The Lord is Able

 Scripture:

“Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?” The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!””  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Amaziah was about to go to war and had hired 100,000 troops from Israel to help Judah fight in the battle. The man of God came to the king and told him to send them home because they’re participating in the battle would cause problems because of their idolatry as a nation. Amaziah had paid a lot of money to Israel for their help and was concerned. The prophet said, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”

Application:

Sometimes in life we sweat the details and can’t see any way out of the situation we are in. When we do things God’s way, we get God’s results. Even when we have already messed things up, God is able to return, restore, and bless our lives. The Lord can give us much more than what we can ask, think, or imagine. We must look to Him above every other way out or solution.

Prayer:

Father, You are my God. Help me to trust in You alone. Teach me to spend less time trying to figure out how to do things and more time seeking Your face. Help me see that working things according to what I think will work is useless because You have a way of blessing my life that I cannot see. Help me to trust You more each day and to lean on You instead of myself.

Yours Always,

Jeff

The Battle is God’s

 Scripture:

“He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

King Jehoshaphat had been a good king who loved and served the Lord. As an enemy army was coming at Jerusalem, God sent a prophet to tell him not to be afraid because the battle was not his, but the Lord’s. The Lord went on to let him know that he wouldn’t have to fight in the battle because God was going to destroy his enemies. The Lord saw his faith and obedience and determined to fight his battle for him.

Application:

When we follow the Lord completely and seek Him first. When we follow His ways and maintain a pure heart, we will have enemies, but when we belong completely to God, the battle becomes His battle and He is better at fighting our enemies that we will ever be. Our place is to serve the Lord with our whole heart, then, as battles need fought, we will be able to stand still and watch the salvation of our God.

Prayer:

Lord God, keep my heart pure before You at all times. Let my life be completely Yours. When the enemy attacks, I trust You will fight my battles. I don’t want to fight for myself, but want You to fight for me. You are better at it than I am. Defend my case as I do my best to follow You and Your ways completely.

Yours,

Jeff

Where is Your Trust?

 Scripture:

“At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.”  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

King Asa did many great things in the beginning of his reign. He was a godly man, but at the end, he started leaning on himself and others instead of God. He strayed from the things that made him powerful. The prophet came to him and said that he had put his trust in the king of Aram through a treaty, rather than trusting the Lord God. Somewhere along the line he began trusting people over trusting God and it deeply affected his walk with God.

Application:

It is easy to put our trust in our own wisdom, people, jobs, investments, etc. God must be the one we trust with everything in life. He knows best what we need and what we don’t. God wants to work on our behalf and bless our lives, but we must trust Him over everyone and everything else. 

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to trust You and lean on You more and more as I grow older. Help me not to stray into feeling like I can do things without You. You are my everything and I delight myself in You. Keep me on the right path and let my life be blessed for obeying and trusting You over all else.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Make it About God

 Scripture:

“Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!””  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Asa was king of Judah and an Ethiopian came with a one million man army (The Hebrew says, a thousand thousands) against them. Asa had an army of 300,000. His army was less than 1/3 of the Ethiopian army, but his God was bigger than the gods of the Ethiopians. Asa saw this as a confrontation of Ethiopia’s men and his God. He said, “do not let mere men prevail against you.”

Application:

When we live for the glory of God, He will step in an fight for us. When we live for our own desires and plans, we can’t expect Him to step in and rescue us. When we make the situation about God, He steps in. God defends His people, but He also defends His own reputation. When Elijah called down fire from heaven it was so the people would see He was God and would follow Him. When we make it about God and not us, He will fight our battles.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are awesome in power and glorious. You are my strength and shield. You are my protector and defender. Help me to live to lift up Your name. Let Your name be exalted in everything I do. Let Your name be praised in all I do. Let Your glory be the reason of my life. Work in my life, family, church, and region, that Your name may be lifted high.

Yours,

Jeff

When God Blesses

 Scripture:

“Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Solomon was known for his incredible wisdom and how he ran his country. This verse says that kings from all over the world came to consult him and hear his wisdom that God had given him. The beauty of Solomon’s wisdom is that it is always attributed to God and not to Solomon. It was apparently so overwhelming that people realized, this isn’t man’s wisdom, it must come from God. 

Application:

I want to walk in step with the Holy Spirit and have things happen that the only answer is GOD. Just as God gave Solomon incredible wisdom, He can bless His people today and we can reflect His glory. I want to see things happen in my life that there is no explanation except, “God is good.” My application is that I must seek Him continually and walk in step with Him at all times.

Prayer:

Father, You are the source of every good and perfect thing. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit. Teach me to walk with You and to reflect Your glory. Do things in my life that are only explainable by saying, “God did it”. Help me to follow You well all the days of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Worthy of our Very Best

 Scripture:

““This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods.” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Solomon became king, he began the construction of what David prepared him for. He built the Temple of the Lord. As he was preparing to start, he was enlisting people to help out and told them, “This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods.” His logic was, “if God is the greatest god, He deserves the greatest Temple. He built the Lord an absolutely gorgeous Temple that had no comparison in all the earth. 

Application:

Just as Solomon refused to built God a cheap temple, we should think about how we honor God. Because of all the Lord has done for us, we should offer Him our very best at all times. Sometimes our resources are limited and we don’t have much to offer the Lord, but even then, we must give Him our very best. We must always stretch ourselves in giving to the Lord. I love the cathedrals of Europe. Most of them don’t even function as churches any more, but the time, energy, and money that went into them was amazing! They gave God their very best.

Prayer:

Lord, I want to offer You the very best of my life. I don’t want to give You leftovers, but to build You a place where Your name can be honored in Loudoun County for many generations. I long to build You a church that will far outlast me. I need the resources to accomplish this task. Send people to Word of Life with the means to purchase land and build a building so we can build You something beautiful to be worshiped in for many many years to come. 

It All Comes From God

 Scripture:

“Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.”  ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David was nearing the end of his life. He had ruled as an incredible king. He had seen incredible blessing and prosperity during his reign. After all he had done and witnessed, he declared that wealth and honor come from God along and that power and might are in God’s hands. He believed, after all he had seen, that at God’s discretion people were made great and given strength. It all begins with God and it all ends with God.

Application:

We can work hard to be successful. We can study, prepare, and be diligent, but it is the Lord who promotes and brings down. Our place is to give our very best, work hard, have a great attitude, and seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then let Him open doors, positions, and bring forth the blessings. If we put God first in everything we do, He will take care of putting us where we need to be. Seeking God first and foremost, is the foundation of a life of blessing and prosperity.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, teach me Your ways. Help me to walk in Your paths all the days of my life. I want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done in my life. I want You to open doors, bring blessing, and lead me. Help me to follow You well and to listen to Your voice. Let me live a life You can promote and trust.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Spiritual Succession

 Scripture:

“All of these descendants of Obed-edom, including their sons and grandsons—sixty-two of them in all—were very capable men, well qualified for their work.”  ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Obed-Edom here is observed as the father and grandfather of sixty-two men who were exceptional in every way. They were all very capable and well-qualified for their work. When a place was needed for the Ark of the Covenant to reside for a while, Obed-Edom’s house was the place it was put. The man who was diligent about raising his sons and grandsons well, was trusted with the presence of the Lord.

Application:

When we take care of our part of raising up sons and daughters in the Kingdom, God will bless us with His presence as well. When we make God’s business, our business, He will make us people of influence. Obed-Edom wasn’t after building a fortified place for God’s presence. He was after raising sons and grandsons, then God blessed him powerfully. We must focus on raising great sons and daughters, then God will bless with everything we need.

Prayer:

Father, help me to invest more and more in the sons and grandsons You have blessed me with spiritually. Let my real sons be blessed and show me how to train them. Let my spiritual sons and daughters be blessed in every way. Help me to know how to raise them well and give them what they need to be successful. I want all my children to walk in the blessing of God.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Obedience and Courage

 Scripture:

“For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!” ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭22‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, David was getting old and he was giving instruction to his son Solomon on how to build the Temple of the Lord. He told his son that he would be successful if he would carefully obey the decrees and regulations of the Lord. He then told him to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid or lose heart. David knew what it would take for his son to be successful and obedience to the Lord was the top priority.

Application:

Everyone wants to be successful in their lives at some level. Success, according to David, takes carefully following the Lord and being strong and courageous in doing it. He taught that success comes to those who are not afraid to do things God’s way and who don’t lose heart in what they are doing. We must learn that doing things God’s way is the most important thing in our lives. From that place of obedience, we can walk courageously and be successful.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk in obedience to You all the days of my life. I want to walk with You and know You more and more. Teach me to follow Your voice and let my ears be open to You at all times. Show me the steps to take and cause me to be courageous in doing them.

Yours,

Jeff

Raising Giant Killers

 Scripture:

“In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea. These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.” ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When David and his men were fighting over territories around them, they came upon more giants than just Goliath. The Philistines had many of them and David’s men fought them and defeated them. This one was huge and had six finger and six toes on each extremity. They were the descendants of the giants from Garth, but David and his warriors killed them. 

Application:

When you get around a giant killer, you start killing giants. David was the first person we see in the Bible who killed a giant, but now we see his men doing the same. When they taunted Israel, it was all over. David was a giant killer and those around him became what he was. We must realize that those who serve under us will become what we are. As leaders, we must walk with courage and boldness. There are those following us who will do what we do

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let me be a giant killer and let those around me be giant killers as well. Let my life be used to bring You glory and honor, and let those under and around me go to greater levels than I ever will. Help me to lead well in my generation and let my spiritual sons and daughters accomplish great things for You and Your Kingdom.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Let the Whole World Know

Scripture:

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”            ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

David here tells us to give thanks to the Lord and to proclaim His greatness. He follows that by telling us to let the whole world know what He has done. God loves when we proclaim His goodness to all the world. He loves it when His people share His message with the whole world. He is awesome and deserves to be praised.

Application:

We must make it our mission to tell the world about the greatness of our God. I need to share more with people I run into about all the Lord has done for me. He had blessed me. He has healed me. He has delivered me so many times. He has protected, provided, and helped me through vast numbers of situations. Without Him, I can do nothing.  He is my source and my resource. He is my strength and shield. I want the world to know how good God is.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be Your biggest promoter. I want to let the world know all You have done for me. Open doors for me to share the greatness of my God. I will go and proclaim Your goodness to every nation, tribe, and tongue. I am Yours and want to lift Your name and make it famous among the nations.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Father’s Day and Ulam

 Scripture:

“Ulam’s sons were all mighty warriors and expert archers. They had many sons and grandsons—150 in all. All these were descendants of Benjamin.”  ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭8‬:‭40‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

Benjamin’s descendants, Ulam’s sons, were all mighty warriors and expert archers. They also had many sons and grandsons. Ulam, apparently, knew how to raise sons to be powerful men. He helped raise 150 sons and grandsons, and every one of them were powerful warriors and mighty in battle. 

Application:

As Father’s Day approaches tomorrow, I want to become a spiritual father to many who will become mighty arrives and expert archers in the kingdom of Heaven. I want my spiritual sons to produce and multiply. I long to see sons in ministry that impact nations for the kingdom of God. The older I get, the more I want to invest my life into the next generation of spiritual sons and grandsons.

Prayer:

Father, use my life to bless my sons. Let my earthly sons follow You completely and let them walk in step with You every day of their lives. Let me also be a spiritual father to many who will reproduce after their kind. Let sons arise that will touch the world for God’s purposes. Let my life count and leave a legacy of multitudes who are expert ministers and warriors for the Lord.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Come With Me and See

 Scripture:

“Then Jehu said, “Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” So Jehonadab rode along with him.”  ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In the beginning, and after his interaction with Elisha, Jehu was trying to follow the Lord and do what the prophet had spoken. He had slaughtered those who were descendants of Ahab as well as those who served Baal. In this passage, he makes a comment that is  a powerful example of leadership. He says, “Come with me, and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” 

Application:

“Come with me and see” is a powerful command. As a leader, some of the strongest words I can speak are, “Come and follow me.” Jesus said it to His disciples as He called them. “Come with me and see” implies that you are going to live a life worth observing. It implies that you are a leader and can take the person somewhere good. As I go on missions trips I tend to tell people to come with me and see what the Lord does, but I need to do it at home and in our church more and more. 

Prayer:

Father, let my life e an example of what following You looks like. Teach me to be a father to a younger generation. Help me to live life as an example to those around me. Let me live so that I can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” When they come with me, let them really see Your power and awesomeness Lord.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Open My Eyes

 Scripture:

“Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Elisha and his servant had been surrounded by massive enemy armies. They had encircled the city in search specifically for Elisha. When his servant told him about the armies, Elisha told him not to fear because there were more for them than against them. He didn’t understand so Elisha asked the Lord to open the man’s eyes to see. When his eyes were opened there were chariots of fire covering the hillside.

Application:

God always has more on His side than the enemy does. Only 1/3 of the angels fell with Lucifer. 2/3 are on our side. We need to realize the power of the God we serve. He can take out enemy armies with a word from His mouth. He can fight our battles and we will never have to lift a finger. He turns our mourning into dancing and we can trust Him. We must have confidence that God is with us and will take care of us.

Prayer:

Father, open my eyes and let me see in the spirit. Let my eyes be opened to what You are doing around me. Help me to see through Your eyes and not simply mine. I want to walk with You as Elisha did. I want to hear what You are saying and do what You are doing. Help me to see an hear clearly what the word of the Lord is.

Your Son,

Jeff

There in Spirit

 Scripture:

“But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants?”  ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Gehazi went to get money from Naaman, Elisha knew about it and caused the leprosy from Naaman to come on Gehazi. When Elisha confronted him about it, Elisha said, “Don’t you realize I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot?” Elisha knew everything that had happened because he was “there in spirit.” He received revelation from God and saw what was physically impossible to see.

Application:

I want to walk with God like Elisha and see things that are physically impossible to see. I want to see through God’s eyes what is going on around me. I want my spiritual eyes open to see what I need to see in order to be effective in the Kingdom. I want to walk with God and hear His voice clearly. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to see like Elisha saw. I long to hear what You are speaking clearly and to do what You are doing. Help me to walk in step with You and to be on Your agenda each day, accomplishing Your will. Teach me to SEE in the spirit. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Why Are You Here?

 Scripture:

“There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Elijah had fled from Jezebel when she said she wanted him dead. He was running for his life. The Lord spoke to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” In the midst of his depression and feeling like life was over, the Lord spoke to him.

Application:

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves, “What am I doing here?” It is a good question about life in general. It is also a great question about whee we are going and what we are doing with our lives. Answering this questions restores vision, direction, and discipline. Answering this question gives hope and a future. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk in step with You and never have to ask, “What am I doing here?” I want to live in Your Spirit and follow Your voice. Help me to walk in step wit You and not be led by my feelings. Teach me to walk with You and not live wondering why I am here. I want to know why I am where I am at all times.

Your Son,

Jeff

Ministering From the Presence of the Lord

 Scripture:

“But Elijah said, “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.””  ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This verse stood out to me this morning because Wednesday night we studied the birth of John the Baptist. When Gabriel told Zechariah he was going to have a son, Zechariah didn’t really believe him. The angel responded with these same words, “I stand in the presence of God.” Elijah stood where angels stand, in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. I would love to study this out more and see what is inferred. As for me, I want to stand in the presence of God and minister from that place.

Application:

Paul talked about being seated with Christ in heavenly places. Elijah ministered from the presence of the Lord. Angels stand in the presence of the Lord. I want to speak from the presence of the Lord. I want to be seated with Christ in heavenly places at a deeper level. I long to walk in the presence of the Lord and to see His face. 

Prayer:

Father, take me deeper. I want to walk with you as Elijah walked with You. I want to minister, not out of my own desires and thoughts, but from the presence of the Lord. I want to speak what You are speaking and do what You are doing. Help me to know Your presence more and more and to flow from that place.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Except

 Scripture:

“For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

David, according to this verse, did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and obeyed God’s commands throughout his life, EXCEPT in the affair with Bathsheba and Uriah. It is sad to have a near perfect career and life, but be remembered by one bad thing.

Application:

History is filled with people who led great lives, then did one thing wrong and ended up being remembered as a cheat, a murderer, a liar, a womanizer, etc. All the great accomplishments of their lives are immediately forgotten and the only thing they are remembered for is the EXCEPT instead of the accomplishments. I want to finish well and for there to be no EXCEPTS. 

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live a life that pleases You and doesn’t have exceptions. I don’t want to hear you say, “You did a good job following me, EXCEPT.” I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Teach me to finish well and not to give You a bad reputation in any area. I want to build Your reputation, not destroy it. 

Your Son,

Jeff