November 19, 2024

Breaking Free

May 29, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

Have you ever been by an iron mill when they are melting iron? If you have ever seen the movie “Rudy” then you at least have an idea about what goes on in the mill.  They are melting the iron down so that it can be used in the production of goods.  Have you ever been to one of those old- timey craft fairs where the blacksmith is working with some type of iron (or other metal)?  He beats the metal into something like a horseshoe or sword—just something that can be used for the good of mankind.

Now imagine an old junk yard.  This junk yard is full of old cars and trucks and just about anything else made of metal that you can think of.  Everything is starting to rust and break down.  There are people out there who go to these junkyards and get parts to keep cars and machinery running.  They use old parts from this rusting junk pile to make something, not exactly new, but to keep it running.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

God does the same with us when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  He breaks us out of the iron restraints of sin and washes us clean.  He breaks us out of the iron hold of the world and Satan, and He purifies us.  God breaks down our old spirit and molds us into a new spirit that is worthy of His glory.  The old is thrown away, and God begins to mold us into how He wants us to be—pretty much like an ironworker working to make iron usable.

We are a new creation.  We are no longer rusting or going bad.  God has broken us out from an iron-clad prison that was holding us back from glorifying Him.  We are no longer prisoners of sin.  Because God loves us unfailingly, He does not leave us to rot in our sin.  He stays with us—pushing and pulling us out through the broken prison bars.  He never leaves us, and He works with us to accomplish the goals He sets before us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for Your wonderful and unfailing love.  Thank You for breaking us out from the chains of sin.  You have made us new and set goals in front of us that will make us more like You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

Freedom

May 28, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom isn’t something most of us have to worry about.  Frankly, it’s a privilege that is easy to take for granted.  Simple freedoms like the ability to worship whom we please…freedom to aspire to do as we please…freedom to make choices like where we will eat, work, live…freedom to choose who we will or will not associate with…freedom to pick what kind of car you will drive. Given some of these freedoms may take a little work, but they ARE possible.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He broke down their prison gates of bronze;
He cut apart their bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

The Lord isn’t a fan of us being bound!  In Matthew 8 and 9 alone, Jesus

  • healed the leper,
  • healed the centurion’s servant,
  • healed Peter’s mother-in-law,
  • healed many demon-possessed,
  • calmed the storm,
  • raised a dead girl,
  • healed a sick woman,
  • healed the blind,
  • healed the mute.

Jesus came to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).  Please don’t be mistaken though!  This applies to your mental and spiritual life just as much as it does your physical, tangible life.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim
that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
Isaiah 61:1

We can take heartache, fear, guilt, doubt, struggles, addictions, condemnation, shame, mistakes, questions and any type of burden you can think of to the Lord!  Trust him and do as He says in regards to the matter…and behold!  The new creation He makes.  God can make anything useful for His purpose if we will only give it to Him.  Emotions tend to hinder our willingness to believe this truth, but our God is a God of newness. He can make new that which was old and clean that which was dirty.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Thank You, Lord for making me free. Thank You for taking that which I feel is untouchable and making it into something beautiful and useful. May I never take for granted the freedoms You have provided and may I never sit bound and crippled by the schemes of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

A Rare Love

May 27, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind,
for He breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

Unfailing love.  I think that this is a concept that is difficult for most to understand because we don’t typically see it in action…at least not from our peers, friends, and not even from our families.  It seems that failing love sometimes better defines the type of emotion shared in relationships, not at any fault of our own.  But there is only One who can truly say they have unfailing love for others—and that is Christ.  Because this can be such a rarity, the importance of acknowledging this love must be understood. Our Heavenly Father shows us this unfailing love daily, hourly, with each breath we take. Charles Lowery spoke at our church today and he reminded us that Christ has unfailing love for us even when we fail, even when we are less than we should be.

This verse proceeds to speak of iron and bronze.  Both metals are known for their strength, and use in battle.  Iron is known to be heavy, and known for its great strength and its hardness.  Bronze is used in the creation of weapons. Both are unbendable by human hands.  Both act as barriers and hurdles that without Christ we would never be able to overcome.

“…for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”

When I think of these gates and bars, I don’t see them in their literal forms. Rather, I see the struggles we face on a daily basis.  I see our trials and tribulations.  I see Christ in our lives breaking the chains of iron and bronze that bind us—depression, illness, hatred, bitterness, and so much more. His unfailing love carries us through these gates and bars.  And He asks that in return, we give thanks.  And that we acknowledge the numerous things He does for us.  This can be done in so many ways, such as a gratitude journal, a song, or sharing our testimony.

My challenge for you this week is to think of the ways you can give thanks, and share what He has done for you.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wondrous works because without You we would be smothered by the iron and bronze that imprison us.  You ask so little from us in return.  Thank You Father, for Your unfailing love that helps us live each moment of our lives; a love that is there even in our most undeserving of times.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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

Breaking Brass Gates and Busting Iron Bars

May 26, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal Lord
in honor of His loyal love and all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
He has broken down the bronze gates and severed the iron bars that imprisoned them.
Psalm 107:16 The Voice

Ever feel hesitant to do God’s will? Sometimes we are reluctant to follow the directions of God because all we see before us are the brass gates and iron bars blocking our way. The Amplified Bible shares Isaiah 45:2 this way:

I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight];
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron.

Psalm 107:16 and Isaiah 45:2 show us He will go before us and already have those obstacles removed before our arrival. God will make a way through the greatest difficulties we face. He will deliver us from the strongest prison, even if we are imprisoned in sin or consequences of our own making, and make the path straight ahead of us.  Micah 2:13 (Amplified) tells us that Jesus will be our Guide:

The Breaker [the Messiah] will go up before them.
They will break through, pass in through the gate and go out through it,
and their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.

Jesus has already broken through the barrier keeping us apart from God, paving the way for our salvation. He will continue to break through every obstacle in the way of our deliverance, our restoration, clearing a path through anyone or anything that opposes us. Nothing can hold us back if God is going before us.

Matthew Henry puts it like this:
“Those will find a ready road that have God going before them.”

Don’t let the brass gates and iron bars before you keep you from moving forward. Take that first step, all the while praising God. Watch Him shatter those gates and destroy the iron bars holding you back.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Dear Lord, thank You so very much for Your grace and mercy. We are so thankful Your hand is upon us every step of the way. Do not let us hesitate when obstacles appear before. Remind us that You have already removed every obstacle blocking our path as long as we are following You. You are so good to us and we want to bring glory and honor to You in all we do. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen. So be it!

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

Let Them Praise

May 25, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love,
    for His wondrous works to the children of man!
For He shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

Psalms 107:15-16

The hundred and seventh Psalm begins with an exhortation to us.

Give thanks unto the LORD…
Psalm 107:1

And the basis for this thanksgiving is His goodness and His mercy. Two things that we really should be thankful for: the goodness of God to us, and then God’s mercy unto us. How thankful am I for the mercy of God! Were it not for the mercy of God, where would I be today? Surely not here. But, for his mercy that endures for ever (Psalm 107:1).

Now, as we go through this psalm, the first verse exhorts us to praise. But then the psalm goes on and begins to talk about certain people and their condition. And then we find the ‘oft-repeated phrase’ (in fact, it’s repeated about three times, or four times through the psalm):

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness,
and His wonderful works to the children of men!

verses 8, 15, 21, and 31

Oh that men would really learn to just praise God for His goodness to us. I think that we reflect too little upon God, because I really don’t think that you can seriously reflect upon God without praising and without thanksgiving. When you really start to reflect on His goodness—on His blessings, on all that He’s done—the praises just sort of come.

I think this verse, the very last verse in the Book of Psalms, encapsulates the message of Psalms 147-150.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6

It is both an exhortation and a command for every living creature—everything that draws breath—to praise the Lord. Why is the Lord worthy of the praise of all creation? This is spelled out quite clearly in the preceding psalms (147-150).

There appears, then, to be a progression from all creation to the sanctuary as we go through these psalms. One thing is resoundingly clear, however: the praise of God is a necessary requirement upon every living thing: everything that has breath. Men in their sinful ignorance may mock God, and may deny that He is worthy of any worship. These psalms make it abundantly clear that we are so dependent on Him for all that we have, that even those who refuse to acknowledge Him owe Him everything. These psalms help us see our own position before God. We who consider ourselves self-made, independent, creators of our own destiny, crafters of our own world, are nothing more than helpless children before our Maker. We need Him…and the psalms, the Scripture, the gospel demand that we confess this fact.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Father, we give You praise and honor for what You are, who You are, and who You shall be as You are great today and forever more. We give You praise for the goodness and mercies that follows us all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your love that is unconditional. We give You praise always. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN!

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

Psalm 107 It Is A Good Thing To Give Thanks Unto The Lord

May 24, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.  

Psalms 107:8-9

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord
And to sing praises unto Thy Name, O Most High

I will praise You, O Lord my God,
With all my heart, with all my heart
And I will glorify Thy Name forevermore with all my heart

For great is Thy mercy for me
And Thou hast delivered my heart from the lowest hell

I will praise You, O Lord my God
With all my heart, with all my heart

It is a good thing to give glory to the Lord
It is a good thing to give glory to the Lord
And to sing praises unto Thy Name, O Most High

~   Written by Judy Horner / Performed by the Hosanna Music Praise Choir  ~

 

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

What More Could You Need?

May 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

A car?  A house?  An awesome job?  A family?  Romantic husband?  Perfect health?  No debt?  Desires…aren’t they fun things!  Desires can be limitless. Nothing can stop me from desiring to go to the moon or to be a millionaire! (Well…aside from the negative chatter in my head and those people around me who would tell me that you could not…but that’s a totally different topic.)

Desire isn’t all bad; it’s when desire is left unchecked that we can run into problems.  Before any desire, Christ should always reign.  Christ needs to be Number One for everything else to make sense.  As well, we need to be very careful not to mix up wants with needs and to remember that Christ can provide us with all we need.

It’s important to make sure we are trusting God for our needs and not just things. We must focus on the Giver not the given.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

Immediately, when I read these verses I thought of the woman at the well (John chapter 4).  Jesus told her He was the Living Water.  Then, I remembered that Jesus also referred to Himself as the Bread of Life, in John 6:35.  Those are some pretty large claims to make.  Jesus wasn’t saying, “I’m all that and a bag of chips!” He was saying, “I’m a never-ending five course meal.”  But! Look what He did!  He went to Calvary for us.  I think it’s safe to say He can make those claims.

So, what do you need Christ for today?  Let Him satisfy you.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Thank you, Lord, for being all that I need.  And for being able to satisfy any, every, and all my needs.  You are wonderful and worthy of all my praise!  Amen.

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

Living Water for Spiritual Quenching

May 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind,
for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

In order for people to start and continue their search for God, there must be an underlying motive that people have to seek after God—spiritual thirst. Thirst is a common theme in the Bible. People have a natural thirst for spiritual things.
Thirst is a good analogy. For when the body is thirsty it need something to fill that void. A body that does not have pure water can get sick, dehydrated, and even die. You can go without food for weeks or even a month or longer. But go without water for even one day and your body will start to have dire consequences.

The very best thing that can quench the thirst is water.  In the Bible water is often mentioned.

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from within them.
John 7:37-38

Jesus invites us to believe in Him. He tells us that when we believe, we will be equipped for the future.

  • Jesus uses the image of “living water” that He had used earlier when He spoke to a woman at a well (John 4:10).
  • The prophet Isaiah used water as a picture of joyful, renewed living, guided and satisfied by “the Lord … always,” “like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11).
  • John explains that the living water Jesus spoke of is “the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”

Things of the Spirit are difficult to understand. Does the image of living water help? For the woman at the well (John 4), it meant new life beyond the shame of broken relationships. To Isaiah it meant God’s presence and daily blessing.

I have always loved the story of the woman at the well found in John 4 in the New Testament. Having lived in Nevada for seven years I can understand the need for water when it is very hot and uncomfortable. In our Savior’s days, he too had need for water to quench his physical thirst. But here the Savior was offering her Living Water that would satisfy her thirst forever. The powerful words that he spoke to the woman at the well are true today as in those times. Christ said to her: “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: ” “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 13-14).The good news is that we ourselves can have the Living Water that will quench our spiritual thirst forever. Our Savior is the source of Living Water.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, fill us with this Living Water. We need it, we need You, to survive , Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

Contentment

May 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.  

Psalms 107:8-9 

Ever been lost and by yourself in a strange, unfamiliar area? That is so scary! In the old days—before maps on our cellular phones—you had to rely on a physical map or on directions from a stranger. (That is, if you trusted the person who was giving you directions.) The Bible is that way. It is a map, giving us directions for our journey or path. We have the choice to rely on the information the Bible is giving us, or we can try to take shortcuts to reach the same destination.

Now, with the map applications on our phones, we can be assured that we will find our way to the destination. When people travelled the roads in Biblical days, they were always watchful for bandits and thieves. They never knew if they would be robbed, beaten, or even murdered along the road. It would be so scary to travel alone, and I would imagine, that would be the last thing one would want to  do. Now, in our times, we can make that choice to stay on the road or take detours.

Speaking from a spiritual viewpoint, “detours” can be dangerous if we choose to take them. They can be dangerous if we become distracted by them and never get back on the road to fulfilling God’s purpose for us. Detours are those things that would keep us from living up to the full potential God has designed for us. This does not mean we cannot pick up and go to  the road to complete what we started, but we could miss opportunities along the way to bless or be blessed by others. Detours could be pursuing what we want, and not living according to His Word.  Or perhaps running away from people who want what is best for us, but somehow smothering the development along the way.

Parenting is like that, moms and dads want what is best for their children, but there is the possibility of smothering their young adults for fear of them making a mistake. That is where trust should be built. We cannot protect our children forever. We have to trust that we have raised them to the best of our abilities and that the faith imparted to them will remain in them and be enough to get them through whatever they will face.

Similarly, God is our parent…and we are His children. When we accept Him, profess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are grafted into the Kingdom. As women, we become princesses in the King’s family. We will grow from infancy into adulthood if we are faithful to pursue after our Father. As we continue to use the manual left for us—the Holy Bible—we will know good times along with the bad.

…And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12-14 NIV

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, thank You for Your unending love for us. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, as an example of how to live for You. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who gave us Your Word to read, believe, and follow. Forgive us of our pride and sinful nature, which keeps us from a peaceful communion with You. Help us pursue this until the day we go home to meet You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

Proper Thanks

May 20, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
Psalms 107:8-9

I think that one of the first things we’re taught as a child, and one of the first things we teach our own children, is the importance of giving thanks…of saying ‘thank you’.  Two words that carry such weight.  Two words that when not spoken can turn a good mood bad, and that when are spoken can restore one’s belief in humanity.

Giving thanks is definitely an area I would like to work on.  I have a habit of offering a quick “Thanks, God!” when I find the phone I’ve inadvertently covered with a pillow, or when the caller ID displays the kid’s school—and it’s not a call for trouble—but simply a field trip reminder.  When He makes way for a bill to be paid…when He allows me to walk away from a car accident that I should not have survived…when He wakes me up.  Are they always followed with a true ‘Thank You, Father’?  I’ve noticed that I often expect my thanks simply to be known.  In my heart I am giving thanks, but often the expression remains right there, and is not always directed where they need to be.  I’m often rushing through life finding that I feel too busy to give proper thanks.

I know that I need to cultivate a habit of giving true thanks to God—for His wonderful works, for satisfying my longing soul, for easing a hunger that food wouldn’t began to relieve. He has done so much that He deserves thanks to be yelled from mountain tops.

Today I thank Him for His word, for His grace and mercy, for His love that continues despite my short comings.

Let’s pray:
Oh, that men (we, I) would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men (myself, my friends and family)!  For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Thank You, Lord, for all You have done. Thank You for doing these things even we fail to thank You as we should. Lord, place Your hand on our hearts and offer a gentle reminder to slow down and give credit where credit is due. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »