Obedience When it is Difficult

 Scripture:

“We will obey what the LORD our God to whom we are sending you tells us to do. It does not matter whether we like what he tells us or not. We will obey what he tells us to do so that things will go well for us.”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭6‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Judah was being overtaken by Babylon and they asked Jeremiah to go hear the word of the Lord. They said, “We will obey what the LORD our God to whom we are sending you tells us to do… we will obey.” Jeremiah went to the LORD and got a word from God. The Lord told him to tell them that they should stay in the land and He would protect them from the Babylonians. They promised to do whatever the LORD spoke, until the LORD spoke. They decided to go to Egypt rather than obey the voice of the LORD. 

Application:

It’s easy to say, “LORD, I will do whatever You ask me to do. I’ll go where You want me to go and live how You want me to live.” These are wonderful promises we make to God, but God looks for action, not intent. He wants to know if we will really follow Him, or only if it is convenient. We constantly say things like, “God knows my heart” which is really an excuse not to put into action what God is speaking to us. Obedience needs to be our final voice. We speak with our actions. As for me, I want to do what the Lord speaks to me. I want to fulfill all that He has for me in my life. 

Prayer:

Father, help me not to be one who says one thing, but does another when times get tough. Help me to live for You completely and never surrender to the voices around me. Help me to walk in Your Spirit every moment of my life. Teach me Your ways and let me finish everything You have set apart for me to do. I am Yours.

Forever,

Jeff

Trust God

 Scripture:

“I will certainly save you. You will not fall victim to violence. You will escape with your life because you trust in me. I, the LORD, affirm it!”’”” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭39‬:‭18‬ ‭NET‬

Observation:

In this passage, God is speaking about Ebed Melech, an Ethiopian. It was a time of devastation for most, but this man was spared because he trusted in God. He wasn’t an Ethiopian, but one who trusted in God. Therefore, he was spared when judgement came. He escaped the same violence that killed  everyone else, why? Because he trusted God.

Application:

Trust and faith can be used almost interchangeably. When we have faith in God, and trust Him, He will make a way to protect us from every attack that comes against us. When we walk with Christ, we are covered from all attacks of the enemy. God honors faith. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. As we seek Him, He fights our battles. That’s a really good trade deal.

Prayer:

Father, May I always be a seeker of You and a seeker of truth. I want to know You more and more each day. Help me to walk with You faithfully and to follow Your voice completely. May my life accomplish everything You planned for it to accomplish. Teach me to yield completely to You. Let me represent You well on the earth in my generation. I want to make You known in all the earth.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Real Struggles in Ministry

 Scripture:

' Why did I ever come forth from my mother’s womb? All I experience is trouble and grief, and I spend my days in shame.'  Jeremiah 20:18

Observation:

In this chapter, Jeremiah is wishing he had never been born. He says that God made him become a prophet and that he would really rather do something else. He says that he is tired of being ridiculed for being such a negative prophet and always speaking of destruction. By the end of the chapter, he says this verse. He is depressed and wishes he had never been born. He sees nothing but bad, trouble, grief, and shame.

Application:

It is good to realize that even some of God's most powerful and accurate prophets struggled with times of wanting to quit. The Bible is beautiful in that it doesn't hide these things or soften them. We can see how people really felt in the Scriptures. For my application, I must admit that there are times I feel like Jeremiah and wish I could have done something else. There are times when I struggle because things have not happened like I wanted them to. There are times when I struggle because I feel like I have failed as a leader because people aren't following. My application today is that when I feel like that, I realize that Jeremiah and other incredible people of God had their days of struggle as well. 

Prayer:

Father, thank You for making Your word real and honest about the lives of those in the pages. You didn't hide anything. You show us how they really felt. Thank You for being with me all the days of my life. Forgive me when I complain to You, and help me to remain faithful to all You ask of me. Help me keep a right perspective during times of trial and change. 

Yours Forever,
Jeff

The Pottery Barn

 Scripture:

' “I, the Lord, say: ‘O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter’s hand.’ ' Jeremiah 18:6

Observation:

God showed Jeremiah a potter's house and showed him the potter at the wheel. As the potter worked with the clay, it changed several times before the final product was complete. We, like Israel, are like clay in the hands of the potter, we must let Him work in our lives to make us into His desire for us. We can't self-create what we want. We must serve the potter and trust Him to work out the details of our lives.

Application:

We must live our lives in the hands of the potter. We must allow God to work on us, shaping us into what he has designed for us to be. We must stay on the wheel while He is working and not take ourselves off because we don't like the way He is working on us. Our place is to be pliable and workable clay in the potter's hands, allowing ourselves to be shaped into His image. We don't live our lives for our own purposes, but for the purposes of our Creator.

Prayer:

Father, teach me to live a life shaped by Your hands. Help me to accomplish everything You want me to accomplish. You are awesome, and I want to serve You well. Teach me Your ways and let me walk on Your paths. Guide my steps and work through my life. Pour out Your Spirit this week in Ghana as I share Your word. Let my ears be open to Your voice and my heart be pure.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Our Hope is in the Lord

 Scripture:

' Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this.”' 
Jeremiah 14:22

Observation:

In this passage, God's people cry out to Him because they have heard His plans of destruction for Judah. They told the Lord that none of the worthless idols can bring rain and the skies themselves cannot bring rain, but that the Lord can do this. Therefore, their hope was in the Lord. 

Application:

There is no sense in trying to serve ourselves or the gods of the people around us. It is God alone who can bring rain from heaven. It is God alone who can work on behalf of His people. Our trust must be in something solid that is trustworthy. Only God Almighty is really able to deliver us when things are bad, or heal us when we need healing. Our trust must not be in man or any idol. Our trust must be in the Lord. He alone is worthy to be praised and worshiped.

Prayer: 

Father, teach me to trust You more and to never try to work things out on my own. Teach me to walk with You throughout my journey. You are amazing, and I love You with all my heart. Help me to walk humbly before You. Move in power this week in Ghana. Touch many lives for Your glory. Let Your kingdom be extended through our work here.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Humility and Special Favor

 Scripture:

“My hand made them; that is how they came to be,” says the LORD. I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66‬:‭2‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking here through Isaiah and tells His people that He shows special favor to the humble and contrite, and those who respect what He has to say. This is a very clear blessing for those who remain humble before God and who tremble at His voice. He promises “special favor.”

Application:

My place in serving God is to walk humbly before Him and to do whatever He speaks and puts into my heart. For me, I want to live in the “special favor” category. Therefore, I must walk in humility and contrition. I need to, as the end of the verse says, “respect” what God has to say. I want to live my life in obedience to God’s call and will for me. 

Prayer:

Father, You are my everything! Help me to walk in humility, contrition, and realizing that You made, You called me, You anointed me, and I can do nothing apart from You. I ask You for special favor this morning. Help me to walk in humility every day of my life and to follow You completely. 

Yours,

Jeff

Divine Intervention

 Scripture:

“Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who intervenes for those who wait for him.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭4‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah speaks in this passage about God. He lets us know that no one has ever heard or seen any God that comes even close to our God. He describes God by saying that He intervenes for those who wait for Him. He is not just a god out there to be worshiped, but He is a God who intervenes in the lives of real people.

Application:

In this beautiful passage about God intervening in the lives of His people, we see that there is one condition. He said God intervenes for those who wait for Him. Waiting is much harder than we like to think. God promises to come through for us, but we must sometimes be willing to wait. Waiting implies we are looking forward to a better future once God intervenes. 

Prayer:

Father, teach me to wait. Help me to walk in patient expectation of Your promises. Lord, I’m with Isaiah, the world has never seen or heard of a God like You. You never fail and always come out as the victor. Help me to live in faith, knowing that You will intervene in the situations of my life. 

Yours,

Jeff

The Rest of the Promise

 Scripture:

“to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the LORD to reveal his splendor.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This verse actually continues a word from verse 2, which is very familiar. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has anointed me to… in this verse “strengthen those who mourn in Zion, giving them a turban instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, praise instead of discouragement, and they will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord.” This is the rest of the promise that Jesus came to fulfill. These trade offs are incredible promises to God’s people, but we have to walk in them. 

Application:

We need to shift our thinking from mourning, discouragement, and ashes, to joy, praise, and righteousness. Jesus, at the beginning of His ministry preached the text right up to this point, and probably this as well. He came, not just to deliver us, heal us, and free us, but to give us joy, praise, and righteousness. We must make the decision to walk in what Jesus has already provided. Today, I choose joy, praise, and righteousness. I want to live for what Jesus died for.

Prayer:

Father, let Your joy fill my life! Let Your peace fill my life. Let Your love fill my life. Let me represent You well in all that I do. Teach me Yours ways and help me to walk in Your paths. You are incredible and I love You more each day. Let my life reveal Your splendor as the end of this verse says. Reveal Yourself through my life. I give it completely to You for Your purposes.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Sabbath Rest

 Scripture:

“You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat the LORD’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals. Then you will find joy in your relationship to the LORD, and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” Know for certain that the LORD has spoken.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

In this passage I see the importance God puts on observing the Sabbath. He tells His people they must look forward to Sabbath and treat it with respect. He reminds them that they are to refrain from their normal activities on that day, then they would find joy in their relationship with the Lord. He adds that He will make them very prosperous and would bless their crops if they would love the Sabbath.

Application:

When God rested on the seventh day, it wasn’t because He was tired. He was showing us the importance of what later would become one of the Ten Commandments. When I look at Sabbath in the Old Testament, I see God promises incredible things to those who follow it and do what He says. We are not under the OT Law anymore, but we can definitely learn from it what God wants for His people. He wants us to rest in Him and trust Him with the results by taking a day to honor Him.

Prayer:

Father, help me to Sabbath well and to trust that You will take care of things in my life when I honor You with one day per week. Teach me to walk with You and to honor Your commands. I want to live in such a way that You can bless my life. Help me to trust You more and to walk in obedience to Your commands. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Don‘t Be Ashamed or Fearful

 Scripture:

“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame! Don’t be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated! You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth; you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭4‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah speaks to God’s people here saying that they will not be put to shame. He told them not to be intimidated because they would not be humiliated. He encouraged God’s people to forget about the shame of their youth and to forget about the disgrace of their abandonment. This promise comes to all of God’s children.

Application:

God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. As believers, we need to forget about our shame because we are cleaned by the blood of Jesus Christ. We need to stop thinking through a shame based mindset. He that the Son sets free, is free indeed. We are meant to live in freedom, not fear. We are to live by faith, not fear. We should never be intimidated, no matter how bad things look at the time because God will bring us out. We have nothing to fear because we have the Lord on our side.

Prayer:

Lord God, help me to walk in faith and not fear. Teach me to trust that You know all things and that You have my nest interests in mind. Help me not to walk in fear, but to know I have heard from You and then be bold and confident. Help me to lead Your people well. Let me never lead from a shame-based mindset, but by a faith-based mindset.

Your Son,

Jeff

Overwhelming Joy

 Scripture:

“Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return; they will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them, happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and suffering will disappear.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51‬:‭11‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Isaiah speaks to God’s people here saying that those whom the Lord has ransomed, will have a happy shout, and overwhelming joy. He says that grief and suffering will disappear from them. These are incredible promises for God’s people who are ransomed.

Application:

The cross paid our ransom as New Testament believers. Therefore, we can claim this promise as our very own. This morning I am claiming unending joy as a crown, and overwhelming joy as mine. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and Should be a significant part of our lives as Christians because of the Holy Spirit. Grief and suffering have to go away from our lives because we have been ransomed.

Prayer:

Father, I claim Your joy, happiness, and peace in my life. I thank You that Jesus paid the ransom for my life and therefore, I don’t have to live in suffering and grief. Help me to walk in the Spirit every day of my life. Teach me to follow Your ways and to live a full life. I want to represent You well in my generation.

Your Son,

Jeff

God’s Self-Description

 Scripture:

“This is what the LORD, your protector, says, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you how to succeed, who leads you in the way you should go.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭48‬:‭17‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God is speaking in this passage and He tells His people that He is their protector. God protects what belongs to Him. He goes on to say that He teaches us to succeed and leads us in the way we should go. We are never left on our own to figure things out. He is with us, protects us, leads us, and teaches us how to succeed.

Application:

God delights in blessing His people. He loves to prosper those who are fully committed to Him. He is faithful to His word and does what He says He will do. We can trust our God. He is the only one who can lead us into all truth and bless our lives with prosperity. We must learn to trust Him more and more each day. We must listed for His voice and follow Him completely. We can then walk in His abundant provision. 

Prayer:

Father, You are good and Your mercies are new every morning. You are my strength and my shield. You are my help and my source. Thank You for loving me, caring for me, and showing me my next steps at all times. Continue to guide me into all truth. Lead me into a life that You can prosper. Help me to accomplish everything You put me in this world to accomplish. I am Yours.

Forever,

Jeff

Joshua and Jordan

 Scripture:

“For I will pour water on the parched ground and cause streams to flow on the dry land. I will pour my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your children. They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, like poplars beside channels of water. One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ and another will use the name ‘Jacob.’ One will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and use the name ‘Israel.’”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NET‬

Observation:

This is a word for Israel given by Isaiah. He says that God is going to pour water on dry ground and make streams flow on dry land. He said He would pour His Spirit on their offspring and bless their children. He said they would be like trees along the banks of a river. He said one would say, “I belong to the Lord” and the other would write on his hand, “The Lord’s”. My sons are Joshua and Jordan Jacob. 

Application:

I am taking this word today as a prophetic word for my personal direct descendants. I want to see God pour out His Spirit on my two sons. One of them already has “YHWH” tatooed on his hand (wrist). They are both “Jacob” by name. Joshua has a tatoo of Psalm 23:4 “I will not be afraid because You are with me.” 

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for this today. I claim that both my sons will have an outpouring of Your Spirit in their lives. May they walk with You and know You intimately. Let them follow You and grow into trees of righteousness.  Let them both be set apart for You and Your purposes.

Forever Yours,

Jeff