November 26, 2024

Pure Like Children Again

April 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

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

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

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

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8 

Purity is “the condition or quality of being free from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes,” etc.  That is why childhood is called the “age of innocence.”  Nothing has come into children’s hearts to make them impure.  They do not know the evils of this world unless it has touched them in some way.  They have no worries unless they just happen to have seen or felt evil at a young age.  I see this looking at my two young children every day—especially yesterday.

I got a free day off from work yesterday due to a threat on campus.  I was two minutes away from daycare when I got the call that the university was closed.  I turned around, and my daughter and I went home.  I spent the morning with her (even thought I slept for about 30 minutes of it).  (Hey…I was not about to let an opportunity for a nap slip by when I was sleepy.)  Later that afternoon, she took a nap while I was cleaning her room and her brother’s room.  I checked in on her, and I watched her sleep.  I wondered where the time had gone and where my ‘age of innocence’ had gone.  Due to the innocence she has, she is not contaminated yet, except by sin.  She is too young to realize what the true meaning of Easter is…though she can now tell you that Jesus died on the Cross.

When we do not know God, we are impure.  When we reach the age where we can understand who Jesus is and what He did for us, we have become contaminated by the world.  We are being taught its ideals through peers and the outside world. Yet, we reach a level of purity again when we decide to accept God’s gift of eternal life.  When we accept Jesus, we feel His Presence in our hearts, and we see His daily works in our lives.  We become blessed to be pure through the Blood of Jesus Christ again, and we can see Him every day by looking for His signs through nature and the blessings that He gives us when we need them.

God loves us.  We are His creation.  We are His children, and He is our Father.  We see God every day when we observe what He does and spend time with Him. Our hearts and spirit become less polluted by the world and cleaner by the spirit working inside of our hearts.  We become more like children of God and less like children of the world.

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Dear God, thank You for cleaning our hearts and making us pure in the spirit. The pollution of this world is great, but Your love for us is greater and infinite. You are our Father, and we are Your children. You clean our spirits and make us whole. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Mercy to Others

April 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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

Do you ever feel like you have been wronged by someone or by a group of people?  We are going through this right now.  It is a struggle to stay Christ-like in our situation.  We have an unfinished fence and an unwilling neighbor.  This neighbor is using part of our unfinished fence to build their own fence.  Yet, this neighbor is complaining about our unfinished fence and our backyard.  My husband works hard to maintain our backyard.  Also, our neighborhood is in the woods.  Critters abound but we get blamed.  It is hard to show restraint and not bow down to this neighbor’s methods.  Instead of coming to us, this neighbor is creating havoc.  We are showing mercy trying to work with this neighbor, and we are not getting any mercy.  Surely, there is a better way (on the neighbor’s end) to work this out.

As Christians we are supposed to show mercy to those who do us wrong. We are supposed to be forgiving of them. We are supposed to look beyond the sin that is committed against us and be forgiving. Yet it is hard to be merciful when the wronging party does not want to be merciful back.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Luke 6:37

It is hard not to be judgmental of our neighbor at this time.  We are trying not condemn them.  It is hard to be forgiving of someone who won’t even come see you face to face.  We are trying not to be judgmental.  We are trying to be merciful and look past human actions.  We are trying to do our part and be forgiving of our neighbor.

God looks past our sins against Him and shows us mercy.  One day He will take us into His Kingdom and bless us with blessings that we can’t even imagine at this time.  We will be given the ultimate mercy.  There will be no more suffering, sickness, sadness, or woe.  There will be ultimate glory and love.

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy.  Also thank You for giving us the ability to show mercy and be forgiving.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Spiritual Hunger and Thirst

April 3, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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

As children we hunger to learn what is right and what is wrong.  We are supposed to learn this from our loving parents—the ones that God has blessed us with.  From a young age when we start to learn between right and wrong, we hunger and thirst to do right so as to please those around us.  As children of God, we should do the same.  We should hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God.

The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

John 4:9-15 NIV

As Christians, we have a hunger and thirst for a relationship with God.  Once we accept Christ, we begin that relationship.  Even before the Samaritan woman received Christ, she thirsted for the righteousness of God.  The Samaritan woman was already thirsting for Jesus before she even met and spoke with Him.  When she asked for the living water, Jesus told her everything about herself. He already knew her.  She ran back to tell the people who shunned her.  That day many became children of God.  Even though she had sinned, Jesus blessed her.

As the children of God we, like the Samaritan woman, have sinned.  However, if we want to be in a relationship with Jesus, our spiritual thirst and hunger can be satisfied by accepting Him.  All we have to do is believe that He died on the Cross for us and rose three days later to defeat death and sin.

 *  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for satisfying our thirst and hunger with Your righteousness.  Without You, our spirit would be forever hungry.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Day of Resurrection

March 27, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The Day of Resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad
The passover of gladness, the passover of God
From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky
our Christ hath brought us over with hymns of victory

Our hearts be pure from evil that we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal of resurrection light
And listening to His accents, may hear, so calm and plain
His own “All hail!” and, hearing, may raise the victor strain

Now let the heavens be joyful! Let earth the song begin
Let the round world keep triumph, and all that is therein
Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend
For Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end.

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~     words: John of Damascus;     translated by John Mason Neale     ~     traditional melody: Ellacombe; performed by The Gloucester Cathedral Choir

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

“While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them,  “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered His words….”

Luke 24:4-8

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection to His followers.  Before Jesus was born, He already knew that He would be dying for our sins on the Cross.  It was the only way that sin could be defeated, and we could be reconciled to God.  Someone had to love us enough to give their own blood for ours.  The day of Jesus’ death was filled with grief and sorrow.  His own mother was crying.  His followers were grieving.  Yet, Jesus had forewarned them that this would happen.

Now imagine that third day..imagine walking up to the tomb to pay your respects and mourn. Imagine those feelings. Now imagine the surprise when you see the tomb standing wide open—the stone door moved out of the way. Imagine the angels saying that Jesus has risen. What a shock for those who either had not heard Jesus’ foretelling or didn’t remember it! Jesus had risen from the dead and returned home to His Father.  He was not dead!

The day that the stone was rolled away Jesus defeated death and sin. He made the ultimate sacrifice on the Cross and the greatest miracle was performed on the third day—Jesus rose from the dead.  If we have faith and believe that Jesus died on the Cross for us, rose on the third day (the Resurrection), and accept Him into our hearts as Lord and Savior then we will live eternally with Him and God when time comes to a close.  Christ is not dead!  He is alive!  He never leaves us!

Just as the heavens and earth are joyful over Christ’s defeat of sin so should we.  We should be delighted and overjoyed with the thought that we will live in God’s glory for eternity thanks to the Resurrection of Christ. Yes, that day of His death was sad, but the third day brought great joy. We should remember this during the Easter season and celebrate with joy that we have eternal life through Christ.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift on the Cross. Without it we would be lost to sin. We would not be able to have a relationship with You. Please be with us as we spread the news about that third day—the Resurrection Day. In Jesus name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Blessed to be Obedient

March 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

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

This verse brings to my mind many old sayings that I heard as a child…

  • “Do unto others as they would unto you.”
  • “Turn the other cheek.”
  • “The early bird gets the worm.”

There are so many others that I learned, but it is the first two that pop into my mind when looking at Matthew 5:5.  To be meek is to fear God and obey His Word.  It is to live for Him.  It is already knowing that when Jesus returns that it will be God’s children who will inherit the earth.  They will receive the full blessings of God and Jesus when they step into God’s Presence for eternity.  We receive blessings here on earth but, as children of God, the blessings will be greater and throughout eternity.

In today’s world it is hard to be meek. There are many temptations in this world. With our busy lives it is hard sometimes to separate the world from our godly lives.  However, there are ways to bring the two together—

–  live in the world but don’t be of the world.
–  live as if this is just a stop on a long trip home
–  live as if we are already directly standing before God.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth:
and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:17

By being God’s children, we will see the new heavens and the new earth when Jesus returns.  If we are meek, we are obeying God.  We are living for God.  When we come into God’s presence, we will forget about the old earth and what it is like now.  We will live in God’s glory and worship Him on the new earth.  We will be living with Him for eternity.

We should live our lives here on earth as if we are already living in God’s glory.  This is one definition of being meek in God’s eyes.  Those who serve God will be eternally blessed upon the return of Christ.  This old world will die away, and just like a person being reborn, the earth will be made anew and the old forgotten.  We should be exemplifying this to the world.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for welcoming me into Your family.  By being obedient to You and following Your direction, I am being (at least in one way) meek.  Please stand by me as I live for Your glory and try to be a good example for others.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Comfort of God

March 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

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

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

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

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

We have all lost loved ones and friends.  It is part of life.  It is our payment for sin.  We hurt when someone we know dies.  It is part of human nature to mourn and miss those who have passed onto God’s Presence.  We wish that we could hold them here, but God knows when it is time for them to come home.

I remember when my grandmother died.  There were many people at her funeral—more than I expected.  It was a comfort to know that people cared about our family. As per Southern tradition, many friends provided our family with food. It in its own way, this was comforting, but I still mourned the death of my grandmother.

God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalms 46:1

God blesses us by bringing people around us when we need them.  We know that we can turn to God when we are at our lowest.  We know that God will comfort us with His abundance of love.  There is enough for all to take joy in.  God is our Refuge in our sorrow.  He may not be here physically, but He helps our spirit rebound from the pain it feels for any loss.  He sends people into our lives to be the physical comforters.  They do His work by being there for us when we need them most.

God blesses us in our mourning by providing those people who can help us grieve and help us move on. When we, ourselves, pass into His presence, we will not have a reason to mourn because it will be a moment of great joy.  We will not have any pain.  We will be in God’s Presence and be worshipping Him.  He will comfort us Himself once we cross into His Presence.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the comfort You bring us.  You bless us most when need it.  You are our Refuge, and we are grateful for Your love and comfort.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Be Like Children

March 12, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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

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

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

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 5:3

My daughter is full of spirit.  Nattie is a pistol.  She chases after lights during cosmic bowling.  She jumps on the trampoline.  She jabbers at 90 miles a minute.  I can understand her almost 80% of the time.  She runs around the house like she is running a race.  Plus, she has a temper to match.  Needless to say, at the age of three, my Nattie Grace is a very spirited child.  But, like all children, she still needs me, and she knows how to get my attention.  She grabs my hand and pulls me to where she wants me, or she tells me to stop what I am doing because she wants something.

Yet, remembering that she is only three, I also know that she is poor in spirit because she does not have the ability to understand who Jesus Christ is.  As children of God, we should be like our own children—looking to God like children do their parents.

“Allow the children to come to me,” Jesus said.
“Don’t forbid them, because the Kingdom of Heaven
belongs to people like these children.”
Matthew 19:14

As the children of God, we should also act like children looking for the love and protection of their heavenly Father.  We should humble ourselves before the Lord and seek Him as a child does their parents.  We are instructed to act as children seeking their father.  This is because that is what we were created to do.  We were created to be the children of God and to continually seek His Presence.

If we become like children and constantly seek God, we will be rewarded as the children of God.  We will live in the Kingdom of Heaven with God for eternity.  We must humble ourselves and tear ourselves from earthly desires.  As the children of God, we should constantly be seeking Him, His riches, and His glory.

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥~ *

Dear Heavenly Father:  As we enter the season of Easter, please help us remember that Jesus died for us so we could be like children and constantly seek You.  Thank You for the sacrifice.  It is with this sacrifice that we can live with hope to see You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Praising, Teaching, and Being Observant

March 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1-2

God is good.  God is great.  God is infinite.  God is merciful.  God is love.  God is kindness. The adjectives can go on and on.  God is many things, and it is hard to put into words just how great He is.  Yet, the writers of the Bible were able to do it and so should we. Any Christian should be able to voice the many wonderful things that make up God’s everlasting Being.

The Lord has been performing mighty deeds since the beginning, and He continues to do them today.  We only have to be observant to see them.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:20

By being observant, we can see all the mighty works of God on a daily basis.  God commands us to teach each others how to observe all things.  He is with us and sees what we see. He knows what we think.  He has been this way since the beginning of time and He will be with us through the end of the world.  He never leaves us, and we can see it every day.

We should sing praises to God with every breath and in everything we do. We are the ones that can put into words the wonderful and miraculous things that God does.  We are not supposed to do it just on Sundays, but we are supposed to sing praise to God every day.  God gives us multiple blessings every breath we take.  We should give God praise every second that we can.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mighty power, love, mercy, goodness, and all the other adjectives that we can think of.  You are with us always.  Please give us the strength to get through the days and allow us to praise You with you every breath.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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indescribable

February 27, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings, all exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable…You placed the stars in the sky
And You know them by name; You are amazing, God
All powerful, untameable…awestruck we fall to our knees
And we humbly proclaim that You are amazing, God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night, none can fathom

Singer/Songwriter – Laura Story

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Ever been to the Rocky Mountains or out West?  It is a beautiful place to visit.  It is almost hard to describe.  God’s love and creation was meant to be indescribable as well.  However, God and man have found and used adjectives for all of time to describe the wondrous beauty that God created.  God is amazing and uncontainable.

God thundereth marvellously with His voice;
great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend.
Job 37:5

The Lord has done great things and continues to do great things on a daily basis.  He does great things: He created the earth; He placed the stars in the sky; and He decrees where lightning strikes or where snow should lay.  (I think we all need to praise God for the winter we had this year.  It has been a roller coaster ride of snow and ice, and the weather obeyed God’s word as He gave it.)  God reveals His power and majesty in many different ways.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

God’s power is great.  The hills, mountains, seas, and all of Creation sing of God’s wonderful power every day.  These parts of God’s creation can bring peace and relief to even the most burdened of hearts.  The world bursts into some kind of praise every morning—rain, snow, sleet, or sunshine.  This is part of God’s amazing power.

We can only imagine the sheer depth of God’s power.  We know that it is great and powerful.  It would have to be more powerful than anything we can imagine in order to create such a magnificent thing as the world.  His love comes from the highest of the high and is majestic in every way.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful love and creation.  Your creation shows just how powerful and wonderful You are.  Thank You for each new day and for Your love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Blessings of God

February 24, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalms 84:8-12

The last line…“How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”…pay particular attention to it.  It is a universal truth no matter how hard things can get.  God blesses us every day.  Just pay attention to it because you could miss it in the blink of an eye.

My children are a blessing.  When the opportunity arises, we have camp-outs in the living room.  (Yes, even on school nights.)  Well, we had one last night.  When the kids camp out, I sleep in the living room with them.   I had gotten up early to read some of my policy class work.  Well, I got sleepy. I figured I would take a quick 10 minute nap before the kids got up.  Right as I was drifting off, I felt a little arm brush across my face.  I opened my eyes to see my daughter climbing up into my arms.  What a blessing to get such love in the morning.  I guess God knew that I would sleep past the ten minutes and blessed me with love to keep me awake.  God is so awesome!

God gives us blessings all day.  If we trust in Him and believe in Him, He blesses us with His protection and love.  He becomes our sunshine and we shine with His love to those around us.  Every day is not promised, but at least when I get up in the mornings, I know that I am standing in the court that He created here on Earth.  I am standing on the threshold of His home because I know that is the next home I will have when I am done here on Earth.

A day with God is better than any day without Him.  Just being in a relationship with Him brings a smile to my face.  I place my faith in Him to get through hard days and good days.  If it were not for God, I do not know where I would be right now.  God puts us where we are for different reasons.  We may be able to figure some of them out, and we not be able to come to the conclusion.  Just remember that God knows what is best for us, and He blesses us in that way.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your blessings.  Without them, our days would be longer and miserable.  I pray that we appreciate Your blessings and not take them for granted.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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