Supernatural Turnaround

 Scripture:

”The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!“ ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This passage speaks of the Exodus out of Egypt by God’s people. They were slaves in Egypt for 430 years, but when they left, they left with the wealth of Egypt. When God decided to bless them, He did it overwhelmingly. They walked in favor and the people of Egypt gave them whatever they asked for, including their gold, money, resources, animals, etc. They went into the land with nothing and came out like a wealthy army.

Application:

Even when things seem terrible and nothing seems to be going right, God can turn things around quickly and bless you beyond belief. In a single day, God made a bunch of slaves wealthy and strong. Sometimes the wait is long, but God always comes through and eventually those who serve Him well, will be blessed. I am trusting God to bless my life in great ways as I serve Him faithfully and do whatever He gives me to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more and more each day. Bless my life and let me be a blessing. Teach me to walk in wisdom and to trust You for supernatural financial breakthrough for my family and my church so we can be a blessing to the world. I want to extend Your kingdom and leave a mark through my life more and more as I grow older.

Yours Always and Forever,

Jeff

Pray for Me

 Scripture:

”“All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.”“ ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Pharaoh had seen some of the plagues and realized he was in trouble. As this point, he was ready to let them go into the wilderness to worship their God as long as they didn’t go far and he told them, “pray for me.” He knew he was in trouble and that their God was causing it. Even Pharaoh realized who the real king was, and was ready for some reprieve. 

Application:

When God starts blessing His people, even our enemies and those who don’t believe in God will start saying, “pray for me.” There are people right now who feel far from God, but realize He is out there and they are saying “pray for me.” As God’s people, we must hear the cry of those who don’t believe and realize that even the hardest hearts are saying “pray for me.” They might not admit it, but they want our prayers.

Prayer:

Father, help me to pray for people consistently. Teach me to intercede for others. They may not know You yet, and may even oppose You at this time. Rather than judging them, let me hear their cries saying “pray for me.” Let me respond in prayer for those who do not know You. Let this be the year when the hardened prodigals come home.

Yours,

Jeff

Humility Before God

 Scripture:

”But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”‭ ‭Exodus‬ ‭6‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

Moses, God’s chosen vessel to deliver 2-3 million Israelites from Egyptian slavery, never thought he had what it takes to speak, to lead, to stand before Pharaoh, etc. Scripture later says that Moses was the most humble man on the planet. God used his humility because Moses knew he didn’t have what it takes and was fully dependent on God.

Application:

Sometimes weakness is the greatest position from which we will see the power of God. When we realize we are weak, God gets more and more glory. When we walk in humility, God is exalted. We need to lower our self-evaluation and realize apart from the Lord, we can do nothing. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of my very best! You are holy and powerful! You are great and glorious! You are high and lifted up. Let Your name be praised forever. Help me to walk in humility, knowing that I can do nothing, but You can do anything and everything. Let me always have a proper perspective of myself.

Yours Always,

Jeff

Forsaken By God

 Scripture:

”And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Observation:

This verse speaks of Jesus crying out about His Father forsaking Him while He was on the cross. Scholars believe that when Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, His Father had to turn away because God cannot have anything to do with sin. This verse shows the humanity of Jesus. He felt abandoned and forsaken by His Father at the weakest moment of His life.

Application:

There will be times, especially at our weakest moments, that God seems far away. There will be times when it seems that God has forsaken us and is not longer working on our behalf. We must remember that Jesus has felt what we feel in those times. We must remember that Christ has felt every human emotion to be able to sympathize with us. The beauty for us is that Jesus was forsaken so we could be accepted. We never have to question whether God has forsaken us. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We can confidently walk through anything knowing God is with us and sees what’s going on. He may have allowed it, but He will bring us through it.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more in 2024. When you feel distant, let me know You are with me. Your word comforts me and encourages me. Let me live this year by faith and not sight. Give me confident expectation of good things to come. Meet every need and help me to serve You well. 

Yours,

Jeff

Produce Proper Fruit

 Scripture:

”I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭43‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and teachers of the religious Law concerning who will be first and last in the Kingdom. He tells them that the Kingdom will be taken away from them and given to another group of people, those who will produce proper fruit. Jesus is looking for good fruit and entrusts His kingdom to those who produce it.

Application:

In the beginning, God created everything to be able to reproduce. Whatever God does, reproduces. He is a fruit inspector and is looking for good fruit. God expects us to take what He has given us in gifts, talents, resources, etc. and multiply it for His purposes. This is producing proper fruit. We need to think about our lives and ask if they are producing for the Kingdom. We need to think, “are we living religious lives like the Pharisees, but not producing fruit?” I need to look at what God has entrusted me with and ask, “Is it producing fruit?” If not, I have work to do.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, let my life be productive for You and Your kingdom. Let me not simply live a nice religious life, but a life of impact. Let my life count for Your kingdom. Help me to bear much fruit and good fruit. Teach me to walk in step with You. Let 2024 be a year of producing proper fruit that will remain.

Yours,

Jeff

Forbidding and Permitting

 Scripture:

”“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In the context Jesus as talking about forbidding and permitting people in and out of fellowship, but He did use the word “whatever”. Jesus gave us more authority than we realize and more than we walk in. This verse basically says that He will back up in heaven what we do on the earth as it relates to binding and loosing, or, forbidding and permitting. He didn’t say what He binds in heaven is bound on earth. He said what we bind on earth is bound in heaven.

Application:

God created man to be in His image. I have to ask myself, “Do I believe this verse?” I also need to ask, “Do I live like I believe this verse?” If I believe this verse, then there are some things I need to be binding and some things I need to be loosing. We must begin to act on what we know and do what we believe. There are things we permit, that we should be releasing. I must ask myself, “What am I putting up with that needs bound or released?” God backs us up, but we have to take the first step.

Prayer:

Father, help me to bind what needs bound and loose what needs loosed in my life, my family, my church, and the world around me. In faith this morning I bind everything that has hindered my family from fulfilling their potential in You. I bind every lie and deception that has enabled wrong thinking. I release each member of my family to encounter You in a powerful way and to live life for Your glory. I bind every hindrance to Word of Life and release God’s blessing and favor over her. I bind the Principalities that have ruled this region for a long time and I release Your angels to defeat them so that revival can come to this region. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Use What You Know

Scripture:

”To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

In this passage, Jesus tells people that those who listen to His teaching get more understanding, and then they will have an abundance of knowledge. Those who won’t listen will have what they have received taken away. He gives an abundance of knowledge to those who use what they know. If you want to walk deeper with God, you have to put into practice what you have learned from the Word.

Application:

We should strive to walk in the revelation we have received, or the revelation will dry up. When we apply what we learn, we grow and God gives more and more. Application equals increase. We should desire, not only to know more about God, but to walk in what we know. God has infinite knowledge for us, but it is only accessible when we do something about what we already know.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to live what I know. Most of my life I have lived below what I know from Your word. Help me to reverse that and to walk in 100% of the revelation You have given me. Forgive me for hearing Your word and not doing it, or for living below my potential because I haven’t put certain parts of Your word into practice in my life. I want to USE what I KNOW.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Introduce, Understand, and Demonstrate

Scripture:

”Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Observation:

This verse speaks about what Jesus did when He went from town to town. In the synagogues He taught and announced the Good News of His Kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and illness. Healing usually happened outside of the synagogue as Jesus was walking from place to place. He left us a pattern of ministry that we would do good to follow.

Application:

Generally you announce things that have happened or are about to happen. Teaching helps you understand what has been announced. Healing is the byproduct of announcing and teaching. We need to know when to announce, when to teach, and when to heal. We should be doing all three on a regular basis. I want to introduce Jesus, understand Jesus, and demonstrate Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, use my life for Your glory. Show me more of what is important to You. Empower me to announce, teach, and heal. Use me to introduce Jesus, understand Jesus, and demonstrate Jesus. Help me to announce the Kingdom, teach the Kingdom, and demonstrate the Kingdom. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Future Worry Debilitates

 Scripture:

”“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Jesus calls His followers not to worry about tomorrow because it will bring its own worries. Rather, He wants us to focus on today. He finishes His statement with “Today’s trouble is enough for today.” In other words, Why add tomorrow’s worries onto today’s worries? He tells us to deal with what today brings us and don’t be so concerned about tomorrow. 

Application:Jesus speaks of a lifestyle of living in the moment and making the most of it. If I work on today, I won’t need to worry about tomorrow. We need to think about the future, but not worry about it. We need to plan for the future, but not stay up at night worrying about it. Sometimes we can get so obsessed with what could happen tomorrow that it debilitates us today. We must do our best today, and trust God with our future. Future planning brings good results, future worry debilitates today.

Prayer:

Father, help me not to worry about the future. You hold my future. You hold my destiny. You are my everything. Help me to trust You with tomorrow while doing all I must today. Help me to be a good planner, but not a worrier. Teach me to get the most out of today and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Your Son,

Jeff

Immersed in the Spirit and Fire

 Scripture:

”“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. His job was to introduce Jesus to the world. In this passage, he does just that. This is his presentation of Jesus to the world. He emphasizes that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Baptizo literally means to immerse. He said Jesus would immerse us in the Holy Spirit and fire.

Application:

I want to live immersed in the power and presence of God. I don’t want a little bit of God in my life. I want to live immersed in the Holy Spirit and fire. I want to be baptized completely with the Holy Spirit. I want Him to cover every part of my life. I don’t want to live a lukewarm life for God. I want to live an on fire, immersed in fire, type of life. If John introduced Jesus this way… I want it.

Prayer:

Baptize me afresh with Your Holy Spirit. Cover me with Your holy fire. I want to live life drenched in Your presence and power. I long for more of You in my life. I don’t want just a little Jesus in my life in 2024. I want all that You have for me. Let Your fire fall on me, my family, my church, and the world. Burn out everything of self and let me burn for You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Trust or Revenge?

 Scripture:

”You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.“. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

When Jacob died, this sons were afraid to go back to Joseph. They thought since his father was dead that he would treat them bad because of all they had done to him earlier in life. He responded to them by saying that they intended evil, but God intended it all for good. He gives glory to God for bringing him to the position he was so he could save people’s lives. He teaches us how to respond to people that hurt us.

Application:

When we have been hurt, we can trust God or ourselves. We can love people like Christ loved people or we can get bitter. We have a choice to make when we have been wronged. We can demonstrate the goodness of God and His forgiveness, or we can hold on to resentment and hatred. God wants us to love and forgive like Joseph did and like Christ did. We can also rest confident that, no matter what people’s intentions are, God will turn it around for His glory and our good.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to respond well when treated wrongly. Help me to forgive others as Christ forgives me. Let my life be a demonstration of Your goodness and grace. Teach me to trust You rather than seeking revenge on my own. Teach me to trust Your intentions in my life more than my own feelings.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Generational Blessing

 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, at the end of his life, blessed Joseph by saying, “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,” Before he spoke the blessing, he reminded Joseph about who he was and his generations. He wanted his son to be blessed by the God of his fathers. Our walk with God was meant to be a generational walk. Joseph knew his identity because his father spoke over him.

Application:

We must learn to think generationally. Knowing who you are gives you identity. Knowing your backstory gives you identity as a person and a history. I wish I had done this better as a father with my sons. As they are now older, it is harder, but I will continue to tell the stories of my father and do my best to give my sons a spiritual heritage of generations.

Prayer:

Father, I want my sons to follow You as my father followed You and as I have followed You. Teach me how to speak and what to do in order to leave a legacy with my children. Help me to know how to tell the stories that give identity to them and cause faith to rise in them. It’s late Lord, but You are able. Help me to do this.

Your Son,

Jeff

Undeserved Blessing

 Scripture:

”Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, but was now the second most powerful man in Egypt. When he was sending them back to get their father and family, he said, “I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.” Joseph decided to return hate and pain for blessing. Instead of revenge, he gave the best of Egypt to his brothers and family.They didn’t deserve anything, but he chose to bless them.

Application:

Just like Joseph gave his brothers undeserved blessings, Christ gave us undeserved blessings. He gave His own life for us, so that we could be free. We deserved eternal punishment, but He gave eternal life with the Father. We deserved death and He gave us life. We are to live like Christ, who is demonstrated beautifully through the life of Joseph. Therefore we should bless those who don’t deserve it. We should help those who don’t deserve it and be good to those who don’t deserve it.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me, as Jesus said, to bless those who curse me and to pray for those who despitefully use me. Help me to return hate with love and betrayal with faithfulness. Help me to love those who hurt me and bless those who have treated me unfairly. Teach me to walk like Jesus in 2024.

Sincerely,

Jeff

HOW We Speak is as Important as WHAT We Speak

 Scripture:

”His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.“‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Joseph had a couple dreams that ended up getting him in trouble with his brothers. He shared with his brothers that they would one day bow before him. This irritated his brothers and caused them to hate him. This translation adds, “and the way he talked about them” to the portion about him telling his brothers about his dreams. 

Application:

Sometimes it is not about WHAT we say but about HOW we say it. The WAY Joseph shared with his brothers was just as important as WHAT he shared with them. We have to be cautious in our communications about HOW we share things. We can have great information to share, but if it is shared in a wrong way, it will not be received. We must share what God tells us with humility.

Prayer:

Father, help me to share things HOW I should share them as a communicator. Teach me to communicate well and to do it in the right spirit. Let my heart be pure before You and let my communications be as You would have them. Show me how to communicate well and with the right spirit. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Return to God’s House

 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’s sons had done some terrible things, which could have caused them huge trouble in the land they were living in. Jacob left that place and headed back to Bethel, which means “House of God”. He told his people to get rid of all their pagan idols, purify themselves, and put on clean clothing because they were going to Bethel to build an altar to the God who answered his prayers in distress and been with him wherever he had gone.

Application:

When you realize you are on the wrong pathway, you must repent, get rid of things that are not godly, and purify yourself. We then head back to the House of God and build an altar with our lives. All of us need cleansing at times. Fasting is a form of humility and asking God to cleanse us from all impurities. I want to walk in purity and power all the days of my life. When I mess up, I want to always come back to the altar of repentance and forgiveness. 

Prayer:

Lord God, You are righteous and holy. You are powerful and perfect. Enable me to always come back to the place of prayer, sacrifice, and purity when I mess up. Sanctify my life during this fast for Your purposes. Take out everything that is not of You and fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit. Let me live a life that pleases You above all else. Let this generation come running back to the house of God. Let those who are away from You come running back to the house of God.

Yours,

Jeff

When God Blesses You

 Scripture:

”I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!“. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭32‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jacob was heading back to his homeland with his family and all their possessions after being away for many years. As he was returning, and wondering if his brother would receive him or kill him, he was reminded of all the Lord had done in the past 20 years. He declares here that when he left home, it was just him and a walking stick, but now his family, flocks, and servants were a vast crowd. He realized how much God had blessed him in a time when he was running for his life.

Application:

When God blesses you…you are blessed! God has the ability to bless His people, even when their situation is less than perfect. He can multiply resources and prosper His people, even when they are being taken advantage of. Jacob was being used and abused by his father-in-law, but in the midst of it, God was blessing and prospering him. We must sometimes look back and realize how far the Lord has taken us and honor Him for His blessing in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies endure forever. Thank You for being a God who truly blesses and prospers Your people. Thank you for blessing my life over and over again. You have been faithful to me and my house. Help me to honor You well. I know that all things in my life are from You and are the results of Your blessing. Without You, I am nothing. You are my all-in-all! You are my provided, my protector, and my strength.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Unaware

 Scripture:

”Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”“. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jacob slept with a rock for a pillow and during his sleep he had a dream. In his dream there was a stairway leading into heaven and there were angels ascending and descending. The Lord stood at the top of the stairway and spoke to him. When he awoke, he made the statement above. “The Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”

Application:

We need to realize that wherever we go, God is with us. We can sense His presence corporately in worship with our brothers and sisters, but God doesn’t live in manmade temples. He lives in our hearts. He is with us at all times, whether we sense that or not. He is the omnipresent God who is everywhere at the same time. I want to live aware of the presence of God at all times, not just in church settings.

Prayer:

Father, let me be more aware of Your presence every day. Help me to know You at more intimate levels and teach me to walk by what I know and not just what I feel. I KNOW You are with me at all times. Help me to walk in what I know. Let me never be caught unaware of Your presence.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Blessed By Obedience

 Scripture:

”I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking to Isaac here about how He had blessed his father, Abraham, and why. He says that Abraham listened to Him and obeyed all His requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions. Abraham was blessed by God because of His obedience to the things of God. God was letting Isaac know he was blessed because of the obedience of his father. 

Application:

God clearly blesses obedience to Him and His ways. He prospers those who truly walk in His ways and obey His voice in all things. I want to live a blessed life that sees God’s miraculous provision and blessing.  I want to obey God and bring Him glory in everything I do. I want my actions to bring about the blessing of the Almighty.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You blessed Abraham because of his obedience to Your word. Bless my life. Let my life reflect Your values and Your ways. When You look at my life, I want You to be honored. Empower me to live a life of obedience that You can bless. Teach me Your ways and let me walk on Your paths with excellence. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Living In His 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:

I love this expression used by Abraham, “The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and make your mission successful.” What a powerful statement! He was confident in his walk with God. He knew his God would come through for him and find a wife for his son. 

Application:

I want to live in such a way that I can have the kind of faith Abraham had. He made so many major decisions out of his walk with God. He knew God would send his angels to make his desires happen. He knew God was on his side because he lived in the presence of the Lord. I want to live in the presence of the Lord like that. 

Prayer:

Father, I want to know You like Abraham knew You. I want to hear Your voice as clearly as Abraham did and to serve You well all the days of my life. Help me to stay focused on You and enable me to hear Your voice clearly during this 21 day fast. Open the windows of heaven and bless my life, my family, my church, and the world. Teach me to walk with You like Abraham did. I long for Your presence.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Don’t Laugh

 Scripture:

”Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 when the Lord told them they were going to have a baby. They both laughed when they heard it. When Sarah was told, she laughed and said, “Can an old woman like me have a baby?” The Lord quickly interrupted here and said, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 

Application:

Sometimes God will tell us things that make us want to laugh because they make no sense to us. Our response should not be to laugh it off and think it must be a word for someone else, but we must receive God’s promises by faith and walk in them. I don’t want to miss out on anything God has for my life. I want to see the impossible made possible through Him.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are worthy of honor and glory. I worship You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to believe the words You speak to me, even when I don’t see how they could happen. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Show Yourself strong in my life and don’t let me slow down or stop anything You want to do. I trust in You.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faith, Not Sight

 Scripture:

”The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭13‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Abraham and Lot had grown and developed into two very large groups of people. They needed to separate in order to continue to grow. As they were coming into the land God promised Abraham, he let Lot choose which part of the land he wanted. This would mean Abraham would have to trust God and not what looked best in the natural.

Application:

Sometimes we have to walk by faith and not by sight. Abraham allowed Lot to operate by sight, causing him to have to operate by faith and trust God completely. There are times that God will lead us to do things that don’t make sense to us, but will cause us to trust Him more and need His intervention more. We must learn that what appears to be best may not always be what God has for us and that He will give us better if we trust Him instead of doing what seems right.

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies are new every morning. Help me to trust You over my own reasoning mind. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Help me to develop a trust walk, knowing You are my God and You will take care of me in every situation. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Abraham’s Blessing and Mine

 Scripture:

”I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God interacted with Abraham and called him to go the land of Canaan. He made him this promise, which is also promised to everyone who becomes part of the family of God since Jesus. He said He would blessed them and make them famous and that they would be a blessing to others. God told Abraham he would bless those who bless him and curse those who treated him wrong. This is an inherited promise as a child of God today. Lastly, he said all families of the earth would be blessed through him.

Application:

We are called to be people of impact. Our lives should be blessed as we walk with the Lord. We should be a blessing to all the families on the earth. We should be a blessing to all those around us because of our relationship with the Father. We need to believe we walk in the blessings of Abraham and that these promises transfer to us as we follow Christ.

Prayer: 

Lord God Almighty, you are worthy of all my praise and glory and honor. You are amazing and it is a privilege to serve You. Help me to understand my relationship with You better. I want to walk in the blessings of Abraham, which are promised to me as a child of God. Let my faith increase and let my life bring Your praise. Let the nations of the world be blessed because of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Multiply

 Scripture:

”Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had just wiped out His entire creation because of sin and disobedience. Now He blesses Noah and his sons, the only righteous, and the only humans left on the planet and tells them to multiply and fill the earth. 

Application:

Multiplication is alway related to God. He told Adam and Eve to multiply and will the earth. He told Noah to multiply and refill the earth. God is the God of multiplication. God always thinks in multiplication and willing the earth. The Gospel must multiply and fill the earth. The Great Commission is a command to multiply when you think about it. He wants the Gospel to fill the earth and multiply. I want to multiply the gifts and abilities God has given me and give them back to Him.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to be faithful in that which You have given me. Teach me to walk in Your ways and to do what You want me to do. Empower me to be fruitful in my older years more than in my former years. I want to see Your kingdom multiplied. I want to see Word of Life multiply. I want to see this region touched by Your glorious hand. Multiply my effectiveness. I am Yours and Yours alone.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

A Father’s Blessing

 Scripture:

”Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.”“ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭5‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Lamech named his son Noah because Noah means, “relief” or “comfort.” He wanted God to bring comfort and relief to the world through his son. When God is going to do something in the earth, He always raises up a comforter and one who bring relief. Lamech knew things were bad and was believing that God would use his son to bring relief. 

Application:

A father’s vision and input into their kids lives is powerful. A father always needs to seek the Lord for the naming of his children and to seek the Lord for a word for his children. Their destiny is in his hands, and the hands of the Lord. One of the most influential people in  one’s life is their father. A father can speak blessing for curses over their children. I want to speak blessings and see my sons become all they can be for God. 

Prayer:

Lord God, I present my sons to You. Let them serve You well and use their lives for Your glory. Let them bring relief and blessing to many throughout the nations. Let my sons follow hard after You with all their hearts. I dedicated both of them to You when they were babies. Now work in their lives and do what I can’t do. Bring about Your plans for them. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff