Scripture:
Obadiah 12 "You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands. You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune. You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble".
Observation:
Obadiah is one of the shortest books in the Bible. It is simply a rant against Edom for the way they treated Judah. Edom had been a thorn in Judah's side for many years, helping other nations attack them, etc. God speaks through Obadiah a rebuke to Edom and tells of their coming judgment as a nation. God's wrath was coming on them. In the above verse, we see a little of God's reasons why. One of the things was that they spoke arrogantly in a time of terrible trouble. God despises pride and arrogance.
Application:
Once again we come to the fact that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Our God is never pleased with pride in any fashion. He wants a humble people who love Him and express their need for Him. When the enemy tries to get you walking in pride, resist the temptation and choose humility. God will bless you for it.
Prayer:
Father, You are showing me so much about pride and humility. Help me grasp it! I want to walk humbly before You and fulfill Your plans for my life. You are my all in all. Without You, I am sunk. My life is Yours. My family is Yours. My everything is Yours.
Your Son,
Jeff
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Lowly and Humble
Scripture:
Zephaniah 3:12 "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord".
Observation:
Zephaniah is a strong prophet with a loud voice of utter destruction coming to God's people, then to the nations around them. In the midst of all the devastation he said God would bring is this simple little verse, "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord". All through scripture we see that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humility is huge in God's eyes. He will bypass a hundred proud people to bless one humble person who trusts in the Lord.
Application:
The prophet said, "it is they who trust in the name of the Lord". The humble and lowly are the ones who really trust in the name of the Lord. When pride steps into our lives, God actually opposes us. When we realize we are sunk without Him, we are blessed. When we promote His and not ourselves, He takes care of us. I want to be a person who trusts in the name of the Lord and the key is humility.
Prayer:
Father, teach me more about humility. You always bless the humble and resist the proud. Help me understand this better. Show me the difference between confidence in You, pride and humility. Teach me more. I want to understand this better. Thank You for this nugget of truth today. You're the best!
Jeff
Zephaniah 3:12 "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord".
Observation:
Zephaniah is a strong prophet with a loud voice of utter destruction coming to God's people, then to the nations around them. In the midst of all the devastation he said God would bring is this simple little verse, "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord". All through scripture we see that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humility is huge in God's eyes. He will bypass a hundred proud people to bless one humble person who trusts in the Lord.
Application:
The prophet said, "it is they who trust in the name of the Lord". The humble and lowly are the ones who really trust in the name of the Lord. When pride steps into our lives, God actually opposes us. When we realize we are sunk without Him, we are blessed. When we promote His and not ourselves, He takes care of us. I want to be a person who trusts in the name of the Lord and the key is humility.
Prayer:
Father, teach me more about humility. You always bless the humble and resist the proud. Help me understand this better. Show me the difference between confidence in You, pride and humility. Teach me more. I want to understand this better. Thank You for this nugget of truth today. You're the best!
Jeff
Monday, February 7, 2011
Yet I will rejoice
Scripture:
Habakkuk 3:18 "yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation".
Observation:
The verse before this statement says, "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty". Habakkuk was saying that no matter how bad it gets, he will rejoice in the Lord, the God of his salvation. When everything in life was going the wrong direction, Habakkuk said, yet I will rejoice in God. WOW!
Application:
Sometimes we go through times where it feels like everything is going bad. Our initial reaction is generally to get down and definitely not to rejoice in the Lord. Here the author helps us see that God is God whether our present circumstances are good or bad. He deserves our praise when we feel good and things are going good as well as when things are going bad. He is still God! We must begin to rejoice in the Lord, even when is seems life is drying up and nothing is going right. That is spiritual maturity!
Prayer:
Lord, help me to rejoice when I see things going great as well as rejoice when nothing seems to be going right. Teach me to be faithful in my praise to You. You are worthy of praise no matter what I am going through. Teach me to rejoice in difficult times, knowing You are my God and You will bring me through.
Yours,
Jeff
Habakkuk 3:18 "yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation".
Observation:
The verse before this statement says, "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty". Habakkuk was saying that no matter how bad it gets, he will rejoice in the Lord, the God of his salvation. When everything in life was going the wrong direction, Habakkuk said, yet I will rejoice in God. WOW!
Application:
Sometimes we go through times where it feels like everything is going bad. Our initial reaction is generally to get down and definitely not to rejoice in the Lord. Here the author helps us see that God is God whether our present circumstances are good or bad. He deserves our praise when we feel good and things are going good as well as when things are going bad. He is still God! We must begin to rejoice in the Lord, even when is seems life is drying up and nothing is going right. That is spiritual maturity!
Prayer:
Lord, help me to rejoice when I see things going great as well as rejoice when nothing seems to be going right. Teach me to be faithful in my praise to You. You are worthy of praise no matter what I am going through. Teach me to rejoice in difficult times, knowing You are my God and You will bring me through.
Yours,
Jeff
Friday, February 4, 2011
Finishing Well
Scripture:
II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful".
Observation:
Paul was approaching the end of his life and he knew it. He was writing his final letter to his son in the faith Timothy about enduring hardship as a good soldier and being faithful in the ministry. In this, he tells Timothy that he was had fought the good fight, finished the race, and remained faithful. He was confident that he had given his very best and was expecting a great reward in heaven. He lived a life that he could honestly say was fully devoted to the Lord.
Application:
Will we have the confidence that Paul had at the end of his life? Will we be able to say that we have finished well? In a race, the most important thing is the finish line. It really doesn't matter what happens on the track during the race. What matters is what happens at the finish line. At the finish line you can look back and see how you did. Hopefully we will be able to look back near the end and say with confidence that we have finished the race, fought the good fight and remained faithful. We should live our lives wanting to hear "well done, good and faithful servant" at the finish line.
Prayer:
Lord, You know me. You know that I want to live a life that pleases You. I want to hear well done good and faithful at the end of it. I want my life to impact eternity for as many as You want me to. I want to finish with the confidence of Paul who knew he run the race well.
Forever Yours,
Jeff
II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful".
Observation:
Paul was approaching the end of his life and he knew it. He was writing his final letter to his son in the faith Timothy about enduring hardship as a good soldier and being faithful in the ministry. In this, he tells Timothy that he was had fought the good fight, finished the race, and remained faithful. He was confident that he had given his very best and was expecting a great reward in heaven. He lived a life that he could honestly say was fully devoted to the Lord.
Application:
Will we have the confidence that Paul had at the end of his life? Will we be able to say that we have finished well? In a race, the most important thing is the finish line. It really doesn't matter what happens on the track during the race. What matters is what happens at the finish line. At the finish line you can look back and see how you did. Hopefully we will be able to look back near the end and say with confidence that we have finished the race, fought the good fight and remained faithful. We should live our lives wanting to hear "well done, good and faithful servant" at the finish line.
Prayer:
Lord, You know me. You know that I want to live a life that pleases You. I want to hear well done good and faithful at the end of it. I want my life to impact eternity for as many as You want me to. I want to finish with the confidence of Paul who knew he run the race well.
Forever Yours,
Jeff
Thursday, February 3, 2011
What are you willing to endure for the Gospel?
Scripture:
II Timothy 2:10 "So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen".
Observation:
Paul is writing to Timothy from a jail cell and is preparing him to suffer for Jesus Christ. He tells Timothy to endure suffering like a good soldier and then tells him why. Paul says he is willing to endure "ANYTHING" if it will bring salvation and eternal glory to someone else. Here you see Paul's heart. He is totally unselfish as he is willing to endure anything for others to come to Christ. He has Christ at the Core and everything else is meaningless.
Application:
What are we willing to endure for the Gospel? What is the point that we would say, "no Lord"? At what point of suffering would we say, "okay Lord, I've had enough. I am done." Paul had been beaten, abused, hurt, mistreated and is now in prison for Christ and is saying he is willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation to someone. We need to realize that there is a higher purpose in our lives than feeling good and having nice stuff. We must put Christ at the Core and live a life that pleases Him. His will must be paramount and everything else must come to nothing.
Prayer:
Lord, rearrange my perspective. Let me see life as Paul did with an eternal perspective. Help me to be driven by eternity and let my life count for eternal things. Help me to set my affections on things above instead of things on this earth. Teach me to live with Paul's level of devotion to You and Your purposes in the earth.
Love,
Jeff
II Timothy 2:10 "So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen".
Observation:
Paul is writing to Timothy from a jail cell and is preparing him to suffer for Jesus Christ. He tells Timothy to endure suffering like a good soldier and then tells him why. Paul says he is willing to endure "ANYTHING" if it will bring salvation and eternal glory to someone else. Here you see Paul's heart. He is totally unselfish as he is willing to endure anything for others to come to Christ. He has Christ at the Core and everything else is meaningless.
Application:
What are we willing to endure for the Gospel? What is the point that we would say, "no Lord"? At what point of suffering would we say, "okay Lord, I've had enough. I am done." Paul had been beaten, abused, hurt, mistreated and is now in prison for Christ and is saying he is willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation to someone. We need to realize that there is a higher purpose in our lives than feeling good and having nice stuff. We must put Christ at the Core and live a life that pleases Him. His will must be paramount and everything else must come to nothing.
Prayer:
Lord, rearrange my perspective. Let me see life as Paul did with an eternal perspective. Help me to be driven by eternity and let my life count for eternal things. Help me to set my affections on things above instead of things on this earth. Teach me to live with Paul's level of devotion to You and Your purposes in the earth.
Love,
Jeff
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Godliness with Contentment
Scripture:
I Timothy 4:6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth".
Observation:
In the verse just preceding this one, Paul tells Timothy that there are those who teach and act very spiritual, but bring division and only want to get wealthy from preaching the Gospel. Paul then tells Timothy that true godliness, with contentment is great wealth. After this verse, he says that we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing with us when we go. True godliness with contentment is actually worth more than any money can buy.
Application:
Money cannot make anyone happy. There are many rich people in the world's eyes who are very miserable people, yet the lie goes on that money will make things better. Money will never make you better, contentment will make you better. Learning to be content in all situations. Whether you have much or little, you can learn to be content and thankful for what you have. This brings about true joy in the Lord. Real joy is found in serving Jesus and others. Learn to be content where you are on the way to where you are going.
Prayer:
Teach me to walk in Your ways and to live the way You want me to. Thank you for the incredible way you have blessed my life. You have blessed me in so many ways and sometimes I am not appreciative for it. Forgive me for not being content in You. Help me to be godly and content, that I may bring glory to Your name. Thanks for speaking to me this morning.
Your Servant,
Jeff
I Timothy 4:6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth".
Observation:
In the verse just preceding this one, Paul tells Timothy that there are those who teach and act very spiritual, but bring division and only want to get wealthy from preaching the Gospel. Paul then tells Timothy that true godliness, with contentment is great wealth. After this verse, he says that we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing with us when we go. True godliness with contentment is actually worth more than any money can buy.
Application:
Money cannot make anyone happy. There are many rich people in the world's eyes who are very miserable people, yet the lie goes on that money will make things better. Money will never make you better, contentment will make you better. Learning to be content in all situations. Whether you have much or little, you can learn to be content and thankful for what you have. This brings about true joy in the Lord. Real joy is found in serving Jesus and others. Learn to be content where you are on the way to where you are going.
Prayer:
Teach me to walk in Your ways and to live the way You want me to. Thank you for the incredible way you have blessed my life. You have blessed me in so many ways and sometimes I am not appreciative for it. Forgive me for not being content in You. Help me to be godly and content, that I may bring glory to Your name. Thanks for speaking to me this morning.
Your Servant,
Jeff
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Pure Heart, A Clear Conscience, and Genuine Faith
Scripture:
I Timothy 1:5 "The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith".
Observation:
Here Paul tells Timothy why he is writing this letter. He wants to see God's people filled with love. He adds three things that love comes from. He says love comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. If a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith are the root, love will be the fruit.
Application:
Love comes from God and the more real we are in our faith, the more Christ will love through us. We should be people who are constantly seeking to become more like Christ. We must have a pure heart - all the right motives, a clear conscience - not doing anything that goes against our conscience, and genuine faith - faith that is real. When we live in this arena, love will flow naturally from us because we are the real deal. We can live the life God wants us to live.
Prayer:
Father, purify my heart. Make me real through and through. I want Christ at the Core of who I am. I want love to flow out of me as it does from You. Help me to walk closer to you and to hear Your voice me clearly.
Love,
Jeff
I Timothy 1:5 "The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith".
Observation:
Here Paul tells Timothy why he is writing this letter. He wants to see God's people filled with love. He adds three things that love comes from. He says love comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. If a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith are the root, love will be the fruit.
Application:
Love comes from God and the more real we are in our faith, the more Christ will love through us. We should be people who are constantly seeking to become more like Christ. We must have a pure heart - all the right motives, a clear conscience - not doing anything that goes against our conscience, and genuine faith - faith that is real. When we live in this arena, love will flow naturally from us because we are the real deal. We can live the life God wants us to live.
Prayer:
Father, purify my heart. Make me real through and through. I want Christ at the Core of who I am. I want love to flow out of me as it does from You. Help me to walk closer to you and to hear Your voice me clearly.
Love,
Jeff
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