November 23, 2024

Rejection and Persecution

April 29, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Matthew 5:10

  • Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60)
  • The Apostles were put in jail for teaching in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:17-33)
  • John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12)
  • Jesus was crucified

As Americans we are blessed and privileged to have the luxury of not being likely to suffer extreme persecution.  Our modern-day persecution largely consists of Christians being labeled as intolerant.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12

Christian’s are destined for persecution.  Our Lord’s teachings go against everything the systems of this world idolizes.  God’s children were not made to be accepted by the world.  No!  We were called to be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16).  Different.  Godly.

I think one of the toughest tests of faith is persecution, right alongside hardship and loss.  Even Peter failed to stand for Jesus and he walked to Him on water! Standing up and openly claiming Jesus as your Lord can be scary.  Nowadays, the worst that we face is denial from people (people we were never suppose to be accepted by), thank God for America.

Rejection isn’t an easy thing to face.  Jesus himself was rejected, though, but of course that doesn’t make it any easier.  Here’s how I’ve decided to look at rejection.  When faced with the choice to stand for Christ or not—to face possible rejection or not—if we choose to deny Christ to be accepted by people, we are rejecting Christ.  Is rejecting Christ worth not being rejected ourselves?

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.
Luke 12:8-9

Will you stand for Christ in front of man?

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Lord, I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about being beheaded!  Give me the strength to stand for You, regardless of whether it’s easy or not.  Right is right and Your truth is truth.  One easy, but wrong, choice can set us on a road we never intended to take.  Help us to make the right tough choices now so we won’t have to pay the consequences later.  I pray that I do not shy away from proclaiming Your name to the world!  Amen.

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What Truly Matters

April 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.  That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Matthew 5:9 MSG

This verse immediately made me think of the peace I experience internally. To have the ability to spread the Prince of Peace’s peace sounds awesome! But first we need to make sure we are showing what peace looks like in the Church.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

Formal clothes…jeans.  Tie…no tie.  Saturday…Sunday.  Three hour service…one hour service.  Bible study…no bible study.  Some things which we allow to come between us as a Church are… trivial.  God called us to be One Body.  One.  Yes, we all have different functions, but we are still one Church.

So then, let us aim for harmony in the Church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat! Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

Romans 14:19-20

I’ve been told before, by non-believers, that they don’t believe in God because of the inconsistencies in churches. This, along with “not living right enough,” and religion (vs. relationship) are common reasons I’ve heard.

To me this is saying that we as the Church need be mindful of how we represent our God. It irks me when Christians teach/preach the Bible and it’s incorrect. If someone came to me with a list of things I couldn’t do, I’d be turned off by it, too. Tell me about a Maker who cares about the hurts and heartache of this world AND wants to have a relationship with me and you’ve got a better chance!

Yes, sadly there are going to be those people/organizations that claim to do things in the name of the Lord that are off-balance, but our representation of the One, True, Living, Loving God can outshine anything. God’s character is so fantastic and we have got to portray it right!

As long as the true Gospel, from the Bible is being preached (nothing more, nothing less), we the Church, should be able to link together and represent a united and whole God to the world.  One God.  One Christ.  One Church.

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Lord, help us not let our differences hinder people from seeing You.  Instead let the Church’s light shine bright on the path leading to You because You care more about people than traditions and appearances.  Thank You that we do not have to shine Your light on our own, but have brothers and sisters to help us! Help us to be kind to one another and stay focused on who truly matters—You!  Amen.

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Create In Me a Pure Heart

April 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8

You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.  Then you can see God in the outside world.
Matthew 5:8 MSG

Create in me a clean (pure) heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

I remember when I found this gem of a verse.  For months afterward, I prayed Psalms 51:10-12 over myself.  As a result I witnessed godly change in myself and my life.  Was I perfect during this time?  Ha!  Far from it, but daily I turned my eyes to God and asked Him to create a pure heart in me.  I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to God in my life.

A pure heart is a focused, undivided, unburdened heart.  There is no way for you to dwell in the Presence of God daily, hourly, minute-by-minute and hold on to lust, hate, bitterness, unforgiveness, guilt, condemnation, or any sin forever. God’s Presence is Holy and if you seek Him, He will shed His Light on your life and show you what He does not find pleasing…and then you will experience conviction.  Not condemnation, but conviction.

I know that I’m not the only one who can say that they have tried to run from conviction before—which eventually is running from God.  AlthoughI did manage to run from God for twenty-two years, He eventually caught me.   Needless to say, running from God can be difficult.

I struggled with figuring out what to write this devotional about until the Lord reminded me of Psalm 51:10 and my own personal experience with the verse. And then He asked me why I had stopped pursing a pure heart wholeheartedly. (To which I, of course, had no answer.)

Knowing where I’ve come from and where I am now, I thank the Lord for all He has done for me and how He has transformed me to be more like Him.  But He’s not done and I should never stop seeking to have a pure heart.  Plus, if pure-heartedness is what helps me see God this side of heaven, I most definitely want to strive after it.

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, a pure heart—this is what I ask.  You alone can transform my heart.  Show me that which is unpleasing to You, and give me a steadfast spirit to sustain me. In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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Undeserved Mercy

April 9, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Matthew 5:7 NIV

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is by his great mercy that we have been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now we live with great expectation….
1 Peter 1:3

Every Christian has received mercy.

The fact that we can call ourselves born-again Christians indicates that we have been shown mercy.  God, in all His infinite wisdom and knowledge, gives mercy—freely.  Not only is God’s mercy free, but He offers mercy to everyone.  Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant.  The story of the gospel is a story soaked in mercy!  He offered mercy to the women caught in adultery.  He showed mercy to Peter after he denied Him three times.

Each of these stories illustrate God’s mercy, but there is another account I want to focus on….

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord ? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
Jonah 3:10-4:3

Reading Jonah’s response makes me laugh.  Literally, he wants to die because God showed mercy to a repenting city.  The difference between Jonah’s story and our day to day lives is that the people we are asked to give mercy to are the ones who steal from us, who hurt us and our loved ones—the ones who don’t deserve it and for good reason!

Oversimplified, the concept of showing mercy is give because you received. God gave us mercy and so we should give it.  (And before the comparing and contrasting starts…remember, a sin is a sin.)

I personally find it easier to extend mercy by calling it “undeserved mercy.”  This helps remind me that I’m not giving it because it’s deserved, but that I’m giving it because I didn’t deserve it and yet, I got it.

Oh, and don’t forget to accept mercy from God and be merciful to yourself.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord, for Your new mercies.  Thank You for Your endless mercy. And help me to extend the same mercies to those around me.  Praying in Jesus’ name, amen.

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God’s Justice

March 31, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

I’ve always been one to want fairness and for justice to come into play.  Before I got saved, the ideals I held said that, if you did wrong, you should be punished.

So, imagine how shocked I was when I got saved and actually started reading the Bible for myself.  A Christian murderer forgiven and used to write most of the New Testament (the Apostle Paul).  I myself am not surprised that I favored the Old Testament to the New. In the Old Testament people got what they deserved—Sodom and Gomorrah burned to the ground; the Israelites were hard-headed and -hearted and were made to wander around the Promised Land until they got it together; even the man after God’s own heart (David) suffered the consequences of his affair.

Needless to say, people should have consequences for their actions. But I understood this in an extreme sense. Talk to me about justice, I could give you the Law. Then talk to me about mercy or grace and you would see me struggle to make the connection between the three.

Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
Psalms 45:6-7

Mercy, grace and justice…in my mind, there was no way they could mix.  God is a mighty God, a Sovereign God, a loving, caring, merciful, and just God—and He understands the balance between the three.

Jesus is what mercy, grace, and justice look like wrapped up into one.

 And now when I see wrong, I don’t excuse it.  But I don’t try to bring the gavel down so quickly; instead I seek God and ask for His insight.  Jesus died for me, for you, for all of us!  One God to perfectly live among us.  One man to die for the world’s sin.

Where is the justice in Calvary?  An innocent man died for all of mankind.  I am free and I am forgiven and I experience grace because my God said He loved me so much!  He could not imagine living apart from me and so He came and did what only He could do.

Justice?  What we see as just is not often what God sees as just.  God’s justice is seasoned with grace and mercy.  And oh! how thankful I am!  Thankful that Jesus did not stay in the grave.  Thankful that Jesus was given His throne in heaven.  Thankful that Jesus will be coming again.

Justice?  There is a big picture when it comes to God’s justice.  Your situation may not seem fair, but our God is a God of justice!  Seek Him.  Ask Him to show you!  And remember…the battle is the Lord’s to fight.

  *  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank you, Lord, for Your awesomeness, Your amazingness and Your never-ending love.  We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Humility

March 27, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 
Matthew 5:5

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less.  That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. 

Matthew 5:5

Humility…this is one of those words church people say alot, but sometimes don’t understand.  I can see why when there are verses like Philippians 2:3 in the Bible.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind
regard one another as more important than yourselves.

Humility is definitely something I struggled with at first and I’m still learning how to live this out.  The Message Translation (in Matthew 5:5) explains it as being “content with who you are—no more, no less.”  According to Philippians 2:8, Jesus was an example of humility when He “…humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death to the cross!”

I like to think of humility as accepting myself just the way I am this very minute; and understanding that, although I may not be perfect, I am loved and adored by the Most High…and if God can love me, then I can love me.  Humility to me is looking at another person, whether they be a murderer, thief, or liar (all of which are sins), and understanding that I am no better than they are.  They sin and I sin…and a sin is a sin.  Paul makes this concept simple in Romans 3:23 and 24:

For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified FREELY by His grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

When we see others who sin, our thoughts shouldn’t consist of “Oh, at least I don’t do that,” and we shouldn’t think of one sin as worse than another.  Instead we should be concerned with whether they have heard the gospel and if they know the awesome Savior, Jesus Christ.  And if they do? Great!  And so we should…

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24

Don’t be so harsh with your brothers and sisters in Christ.  None of us are perfect, and although we may (or may not) strive to be perfect ambassadors for Christ, we all make mistakes.  One of my favorite verses (Proverbs 24:16) is, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and he rises again….”

A perfect example of humility is shown in Luke 7:36-50.  This passage tells the story of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman.  This woman knew who she was.  She knew who she needed, as well.  She could have looked at herself and felt that she was unworthy or “too” immoral/sinful; but she humbled herself and approached Jesus. The Pharisees, of course, looked down on this woman and criticized Jesus for allowing her to touch Him.

Jesus is willing to accept all…all can humbly approach His throne.

Thank You, Lord for loving me.  I am so thankful that I can do nothing to make You love me more or less—I am loved!  It’s just that simple.  Help me to remember not to complicate the love You give me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Surrender

March 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 6—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’  Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
Matthew 5:4 MSG

One of the major issues that I had with God, an All-Knowing Sovereignty, is how the world could be so messed up—if God truly were in control, then how did things get so out of whack and why didn’t He do anything about it!  Why did it seem that this all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving God had no interest or control of the world He created.

When I questioned why should I trust a God that didn’t seem to care about me and my life, the Holy Spirit replied, “You don’t care about Me and what I’m doing.”  I paused and thought about it.  The truth was I didn’t care about God and what He was doing; all I cared about was what He could do for me and that He make my life exactly the way I wanted it. Me!  God wasn’t about anything bigger than being my personal genie.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it.
Matthew 10:39

The Lord opened my eyes by pointing out that He was not the problem—I was.

You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
Matthew 5:4

I have always been worried about being “too normal” or “not me” anymore.  When I felt the Lord tugging at me to give Him my all, I hesitated.  I knew that obedience would mean that I would be changing.  I was afraid that if I let God change me, then I would no longer be myself and would instead be some robot lacking personality.

I can laugh about it now, but then, I was truly frightened!  I have come to realize that the changes God wants to make in me are simply Him pulling outward who He truly made me to be inwardly.  Before society and life touched me, God knew me.  Before I ever labeled myself ugly or unworthy God knew me and that is not who He planned for me to be.

Giving God that which we hold dearest leaves room for us to be embraced by God because there’s more room for Him!  I have grown so much thanks to my obedience to the Lord.  (Please know it’s a daily thing!)  And I love the me that He is showing me that He made me to be—His workmanship!

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Thank You, Lord, for making me who I am.  Thank You for caring about me and loving me and teaching me.  Let me forever and always make the daily decision to make more room for You and surrender my life to You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Move Over

March 13, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 6—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’  Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:3

I typically stay away from the Message Translation of the Bible, but on occasion I do find it useful.  Matthew 5:3 reads like this.

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.
With less of you there is more of God and His rule.

How true this is. When I am not covering up an issue or trying to put my hands to solving a problem rather than trust God, I am making room for God. Where there is no room for God, you’ve crowded Him out—very likely with yourself.

It’s first nature for me to want to fix something, reason through something, and come to my own conclusions.  But now I’ve gotten quicker at putting the brakes on and turning to God.  Usually, but not always, before I’m at the end of my rope.  (Sometimes though I even get well past the end of my rope and still haven’t made room for God.)

I’ve always wondered why I keep doing this same thing…when in the end I know I always turn to God.  Part of me just wants to be so self-sufficient.  Who I’m trying to impress or prove something to is beyond me.  Habits take time to change.  Before I was saved I’d try to figure it all out, and sometimes I simply forget that God is always present in every situation.

When I read this verse in the Beatitudes, the first story in the Bible that came to mind was of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath; her story is told in 1 King 17:8-24.  What stuck out the most to me was in verse 12.  This foreign woman, who is likely not a believer, swears by God and says to the prophet,

As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread,
only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar;
and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in
and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.

She was transparent.  She didn’t try to save face or figure something out, she didn’t offer what little she had and then hope for the best.  She admitted her lack…and the Lord stepped in.  She moved out of the way and unknowingly made room for God.

Move out of the way and give God some elbow room.  You don’t need so much space.  I mean, we are talking about the Creator of the universe after all!  (He’s pretty big, you know.)

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Lord, more of You and less of me.  This is my prayer daily.  In a society where “me” is the number one priority it can be difficult remembering that You, Lord, ARE number one.  Keep me focused.  Thank you, Lord!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Enduring Love

March 4, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?
Who can ever praise him enough?
Psalms 106:1-2

“Who can ever praise Him enough?”  That’s an interesting question!  Did David with his contributions to the Book of Psalms praise the Lord enough?  And what exactly does enough praise look like to Someone whose love endures forever?  Has God ever said to anyone, “Stop! You have praised Me enough.”

I can’t list every glorious miracle of the Lord and I can’t reach the point of “enough praise,” but I can give thanks to the Lord for His love that surely does endure forever.

I was raised in a home where I knew of God.  I have a few memories of going to church. I can remember being baptized more than a handful of times as a child.  I also remember in my teen years, when I was struggling with my mental health, hating a God I neither knew or understood.  I was aware there was a God, but I did not understand His role and if He was such a good God why was my life the way it was. I can remember announcing that if there was a God He didn’t want anything to do with me and I didn’t want anything to do with Him.  He was the Creator of this game we call life and I didn’t want to play anymore.  I even began to believe the lie that I was a mistake and it wasn’t fair for Him to put me here and then leave me to fend for myself.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
Psalms 139:13-14

This was one of the truths of God’s Word that took me a long time to believe. I am not a mistake and God’s Word says that He took the time to put me together.  God took His time making all His creations, nobody was an accident.  His Word says that He knows the very number of hairs on my head.  God did not stick me on Earth and leave me to figure it out.  Quite the opposite- God put me here and was simply waiting for me to stop and listen to Him.
I may not be able to list all of the Lord’s glorious miracles, but I know enough of them personally and have experienced plenty of His grace to know that my God is good and His love does endures forever. For His graciousness I am forever thankful.

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Thank You, Lord, for loving relentlessly and patiently. I pray that I may love the same way You do. Amen.

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Joy of the Lord

February 28, 2014 by

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Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!
Nehemiah 8:10

Joy can be found in the Lord’s Word.  Simply put—if you want it, it can easily be found.  Joy is most certainly NOT a scarce commodity for the Lord.  The sanctuary of the Lord sounds like a safe place to me…it IS safe!  It sounds peaceful…it IS peaceful!

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live
in the House of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.
For He will conceal me there when troubles come;
He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.
At His sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
Psalms 27:3-6

My favorite part of this passage is that “He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.”  How quickly I forget that my battles are not my own. Never were my battles intended to be my own.  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has more than enough capability to handle all the battles that could possibly come my way.  Heaven’s Army sounds pretty big to me—it sounds pretty capable of taking care of ALL battles.

For the Lord God is our Sun and our Shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in You.
Psalms 84:11-12

Trusting in the Lord brings joy.  His word says that He will ‘withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.’  His joy is a good thing and I’m thankful that He doesn’t withhold it.

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Dear Lord, how awesome You are!  Thank You for the gift of Your joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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