November 26, 2024

The Greatest Gift of Love

December 18, 2013 by

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

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8

Love is the reason that Jesus was born and died for us on the Cross. He loved every one of us enough to die for us. When he died Jesus cleared us of our sins, if we believe and accept His gift of salvation, because He loved us. Love is one of the main reasons that God sent His only begotten Son to us. Love radiated from this Gift on the very first Christmas night.

Christina Rossetti catches this in her poem, “Love Came Down at Christmas”:

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine,
Worship we our Jesus,
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,

Love for plea and gift and sign 

That first Christmas the first Gift was given—love from God in the form of Jesus. Jesus’s love is divine because He is the Son of God, and He is the Savior of all mankind. Love was already present that first Christmas, but the birth of Jesus makes it more powerful than just an emotion. Love came from the heavens to wash away our sin. Love came down from heaven because of God’s love.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Love resonates during the Christmas season, even as we live through the chaos called life. It brings us together to celebrate life—earthly and eternally. It is through love that we, as Christians, can show good will toward our brothers and sisters. It is with love that we serve our Almighty God and celebrate the birth of Jesus during this season. There are all types of love, but the divine love of God is the best of all. This love is why God chose to send His only Son to die for us and give us eternal life in heaven.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the Gift of love that You gave us during the first Christmas. We are grateful that this Gift is available to be accepted by all those that believe. Let us show that love to all and bring goodwill to men. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Twelve Days of Meaning

December 15, 2013 by

 

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I am going to admit that I never really thought much about the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” until I was sitting in church one morning. I never really considered that each of the twelve things could have certain meaning—a bigger, broader, spiritual meaning.  Consider the following meanings as you listen to this song.

Since we all know that the stanzas repeat themselves and grow as each day is added, I will only refer to the last stanza:

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a-Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a-Milking
Seven Swans a-Swimming
Six Geese a-Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

The twelve days of this song refer to the twelve days that start on Christmas Day.  If you notice, the song repeatedly says “…my true love sent to me.”  The true love is that of the love that we receive from God. His first gift to us is the partridge in the pear tree, or His only begotten Son, Jesus. He loved us more than we could ever know and sent His Son to save us.

So as to not leave the entire stanza out, days 2-7 mean many things:

Day 2:   Two Turtle Doves: The Old and the New Testament
Day 3:   Three French Hens: Faith, Hope, Charity
Day 4:   Four Calling Birds: The Four Gospels
Day 5:   Five Golden Rings: The Five Books of Moses
Day 6:   Six Geese a-Laying: Six Days of Creation
Day 7:   Seven Swans a-Swimming: 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Now day 8, Eight Maids a-Milking, can really hit home. Day 8 represents the 8 Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:3-12

These are the blessings of God on those who believe in Him and show Him to the world. The poor in spirit will receive the kingdom of Heaven. The mourning will be comforted. The meek will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Those who show mercy will be shown mercy by God. The pure in heart will see God. The peacemakers will be seen as the sons of God. The persecuted (which I like believe include those who are persecuted in the name of Jesus in this day and time) will also see the kingdom of Heaven. The blessed people of the earth will receive the kingdom of Heaven.  For me, these blessings are the ones that we will all receive when Jesus returns. It won’t be sectioned out because there are those out there who show a lot of these traits -mercy, love, peacemaking, mourn, etc.- plus we know that God does not play favorites. I believe that we will all see the kingdom of Heaven because as Christians, we are persecuted because of righteousness-because we claim Jesus as our Savior.  Of course, I could be wrong but I do believe this to be true. This is just an interpretation. I guess I will have to wait until Christ returns to see if my beliefs are right or wrong in some perspective.

As for Days 9 through 12:
Day 9:   Nine Ladies Dancing: Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Day 10: Ten Lords a-Leaping: Ten Commandments
Day 11:  Eleven Pipers Piping: Eleven Faithful Disciples
Day 12:  Twelve Drummers Drumming: Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for this joyous season. Thank You for the blessings that are listed in the Beatitudes. We here on earth cannot wait to receive those that are destined for us when we reach the kingdom of Heaven. Please be with us all as we go through this season and remember our Savior. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Peace of Mind – and – Peace of Heart

December 11, 2013 by

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

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid
John 14:27

The greatest gift ever given to us is the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we truly accept this gift, our hearts and minds should be at peace.  The world cannot give us this peace; no matter how hard it tries.

The universal Christmas wish every year is probably peace on earth. Yet what is peace on earth? To many, peace would be no fighting, no hunger, no pain, and no sickness. The world would be giving us everything we need to be at peace. Yet, it can’t. No matter how hard we strive for peace from the world the world cannot give it. Only Jesus can do that.

Jesus’s birth brought the promise of eventual peace on earth.  His birth also brought the promise of peace in the heart. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, spiritual peace of the mind and heart is part of the gift of salvation. We should never have to worry about what the world cannot give us. We are granted peace as part of the gift from Jesus.

I will give you a case in point… From around November 1-January 2, it is chaos in our house. We have school, church, work, and our home lives to deal with. We are constantly on the go during these weeks with family outings and get-togethers. Just when we need a weekend at home or a day of the weekend at home, we can’t get it. We can’t get the peace of our home for one single minute during the weekend. The case this year: December 7-Live Nativity, December 8-Calloway Gardens; December 14-Christmas Parade; December 15-Christmas Lunch and Sports Banquet; December 20 (and on) – family dinners, Christmas, and New Year’s. We can’t get a moment’s peace until at least January 2. Because of the busyness of the world, we cannot get peace of mind because our minds our constantly going with everything that is going on. However, when we think of Jesus, we get a little bit of peace because that is what His birth, death, and resurrection has brought us.

In this season of hope, love, joy, and peace, the main point to remember is the peace that Jesus brought to the world and the peace He will bring again when He returns. Just the thought of eternal life in heaven should bring peace to the mind and heart.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father: Please be with us as we go through this busy time of year. Bring peace to our minds and hearts as we go through the motions of the holiday season.  In Jesus name. Amen.

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Breath of Heaven

December 9, 2013 by

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Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) ~ Amy Grant

Do you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

In this beautiful ballad, the point of view is Mary’s–the mother of Christ.  She, as portrayed in differing accounts, always wondered why God chose her. She had always been faithful to God, as was Noah, when she was chosen to be a virgin mother. She questions if someone wiser should have been chosen. Yet, she still offers herself to God’s plan of love, hope, joy, peace, and mercy. She knows that the Lord will never leave her as God does not leave His children to suffer alone.

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now

I like to believe that Mary was silently praying when the angel appeared to her to tell her she would bear God’s Son. I would have been frightened, too, if I had been in her shoes. She was favored by God for her faithfulness to Him. That is why God chose her. From Mary’s point of view in the ballad, she knows that she must walk the path laid before her alone. This was from an earthly standpoint, but she was not alone. God never left her. God was with her. Even though her world was cold, she was warm with the light of God.

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven

The ‘Breath of Heaven’ was on Mary from the moment that God chose her to bring forth the first Christmas. God poured His holiness on her as she requested. God lightened her darkness through the gift of His only Son. Mary held God as the most holy, and she asked God for His breath to be upon her—before and after Christ’s birth. She knew that God would hold her together through the difficulty she would face as being a virgin with child.

We should be as faithful to God as Mary was. God breathes on us every day of our lives—from the moment of our creation to our death. He is forever with us. Jesus is the Light that clears away the darkness and brings holiness to all that accept Him. What a great holiday gift!

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of light, peace, hope, joy, and mercy. Without it we could not be close to You. Thank You for lighting our darkness and never leaving us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Hope In Christmas

December 4, 2013 by

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

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Over 2,000 years ago, Jews were hoping for the arrival of their Savior—the Messiah—Jesus Christ. Today, we have the same hope of Jesus’ return after His Resurrection. We, as Christians, are very expectant of His return. When Christ does return, we will have eternal life if we have accepted Him into our hearts. Today, instead of anticipating the birth of Christ, we are now anticipating His return.

During Christmas, hope is more abundant than at any other time of the year. Kids hope for the perfect gift from Santa. Adults hope for a better New Year or for a way to provide a nice Christmas for their families. Sick people hope for a cure for their ailments. Hope springs eternal. Everyone is hoping for something.

However, during the holidays, we should be hoping—not for a birth, but for a return—Christ’s return. Yes, we celebrate His birth during this season, and we celebrate the Resurrection during the Easter season. However, instead of being reminded about Jesus’ birth, we should be reminded that His birth signaled the hope for a reconciliation with God. His birth brought us the hope for an eternal life spent with God because God already knew that Jesus would die on the Cross for our sins. We should hope for the gift of salvation, not only for ourselves, but for those who have not yet received that gift to receive it. As Christians we need to be spreading the hope of Christ’s return.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

John 3:16 gives hope to us that we will have eternal life in Heaven at the end of time if we believe in Jesus Christ. We have to have hope and faith that Jesus will return soon. This verse itself gives us hope that as believers we will spend eternity with God. This is the greatest gift that has ever and will ever be given.  We only have to accept the gift.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to us so that we may be reconciled with You. We cannot do it ourselves. We are not perfect nor will ever be. Your Son is perfect, and He brings hope to all those that believe in Him.  We pray in His Name.  Amen.

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Serving the Lord in Love and Faith

November 25, 2013 by

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“I will serve You, Lord, always, for You are my strength
When I am weak I will never be afraid for You are my Rock and You protect me.”
Life of Praise by Casting Crowns

Serving the Lord should be one of the main tenents of any Christian’s life. By serving the Lord, we show that we love Him and that we depend on him.

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart;
consider what great things He has done for you.
1 Samuel 12:24

During the spring, many children participate in sports such as baseball, tee-ball, and softball.  Our church has a ministry geared toward those who use our church’s ball fields to practice on.  It is called “A Cup of Cold Water.”  Members of our church gather donations of water and juice to hand out to the ball players after they finish practicing. This past spring was our son’s first time to play tee-ball, and he practiced mainly at our church’s fields.  Well, my daughter and I would go over to the concession stand to talk to our Children’s Ministry Director, who was handing out the water and juice.  The refrigerator needed to be restocked, so I offered to restock it.  As I was putting water in the refrigerator, our (then) two-year-old daughter started putting water and juice into the refrigerator as well.  I was setting an example of serving the Lord by restocking the refrigerator, and my daughter picked up on the example.  Serving the Lord starts early if you have the right examples set for you.

That is why as Christians it is up to us to set a good example to our kids and those around us about ways to serve the Lord.  We should serve God with faith and love.  It does not matter how we show love as long as we do it in faith of God.  God is our Protector and our Strength. By serving Him, we are showing that we love Him.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all Your blessings.  I pray that I am serving You in faith and love each and every day.  I pray that through serving I am showing You love.  In Jesus name.

Amen.

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Remembering Thanksgiving

November 19, 2013 by

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Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare His works with rejoicing.
Psalms 107:21-22

We are in the process of starting to get ready for the holidays.  As most of you already know, many stores have already decorated for Christmas and put out the merchandise they are trying to sell this Christmas.  I am not going to lie.  I already have most of my Christmas shopping done thanks to trying to buy at least one Christmas gift every time my husband or I get paid.  Now, I know that we still have one holiday to go through before Christmas, but it seems as if the retailers have forgotten that.  Many of them are opening late Thanksgiving Day just to give people an extra day to shop. It is like everyone, except the employees who have to work, is forgetting Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was the day that Pilgrims celebrated after they arrived in what is now Massachusetts. The main goal of the holiday was to thank and praise God for their safe arrival in the New World. They praised God for His goodness and mercy. They rejoiced for they had survived the dangerous trip with God’s help. The feast they had did not matter. What did matter was that the Pilgrims were thanking and praising God.

In this modern world, we should be doing the same. The stores need to stay closed on Thanksgiving. Employees should be with their families rejoicing together over the fact that God has guided them through another year. Yet, the corporations in their desire to make a profit (as well as the people who actually want to shop on Thanksgiving just to have something to do) make it so the employees have to sacrifice their time to be with their families in order to work or they could lose their jobs. It has become a sad situation.

So in this month between Halloween and Christmas, I encourage all to put Thanksgiving back in its proper place. Thank God for all you have. Thank God for getting you through another busy year and pray for God to bring you through 2014.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, I give thanks to You today for all that You have given me, and for getting me through 2013 (at least through to this point). Please be with all those who will not get to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families and bless them as they sacrifice family time in order to provide for their families.  Bless all of them.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

Joy and Thanksgiving

November 12, 2013 by

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

Our Lord is great. Our Lord is King. He is King above all. God is a loving King who provides for His children based on their needs—the needs that He sees. We as humans have needs and wants and, for some, it is difficult to discern between the two. That is why we have a loving Father in Heaven to look out for us. Just as we should thank our parents here on earth for what they have given us, we should also give thanks to God for everything He has blessed us with.

The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Psalm 126:3

We should live in joy to the Lord every day. We should thank Him for everything He has done and has given us. God is our rock and foundation for this life on earth. Without God, humans wouldn’t even exist. As it says in Genesis, humans were created in the likeness of God. One can only imagine what life would have been like if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God. Would we get sick? Would we always be searching for what we needed? Would there be sadness? I believe not. It would have been joyous to have been in the Garden of Eden.

At this moment, many of us are gearing up for the holidays. The next one is Thanksgiving. It is the one day of the year that is for giving thanks for what you have and the blessings God has given you. However, we should stand with thanksgiving every day. We should sing with joy in our hearts for having such a loving and caring heavenly Father. During this eventful season, we need to remember God and His Son, Jesus. We should let God and Jesus into our homes, so we can be filled with joy and thanksgiving for the love that They have given us.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, in this time of Thanksgiving, please be with us as we thank You for all we have and for the life that we have. Fill our hearts with joy and thanksgiving every day. In Jesus name.  Amen.

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Forgiving and Rejoicing

November 4, 2013 by

 

SeekingHimLogoBlessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Psalms 32:1-2

When we accept the gift of salvation from Jesus, our sin is covered. We become part of the blessed family of God. We are clean in the sight of the Lord. There are other expectations, but the main thing is that our sin is covered. We are given eternal life for accepting Jesus.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:
but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
Verse 10

When we accept the gift of salvation, we are given mercy by God.  If we trust in the Lord then we should not be worrying about anything.  Trusting in the Lord means turning everything over to Him.  For those who do not know, sorrow will befall them.  Sorrow, in this sense or interpretation, means that the wicked will face the wrath of God.  Because we are part of the family of God, He will bestow mercy on us.  We will get to live with Him in eternity.

Our God is a loving God.  He shows mercy to those who ask for it.  He is the Shield for the defenseless.  He is the Solace for those who do not have much.  He loves us no matter what we do.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous;
and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Verse 11

Rejoice!  God rejoices when we accept His gift of eternal life.  We are like the prodigal son. We wander astray from the life that God has set before us.  But, like the prodigal son, we return to God when we accept Jesus into our heart.  We should rejoice when we accept Jesus.  We should rejoice when another person accepts Jesus.  The children of God are returning home when they accept this wonderful gift.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, Thank You for Your wonderful gift and many blessings. Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for Your forgiveness. In Jesus name.
Amen.

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God Is Our Rock

October 29, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoTruly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:1-2

We are going through a trying time right now.  It is so trying that I have made myself physically incapacitated to the point where there are some days (the days I worry too much) that I can barely function.  I know that I need to leave this trying time in God’s hands, but being human, that is hard to do.  I have always tried to control anything that I do…including flying on an airplane.  My dear husband got me on a plane in April.  I loved the thrill of flying, but I was still scared that something could happen.  I often feel as if I can prevent something from happening if I am the one in the driver’s seat.

Yet, I know in my heart and in my brain that God is in control.  He is my Rock. He is my Shield. There have been times that I have not prayed about the situation, and then it seems like it gets worse. I pray about it, and it seems like the situation is getting better. I need to constantly put this problem in God’s hands, but being human that is hard.

When we accept God’s salvation, we put on the Shield of God. God becomes our Defender, our Provider, and our Rock.  He moves with us.  He is in the passenger seat when you are driving down the highway at 85 mph or when you are enjoying a nice sunset on the beach.  God is with you no matter where you are.

As we move on in our trying time, I need to silently listen for God’s word.  I know that eventually He will answer my prayer about getting to the end of this.  (It may take a few years to do it, but the end will come.)  I am going to have to be patient and let God lead.  God’s leadership and love is what should get us through anything—no matter how big or small.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your salvation and being our Rock. Without You, we would not be able to stand strong in any trying time. Without You, we would fall and not be able to get back up. Thank You for being our Rock and Salvation. Thank You for defending us against evil.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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