November 18, 2024

Sacrifices

September 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17

God is looking for men and women who are willing to come to the point of accepting their wrongs, their sinful nature…and repent.

This psalm is a repentance psalm which was cited after David saw that he had missed the track and wanted to get back to God and to renew their relationship. David knew, “If I am to prosper and walk in God’s abundance of blessing I need to reunite myself with my God.”

Even today, what God wants us to do is to reunite ourselves to Him.  And for our relationship to be intimate.  If you love someone you will do what that someone wants you to do.  We can tithe, we can give love offerings, we can give firstfruits, we can sacrifice our time in prayer and fasting; but if our hearts are not clinging to the mind and will of God then we lose out and there is nothing we can gain.

Check out the following Scriptures where God is explicitly saying He doesn’t need our sacrifices but, rather, our hearts.  Let us give our all to Him!

The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to Me, says the Lord, I have more than enough of burnt offerings or rams and the fat of fattened animals….
Isaiah 1:11

…For I desire mercy not sacrifices and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6

Even though you bring Me burnt offerings, I will not accept them.
Amos 5:22

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings….
Micah 6:6

I therefore pray that we yield ourselves to Him and be righteous rather than give sacrifices that the Lord does not receive.

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Father, I thank You that You hear us when we pray.  We thank You for the revelations in the Scriptures.  By Your grace, Lord, cause us to seek You more and do Your will and please You rather than offering sacrifices that are useless in Your sight.  We pray for forgiveness of our sins and iniquities.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Turning Back to God

September 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.
Psalms 51:15-17

As we as Christians walk through our lives, we need to remember that we are not perfect, nor should we judge each other.  Our purpose is to share God’s love and to mentor those who come along with us.  We are to be salt and light to the nations.

Jesus tells us,
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 5:13-16

There is a time for us to review our actions and to repent once either we see it, or once someone brings it to our attention.  Either way, there is a time for us to seek to change.  Pride can so very easily prevent us from repenting, turning from our sin and beginning to respect God again.  But what happens if we continually sin, again and again, the same sin?  Peter posed this question to Jesus…

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive
my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21 and 22

Jesus then went on to say,

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Verses 23-35)

I am not sure about you, but I endeavor to lay my life down at the foot of the Cross and do my best not to take it up again.  But with my being humble and contrite, I can lay my sin down each and every day while I make every effort to not take it on again.

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Father, forgive me a sinner!  Forgive my weak fleshly desires.  Forgive me when I am quick to speak, before I think.  Forgive me for when I judge others before I know what their life holds.  Forgive me for not seeking You first, when I know I am supposed to.  Forgive me my pride.  Help me replace “I can do it” and instead say “with Your guidance I can do it.”  I give You the glory for each and every day.  Thank You, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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Welcoming People

September 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise You.
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Psalms 51:15-17

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin
and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 AMP

I have yet to meet a person that Christ has rejected.  There is no such thing as too sinful, too perfect, too young, or too old.  Not one person who comes to Christ broken and humble is turned away.  He never said, “Oh…that’s too much for me to handle.”  He has never turned His back saying, “Not today…I’m too busy.  Try again tomorrow.”  He is never off limits.  He has never said, “Ha! You puny human. I am God. You are too beneath Me to help.”  And He is always emotionally available.  He has never said, “I’m too bored or tired or angry.”

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7

Jesus is always available to the willing heart.  He was even available to those who didn’t know they needed Him.  So, why aren’t we the same way?  The easy response to this question is: ‘He was God and I am only human.’   Even though this is very true, I think there are other reasons why we aren’t as accepting or available as Christ, and it all comes down to motives.

We can never truly know a person’s heart.  We can see their actions and listen to what they say, but even so, there is no way for us to know what is going through their minds or the motives they have or what they do behind closed doors.  How could we possibly know the internal struggles another goes through?  For example, you encounter a rude person and it’s easy to assume that person is just rude; but is that really true?  What’s happening on the surface is not always an adequate overall summary of the situation.  This is what the Holy Spirit is for!  (As well as it helps to remember to view situations in a “this is not about me” manner.)

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Lord, help me to welcome those around me the way You welcomed those to Yourself, so that I may be a light for others.  Please, help me to remember the big picture, and stay focused on You, so I can love people like You did.  Amen.

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God and the Broken Spirit

September 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, You, God, will not despise.
Psalms 51:15-17

It is hard to believe that thirteen years have passed since our nation was attacked and brought almost to its knees by people who did not agree with our religious, political, or social values and culture.  Those same people, now members of different groups, are striving to bring us down once again.  It may or may not happen.  We must be aware and prayerful every day.  Our world changed thirteen years ago, and it is never going to be the way it was before.

I remember where I was on that fateful day. I was away at college, and I called my mother to tell her about the first tower. We were both thinking it was an accident. Then I saw the second plane hit. I knew things were going to be different. Later that evening, pictures of people helping others began to emerge. People were rushing to volunteer at all three sites of the attack. It was amazing to see people helping others. It was also amazing that so many people also returned to church for a while afterward.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Thirteen years ago, we were in trouble. The nation was grieving the loss of thousands of people. The unimaginable had happened. The people of this nation started to turn to the one thing that has always been solid in this country—God. Many people turned to Him because they were in shock and disbelief, and were hurting. He was with us. He never left us. Many saw the attacks as a wake-up call from God that anything could happen at any time and anywhere.

Job dealt with pain and hurt as the devil tried to tempt him to turn from God. He lost everything. He lost his wealth and his family in just an instant. Yet his faith never wavered. He relied on God to pull him through the bad times. In Job 1:20-22, Job still worshipped the Lord. He acknowledged that God can give and God can take away. Job did not question God about what had happened. He continued to worship God and maintain his righteousness.

Once the events of 9/11 ended that day, the grief and questions did not end. They are forever ingrained in the memories of those who lived it or witnessed it from far away. As a nation we sought solace in God. Many people still do—in good and bad times. God holds us up. Our spirits may have been broken…but God was there to comfort and heal our nation.

 

Dear Heavenly Father: We thank You for healing our nation back on 9/11/01. Now we ask that You heal our nation again as people begin to turn from You again. We pray that those who have turned away would return to You with swiftness before Your return. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Brokenness

September 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Psalm 51:17

Brokenness – stricken, wounded, dismayed, to be grieved, to make sad

In Psalms 51:15-17, David is consumed with guilt.  He is in anguish and would do almost anything to escape from it.  What God really desires from David (and from us!) is only that we are truly broken over our sin.  David would have offered sacrifices. Sometimes we try to take the easy way.  We try to negotiate with God—offer a sacrifice of sorts.  But God looks at the heart.  He looks for true repentance, a deep sorrow.  God wants a heart pliable to His Word, one that trembles at His Word, tender and obedient.  In other words, God seeks a broken and contrite heart.  Man may despise what is broken but God does not.  Instead, He looks with favor upon a broken and humble attitude.

But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble
and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres My commands.
Isaiah 66:2b AMP

God chooses to dwell among the humble because they have a reverent attitude. All of our wrong doing comes to a climax at the foot of the Throne.  Our faith and repentance glorify God.

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart
and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin
and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.
Psalm 34:18 AMP

Brokenness—to be stricken, wounded, grieved by our sin—that is what God desires.

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10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

September 13, 2014 by

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Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Psalms 103:1-5

The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, oh my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord, oh my soul

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more
Bless the Lord

Songwriters: Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin / Performed by The Rend Collective

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God’s Will For Our Good Health

September 12, 2014 by

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Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits.
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
Psalm 103: 3

Sisters in the Lord, know this thing—that the Lord our God’s Will is for us to prosper and be in good health (3 John 1).  We know that there are some sicknesses that we suffer because of :

  • Lack of knowledge
  • Fear
  • Iniquities
  • Sin
  • Guilt
  • Envy
  • And many other causes

I therefore beseech each one of us to check out the above in our lives.  Do we have such attitudes?  Character faults, habits, etc?  FOCUS on Jesus.  He is the sure way to salvation and healing.

Diseases come in different forms. Check out the Scriptures below.

If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes,
if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees,
I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians
for I am the Lord who heals you.
Exodus 15:26

The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you
the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt but He will inflict them on those who hate you.
Deutoronomy 7:15

For they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
Proverbs 4:22

But I will restore you to health and heal all your wounds, declares the Lord
because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.
Jeremiah 30:17

In our case today these diseases can be financial, marital, academic, spiritual, etc., (you name it).  Therefore let us carefully listen to the voice of the Lord our God.  As it says “Give and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38)…let us do so.  We should allow the Lord to keep us free from every disease and trust in Him always.

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Father, we thank You for You hear our prayers when we pray unto You.  You are a great God whose love endures forever.  We appreciate Your will upon our lives.  However we tend to think otherwise because of the challenges of this life but Your love never ends.  We pray for the grace for us to understand what Your will is in our lives so that we live according to Your will and be established and prosper.  May Your presence be visible in our daily lives.  In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!

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God’s Great Love

September 11, 2014 by

Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let everything in me give praise to His holy name.
Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let not all His blessings go from your memory.
He has forgiveness for all your sins; He takes away all your diseases;
He keeps back your life from destruction, crowning you with mercy and grace.
He makes your mouth full of good things, so that your strength is made new again like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5

These verses are so full of promises.  God loves us so very much.  He is merciful and quick to forgive us.  All God requires of us is to love Him and put Him first in our lives.  Before Abraham knew who God was…God loved him. Before Moses knew who God was…God loved him.  How much more does God love us?  (I would imagine much more!)

For those who are suffering, who are hurting, when no end seems to be there—know that God sees and will give you a renewed strength.

And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow,
and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage in which thou wast made to serve.
Isaiah 14:3

Who doesn’t know of someone that these words would minister to?  There will come a time of rejoicing.  A time when looking back at what was in the past will seem like a forever time ago.

Verse 5 of Psalm 103 refers to the eagle’s yearly removal of its feathers to allow new growth, therefore giving the illusion of youthful vigor.  How many times do we want to remove our troubles, our fears, our chains that bind us to earthly worries?  When we cast them onto God, we can rest assured that He will take care of them.  When we give Him our worries we should not be quick to take them back and take them on again. If our spouse or child is not doing what they should, it is for us only to live a life that is as free of sin as we can.  We will not be perfect.  In our human-ness we will fail but, with God’s grace and mercy, we will be shown how to live.

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Father, we humbly come before You and ask for direction.  We do not know how important our words or actions can be until it is sometimes too late.  We thank You for Your forgiveness.  We thank You for the ability to start again.  We pray for the courage to speak words that will build up, not tear down.  Help us to know when to be silent, and when to be so on fire for You that nothing or no one can stop us.  Help us be bold and courageous for You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

 

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The Pits

September 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:1-5

A pit.  This pit can take on many forms…it can be a pit dug by others, or a pit of our own making.  This passage doesn’t specify that He will only save us from what others do to us, but that He will “redeem your life from the pit”, even if we make it ourselves.  Where others will cover us in shame and anger, He will cover us with love and compassion.  He will not only save us from situations we create ourselves, but He will wrap His arms around us while doing it.  He promises that our desires will be met…He promises love, compassion…He promises forgiveness, and healing.

The difference between God’s promises and those we make (or those made to us by others), is that God’s promises ring true.  These promises will not be broken; they are not conditional.  In fact we are given these promises over and over again.  We are forgiven over and over again, we are loved always, we are healed, and we are clothed in compassion.  Such simple everyday concepts made beautiful; made permanent, made personal.

I will praise the Lord. My soul will sing His praises for all He has done for me, for all He will continue to do for me. I will praise His Holy name.

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Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, only You, Lord, know the workings of my innermost being.  Only You know when I need love and compassion.  Only You know when I truly need love and healing.  Only You understand when I need compassion.  Only You know when I need to be pulled from the pit.  Only You.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

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Our Good God

September 9, 2014 by

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He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
Psalm 103:5

God is and will always be good. One of the most common phrases I hear well-meaning Christians say to one another is “Everything happens for a reason.” and “God always has a plan.”

First and foremost, we must always remember the character of God—God is good. So, if your friend gets into a car accident it wasn’t because God had a plan, it was because somebody forgot to hit their brakes (perhaps because they were too busy talking on the phone).  That wasn’t God’s plan. However, God can use moments like these to reach and teach others.

I definitely believe that God can take horrible situations and stupid mistakes and turn them into something good.  Does He always?  Nope.  But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us.  There is a certain thing in this world known as ’cause- and-effect’.  Because you did not pay your electric bill, your lights got turned off. Because you did not buy groceries, you don’t have any food at home.  Because you decided to stay out all night, you slept through your 5 a.m. alarm.

God is in control…no doubt about it.  But just because you are in control of something doesn’t mean that you caused something to happen.  For instance, a manager of the store is in control of the store, but if an associate steals that does not mean he caused that to happen.  Same goes for God.  We have this thing called…yep...free-will.  I have mine and you have yours; everybody else has theirs.  Think about it!  That’s a lot of free-will that’s floating around.

Does God intercede and stop bad things from happening…of course.  Why He does or does not is His business. My job is to remember what Jesus said…

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
John 10:10

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Thank You for being good to me, God. Amidst all that is happening in the world, help me to see things through Your eyes and remember that You are good and You always will be. Amen.

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