Like an Army

 Scripture:

“On that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭51‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had demonstrated His power to the Egyptians over and over. Finally, He had all the firstborn children killed in the middle of the night. Even the firstborn of their livestock was killed. Pharaoh finally told Moses to get his people out of Egypt. As these slaves were leaving Egypt, it says that the Lord brought them out of Egypt like an army. They had been beaten down and treated terribly, but when God brought them out, they were like an army.

Application:

God can make an army out of mistreated slaves. When God gets involved in people’s lives, people become powerful. No matter what the enemy tries to do to us as believers, God is greater and, though we may feel insignificant, God sees and army. God always takes little things and makes them great. As we look to the Lord, He will raise up an army out of whoever offers Him their lives.

Prayer:

Father, when I see salves, You see and army. Help me to see as You see. Help me to live by faith and not by sight. Help me to trust You more and more throughout my life. I want my life to bring You glory and honor. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Kingdom Extension

 Scripture:

“By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had been sending plagues to let Pharaoh know His power and to get Pharaoh to let God’s people go and worship Him. God sent this word to Pharaoh after many plagues, “I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose - to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”

Application:

God’s desire in the plagues was to show His power and spread His fame throughout the earth. It has always been God’s desire for all nations to see His and worship Him. Our job is to bring that to pass. When we are extending the kingdom of God, we are spreading God’s fame throughout the earth. My job is to make Jesus famous around the world.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to do what You want done. Help me to extend Your kingdom into all the world.I want to be part of lost people meeting You. I want to be part of taking Your Gospel to those who don’t know You. Let my life be used for the extension of Your kingdom in all the earth. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Time to Act

 Scripture:

“God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”  Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭24-25. NLT‬‬

Observation:

The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were in Egypt and were being brutally treated by their taskmasters. Their incredible, miraculous, intervention and provision of God, became a problem in future generations. Their blessing was obvious, bought it made the Egyptians fearful of them, so they punished them. God heard their groaning and remembered His promise. This verse closes by saying God, “knew it was time to act.”

Application:

Sometimes we go through some very difficult things. God sees everything and knows what his people go through. Sometimes it may feel like we have been suffering too long. From our perspective, any suffering is too much. For God, there is a point when it is time to act. When His people have suffered for a season, He will determine that it is time to act. His time and our time are not usually the same, but if we remain faithful to Him, He will see what is going on, and He will act.

Prayer:

Lord, hear my cries, and determine to act on my behalf. I ask You to help me when I feel weak and show me the way to go. When You move, it is marvelous to see. Move in my home. Move in my church. Move in my family. Move in my city. Send revival to my nation. We are crying out. Hear our cries and decide it is time to act. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

All Authority

 Scripture:

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus had died, was buried, then resurrected, and was ready to ascend to heaven to be with His Father. In that moment, just before He ascended, yet after His resurrection, He told the disciples He had been given ALL AUTHORITY, therefore they should go. This morning, ALL AUTHORITY stood out to me. ALL AUTHORITY means that He had everything necessary to do what needs done in our lives.

Application:

We serve the one who has ALL AUTHORITY. He doesn’t just have SOME AUTHORITY. He has ALL AUTHORITY. Therefore, when we approach Him, we must do so in faith that He has what is necessary to meet every need, to change any situation, and to do whatever is necessary in our lives. We must come to Him in faith. Jesus, our elder brother, has all authority from the Father and He shares that authority with us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in the authority You have given Jesus and us. Help me to learn to exercise that authority in my life. Teach me to make full use of the authority given to Jesus for the advancement of His kingdom. You are my all in all. You are my everything. I long to be one with You.

Your Son,

Jeff

Weaker Than We Think

 Scripture:

“Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭75‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Peter told the Lord that even if they killed him, he would never deny Jesus. Jesus told him he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. He did exactly what Jesus said He would do. Suddenly he was overcome with grief and wept bitterly. He was sorrowful that he fell, but he never even thought it was possible.

Application:

Sometimes we may think we are stronger than we really are. There may be times in our lives we make promises to God, just to find out that we will break them over and over again. Why does Jesus let us do this? Maybe to show us our need for Him and His power in our lives. We must realize that we can’t do His work in our flesh, but must lean on the power of the Holy Spirit. We are much weaker than we think we are. We must understand that and learn to lean on the Holy Spirit more and more.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to know myself more and more. Help me to see my weaknesses and lean strongly on the power of the Holy Spirit. I want my life to please You more than anything. Teach me to remain humble , broken, and in need of You. Help me to never think more of myself than I ought. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Know the Scriptures and the Power of God

 Scripture:

“Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Some of the teachers of the Law tried to catch Jesus with a question about seven brothers dying and being married to the same woman and what would happen in the resurrection. Which one would she be married to was their question. Jesus told them the problem was that they didn’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.

Application:

Sometimes we can get tied up trying to explain unexplainable things in the Word of God. We should focus on knowing the Scriptures and knowing the power of God. Rather than focus on what we don’t know and understand in Scripture, we should focus on the parts we know and understand God’s power to do what He needs done. We need to focus on obeying what we know, then asking for more revelation.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know Your Word and Your power. I want to walk with You in a deeper relationship. I long to walk as friend with friend. I want to know Your voice and hear it daily. Teach me to abide in You and Your words. Help me to stay in alignment with You and to live from that place. I want to know You more intimately and to serve You well in my lifetime. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Nothing is Impossible

 Scripture:

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

After Jesus had an encounter with a rich young ruler, He told His disciples that it was very difficult for rich people to come into the Kingdom of God… Nearly impossible. Then He added the statement, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Nothing is impossible for God. He can do what He says He can do.

Application:

When we face seemingly impossible situations, we have a God who does the impossible. We must learn to walk by faith and not sight. What appears impossible to us, it totally in God’s realm of possibility. Our perception must be that God can do absolutely anything. Our prayer need to reflect that faith as well. 

Prayer:

Father, nothing is impossible for You. Demonstrate Your power and let me see Your glory. Increase my faith to believe You for seemingly impossible situations. Teach me to see things how You see things. Let me see from Your perspective when I am faced with things that seem impossible.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Increase My Faith

 Scripture:

““I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.””‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus made some very strong statements about faith and answered prayer. Sometimes, because we don’t see answer like in our lives, we begin to read the Scriptures differently. If the face value is simple to read and understand, we should take it as He said it. He said, “If two or three of you agree on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.” 

Application:

I need to believe the words of Christ, whether I have experientially observed them working or not. I should believe the Word of God and not try to explain why it doesn’t work or why I haven’t seen the answers. Usually, the problem is not the Word of God, but us. Jesus many times said it was our lack of faith. I want to walk in faith and believe the simple teachings of Jesus. I want to know Him more and walk with Him closer.

Prayer:

Jesus, You said that if two or three of us agree about anything we ask, that it would be done by our Father in heaven. Increase my faith to stand on this and believe it. Increase my faith in Your words and help me not try to explain away some of the things You said. I want to live the life of faith.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

 Scripture:

“Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus gave His disciples authority and then sent them out to preach and do what He was doing. I notice here that John the Baptist, Jesus, and His disciples all preached, “The kingdom of heaven in near.” They would heal the sick, raise the dead, cure leprosy, and cast out demons, but the message was, The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” A kingdom is a place where there is a monarch who rules. 

Application:

When we come to Jesus, we are brought into the Kingdom of heaven. He came to establish a kingdom, not build a church. I need to search deeper into this because I believe it is a key to the kingdom. I want to live in obedient submission to the king of this awesome kingdom. I want to understand what this means at a greater level.

Prayer:

Father, teach me about the kingdom of heaven. Help me to operate as Jesus taught His disciples to operate. Open this truth to me more and more as I endeavor to extend Your kingdom. Show me how to operate in Your kingdom. In each kingdom there are laws. Teach me the laws of the kingdom. 

Yours,

Jeff

Pray For Workers

 Scripture:

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭36‬-‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus saw the crowd. He noticed His surroundings. He realized they were confused and helpless. He turned to His disciples and told them the harvest was great, but the workers were few. He didn’t leave them there, He told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest and ask Him for more workers to be sent into his fields. 

Application:

When I look around me, and around the world, I see people who are confused and helpless. They need someone to show them the way. There are churches that need panted and regions that need reached, but we need workers in the field. We need people who are willing to go to work for the King.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are the Lord of the harvest. Send laborers into Your harvest fields. Send laborers to Word of Life. Send laborers to northern Va. Send laborers around the world. Let us see a harvest of souls this year like we have never seen before. Let Your kingdom be expanded more and more. Send apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He Healed Them All

 Scripture:

“News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse is describing the beginning of Jesus ministry. People brought all who were sick, no matter what the sickness or disease, and Jesus healed them all. It didn’t matter if it was demonic, natural, physical, etc. When He preached the Kingdom of God is near, the Kingdom of God was demonstrated. Healing and the preaching of the Gospel are very much linked together. In fulness of the Kingdom, everyone is healed.

Application:

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come and Thy will be done.” When His kingdom comes in this fullness and His will is done completely, healing is part of that. Our job is to pray for God’s Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. When we get to heaven, all are healed. When Jesus ministered, all were healed. We must believe God for the full impact of His kingdom here on earth as in heaven.

Prayer:

Father, You are the healer. You have always been a healer. In the fulness of Your kingdom, there is no sickness or disease. I pray this morning, “Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I know healing is Your desire, help me to walk in the fulness of Your kingdom here on earth. Increase my faith  and let healings be commonplace as it was in Your ministry on earth.

Yours,

Jeff

Affirmation

 Scripture:

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Jesus was baptized in water at the Jordan River, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down on Him in the form of a dove. The the Father spoke from heaven saying, :This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” The Father affirmed Jesus, just before He entered into His time of ministry and the fulfillment of His assignment.

Application:

I want to be a person who affirms others in the gifts and callings. I don’t want to hold people back, but thrust them forward into their destiny and assignment. I want to be the voice of the Father in the ears of others saying, “I’m proud of you! You make me happy! You can do this!” I want to be a cheerleader of people entering into ministry.

Prayer:

Father, You set the example with the baptism and commissioning of Your Son’s ministry. I want to follow. Let me bring affirmation to people starting out in ministry. Let me be a voice that can speak into their ears. Let my life be used for Your kingdom. I offer myself toYou this morning. Be glorified in and through my life. Let me bring affirmation to those around me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Prophetic Insight

 Scripture:

“Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Jacob called his sons together and told them what would happen to each of them in the future. Before he passed away, he wanted to speak over them concerning their futures. This is only possible through a strong and clear relationship with God the Father. Jacob had prophetic insight before prophecy was even recognized. He spoke with the Lord and the Lord spoke with him.

Application:

I long to walk with God in a relationship where I speak to Him and He speaks clearly to me. I want to prophesy accurately concerning what God is going to do. There is a level of relationship and walk with God in the Bible that I long for. It seems they didn’t struggle to know what God was speaking to them. I long for clear, accurate, prophetic words about what is coming.

Prayer:

My Lord and My God, open up the heavens and let me hear Your voice like the Patriarchs did. Help me to follow You with my whole heart and to do Your will in the earth. Open up the prophetic more and more in my life in the coming years. I want to walk with You as friend with friend. I long for You to share the secrets of the Kingdom with me. Give me prophetic insight and revelation.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Make Me a Sheep

 Scripture:

“Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,”. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jacob wasn’t a perfect man. He did plenty of wrong in his lifetime, but apparently he had learned to walk with the Lord as his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. At the end of his life he pronounced a blessing on his grandchildren. In that blessing, he remembered the God of his grandfather and father. He also called the Lord, “The God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day.” Jacob was a shepherd and he understood God as a shepherd who would take care of the sheep.

Application:

We are still sheep and the Lord is the Good Shepherd. Since He is a good shepherd, we need to be good sheep. Good sheep follow His voice, go where He says, stay in the group, they do what every the shepherd wants them to because they trust the shepherd to lead them well. As God’s child, I am a sheep that can do nothing without my shepherd. I need God more than ever in my life. I want His leadership, direction, and understanding to lead me.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are the Good Shepherd. Help me to be a good sheep. You lead me beside still waters, and you make me lie down in green pastures. You have always taken care of me Lord. Teach me to know Your voice more clearly every day. I want to be a good sheep. I want to please my shepherd. Show me the way I am to go each and every day. I am yours.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

I Can’t… God Can

 Scripture:

““It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Joseph had interpreted dreams while he was in prison. Once again he had a great attitude in prison after being falsely accused. He now stood before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams and Pharaoh asked him if he could interpret the dreams. His response was that he couldn’t do it, but God could tell him the meaning. He knew his limitations, remained humble, and gave glory to God.

Application:

Any gift in our lives is there because of God and it is for His purposes, not our own. We must realize that any good thing in us is there for God’s glory and not our own. Remaining humble when God blesses you and making sure to give God the glory in all circumstances will bring blessing into your life. I want to respond like Joseph when someone needs something, “I can’t, but God can.”

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to live a life that brings You glory. When people approach me about things, let my answer be, “I can’t, but God can.” Help me to have incredible faith in You, but to recognize it is all You. I want to walk as a humble servant of Yours that You can trust.

Yours For Eternity,

Jeff

Attitude is Crucial

 Scripture:

“The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Joseph was put into prison on false accusation, and still God was with him and caused him to prosper. He was trustworthy, even when he had been cheated. Because of Joseph, the warden didn’t have to worry about anything. Even when put in a bad situation, Joseph responded with grace and rose to the top. His humility and great attitude caused God to bless his and make him successful.

Application:

Having a great attitude when being done wrong and being trustworthy are incredible traits that honor God. When we are falsely accused and suffering from it, we have an option to remain humble, honest, and have a good attitude, or to become bitter and angry. Those who remain humble, honest, and maintain a great attitude will rise up every time. Attitude determines altitude. We must see every position we are in, good or bad, as a place God can use us and raise us up. We must maintain a good attitude.

Prayer:

Father, Joseph is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He maintained a good attitude in a bad position and You blessed him for it. He didn’t get angry when most would have. He walked in patience, when others would have been bitter. Help me to walk with simple integrity, humility, patience, and a great attitude when things don’t go my way. Give me a heart You can trust and raise up.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God With Us

 Scripture:

“So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.””  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭35‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jacob was blessed of the Lord in so many ways. At this point in his life he had moved back to his people and his region and he told his people to get rid of anything pagan, purify themselves, and put on clean clothes because they were gong to a place where he met with God. He also reminds them that God had been with him wherever he had gone. At this point, there was no Bible or prophets, just Abraham’s family hearing from and being with God Almighty.

Application:

Jacob knew God was with him without a Bible or a scroll. He knew God was with him and spoke to him. He had no doubt about this God who had been dealing with his family for a long time. He knew from God, that before they appeared before Him they should cleanse themselves. We have a Bible, the Law, the Prophets, teachers, preachers, etc. and still can’t seem to hear the voice of God and know His ways. We must learn to seek God with all our heart until He is found by us. As for me, I want to know Him beyond the words of Scripture. I want to know His heart, His mind, His will, His desires.

Prayer:

Father, cleanse me and purify my life. I offer You my life and ask You to use it for Your glory. Help me to see You high and lifted up. Teach me to walk with You and fellowship with You. Show me how to represent You well. I want to make You look good on the earth through my life. I want to be completely Yours.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Impact of a Smile

 Scripture:

“But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭33‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage Jacob is returning to his family and he knows he is going to run into his brother Esau, who he had stolen the blessing and the birthright from years before. Esau had wanted to kill Jacob, so Jacob was scared to come home. When they finally saw each other, Jacob declared that seeing Esau’s smile was like seeing the face of God. A smile made him know everything was going to be okay.

Application:

A smile communicates so many things. A smile is powerful. A smile communicates, “I’m happy to see you.” As believers, we should have the joy of the Lord and peace, love, and contentment, therefore, we should smile more than other people. We have hope they don’t have. We have promises they don’t have. When they see us, our smile should be like seeing the face of God.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. I want my smile back Lord. For most of my life I have been known for my smile and I feel like I don’t smile as much as I did in the past. Let people see You in my smile and let my life be used to improve the lives of those around me. Let me be an uplifting person and one You can use for Your glory. I’m Yours Lord. 

Forever, Yours,

Jeff

Every Promise

 Scripture:

“What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Lord speaks here to Jacob, reminding him of everything He had spoken to Abraham and Isaac. He told Jacob that He was WITH him and would PROTECT him wherever he went. He also promised to bring him back to the land of his fathers and that He would not leave him until He finished giving him EVERYTHING He had promised. In this, I see God’s promise to Jacob of Presence, Protection, and Promises.

Application:

When God speaks something, we can rest assured it will come to pass. Most of the time, God’s promises are conditional, “IF” is a big word in many prophecies. In other words, when we do our part, He promises to do His part. We have some promises from God through His word, through prophetic interactions, and through personal inner voice, that we can stand on. We can rest assured that His presence will be with us, His protection is for us, and His promises will come to pass in our lives. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your Word. It is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Let me hear Your voice clearly every day of my life. Help me to stay in step with You at all times. I want to serve You well in my generation. I also stand today on Your promises of Your presence being with me, Your protection from all enemies and attacks, and You promises. Let every word You have spoken over my life come to pass. I submit to You and surrender to You. Come and fulfill every word as I yield to You and Your purposes. My life belongs to You. Have Your way.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

God’s Blessing

 Scripture:

“When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Bible clearly says here that God blessed Isaac and caused him to reap 100 times more than he sowed. It also says he became a very rich man, so rich that those around him from other backgrounds got jealous and told him to move away. When God decides to bless someone, nothing can stop it! The other observation is simply that God does bless people and cause them to be wealthy. This is not prosperity Gospel, just truth. 

Application:

When we serve God with pure and clean hearts, we can expect His favor and blessing to rest upon us. He has the ability to cause our crops to produce more, our investments to produce more, etc. Many of God’s servants in the Bible had great resources because God blessed them. Not all of them were rich, but many were, no it was because of God’s blessing. I need to not get carried away with a prosperity Gospel, but must also tell the truth, which is that God’s blessing does come on people who obey Him and with the blessing comes favor and blessing.

Prayer:

Father, You are amazing and You bless Your people. As we have read the last few days, You made Abraham rich, and here You made Isaac rich. You blessed their cattle, their lands, and their families. You blessed them so much that their neighbors saw it and were jealous. Bless my life Lord and I endeavor to do Your will. Let Your blessing fall on everything I do for Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Living in God’s Presence

 Scripture:

“He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭24‬:‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant didn’t really even know where he was going or how to find Abraham’s people. Abraham told him, “The Lord, IN WHOSE PRESENCE IF HAVE LIVED, will make your mission successful. Abraham was confident that his servant would have success because he had spent time in the presence of the Lord and he knew the ways of the Lord. He knew God would provide. His faith was strong because he had lived in God’s presence.

Application:

I love this description of Abraham, that he lived in the presence of the Lord. I want to walk in confidence that I will be successful in every mission God sends me on because I have been in His presence. I want to live in the presence of God and walk closely with Him as friend with friend. I want oneness this year at a new level. I want to see what He sees, feel what He feels, and speak what He is saying. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You more and more. I long for Your presence. I want Your touch on my life and Your words in my mouth. Take every part of me and let me know Your presence. Let me spend time in Your presence this year like never before. I want to walk with You and not fulfill my own desires, but Yours. I want to live in Your presence day and night.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He Hears Our Cries

 Scripture:

“But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Hagar was being kicked out of her home, where she was in Abraham’s compound. As they were leaving, due to jealousy, Ishmael began to cry, which upset mom even more. While her son was crying, she heard a voice from heaven and the angel of the Lord told her not to fear because God has heard the crying of her son. God promised her He would take care of her and her son and that they would become a great nation. 

Application:

God sees our tears and hears our cries. Even when we are “outsiders” from the plan of God, He still hears us. Hagar and Ishmael were not the “chosen” ones, but God still heard their cry and came down to deliver them. God is not a respecter of persons and He hears every cry, no matter what the background of the person crying or calling out to Him. The word in my spirit this morning is, “God hears my cries.”

Prayer:

Father, thank You for always hearing my cries. You are faithful and loving, compassionate and caring. You are sensitive to the cries of people who are not even Your chosen people. Help me to walk in gratitude and knowing that You are God, yet You still see every tear that comes from by eyes. You hear every cry, though billions may cry at once. You are incredible!

Yours Completely in 2023,

Jeff

Singled Out

 Scripture:

“I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here about Abraham, who He knew He could trust. He singled him out so that he would direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Abraham was singled out because God could trust him to raise his kids to honor the Lord. God’s plans are generational, not always immediate. 

Application:

Sometimes the Lord will single you out and ask you to do certain things that maybe everyone isn’t doing. Sometimes God will single you out to touch a certain part of the world or to feed a certain group of people. Sometimes God will single you out, but God only singles out those He can trust to do what He is asking them to do. Our job is to be available. His job is to single us out for His purposes. Then we must follow through on what He has asked us to do.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are faithful and good! Your worthy of all my worship and praise. You are holy, mighty, majestic and powerful. I love You with all my heart. During this fasting season, help me to align myself more closely to Your will for my life. I want to walk and work as one with You. Single me out for what You desire and I will say yes. Make me trustworthy in every way.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Provision and Protection

 Scripture:

“Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.””  Genesis‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had led Abram out of his home place and into a beautiful place. He was in an unfamiliar territory and was told by the Lord to settle it. God was giving him the land, but he was afraid of who and what may be around him. God gave him a word of protection and reward.

Application:

Sometimes when God calls us to do things, we are fearful and worried about the next steps and if God will provide.  He asks us to take steps, then He confirms with His Word and tells us not to fear because God will protect you and give you a great reward. When we obey God, we can know He will protect and provide.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are good and Your mercies endure forever. Thank You for reminding me that as I walk in obedience to You, that You will protect and provide.  Help me to trust You in this area more and more. Empower me to take steps and trust You will be with me.

Your Son Forever,

Jeff

Don’t Mess With God’s People

 Scripture:

“But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Abraham had lied and told the people Sarai was his sister and not his wife. Pharaoh, in Egypt, gave all kinds of gifts for her, thinking she was the sister of Abraham. Once she was in his house, terrible plagues came on him and he realized shed was married to Abraham and he shouldn’t be messing with her. God took care of Sarai by bringing plagues on Pharaoh. 

Application:

God knows how to take care of His people. Places can be blessed or cursed with our presence. When God’s people walk into an area, they carry the favor and blessing of the Almighty. When they are put in danger or in a bad position, God will work to bring them out because He always protects His own. We must learn to trust that God will take care of those who try to harm us. His arsenal is much better than ours.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and You always take care of Your people. Help me to trust You more and more each day. I know that You are my shield and protector, but help me to trust that deep in my inner man. Let my faith level increase this year, and let me walk in confidence in Your calling and Your desires in my life. I want 2023 to be a great year of obedience to God and seeing new things. Protect my family as I go.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Life is Valuable

 Scripture:

“If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Here in Genesis, at the foundation of everything we know today on the earth, God said that anyone who takes a human life should be killed because human beings are made in God’s image. We should value human life more than any other religion because we realize that we were created in the image of God Almighty. 

Application:

This verse is powerful because it basically says, “a life for a life” because each life is created in the image of God. We, as believers, should value the life of others simply because they are made in the image of God, not because they are good or bad, etc. Every human life is valuable, that’s why we are against abortion. That’s why we don’t support euthanasia. God gives life and we are not to take it away. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are high and holy. You are above all things and I worship You. You are worthy of all my praise, my life, my future, my desires, etc. You are incredible! You made man in Your image. Help me to treat every human with dignity and respect because they are created in Your image. Teach me to honor people well and to bring life instead of take life.

Yours Always,

Jeff

Close Fellowship

 Scripture:

“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Noah is described here as a righteous man, the only one on the earth at his time. He is also described as walking in close fellowship with God. He walked with God and belonged completely to the Lord.

Application:

God used Noah to save the earth from total destruction. The humans God had made, had become totally sinful and disobedient to God. I want to be described as one who walked in close fellowship with God. That tagline would be a great one for a headstone on a grave. “He walked in close fellowship with God.” My dreams and desires have less to do with accomplishing things FOR God and more with walking WITH God and doing whatever He says to me.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You. I want to walk with You. I want to fulfill Your desires on the earth. Help me to hear Your voice and walk in step with You all the days of my life. Teach me to walk “in close fellowship” with You like Noah did and like Enoch did. I don’t just want fellowship, I want “close” fellowship. I want to live a life surrendered to Your voice and call.

Yours Forever,

Jeff