November 19, 2024

Glorify God

July 8, 2014 by

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I will extol the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt His name together.
Psalms 34:1-3

Glorifying the Lord in our current age is becoming harder and harder. Technology, money, and other ways to keep up with the “Jones,’” is starting to take more and more time away from just about everybody. It feels like we need more time in the day to just accomplish three or four things on our daily to-do list. (This does not include the regular 9-5 job.)  Many of us are losing precious time with our families and our Lord because of everything that we are letting take us away from them.

However, we can find ways to glorify God during the day. We can pray anytime we want. It is part of the freedom of living in the U.S. This past weekend (Fourth of July) my family started what will hopefully become a new tradition for us of taking a week (maybe two weeks after talking with the reservation lady) to spend the holiday at Wind Creek State Park in Alabama. (If you ever need a nice place to go camping, we highly recommend Wind Creek State Park.) We caught up on some much needed family time. With my husband’s job, along with my work and school schedule, too, it is hard to fit in time as a family. It is hard to find time for God every day, but we pray every day and try to read a verse or two together. Life is hectic, but God can still be glorified in it.

Glorify God in your work. Glorify God in your family time. Admire His glorious work in you and around you. Be thankful for the blessings He gives you. In the blink of an eye, it could be over. Glorify the Lord at all times—through thankfulness, praise, prayer, and devotion.

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Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for Your blessings. We praise You with each action. We will praise You through our lips and heart. In Jesus name, Amen.

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EXALTATION

July 7, 2014 by

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I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Psalms 34:1-3

The writer of this psalm praises the Lord for a miraculous deliverance from great trouble. His testimony encourages all afflicted believers to believe that they may also experience the goodness of the Lord.

As we exalt the Lord we express our gratitude to Him for all that He has done. Praise and thanksgiving are basic elements in the believers life.

We must thank the Lord through His Son Jesus morning and evening for salvation, for His love and grace, and for His faithful guidance and care. We should express our gratitude for the Word of God and for His spiritual gifts.

We need to exalt God despite the circumstances we are facing. Just thinking of His wonderful deeds…hey!!! A song of praise should start on our mouth. And it feels good even to us as worshippers…what more for the One being exalted? I guess it is time we make a decision to exalt God since it is supposed to be a believer’s lifestyle. Praising Him and giving thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus.

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Lord, I thank You for all that You have done in our lives. We exalt You because You are a great God. We shall exalt You as long as we live. Be glorified Lord in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!!!

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No Matter What

July 6, 2014 by

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No matter what…God deserves to be praised.  Regardless of what we are going through or how we feel, God deserves to be praised.  This makes me think of the U.S. Postal Service—rain, snow, sleet or shine they deliver the mail.  And, like them, in rain, snow, sleet or shine, we should speak our praises to the Lord.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord ’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.
Psalms 34: 1-3

Psalms 34:1-3 petitions the helpless to tell of the Lord’s greatness. The ‘helpless’ are the last people you would think of who would be speaking praises to God. You would  expect them to be shouting demands and asking for help, not speaking praises. I mean who really feels like praising anything when things are crumbling around them? I’ll be the first to say…’not me’. The thing is this—praise is more than just words. Our praise is evident in our actions and our attitudes.

Look at the widow in Mark 12:42, “Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins….” This poor widow came to the temple and gave (according to my Study Bible) the equivalent of a day’s wages. Talk about having the opportunity to not want to do something! I think that this widow was able to give as she did because she knew that God is a good God and that He would provide for her.

When our praises seem to be costing us much is when the true test begins. How hard is it to give 10 dollars when you have $1000.00? Would it not much more difficult to give 10 dollars when 20 dollars is all we had? And what of preaching the gospel? Some people face prison, exile, and even death to share the good news! And yet we, who have freedom of speech and no such impending doom to linger over our heads, why do we not share the gospel more?

Praise. God is worthy of our praise…all day, every day!

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Lord, I pray that I will praise You not only when doing so is easy or convenient but continuously…regardless of the circumstances.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Sing To The Lord (With All Your Heart)

July 5, 2014 by

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Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to Him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all His work is done infaithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of His mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    He puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
For He spoke, and it came to be;
    He commanded, and it stood firm.

 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!

 The Lord looks down from heaven;
    He sees all the children of man;
from where He sits enthroned He looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
He who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.

 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
    on those who hope in His steadfast love,
that He may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
    He is our Help and our Shield.
For our heart is glad in Him,
    because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in You.

Psalm 33

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Sing to the Lord with all of your heart,
Sing to Him a new song. Sing to Him a new song.
Sing to the Lord with all of your heart.
Sing to Him a new song.
Sing to Him a new song.

Lift your voice, let your praises ring.
Let every tongue glorify our King.
Let’s become the generation Who will passionately praise Him,
Trusting in the greatness of our God.

Sing to the Lord with all of your heart,
Sing to Him a new song,
Sing to Him a new song.

Singer/Songwriters: Paul and Rita Baloche
along with The Maranatha Singers

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Ayin Adonai

July 4, 2014 by

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Behold, the Lord’s eye <Ayin Adonai> is upon those who fear Him,
who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.
Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.

Psalms 33:18-22

Such a comforting thought—that our Father has His ‘eye on us!’  Of course, our heavenly Father does not have actual, physical eyes!  But, if He did, they would be awesome, magnificent, never-missing-anything eyes, wouldn’t you say?  And, figuratively, that IS the truth!  Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and all that is upon this earth AND us, He DOES see us—everything around us, everything about us, everything we do, everywhere we go.

When human characteristics or attributes are placed on God it is called biblical anthropomorphism.  Anthropomorphism basically means ‘the form of man.’  A synonym for anthropomorphism is ‘personification’.  There are many examples throughout the Scriptures of both God referring to Himself and the writers of the Bible referring to God in “anthropomorphic” terms.  One purpose to do so would be to describe God in terms more understandable to humans.  Since God is invisible and has no form, we would not have a framework on which to understand Him.  (Here is a great article which explains this in detail.)

Doing a simple search for the phrase, ‘eyes of the Lord,’ came up with over 100 Scriptures on Biblegateway.com.  Here is a link  if you would like to go and read them all yourself!!!  Many refer to a person doing either what is right and good, or doing evil.  Here are a few passages which I particularly love (hope you do, too)!

But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:8 AMP

And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done.
1 Kings 15:11

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth
that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths.
Proverbs 5:21

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:12

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May the end of Psalm 33 be the prayer of our hearts!

Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.
For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.

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One Nation Under God

July 3, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance.
Psalm 33:12

Over two hundred years ago, the Pilgrims came to this land looking for religious freedom from a government that was persecuting them and trying to get them to worship in an “official” way. Battered by storms and the Atlantic Ocean, they survived the perilous journey to what is now Massachusetts. Then, they survived the new climate and seasons over here. They were even helped by natives who would become known as Native Americans. Eventually the people who settled here would fight the American Revolution, and they would win their freedom from England. This land would become known as the United States of America. Through the centuries, people from many different nations would come to this land seeking the same freedoms and rights that the Pilgrims had been seeking.

Our forefathers were God-fearing people. They prayed to Him daily. They read the Bible. Prayer was allowed in school. Prayer was allowed anytime and anywhere. Our nation prospered. We as a people were blessed. God was with us then, and He is still with us now. He is still our Rock and Protector. He is our Savior and Father. However, there are those out there who want to see God and His blessings leave our nation.

Prayer is no longer allowed in our schools. Groups are fighting to keep baby Jesus and the nativity scene out of town squares at Christmas. Schools are being sued if God is mentioned at graduation. City governments are being sued because they pray before a meeting begins. Political groups are wanting to remove the words “In God We Trust” from our money. We can’t even post monuments to the Ten Commandments without someone raising a stink about the separation of church and state. God eventually punishes the areas of the world that think and act like He does not exist or start to turn away from Him.

As long as we are silent, things will get worse before they get better. There are people out there who are starting to fight back. Parents are starting to cry out for prayer to be reinstated in schools. States are passing bills to allow the Ten Commandments to be posted in state buildings. ‘One nation under God’ is starting to rise again, and it will continue to rise as long as we do not keep silent. Our forefathers were not silent…nor should we be.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for letting us be citizens of the land of the free. We pray that You continue to lead this nation through the coming years and through turbulent times. Lead us to Your blessings and protect us from hard times. Protect our troops as they protect our freedoms, and protect those here at home who protect us on our shores. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Handcrafted

July 2, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
Psalms 33:11-18

How often do we see commercials advertising products that will make our appearance stand out?  We seek out hairstyles, makeup, and clothes that will make us unique and that will define our own “look.” I think about individuality in our appearance, the car we drive, our performance at work—we want to be unique.  In a quest for uniqueness, and in being our own person, this verse paints a picture:

He fashions their hearts individually…
Verse 15

Our Heavenly Father values our individuality. He values that we are all different and because of this He created our hearts differently. He is not concerned with our outside appearance, but rather with what is inside. He gave us different passions and desires, different strengths and weaknesses, different characteristics—all which make us the unique creation that we are.

They call America the melting pot, where we respect and admire others for their differences, and our differences make us who we are. It is a gift to have the ability to impact others and the world in only a way we can. It is a gift to have been handmade, crafted, and designed individually. We have had God’s hands forming who we are now and who we will continue to grow to be.

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Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making us one-of-a-kind. Thank You for making each of us who we are—individually and in Your image. Please give us the courage and strength we need to use our individual skills to make a difference for You. And to impact others how only we can. Thank You for the freedom to do these things as well. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

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No Man Is An Island

July 1, 2014 by

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From His dwelling place He looks [intently] upon all the inhabitants of the earth—
He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings.
No king is saved by the great size and power of his army;
a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength.
Psalms 33:14-16

How mighty is our God!  He is the One Who can command the world to be made from nothing, into what we have now. In seven days, God spoke into existence each thing that exists. From the birds of the air and the annoying mosquitoes to the horses and, finally us, He created us for companionship.

Companionship means ‘the good feeling that comes from being with someone else‘. I would imagine that the companionship that exists in heaven is wonderful. Everyone getting along, no arguing, no complaining, no chores, no nagging backaches! Just imagine that—no more pain. Thinking on this reminded me of this song. We sung this in choir in high school in 1979. No on can stand alone, no matter what he/she make think.

No Man Is An Island

No man is an island, no man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend

No man is an island far out in the blue
We all look to One above
Who our strength doth renew
When I help my brother
Then I know that I plant the seeds
Of friends    that will never die

I saw the people gather
I heard the music start
The song that they were singing
Is ringing in my heart

No man is an island, no man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend

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Father, we know we cannot stand on our own.  Help us demonstrate this to those around us.  Help us to shine our light to others and also to not be afraid to show when we are desperate and in need.  You have placed people in our lives who can help strengthen us for when we feel afraid and are lost.  Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen!

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Godly Fear

June 30, 2014 by

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Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him,
upon them that hope in His mercy;
Psalm 33:18

Our hope in God leads to a manifestation of godly fear in us.  With His offer of hope, God only asks us to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  When we make a decision to choose Christ, godly fear then begins to manifest in us as we mature in Christ.

Godly fear is the outward evidence of a Christian’s hope in God’s mercy.  When we truly place all of our hope in God, it becomes a fervent emotion filled with godly fear.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10

King David said that God’s watchful eye is on you even when you can’t see the path He has you on or the direction He wants you to take. This thought is repeated in 2 Chronicles 16:9:

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

God’s eyes are constantly looking to protect, sustain, and bring us through the difficulties we encounter every day. Our heavenly Father desires to bless our lives, so He watches for that moment when we are particularly needy.

Generally, fear and hope are thought to be in conflict with each other; but in the Presence and worship of God they are found side by side in perfect and beautiful harmony. And this is because in God Himself all apparent contradictions are reconciled. Righteousness and peace, judgment and mercy, holiness and love, infinite power and infinite gentleness, a majesty that is exalted above all heaven, and a condescension that bows very low, meet and kiss each other.

There is indeed a fear that has torment, but it is cast out entirely by perfect love. But there is a fear that is found in the very heavens. Let us in our waiting ever seek “to fear the glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD” (Deuteronomy 28:58).

The deeper we bow before His holiness in holy fear and adoring awe—in deep reverence and humble self-abasement, even as the angels veil their faces before the throne—the more His Holiness will rest upon us, and the soul will be filled to have God reveal Himself.

The deeper we enter into the truth “that no flesh glory in His presence” (1st Corinthians 1:29) will it be given us to see His glory. “The eye of the Lord is on them that fear Him, on them that hope in His mercy” (Psalm 33:18).

The true fear of God will be so far from keeping us back from hope!  Rather it will stimulate and strengthen it.  The lower we bow, the deeper we feel we have nothing to hope in but His mercy.  The lower we bow, the nearer God will come and make our hearts bold to trust Him.

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LORD, we trust in You today, even when we cannot discern Your Presence to direct our path. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Plan A

June 29, 2014 by

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But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people He has chosen as His inheritance. The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From His throne He observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so He understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing love.

Psalms 33:11-18

Since the beginning of mankind up until this very day, God’s human creations have questioned His ability, His promises, His motives, His love and His plans. Psalms 33:11-18 reminded me that no matter what our plans, hopes or dreams for the future (or present or past), God’s way is and will always be the way to go. Thankfully, and not so thankfully, we serve a God who gives us freewill and we try so hard to control things in our worlds that we have no power to control.

My mind wandered all the way back to the beginning in Genesis chapter 12. Abraham (then Abram) and wife Sarah (then Sarai) were childless. God came to Abraham and promised him, “I will make you into a great nation…” (Genesis 12:2). In chapter 16, we find Sarah giving her maidservant to her husband to start a family through and Abraham went along with this plan. Then, Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Both Abraham and Sarah got impatient. I’ve always thought that if God came and told me exactly what was going to happen, but didn’t give me the date that I’d be okay waiting. But, like Abraham and Sarah, I’ve found that to just not be true. Waiting on God’s timing is definitely a learned skill. And through Ishmael, Abraham and Sarah showed that they wanted to control things. Of course, this child caused tension within the household, even before the birth of Isaac. Why? Because this plan was a human plan, not a God-driven plan.

Okay, so I’ve pointed out that Abe and wife had their own plan. We all get our plans sometimes but their plan didn’t stop there. Not only did they concoct the plan and execute the plan, they tried to pass the plan off for God to accept. While God was telling Abraham about His plan, Abraham was telling God about his own plan.

And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’
Genesis 17:18

Silly, don’t you think? But we do it. We make decisions without consulting God, then ask Him to bless our choices. This is backwards! And God corrected Abraham.

But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear you by this time next year.
Verse 21

God even had to correct Sarah when she laughed at His plan (Genesis 18:12).

But the Lord ’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken.
Psalm 33:11

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Lord, help me to remember to come to You, first and foremost, before I make any decision. Let Your plan be my first plan and not plan B or C. Keep me focused on You and Your desires. Praying in Jesus’ name, amen.

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