God’s Word

 Scripture:

“God's word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

This verse says it all and doesn’t require much commentary. God’s word is alive and powerful! It can go places and do things that seem impossible, but that’s the power of one word from God. When God speaks…things happen. 

Application:

God’s word is powerful, but we must allow it to work in our lives. We must learn to walk in obedience to it and follow it as a guide for our lives. It is not just another book. It is filled with power to change lives. I need to appreciate the Word of God more in my life. 

Prayer:

Father, You sent us a love letter. Help me to read it, study it, chew on it, and digest it into my life. Help me to appreciate Your word more and more. Let my heart, mind, and soul be filled with Your word at all times. Let me be more controlled by Your word, than my own feeling, thoughts, or ideas.

Your Son,

Jeff

Bring us Back and Give us a Fresh Start

 Scripture:

“You will rule forever, Lord! You are King for all time. Why have you forgotten us for so long? Bring us back to you! Give us a fresh start.”  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah cries out here, after all the sorrow he had seen in his people under the judgment of God. He declares that the Lord rules forever and is King for all time. He asks why God has forgotten them and asks God to bring them back to Him and to give them a fresh start. This is all God needs and His desire for every nation.

Application:

As Jeremiah cried out to the Lord, we must cry out, “Bring us back to You! Give us a fresh start.” God rules and reigns in the heavens and on the earth. Nothing bypasses Him. His requirement of us is that we worship and honor Him by living as He desires and not as we desire. As a nation, we have turned away from God and declared that we don’t need Him. We must cry out as a nation, “Bring us back to You and give us a fresh start.” 

Prayer:

God, I ask You to draw the United States back to You and give us as fresh start. Cleanse this nations Father and let her rise again fro the ashes of walking away from You. Pull this nation back to You Lord. We know You are working and we ask You to accelerate the process. Let us see revival and awakening in the United States. Let us see a massive and quick turning to You so You can bless this nation once again.

Your Son,

Jeff

False and True Prophets

 Scripture:

“Your prophets deceived you with false visions and lying messages— they should have warned you to leave your sins and be saved from disaster.”  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Many of the Old Testament prophets were not accepted because they had strong messages telling Israel and Judah to turn away from their sins and repent. False prophets always were accepted because their message sounded and felt better. Here Jeremiah says that the false prophets deceived God’s people with false visions and lying messages when they should have been warning them to leave their sins and be saved.

Application:

False prophets were called out in the Old Testament for telling the people only what they wanted to hear instead of what God wanted them to say. We need to hear from God clearly before we communicate on His behalf. I don’t want to be a false prophet. I want to clearly communicate what God is saying to those under my care. I need to hone in on God’s voice, hear what He is saying, and communicate it accurately.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are high and lifted up. You are majestic and powerful. You are glorious and omnipotent. Your greatness can never be exceeded. Your love is unfathomable. Your faithfulness is unfailing forever and You are good! Help me to accurately speak on Your behalf. Help me not to sugarcoat what You are saying, but to declare clearly what You want to speak. I don’t want to tickle ears. I want to change the world.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faith and Love

 Scripture:

“Philemon, each time I mention you in my prayers, I thank God. I hear about your faith in our Lord Jesus and about your love for all God's people.”  ‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Paul writes here concerning Philemon and his reputation. Paul remembers him well and thanks God for him. Paul apparently continued to hear of his faith and his love for all God’s people. Philemon had quite a reputation for serving God well in his generation. 

Application:

When people remember my life, I want them to remember my faith in God and love for God’s people. I want to live a life that honors God and blesses God’s people. I want to represent Him well in my generation. Loving God and loving people is the bottom line of the Gospel and the Kingdom. When we do that well, we are building God’s kingdom well.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring Your praise, glory, and honor. Help me to live well and represent You well. Teach me to love You and love people well. Show me each day what You have for me. Open doors that need opened and close doors that need closed in my life. I am Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Deals with Nations

 Scripture:

“An enemy will attack and destroy Babylon. It’s soldiers will be captured and their weapons broken, because I am a God who takes revenge against nations for what they do.”

Observation:

God speaks through. Jeremiah here concerning Babylon, who He used to destroy Judah. He says judgment is coming on Babylon for doing what He made them do. He says here that God takes revenge against nations for what they do. 

Application:

Today is just a revelation that God deals with nations for what they do, not just individuals. In the end, God will judge nations as sheep nations and goat nations. God punishes nations for what their leaders do concerning Him and His people. We always see God as our personal God, which He is, but He also deals with nations.

Prayer:

Father, have mercy on the United States. Forgive us for walking away from You and Your ways. Come and heal this nation. Send revival and turn her around so she may serve Your purposes again. Move in our elections and transform the U.S. I pray. Bring forth and awakening before judgement comes.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Even in Punishment, God Reminds us of His Restoration

 Scripture:

“But I promise that someday I will bring your people back to their land.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭49‬:‭39‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this verse, God is speaking through Jeremiah to the nation of Elam, but these words could be said about each nation He pronounces judgment on. He always declares the terrible things that are going to happen to these nations surrounding Israel, then He ends with, “But I promise that someday, I will bring your people back to their land.” He doesn’t just promise His own people to bring them back, but He promises the surrounding nations He is punishing.

Application:

God promises, even His enemies, that He will bring them back after punishment. His goodness has no bounds and His faithfulness can be trusted. We must realize the incredible love and forgiveness of God Almighty. Even when we disappoint Him and do wrong, He always forgives and restores. He simply needs us to turn to Him. I don’t want to ever take advantage of God’s love and mercy. I want to live for Him completely and fulfill His will all the days of my life.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Thank You for always bringing people back and restoring them. Thank You for being with us on this trip to Bolivia. Bring us home safely today and let us continue to shine for You. My life is Yours, Lord, do with it what You want. I want to walk in obedience to You all the days of my life. 

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Patient Restoration

 Scripture:

“Israel, don't be afraid. Someday I will bring you home from foreign lands. You and your descendants will live in peace and safety, with nothing to fear.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭46‬:‭27‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah, once again, has been blasting God’s people and the nations surrounding them with words of punishment for not following Him. Even in His punishment for their disobedience, you hear the heart of God coming through here. He tells Israel not to be afraid because someday they were coming home and their descendants will live in peace and safety. 

Application:

God’s punishment doesn’t last forever. He is a God of restoration. Even when we legitimately mess up, God is looking forward to our repentance because He wants to bless us, protect, us and bring us peace. Even in judgment, the heart of God is restoration. We should never take advantage of this aspect of God, but we should realize and honor Him for the incredible mercy and grace He has with us.

Prayer:

Father, You are faithful to Your people, even when You need to punish them. You never give up on us. You have been patient with me and merciful to me when I didn’t deserve it. Help me to walk in confidence that Your plans for my life will come to pass as I continue to follow You. Bless our team in Bolivia. Bless my family today. Bless the church I and enable me to pastor it well. Let strong disciples come from that place.

Yours Son Forever,

Jeff

Fear of God Over Fear of Man

 Scripture:

“But Azariah, Johanan and some other arrogant men said to me, “You're lying! The Lord didn't tell you to say that we shouldn't go to Egypt.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah’s ministry was full of this kind of response from the people. He would prophesy and they would tell him they didn’t believe what he was saying. In order to be faithful to communicate what the Lord wanted, Jeremiah had to speak some very difficult things. He was faithful and didn’t change his message, even when the people thought he was lying, and treated him terribly.

Application:

Sometimes delivering God’s word is not easy. Sometimes it requires obedience, even when people get mad at you, walk away from you, or speak evil of you. We are not there to obey the people, but to obey God. I can’t fear what people think, but obey what God says at all times. I need to care less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Prayer:

Father, You called me into ministry, not any man. You ordained me, not any man. Help me not to ear what man can say to me, but to fear You alone. Help me to be influenced more by You than by anything people want to hear. Help me to preach faithfully in this itching ears generation. I want to speak on Your behalf, but I need Your words to be clear to me. Open my ears to hear You.

Your Son,

Jeff

God Takes Care of the Faithful

 Scripture:

“I was led away in chains along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem who were being taken to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan was the officer in charge of the guard, and while we were stopped at Ramah, the Lord caused him to set me free.”  Jeremiah‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had prophesied for a long time to Judah. He had been imprisoned, gone hungry, and thrown in a well where he sunk into the mud because of his prophetic words concerning the destruction of Judah. At this point, the people of Judah were being led away in chains, just as he had prophesied, and the commander of the guard let him go free. Jeremiah attributed this to the Lord.

Application:

When you honestly and faithfully serve the Lord and speak what He says, He will make sure you are taken care of in the end. Jeremiah had to go through some extremely difficult things, but God always brought him through. He had to endure some bad stuff, but God always made a way of escape. Because Jeremiah was faithful in prophesying what the Lord had said, he didn’t have to suffer the same punishment as the rest of the people.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to walk faithfully before You all the days of my life. Teach me to walk in Your ways and to hear Your voice. I’m listening Lord. Make Your will known. Show me what to speak, teach, preach, prophesy, and I will deliver Your words. I fear You more than I fear any other thing.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Obedience Brings Blessing

Scripture:

“from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me!  Jeremiah‬ ‭35‬:‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God was speaking to Jeremiah and showed him an example of the type of obedience He delights in. The Rechabites were told by their ancestor never to drink wine, and generations later, they still don’t drink wine and continue to obey him. God said that He had spoken over and over to His people but they wouldn’t obey Him. God didn’t even say if drinking wine was good or bad, just their obedience to their ancestor was fantastic.

Application:

God loves when His people submit to Him and obey His word. When we live according to His ways, He blesses us. When we live according to what feels good to us and what everyone else is doing, we are in trouble. God is looking for some people with a backbone, who will stand up and obey Him, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Prayer:

Father, you are incredible and worthy of our worship. You are also worthy of our obedience. Let my life be a life of obedience to the will of God, no matter what the cost. Minister to Pastor Abel, who was sent home from Bolivia because he didn’t have a Visa stamped. Minister through us today here in Bolivia as we reach out to kids and then have a revival service tonight. Let my life bring You honor today and every day.

Your Son,

Jeff

Wholehearted Worship

Scripture:

“You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you and accept your worship. Then I will gather you from all the nations where I scattered you, and you will return to Jerusalem.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭CEV‬‬ 

Observation:

God has spoken through Jeremiah clearly that Judah is about to face devastation and would be taken away to Babylon. That had already started when Jeremiah said these words. He told them that in the future they would once again worship God and God would accept their worship. Then God would bring them back home and their day of punishment will turn into their day of blessing.

Application:

Sometimes God is just waiting on us to turn toward Him with all our heart. We must learn to obey the Lord in the good times and in the bad times. Our worship must be from pure hearts and with all our hearts. Worshippers always have the heart of God because they are after Him and His will at all times. Living a life of worship has great dividends.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of all my praise and worship. Help me to worship You in spirit and in truth, but also with all my heart. I love to sing, dance, celebrate and honor You with all my life. Be glorified by our team going to Bolivia today. Pour out Your Spirit on the people there. Let Your name be exalted in that nation.

Your Son,

Jeff

Response is Everything

 Scripture:

“Then the leaders continued: No one put Micah to death for saying that. Instead, King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord with fear and trembling and asked him to have mercy. Then the Lord decided not to destroy Jerusalem, even though he had already said he would. People of Judah, if Jeremiah is killed, we will bring a terrible disaster on ourselves.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭26‬:‭19‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

When there was an uprising against Jeremiah for speaking of Jerusalem and Judah being destroyed, they threatened to put him in prison for his words. The rebuttable was that when Micah preached a similar message, King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and asked for mercy and the Lord decided not to destroy Jerusalem at that time. They pointed out that the response of the king was drastically different, and it made the outcome different.

Application:

Our response determines our blessing. When the king listened to the word of the Lord, he, and his nation were blessed. When the king didn’t respond to God in humility, God’s judgment was going to be released. Our goal should be to always have a quick response when God call us out. We need to humbly submit ourselves to Him and do as He says. Then we will walk in His favor and blessing.

Prayer:

Father, There is none like You. Help me to have a responsive heart at all times. Help me to walk in humility and respond when You speak to me personally or through others. Help me to listen and respond well when You call. Let my response always be the one that follows You completely. Guide my steps every day Lord.

Your Son,

Jeff

Fire and Hammer

 Scripture:

“My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭29‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking in this passage to Jeremiah about false prophets. He says that false prophets were speaking out of their own minds and not speaking on His behalf. He told Jeremiah that their words were powerless, but that His words are a powerful fire and a hammer that shatters rocks. In other words, a real message from God is powerful.

Application:

When God really speaks through an individual, the words He speaks are a powerful fire and a hammer that shatters rock. When we speak a true prophetic word from the Lord, it has the power to destroy whatever is going on. It can burn or it can blast. A true word from the heart of God is incredibly powerful. We must seek the Lord until we have a message from the Lord.

Prayer:

Father, You are great and You are gracious. Let Your word be in my heart like a fire and a hammer. Let me not speak my own words, but truly words from Your heart. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be holy and pleasing to You. Let my words be set on fire from heaven and smash the enemy’s plans like a hammer.

Yours,

Jeff

In Good and Bad Times

 Scripture:

““King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia has attacked Judah. Please ask the Lord to work miracles for our people, as he has done in the past, so that Nebuchadnezzar will leave us alone.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭21‬:‭2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The people of Judah were under attack and ran to Jeremiah to have him ask God to work miracles for them like He had in the past. They were panicking and cried out to God to help them. God’s response was that He was behind the enemy coming into their region because of their unfaithfulness to Him.

Application:

We can’t live however we want, then turn and run to God when bad things start to happen. We must learn to remain faithful to God in good times and in bad times. If we want God to fight our battles, we must do more than cry out to Him when things are terrible. We must serve Him faithfully in the good times and in the bad.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in faithfulness. Help me to serve You in the good times and in the bad. Let me live a life that pleases You always. Come Holy Spirit and work in my life. Let my life be an offering to You. Let my life be a sacrifice for You. Let Your purposes be done in my life.

Your Son,

Jeff

Strength to Endure

 Scripture:

“because I am making you strong, like a bronze wall. They are evil and violent, but when they attack, I will be there to rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15:20-21‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Jeremiah, who was getting afraid for his life because they wanted to kill him because of the message the Lord gave him. God didn’t tell Jeremiah He was going to make them stop, He told Jeremiah He was going to make him strong, and “when they attack” He will be there with Jeremiah. God didn’t ease off the message Jeremiah was to preach, He just told him that he would be strong and the the Lord would be with him through the attacks of those who want to take his life.

Application:

We always want God to take the bad situations away and protect us from anything negative. Sometimes God’s answer is “I will be with You” when it gets really bad or, “I’ll make you strong”. We tend to think today that if we have faith, nothing will ever go wrong and no pain will come into our lives. In reality, God didn’t promise no pain, He promised to be with us and strengthen us. Sometimes he removes the pain from us. Sometimes He removes us from the pain. Sometimes He gives us strength to endure.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to trust You when I don’t see You doing what I want You to do. I know I often think about what You could do better in my life. Help me to trust You more and more each day. I want to know You in the fellowship of Your suffering and the power of Your resurrection. Let me be attuned to You to know what to be praying each day. As political unrest happens in Bolivia, give me clear direction for our team. Show me what to do Lord.

Your Son,

Jeff

My Trust is in You

 Scripture:

“Idols can't send rain, and showers don't fall by themselves. Only you control the rain, so we put our trust in you, the Lord our God.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭14:22‬ ‭CEV‬

Observation:

Jeremiah has been prophesying doom and gloom for God’s people because of their rebellion and their desire to run after other gods. He finally finishes his rant with saying that idol can’t send rain, but that God controls the rain, so our trust must be in Him. 

Application:

We trust must be in the Lord God Almighty above all else. We must learn to worship Him and seek His face. Only God is trustworthy. Only God can help us. Only God can bring the rain into our lives. He alone is worthy and He alone is able to help us. 

Prayer:

Father, You alone are worthy of praise, honor, and glory. You deserve my highest praise and worship. Help me to not put my trust in anything but You. You are my source and my salvation. You are my everything. I love You more than ever before and I ask You to align me with Your Spirit. Help me to walk in tune with You at all times. Bless our upcoming trip to Bolivia with Your powerful presence. Let lives be touched and transformed by Your love and mercy.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

All-Powerful

 Scripture:

“But you, Israel's God, created all things, and you chose Israel to be your very own. Your name is the Lord All-Powerful.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10:16‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah here tells the Lord that He created everything he could see. He was speaking about how the idols people want to worship were made with human hands., yet God was not created, but was creator. Jeremiah  declares here that one of the Lord’s names is “Lord All-Powerful”. He realized that nothings was impossible with God.

Application:

I need to know the Lord as Lord All-Powerful. I want to trust Him as Lord All=Powerful. I don’t want to trust in myself, people, things, etc. I want to trust in the Lord All-Powerful. He is greater than anything that can come against me. I want to serve Him well and live a life that bring Him honor.

Prayer:

Lord All-Powerful, You are amazing and I praise You this morning. Your awesomeness can be seen in creation, in how You have led Your people in the past, and in my life personally. You have blessed my life over and over again. You are faithful, reliable, and trustworthy. Help me to serve You well and let Your Power flow through my life. I long to be with You and to walk as one with You.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Crushed Heart

 Scripture:

“My people are crushed, and so is my heart. I am horrified and mourn. If medicine and doctors may be found in Gilead, why aren't my people healed?”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭8:21-22‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here through the prophet Jeremiah. He had just spent several chapters speaking of how unfaithful they have been and how judgment is coming strong on them because of their sins. In this passage, you hear the heart of God. “My people are crushed, and so it my heart.” Then He asks a rhetorical question, “If medicine and doctors may be found in Gilead, why aren’t my people healed?” He wants them healed and doing well, but they need to turn away from all other gods and serve Him wholeheartedly.

Application:

God wants us to be doing well at all times. He doesn’t get thrilled over the suffering of His people. He mourns and is horrified when He sees us going astray and doing our own thing. He wants to bless us, but can’t because of our disobedience. He wants to bring healing, but we must turn completely to Him. When we see this and understand this, we need to act on it and turn ourselves completely to God.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Help me to lean into You more and more each day. Teach me Your ways and help me to walk on Your paths. I love You and want to serve You well in my generation. As we fast and pray for our trip to Bolivia, purge me and cleanse me, and prepare me to be used as an instrument of honor for Your kingdom. Pour out Your Spirit in Santa Cruz.

Your Son,

Jeff

Words on Fire

 Scripture:

“I am the Lord God All-Powerful. Jeremiah, I will tell you exactly what to say. Your words will be a fire; Israel and Judah will be the fuel.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God speaks here to Jeremiah and tells him that He is the Lord God All-Powerful and He will tell Jeremiah exactly what to say. When Jeremiah prophesied, he was communicating exactly what the Lord was saying. He went on to say that Jeremiah’s words would be a fire and Israel and Judah would be the fuel for the fire. 

Application:

Although the messages God gave Jeremiah were difficult, he was able to speak EXACTLY what the Lord wanted to say. It seems to me that the Old Testament prophets heard the word of the Lord extremely clearly and spoke what He was saying. I long for the type of relationship with God where I can communicate EXACTLY what He wants to say, nothing more and nothing less. I want to speak on His behalf.

Prayer:

Father, open my ears so I can hear what You want to speak. When people hear me, let them hear You clearly. I want to represent You well. Therefore, I need to hear Your voice with absolute clarity. Teach me to hear so I can communicate well. I don’t want to just preach good sermons, I want to speak Your words. Let Your words be on my lips and help me communication Your words and Your will to Your people.

Your Son,

Jeff

Rebellion Never Wins

 Scripture:

“The Lord said to Israel: You accuse me of not saving you, but I say you have rebelled.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2:29‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah is prophesying to Israel in this passage. God told him when he was called by God, that he was going to have to be strong in order to communicate the Word of the Lord. He was being sent to give a word that would be greatly rejected because people didn’t want to hear it. Here, He tells Israel that they accuse God of not saving them, but the Lord says back to them, “you have rebelled.” In other words, you want me to save you, but you have rebelled against me.

Application:

Sometimes in our lives we accuse God of not rescuing us from certain situations, but He says to us, “you have rebelled.” When God doesn’t do what we want Him to, we get frustrated, but we want grace we don’t come through on our promises. God wants us to check our hearts and see if there is any rebellion or selfishness. Before coming to the Lord and asking Him to rescue us, we need to make sure we are walking in obedience in all areas.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies endure forever. You are faithful and I appreciate You with all my heart. Help me to never walk in rebellion to You and what You want me to do with my life. Open doors for me to walk through. Show me exactly what You want and give me the strength to say “yes”. My life is Yours. Help me to walk in obedience at all times and to lift up Your name in all the earth.

Your Son,

Jeff

Quick Answers

 Scripture:

“I will answer their prayers before they finish praying.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭65:24‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking about a time when His people will worship Him and will be completely returned to their land. He is speaking about the blessings of that day, when they have repented and returned to Him. At that time, God will answer their prayers before they finish praying. This is a powerful promise.

Application:

God is incredible. When He decides to bless a person or a community of people, nothing can stop Him. He doesn’t even need us to finish praying because He already knows what is in our heart. When God’s people walk in complete obedience, there can be seasons of incredible favor and blessing. God is able to do more for us than we can imagine, but it all starts with us and our level of obedience to Him.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are high and lifted up. Your glory fills the heavens and the earth. There is none like You. You know my heart and my desires before I even ask. You are worthy of my highest praise and worship. I long for oneness with You. I desire to walk closer than ever before. You are my everything. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

The Clay

 Scripture:

“You, Lord, are our Father. We are nothing but clay, but you are the potter who molded us.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64:8‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

Here we see God referred to as Father, then the prophet says we are nothing but clay. He continues that God is the potter. In other words, God is shaping and forming us all the time. He continues to work on us.

Application:

When we see ourselves as the clay and God as the potter, it gives us a beautiful perspective. Clay is passive in this situation. It has one job, remain pliable and allow the potter to do his work. It is the potter building what He desires, not us building our own desires. The vision of the finished product is in the hands of the potter. We must submit to the will of God at all times.

Prayer:

Dear Potter, work on my life. Reveal Your desires for me. Show me next steps and guide me daily. Help me to stay flexible and never get rigid. Teach me to respond appropriately when You apply pressure.  I want to be a vessel of honor in Your kingdom.

Love,

Clay

No Loss of Power

 Scripture:

“The Lord hasn't lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Isaiah reminds Israel that the Lord hasn’t lost His powerful strength and that He cans still hear and answer prayers. They had been through a season of separation from their homeland and it seemed like God wasn’t working on their behalf at this point, but God always comes through for His own.

Application:

Sometimes we forget that God hasn’t lost His power and strength. Sometimes it may feel like He doesn’t hear and answer prayers any more, but He is God and He is all-powerful. He may not have acted on our behalf yet, but when He does, we can trust He will take care of business. Sometimes we simply need a reminder that God is powerful and will act on behalf of His people. We may just need to wait for His timing.

Prayer:

Father, help me to remain faithful when I don’t see You moving on my behalf. Help me to trust You, when I don’t see results in front of me. Enable me to see the big picture and to see from Your vantage point. Move on behalf of Word of Life, Hearts for the Harvest, and Jeff and Cheryl Jacob. Bless the works of our hands and let them be productive for Your kingdom.

Your Son,

Jeff

Take Care of the Poor

 Scripture:

“Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless. Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:10‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God always looks out for and takes care of the poor and needy. His heart is moved when we do the same. He tells us here that when we give food to the hungry and care for the homeless, our light will then shine in teh darkness and brightness will be all around us. 

Application:

There is a direct relationship here with the glory of the Lord on our lives and taking care of the hungry and homeless. When we take care of the hurting and broken in society, God always takes care of us. When we provide for those who have nothing, God takes notice. He has always wanted His people to take care of the weakest among us. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome and powerful! Your kingdom will never end. You delight when Your people take care of the needs of others around us. You are blessed when Your people are generous and loving, and kind. Help me to live a selfless life that helps others and blesses them. Enable me to take care of more orphans and widows though Word of Life and Hearts for the Harvest. I want to do Your will on the earth and I know this is big on Your mind always.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Trust God - He Knows Better

 Scripture:

“Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:9‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

The Lord is speaking through Isaiah here and says that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours like the heavens are higher than the earth. God doesn’t think like we do. He doesn’t see the way we see. We see through a glass darkly, but He sees with perfection. He knows what we need and what we need to stay away from.

Application:

Trust is huge with God. We need to trust Him completely, even when we don’t understand what He is doing. Everything God does, does not need to make sense to me. He knows more than I ever will and He understands what is best for me better than I ever will. When I don’t understand what God is doing, I must learn to trust Him completely. I need to stop telling God how to do things and let Him show me.

Prayer:

God, You are better at life than I am. You created me and You have the owners manual. You are the king of my life and my world. Help me to trust You when I don’t understand why You are doing what You are doing. Teach me to follow You and not question Your ways.

You are Amazing,

Jeff

A Light for Other Nations

 Scripture:

“Now the Lord says to me, “It isn't enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth.””  ‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Isaiah here and telling him that it isn’t enough for him to be God’s servant. He was told it wasn’t enough for him to prophesy and get God’s people back to Israel. He was placed to be a light to other nations and he was to take God’s saving power to everyone on earth. This is a powerful calling from the Lord.

Application:

God has a way of opening our eyes and saying, “You’re doing a good job, but I have more planned for you than what you are currently doing.” I have been spoken to many times recently about beginning to travel more and more to the nations to be a light and to take God’s word there. It does seem He is opening more doors right now, but I have been nervous to step in completely. I don’t want to do anything He doesn’t want me to do either.

Prayer:

Father, my life is in Your hands. Speak clearly to me and I will follow. Open doors and I will walk through  them. I want to be a light to the nations and take your saving power to them as well. Show me the way. Show me how to organize things to be effective. Lead me and I will follow. I truly do want to make Your name great in all the earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

THROUGH the Waters

 Scripture:

“When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you, and you won't drown. When you walk through fire, you won't be burned or scorched by the flames.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to His people Israel here, but it also applies to us as believers. He tells them He will be with them when they cross deep rivers and that we won’t be burned when we walk through the fire. Basically, God is saying He will take care of us when we walk with Him. We may go through some things, but He will be with us.

Application:

God didn’t promise we would never go through bad times. He promised He would be with us and take care of us, no matter what happens. I need to trust God’s love more and more in my life. I want to have my roots deep in the love of God. I want to learn more of Him and grow deeper in my relationship with Him.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for always taking care of me! You are amazing and I appreciate You with all my heart. Help me to trust You more each day and to know that I know that You are with me, even when it seems like You haven’t listened to my prayers. Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight that I may lead Your people well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff