March 14, 2026

Compassion

February 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. 
Because he turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. 
The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; 
I was overcome by distress and sorrow. 
Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!” 
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 
The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, He saved me. 
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. 
Psalms 116:1-7

God’s love knows no bounds!  He is there when we call out to Him and He hears our plea for ourselves and for others.  This past week was such a test for some friends of ours.  It is rather a long story, but the unfortunate side effect was that a teenager took his life.  No one this side of heaven knows why, but I am sure there are theories. He loved the Lord and people loved him.

We can use this situation to minister to others and let them know that it is okay to feel sad.  As Christians we are taught, or believe, that we should not feel sad, depressed, or helpless.  That is a lie from the evil one.  We are capable of sinning and, when sin creeps in, we are vulnerable to thoughts of suicide.  Please be aware, dear sisters, that here you can find rest, love, acceptance, help, and healing as well as hope.

com·pas·sion

noun 1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

This—compassion— is what God has for us. If only…..they would see; they would seek me; they would pray more; they had paid more attention.

Mighty to Save by Hillsong is such an appropriate song for us today.  He is so mighty to save us and help us know that we are forgiven and loved.  We may face desperate times, but it is not to define who we are in Christ.  Rules are made to protect us and guide us, but not to rule us.

We must remember to love the way that God loved us and everyone would be better.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Father, thank You for loving us unconditionally.  Thank You for those who would love on us, even when we are unlovable.  You are a great and wonderful God that we mostly do not deserve to have in our lives, but You love us anyway.  Help us to be strong enough to share Your Word with others and with those in our own families. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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A Cry Answered

February 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, He saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalms 116:1-7

As a mother, I can only imagine the anguish that Mary must have felt as she watched her Son and Savior die on the Cross on that Easter Friday.  She was down on her knees crying and praying for a miracle.  What she probably did not realize was that she was witnessing the greatest miracle known to man.  She knew that when she gave birth to Jesus that He was destined to save mankind.  At the moment of His death and resurrection, Jesus was answering the silent cry of help from mankind.

Of course, Mary was overcome by distress and sorrow at the death of her son…just as  any mother would be.  However, I would agree that her distress and sorrow turned to joy when she realized that Jesus died for her and the rest of us so that we may live eternally with God in worship and praise.  Jesus would not stay in the anguish of the grave. He would rise from the dead three days later to seal the deal of redeeming man back to God.

Mankind had to have a way to get past sin to be with God.  The Lord showed His graciousness and mercy by shedding His own blood for His children—those who believe by faith that Jesus died on the Cross for them.  Before Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, man had to depend on different rituals performed by the high priests for forgiveness and assurance of forgiveness.  Jesus’ death wiped this away. We only now have to believe that He died on the Cross for us to know that we are saved and to spread the word of this wonderful gift.

 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful gift of eternal life by showing faith that we believe that Jesus died on the Cross for us. I no longer have to show distress or feel anguish over dying. I know that when it is time to meet You that I will be among the other believers who are waiting to see You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Lord Protects Me

February 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Then I called on the name of the Lord : “Please, Lord , save me!”
How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.
Psalms 116:4-7

The Lord is my protection.

I had almost forgot.  In my busy daily routine, I’d almost forgotten this important fact.  I’ve been spending quite some time creating a comfortable and safe environment for myself.  I’ve got my group of close friends, established myself at both jobs, gotten my apartment fixed up and feeling “homey” and established comforting routines.  All factors that contribute to me feeling safe.

But things are changing too fast and I feel like my safety zones are falling apart.  I’m moving back home with my parents.  So, packing and the “un-homey” feeling in my apartment is a current task.  I’m significantly reducing my hours at one job.  I’m feeling isolated from my friends and family and, to top it all off, I’m facing a dilemma at the other job that is directly assaulting my safety zone and I feel nothing is being done to address the issue.  I no longer feel safe.

The Lord is my protection.

After relying on company policies and trying to do things, in what seemed to be, the right way; and, in my opinion, being shot down, I’ve pondered and mulled over trying to make sense of my world.  The world that I thought I’d isolated so well; that I was untouchable from the injustice of this world’s system.  Then it dawned on me: I was relying on the comforts and safety I could set up to protect me.  (I must have forgotten I am only human.)

During all of this, I’ve talked to the Lord and explained how I feel.  I’ve taken each emotion to Him.  I’ve even stared into the sky and told Him that I didn’t feel this was something I should have to deal with.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord , save me!”  How kind the Lord is!  How good He is!
So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and He saved me.  Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
Psalms 116:4-7

The Word of God says that the Lord protects those of childlike faith.  Given my current situation I can bring nothing to the table but childlike faith—because I have nothing left.  After I paused and went to the Word, I found a Scripture that fits my situation perfectly:

Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Ultimately, what I’m struggling with is fear. My ‘safe’ doesn’t feel safe and I’m afraid. The fact that I already have a lot going on does not help the situation, and neither do my sleepless nights.  The fact that I feel helpless and misunderstood doesn’t help either, but God’s Word says trusting Him is safety.  And, as we know God’s Word is truth, I need to trust Him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Lord, I am thankful that no matter what I’m going through You always have something for me in Your Word to guide me.  And although fear is threatening to paralyze me, I know that You are greater.  Thank You for watching over me, and I trust that Your understanding of these situations is far greater than mine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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He Is Our Shield — Psalms 18:30-32

February 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

As for God, His way is perfect!
The word of the Lord is tested and tried;
He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.
For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,
The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?
Psalms 18:30-32

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God’s Perfect Way

February 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

In my last devotional I wrote that freewill is something I love and dislike at the same time.  With freewill comes some so many choices!  One of the simple, but sometimes most difficult, is whether we will obey God or not.  Often times stubbornness is the culprit!  Stubbornness can create some truly hilarious moments.

Like when I told one of the two-year-olds in my class to be still and stop playing while sitting on the toilet. He looked me square in the face, with a look of defiance, and swung his legs forward, then back, and then forward again—this time higher!  And causing himself to fall into the toilet.  Oh man! I laughed so hard. But stubbornness also has some major consequences.

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a Shield for all who look to Him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord ? Who but our God is a solid Rock?
God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect.
Psalms 18:30-32

God gives us His word to guide us.  It’s His attempt at saving us from some serious consequences.  Stubbornness is one way of saying our way is better.  Some of my children have taken to saying “I do it!”  This is awesome!  I love it!  Stubbornness is what I’d like to call “I do it” gone wrong.

There are things in life we can and should want to do.  But not heeding God’s perfect word for the sake of independence is NOTone of those things.

When I read this week’s passage, I immediately thought of one of my favorite kings, King Asa. King Asa’s story is told in 2 Chronicles 14-16. King Asa starts off his reign in a good way and served the Lord. Then he starts relying on man and when the messenger of God confronts him and tells him the error of his way—he gets angry!

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease.
Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek
the Lord ’s help but turned only to his physicians.
2 Chronicles 16:12

A foot disease?!  Why was he so stubborn that he died from a foot disease…. All he had to do was turn to God, but he would not.  Oh, time wasn’t an issue. King Asa died 2 years later. Was it worth it?

Stubbornness is definitely something to be mindful of.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Thank You, Lord, for Your awesome guide in the Holy Spirit and Your Word. I love that You have given us all the opportunity to avoid many heartaches.  Give us the discernment to see these opportunities when they arise.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Remembering My God, My Rock

February 13, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
This God – His way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true;
He is a Shield for all those who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? –
the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
Psalms 18:30-32

Soon – click!  Our suitcases will have just been thrown into the back of the car.  We’ll be zooming past restaurants and familiar buildings…lots of waiting…waiting…then, finally!  I’ll see the first glimpse of that beautiful mountain scenery rising up into the clouds, and all of the traveling will be so worth it! Oh, to finally see them again! It will look as if each one is reaching toward the heavens posed with its mighty strength and massive hard rock formations, and I’ll quickly think of my God Who made those magnificent mountains and that He alone truly is my Rock—beyond anything visible that I can see!

He has helped me when I have cried out to Him, and I can praise Him for that, much like Hannah did in her prayer after her son, Samuel, (who she desperately prayed for) was born.

There is none holy like the LORD; for there is none beside You; there is no Rock like our God.
2 Samuel 2:2

The next day, I’ll sit with a cup of coffee in one hand, my Bible in my lap, and look up toward those huge, majestic creations.  I’ll have time with God there.  Just as God was faithful in being with David in his life and he gave great thought to God being his Rock, I know it will be easy to think of God’s goodness to me over the years in that way.  I’ll remember, and be thankful. His Word has been true, and He has been by my side as my Rock.  No other god can take the place of the One True God!

I’ll ponder how any strength throughout my life was found only in Him.  And then, I’ll think of what lies ahead—perhaps some dreams that I desire to fulfill for His glory.  If they seem too big for me to attempt, that will be okay, for they are not too big for my God.  When the fears come, I’ll simply draw closer to Him, and take refuge in Him. For He will equip me with His strength with whatever comes my way.  I hope on that day, I’ll pray, read, and meditate on God’s Word for awhile, and pray again.  I’ll lay my requests, praises, and dreams at the foot of the one great Rock—my Lord!

What do you do when you look up at a mountain?  Do you remember the faithfulness and strength of God that enabled you to get where you are today?  Do you believe He is enough to carry you through whatever lies ahead?  Lay everything at the foot of the one great Rock, our Lord!  His way is perfect.  Never walk alone in this life, not when your all can be found in Him!  Walk with Him.  Follow Him where He leads.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, in the peace and quiet that each of us carves out of every day wherever we are, let us be reminded of Your all-sufficient Presence, Strength, and Faithfulness. Thank You for being our Rock and Strength.  Lead us, and continue to equip us for Your calling on each of our lives.  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

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Relationship With God

February 12, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Psalms 18:30-32

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.

As we read these verses and think about them what goes through your mind?  I would imagine many different ideas, thoughts and feelings.  Are we skeptical or accepting of these words?  If you are going through a tough patch, you might be a bit skeptical, wondering where God is during your problems. If you are a new believer that might be understandable. What would  be your basis for having that trust? It is cultivated over time like a good friend who has been there with you since you were young.

That is what a relationship with God is like. After all that I have been through and will go through, He has been there. From the time I was young, I have witnessed many interventions in my life and in other lives. It does not always turn out the way we anticipate, but usually I can see where God had His best waiting for us all along.

As a parent, we have spent much of our time developing our children.  Then the time comes for your children to move and be on their own; that is so hard.  Are they going to be safe, are they equipped to handle life on their own, did we give them the tools they need….?  Then comes the Holy Spirit, whispering in your ear, “You gave them to Me, now let Me show you what we have done.  Trust Me with what is precious to you as God trusted Mary with His Son.”

What a sobering thought.  I have had to learn that it is not about me now and what I have done, or not done with my own son.  It is about his relationship with God. What does he choose to do with his life. I have raised him the best that I knew how. I can’t live on what I should have done, that is past. What I can do is help him become a better man. That for me is best accomplished by praying and not meddling.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6-7

When I let fear enter in, I tell it to flee.  I have to stand strong against it and let God take control.  I want to be like Mary and Hannah.  Hannah is the one who could not conceive a child.  She prayed, Eli saw her and asked her what so concerned her. When she told him that she wanted a child he told her that she would have one and that he would be mighty.  She vowed to give her son to God.  When her child was born and weaned, she brought him to Eli.  Her son’s name was Samuel.  Eli took Samuel and raised him to be a mighty prophet.  God blessed Hannah with other children.  She was persistent, and God heard.  He granted her wish, maybe not in a way in our society we could accept.  But God knew best.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit.  Thank You for Your word that allows us to continue to grow and mature.  Thank You for Your friendship and for being patient with us, even when we are whiny and complaining.  We love You and want to do our best for You and Your kingdom.  Please do not give up on us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

His Way Is Perfect

February 11, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
Psalms 18:30-32

“Mom! its not working!”  “Guys, how are you doing it?”  As my boys proceed to tell me how they are using the way they devised (I don’t even know how they came up with this method), I chuckle to myself, knowing that it wouldn’t work, and knowing that this was going to happen.  They weren’t going to do it the way I suggested they do it because I have given birth to the most independent and stubborn boys in the world.  Who knew that lining books back into a bookshelf could be so difficult?

This isn’t new, all three of my children have the “I’m going to try it my way first,” mentality when they set out to accomplish tasks.  Many times the end result is less than what we all hoped for.  Similar situations are seen in the daily lives of most parents, even our Heavenly Father.  His children are stubborn, we like to try it our way.  He tells us or shows how to do something and we turn around and do it how we see fit, and  the outcome is always less than we hoped for.

Though my ways are far from perfect, my boys have learned that they may work  better.  But His ways are perfect, and when we follow His ways, He will shield us from the unpleasant side effects of trying our own ways first.  Thankfully God is forgiving, and we get do-overs.  He gives us chance after chance to do it His way.  Time after time, He has shown me that His Word is proven.  Time and time again He has been my Shield, my Strength, and my Rock.  He has done so even when I tried my way first…when I didn’t trust Him as I should have.  He was waiting for me, His arms outstretched, ready to show that His words rang true.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, You know better than we do that we don’t always do things Your way, yet You love us regardless.  We fight, we argue, we do things how we want to.  But You are always there, arms outstretched.  Always our Shield, always our Rock, always our Strength.  Thank You.  In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.

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A Perfect Protector

February 10, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

As for God, His way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
He shields all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except out God?
It is God who arms with strength and keeps my way secure.
Psalms 18:30-32

Perfection.  I will go ahead and say that I have tried many times to be perfect. Have I ever achieved it?  No.  I never will. I have flaws.  I was born that way.  God made me with flaws for His own reasons.  I can either take advantage of those flaws to make myself better or let those flaws bring me down.  God gives me the strength to get past these flaws.

If we let our flaws bring us down, we can take refuge in a God who understands us because He made us.  God knew us before we born.  He knit us in our mothers’ wombs; therefore, He knows every fiber of our body.  This is one way He is our Rock and Shield.  He knows where we need protection and a fighting way against the evil of the world.  He arms us with the ways to stay strong and secure in our lives.

As Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in Whom I take refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold,” God delivers me from my flaws which allow me to fall into temptation and to feel down.  He arms me with the strength and tools I need through His Word—the Bible. I only have to make the choice (which I already have) to accept Jesus into my heart and to pick up the Good Book. Through this, I am armed with God’s Shield to protect myself and my loved ones from Satan, and I have a Rock to lean on in hard times.

God  does not just not only makes me feel secure…He is my security. Just like a child depends on a blanket for security, God envelops us with His loving and strong arms to protect us. We can get that same security blanket feeling if we just depend on the rock that is always giving us protection and love.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the flaws that make us what we are. We can use those to make our lives our betters if we let You show us how to deal with them. You are perfect. We are not. Your perfection is what makes You our great Protector and Father. Without you, we would be lost to the world. In Jesus name, Amen.

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The Hardest Thing About Trusting God

February 9, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried:
He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.
For who is God save the LORD? or Who is a Rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psalms 18:30–32

Faith is not faith as long as it is holding onto a branch.  There is a story that goes like this:

One day on a hiking trip, a man fell off the edge of a cliff and began the 800-foot drop to the bottom. He thought it was all over for him until he grabbed a tree branch which stopped his fall. Hanging on for dear life, he cried out for help, “Is anyone up there?”
There was no response. The seconds turned into minutes. The branch was sagging beneath the hiker’s weight. The tree’s roots would only take so much more strain before they gave way. When it seemed the poor hiker couldn’t hold on any longer, he heard a voice: “I am God. Do you trust Me?”
“Yes, Lord. I trust You. Can You help me, please?”
God answered, “Yes, I will help you. Just let go of the branch.”
The hiker was silent for a moment. Then he shouted back, “Is anyone else up there?”

There is perhaps nothing more difficult than releasing our grip on a “branch” we have been trusting for life, stability, and the provision of our needs.  The hardest part is not knowing how the landing will turn out.  This is what happens when we practice faith, only we are leaving the outcome of our situation in God’s hands.  We’re used to holding onto our relationships, jobs, homes, families, friends, bank accounts, retirement savings, and even our plans for the future.  But God can’t help us until we are willing to let go of these things and completely trust Him.  He knows that when we are trusting Him, we are in a place of safety.  Our branches may fail us, but His hand will never let us go.

Each of us is clinging to a branch of one kind or another.  Your branch might be your job, a relationship with a friend,  the stock market, your health, or your home.  Today God is asking you to let it go and trust Him.  You might not see how the landing will turn out, but God can.  He has promised to keep you safe.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, we thank You for the love You have for us even when we don’t trust You. Help our unbelief.  Let us trust You more and more each day, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!!

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