December 16, 2024

Do I Trust You, Lord

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Sometimes my little heart can’t understand
What’s in Your will, what’s in Your plan
So many times I’m tempted to ask You why
But I can never forget it for long
Lord, what You do could not be wrong
So I believe You, even when I must cry

Do I trust You, Lord
Does the river flow
Do I trust You, Lord
Does the north wind blow
You can see my heart
You can read my mind
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord
Do I trust You

I know the answers, I’ve given them all
But suddenly now, I feel so small
Shaken down to the cavity in my soul
I know the doctrine and theology
But right now they don’t mean much to me
This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know

Do I trust You, Lord
Does the robin sing
Do I trust You, Lord
Does it rain in spring
You can see my heart
You can read my mind
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord
Do I trust You

I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why
I will trust You, Lord, ’til the day I die
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain
You were God before, and You’ll never change
I will trust You
I will trust You
I will trust You, Lord

Twila Paris, singer / songwriter
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I am trusting (a tiny pun!) that it is not just my heart that is stirred up thinking about this trust issue…yes?  But here is where I stand and I am not moving:  God is absolutely worthy of my completely and totally trusting Him with my life.  I sing this song, often, when I am tempted to doubt and to waffle in my trust in my God.  It encourages me and spurs me on to stand on His promises. And choose to continue to trust Him Who is absolutely trustworthy.

Throughout the Scriptures, we find promise after promise as well as testimony upon testimony directing us to see His faithfulness and trustworthiness.  God’s people throughout time have shown incredible faith and trust in their God.  The psalmist gives praise time and time again to the One to Whom he trusted with his life.  Here in Psalm 40 are some of my most favorite words of confession acknowledging my trust in our great God.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock,
steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
And He has put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many shall see and fear
and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.
Blessed is the {wo}man who makes the Lord {her} refuge and trust….
Psalms 40:1-4

As we read the Scriptures, they relate to us the confessions (both the praises and the struggles) of others who have gone before us and made the choice to trust in God.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace
whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord
(commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Isaiah 26:3 and 4 AMP

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God
and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalms 73:25-26, 28

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.
Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.
Psalms 143:7-9

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

Psalm 56

As Holy Spirit-led women, we strongly desire to obey God and put our hope/trust in Him.   We follow the example given to us in 1 Peter 3 of women who trust God:

Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very valuable in God’s eyes.
For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God
also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands,
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.
You have become her children when you do what is good
and are not frightened by anything alarming.
verses 4-6

In closing, here’s something to ask ourselves…

When others think of me, am I a woman whose life reflects a heart that trusts God?  Is there an outer beauty reflecting the inner beauty of a submitted, grateful, yielded, trusting spirit that shows on my face? Or are there  ‘worry lines’ and chapped, bitten lips or nails that might show the lack of resting/trusting in my God?

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Dear Lord, You are…You AREYOU ARE trustworthy!  Please help us, Lord, to ‘trust in the Lord with all <our> heart…and in all <our> ways acknowledge Him, and He will make <our> paths straight.”  We want to be known as women whose trust is in the Almighty God…not to bring attention to ourselves but to bring honor, glory, majesty to You!  May You be pleased, Father, by our sacrifice and our obedience—it is You and You alone Whom we trust with all that we are.  We will trust You, Lord…You never change!  Praise You, Lord!  Amen.

Anchor Of Hope

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Marvelous, Wonderful, Infinite God
Author of all that is good
Faithful Provider and Giver of life
Source of all power and love

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
Refuge of strength to the end
Righteous Redeemer and mighty to save
He’s the Anchor of Hope for the souls of men

Gracious, Compassionate, Merciful God
Radiant, holy Delight
Beautiful Father, Victorious Son
Source of unchangeable Light

You are Light in the dark,
You are healing for the broken heart
You are Hope, you are Lord,
You are Life, you are Love that endures

Powerful, Constant, Unwavering God
Shepherd who comes for the lost
Rock of salvation, Remarkable Love
Savior Who died on the Cross


Ellie Holcomb, singer/songwriter

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Sometimes, I think, we sing and speak out our praise of our great God in simple, few words… Y’know…”Praise the Lord!  Praise You, Jesus!  I give You praise!  You are worthy of praise!  Praise You!”  These are the words that come from my mouth oh-so-many times; you, too?  But I do believe that many times my praises should be filled with specific expressions of my gratitude and acknowledgement of just Who He is.

We do this when we are relating our praise about others, right? When I am praising any other person on this earth, I don’t simply say–for example, ‘Oh, I just praise Kassia…she’s so good!’ Or, ‘Oh, you should see that Cynda; wow!’  No; I say, ‘Oh, it was so awesome! Can I tell you about how Clella ministered to me when she wrote about giving thanks…?  She shared some very impactful verses.’  Shouldn’t it be likewise, when praising Almighty God, I should be specific about His awesome lovingkindness, His mercy, His grace, His steadfast love!?!  Yes?

The Psalmist—King David— was really, really, really good at this!  Of the 150 individual psalms which form the Book of Psalms in the Bible, more than 80 have been ascribed to David.  David, who God called ‘a man after my own heart,’ wrote phrase after phrase (praise after praise!) filled with praises of His God…and praising Him specifically.  Listen to a few examples of David’s praises.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 107:1

The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
The God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
Who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, You exalted me above those who rose against me;
You rescued me from the man of violence.
For this I will praise you, O Lord….
Psalms 18:46-49

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
Sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!
So great is Your power that Your enemies come cringing to You.
All the earth worships You and sings praises to You;
they sing praises to your name.”
Selah
Psalms 66:1-4

As is written in Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the Lord {that is you and me!} say so…”  Be specific when you sing or speak or shout your praises to Your loving Father!  And when you are praising Him to others…use words to tell them about how wonderful, loving, faithful, compassionate, merciful, and gracious your heavenly Father is!  As Mrs. Ellie Holcomb has done in this song—she sings out her praises of what He has done and how very good He is!  I love to sing along with her blessing my God and praising and thanking Him!  You, too?

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Oh, Lord, we do so love to praise You—and we have so very many, many, many opportunities to praise You for Your goodness, Your faithfulness, Your kindness, Your love!  Forgive us, Lord, when we have failed to voice the whys of our praises!  We, truly, have so very much to praise and thank You for…may we not be remiss in telling you exactly why!  We love You and adore you, Lord!  Please hear our thankfulness as we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Harvest Veggie Soup

Well, we are certainly into full-blown Fall around here!  (How about where you live?)  The brightly colored foliage is fading fast…and the leaves are falling almost faster!  Piles of leaves are on the curbs, our sweaters are unpacked, almost everyone is wearing socks (except me…i still am scooting around in my Birkenstocks! But not for long!)   And we are enjoying soup a few times each week.  One pot of soup that we have enjoyed a few times already is this  Harvest Veggie Soup, full of veggies and grated apples…very yummy.   It is a slightly sweet soup, very satisfying and filling.  I choose to make it vegan/vegetarian but it could easily be made with chicken broth, too.  This would make a great addition to your own menu when you have vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters ? sharing a meal together.

Here on our Monday installment of At Home w/ GCH, we have been featuring recipes which included Fall in-season fruits and veggies.  This week, our recipe features a few: apples, cauliflower, and (surprise!) butternut squash.  This week’s recipe fits into our healthy but-oh-so-yummy! category since it is really yummy (did I mention that before?), extremely low in fat, and full of delicious, nutritious vegetables.  Enjoy!

2013-10-15 21.49.39

Harvest Veggie Soup

ingredients:
2 butternut squash
1 large head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1 sweet onion, diced small
1 additional teaspoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 quarts of vegetable stock
2-3 peeled apples, grated
1 can coconut milk (shake well!)

optional toppings:
cooked, crumbled bacon
sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
shredded sharp cheese
chopped avocado
sprinkle of cinnamon (try it!)

directions:

  • preheat oven to 425; line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
  • peel the butternut squash; scoop out the seeds and strings and cut up into 2″ chunks.  set aside in a very large bowl
  • cut up the cauliflower into smallish-size florets; add to bowl
  • pour in oil and season veggies with s&p.  stir together well, pour out onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes
  • meanwhile, in a large stockpot, saute onion along with 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes or so; reduce heat to low and add in chopped garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute
  • pour in the stock; add additional s&p to taste and allow to simmer gently
  • when the veggies in the oven are done roasting, remove from oven and immediately pour into the stockpot; stir well to combine.  allow to simmer for 20 minutes or so, adjusting heat if necessary
  • when done, scoop out about 1/2 of the veggies and use an immersion blender to puree what is left in the stockpot.  (This could also be mashed, or pureed, very carefully,  in a standard blender in batches.)  taste (be careful…it’s hot!) for additional seasoning, and add back in the reserved veggies
  • add the grated apple and pour in the coconut milk; stir well.  done!
  • optional toppings can be added to each individual bowl of soup

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!    (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness

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 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.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.
Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:15-17

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My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me with His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow’r upon my heart
My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside
Who floods my weaknesses with strength
And causes fears to fly
Whose every promise is enough
For every step I take
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace
My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who reigns above
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace
Whose every thought is love
For every day I have on earth
Is given by the King
So I will give my life my all
Stuart Townend
written along with Keith & Kristyn Getty

This Week…Psalms 118:1 and 2

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Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever
Psalm 118:1

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Here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we are focusing our thoughts for the next few weeks on giving thanks, gratitude, and being thankful.  This week our devotional writers have greatly encouraged us as they pointed us to our good God to Whom much thanks is due.  Please click on each link to read each complete devotional; here are a few excerpts from their thoughts….

In Reasons to Give Thanks, Cynda …. goodness is Who He is.

“What I need to remember is that circumstances do not determine my reasons for giving thanks.  My reasons for giving thanks are summed up in John 3:16 (God so loved that He gave) and Psalm 118:1 (He is good).  Goodness is part of God’s character, it is what He is.  His love is faithful, enduring, and eternal. And those are the only reasons I need.”

In Without God’s Love, Ahmee brought our attention to what it would be like if we didn’t have God’s love…

“Without God’s love we would be some very sad people.  Without the love of God, Jesus would not have been sent for us.  Without Jesus we would all be bound by the law.  Bound by the law we’d be doomed to live far more strict lives or suffer the consequences.  Without Jesus we would be stuck trying to be”good enough.” Thank God that is not the case!…”

In God’s Goodness, Ann shared a number of Scriptures that speak of how good our God is…

“The whole of Psalm 118 praises the Lord for His everlasting love for His people…how good He is from the start to the end.  The Bible gives us Scriptures that show God’s goodness in many ways…we see the goodness of the Lord being shown in different ways.  Brethren, let us trust in the Lord always for, indeed, His love endures forever….

In Thanks and Praise, Tina reminded us to bring attention to our great God and His love—and why…

“During this holiday season, we tend to think of things we are thankful for, such as our homes, jobs, and children.  We should, but we should also pause and meditate on how God has watched His creation grow and evolve over the centuries.  We are created to tell others about His great love for you and me…”.

The Love Of God

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The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

O love of God, how rich and pure
How measureless and strong
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song

The Gaither Family
composed by Frederick Lehman

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We have been called and chosen.  Why?  Just one reason—Almighty God loves us.  Paul says that God has set His love on those whom He loves from all eternity (Ephesians 1:4).  If you are a child of God, there has never been a time when God did not know you and did not love you.  Before you were even born He had determined to set His love on you.  He chose us not because we were love-able; but we became love-able because He chose us and desired us.

In this is love: not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
1 John 4:10

You see, at just the right time when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person,
though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

From the foundations of time, Sovereign Almighty God has desired His children. And He made a way—a very, very hard way—for sinful, not love-able people to be brought to His Holy Self.  And that was through the sacrifice and death of His Son, Jesus Christ.  And then through the centuries leading up to the perfect time when Jesus would come to the earth to show this incredible love, at sporadic times there were a few people who recognized this love that God had for mankind. David the psalmist was one.  He wrote many, many times about the reality of God’s love for himself.

And even Job, through all his worrying and complaining and the very difficult times he had, knew and was convinced of God’s love for man. Listen…

What is man that you make so much of him
and that You set Your heart on him,
and visit him every morning…?
Job 7:17 and 18

God spoke through any number of the writers of the Scriptures of His love, grace, and mercy.

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace
which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
2 Timothy 1:9

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Jeremiah 31:3

Particularly through the life of one prophet, Hosea, God showed what the depth of His love looked like…right alongside the depravity of the idolatry of His people.  The whole book of Hosea illuminates this truth but in particular I love one verse:

I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
Hosea 11:4

And then Jesus came! And showed clearly the depth of God’s love for mankind. He lived love to the nth degree always being the epitome of God’s love.  Listen to this Truth (I know it is so because it is in God’s Word)…truth hard to comprehend but true nonetheless!

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 and 39

Such love is so very difficult to grasp with our minds, BUT, because God tells us so through Paul’s words, we KNOW it to be true!  And through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit we are able to experience it with our hearts.

…And that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19

Truly not feasible by our own doing, our own efforts, our own works. And this is the awesome Truth of God’s desiring us—it is not based on you or me but completely on Him!

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Lord, I ask that You help each of us to hold these Truths in our minds and our hearts.  There is nothing greater than Your love!  There is no more sure thing than Your love!  Please help us to live every day confessing and believing that,

“…neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate <me> from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus <my> Lord.”

We stand in awe of You and this awesome love of Yours!  We love You and adore You; praying in Jesus’ precious name.  Amen.

You Are My Hiding Place

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You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say
I am strong
In the strength of the Lord

Selah
written by Michael Ledner

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You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah.
Psalm 32:7

Sometimes we find ourselves in the place where we want to hide…to be in a secret spot…away from trouble and strife. At those times, it is best not to run and isolate; and try to be alone. It is best to seek our God.

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12 and 13

To know God’s promises brings such peace and comfort to our minds, does it not?  Here we read of His particular promise to hear when we call and His promise to be found when we seek Him.  His promise to us (to me and you!) is so simple! Listen…

my part: call upon Him…seek Him with my whole heart
His part: He will hear and heed…He will be found

The psalmist surely understood these promises!  David was chased, hunted down by Saul and his army.  He had to hide in caves and amongst the rocks on the cliffs.  He was all alone during most of this time…alone—except for the abiding Presence of his God!  David knew that his God would hide him.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
in the secret place of His tent will He hide me;
He will set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5

For David this was literally true.  For us, however, most of our ‘hiding’ is not out in the wilderness.  Our hiding is in plain sight—we hide our hearts, our feelings, our thoughts.  But we can turn to the One Who loves us so and seek Him.  And when we do, He will be found.  And He will hide us in His shelter.

Think back…maybe you don’t need to go too far into your memories…to a time when you called out to your heavenly Father and sought Him with all your heart.  When, perhaps, you were going through a situation and you needed His protection over your heart. When He heard you…and was found by you…and He hid you (your feelings, your thoughts, your heart).  How did you feel then? Did you have that “…peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, <which> will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus?” (Philippians 4:7) I trust you did!

And so I encourage you, my friends, cling to His promises and purposefully take a stand on them!  He will hide you!  Trust Him knowing that,

I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Psalms 27:13 and 14

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Lord, thank You for Your promises!  Thank You for Your love!  Thank You for the joy of knowing You will hide us!  Thank You for the peace we have that is beyond our ablity to understand…but we do trust You and we do believe!!!  Thank You in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Twice-Baked Sweets

Oh, now this was comfort food!  I guess I was just ‘in a mood’ for something like this—filling, creamy, sweet yet tangy—and it smelled so good!  AND still stayed within the healthy but oh-so-yummy parameters.  This is an easy, quick (minus the baking time for the potatoes) meal to prepare…and could be a simple meatless meal, too.

The “twice-baked” potatoes of my past have been big ol’ russets…with butter a-n-d sour cream.  (how about you?)  The sweet potatoes, while yes, still containing lots of carbs also are high in fiber and lots of good vitamins and minerals i.e., beta-carotene and anti-oxidants.  Enjoy!

2015-10-30 19.46.12

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

ingredients:

2 large – extra large sweet potatoes
1/2 small red onion, diced small
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced small
1/4 – 1/3#  asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 ounces ham, diced (I used a ham steak)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

directions:

  • bake sweet potatoes at 400 for 35-45 minutes, depending on size ’til soft.  when done, set out to cool for 3 or 4 minutes.  slice off the very tops and, carefully, scoop out the majority of the baked potato. leave the shells to one side and place the filling into a large bowl and mash up.
  • meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat oil and add the cutup veggies.  cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes ’til asparagus pieces are just tender when poked with a sharp knife tip. remove from pan and add to bowl with mashed sweets
  • add the ham chunks to the pan and cook 5 minutes or so, allowing to brown up just a bit
  • add to the bowl with the  veggies
  • add the Greek yogurt along with most of the gorgonzola (save a bit out for topping); mix together completely. season to taste with s&p.
  • place the potato shells into a baking dish and add back the potato mash with veggies and ham (they will be very well-stuffed.)
  • top each stuffed potato with a bit of the remaining cheese
  • place in oven for 10 minutes or so ’til cheese is melting and filling heated piping hot

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

His Love Endures Forever

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Every day throughout November, we’ll bring you a  devotional focused on giving thanks, gratitude, or giving of ourselves. We welcome you to check in each day and give thanks along with us !

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever
Psalm 118:1

Give thanks to the Lord
Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise

With a mighty hand
and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever, forever

From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
By the grace of God
We will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise

His love endures forever
His love endures forever
His love endures forever
Forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise

Forever You are faithful
Forever You are strong
Forever You are with us
Forever and ever, and ever

 

Weekly Recap…Psalm 18:30

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As for God, His way is blameless.
The Word of the Lord is tested [it is perfect, it is faultless];
He is a Shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30

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Here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have completed a short series looking at the importance and magnitude of God’s Holy Word.  This week our devotional writers have greatly encouraged us as they shared their belief and trust that God is our Shield, protecting us and providing refuge for us in these devotions.  Please click on each link to read each complete devotional; here are a few excerpts from their thoughts….

In Take Heed, Clella reminded us that we need to know and heed to God and His promises…

“…Because God’s way is perfect, and His word is flawless, and He has promised to protect His children, we need to take heed.  Yes, like David, we have enemies—whether in the physical or in the spiritual—who try to “entangle us with cords of death” (Psalms 18:4-5).  But if we take heed of God and His Word, He will ”avenge us, and save us from our enemies” (Psalms 18:47-48).  When we are faithfully in God’s Word, then we will know God and experience His deliverance….”

In Daddy’s Protection, Tina gave us the example of God’s love has protected us….

“Remember, as a child, how our dad was our hero?  How he could not do any wrong in our eyes?  Well, God wants us to love and trust Him like that…As we grew older our dads made mistakes, because they are human. They maybe did not show up at a ballgame, dance recital or have time to listen.  But I know Who does—God our Father.  He has time to listen to all of our issues.  He is always there….”

In God’s Pure Word, Ann shared the blessings and benefits of God’s Word…

“There are benefits and value to God’s Law and Word.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Psalm 19:8

The ‘precepts of the Lord’ are definite rules concerning righteous living that are a joy to the godly.  The ‘commands of the Lord’ are the authoritative source of guiding light for the faithful who seek His way…”

In There is Refuge in God’s Word, Ahmee pointed us to some important reminders of the refuge and warnings that God’s words can be for us…

“I know our verse (Psalm 18:30) is most likely referring to physical refuge—as in keeping you safe from bodily harm.  But when I read it the first refuge I thought of was emotional refuge.  Life can be rough and it has this way of wearing you down, if you let it.  God’s Word does have a way of warning us about certain situations. However, whether we listen, or not, is up to us.  I think Proverbs is a really great book that lets us know “If this…then that”.  We can find refuge in the Lord’s words by avoiding these situations….”