Three Things God Does

 Scripture:

“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.”  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist declares here that God is a shield around him. His glory and the one who lifts his head. To David, God was his defense, his awesomeness, and the one who keeps him in good spirits. Notice he gives the credit to the Lord for all three things and doesn’t take credit for himself.

Application:

It is God Almighty who protects us. It is God who is our glory, we cannot take the glory for anything in our lives. We belong to Him and He receives all glory. It is God who lifts our head and not ourselves. Sometimes we tell people to pull themselves together and lift up their head, but it is God who lifts our head and pulls us from the throws of depression.

Prayer:

Father, You are my everything! You are worthy of all my praise and I worship You today. You have protected me throughout my life so many times. You are the one who is glorified. Let my life bring Your glory in every way. When I am down and discouraged, lift my head. You are the only one who can do that. You are the best!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

He Rescued Us

 Scripture:

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”  ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus paid the ultimate price for us on the cross. By going to the cross, He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us to His kingdom. He purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. He did so much for us that we don’t deserve. He chose to do this on our behalf so we could have access to God and spend eternity with Him.

Application:

Out of our appreciation and love for Christ, we should live lives that imitate Him. He is our example and we should follow His pattern. As He rescued us, we must rescue others and help to bring the into God’s awesome Kingdom. We need to help others realize the power of having our freedom purchased, not by ourselves, but by Christ. He did it on our behalf. It is powerful when someone pays off debt for a friend or relative. Jesus paid our debt on our behalf and we didn’t deserve it. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to imitate Christ every day. Show me how to rescue more and more people from the kingdom of darkness and lead them into the Kingdom of Jesus. Empower me to lead more people to Christ this year than ever before. Show me Your path every day and give me strength to follow. Help me communicate what You have done for us to more and more people.

Your Son,

Jeff

Cover My Mouth

 Scripture:

““I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.””  ‭‭Job‬ ‭40‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Job is replying to God when God had asked him a ton of questions. Job realized he needed to be quiet at this point because he had over spoken his point of view. God was basically telling him to be quiet and listen. Job’s response was great. “I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

Application:

There comes a time when we need to be quiet and stop defending ourselves. There is a time to realize “I have said too much already.” Sometimes knowing when to quit talking is more important than having something to say. I want to speak the right things at the right time. Only God can give that kind of wisdom. I need God and I need to refrain from talking too much.

Prayer:

Father, You are profound and Your wisdom exceeds the heavens. Guide me and let me know when to be quiet and when to defend myself. Show me when to talk and when to be quiet and cover my mouth. Rebuke me when I have said too much. Teach me to follow You well and give me the wisdom and strength to do the right thing each time. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Defending God

Scripture:

““Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God!”  ‭‭Job‬ ‭36‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

When Job spoke about being innocent and blamed God for his problems, Elihu rebuked him strongly for his arrogance in blaming God for his problems. While rebuking him, Elihu made this one comment that stood out to me this morning. “I have not finished defending God.” Elihu was determined to defend God and His actions.

Application:

God doesn’t always do what we want Him to do. Sometimes He does the opposite of what we want Him to do and we ask questions and question His faithfulness. The truth is, we don’t see what He is doing. We can’t see what He can see. We can’t know what He knows. We must trust Him, and when things don’t go the way we want, we need to defend Him. When people speak wrongly about God, we should be prepared to defend Him and His ways. The only way to a good defense is to know the one you are defending. We must walk with God and know Him deeply and richly.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of my highest praise and honor. You are above all and know all. Help me to trust You more and more. Teach me when and how to defend what You do as people blame things on You. Help me to answers for those who accuse You of things and let me defend You well.

Yours,

Jeff

God is Greater!

 Scripture:

““But you are wrong, and I will show you why. For God is greater than any human being.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭33‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT

Observation:

Elihu stepped into the conversation with Job and his friends. He brought incredible wisdom to the conversation.  First, he started by defending God Almighty. He was basically saying, “if someone is wrong, it is never God.”  He finishes that statement with a simple phrase that is powerful, “God is greater than any human being.”

Application:

We must learn to keep in mind that God is greater than any human being. It is usually human beings that cause us problems in life. If it usually human beings that mess up our lives. God is not like any human being. He is above all. He is greater than any human, Stronger than any human, smarter than any human, and can be trusted more than any human. We must realize that God is greater than anyone or anything and that we can trusts Him completely. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing and I appreciate You. You have filled my life with good things and You have allowed some things to grow me. You know exactly what I need at all times. You are my rock and my fortress. You are my salvation and my shield. You are my everything and I love You with all my heart. 

Your Son,

Jeff‬‬

Wisdom and the Fear of God

 Scripture:

“Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’””  ‭‭Job‬ ‭28‬:‭17‬, ‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Job tells us that wisdom is more valuable than gold or crystal, but that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and forsaking evil. In other words, wisdom is powerful, but it begins with fearing God, the source of all wisdom.

Application:

We must ask ourselves, “do I fear God?” We speak often about the love of God, but do we also remember the fear of God? If we are going to walk in great wisdom, we must learn the fear of the Lord. I want to walk with the wise, therefore I must learn more about the fear of the Lord. Loving God and fearing God can walk hand in hand. That’s where I want to walk. I want to embrace His love for me and to fear Him appropriately.

Prayer:

Teach me the fear of the Lord. Show me the path to wisdom. I long to know You in every way. I want to see You, walk with You, learn from You, and fear You completely. Teach me to walk with walk with You every day. Let me draw nearer and nearer to You my Lord and my Savior.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Confidence in My Redeemer

 Scripture:

““But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!”  ‭‭Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Job had been through some terrible trials. He lost everything and everyone he loved except him and his wife. HIs friends thought it was because of his unrighteousness, but he knew better. In this passage, he declares that he knows his redeemer lives, and will stand at the end. He knew he would see God one day face to face and that overwhelmed him. Though in trouble, he stood firm, confident in God’s character.

Application:

When we go through trials and tribulations, we must remember that God is still faithful. He may allow certain things to happen in our lives that we don’t understand, but we can still trust Him. He may not step in and fix every situation, but He loves us and can be trusted. We can be confident that one day we will see Him face to face if we remain faithful. Our job is to remain faithful during trials, His job is to bring us through to the other side.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to trust You more and more each day. I love You and want to serve You well. Increase my faith. Increase my trust in trying times. Help me to lean on You and not on my self to figure everything out. Teach me to follow Your truths and to stand on them, remaining faithful in trials and tribulations of this world. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

The Advocate

 Scripture:

“Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high.”  ‭‭Job‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Job was responding to his accusers/friends. He tells them that God knows his life and what he has and hasn’t done. He then. Makes this statement, “My witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high.” Job had incredible insight. He understood that he had an advocate in heaven who would defend his case. He knew his defense was in heaven. 

Application:

In the New Testament, we are clearly told that Jesus is our advocate, our intercessor, the one who stands in the gap for us before the Father. When we go through trying times and difficult times, we must not only look at the situations around us and how unfair they are, we must look at our advocate in heaven, Jesus the righteous. We must realize He is arguing our case before the Father. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, thank You for sending my advocate to speak before You on my behalf. Your Son paid the ultimate price for us and I appreciate that so much. Thank You for thinking of us and making provision for our mess ups and mistakes. Help me to walk in integrity and demonstrate Your goodness to the world. I want to represent You well in my generation.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Power is Limitless

 Scripture:

“He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.”  ‭‭Job‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Job replies to his friend Bildad. Job reminds him, and us, that God created the heavens and the earth. He put the constellations in their place, and He does great things that are too marvelous to understand. His miracles are countless. That’s the God we serve!

Application:

Our application today is to realize that nothing it too difficult for God Almighty. If He created the heavens and the earth, He can take care of me and my situations. He is all-powerful and we need to approach Him as that. We can know that we serve, not a weak God made by our own hands, but the God who created everything we see. He is amazing and we should celebrate Him and His goodness.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are incredible and I love You more each day. Teach me to honor You and not to question You. Show me how to love like You love and to walk the way that elevates Your name. Let Your goodness be seen in my life. Show me how to increase my faith in You. I know You will always take care of me, but I want to KNOW more deeply.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God Always Turns Things Around

 Scripture:

“But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much.”  ‭‭Job‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Bildad, Job’s friend, had some experience with God and knew the Lord pretty well. He knew enough of the Lord to know that “if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, He will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end up with much.” Bildad understood that God may allow things in our lives, but if we remain faithful to Him, He will restore everything that was taken and we will end up better off than we started. 

Application:

When we experience loss, we tend to only see what we are going through. It is difficult to trust God when you feel like you have lost o everything. Wise people realize that God always restores His people and brings them back to the place of blessing and prosperity. If you remain faithful to God and His covenant, He will turn things around every time. We must hold onto that and not run when things get bad.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are faithful and trustworthy. You are mighty, majestic and powerful. You are my everything. Teach me to trust You when I’m in the middle of difficulties. Teach me to trust You when things get out of my control. Show me how to serve You well in my generation. Let my life bring You praise and let me trust Your plans more than my own. When things god wrong, help me to know You will turn them around for Your glory and my good.

Yours Always,

Jeff

Worship in Grief

 Scripture:

“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Job lost everything, all of his possessions and all his children, he tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground to worship God. His first instinct was to come before the Lord with worship when everything was taken from him. He grieved like everyone else would have grieved, but he knew his peace would come from the Lord.

Application:

When life gets hard and things go wrong, we can’t blame God. We must be people who worship when life is great and who worship when life stinks. We must be people who worship in the good times and in the bad times. I want my first reaction when things go bad to be worship. This verse also tells me it’s okay to grieve for a season. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to always turn to You and not away from You when things go bad. Help me to realize that Satan wants to destroy me and that You always are filled with love and compassion for me. Your faithfulness is incredible. Help me to realize Your faithfulness when I don’t see it around me. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Take Interest in Others

 Scripture:

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul tells the Philippians not only to look out for their own interests, but to be interested in others as well. It is important that we learn to live with others in mind and not only ourselves.

Application:

People are important to God and should be important to us. We need to think of others as higher than ourselves and more valuable than ourselves. They are made in the image of God. Looking out for others interest involves stopping looking out for my own interests. I want to live my life building others up and encouraging them.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to be interested in others. Help me to connect with someone today and to listen to them rather than talking too much. Help me to hear the voices of the kids at VBS and take an interest in them. Help me to focus on what You are focused on. 

Your Son,

Jeff

Risk and Reward

 Scripture:

“Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants.”  ‭‭Esther‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Mordecai had taken bold steps to rescue his people. He had risked his life over and over in this story for the sake of the Jews in Persia. He remained faithful to his God and his people in the midst of deportation and being talked over by another kingdom. God honored him and he became second in charge with authority of the next to the king.  He went from be a nobody to being a somebody because he took risks and stood up for God’s people.

Application:

It is easy to live a life that never takes risks. Taking risks is fearful for some people. As God’s children, we have recorded examples throughout Scripture of people who took great risks for God and His people. God always stood up and delivered His people, but someone always had to take a risk. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. God needs some risk takers in the kingdom who are willing to take some great steps for God and His kingdom.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never be afraid to take risks for You and Your kingdom. Help me to never live in the fear of what will happen if i fail, but to live in the joy of seeing You deliver me and Your people over and over again. Help me to lead with confidence, not in myself, but in You and Your will. Teach my to live as Mordecai and bless my obedience as You blessed his.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

STILL

 Scripture:

“Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.”  ‭‭Esther‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Esther had been made queen and had a luxurious lifestyle with the king. She had been raised by her cousin Mordecai. When she became queen, Mordecai told her not to tell anyone she was a Jew. Many people focus on Esther’s response when Mordecai told her that she needed to go before the king and plead for the Jews, but this response led to that response. She was STILL following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home. 

Application:

They key to unbelievable breakthroughs and powerful results usually comes from continuing to do what God says to do, in good times and bad times. Great moments and opportunities come to those who continue to do what they were told, even when they have been blessed, promoted, etc. When we are STILL doing what God told us to do, He will find us where He told us to go, and open fresh and new doors of opportunity. We must continue doing what we were told until God says to stop. I want to be a person who is STILL doing what God has spoken over my life.

Prayer:

Father, help me to remain faithful to Your calling and what You have for my life. Let my life be an example of faithfulness to do what You have spoken. Empower me to STILL be doing whatever You have spoken when You return. Let me finish every assignment You give me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Worthy of Our Calling

Scripture:

 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”  ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Paul begs his readers to lead a life worthy of their calling because they had been called by God. First, I see that they had all been called by God. Second I see Paul begging people to live their lives in a manner worthy of that calling. 

Application:

Our lives should make Jesus look good. The manner in which we live should be worthy of what Christ died for. Thinking along these lines keeps our lives in perspective. We must desire to live lives that make Jesus look good to those around us. Living in a manner worthy of our calling is living a life that honors Christ in every way. 

Prayer:

Father, let my life be lived out on this earth in a manner worthy of Your calling on my life. Help me to live in a way that pleases You always. Help me to be led by Your Spirit at all times and let Your peace fill my life. Forgive me when I mess up and get in the flesh instead of walking in step with Your Spirit. Teach me to live every day according to Your ways.

Yours Always, Jeff

Bold and Confident Access

 Scripture:

“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is describing this beautiful relationship between Jews and Gentiles and how Jesus took away everything that separates them. He continues that thought by saying that because of Christ, we can not come boldly and confidently, Jews and Gentiles, into God’s presence. We have access through Christ Jesus.

Application:

Sometimes we come to God, but we don’t come boldly and with confidence. It is the blood of Jesus that makes us holy and acceptable in God’s sight, not our own righteousness. On our own, we have no way into the presence of God, but through Christ, His very own Son, we can come boldly and confidently. We have access is His very own children.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for access. Thank You for loving me and accepting me. Thank You for sending Christ to work in my life. You have done all the work so I could enter in. You made a way for me. Help me to come boldly and confidently into Your presence and to enjoy that as much as a child jumps into his father’s arms.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Don’t Neglect God’s House

 Scripture:

“I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.”  ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Nehemiah had returned to Babylon to report to the king of the rebuilding of the wall he had commissioned. He had built the wall and established worship before he left. When he returned, he realized that things were not being done as he had established. He said, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” It bothered him that the Temple of God was neglected.

Application:

It is important that we not neglect the Temple of God in our days. Yes, our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit now and He resides within us, but there is also an aspect of worship that we must bring to the Lord. We must not neglect our worship in the church in our day. Many give God their leftovers and expect the paid staff to do all the work of the ministry. This is not right. We cannot neglect God’s house and we must give Him our very best in every area. No matter what we do for the Lord, we must not neglect it. We must give Him our very best worship.

Prayer:

Father, help me to give my very best to Your worship. Help me to be as passionate as Nehemiah about making sure worship continues and is done right. Help me to not just go with the flow, but to challenge people to serve the Lord with excellence. Help me not to neglect Your work, but to organize and administrate to make sure what we do for You is done well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

A Glorious Reputation

 Scripture:

“You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all his people, for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors. You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

As Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and re-establishing God’s laws there, the Levites declared their faithful allegiance to the Lord. They spoke the words above concerning who God is.  They said He had a glorious reputation in how He walked with their ancestors. 

Application:

We must see God’s reputation as glorious. Sometimes, when God doesn’t do what we think He should do, we become upset and frustrated with God like little babies. God’s reputation as the waymaker, miracle worker, promise keeper, and light in the darkness, is perfect. He always comes through, just maybe how or when we want Him to. We must remember God’s glorious reputation when we look at our present circumstances.

Prayer:

Lord God, Your reputation is amazing. Your word is full of incredible stories of Your faithfulness to Your people. You have always brought Your people out of bondage and into freedom. You have always fought battles for Your people. You have always won victories on behalf of Your people. You are amazing and I want to declare Your reputation to the world. Let my life make Your reputation look even better!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Even Greater Determination

Scripture:

“They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.”  ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

Nehemiah had a job to do. He was sent to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and he was determined to do it quickly and effectively. His enemies began to try to intimidate and discourage him, but he says, “so I continued the work with EVEN GREATER DETERMINATION.” 

Application:

Sometimes when we feel opposition, the natural result is to shut down and stop trying. It is easy to get discouraged and feel like you should just give up on a project or vision. When the enemy comes to bring discouragement, we need to work with EVEN GREATER DETERMINATION! Rather than slow down when things get difficult, our response should be to work harder and be more determined than ever.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to walk in my calling with even greater determination when things are not going as I want them to. Help me to remain determined when I don’t see the signs around me that You are working. When the enemy tries to bring discouragement and frustration, help me to focus on You and to be even more determined. As Nehemiah finished the wall. Let me finish everything You have put in my heart.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Conviction and Repentance

 Scripture:

“I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Ezra realized the state of his people and the priests and Levites, that they had intermarried with the surrounding countries, he wept and repented before the Lord. He felt strong conviction for what his people had done. He felt ashamed and blushed before the Lord, knowing their sins had been piled up before God. He was strongly convicted about what his people had done and he did something about it. 

Application:

Strong conviction should bring action. Real conviction will cause you to humble yourself before God and to cry out for His mercy on your life. Real conviction will bring repentance! Repentance is the result of true conviction. Many today never feel true conviction of sin, but rather simply make a choice to follow Jesus. Therefore, the repentance part of following Christ never happens. We must realize that our sins have separated us from the Lord and that we have offended Him with our actions, then we must repent of those sins. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of my whole life. Work in my life to bring true conviction, resulting in repentance and transformation. I want to live a life You are pleased with and that You are the author of. Forgive my half-heartedness. Forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Show me tings that need to change and empower me to change them.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Outsiders - Part 2

Scripture:

““Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.”  ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The leaders of the land East of the Euphrates realized that Israel was rebuilding their Temple and went to King Darius to see if they had permission. He looked up in the royal records and saw that Cyrus had decreed that the Temple be rebuilt for the people of Israel. When Darius read this, he sent them men back, and told them they had to help pay for it so the work would not be interrupted.

Application:

God has a way of making your enemies pay for your blessing. He can take those who are opposed to you and cause them to pay for your expenses. We must realize that God takes those who oppose His will and His people, and makes them serve Him in one way or another. We must learn to realize that God sometimes uses outsiders and people who were enemies. We can’t simply look to the church world to meet our needs. Gos may have an ungodly businessman who He deals with to pay for our new building.

Prayer:

Father, work in my life. Show Yourself strong and let Your will be done. Let Word of Life have a new building Father, and let it be nice and meet the needs of our people. Resource it however You choose, but bring in the resources to pay for it. Amaze Your people with Your provision for this house as we build Your church globally.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Outsiders

 Scripture:

““This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”  ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Cyrus was a unique king of Persia. He was not Jewish, yet he was convinced that the Lord God of heaven had blessed him and appointed him to build a Temple at Jerusalem. He was an outsider, but apparently sensitive to the Lord. He was not one of God’s chosen people, yet was blessed by God and raised up by God to build the Temple.

Application:

When God wants to get something accomplished, He can use whoever He wants to accomplish it. God may use people we wouldn’t approve of to do His business. God can use the least likely in our eyes to do His will and to bring about His purposes. Sometimes He uses outsiders that even the Church doesn’t understand to fulfill His purposes.

Prayer:

Father, help me to never judge what You are doing and who You are working through. Help me to walk in step with You and to not question why You use who You use, but to come alongside of them and help them do Your will. Open my eyes to what You are doing at all times and let me align with Your purposes always. I don’t want to miss out on what You are doing because it doesn’t fit my ideas of what You are able to do.

Your Son,

Jeff

In Step

 Scripture:

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”  ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is speaking to the Galatians about living by the Spirit instead of living by the Law. He encourages them, and us, to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. No matter what we are doing, walking in step with the Holy Spirit is the answer to what to do. When we are in step with Him, we will accomplish His purposes for our lives. 

Application:

Our goal every day should be to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. If we can do that daily, we will live an incredible life. He will guide us into all truth and bless our lives incredibly. He will show us next steps to take and what to avoid. He will teach us to follow in the ways of Christ. Staying in step with the Holy Spirit is life and godliness. The Law kills, but the Spirit gives life. We must learn to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to walk in step with the Spirit every moment of every day. Let my life be lived according to the word of the Lord. Guide me each day and show me what to do, how to respond, and what to say at each moment. Let my life be used for Your glory and not my own. Holy Spirit live through me. Reign in me. Teach me to walk in continual submission to Your will and ways.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

One in Christ

 Scripture:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing here to the Galatians, who were falling back into Judaism. In this passage he tells them that in Christ, all are equal. Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people, male and female, are all equal in Christ.

Application:

Christ levels the playing field for all who follow Him. You could add to Paul’s words, “rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian, educated and uneducated, and much, much more.” When we come to Christ, all are created equal. On this 4th of July, we need to remember in America that all are created equal and are valued in the eyes of the Father. We must never look down on another person, because in Christ we are all equal.

Prayer:

Father, help me to live bringing value to every individual, regardless of race, economic status, educational level, or anything else. Help me to love everyone the way You love everyone. Teach me to honor others, who don’t look like me. Let my life bring unity wherever You send me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Never Turn

 Scripture:

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.”  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Josiah became king at the early age of eight. He reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. God blessed his obedience to the Lord and he never turned from doing what was right. He remained humble before the Lord, even when he prospered. He remained faithful to the Lord instead of taking the glory of his kingdom to himself. He never turned from doing right.

Application:

Many times when things start going well, people begin fade from seeking the Lord and begin to rely on themselves instead of God. Josiah never turned from his dependency on the Lord and his worship of the Lord. In our lives, we must never come to the place of self-reliance. We rely on God Almighty, the make of heaven and earth. We must do what is right in the Lord’s sight, and never turn away from that, no matter what others do.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies are new every morning. Your faithfulness is beyond the heavens and Your love is boundless. You have been good to me all the days of my life and I want to finish well. Let me never turn from doing right. Let me never turn from seeking You first and foremost. Let me live out my days in passionate pursuit of Your will and Your way.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Careful Obedience

 Scripture:

“King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.”             ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

We see here that Jotham’s life was blessed and he became powerful simply because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord. God wants our heart, but He also wants our obedience. Jotham was CAREFUL in his OBEDIENCE. He made sure he was obeying completely and accurately.

Application:

Most of us do desire to live in obedience to the Lord and His will for our lives, but are we CAREFUL to OBEY completely? This would mean that we think through our obedience and make sure it is exactly what the Lord wants from us. He always blesses His will! We must find it and carefully obey it. When we do that, we will become powerful people like Jotham. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You know my heart and my desires. Help me to follow Your will and not my own. Lead me and strengthen me to carefully obey You at all times. I want to obey when it is easy to obey and to obey when it is difficult to obey. I know You desire obedience more than sacrifice. Help me to obey You well. I want to hear well done!

Your Son,

Jeff