Trust God in Difficult Times

 Scripture:

“Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son, my very own flesh and blood, is trying to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the Lord has spoken to him. Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse.”” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David was in the process of fleeing from Jerusalem because his son Absalom was prepared to take over his kingdom. While he was fleeing, another man came to him cursing him and saying all kinds of terrible things about him. Instead of having the man killed, which most kings would have done, he left it in the hands of God. He thought that maybe even God told the man to curse him. David believed that good and bad come from the hand of the Lord and that God notices our condition.

Application:

We are called on to trust God with our lives. Sometimes people say terrible things about us and even try to get us in trouble, but our hope must always be in the Lord. God sees every detail. He knows every lie told about us. He understands what is happening around us and we can trust God to fight our battles and to take care of us. He is trustworthy. We must learnt to let God fight and not take things into our own hands. God is faithful.

Prayer:

Father, help me to trust You more and more each day. Even when things look bad, help me to know You are working things for my good. Teach me to walk with You and to do excavator what You call me to do. I want to live a life of faith and trust. Help me not to accuse others, but to trust You more. You are my everything. 

Yours,

Jeff

So Much More

 Scripture:

“I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

King David had gotten Bathsheba pregnant and had her husband killed in battle. Nathan the prophet came to him and confronted him about his actions. In that confrontation, the Lord speaks through Nathan and gives the above words to David. It shows God’s heart for us in a special kind of way.

Application:

Sometimes our actions stop the blessing of God from flowing in our lives. As a father, there are times I want to bless my sons, but they may be walking in disobedience, stopping me from giving what I intended. I think when we face the Lord, many will hear, “I wanted to give you much more but you…” God wants good things for His children, but His children must walk in obedience in order to receive His blessing. I don’t want to hear, “I would have given you so much more as well!”

Prayer:

Father, I wanted to walk in a way that You can bless. I want my life to be lived before You in such a way that You never withhold Your blessing from my life. Let my life represent You well and help me t be the person You want me to be. Bless my upcoming trip to Pakistan with Your grace and power. Let Your name be glorified in all things there.

Yours,

Jeff

Who Am I, O Lord?

 Scripture:

“King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David had accomplished much in life before becoming king. He had defeated Goliath, defeated and conquered regions while running from Saul. He became king of Israel. Shortly after being recognized as king, He comes in and sits before the Lord and says, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family that You should have brought me to this point?”

Application:

David’s humility before the Lord is a huge key to his reign and blessing as king. Rather than talking about what he accomplished and how he deserved to be king, he was humbled that the Lord had brought him to this point in his life. Humility before God brings great dividends. When we know we cannot do what needs done, God can get the glory. God will choose the humble over the proud every single time. God has been really good to me and I need to honor Him more for it. 

Prayer:

Father, who am I that You would bless me so kindly. You have been so good to me. You have opened doors for me that I don’t deserve. You have taken me places and done things in and through my life that I am unworthy of. Thank You for allowing me to honor of serving You. Help me to always walk before You in great humility. 

Yours,

Jeff

Overflow

 Scripture:

“David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God who commands armies was with him.” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This simple verse is near the beginning of David’s kingly reign. God was with David and therefore, David’s power grew steadily. The more we humble ourselves before the Lord, the more He blesses our lives. David had the blessing of God on his life and his power grew steadily. 

Application:

The greatest thing we can have in this world is the presence of God. He can cause us to prosper and be in health. He can cause us to be blessed beyond measure. He is able to lift us up above the storms of life. More than anything else in life, I want the presence of the Lord to be with me. When He is with you, your prosper. When He is with you, you always have victory. I need God’s presence to be with me above all else.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk with You. I want to know You and hear Your voice. I want Your presence to be evident in my life. May it be said of Jeff that the Lord was with him in everything he did. I long for You. Fill me up with Your Spirit and let me overflow onto others for Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Honoring Authority

 Scripture:

“The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. David was told, “The people of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.” So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead and told them, “May you be blessed by the Lord because you have shown this kindness to your Lord Saul by burying him.” ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This passage tells of the people of Jabesh Giliad. When they learned of King Saul’s death, they provided a proper burial for him. David was very impressed by this action. The fact that they honored the King, who was trying to kill David. David asked God to bless them for their support of the Lord’s anointed and kindness to him.

Application:

When you do right things, God will take care of you. In this instance, it was the right thing to honor the position of king, even though they may not have loved the person who was king. If we believe the God raises leaders and brings down leaders, we must then show it with our actions. We need to honor those in authority over us, whether we like what they do or not. They are appointed by God to bring about His will.

Prayer:

Father, help me to honor those in positions of authority above me. Teach me to walk in humility and to treat leaders with dignity and respect. Show me how to honor well those You have positioned over my life. I want to walk in Your hair and blessing all the days of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Faithful and Reliable

 Scripture:

“Achish replied to David, “I am convinced that you are as reliable as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us in the battle.’” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭29‬:‭9‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Achish, the king of the Philistines, said this about David. In this story, David had lived among the Philistines for quite a while during the season when Saul was trying to kill him. While among the Philistines, David and his men fought with them and helped them as much as he could. David, while fleeing from his own king, lived among a foreign nation, demonstrated being reliable and faithful to King Achish. To Achish, David was as reliable as the angel of God.

Application:

Am I faithful and reliable when things are not going well for me? Am I faithful while running for my life from the attacks of people? I want to be faithful to the Lord and His calling, no matter what the circumstances are around me. I want to be found faithful and reliable to those around me. I want to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, no matter what is going on in my personal life. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to fulfill Your will for my life in everything I do. Help me to have the right attitude when it feels like things are going backwards instead of forward. Empower me to be faithful and reliable in every situation. Let my life bring Your honor and praise. Teach me to represent You well in my generation.

Yours Always,

Jeff

Authority and Submission

 Scripture:

“The Lord rewards each man for his integrity and loyalty. Even though today the Lord delivered you into my hand, I was not willing to extend my hand against the Lord’s chosen one.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭26‬:‭23‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David had just had his second opportunity to kill Saul, who was pursuing him to kill him. This verse is part of his conversation with Saul after David had the opportunity to kill him and didn’t take it. First, he says that God rewards integrity and loyalty. He then said that God delivered Saul into his hand, but David was not willing to kill the Lord’s chosen one. David had a deep respect for authority.

Application:

When we serve God, there will be people who don’t like us. Our job is to remain loyal and walk in integrity. Our job is to walk humbly before the Lord and He will fight our battles and confirm His calling on our lives. God puts authorities in place and we need to honor them as David did. Just as David refused to lift a hand against God’s authority, we should allow God to fight our battles and remain humble before Him.

Prayer:

Lord God, teach me to walk gimmicky before You and to allow You to fight my battles. Help me to trust You at all levels. Teach me Your ways and let my heart be pure before You. Pour out Your Spirit this week in Pakistan. Heal, deliver, set free, bring new life, and fill people with Your Spirit. Let my answer always be yes to You. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Vindication

 Scripture:

“May the Lord judge between the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭12‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This statement came from David just after he had the opportunity to kill king Saul, who was on a mission to kill David. David had the chance to vindicate himself and kill the man who was desperately trying to kill him. David’s words were powerful in that moment. “May the Lord judge between the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you.” David was trusting God, not himself, to bring vindication. 

Application:

There are times when people do things against us. There are times when people say things or do hurtful things, but our response should be like David’s. We must love people and leave them in the hands of God. We must return love for hate that comes at us, then trust God, not ourselves, to bring vindication. It is easy to strike back, but God wants us to trust Him. We don’t have to defend ourselves when we have the awesome God on our side. I choose to let God fight my battles.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Help me to trust You in this area of my life. When people come against me, empower me to trust You to take care of the situation. Show me how to respond in a way that pleases You. Help me to trust You instead of myself. I don’t want to take things into my own hands. I want to walk, trusting that my God knows best and will take care of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

The Spoils of Past Victories

 Scripture:

“The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there’s nothing here.” David said, “There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!”” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭21‬:‭9‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

David was fleeing from Saul for his life. King Saul wanted David dead and David had no weapon available to him. He was running away from the king, who had many powerful soldiers after David. The only sword available to David as he was fleeing, happened to be the sword of Goliath, whom he had defeated and who made David popular in the first place. God used a past victory to provide for a present problem. 

Application:

Sometimes God will use the spoils of past victories in our present situations to remind us where we came from. God will use things won in past victories to help us remember how powerful He is and that He has everything under control. We must never forget past victories. We don’t dwell in the past, but among some spoils around isn’t a bad thing either. We should value things that God has done in our past to remind us when things are difficult that God will always come through for us. He is faithful! 

Prayer:

Father, help me to never forget the things you have done for me in the past. Help me to walk in faith at all times because I have seen You work in my past. You have done so much in my life through the years. Help me to never forget and to never be afraid of present situations because I see the spoils of past battles in my life. You are awesome!

Yours Forever,

Jeff

God’s Presence Changes Everything

 Scripture:

“Now David achieved success in all he did, for the Lord was with him. When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The Lord was with David and made him successful in everything he did. This caused King Saul to be afraid of him. When God chooses to bless you and fight your battles, people get nervous. You can’t control someone who has the Lord with him or her. The presence of God in our lives makes us successful.

Application:

When we pray, we should seek to be one with God. His presence changes everything! His presence brings success. His presence brings victory. His presence defeats our enemies. Our secret is not in our power, but His. Our abilities are multiplied with Him presence. When we seek first the kingdom of God, He will add all these things into our lives. 

Prayer:

Father, I want Your presence above all else. I want Your presence to be evident in everything I do. I long to be one with You. I want to fulfill Your will, and not my own. I want to do what You are speaking and not lean on the arm and wisdom of my flesh. Help me to live a surrendered life to Your will. Let Your hand be upon my life for Your purposes.

Yours,

Jeff

Follow God, Not Others

 Scripture:

“We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.”” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Israel had lived under judges, who God would send to rescue them in trouble, and to rule for a season. Then they would decide to do their own thing and everything would fall apart. They would then cry out to the Lord, and He would send them another judge. They wanted to be like all the other countries around them and have a king. They wanted a monarchy, but God wanted a theocracy. Even though God always rescued them and sent them a deliverer when things got bad, they wanted a permanent king to rule over them.

Application:

It is easy to fall into the category of those who want to live by their own thoughts and agendas rather than the way God wants us to. We always think we know what we need better than God. Rather than trust Him and follow Him according to His ways, we try to figure things out ourselves and operate from our own minds instead of being led by the Spirit. As for me, I don’t want a king or a self-made decision, I want God to lead my life and direct my steps. I want to fully follow Him and not just do what seems right in my own eyes. I don’t want to live like everyone around me. 

Prayer:

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on You. When things are not good, help me not to look to my own means, methods, and plans, but to put my eyes on You. You are my leader! You are guide! You are my GPS! You are my map! Help me to follow You instead of telling You what to do in my life.

I Am Yours,

Jeff

The Fear of the Lord

 Scripture:

“The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭6‬:‭20‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The ark of God had been captured by the Philistines. It was taken to several Philistine cities. In each place the people broke out with sores and mice invaded that land. They sent it back to the Israelites because they couldn’t handle being under the punishment of the Lord. It came back to Beth Shemesh where 50,000 were struck dead for looking into the ark. They asked the question, “who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

Application:

Beth Shemesh was judged by God for not honoring the Ark, which was the place of God’s presence in their day. They were afraid because of the presence of the Lord. They clearly understood that God expected holiness if they were going to house His presence. In our lives, we should honor the Lord. We are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We should live in the fear of the Lord at all times. He is with us and in us. Therefore, we should be careful about allowing sin into our lives. We should walk in obedience to the Lord at all times because He is all-powerful. 

Prayer:

Father, let my life be lived in great fear and respect for You and Your presence. Teach me how to live with You as my Father, yet as the HOly One of Israel. Teach me the balance between crawling up into Your lap and walking fearfully before You. I want to serve You well and live in such a way that You can bless my life. Show me the balance.

Follow God Wholeheartedly

Scripture:

 “Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty and he will serve my chosen one for all time.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭35‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God was disgusted with Eli’s sons and determined that they both would die for their unholy lifestyles and for their terrible acts of rebellion while serving as priests of the Lord. Samuel is referred to here as the one that God would raise up as a faithful priest who would do what was in God’s heart and soul. God took Samuel, who was not of the priestly lineage, and used him to restore the prophetic and priestly ministry because he had a heart to do what the Lord wanted him to.

Application:

God always looks for a heart that will follow after His heart. He builds dynasties for people who represent Him well. He has always looked simply for the ones who follow His heart and soul. He uses, not the ones who most would choose, but those who know His heart and do His will. Our job is to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, then allow Him to bless our lives and our us in the places He wants us.

Prayer:

Father, You are incredible! Help me to serve You well throughout my life. Let my heart walk humbly before You all the days of my life. Direct my steps and guide my life. Let my ears be attuned to Your voice and not follow the voice of another. As You open doors for my life, help me to walk through them confidently and boldly, knowing that You are with me and that You go before me. I want to walk in step with You every day.

Yours,

Jeff

God’s Source of Blessing

 Scripture:

“He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She is better to you than seven sons!”” ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Naomi’s daughter-in-law, who was not an Israelite, ended up redeeming Naomi’s family, possessions, inheritance, etc. God used a Gentile to bless one of His families. The Bible even calls Ruth better than seven sons. Sons are a blessing to have, daughters were not so much in those days. This Gentile daughter in law was better than seven sons. 

Application:

God can use whoever He wants, whenever He wants to she care of his people. Naomi really had no hope. She returned home with nothing, no husband, no sons, and no money. God took care of her through her Gentile daughter in law. Ruth had told Naomi she wouldn’t leave her and that she would assimilate into Israel’s culture and people. God’s avenue of blessing may not look like what we think. We must never through out what God wants to use because it doesn’t fit our pattern of how God does things.

Prayer:

Father, let me not call unclean what You have called clean. Teach me to follow You well all the days of my life. Show me Your goodness. Thank You for taking care of me all these years. Your faithfulness is incredible. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Use whatever means You see fit to bring Your blessings into my life. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Make Peace and Build People

 Scripture:

“So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭19‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Paul had just written about eating, or not eating, drinking or not drinking, etc. because of your personal convictions. He said that we shouldn’t make another person stumble because of our choices and convictions. In this passage, he tells us rather, to purse peace and what builds each other up. 

Application:

We have a choice to make, do we promote peace by keeping our personal convictions to ourselves, or do we promote our feelings and interpretations of the Scriptures? We must be careful to ravine our lives and pursue what is going to make peace and build up others. We should not be doing things that cause our brothers and sisters to stumble. We should not Salome our freedoms to weaker Christians either. Our end goal should be to build others up in the most holy faith and to make sure they are strong. In other words, we live for others and not for ourselves.

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk in such a way as to build others up. Let my life be used to build You kingdom, not bring shame to it. Let me live in such a way that brings peace among Your people while hunting my personal convictions. Teach me to navigate being a pastor and leader. I want to set a good example and to demonstrate walking in the Spirit. Help me to live a life that makes for peace and builds people up.

Yours,

Jeff

A Godly Outlook

 Scripture:

“For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Different translations use different words to describe the Greek thought in this passage. Generally, what is “outlook” here is “mind” or “thoughts.” The use of the word “outlook” is very thought-provoking. Your outlook is how you see things as you look out into the future. In this translation, it is saying that when we are led by the flesh, our outlook is shaped by the flesh and when we are led by the Spirit, our outlook is shaped by the Spirit.

Application:

Having a good outlook on life is important. A good outlook is an outlook of faith. To change our outlook, we have to change what we are led by. As for me, I want the outlook that comes from being led by the Spirit. Outlook is really about perspective. I want God’s perspective on the things that come up in my life and I want to have a good outlook. Therefore, I need to focus on being led by the Spirit and not the flesh.

Prayer:

Father, I want to be led by You. I want to walk with You and obey You at all times. Show me how to hear Your voice more clearly and teach me to walk in step with Your Spirit. I want to have the right outlook on life. Change my outlook I pray and let me be the person You want me to be.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Strengthen My Faith

 Scripture:

“He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This verse is speaking about the faith of Abraham, who at 100 years old didn’t waiver about the promise that he would have a child with his wife Sarah, who was 90 years old. This verse says that he was “fully convinced”  that God would do what He said He would do. He didn’t waver in his faith, even though it seemed ridiculous that it would ever come to pass.

Application:

Am I fully convinced that God will do what He said He will do? I have to ask myself whether my faith level needs to be increased. There are certain things that I feel like maybe I have given up on, though I know God can still turn them around. I want my faith to be unwavering like Abraham’s. I want to live as a man of faith and not one who wavers when things are not going how I thought they would. 

Prayer:

Father, increase my faith! Help me to believe that when You promise something, it will come to pass. Help me to live by faith and not by sight. Let my eyes be on You and not on the circumstances around me. I want to be “strengthened” in faith like Abraham. Let my life be a life of faith that pleases You.

Yours,

Jeff