November 19, 2024

A Radical Reaction

May 19, 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 quenched their thirst,
and He has satisfied their hunger with what is good.
Psalms 107:8-9 The Voice

“If we complained less and praised more,
we would be happier
and God would be more glorified.”
Charles Spurgeon

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Do we erupt with praise? When we escape from difficult situations, trials, and troubles it is easy to praise God for His grace and mercy and proclaim His goodness. We are aware of His deliverance. Yet as time goes on, and the memory fades, do we continue to praise God for the common, everyday mercies? Do we even recognize them? Are we aware of His hand upon us?

Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) says:
…therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

We should constantly and continually be offering up praise. Why?

Ephesians 1:6 (The Voice)
Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace;
He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved.

Psalm 103:2  (Amplified)
Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not [one of] all His benefits.

What would happen if we praised God when irritations arose—when we are exasperated, and down to our “very last nerve”—instead of complaining and bemoaning our fate? Oh, I am not saying there isn’t a valid reason for complaint. But imagine the difference if we brushed that irritation away using praise as our flyswatter, lifting our hearts up in praise of Him. Praise that He is in control, that He loves us. Praise that He has provided everything we need. Praise calms us. Praise quiets us. Praise feeds our soul. Not only would irritation and exasperation vanish, but our souls…our spirits would be filled. We would be refreshed. Like a tall glass of ice water physically refreshes us, praise spiritually refreshes us as we are reminded of His mercy and grace.

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An Unfailing Answer

May 18, 2014 by

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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

Two weeks ago, almost three, the area we live in was ravaged by storms. An EF-0 and an EF-3 tornado touched down not far from our home. My husband and I believe that the EF-0 was a spin-up in one community, picked up, came over our neighborhood, and touched back down in a community not far from us as an EF-3. That is our speculation, and it may not be true. It is just a speculation.

However, based on that speculation, we thanked God (when we realized that this was a possibility) that the tornado did not touch down in, or near, our home. We drove over to the community that was hit where an entire neighborhood was destroyed. Other homes were damaged. Trees were either split, uprooted, or just gone. It’s a mess that is going to take a while to clean up.

We ended up in the hallway at a little past 3 am that morning. My son and husband fell back asleep on the mattresses we had pulled into the hallway. My daughter and I played with my phone since she wouldn’t go back to sleep. She is going to be too much like me—if there is something going on, she is not going to sleep. Between selfies (yes, this three year old knows that my phone takes pictures) and games, she was up and away. The family Bible was not far from me either. I was ready (or so I prayed) for anything. I prayed that God would not leave us during the storm, and that He would bring us through those two hours in the hallway unscathed. God answered my prayers.

The Lord does, indeed, love us. He shows us that love in many different ways. His never fails to show us His love, even when we don’t ask for it. He does wonderful things and deeds for us, His children, and we should be thankful for every blessing and miracle that God performs us. God did not have to do this for, but He does because He eternally loves us. He satisfies our needs with the good things that He knows that we need to have a fulfilling and wonderful life. Because of this love, God will never fail us or leave us—no matter how bad (or good) things get for us.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unfailing love and blessings. Without You, we would be unsatisfied and always seeking that which does not satisfy our spirit. Thank You for being there for us and loving us no matter what we do or what situation we may find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Everywhere That I Go

May 17, 2014 by

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But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.  For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).

Psalms 5:11-12

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I belong to You, You belong to me Lord
I’m surrounded everywhere that I go
I will walk with You, You will walk with me Lord
I’m surrounded everywhere that I go

(Oh, would you sing it with me?)

I belong to You, You belong to me Lord
I’m surrounded everywhere that I go
I will walk with You, You will walk with me Lord
I’m surrounded everywhere that I go
And I am Yours and You are mine, oh mine

You promised me You’d never leave
You promised me I’m never forsaken
I believe goodness and mercy will follow me
Surrounding me where I go, everywhere that I go

You, Lord, are a shield above me
Everywhere, everywhere that I go
You, Lord, are a shield above me
Everywhere, everywhere that I go

You, Lord, are a shield above me
Everywhere, everywhere that I go
Your grace and love surrounds me
Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere that I go

I believe goodness and mercy will follow me
Surrounding me everywhere that I go

~  Performed by Israel Houghton and New Breed  ~

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Teaching the Young to Seek God

May 16, 2014 by

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But let all who take refuge in You be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread Your protection over them,
that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.
Surely, Lord, You bless the righteous;
You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.
Psalms 5:11-12

My children are five and three years old respectively.  They are the light of my world.  I wear a necklace which has a birth charm for each of them (you know, the little boy and little girl charms that have their birth stones.)  When my husband got me that one, I hardly ever took it off.  However, I did eventually get bored and changed the necklace out.  This past Christmas my husband got me a silver cross that I have not taken off since December 25 (except for when I had my wisdom teeth pulled).

This cross necklace has come in handy over the last few months.  When our son was around the same age our daughter is now, we started teaching him about what the Cross stood for, and now we have started teaching our daughter the same.  They both know that it stands for Jesus and His death.  Now we are starting to work on the “why” with both—more so with the oldest.  If they can start learning their letters and how to read before the age of five, they can start learning about Jesus.

By helping them learn now, we hope and pray that they each will accept their own shield of faith before they can really be influenced by peer pressure and the outside world.  While they are this young, we still have some control over what parts of the outside world they see.  Hopefully by teaching them young, they will come to know how to seek out God’s protection before they hit their teen years.  They will need discernment to know right from wrong.  They will be able to spread the joy of God to those around them and be a good influence wherever they go.

I already pray daily that God protects them with His shield.  They are little and young.  They do not fully understand how the outside world works.  Hopefully we can equip them to be able to rejoice in the Lord and seek His protection when they are older and begin to spread their own wings.  May they be able to sing for joy to God when they do.

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings and protection You give our family. We seek to do right in Your eyes and to sing for joy in Your presence. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Brandon’s Shield

May 15, 2014 by

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But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy;
and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You.
For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.
Psalms 5:11-12

On a Thursday evening I get a text from my son, saying he was not feeling well.  I ask him to describe his symptoms and I also get his step-dad involved.  We think he needs to drink something to help ‘clean’ him out.  When he does get the bottle of nasty-tasting stuff, he can’t keep it down.  He tries to sleep that night but not very well.  The next morning,  he asks that I call one of my friends who is a nurse practitioner and get him an appointment.  At 1:15 pm he goes for the appointment.  After the exam she determines it could be appendicitis, and sends him for a CT scan to get better information.  Brandon calls to say he is going in for the scan at 3 pm.  I am praying this whole time asking for God’s help in evaluating the situation quickly.  Brandon calls after the scan to say he is going home.  I suggest that he go over to see my friend/nurse practitioner, Julie, for the results. By the time he gets to the office she has called me to say he has appendicitis and for us to go to the emergency room.

I reach Brandon just as he is getting out of his truck, and tell him to meet me at the ER… that he does have appendicitis…and they will be operating today. I ask him to call his dad and I contact my husband, John.  I managed to get there before Brandon and tried to get paperwork started but he had to be there.  Once he arrives, he checks in.  This is about 4 pm. John arrives around 4:05 and we all sit down.  At about 4:15 we are called back to a room where everyone has a job and are asking Brandon questions.  They begin putting in an IV and drawing blood.  Julie had tried to reach the surgical group she knew that were very qualified to work on Brandon, but could not reach them.  When she spoke with the ER doctor, he said he would take care of reaching one of the team.

By 5 pm Brandon was being wheeled up to the surgical suite to begin the process. This was my first time experiencing emergency surgery on my child (who happens to be 23).  I was a nervous wreck, but Brandon had peace about the whole situation.  From the time he was hurting to the time we left the hospital, he had a peace about him.  I kept looking at the clock in the waiting room.  The surgeon had said it was a 45 minute procedure and recovery would be about an hour. A friend of ours came out who had assisted with the surgery.  Her name is Rose, and she has a sweet, sweet spirit.  It was then I knew Brandon was well covered in prayer while he was being operated on.  God is so merciful!

The surgeon came out and said Brandon was doing great!  Brandon would have to take it easy for a week to 10 days before he could go back to work.  I was just so happy to hear that he was fine!  I stayed the night with Brandon at the hospital and neither of us got much sleep.  Saturday around noon he was discharged; and we went to my house where he would stay with us for a couple of days.  He is a little sore, but moving around.  He is such a trooper…not asking for attention, just wanting to get better and get back to work.

Through this whole adventure, I can see how God shielded and protected Brandon.  Brandon was wise enough to listen to his body—the way God designed us—and knew that something was not right.  And from the CT scan we learned that Brandon was born with just one kidney that is functioning.  I know God has this covered, but we are now going to get a little education on what he should and should not do.

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Father, thank You for taking care of my son.  Thank You that I will be able to have many Christmas, birthdays, and other celebrations with him.  I thank You for Your mercy and Your shield.  I thank You that You give us mom-hearts to pray every day for our family and that we have great pray-ers as friends. I pray Your protection around those today who are hurting and seeking You. May someone give them a word of knowledge and comfort from You.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

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Refuge

May 14, 2014 by

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But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread Your protection over them that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.
For surely, O LORD, You bless the righteous;
You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.
Psalms 5:11-12 NIV

The Apostle Paul said, “…our life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).  Those who accept the Lord have a place of refuge beyond any other.  What is there to be happy about in this life?  I am with Christ!  I am hidden from Satan’s accusations. God’s desire is that the knowledge of this place of safety brings forth praise in our lives.  What a precious gift the Father has given us, to be hidden in Him.  God spreads His protection over those who love His name so that we will rejoice in Him.  He desires to be our joy, our source.

The psalmist declares that the Father surrounds the righteous with ‘…favor as a shield’.  God has placed a protective shield around your life to keep you and to secure His purposes in you.  This shield is called the favor of the Lord.  When we live a life that is pleasing to God He has committed to making our way for us.  The very means of protecting your destiny is that God places favor on you.  It was said of our Lord Himself relating to His youth that He “grew in favor with both God and man” (Luke 2:52).  This is the shield of the Lord.

When others are going through economic shaking—those who are hidden in the Lord can lean on this promise of favor being on our lives.  When the enemy seems to be gaining ground in the culture and it is harder and harder for the righteous to live in this age—God can place favor on His saints.  Both Daniel and Joseph walked in the favor of the Lord.  Each was righteous in the midst of an unrighteous culture and the Lord set them apart with such favor that it protected them even in a foreign land and caused them to rise to the top in the midst of their trials. They lived under the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:13, “The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.”

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Father, we thank You for You are there for them that take refuge in You.  Your promises to us are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ always as You say that You “shall neither leave us nor forsake us.”  We trust in Your Word.  Let us grow in the fear of You always as it is the beginning of our wisdom in all spheres of our lives…in Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen!!

 

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

A Promise to Surround

May 13, 2014 by

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But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
Psalms 5:11-12

If all God told me for the rest of my life was that He was my Shield, I would be okay. If all I heard was that I could trust in Him, and take joy in Him, I would be okay. Or if all I heard was that He would defend me, I would be okay.  But He doesn’t just tell us one or two of these things, He promises all that, AND on top of it all, He adds favor and love.

Joy is only one word I would use to describe how I feel when I step back and realize that He is my Shield.  On a day-to-day basis He stands in front of me, protecting me from the arrows that are being thrown at me and my family.  He is defending us against the attacks, seen and unseen.

For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
Proverbs 3:26

Because I know that He walks with me and protects me, I can walk with confidence and be joyful in Him. Even on the days when I feel vulnerable and alone, I know He is there, and I can lift my head and rejoice in all He does for me.

This week I am going to focus on the word “surround” used in Psalm 5:12.  Not only does our Heavenly Father promise this, but He does it in a way that ensures our ultimate protection.  He doesn’t say that He will guard our front or back, He promises that we will be surrounded.  So dear sisters, take joy in the fact that His promises remain true; remember that we are protected from each side; and that the One who died on the Cross for our sins, not only did that but gives us love, protection, and the joy we need to walk the path He has created for us on a daily basis.

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Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, the hedge of protection that You surround us with on a daily basis is not some random story told in our youth, but instead it is a reality that we are blessed with through every breath we take. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.

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Refuge In An Able God

May 12, 2014 by

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I am one of those people who reads the Bible and then asks tough questions.  So, of course I had questions when I read Psalms 5:11-12.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your Name may be filled with joy. For You bless the godly, O Lord; You surround them with Your shield of love.

Do those who take refuge in God truly rejoice? Do they find protection? Do they rejoice?  I found my answers in the well-known story of David and Goliath told in 1 Samuel, chapter 17.

Summarized:  God’s army, led by King Saul, was up against the Philistines. Goliath proposed a one-on-one challenge to any man willing.  All of God’s army was afraid (verse 24).  David, a shepherd boy, challenged Goliath.  David defeated Goliath with a single stone.

Is God able to do as Psalms 5:11-12 says?  According to 1 Samuel 17, yes!  Let me point out some things in this story that I noticed.

Saul and the army of God ran in great fear—not fear of God but fear of Goliath. Lack of faith?  GOD’S ARMY ran in fear…something is not right about that.  Seeking refuge in God is a choice.

When Saul heard David would go fight, even though he was an inexperienced shepherd boy, he didn’t do much to stop him. For instance, he didn’t, oh, you know, GO FIGHT INSTEAD.  No!  He told David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”  So, God could be with David, but not with the entire army of God?  Seeking refuge in God is for everyone who calls Him ‘Abba’ !

David’s oldest brother, along with King Saul, and Goliath, all tried to discourage David, but he didn’t believe their lies. In fact, his faith was unshakeable.  Seeking refuge in God can shield us from discouragement!

I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too,
for he has defied the armies of the living God!
The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear
will rescue me from this Philistine!
1 Samuel 17:36-37a

David had faith in an unfailing God. This is why we should choose to take refuge in our God—He said He’s got our backs and He does!

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Lord, thank You for giving me a safe place to go when I need refuge.  May I forever dwell in the safety of Your presence.  In Jesus’ name, amen

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What Do My Words Really Say?

May 11, 2014 by

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But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice;
let them ever sing and shout for joy,
because You make a covering over them and defend them;
let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.
Psalm 5:11

Though we are not made righteous by our words, our words are evidence of our righteousness.  They give proof to our relationship with Christ.  Psalm 5:11 says the righteous rejoice, they shout with joy.  These are heartfelt, glorious outbursts of enthusiasm and joy.  Yet I tend to be more restrained for fear of offending. However, as Charles Spurgeon puts it “The ungodly are not half so restrained in their blasphemy as we are in our praise.”  Ouch!

Multiple times in the Book of Psalms alone we are told to rejoice:

Psalm 9:2 NIV
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High

Psalm 32:11 NASB
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;

Psalm 33:1 AMP
Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].

Psalm 64:10 NLT
The godly will rejoice in the Lord

Psalm 68:3 NLT
But let the godly rejoice.

I love that Psalm 33:1 says it …’is becoming and appropriate’ for the upright to rejoice. But do my words really matter?

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life
Proverbs 10:11

The words of the godly encourage (feed, nourish) many
Proverbs 10:21

…the words of the godly save lives.
Proverbs 12:6

I believe the answer is a resounding YES!  My words are a reflection of my relationship with Christ.  They are verbal evidence, living proof of that relationship.  So, I must ask myself:

  • Do my words exalt God; do they speak of my confidence in Him and His protection?  Or do they reflect the doubt of my circumstances?
  • Do my words consistently reflect the joy I have in Christ?  Or is the joy there only when it is smooth sailing?
  • Am I able to rejoice and praise God in the midst of the storm, taking refuge in Him alone?
  • Do my words enrich and encourage other, pointing the way back to my God?  What do my words really say about my God?

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Father God, thank You so much for Your blessings in my life.  I lift up Your Holy Name.  Let my words be a joyful reflection of Your love, offering a glimpse of what life with You is like.  May my words be consistent and my rejoicing unrestrained.  In Your precious and Holy Name I pray.  Amen, so be it.

 

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Jesus’ Words Up On a Mountaintop

May 10, 2014 by

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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 have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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May i introduce you to this beautiful song written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.  It is sung to the tune, SLANE, which we traditionally know as ‘Be Thou My Vision.’   Below is an instrumental version of the traditional song so that you can sing these lyrics about Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount.  I hope it blesses you as much as it did me when i stumbled upon it!

Up on a mountaintop, Jesus sat down,
Teaching the people who gathered around:
Look for the blessings that God kindly brings;
God’s loving kingdom is changing all things.

You are the salt and you’re also the light.
Flavor God’s world, with your faith shining bright.
Know that I’ve come here, God’s word to fulfill.
Keep the commandments and follow them well.

Let go of anger, for it is a sin.
It will destroy you, both outside and in.
Even your thinking can lead you astray;
Whatever tempts you, just throw it away.

Keep strong the bonds between husband and wife;
Keep your commitments for all of your life.
Don’t swear by heaven or by earth below;
Let “yes” be “yes” then,
and let “no” be “no.”

If any hurt you, then you may resist,
But not with hatred or weapon or fist.
God’s way is stronger than any you face;
Stand up and love them! And give them God’s grace.

Love those who hate you and pray for them, too.
God’s mercy reaches out far beyond you.
Seek, as God’s people, God’s wholeness each day
So you can witness to God’s perfect way.

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