egyptian Pharaoh that she was his sister.  They took her into Pharaoh’s home.  After being there, the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh because of Abram’s wife.  In the next verse it lets us know that Pharaoh knew the diseases were a punishment for taking Sarai into his home.  Even though Pharaoh was lied to, God punished him for messing with His promise to Abraham.

Application:

It is not a good thing to mess with God’s people.  We have been grafted in to Abraham’s family as believers.  When someone does us wrong, God steps up and will take care of His own.  He will defend His people who follow Him.  Abram and Sarai were doing what God told them to do, and when trouble came, God protected them even in their lies.  It is dangerous to mistreat God’s people who follow Him closely.  He is a jealous God and doesn’t share His people.  He is the God who fights the battles of His people.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing!  You defend those who belong to You.  You protect us, even when we mess up and do wrong things.  Teach me to walk with You at a deeper level this year.  Help me to understand how You take care of Your own people.  This morning I realize that You will take care of those who come against me, even if I was in the wrong.  

You’re the Best,

Jeff

Do What is Right

 Scripture:

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

Cain and Abel had brought offerings to the Lord.  God accepted Abel’s offering, but did not accept Cain’s offering.  Cain got mad at Abel and the Lord spoke to him and told him if he did what was right he would be accepted, but not doing right allows sin to crouch at the door.  God continues to tell him that sin desire to have him, but he must rule over sin.  From this passage we see that not doing what is right allows sin to conquer our lives.  We must rule over sin instead of allowing sin to rule over us.

Application:

We must always see that sin is crouching at the door of all of our lives and that we must rule over it.  Sin is not to be played with, it will cost us much more than it is worth.  We need to put up roadblocks on the path to sin that will keep us on the right path.  Doing what is right gives us power over sin.  We must continue to do the things that are right and not what pleases our flesh.  

Prayer:

Father, let me live a life that pleases You.  Help me to do the right things all the time.  Empower me to live a life that bring You honor and praise.  Let the power of sin be broken and let me choose to do right things consistently throughout my days.  When I mess up in any area, show me and empower me to respond with repentance and change.  I want to live a life that pleases You above all else.

Yours Forever,

Jeff