Month: March 2023

Scripture 1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Observation: Boy does this sound like so many days in my past. I couldn’t take anymore and all that I wanted was out of here and this is before I knew my Savior. But even after I was saved I had these same moments just wanting to be out of here and not having to go through another day of this misery, unfortunately I wanted to be out of here more than I wanted to be in Heaven. The times I couldn’t stand to be here and wanted to die was when my situation seemed bigger than my God, which in reality could never happen, but that’s how I felt.

Application: I need to realize I’m only here because God desires it so. He could have taken my life so many other times, heck He didn’t have to take it I wanted to freely give it and he wouldn’t allow it. So I’m here for a purpose and that purpose is God’s. I have a testimony now that can be used, a willingness to be used by God and knowledge that He has given me that can be used to help others. I’m not mine, but my Lord’s, I’m a servant and a servant serves and that is what I need to be doing until God calls me home in service with Him.

Prayer: My Lord thank you for saving me for a time like this. May my only fear be that I would let you down. Give me the strength, courage and wisdom I will need to complete the task you have me here for and that it will bring joy to you. I do love you and I know you know, may my life now show it.

Scripture 1 Kings 18:3 And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly.

Observation: I fear so many things in my life and fearing something gives it authority. I fear what others think, taking chances, doing something I never did before, finances, and so many other things, giving them importance in my life. I love my Lord, but I don’t fear Him the way I should. I should be more afraid of disappointing God than anything else, I don’t mean He will wipe me out or torture me, but the fact that I let Him down should be enough to fear my Lord. There is nothing more important than our Lord and God, nothing on this earth can harm me, but God has my eternal life in His hand and His love for me keeps me going.

Application: When something gives me fear I need to focus immediately on God. When I fear something else I’m telling God that I don’t trust Him and something else is more important in my life than Him. God has protected me all of my life and I need to have a reverent fear of my Master He is the one in control and if I will just put Him first in my life there is nothing left to fear.

Prayer: My Lord I fear that I will not please you today by putting others things before you. The enemy has my number and knows how to distract me, fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the strength to turn away from everything else put you. I love and trust you with this life give me the strength and courage to live this each day.

Scripture 1 Kings 17:4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

Observation: God can command anything since He created it. Imagine that He commanded the ravens to bring him food. God could have told Elijah to go to a certain place to get food, but God told him to relax and He would take care of room service. If God can command the birds and animals to help us, what about other people? I know God has used so many people in my life to help guide and take care of me. There is no reason I should still be alive and enjoying the blessings from God, but He used others to help me stay on the path.

Application: I want to be the person God uses to help someone. I want to always be available to God and I want Him to use me to make a difference in someone’s life. My eyes need to be open to what God is doing in my life whether I’m to be used to help someone or that He will put someone in my life to help me.

Prayer: My Lord please use me to make a difference for you. Use me as a tool to bring someone closer to you. Show me how to serve others in your name and be there when someone might need me. I’m your servant, use me to serve your children.

Scripture 1 Kings 16:33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Observation: I look at the time we live in now and have to believe we are living in the time that we provoke the Lord more than any other time. We can see all that God has done, we have His word to follow and especially in America we are blessed beyond anywhere else, but we continue to become more and more ungodly every day. Besides setting up idols, blaspheming God, having more and more religions replacing our Lord, we are becoming a place where it’s not appropriate to mention Jesus, God or Christianity. We have made homosexuality a way of life instead of a perversion and if we say anything against it we are considered haters instead of lovers of or brothers and sisters.

Application: No matter what the pressure this world may put on me I need to preach the word of God as He desires. I need to live a life for my Lord and stand up against any opposition and I need to tell others about the love He has for them. I may not make much of a difference, but my responsibility is to honor God above all, to love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul. A time is coming when this world will pass away and a new earth will come and in both I’m here to serve my Lord.

Prayer: My Lord I write what I should do and live another way. I’m a sinner and need your guidance and the Holy Spirit to stand strong against the opposition of this world. Show me how to make a difference for you. I thank you for the gentleman you put in my path at Costco to tell me you used me to help him with depression, continue please to use this testimony and the gifts you have given me to glorify you.

Scripture 1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.

Observation: Scriptures tell us that God does not look at men as we do, but God looks at the heart and Asa had a heart to be proud of. A loyal heart would not let anything evil into it and would be filled with the love for God. I do not have a loyal heart, as much as I want one, my heart and mind stray from God and what pleases Him. Prideful, lustful and evil can be found in my heart, not leaving enough room for God to reign in my life. I have my moments when God is first and He is pleased with me, but the moments are few and I’ll never be able to say my heart was loyal to God all the days of my life.

Application: I may not be able to say my heart was loyal all the days of my life, but that can’t stop me from being loyal from this point on. My God deserves better than I’ve been giving Him, He deserves all I have. I need to strive to be like Asa, having that loyal heart a heart that God can see and be pleased. I need to control my thoughts better filling them with whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Prayer: My Lord I’m so weak, help me give me a heart transplant. Transplant in me a loyal heart, a heart that glorifies you the rest of my life here and then for all eternity. I love you and I know you know that, because you can see my heart, but you also know you are not the first thing in my mind. Please help me change that so that you have your rightful place in my heart and mind where you belong.

Scripture 1 Kings 14:22 Now Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.

Observation: So why would God be jealous? He loves us and has done everything for us and yet we are constantly turning our back on Him. He wants us to love Him as He loves us, even though that can’t happen because we are incapable of that kind of love, but to deliberately seek other things to love, which don’t love us would be extremely hurtful. It is out of sure defiance and sin that when we turn our back on our Lord and the disasters that occur is not because God’s hand is against us, it’s because He lifts His hand of protection off of us.

Application: Each day my mind wanders and it wanders to negative and hateful thoughts for no reason. It seems I can’t be alone for more than a few minutes before hateful things come to mind. Sometimes I put my job, finances and my desires above God’s, will more than a few times, most of the time. I may not do it intentionally, but it still must be disappointing to God to see someone He has given so much to and has been so patient with to turn his back on Him.

Prayer: My Lord I love you, I do and I know you know my heart and I’m trying to be better. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and change me and draw me close to you that you are always on top of my thoughts and I see people through your eyes and not mine. I want to finish well and bring a smile to your face each day and no longer disappointment.

Scripture 1 Kings 13:18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)

Observation: Here a prophet claiming he was talking to the Lord, lied and convinced the prophet what he said was true. In this account it is the person who listened to the lie, instead of what he was told from God, that suffered the consequences. That is happening today with all of the false religions, men telling others that their religion is from God when it’s not. Even though I believe the liars will suffer more, the ones who believe the lie and not God will also suffer eternal punishment. We are responsible to seek the truth and not accept with others say. When the apostle Paul spoke to a church before they believed what he said they searched the scriptures to make sure what he said was true and we are also held to know the word of God and His commands.

Application: I talked to so many people and everyone has an opinion, including myself. I need to be accountable to God for this life so first when I say something I need to know that it is true or if it’s my opinion make sure that I say it is and not fact. When other talk to me I should listen and ask for discernment and search God’s word for the truth. I need to find those who have been lied to about what the Bible says and that follow misguided religions the truth that is in God’s word.

Prayer: My Lord the enemy has this world going around in circles with all the lies that are in it. Only your word holds the truth, help me spread your truth to this dying world and use me to touch somebody today. Guide me to only speak truth that I will not say things to make myself look wiser, but to always speak from my heart the things of you.