God Given Wisdom

Scripture:

“People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

People came from all over the world to sit at the feet of Solomon because of the incredible wisdom the Lord God had given him. Wisdom flowed from him like water over a waterfall. It poured out of him like a never-ending spring. True wisdom from God will cause the world to take notice.

Application:

Solomon had great knowledge, but wisdom is the application of knowledge. The other day I spoke about Solomon writing 3,000 proverbs and 1,000 songs. What you see here is the combination of man’s work and God’s blessing. Solomon had to be diligent, and the Lord blessed him with the wisdom to apply all he learned. We must seek the Lord for wisdom while pursuing knowledge at the same time. 

Prayer:

Father God, I am working hard on my doctoral degree, but I want Your wisdom to know what to do with it. I want wisdom to be coupled with my discipline and wisdom comes from You. I need Your direction and Your leadership in my life. Fill me with Your wisdom as you did with Solomon.

Yours Always,

Jeff

All Over the Earth

 Scripture:

“Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.”  ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭60‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Solomon had built the Lord the incredible Temple, he conducted a dedication ceremony. It was an unbelievable affair. When he prayed the dedication prayer, he demonstrated the heart of God from the beginning, “then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.” God chose to bless Israel to create jealousy from other nations and to cause them to turn to Him. He has always had a global plan.

Application:

The heart of God is for all people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and languages. He has always desired to be the hope of nations. He longs for a people that worship Him from every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue. We can help with this. We can be part of extending the Kingdom of God around the world. We must be willing and make ourselves available to Him to go to the nations with Good News.

Prayer:

Lord, here am I. Send me to the nations. Help me to reach more people this year around the world for You than ever before. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life and ministry. Help me to keep focused on You and doing Your will. May every nation praise and worship the living God. May Your name be famous once again in all the earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Disciplined Study

 Scripture:

“He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish.”  ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬-‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The above verse is about King Solomon, one of the wisest rulers who ever lived. When someone rules a kingdom, builds a Temple with a seven year construction project, and is still able to write 3,000 proverbs, 1,005 songs, and had studied pretty much everything else and could speak with authority about it, you know that person has put in some study hours.

Application:

Readers are leaders and leaders are readers. Studying is not fun. Learning is a discipline that must be learned and adhered to. Real leaders need to make learning a discipline. I am working on my doctoral studies right now and preparing to write my dissertation. I needed this today as I have felt somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of work in front of me. One day at a time and one page at a time, it will get accomplished on time. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to live a disciplined life of study and writing. I want to not only finish this dissertation, but to write two additional books from the research. Help me to learn to live a more disciplined life and to accomplish more than I accomplish currently. He that called me is able to bring it to fruition. Help me to accomplish all that is in Your plans for my life and not to make excuses.

Yours,

Jeff

NOTHING You do for God is USELESS

 Scripture:

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”  ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭58‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul tells the Corinthians to be strong and immovable. He continues to encourage them by saying to always work enthusiastically for the Lord because nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless. Paul believed that we must always be about the work of the Lord, no matter how bad things get around us because our reward is not here on this earth, but in heaven, when we are finished here. 

Application:

We must always be about the work of the Lord. It is the only thing that will last forever. When we are working for the Lord, Paul tells us it is never useless. Sometimes we may feel like what we are doing for the Lord is useless, but Paul would differ. he would say ANYTHING we do for God is never USELESS. God will use what we do for Him. What we do for ourselves can be useless at times, but what we do for God is never useless.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to never see what I do for You as useless, but as making a difference in eternity. Help me to have a right view of sowing Gospel seed and leaving results up to You. Show me how to serve You well and to have the right disposition and expectations when I do. I want to please You with my life. Help me to be strong and immovable and to abound in the work of the Lord.

Your Son,

Jeff

Real Love

 Scripture:

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”         ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As Paul was speaking about love, he added these statements concerning love that are powerful. He says that love never gives up. It never loses faith. It is always hopeful. It endures through every circumstance. Paul’s view of love is very powerful and we are to be people who are known for our love. 

Application:

Jesus said we would be known for how we love one another. We must ask ourselves, do we love like Paul described? If so, we should never give up on people, never lose faith, always be hopeful, and be willing to endure anything with people. Real love is sacrificial and we, as followers of Christ, but learn to love sacrificially. Our love cannot be conditional or end because people didn’t respond the way we wanted them to.

Prayer:

Lord, let my love be pure and holy. Help me to love with the true love of God. Let my life be full of Your love. Help me to never give up on people and to never lose faith. Teach me to love like You love because Your love is perfect love. Love through me my Lord!

Your Son,

Jeff

Purpose

 Scripture:

“So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.”  ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Corinthians here and telling them to put Christ first and to live primarily for Him rather than ourselves. He makes his point when speaking of his own life and says that he runs with purpose in every step, not just shadow boxing. Paul was fully committed to Christ and the message of the Gospel. He was self supported most of the time, yet he did it with intentionality. He didn’t hit at the air. He landed his punches with purpose.

Application:

Living with purpose and living by the Spirit sometimes feel like a conflict. Purpose seems to be something today where we mark out our journey and live to accomplish that thing. Paul’s definition would probably differ from ours. He might say that his purpose was to do whatever the Spirit says, which would then seem  random and without a clear purpose in our eyes. When your purpose is following the Spirit, it may appear that you don’t live with purpose. As for me, I want my purpose not to be just a statement I make up, but I want my purpose to be fulfilling everything God has for me.

Prayer:

Father, I want to run with purpose in every step. I want to see Your kingdom come in my life. My purpose is to fulfill Your purpose. Guide me into living as one with You. I want to fulfill Your purpose and not just come up with my own. Lead me daily and let me walk with Your purpose in every step.

Forever,

Jeff

Imitate Me

 Scripture:

“For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.”1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul says here that there could be ten thousand teachers of God’s word, but the Corinthians only had one father, Paul. He says he became their father when he preached to them the Good News. He finishes that statement by saying, “So I urge you to imitate me.” When you say those words, you are confident that you are living in step with the Spirit. 

Application:

I want to live a life where I can say to people, “Imitate me.” As a spiritual father to the Corinthians, Paul told them to imitate his life and ministry. He knew that if they followed his path, they would be fine in their walk with God. I want to set an example for those around me of what it looks like to follow Christ wholeheartedly. 

Prayer:

Lord God, I love You and want to represent You well in this earth. Teach me to live a life that can be pointed at and confidently say, “imitate me.” Empower me to live so that others have a point of reference of what it looks like to follow You well. Help me to point people to Jesus, but to show them what a life filled with the Spirit looks like, 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Oneness with Christ

 Scripture:

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

Observation:

Paul says here that God will do what He says He will do. He goes on to say that He has invited us into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are meant, not only to get saved, but we have been invited into partnership with Christ. 

Application:

The past couple years I have been finding myself desiring oneness with the Lord. I want to walk in perfect partnership with Christ. I want to say what He would say, do what He would do, and act like He would act. I want to live life like Jesus would in human skin. I have been saying it for quite a while now, I don’t want to do ministry for the Lord any more, I want to do ministry with the Lord. 

Prayer:

Father, I long for oneness with You. I want to do what You are doing, say what You are saying, and live how You would live among us. Help me to hear Your voice clearly and to operate in complete obedience. Show me how to live my life in total obedience to You in every area. Let my life simply be a vessel You can live through and pour through. Teach me to walk with You as one in all things.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Humility Wins Every Time

 Scripture:

“You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David wrote this song to the Lord about God’s faithfulness and strength. In this verse, he says that God rescues the humble, but that God’s eyes watch the proud and He humiliates them. Humility goes a long way with God.

Application:

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. We must learn to live in submission and surrender to the Lord and allow Him to fight our battles rather than trying to defend ourselves. We must humble ourselves before Him and He will raise us up. God responds to the humble, but the proud He opposes. As for me, I want to walk in humility and put my complete trust and confidence in the Lord. He had my back and He will fight my battles.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in humility before You all the days of my life. I love You want to accomplish Your purposes for my life. Help me to live fully submitted to You. Let my answer always be YES when You speak to me. Make Your will clear and I will follow. Help me to walk in the fear of the Lord at all times.

Your Son,

Jeff

A Father’s Love

 Scripture:

“The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.””  ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David mourned deeply for his son Absalom. A basal on had tried to overthrow David and take his kingdom away from him, but David didn’t want anything bad to happen to his son. He wanted his son to be safe from all harm above everything else. When he got the news that his son had died, David was distraught.

Application:

A father’s connection to his son is deep. As it is hard to understand why David would put up with the things his son had done, is hard to imagine, but his father’s heart was strong. Sometimes our children can cause us to make mistakes, even when they have messed up deeply. We must guard ourselves from allowing our children’s lives to pull us away from God’s will and intention for us.

Prayer:

Father, help me to fulfill Your will in my life above all else. Teach me to listen and respond correctly to Your voice. Help me to do everything You have laid out for me. Open the right doors and close the wrong doors. Show me Your path and help me to say “yes”. Help me not to make mistakes because of my children.

Your son forever,

Jeff

The Advocate Who Rescues

 Scripture:

“May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!””  ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Saul was chasing David to kill him. When David had the perfect opportunity to strike back, he didn’t. When he approached Saul, he said, “May the Lord judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power.” David was in a bad spot, but he knew God would defend him and rescue him. He was confident in his relationship with the Lord.

Application:

David didn’t take vengeance into his own hands. He leaned on the Lord. He didn’t want to walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit. David understood that God would defend his innocence and trusted God to do so. I want to walk in that level of confidence in God, knowing He will rescue me from whatever is against me. I want my trust level to increase.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to serve You well in my generation. Help me to walk in confidence that You are who You say You are and that You will rescue me every time. I do trust You, but want to live at a higher level of faith. Show me what to say at all times and how to say it. Show me how to live a life that pleases You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Reminders of Past Victories

 Scripture:

““I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!””  ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭21‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Before David slew Goliath, he wouldn’t use Saul’s weapons. He wanted to use a sling and five smooth stones. He wanted to use what he was comfortable with and what he had tested. Now, years later, he has an opportunity to get the sword of Goliath, which he used to cut off Goliath’s head. It was a great reminder of  a past victory.

Application:

Sometimes we need reminded about past victories in the Lord. When it seems like things are not going well, we must learn to look back at the faithfulness of God and realize He is still with us. Reminders of what He has done in the past will give us strength for the future. 

Prayer:

Father, this morning I remember what all You have done in my life. You have truly done amazing things! You are worthy of the highest praise. When I am down and discouraged, remind me of what all You have done in my life. Remind me of battles fought and won. Help me to never forget all You have done for me, even when the enemy is trying to frustrate me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Prosperity Plan

 Scripture:

“David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David was a man after God’s own heart. He wanted to follow the Lord with all his heart. He was successful in life because he had his priorities in place. God was with him and caused him to prosper in everything he did. David loved the Lord’s presence, and God’s presence made David successful and prosperous.

Application:

God has ways of taking care of those who are fully surrendered to Him. He can make a person prosperous in an unlimited number of ways. The goal of His people should be like David, to lift up the name of the Lord and make Him famous. As David kept his priorities straight, the Lord blessed him and made him successful.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. You are faithful and just. You are worthy of all my praise. You are amazing and I want to live a life You can bless. I want to honor You in every way and for my life to count for your purposes. Prosper my life as I pursue You. The greatest avenue to prosperity is the presence of God. Let me live in Your presence.

Obedience

 Scripture:

“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Samuel and Saul were having some troubles because Saul was doing things that Lord wouldn’t want him to do. He offered burnt offerings because he was in a rush and didn’t have time to wait for Samuel. God told him, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Submission is better than offering the fat of rams. In other words, God would rather have us obedient than religious.

Application:

I don’t want to do the right things in the wrong way. I want to please the Lord with my life. I want to do things His way and not my own. I want to always be aligned with the Lord and His will for my life. His desires are the most important. When His will isn’t convenient, I want His will.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, teach me to follow You well. Show me Your will each day and empower me to do it. I long to walk in close step with hYou. Use my life for Your glory. I surrender to You and You alone. Teach me Your ways and help me to walk Your path. Teach me to wait on God and not take steps that are not of You.

Yours,

Jeff

Put God on the Spot

 Scripture:

““Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!””  ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Samuel told the people of Israel, as they were about to crown their first king, to stand and see the great thing the Lord was about to do. He asked the Lord to send thunder and rain in a season when that simply doesn’t happen. Samuel was confident that the Lord would back up his words. The Bible says that the Lord didn’t let any of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

Application:

Samuel took a bold step of faith and put the Lord on the spot. Faith does that sometimes. Bold faith tells people to watch what the Lord is about to do, even when it looks helpless. I long to have that relationship with the Lord. I long to live a life of faith and to see the power of God as I step out believing His word.

Prayer:

Lord, let me live a life of faith. Help me to walk according to Your ways and to build Your kingdom well. Open doors in front of me and give me faith to follow You to the ends of the earth. Father, I thought I heard Your voice saying, “Do you want it?” Concerning the Harris Teeter building in Ashburn. I replied, “Tes, I want it”.  Give me to faith to see it through. Let it come to pass as I have stepped out and told others about this encounter. Demonstrate Your power!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Hunting Donkeys

 Scripture:

“One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.””  ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had spoken to Samuel about the first King of Israel. They had rejected God and wanted a king so God told Samuel what to do. On the other side of things, God orchestrated Saul to be hunting for donkeys that had strayed away from Kish. Saul was hunting donkeys when he ran into Samuel and his life was dramatically changed from that day forward.

Application:

Sometimes the mundane things of life can be God orchestrating things in our lives to bring us into the place of His blessing. If Saul hadn’t been out on a donkey hunt, he may not have become king of Israel. When things go wrong and we end up on detours, maybe God is actually up to something. We shouldn’t despise the simple detours in life because they could be setups for something great. You never know who you will meet on the side of the road.

Prayer:

Father, teach me not to despise detours and delays in life. Help me to see Your hand working, even in the donkey hunts. Help me to realize that the things that stress me out, may be God working things out for my blessing. Teach me to walk with You. I also want to be Samuel in this picture, a man of God who hears from God and knows what to do.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Patience and Waiting on God

 Scripture:

“Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”” ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Naomi was a wise woman who feared the Lord and trusted Him. She had told her daughter-in-law exactly what to do and she did it. Now it was time to wait and see what would happen. She told Ruth to simply be patient. Basically, she was saying it was now in God’s hands.

Application:

Sometimes we like to rush things. We get ourselves into bad situations because we rush in to fix what we should wait on God for and we mess things up. In my life, I know sometimes I want to take control instead of simply doing what God is saying, then leaving it in His hands. I need to learn this type of patience. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, help me to walk with You in patience and complete trust. I trust You, but I also tend to have another option if things don’t work out. Help me to trust You completely. Teach me Your ways and let me walk in Your paths. I love You and want to represent You well. Teach me patience for the things You have promised.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Fully Presenting Christ

 Scripture:

“They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.”‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing here and describes his ministry. He says the people were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. This, he says, is how he FULLY presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum. For Paul, the Gospel wasn’t fully presented unless signs, wonders, and power were demonstrated.

Application:

We need signs, wonders, and demonstration of power restored to the Church. We have been operating out of self and our thought processes instead of in the power of the Spirit. I believe with Paul that the demonstration of signs, wonders, and power, is part of fully presenting Christ. The Gospel we share is powerful and should be backed up with power. 

Prayer:

Father, it seems in the Church, that the power as gone out. We need our electricity restored to full power. Pour out Your Spirit and confirm Your word with signs, wonders, and miracles. We need to see You operate in this generation. I want to present You fully to this region, but only You can make that happen. I pray with the believers in Acts that You would stretch out Your hand to heal, deliver and transform. Give us more and more testimonies of Your power and goodness.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Conquer Evil… Do Good

 Scripture:

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul tells the Romans here not to let evil conquer them, but to conquer evil by doing good. Evil is overcome, not by screaming at it or fighting it. It is overcome in the presence of good. When light and darkness operate at the same time, light always wins. Darkness is dispelled, only by turning on the light.

Application;

As current day believers, we are facing some very dark times. We are facing evil at a whole new level it seems. We can fight, resist, argue, complain, or we can start doing good everywhere we go and letting the light of Christ shine through our lives. We can’t be conquered by this world because the Greater One lives in us. We must walk in His strength and light up the world around us.

Prayer:

Lord God, Help me to live as You would want me to live. Teach me to walk with You at all times. Teach me to remain in You and to sine Your light. I long to walk in step with You always. Let me hear Your voice and live a life that pleases You. Let nothing stop what You have for my life. Bless my family today.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Life and Peace

 Scripture:

“So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Romans here and tells them that being controlled by the sinful nature bring about death, but letting the Spirit control your mind bring life and peace. Death, or life and peace? 

Application:

We have a choice in the matter. We can be led by our flesh or by the Holy Spirit. Being led by something implies that you are following that thing. No matter where it leads, I have the choice to follow. I choose to follow what leads to life and peace instead of what leads to death and destruction. Following the Spirit is an incredible journey through life, but following our sinful desires leads to unhappy, unfruitful, lives. I choose to be led by the Spirit of God.

Prayer:

Lord God, let me be led continually by Your Spirit. When my flesh wants to be in the driver’s seat, help me kick him out and turn the wheel back to You. Let me live in life and peace, not death and destruction. I am Yours and want to demonstrate Your goodness to the world.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Fully Convinced

 Scripture:

“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Abraham was one hundred years old and his wife was ninety, but he was fully convinced that God could and would give him a son because God has promised it. Abraham never wavered in believing that if God said it, it would come to pass. Faith is being fully convinced of who God is and what He will do. Abraham brought glory to God when his faith grew stronger. Our faith brings God glory.

Application:

I want to walk by faith and not by sight in my life. I want to believe God over what people say to me. I desire to see the greatness of God and to be fully convinced that He will do what He says He will do. I want to bring glory to God through my faith. There are times I waver in believing God’s promises. I don’t want to waver, but walk in complete faith and obedience.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are worthy of my praise. You are glorious and deserve the glory. Let my faith never waver, but bring your glory. Let my faith in You and Your Word be strong. I want to live “fully convinced” that You are so You say You are and that You will do what You say You will do. Take me deeper in You and teach me to trust You more and more.

Yours,

Jeff