Month: December 2020

Scripture: Matthew 22: 37 Jesus replied: ” `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Observation: God deserves all of my love and obedience. Yet I fall short of what I actually give him. My decisions should be based on my love for God because you wouldn’t want to hurt the one you love, which is something I seem to do. If you love someone that much you would tell others about your love and why you love that person that much. Someone you love is on you heart and mind all the time.

Application: Love God more and show him my love in what I do. I tell Teri all the time how much I love and I need to be doing the same with my Lord. In my actions and thoughts I should be showing God how much I love him. There should be nothing that comes close to the love I have for God and I need to show him through my obedience.

Prayer: Dear Father I do love you and you know my heart. Help me fall more in love with you by hearing your voice. Take any distractions away and draw me nearer to you. Speak and I will obey.

Scripture: Matthew 21: [22] If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Observation: That’s the hard part for me if I believe. I’m not sure why it’s so hard for me to believe when God proves himself over and over again. He is always faithful and always there for me yet my lack of faith at times is unbelievable. My prayers will always be empty until I believe first that they will be answered.

Application: I need to trust God completely or I’ll never be able to fulfill the purpose He has created me for. Believe first that what I ask for is already done, according to his will and not doubt.

Prayer: Dear Lord help my unbelief. Open my eyes to your love and give me the strength to live this life the way you desire it to be lived. Increase my faith and draw me nearer to you.

Scripture: Matthew 20:[28] just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Observation: Jesus sets the example why we are here , we’re here to serve. We are to dedicate our life as Jesus gave his to service. We are created for a purpose and that purpose is to serve God and as time goes by we will learn to serve others in his name. We will find our blessings and joy at the time we serve, because there is where we will be closest to God.

Application: Find ways to serve don’t wait until the opportunity comes to me, but search out ways. Make my priority to serve others in God’s name giving him all the credit for my servant’s heart. May my headstone say Mark Buckley, Servant.

Prayer: Dear Lord you are worthy of all my praise, love and obedience. May I serve you and others in a way that is pleasing to you and brings Joy to your heart.

Scripture: Matthew 19: 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Observation: I spend so much time worrying about if I can do some of the things that are set before me. I worry about my job, a home, finances, my family and even serving at the church. I’m more consumed by worry than I am in planning most of the time. It has to get to the point where I have to give it to God instead of giving it to God in the planning stages and allow him to guide me to make it work.

Application: Before I start anything give it to God and ask how he wants it done and ask him to come along beside me to make sure it gets done. If unexpected things happen give them to God and ask for direction on what he desires of me. This life is too difficult to handle by yourself, just the way God planned, we need him to make the impossible, possible.

Prayer: Dear Father work the impossible in my life. May I lay down all my own self interests and ask what it is you desire of this servant.

Scripture: Matthew 18: [4] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Observation: That is a problem I’ve had for most of my life, humbling myself. I was too busy trying to raise myself up at the expense of others to make myself feel better. One of my best moments after I was saved was with a customer when I asked if I could get her anything, as I left she told my associate what a humble man I was.

Application: To remember who I am, a creation of God created for him not me. Realize we are all created by the same God and that I am a servant made to serve others in my Lord’s name. To receive my joy from the Lord and not what other people think of me.

Prayer: Dear Lord your servant is here to serve you and others in your name. Show me how to humble myself as a small child that I may please you and be with you in heaven.

Scripture: Matthew 17: 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. ”

Observation: Faith is something you need to work at. Yesterday at our Bible Study I discovered everything we discussed came down to trusting God, faith and the realization how difficult it is for so many of us. God is so trustworthy yet we can’t let go of our fears and trust him.

Application: Realize God is all powerful and loving and there is nothing he can’t do. Look back in the past and see how God has worked in my life and know if I have faith in him he will continue to work, because he loves me. Let go and let God direct me through this life.

Prayer: Dear Father increase my faith and open my eyes to the things you want me to do. Open my eyes to your wonders and love and let me set my life in your hands.

Scripture: Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Observation: I spend more time worrying about myself then anything. Currently I’m worried about losing our home and where we are going to live instead of focusing on God’s plan for my life. Until I stop thinking of me and focus on what God wants of me I will never fulfill the purpose God has for me.

Application: It’s time to follow my Lord and Savior and see where he wants to lead me. Allow God to work in me and give him everything each day. Stop focusing on me and my needs and start focusing on what God wants me to do.

Prayer: Dear Lord forgive my selfishness and self-centeredness and guide me through this life to be the man you desire me to be. May I take up my cross each day and follow you all the way home. I love you and I know you know my heart, may I show the rest of the world this love.