Entrusted to Deliver God’s Word

 Scripture:

“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul was speaking to the Thessalonians here and tells them about his ministry. He sees that he was a messenger from God who was entrusted with the Good News. His purpose was to please God, not people because only God examines the heart. His heart was to have God’s approval and not man’s approval. This is a struggle for every minister of the Gospel.

Application:

I like to be liked. I like people to like me and don’t get pleasure out of saying hard things to people. The truth is, I need to fear God more than fearing people. I must see myself as a messenger from God to His people, who has been entrusted. As that person, I must present His truth His way. I must deliver His Word with clarity and passion. I must present Jesus like Jesus needs presented. I want to please God, but sometimes pleasing people gets in the way.

Prayer:

Father, make me strong. Help me to see myself as Your messenger. Empower me to speak Your word with boldness, not fearing what any man thinks about it. Help me to present You and Your word accurately and clearly. I want to make You known in this earth and I want to do well with what You have trusted me with.

Yours,

Jeff

Delight and Humility

 Scripture:

“For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭149‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This passage tells us that God delights in his people. When I think about this, I think about how my grandson Judah, who just turned two, delights me. When I hear him call my name, Baba, my heart melts. He isn’t perfect by ay means, but he delights me in so many ways. The Psalmist continues and says that God crowns the humble with victory. In the world’s kingdom, you fight hard to obtain victory. You do whatever it takes to get to the top. In God’s kingdom, he crowns us with victory, not because of our hard work, but because of our humility and our trust in Him.

Application:

I need to be more confident that God delights in me. I see my weaknesses, but He sees who I am. Just like Judah with me, I see myself in him and it touches my heart. God sees Himself in us and delights in us. I must believe that more and more. I also must realize that victory comes from God and not self work. I know there is a balance, but I need to trust God more and let Him crown me with victory instead of simply working harder.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me more! You are worthy of my very best. You are my king and my God. I trust You. Help me to trust You more. Let me walk in humility so You can crown me with victory. Let me understand just how much You delight in me, not for what I do, but for whose I am.

Yours Always and Forever,

Jeff

Joy and Hope

 Scripture:

“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭146‬:‭3‬, ‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist tells us here not to put our confidence in powerful people because there is ho help for us there. Powerful people can’t always change the situations of our lives. Looking to powerful people seldom changes things. He goes on to say that “joyful” are those who have God as their helper and put their hope in Him. Joy comes from having confidence in God instead of confidence in men. 

Application:

Trusting men brings frustration because they never do what we want them to do anyway. Trusting men leads to sorrow, but trusting God brings hope and joy. I’d much rather have hope and joy rather than frustration and sorrow. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from His abiding presence. When I put my trust in God, joy will follow.

Prayer:

Father, I want to trust You more and more and to lean on men less and less. Teach me to increase my faith. Help me to follow You completely in these last days. Let my life be used for Your glory every day. Let me shine for You in a dark generation. Let my life make a difference for Your kingdom.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Examined by God

Scripture:

 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist acknowledges in this Psalm that God is the creator and sustainer of everything we see. He knows every detail of our lives and how we will respond in every situation. He declares that the Lord has examined his heart and knows everything about him. The bottom line is, there is nothing we can hide from God. He knows every thought, every desire, and everything we do.

Application:

The reality is that God does know every detail of our lives. He misses out on nothing. The beginning of this verse is in past tense. God has already examined his heart and knows everything. The reality is that God knows every detail of our lives before we live on of them. My job is to live a life that makes Him glad. I want to live a life that God wants me to live. I want Him to examine my life and say, “well done.” I want my heart to be pure at all times and my life to demonstrate God’s goodness.

Prayer:

Lord, I need You today. Help me to live a life that, when inspected and examined, brings You glory. Help me to live in such a way that You look with gladness. I want to make You happy with my life, my obedience, my desires, and my decisions. I want to please You more than anything else in this world. Help me to make right decisions. Bless the work of my hands. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Too Big to Grasp

 Scripture:

“Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭131‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Psalmist says that he isn’t too proud or haughty. He goes on to say that he doesn’t concern himself with matters too great or too awesome for him. I love the humanity and humility this verse demonstrates. He basically says that he doesn’t worry about things that are too big for his to grasp anyway. 

Application:

Sometimes our minds worry about things that are too big for us to grasp anyway. Sometimes we want to figure out things that are beyond us and are too much to understand. It takes humility to walk in faith and not have all your questions answered. There are times in life when we have to accept things we cannot explain because we trust God. Our concern should be obedience to the things we know rather than trying to go deeper and deeper. 

Prayer:

Father, let my obedience quotient rise up. Help me to trust You and not spend as much time concerning myself with matters I have no control over and cannot understand if I try. Teach me to trust You more and more each day. Show me how to walk with You in simplicity and not think I have to have all the answers to life and God.

Yours,

Jeff

A Heart to Obey God's Word

 Scripture:

"Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart." Psalm 119:34 NLT

Observation:

The Psalmist tells the Lord here to give him understanding, and he would obey God's instructions. He promised not only to obey them, but to put them into practice with all his heart. He truly wanted God to let him understand God's word. He wanted to know it, obey it, and put it into practice wholeheartedly.

Application:

God's word has the power of death and life. It is sharper than a two-edged sword. It can really make an impact on our lives. We should read it like the Psalmist said, with a heart to understand, obey, and put it into practice. Every time I approach God's Word, I want to gain understanding and put it into practice. I want to grow more and more each day in understanding. 

Prayer:

Father, just like the Psalmist, I ask You to give me an understanding heart that will obey Your word completely. Help me put Your word into practice in my life and give me strength to read it with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I want to truly delight in Your word. Grow me more and more in this area. I want to know You deeper and stronger. I also want to follow You well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Mere People

 Scripture:

"The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Observation:

This simple verse is a tremendous reminder that if God is for us, who can be against us? The Psalmist declares that the Lord is FOR us; therefore, we don't have to fear. He then says, "What can mere people do to me?" Jesus told us we shouldn't fear men, who can kill our bodies, but fear the Lord, who can send body and soul into hell for eternity.

Application:

There is nothing and nobody to fear when we walk with God. He is our protector and our king. He will take care of any enemy that tries to harm His people. We shouldn't ever fear men or women. They are MERE people. We should fear the Lord. We are also told that the Lord is FOR us. There are times when we don't feel like the Lord is FOR us, but we can stand on Scripture and know that He is. We need to be reminded of this from time to time. God is not our enemy. He is FOR us! Therefore, we have nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Lord, give us a great day today for Judah's birthday. Help me to remember that You are FOR us and therefore we have nothing to fear. You are awesome, and I give You praise. Let me never walk in fear of any person, but let me have a fear of God that is real and powerful. You are everything to me.

Your Son,

Jeff

Generosity

 Scripture:

"Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly." Psalm 112:5

Observation:

The Psalmist speaks about the power of generosity in this passage. He tells us that good comes to those who lend generously and conduct their business fairly. In other words, God keeps good records of our lives. When we live with generosity as one of our core convictions, we will also live a good, blessed, life.

Application:

Generosity opens doors in our lives. When we hold our money loosely and share with those in need, our cups will run over. This is a powerful truth, but one that is hard for most people to grasp. The more generous I become, the more blessed I become. God is a giving God and when we give generously, He will bring blessing into our lives. Our job is to live in generosity.

Prayer:

Father, continue to grow me in generosity. Show me how to handle my finances in a spirit of generosity. Show me how to balance my life and have margin so I can bless others when You ask me to. I am Yours. Help me to trust You more each day.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Speak Out!

 Scripture:

“Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.”Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist in this passage encourages us to speak out if the Lord has redeemed us. He encourages us to tell others about God’s redemption. As believers, we have all been redeemed wit the precious blood of Jesus. Our job then, is to speak out.

Application:

Even though I am a loud preacher of the Gospel who is willing to tell the world about Jesus, I am not as good at simply telling my redemption story to those directly around me. I need to be more intentional about speaking about what God has done in my life. I need to speak out more about all I have witnessed the Lord do. 

Prayer:

Father, I do good behind a pulpit declaring Your goodness, but I want to do better in my neighborhoood and with relatives at speaking out about my faith. Empower me to be a better witness in my daily life. Let my life speak for You in the little opportunities and in the big. Let me live out my walk with You daily. Help me to speak out and tell others more as we see the day approaching. 

Yours,

Jeff

Faithful in Character Building

 Scripture:

“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬

Observation:

According to this passage, Joseph was being prepared for his dreams throughout the betrayal of his brothers, the pit, Potiphar’s house, and the prison. It was a long period of time with many different test, but God used all these tests to prove Joseph’s character, then suddenly, at the right time, God made him incredibly powerful. 

Application:

If it’s not time to fulfill the dream and purpose God put us on the planet, it’s most likely character building time. Sometimes it takes years to build character, then God can promote in minutes. God can turn everything around in a second once He trusts our character and the timing is right. We can’t give up on our dreams because we are in a testing time. They will come true if we continue to seek the Lord and live according to His ways. When we prove we are trustworthy, God will open the windows of heaven over our lives and more us into our destiny.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and I love You with all my heart. Let me be found faithful to do whatever You place before me. Help me to pass every test and fulfill the calling Your placed on my life. Teach me to trust You and to work faithfully, when I don’t see the results I would like to see. Find me faithful.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Character Traits

 Scripture:

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This passage uses this phrase that was pretty common in the Psalms to describe God. He is seen here as compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. When we think of God, we must see Him appropriately. He is not an angry God. He has great compassion and mercy for us. His love never fails.

Application:

We should make it our goal to be more like the Lord in our lives. Therefore, it should be said of us that we are compassionate and merciful. We should be observed as slow to get angry and willed with unfailing love. I have to ask myself the question this morning: Am I compassionate? Am I merciful? Am I slow to get angry? Am I filled with love that doesn’t fail? If not, I have some work to do.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be more like You every day. I want to live a life that brings You glory and honor. Help me to walk in Your characteristics. I want to represent You well on the earth in my generation. Help me to live a life that honors You and shows people what Christ is like.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Producing Fruit in Old Age

 Scripture:

“But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭92‬:‭12‬, ‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In these verses the Psalmist maintain a word picture of what it is like for those who are godly and righteous. He says they are like palm and cedar trees. He says that even in their old age, they will produce fruit, remain vital, and green. There are descriptions of a godly individual.

Application:

As I get older, I long to remain effective, fruit producing, vital, and green. I have no desire to retire and focus on my self and pleasure. I want to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God until the day Jesus calls me home, through the rapture or through death. I desire greater fruit in my latter years. I want to walk with God and source fruit for Him, then go see Him. When He is done producing fruit through me, I want to go see Him.

Prayer:

Father, I love You! You are the best. Let my life be an offering to You for Your purposes. Help me to live a yielded life to You in every area. Let me be fruitful until the day You take me home. I don’t want to grow old and go to the grave slowly. I want to win souls and make disciples until You are finished with me, then be brought into glory. Hear my cry today.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Love, Truth, Righteousness, and Peace

 Scripture:

“Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭85‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

This simple statement also describes Jesus in the New Testament, and therefore should describe our lives as His followers. We should be a balance of live, truth, righteousness, and peace. 

Application:

We need to look at our lives and see how we are doing at balancing out these four things. Sometimes we don’t tell the truth because it won’t feel like love. Sometimes we avoid righteousness simply to keep the peace. Jesus was all four things simultaneously and we should strive for that as well. We need to say the hard truth in love and live righteously while maintaining peace. 

Prayer:

Father, teach me to walk in Your Spirit and maintain the proper balance between these four things. Simply said, let me live more like Jesus every day. Show me when to speak up and when to keep the peace. Show me when to lay down the Law and when to walk in grace. I am Yours.

Forever,

Jeff

Generational Ministry

 Scripture:

"Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me." (Psalm 71:18)

Observation:

This powerful verse speaks from the heart of a person who had served God a long time and wanted to keep being used of the Lord. As he was getting older, he wanted to be able to proclaim God's power to the next generation. He wanted God to use him until his dying day. 

Application:

The older I get, the more I want to impart to the next generation. I'm starting to think more generationally instead of things only being about me, I want to see God do things through those who will follow me. I don't want to grow old and feeble. I want to preach of God's miraculous power for as long as He lets me live. I want to be a bridge to the next generation of the power of God.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are great and glorious! You are all-powerful. There is none like You. Let me live long and be strong till the day I see You. Let my life bring You glory and honor now, and as I age. I want to let generations behind me know of Your awesome deeds. You have done so much in my life at this point. I want to share that and more with those coming behind me. 

I'm Yours,

Jeff

Shout it to the Nations

 Scripture:

"Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is." (Psalm 66:1-2)

Observation:

This couplet of verses is powerful and a great reminder to me that God wants us to tell the world of His glory! The Psalmist commands us here to shout and sing God's praises. He doesn't want us to be timid and quiet about our relationship with God. He wants us to boldly proclaim His goodness.

Application:

I want my life to count for Christ. I want to live a life that sings and shouts God's praises to anyone on the planet who will listen. He is good and His mercy endures forever. He is faithful! He is awesome! He is glorious! May the nations praise Him and may I give my life to lifting Him up. I want the whole world to know Jesus. He has been really good to me and I want to share Him with the world.

Prayer:

Father, receive my praise. Help me to shout Your praises to the ends of the earth. You are amazing, faithful, loving, kind, generous, and too much for words! Give me the honor of shouting Your praises in every nation!

Yours Forever,
Jeff

As For Me

 Scripture:

“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

The Psalmist here speaks about God’s power. He says that “as for me” “I will sing about your power.” He goes on to say that he will shout with joy about God’s unfailing love because God is his refuge and safe place. He knew how God was and was determined to celebrate the goodness of God.

Application:

I love the words “as for me.” I can’t help how someone else responds to God’s faithfulness, power, and love, but “as for me” I’m gonna sing about His power. I’m going to sing about His unfailing love because He has been so good to me. I don’t ever want to stop giving God praise in my life. I want to sing His songs forever.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You have been so good to me. You have helped me through the years and have been faithful to hear my cries. You have delivered me from so many bad situations. You have worked in and through my life. You’re worthy of it all!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Honoring God and Impacting Nations

 Scripture:

"I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever." (Psalm 45:17)

Observation:

The Psalmist here tells the Lord that he will bring God the honor he deserves in every generation. Because of that, the nations will praise God forever. God's heart has always been for all nations to know Him. What begins with honoring the Lord ultimately affects the nations.

Application:

When we bring honor to God through the way we live our lives, He will entrust us with more and more responsibility in His kingdom. We must live out lives to bring God honor. It is easy to bring dishonor to the Lord. I want to be a person who bring honor to the Lord, then sees the nations praising God forever.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You honor. Let my heart be pure and let me honor you in every generation. Teach me what brings You honor and what does not. Help me to live a life that causes people to honor You and not disrepect You. Let my life bring Your praise. Let my life affect and impact the nations of the world. I give myself to You. Have Your way in my life.

Yours Forever,
Jeff

Too Many Plans to Number

 Scripture:

"O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them."

Observation:

David says here that God has no equal and that his plans for us are too numerous to list. He is remembering all the times God had worked on his behalf. He was recounting the goodness of God while looking back on the wonders he had performed for them. 

Application:

God has too many plans for us to number them. We can't imagine what God has prepared for us. Our part is believing that and acting on it. His plans for us are amazing and wonderful, but we are participants in His plan. We have to live by faith and trust God to do what He says He will do. As for me, I don't want to miss out on any of God's incredible plans for my life. I don't want to get distracted from His will and His plans.

Prayer:

Father, let my life be completely yielded to You. Help me to remember all that You have done for me in the past while looking forward to the future. I want to fulfill every plan in your agenda for my life. Let me not miss Your voice or be afraid to act on things You have given me to do. 

Yours Forever,
Jeff

My Warhorse or God's Love?

 Scripture:

"Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory - for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love." Psalm 33:17-18

Observation:

The Psalmist reminds us here that we can't count on our own weapons and strategies. For all their strength, they cannot save us. God watches for those who fear him and rely on His unfailing love. God's love is stronger than any weapons or plans we can come up with. Our trust must be in him and not ourselves. When we truly trust Him, He will fight our battles.

Application:

There are times when we need to step back from situations and let God handle them. Our greatest schemes and strategies are nothing compared to God's powerful hand stepping in and dealing with those who are against us. We must learn to surrender completely to God and let Him fight our battles and bring our victory. We give Him our all, then trust Him with our lives.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more and more each day. Teach me to walk in faith and confidence in You and Your word. Help me to not defend myself, but to rely on You in every situation. My life is in Your hands and I trust You completely.

Yours,
Jeff

My Master

 Scripture:

“I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.”” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, the Psalmist declares that every good thing he has, came from God. He put himself in the position of a servant and called Him Master. This was a Psalm of David. David had incredible wealth, popularity, military might, power, and influence, but he called God his Master and realized that every good thing he had came from the Lord.

Application:

Humility is one of the most powerful topics in the Bible. When we realize that everything good in our lives comes from God and that we are simply His servants, He blesses even more. God loves a heart that does what He says and is humble enough to say that anything good din our lives comes from Him. David was a king who saw himself as a servant. We need to walk in that level of humility.

Prayer:

Father, You are my everything. You are the source of every good thing in my life. You are my rock and my salvation. You are my reward. Thank You for loving me, protecting me, backing me up, empowering me for service. Thank You for providing for me and putting me in places I don’t deserve to be in. You are too good to me. You are my Master!

Yours,

Jeff

Learning to Lament

 Scripture:

"But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me." (Psalm 13:5-6 NLT)

Observation:

This Psalm is a lament of why God is not acting quicker to turn things around. He starts by asking the Lord how long he was going to forget him. He laments the sorros in his soul at the time, but the Psalmist closed the Psalm with trusting in God's unfailing love and rejoicing because God had rescued him. He declared that he would sing because God is so good to him. 

Application:

It is okay to lament once in a while and ask God certain questions about why things are not going as we thought they should, but our lament must always, as the Psalms do, turn to praising God for all He has done. We have to learn to praise God in the good times as well as the bad times. Our present realities do not negate the awesomeness of God. We must learn to praise Him in the pain and sing to Him because, whether we see it right now or not, He is good!

Prayer:

Lord God, help me learn to lament well. Let me learn to express my pain without losing my faith. Help me be able to express my frustration without questioning Your goodness. Help me always turn my problems into praise. Let my life be a constant praise to You oh Lord.

Forever Yours,

Jeff