April 25, 2024

With All Our Hearts

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Then, you will call upon Me
and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.
You will seek Me and find Me,
when you seek Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12-13

Would you go to the swimming pool to swim and only put your big toe in the water? Would you give a bracelet as a birthday gift and only put part of the bracelet in the box? Would you love someone only on Mondays?

It would be equally silly (and quite sad, I might add) to not seek God with all your heart. Take a moment to think of your relationship with God. We are to come to Him and pray and seek Him with all of our heart. To go back to the three analogies: dive into that pool with all your heart—totally submerging yourself to seek Him!!! As a gift, think of giving your heart whole-heartedly to God! And with your time, seek Him every day of the week! (That’s not bits and pieces of our time here and there like on special occasions, holidays, and emergencies! If you go to Him surrendered with all your heart, there’s not a day that comes and goes when your relationship with Him does not matter! Seek Him whole-heartedly!)

But even though we come to Him often, let’s always be in awe of the fact that the great God of the universe loves us and is willing to listen, care, and respond to our needs just like He did with the people in the Book of Jeremiah. Let’s not ever get over the fact that He can save us, restore us, forgive us, guide us, strengthen us, and help us. Let’s call to God, come to God, pray to God—knowing and believing that He will hear us if we seek Him with all of our heart. If we do, we will find Him (verse 14)!
Jesus doesn’t want partial heart commitments.

Look at this excerpt from the Scriptures:
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer asked him a question to test him.
‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’
And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:34-37

It’s always the heart condition and amount of heart-surrender that matters to God! We are to give Him our all! He alone to the full extent knows who seeks Him with all their heart and who does not.

But if we could see it, I wonder what we would see. My imagination takes me to a place of wondering. Join me for a minute….
Imagine if all people wore a necklace that had a representation of a 5-inch heart that served as a gauge dangling from it. Imagine that the hearts would be completely shaded in red for those who seek God with all their heart. Now here’s the hard part: As we moved about our lives at the grocery store, at church, at school, or work, and within our families and friends…I wonder how many dangling hearts would be sadly empty, only partially-shaded, or completely shaded red? How much of your heart and mine would be shaded red when we look into the mirror?…How does this hit you?

If this imagination exercise is here to convict any or all of us, let the conviction take us to a place in our heart to strive to live (through the power of the Holy Spirit ) “a completely, red-shaded heart for the Lord” and also desiring and praying for the same for others! Let’s all seek Him with our whole hearts!

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Dear Lord, Let us always seek You and find You because we come seeking You with all our heart. Wherever each of us is in our relationship with You, let it grow even more. Thank You for being our Rescuer, Restorer, Deliverer, and Comforter. We give You all praise and glory, and we thank You for being a faithful God Who does not change, waiver, or hide from us. Let our hearts be drawn to You daily and completely! In Jesus’ precious Name I pray. Amen.

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Lean In Closer

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Psalms 46:1-3

God is there. Lean in closer. We, as believers, know that He is always with us—always within the reach of our heart’s cry.

Uncertainties and difficulties are always on the horizon. I’m facing some now. Christians face difficulties like other people do. The difference is that when the storms hit, we know God is there with us. We go to Him—our Refuge and Strength. (When things are going wonderfully, let’s lean toward Him then also. The world may have a hard time distinguishing what is going on in our lives. That’s okay, if that happens. If they have an encounter with us at any time, I hope the main thing they take away is that we love God.)
God is my Refuge and Strength. He helps me enormously! It’s in the tough times that my faith, trust, and relationship with Him grow even stronger. Without Him, I wouldn’t have endured or persevered in really tough times.

When I’m tired, hurt, or face the unknown, God is my Refuge and Strength. Can you say that? Hopefully, you can! (If not, please pause now, and pray to God to allow that statement to become true for you.)

I know of several close friends who have heavy burdens right now. None of us have a completely smooth ride between birth and death. There will be many wonderful times of love, laughter, celebrations, and being with special people. There also will be many times of illness, grief, struggles, loss, loneliness, and hurts. Life is made up of a combination of all of these for every one of us. Each person’s journey will look different than someone else’s. The only way to live in a God-glorifying way is to reach toward God in all things. Don’t let the emphasis be on our circumstances. And if others do see the circumstances, may they see that in them, we loved Jesus. Each new day that we begin, let our emphasis be on His Presence in our lives and our love for Him!

I often think of Joni Eareckson Tada, who’s a quadriplegic. At the mention of her name, I also think of her great love for God. Her incredible love for Him shines even brighter because she places her love for Him way above dwelling on the circumstances she has to live in! So, her beautiful testimony of loving God within her difficult circumstances shines even brighter to bring Him even more glory! Wow! I love that!

How do we lean in closer to God? Hannah, in the Bible, prayed. When she couldn’t have the child she so desperately longed for, she prayed. The child, Samuel, came after her prayer of request and then, she prayed a prayer glorifying God. In her prayer of thankfulness, Hannah said, “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). She drew close to her God for help and to praise Him! (See 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 for more.)

We can lean closer to God through prayer, reading His Word, singing songs of praise and worship, and trusting and having faith in Him regardless of circumstances.

What are you going through in this season of your life? Lean in closer toward God. He is there. He is waiting with love and open arms. He will be your Refuge and Strength.

Dear Jesus,  let us always be mindful of Your Presence. Thank You for caring about us and loving us to the point of death on a cross. If You can rise from death and reign as King of kings as You have, You can certainly deal with the problems that come our way. Let us lay them at Your feet. Let us trust You completely with our difficult situations and circumstances—knowing You are to be trusted and loved in, and through, all things! In Your precious Name I pray, amen.

Joy Came

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Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

In a garden, a dark-colored flower next to a white flower presents a contrast that is more striking when the two come together than if either is presented by itself.
Now, journey from a garden to the Bible…. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old when Gabriel told Zechariah his wife would have a son and they were to name him John. But Zechariah was struck with silence for a while because of his lack of faith that this could happen with certainty.  (See Luke 1:11-23.)  Elizabeth became pregnant and her response was, “The Lord has done this for me…” (verse 25).  She gave God the glory.

Months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…” (verses 31, 32). Mary asked how this was to happen since she was a virgin. (But she was not questioning whether or not it would happen.)

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child a child in her old age,
and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be as you have said.”
Verses 35-38

Zechariah’s lack of complete faith is contrasted against Mary’s complete surrender and faith.  Catch the heart lessons as we move toward the reason of ultimate joy.

Mary quickly went to Elizabeth. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (verse 41). Elizabeth proclaimed, “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (verses 44, 45).  Joy happens when the beauty of Scripture takes place as it has been foretold (Jesus is coming!) and when one witnesses the great faith in God of another. Both of these things happen in the wonderful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. It‘s a joyous time as the spotlight is turned toward Jesus’ coming.
What the prophets/Scripture had been foretelling for many years was finally about to happen: Jesus was coming soon!  Mary breaks into praising God right after her encounter with Elizabeth.  And Zechariah praises God out loud when his silence is broken soon after John the Baptist’s birth.

Two different journeys led to paths of praise (joy) when faith in God was the focus. Difficulties, hard times, miracles, and waiting can all produce joy when people have faith in God.  Let’s all be reminded of Gabriel’s words: “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Then, the day finally arrived! Mary was there when some of the most joyous verses in all of Scripture happened and when silence was broken with a baby’s cry:

While they were there, the time came for the baby to the born,
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6, 7

Jesus brought boundless, complete joy to a world that would never be the same again! The Light of the Word came to a dark world!

…the people living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16

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Dear Lord, let us have boundless joy over Your coming to earth to be the Savior of the world!  We give You great praise and glory through our faith!  Let us love and adore You this Christmas season and for all times!  In Jesus’ precious Name we pray, Amen.

Love Expressed

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Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is LOVE.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

 

The song, “The Christmas Shoes” can speak to us about love in heart-touching ways! Oh, to have the love and faith of a small child is such a wonderful thing. Little ones often teach us how to express love to others.

If you’re aware of this song, you know that a little boy desperately wants to get a beautiful pair of shoes for his mom before she passes away and meets Jesus. It’s a sad song, and maybe some don’t even want to listen to it. But some of the hardest or saddest experiences before us can teach our hearts about what’s really important. This song can teach us what’s important at Christmas time…or any other day of the year….love! So, I pause and reflect on this song…seeing how this small child mirrors the great love of God in several ways.

First, there’s the recognition of the little boy’s great love for his mom. (God loved us.) The little boy knew he wanted to do something to show his love for her and to give her what he thought she needed before it was too late. (God knew we needed a way to be reconciled to Him, so out of love He sent His Son to earth to be our Savior of the world.) The little boy went to the store and gave all he had to buy the shoes for his mom. And when he hit an obstacle and didn’t have enough money, he persevered, and asked for help and got it. Love would not let him stop! (God gave His most loved and wonderful possession–His Son. And when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew the cost and what would take place in giving His life as a sacrifice; and it was there in the Garden that He cried out to God in prayer. God supplied His need. Jesus would fulfill God’s will for His life. Love would not let Him stop!) When the little boy bought the shoes for his mom, he ran home to give them to her on Christmas Eve. True and absolute love were expressed as he gave from his little heart of love what he thought she needed most—new shoes for her to wear when she would meet Jesus. (Jesus died for us and rose again…His ultimate love was expressed and shown for mankind! And THAT IS what we all need most: JESUS!)

I invite you to listen to this song packed with a powerful message of love for one another. Christmas time has beautiful packages, lit-up Christmas trees, colorful ornaments, fun traditions, events and parties, and so much more. But please, don’t forget about God’s love, our love for God, and our love for each other. Please don’t get so busy, that you forget about Christ this Christmas. Love Him, and love others. And remember that God first loved us.

We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:21

  • Do you know someone who’s hurting this season who needs more love?
  • Do you need to forgive someone who has hurt you?
  • Do you need to cook a meal for a family; or get a group together to go sing Christmas carols at the home of a friend or family who needs some extra love?

God expressed His love by sending His Son. How are you to show love this Christmas season or any day of the year? Listen to this song, and let it touch your heart in the way it needs to.

This little boy brought shoes—what will you bring to someone? How will you express love?

If you have the opportunity, go to youtube.com and listen to “The Christmas Shoes” written by Eddie Carswell and Leonard Ahlstrom ~ sung by NewSong.

Dear Lord,

Let us be mindful of Your great love sent in a precious baby Boy one starry night in Bethlehem. Let us be so changed by the power of Your love that we choose to love others in the ways You bring to our hearts and minds to do so. Let each new day be an opportunity to praise You more and to love others better than we have.

In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, amen.

No Ordinary Day

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Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This week’s theme is PEACE.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

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They were living their lives like it was an ordinary day when this happened!

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ’Do not be afraid I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’

Luke 2:9-14

That day, the shepherds experienced a day that was no ordinary day! The angel had just announced the birth of Christ the Lord and gave them a sign in telling them the way they would find Him. The shepherds were the first to be invited to come and see the Son of God in person! What an invitation! And can’t you visualize the host of angels that appeared and praised God? The angels first spoke of glorifying God and then, “…on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

God grants peace through His Son, Jesus.  How?

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things in heaven,
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:19-20

God gives peace to those who are reconciled through His Son.  Thank You, Jesus!  And the lowly shepherds received the first invitation to come and behold in the flesh this “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).  (Don’t you love that?  I do!)  For it is not about status, income, background, position, education, race, gender, or fame that matters to Jesus!  It is about the heart.  It is about those who ask for forgiveness of sins—believing that Jesus died for our sins in our place and that we trust in Him as Lord and are reconciled to God through His Son on the Cross.

God can bring peace to the shepherds or kings, who came later (and all those various people types in between) in the same way: through Jesus!

If you have not come already, are you ready to receive the peace Jesus brings? Come to Jesus. He’s no longer in a manger, but He is waiting. And if you’ve already come to Him, simply praise and glorify God this Christmas season and everyday afterwards for Who He is and all He has done, is doing, and will do. Let us celebrate the peace Jesus brings!

Friends, let’s be ready.

For one day, you will be living your life like it’s an ordinary day and then, you will either leave this world and stand before God or else Jesus will return in victory and with great power and you will see Him face to face then. Either way, you will meet Him.

Receive the peace Jesus brings.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the peace that You bring! The day You became Lord and Savior in each of our lives was no ordinary day! Let us remember to praise You each and every day forevermore! You alone are so worthy to be praised!

In Jesus’ precious Name I pray.

Amen.

Hope Came That Holy Night

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The Israelites watched and waited hundreds of years for The One Who would come as a Deliverer from their bondage. The Psalmist expressed this desire for help when he said, “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” (Psalm 14:7). They didn’t know when or how. They didn’t understand the exact Who or the complete why, but they continued to wait and hope.
Oh, the Hope that rang out across the world when baby Jesus’ first cry pierced through that silent, holy night in Bethlehem when He was born! I can’t help but think of Mary and Joseph on the first night they looked into the eyes of baby Jesus. They weren’t sure of all that the future would look like, but they had the words of angels to remember and hold on to. Through the words of angels that were spoken before Jesus was born, they knew they were picked by God for a divine purpose, and they both fully accepted their places in God’s Plan.
As Mary held that precious baby in her arms, did she fully realize the unending Hope He offered? When Gabriel had appeared to tell Mary about the birth of Jesus, he said, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32-33).  The angel had proclaimed a promise of Hope in Jesus!  And there on that holy night, Mary saw that Hope had come when this Child was born!
As Joseph looked down on this little baby boy looking back at him, I wonder if Joseph thought about what the angel of the Lord had said to him in a dream, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel-which means, ‘God with us’ ” (Matthew 1:20-23). The angel had proclaimed a promise of Hope in Jesus! And there on that holy night, Joseph saw that Hope had come when this Child was born!
As they both looked down on baby Jesus, I wonder if Mary and Joseph remembered the words from the Old Testament that prophetically spoke of the Hope that would come to the world: “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6 and 7). Through Jesus, on that holy night, Hope had come as the Savior of the world!!!
Worship Jesus with me, would you please, as we listen to my favorite Christmas song, “O Holy Night,” sung by Mr. David Phelps.

 


Dear Lord,
We love You, and we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, on that divine holy night! He is our Hope to break us free from our bondage in sin and reign over us forevermore as King! Let us remember that Jesus coming as the Hope of the world is the reason for this blessed season, Christmas, and let us be thankful for His life, death, and resurrection on this earth. We give You all praise and glory!
In Jesus’ precious Name I pray,
Amen.

Came AND Coming: with Purpose

SeekingHimLogoA favorite picture of mine has a scene where a white lamb’s in the background and the face of a transparent lion is largely spread over a scene of earth showing God’s great and rich creation in all of its splendor and beauty! So, there are three reminders of God there, but today, I’ll focus on two of them:
1) Christ as the Lamb of God- He sacrificially came to rescue us from a life where we were set apart from Him because of our sins. He died for our sins in our place. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).  John the Baptist said of Jesus, “…Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
2) Christ as the Lion of Judah- “…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelations 5:5). I’m reminded of His power and strength and that He’s coming back.
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This image is powerful. Jesus both came and is coming again with purpose!
If I had the equipment/means to present a short piece on visual media, I’d do this:
Soft music plays as a video camera captures the blue skies, then pans down on a white lamb climbing a large green hill (an attempt to symbolically depict that Jesus came), and once it crests the top of a hill, there in front of him is a large rugged wooden cross towering. The music builds and then, it abruptly stops as the scene cuts to one dressed as a Roman soldier as if hammering a nail in the hand of someone (depicting Jesus) lying on a cross. The clanging of the hammer hitting the nail is piercing each time hammer hits nail. The music begins again and grows darker along with the scene. The cross is lifted up. Camera’s high and behind the cross viewing the Biblically-dressed people with different emotions gazing up toward the cross. The skies are dark and there are “trembling” special effects depicting an earthquake. The image of a veil is torn (seen and heard). Then, dark skies and howling wind are on-going as the cross is lowered, but one sees only the top of the cross going down as the camera stays on the dark skies. The scene cuts to a tomb where light spreads across the entry rock and darkens 3 times to depict the passing of 3 days. Suddenly, an earthquake is portrayed, then, the rock is rolled away with a bright flash of bright light (depicting an angel’s presence). Music is intense and celebratory while building…and then, abruptly stopping. Camera pans up to blue skies, then, down on modern-day people walking in the streets amidst loud city noises then, the street noises start to fade. The people walking phase into slow-motion and the ticking sound of a clock gets louder and louder, then, stops. Then suddenly, a burst of a loud, roaring lion pierces the silence (an attempt to symbolically depict that Jesus is about to return but people in scene don’t hear it). Pause 3 seconds. Lights brighten on scene to depict that the clouds part. All look up into sky as look of awe spreads onto each face. Freeze-frame camera on their faces. Overall, there is the sound of the Scripture being read as the words are scrolled over the screen.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has the name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelations 19:11-16

Hold camera on their faces, then, fade scene away.

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The Book of Revelations is Truth and is packed with symbolism. (I suggested the visual of a literal lamb and the sound of a roaring lion in the scene to accentuate His Presence in that Jesus came to sacrificially redeem us, and He’s coming back to rule and reign with power!)
For the full account of Jesus’ birth, life, crucifixion, resurrection, and future return, see the books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Revelation. God’s Word trumps all words.
I’m a simple, ordinary person, and I shared with you. What can you do with the opportunities God gives you to impact others for Him? The clock’s ticking… Don’t let time get away from you.

Dear Lord,
You’re worthy of all praise! Let us worship You! Let us not waste time, and let us keep telling others about You. You came to redeem, and You are coming again to rule and reign! We await Your return! Let hearts be ready!!! In Jesus’ precious Name I pray,
Amen.

His Unfailing Love

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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for men.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Psalms 107:21-22

(I stare at these verses, and I wonder what road God will take me down as I begin to type words onto paper. It’s my hope and prayer that anything I write to a group of people will honor Him and that I go the direction He leads me to go. So, with a prayer coming before writing anything of substance, here is what’s on my heart when I read these verses.)

The Book of Psalms is filled with many heart-cries of thankfulness to God. You cannot read much of this great book without realizing that the theme of thankfulness runs throughout it. But today, I am drawn to write about God’s unfailing love (another recurring theme in this book). God out-loves everyone; He never stops loving you; His love is UNFAILING; and His love cannot be measured—but it can be displayed! We are to “…give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men” (Psalms 107:21). God has shown His faithfulness in fulfilling promises, forgiving, healing, leading, performing needed miracles, loving, and sustaining (to mention only a few things He has done.) But the greatest act of love of what HE DID was sending His Son to die on the Cross for our sins! (I pray I never tire of telling the greatest story that is true, life-changing, and filled with love, mercy, and grace!) For please know this—it is nothing that we have done!!! We cannot earn our way into heaven with our works or even pitifully try to be good, but we must completely love, trust, and believe in Jesus as the One and Only Way to God!

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.’
John 14:6

Oh, let us live lives that display thankfulness for a Savior Who displayed mercy, love, and grace when HE died for our sins on the cross! When faced with the cross, His love DID NOT FAIL! Jesus chose to sacrificially hang there and die for our sins! And let us tell of His works and unfailing love with songs of joy. Friends, through the power of the Holy Spirit, speak it, write it, live it, and sing it!

Lately, I am drawn to this wonderful praise song, “Unashamed of You” sung by Chris August. If you have a few minutes, please listen to it. Then ask yourself, “When was the last time outside the walls of my church that I spoke of Jesus and His grace through His love on the cross?” Ask yourself, “Do I praise Him enough for His unfailing love?” As you listen, worship God, and make changes in your life…if the Holy Spirit prompts you to do so. Now, go listen to this great song!!! I’m on my way to do so!

Dear Lord,
I’m thankful for Your unfailing love and that You provided a way for a sinner, such as I, to be restored and have a relationship with You by way of the Cross. Thank You that it’s not about anything that I have to earn, but that it’s all about Your love, mercy, and grace poured out on the Cross for all of us that receive the forgiveness You offer us so freely and easily. Lord, if anyone is reading this devotional that does not know You, my prayer is that they come to You in brokenness and ask for forgiveness of sins and desire for You to now be his/her Savior and King for ALL eternity! In Jesus’ Precious Name I pray.
Amen.

Let Us Give Thanks

SeekingHimLogoCome let us sing for joy to the LORD;
Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before Him with thanksgiving
And extol Him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalms 95:1-3

Oh, how these verses call us to worship God and to worship Him with joy!  At a time of year when one pauses to think of all the things, the people, and the blessings we are to be thankful for in our lives, there should always be a response of thankfulness in our hearts for our great God and for Who He is in our lives DAILY.  I don’t need a date on the calendar to remind me to be thankful for the Presence of God in my life!  I hope you don’t either because it simply should be an automatic response in your heart if you believe in Him.

Each day is a gift and every day is flooded with reminders of His Presence—from a sunrise and chirping birds to hugs from loved ones that He brings into our lives to truths from His Word springing forth on every page we read. Let us at least bookend our days with prayers to God in thankfulness, just as sure as the sun rises and sets. Let us hug our loved ones with great gratitude to Him for He has taught us to love unconditionally and to be thankful for every moment we have with each of them. And let us never neglect reading His Word to receive the treasures He has waiting for us each day.

On any given day, let our hearts fill with joy! For under the surface of all that we deal with, each day is an abiding joy in a wonderful and Sovereign Lord Who is majestic as the One and Only Almighty King and is also personal and loving to understand our heart cries, prayers, and daily concerns! He is the Rock of our salvation and our Strength!

As our eyes open at the beginning of a new day, let us give thanks. On a quiet, not-much-going-on day, let us give thanks. As the hectic days come along and may multiply during the holiday season, let us give thanks. As we look around at God’s beautiful, exquisite creation that so reminds us of Him each day, let us give thanks. When we, who are believers, remember that He willingly and sacrificially took away our sins at the Cross and rose again to be a living Savior and Lord, let us give thanks. When He holds us in the valleys and shares with us in the mountaintop experiences, let us give thanks. When we are reminded of how much He loves us, let us give thanks. And before we close our eyes at each day’s end, let us give thanks.

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Dear Lord,
Let there be a song of joy in our hearts at all times. And when we open our mouths to worship You in song, let us all sing with joy and thanksgiving for You are our great God and King like no other! We love, adore, and praise You! Each day, let us come to You with thanksgiving.  In Jesus’ precious Name we pray,
Amen.

Broken Mirrors or Broken Hearts

SeekingHimLogoLooking at a mirror, one would see a hard image.  You can tap on it, and it does not give. You see your reflection and possibly vibrant colors all around as you gaze into the mirror.  What you see at surface level, the mirror reflects those images back to you.  But if the mirror breaks, you throw it away.  It is no longer of any use, or value, to you.  And since a mirror is simply an object, it can easily be thrown away if there is a crack in it or if it’s shattered into many broken pieces with sharp, razor-like edges.

I’m so glad that God doesn’t throw us away when we sin, and actually wants us to come to Him broken.  For you see, we all sin. “…For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).  He wants us to come to Him and to ask for forgiveness.  He can heal our hearts and forgive us the sins of our past, present, and future.  We can ask for forgiveness for our words, actions, lack of words, and lack of actions.  We can even ask God to forgive us if we’re not sure if we handled a situation correctly or not.  No matter what, I want to be coming to Him—sharing and being close to Him in this life.  Don’t we all want that?

Many of the Psalms are written by David, a sinner, yet God describes him in this way, “…the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people…” (1 Samuel 13:14).  How is that so, when he was so obvious a sinner, as recorded in Scripture?  Because David loved and trusted God!  He knew that being close to God was where real life and joy was found!  Even though he was a sinner, David rejoiced in knowing that when he came to God and was broken over his sins, he was forgiven!  He could only claim any righteousness because of his faith and belief in God.  David knew he was surrounded by God’s unfailing love because he trusted in Him. In his brokenness, he was restored by God.  And it was worth singing about!!!

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.  Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;  sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalms 32:10-11

We are so much more than mirrors!  But let our lives reflect that we know and love a Savior!  And let us be broken over our sin—coming to the Lord for forgiveness.  Just as a broom sweeps shattered glass into the dust pan, let us bring our broken hearts and sins before God so that He can sweep them away for all eternity.  He alone can truly mend our hearts with healing and forgiveness.

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Dear Lord, let us focus on Your unfailing love and Your continuing mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  Let us always be thankful that in this life You are near to forgive and love us; to help those of us who love and trust You.  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray.
Amen.