Daily Devotional

Scripture Ezra 2:69 According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one thousand gold drachmas, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly garments.

Observation: Do we give according to our abilities? I know I don’t. I give my tithe of all that I receive, but my ability goes beyond that. Everything that I have, including my gifts, talents and time I have is given to me by God. So I have the ability to use all of that in my Lord’s service, but I don’t. I have my moments like tonight Teri and I are going to make burritos for the church and we’ll do a Thanksgiving dinner at the Army and navy Academy, but that is little in comparison to what I can do. I sit at home and waste the precious time that God gives me and I should be doing more.

Application: I need to use everything that God has given me for His glory. The abilities that I give where given to me first and I’m just returning the minas with interest to my Master, but so many times I bury that minas where it doesn’t give any return to my Lord. The time is coming when I will have to give an account to what I did with the talents He has given me and I fear I won’t be ready to give an account that will be pleasing to Him.

Prayer: My Master help me do better in your name. Show me how to make this investment you made in me profitable to You. May this life give interest to you when the time comes and that you will welcome me in with the words I desire to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Scripture Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Observation: I have felt God stir up my spirit and give me different ideas of ministry, to do a Bible study or to volunteer for a mission. Most of the time I think it’s my idea, but deep down I know that God stirred my spirit to get off my butt and do something that will outlast me. Most of the time it takes God’s nudging to get me to do anything, I seem to be to content to sit on the couch and do nothing, but it feels great when God gets me in the game and stirs my spirit to do something that will honor Him.

Application: I need to make myself ready to be doing things that honor God. My time should be spent doing things for others that will please my Lord. I need to take the focus off myself and put it on God’s will for my life. There is so much more that I can be doing and it’s time to be doing it.

Prayer: Dear Lord you deserve so much more than I give you. Please stir up my spirit and get me on the path you want me on. I want to serve you, that is why you created me so please remove this laziness from me and stir up my spirit to please you. I love you Lord may I live a life that shows it.

Scripture 2 Chron 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

Observation: God doesn’t give up easy, but there is a time when enough is enough. God gave me plenty of chances to come to Him and I’m not sure if the last time might have been the last time and I would have left this earth Hell bound. God opens doors, sends people and does miracles to get our attention and gives us an opportunity to turn from our sins and turn towards Him. However the final choice is still ours whether we will humble ourselves and receive Jesus as our Lord and savior or not.

Application: I want to be one of those people God sends to warn others. I want the opportunity to tell others about the love God has for them and if the humble themselves and receive Jesus they too will be saved. I need to look for those opportunities and to prayer to my Lord to use me in whatever way He desires. I need to be that faithful servant God desires me to be.

Prayer: My Lord I am yours, please use me to touch the lives of others in your name. May I be useful to you and that I will speak out boldly about your love and saving grace. I love you Lord and I do want to honor you with this life you have given me.

Scripture 2 Chron 35:21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.”

Observation: If God commands you or someone else do what He commands. Do not get in the way of God’s will, but be in it. If someone is doing God’s will see if you can help in any way or get out of the way. It’s easy enough to distinguish God’s will, if it aligns with scripture and glorifies God it is of God. God may call us to do things that seem strange to us, but always take it to prayer to see how God will use it to fulfill His purpose. King Josiah was the king who got in the way of God’s plan and he was defeated and died. Be on the side of God and be blessed.

Application: I get so involved in me and what I am doing for God I make myself unaware of how God is using others and that He may what me to help them. God has used so many people in my life to guide and help me, as a matter of fact I don’t remember doing anything to glorify God that didn’t involve others. All the outreaches I have done in God’s name involved so many people, even my testimony can only touch others by people helping me find a way to reach them.

Prayer: My Lord guide me in your plan for my life and may I assist others in the plan you have for them. I’m a servant and a servant serves his Master and the guests of his Master. May I be a faithful servant glorifying your name.

Scripture 2 Chron 34:31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

Observation: To make a covenant with God because it seems to be the right thing to do is worth nothing if you don’t do it with all your heart mind and soul. You make a covenant with God because you love, fear Him and desire to please Him and fulfill the purpose He has created you for. We must follow God’s law. Not just some of it, but all of it. This is God’s direction for our life, the path that will keep us safe and if we decide to stray from it we can’t expect God to protect us any longer.

Application: I need to make a covenant with my Lord that I will keep all of His word, because I love Him and want to please Him. I can’t pick and choose what commands I want to keep and which ones I don’t. I need to stand on His promises and trust Him with all of my heart, mind and soul that His will would be done in my life from now on.

Prayer: My Lord I freely give you this life as a living sacrifice may it be Holy and pleasing to you. I love you Lord and I want to please you and I make a covenant with you today that I will keep your laws and draw closer to you.

Scripture 2 Chron 33:13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

Observation: Manasseh did nothing but evil against God. He built and worshiped idols, went against all that God had set up until God didn’t want to take anymore and brought up an enemy to destroy him. If that was me I would have washed my hands of him, but God with His endless mercy saw him repent and beg for forgiveness. So God forgave and brought him back and blessed him and it wasn’t until then that Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. So what will it take for us to know that our Lord is God?

Application: Not only to know that my Lord is good, but to show my Lord how much I appreciate Him. To serve my Lord in any way He desires and to tell others about His unbelievable mercy and grace. To live a life pointing others to God and to use all that God has given me for His glory.

Prayer: My Lord and my God. Speak to your servant so that I may know your desires. Help me live a life that leads to you. Show me how to serve others in your name and not to waste this precious time you have blessed me with. I’m yours and I love you with all of my heart.

Scripture 2 Chron 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Observation: We get so overwhelmed with our daily battles that we forget we don’t have to fight them alone. God will help us fight but we need to call on Him to help us. When we see our battles knowing that the Lord is on our side they seem small compared to what God has in store for us. God is always there and desires to be part of our lives and wants to guide us through this life even the battles we seem to loose from time to time has a meaning and if we search with our hearts knowing God cares and loves us there is always a valuable lesson to learn.

Application: I need to stop trying to fight the battles on my own strength, because I don’t have any. My focus is on me and not my Lord and I need to be focused on Him to make it through this life victoriously. I need to humble myself like the kings and prophets of old and give it to God bowing to His authority and allow Him to guide and fight for me.

Prayer: My Lord I am conquered without you. I’m weak in mind and spirit and need your strength and guidance to get through each day. Even now I’m hurting physically and I’m mentally defeated. Strengthen me and get me through that my eyes would be open to your will and give me victory this day.