December 26, 2024

He Is

October 30, 2013 by

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If there is the possibility that something could shatter my world, I refuse to dwell on “What if?” when I know God wants me to focus on “He is!” instead.  I always need to find rest and peace in Him because He IS my lasting Hope.  He IS fully able to meet my every need.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalms 62:5-6

Can you join me in coming to these verses when things in your world seem uncertain?

Perhaps there’s  someone you love and you’ve kissed him good-bye.  He walks toward the plane wearing camouflage, and you don’t know when you will see him again.  He will serve in a battle zone half away across the world.  You are home, and he is not.  In a weak moment your mind wants to wonder, “What will I do? What if…?”  You know his boots pound the dusty ground to carry out the mission before him every single day, and you never know how each day will end. You have a choice.  Do not be consumed with “What if?” each day, but cling to “He IS!”

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my Hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

Maybe you have been very sick lately; you are exhausted.  Pain overwhelms you at times, and the doctor has ordered tests.  It’s the day when you’re to get the results.  The day seems longer than usual.  Waiting…waiting…then, finally the phone rings…

You have a choice. It’s not about “What if?” rather cling to, “He IS!”

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock, and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

Are you wondering if you or your spouse will be let go at work?  Your boss calls you into his office. As you sit down, your boss looks at you to speak.  Where will your heart and mind carry you? You have a choice.  It’s not about “What if?” but “He IS!”   Have faith in God because “He IS!” able to help you through each day.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock, and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

The temporary outcomes have no contest against the ultimate outcome that is to come! God is faithful!  It’s not about the “What if?” that wants to strike fear in us, but it is all about the One Who is there to sustain us because He is the ultimate answer to all of our problems…to carry us…to give us an everlasting Hope! He is God at all times for He has always been, HE IS, and He will always be! In Him, there is a final victory! Let us cast our eyes on Him alone for HE IS our wonderful and great God always! And oh, how wonderful that glorious day will be when He comes again!!!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God,
who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:8

* * * * *

Thank You, dear Lord, for being our Hope, our Rock, our Salvation, our Fortress! Because of You, we will not be shaken! We trust You, praise You, and thank You for sustaining us in ALL times-but especially in uncertain and difficult times!  You love us, and  we love You.  You are our Alpha and our Omega.  Our everything rests in You…that is enough.  We will not be shaken! Everything is in Your hands.  Let us come to You often, pouring out our hearts in prayers and leaving everything at Your Feet!  In Jesus’ precious Name, we pray.

Amen.

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Rejoice Over God’s Plan

October 23, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoI saw the American flag hanging as a backdrop…Congressmen were moving within the chamber as white papers were being passed between them…something important was happening.

As I sit here this evening, the news channel shows Congress is voting about a big decision that will affect our county. It’s appropriate that the volume is turned way down. The decisions happening in Washington, D.C. need to fade in this moment.

I am aware that difficulties are on the horizon—if not soon, then, in the not-so-distant future. I need to be aware, to care, and to be in prayer. But the leaders of this world will not solve the problems of this world.

As beautiful and as massive as the White House and the Capitol buildings are, and as powerful as the people who live and work in them may seem, they cannot save us.

But I know of One who saves. And to Him I am grateful. His name is Jesus.

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalms 118: 22-24

When Jesus came to earth, He was rejected and crucified. He died in our place for our sins and rose to live again, so that we love and serve a risen Savior! He became the Capstone for us, and He is the only One who can truly lead us, save us, and help us!

When Christ was killed, even those closest to Him did not understand at first. But they soon came to realize that it was all part of God’s Plan! What seemed only to be evil at first came to be understood as a beautiful, loving, and sacrificial gift of God giving His Son to save the world.

So, we rejoice over what God did through his Son, Jesus.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2

And even though the future may hold many unknowns, I know God has ultimate victory, and I choose to put my trust in Him. Let’s take one day at a time. Dark days will come, and we don’t know how many days each of us have, so let’s make the most of what is given to us. How do we respond to an unknown future? Let’s strengthen our faith and be found trusting God’s plans for us.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I close with this:

On my TV screen, the Capitol is lit up in the dark skies…pretty scene….

In our lives, let our hearts be lit up with the love of Jesus in a dark world…more important scenes….

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let us be thankful that You sent Your Son to die for our sins and to become the Capstone!  We rejoice over Your Plan of salvation for us!  We love You, and let us each day remember what all You have done and rejoice and be glad in it!  In Jesus’ precious Name.

Amen.

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My Strength, My Shepherd

October 17, 2013 by

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Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.

The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their Shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalms 28:6-9

In the stillness of the dark night when hurt and problems have plagued my heart and mind, I have cried out to my Lord for mercy and help.  And He has been there to be my Strength and my Shield when I was completely broken and weak.  The Lord shines when I am weak.  “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).   He’s sustained me and strengthened me time and time again in the darkest hours. And then, dawn breaks.

How wonderful it would be to sit at the foot of two overlapping, tall mountains and gaze upward as the sun casts its streaming light between the jagged mountain edges at sunrise on a cool, crisp fall morning.  To read this Scripture passage in such a moment would probably make me want to break into singing praise music as I recall God’s faithfulness and love toward me during the most difficult times in my life.  I would desire for the sun to pause at the moment which is the most beautiful to me, but it must continue on its path, as we must also.  There will be plenty of times of joy and laughter, but realistically, we know we will encounter more dark hours ahead.  But the Lord will be there with us to help us endure heartaches and pain.  He’s our Strength and Fortress of salvation.  He cares for Israel; He cares for us.

David wrote Psalm 28 and penned, “Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.”  David knew the deep concern and watchfulness that was required of a shepherd for he had been one. He knew God as the greatest Shepherd ever.

Soon, I’m headed to the mountains like I described earlier. And as I sit there looking up at those majestic mountains before me, I will imagine David as a shepherd boy near the mountainside chasing after a wooly animal wandering away or being led astray by another.  I’ll imagine David, with staff in hand, calling for the creature getting away. Do you think the sheep would recognize his voice?  Then, quickly, I’ll think of how the great Shepherd has carried me back to where He’s desired me to be and away from my own course that could’ve caused my heart to end up in a wrong place!  I’ve been like that wandering sheep where God has called me back to join His people “in the fold” of fellowship with others and in my rightful place.  “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:4).

My prayer of praise:  I praise my God, my Shepherd – Who has met my cries with mercy, Who has met my weakness with strength, Who has helped me, and Whom I trust.  I will continue to sing praises to Him.  I know full well that He will carry me while in the valleys, while on the mountaintops, or in the journey I take toward either!

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Only For You, Lord

October 9, 2013 by

Not to us, O LORD, not to us  but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

Who should receive glory?  GOD ALONE!  Glory does not go to: us, anything that looks like us, anything that comes from us, or anything that is around us.  This statement is true for the past, now, and all times.  More importantly, Psalm 115:1, God’s Word, is true for all times, and God is the supreme example of love and faithfulness as is evident throughout the pages of the Bible! (The best example is that He sent His Son, Jesus, to the world to be a sacrifice for our sins!  See John 3:16.)

In Biblical times, many worshipped man-made idols.  Are you thinking how absurd it is for people to worship things they produced with their own hands?  Yes, you’re correct.  And it’s equally absurd for people to worship anything or anyone besides God: self, people, money, fame, or position.  How can we keep this from ever happening to us?

If we all truly had the correct perspective of how great and magnificent God truly is as Lord, Savior, Creator, and King, we would be awestruck by His wonderful and powerful Presence for an eternity and give Him glory alone!  Don’t you see?  The more we know Him and draw closer to Him through His Word, in faith, and in prayer, the more that love for Him keeps intensifying and growing.  Let’s guard our hearts so that HE alone is worshipped and adored passionately!

I know of someone who had it right…who spoke passionately in the wilderness over two thousand years ago!  I really like this man, this prophet, this one who boldly spoke about Jesus and made Him the focus in his life.  John the Baptist took the opportunities he had to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming.  “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’” (John 1:29).  He was bold, but not proud. He knew who he himself was in comparison to Jesus (extremely lower than Jesus). When referring to Jesus, John the Baptist said, “He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).  I’ll give you this – John the Baptist was very different.  But that was good, and that was God-glorifying good!  Because you see, from God’s perspective, that‘s what He wanted from John the Baptist!

John the Baptist spoke with God-glorifying purpose “…saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 3:2). We also want to live with God-glorifying purpose in various ways daily.

And like John the Baptist, we want to have the correct perspective of Who Jesus is so that we can worship Him and give Him glory as our one true God.  We want to have the correct perspective of ourselves (sinners who always need a Savior and who are lavished in His love). And we need a surrendered perspective to step out boldly and differently, if need be, in order to achieve His God-glorifying purposes in our lives for Him.

Like the Jews written about in Psalm 115:1 and like John the Baptist, we want to worship God alone and give glory to Him alone!

And like John the Baptist, wouldn’t we rather be

   in the light,
           walking odd for God …
                  than in the dark,
                       walking proud with the crowd?
I would.

I’d rather be different and hoping to bring Him glory than blending in with the many who don’t desire to at all.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, help us all to give You alone great glory and be grateful daily for what You have done in our lives.  We love You and praise You!  In Jesus’ precious Name.

Amen.

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A Free Hand

October 3, 2013 by

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I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63:4

As a child, I was the quiet one.  I was a shy, curly-haired, red-headed little girl who wanted to hide behind others.  If I was thrown into the spotlight, I was not comfortable there, like others. Can you relate?

In third grade, I was about to play in a piano recital. I knew the piece, “Suppose” by memory very well.  But as I stepped in front of the huge crowd, sat on the bench and my long blue skirt brushed over my black shiny shoes, fear captured me!  My hand would not move away from “middle C” on the keyboard.  I played that note over and over again. (My Mom stood to applaud, and everyone else did, too, in order to release me from my agony.  I may be the only person ever to get a standing ovation for playing one note!)  This is only one of many examples when I’d let fear overtake me where I could not move forward—not completely—for fear of mistakes or fear  of hurting someone or fear of letting someone down.  And when the fear cycle began, it easily could snowball into a cycle of bigger fears. Can you relate?

I had asked Jesus into my heart at the age of eight.  I knew I needed a Savior!  But for a long time, it was hard for me to release some of my fears…even some hidden ones.  In my twenties though, in God’s wisdom, He allowed me to come to the end of myself.  I realized in that time of complete brokenness that my focus must be on Him—faith not fears, depth in relationship with Him instead of people-pleasing and swirling circumstances.  My life dramatically changed for the better when I became very God-focused!  (I still have my moments, but I get back on track quickly.)

The freedom, comfort, guidance, and peace that He lavished on me when I needed it most increased my faith and love in my relationship with Jesus!  For many years, I have expressed myself and moved forward—especially where Jesus is concerned!   My hand is no longer like that paralyzed hand that could not move in one direction or the other during that piano recital as a child.  My hand can easily be lifted up to praise Jesus in a worship service.  (It’s just an external expression of the overflow of a thankful heart!)  My hand can write/type words (in various written formats) that praise and glorify Jesus as I share with others about His great saving love!  And with great expression, passion, and boldness, my hands have moved in grand gestures as I have taught Bible studies and directed drama or acted on the stages of churches over the years.  (I share all of this for the great glory of God!  For you see, He took me to a greater level of understanding of freedom and faith in Him and a greater awareness of His Holy Spirit working in me and God’s amazing, continuous grace…or else…those things just listed would not have happened.)

To God…ALL glory and praise! I am nothing without Him!  Oh, how I will praise Him as long as I live…please join me.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let us be in awe of You.  Let us move forward each day—with thankful hearts— following You!  Let us give our hearts and lives completely to You to use for Your glory!  We love You, so let us praise You as long as we live, and let us lift our hands to praise You!  Let us keep our focus on You as stated in Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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Let the Nations Praise God Together!

September 26, 2013 by

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May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.
Psalms 67:3-5

Our great God’s worthy to be praised for Who He is and for the things that have happened in history because of Him, for the things that are currently being fulfilled because of Him, and for the wonderful things that are to come because of Him!  If you follow Christ, how can any day be an ordinary day?

Recently, a friend from college posted on social media the song, How Great is Our God.  The words alone are powerful and true. But what made this particular presentation even more amazing is that Chris Tomlin had worship leaders from around the world on the stage with him, and they were praising God singing with their voices and whole hearts! At designated times, you heard the different languages spilling forth, praising God!  The place was filled with worshippers! (I couldn’t help but wonder if what I was witnessing was a tiny glimpse of what heaven might look like!)

The song starts with the line “The splendor of a King….”  Do you get that God is the King of kings?  He is majestic, powerful, and above all in His rule and reign!  And yet, He is so personal that He hears your deepest thoughts and prayers—even if they are said silently in your heart, not even spoken in a whisper! He is that powerful King, and He is that personal Savior to you, if He reigns in your heart!!!

At one point in the video, there is a man jumping…waiting in anticipation for his part to join in on the singing!  Are we like that?  Are we so in awe of God that we can’t wait to do our part to give Him great honor and glory through song or whatever else He calls us to?  Oh, how I hope so!

TOGETHER they all sang the line, “How GREAT is our God!”  How wonderful is that? VERY! Let’s sing praises to Him together, and let’s do life together when we can.

When I have the great privilege of meeting someone from a different nationality or culture, I hope I always see it as a great move by God’s Hand for me to embrace someone who may be very different from who I am and as an opportunity to build a friendship.  If that person is a believer then, as a brother or sister in Christ, we are family!  It doesn’t matter what language they speak, what clothes they wear, or what color their skin is!!!  And, if they don’t believe, may the Holy Spirit help me to handle this possible relationship in such a way that I may have the opportunity to share Christ or at least show them that a Christian will point the way or shed light in the direction of Jesus.  How?  In the way I reach out, befriend, and love them….  It needs to look as close as it can to how He loves me. (Oh, how I thank Jesus for reaching toward me/us with His love!)

* * * * *

Oh, Lord, help us to reach toward people of other nations and cultures with a heart of love that looks like Yours.  When we extend our hands and hearts toward others, in any given moment, let our hands and hearts look like Yours.  Let us embrace people of different nationalities…like You do…and let us ALL lift our voices of praise and our hands up to You in one extravagant, thankful choir of voices and hearts giving praise that is heard around the world…and, one day, in heaven!  In Jesus’ Precious Name,

Amen.

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Continuous Praise

September 20, 2013 by

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The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103:19-22

So, I need to make a run to the grocery store? (Have a wonderful time in the journey.) Close the car door, start the engine, turn the volume up on the radio, fasten seat belt, put car in reverse, and away I go.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I need to wash clothes? (First things first though.) Go to the computer, find the Christian radio station, crank up the music, get the laundry basket, fill it with dirty clothes, and head to the washing machine down the hall.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I have the honor of holding a precious baby while her mom is in small group during Bible study? (What a beautiful, tiny blessing of God is held in my arms!) Hold her close, step outside where she likes the warmth of the sunshine, and sing praise songs to her while she falls asleep.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

So, I just walked into the sanctuary at church? (This is a favorite time of the week.) I find a seat, the music begins, and we rise to our feet as we sing with the worship leader as words of praise flash on the screen and the instruments fill the room with beautiful sounds.

The sounds of praise music and words flood my soul with joy as I praise my great God!

Four different situations in my life presented as opportunities to praise God in my soul.  David called several different groups of beings to praise God toward the end of Psalm 103 as if he is building a gathering that continues to increase in number and intensity.  By the end of the chapter in verse 22, he calls on all of God’s works everywhere to praise God.

I am going to spend an eternity praising Jesus! I enjoy this life being “a dress rehearsal” for then.

On the days I can’t sing, I need to stop and search my heart to see what’s wrong.  It’s then that I really need to pray.  For praise should always be able to spill forth from my lips.  I have often found that the more I pray, the more I can praise.  The one who prays often will be able to praise often!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let us praise You here, there, and everywhere.  Let it not be a designated moment in time, but instead a continuous state of our hearts turned toward You.  Each time we hear praise music or belt it out ourselves, let our hearts overflow with thankfulness that we can hear it, sing it, and praise You in this life and in the one to come!  In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

 

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Look to God Alone

September 10, 2013 by

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Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:4

Only in God can we find true joy and happiness in this life—complete fulfillment! Jesus said this: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

God created in each of us a desire to know Him.  No one will ever be satisfied who tries to fill that void with any kind of substitute.   No person, activity, or thing can fill that void.

When I look and see how the worldly “rich and famous” have such a huge following, I am burdened.  First, I am burdened that many in our society who have reached the pinnacle of having achieved much are often empty because they don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus and are chasing after money and material things.  Secondly, I am burdened for those who follow these “stars” so closely as if they are trying to find someone who they can attach themselves to because they see the rich and famous as being “great” or perhaps seeing them as “greater” than they see themselves.  May I shout this?  “Put your trust completely in the Lord ALONE!”

Let’s not look to the proud—who chase after fulfilling the desires of self and pleasing self.  To follow them in such a way is to look toward those who turn aside to false gods.  And to chase after those people is to replace Jesus as top priority which He alone deserves.  Chasing after anyone other than Jesus is to allow the pursuit of false gods in your own life!

Friends, direct your love, trust, and pursuit toward the ONE AND ONLY great God Who came to earth as man, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the Cross for our sins, and rose again to be a living Lord and King!

Pray to God to protect you from casting your eyes toward false gods and to give you a keen sense of awareness of what He desires for you.  Be aware of the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Is He asking you to turn off the TV at times?  Are you to stop reading magazines which cause you to idolize “superstars”?  Do you need to be careful when you talk to others about how wonderful people are to the point that you put people on a pedestal?  All people will disappoint you, but Jesus never will disappoint because He is God—and He is God alone! Let us always be mindful that our complete trust should only be in God.   People are…simply people.

* * * * *

Lord, help us always be aware that You are God alone!  Let us keep our eyes focused on You, knowing that You alone sit on the throne in our hearts as King of kings and Lord of lords!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Praises on our Lips and our Faces

September 3, 2013 by

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Friends, it would be good to read 1 Samuel 21 to understand that Psalm 34 was written on the heels of what took place there.  When David penned Psalm 34 (after acting strangely in 1 Samuel 21) he had a heart’s response of praise and wise insight of how great God is.

Let’s meditate on the first 5 verses of Psalm 34.

No matter where you’ve been, where you are, or where you’re going in this life, on your lips there always should be words of praise if you know God as Lord.  Even in difficulty, the heart turned toward God and His greatness will make praise come forth like uncontainable water overflowing  from reservoirs onto dry ground (for the sake of others who need to hear it, as well as you.)

Even if sadness sweeps in when there’s a loss of a loved one or you have to endure an excruciatingly painful experience, the Presence of God and His sustaining power are with you if you are saved.  You can say and live these words:

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1

Because of the miraculous things God has done by sending His Son to be my Savior and because He has cleansed me from my sins through the sacrifice of His blood, I believe verse 2, knowing that ALL boasting is credited to Him alone:

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
verse 2

Oh, that others come to rest and rejoice in all God has to offer them and that they too will rejoice in the hope He gives! And, as one chorus, let us lift our lives and words up to exalt Him!

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
verse 3

The Lord has sought me, and in my recognition of great need for Him, I turned and He was there. I was drawn to Him and my faith in Him was real. The stronghold of fear that abounds in this world became conquerable through the power of the Holy Spirit! Faith increased, and fear decreased – all because of the Lord, my God!

I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
verse 4

He is with us in the times where fear could overtake us.

Verse 5 makes me quickly think of Stephen in the Book of Acts:

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
verse 5

Stephen boldly delivered a long sermon to the Sanhedrin and, at the end, he is martyred.

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then, he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’  When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:55; 59-60

Children of God, like Stephen—with the help of the Holy Spirit—let our faces be covered with His love as we see others…no matter if they are cold, non-responsive, hateful, or, even holding stones!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let the love we have in our hearts for You spill forth as words of praise on our lips and as joy and peace in our lives and on our faces.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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In God Whom I Trust

August 26, 2013 by

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD,
‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ 
Psalms 91:1-2

Jesus is perfect!  He’s our example! He has complete dependence on God!  He trusts God!  He came to earth to do the will of the Father.

In Matthew 26, Jesus prayed for God’s will, knowing that He, Jesus, would die very soon on the Cross for the sins of the people of this world.  Three times in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed a prayer like this, requesting God’s will to be done:

 ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.
Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
Matthew 26:39

Thank You, Jesus, for being our perfect example of following God’s will, even to the point of sacrifice and death.

My heart turns to shine a lesser light on a hero of faith—Corrie ten Boom.  After being a prisoner in a Nazi camp, she one day came to a place of forgiveness when she saw one of the Ravenbruck Camp guards that had been so cruel to her in another time and place. In her book, Tramp for the Lord she tells the story…

She was slow to forgive, but she prayed. And with this prayer as an act of surrender, she was able to forgive this man who asked for forgiveness.  “I forgive you, brother!” I cried,  “with all my heart!” For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.

[Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (CLC Publications, 1974) p. 57]

Although I never have had to endure the horrific things that Corrie ten Boom had to endure, I can truly say that, when I have forgiven someone who has hurt me deeply, it is in that moment that I truly understand with a greater depth the immensely great love and forgiveness that Jesus has given to me! And that just makes me want to praise, worship, and adore Him even more!

Jesus Christ’s words on the Cross toward those who had mistreated Him, as He was hanging there in my place and yours, were these:

“…Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing…”
Luke 23:34

Christ loved God; He prayed; He surrendered to God’s will to bring God glory; and forgave others…and so did Corrie ten Boom…and I hope I do as well with each day I am given.

Can I add your name to this list?  Is it your heart’s desire to do the will of the Father?  Do you trust Him completely—even when you don’t understand some things that seem so hard to endure?

* * * * *

Oh, dear Lord, let us have hearts like Yours and submit to Your will.  You are our Fortress and our God!  Even when we do not understand, let us trust You for Your ultimate plan in each of our lives to be revealed!  In Jesus’ precious Name.  Amen!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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