March 14, 2026

Ever Present Help

January 4, 2014 by

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed
nd though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
Psalms 46:1-2

This psalm expresses the writer’s trust and confidence in God during a time of instability and insecurity. We all experience spiritual barrenness at times. This is not the norm for God desires to be near His people with help and comfort. The power and ability to face the uncertainties and adversities of life are found in God.

Refuge shows a picture of shelter from danger, indicating that God is our true security in the storms of life.

Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there
a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night
over all the glory will be a canopy.
It will be as shelter and shade from the heat of the day
and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Isaiah 4:5-6

Strength refers to His might when battling our foes (Exodus 15:13) and includes His energy that works powerfully in us.

To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me
and enables us to overcome obstacles in life.
Colossians 1:29

God is an ever present help in times for trouble. God is available to His people and wants us to call on Him in any time of need.

Let us then approach the Throne of grace with confidence
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need
Hebrews 4:16

He is sufficient for any situation and never leaves our side, thus we need not fear. Fear is for non-believers and if you do not believe you are sinning. For with our hearts we believe and with our mouths we confess. How can we confess a thing that we have no confidence in? Therefore it is good we confess what we know for it to be established.

*  *  *  *  *

Father, I thank You for You are our ever present Help. And Your promises to us are yay and amen. We come to Your Throne of grace for we know Whom we serve and we know Whom we are following. You have never failed us in our times of troubles. We call unto You even now as the mountains fall; we shall stand by the powers of Your hand and in Your heart of hearts we shall dwell. As the seas rage we know You shall calm them and there is going to be peace in our valleys, Lord. Help us realize that we serve You our miracle-working God Who is Omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time), Omniscient (all knowing) and Omnipotent (all powerful). In Jesus name we have prayed.  Amen!!!

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Ever-Present Help in Troubles

January 3, 2014 by

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Psalms 46:1-3

“If one more thing goes wrong I’m going to scream!” These were my thoughts the day after Christmas. I’d been sent home early from work again…I had worked only 10 hours in four days. For those of you that don’t know, I live by myself (a “problem” that will soon be rectified) and 10 hours at my non-degree teacher’s pay is not going to do anything for paying my bills.

I had already concluded that moving home would be best and, of course, was ready to hang in there for two more months, but I didn’t need any additional stress added to the situation. Really! The stress level of the situation is high enough on its own.

I pondered…simmering in my frustrations all afternoon. I was angry. Angry at myself, my job, and my circumstances. And I felt my anger was justified. After all, I feel I’m doing the right thing and doing the right thing should be easy. I smiled at the thought, wondering what fairytale I had pulled that out of. “…doing the right thing should be easy!” But if so then Paul never would have written, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9).

When I feel discouraged or down, I like to read stories in the Bible that are similar to my own situation. I particularly favor the Old Testament. The story that came to mind? The Israelites crossing the Red Sea. This account is found in Exodus 13:17- 14:31.

What I noticed is that God did not take the Israelites through the short way because “if they face war, they might change there minds and return to Egypt” (Exodus 13:17). God knew the people’s hearts and what lay ahead. He saved them from dangers that they knew nothing of. Then He set them up at the Red Sea to see His glory.

Day and night they could see the Lord’s Presence, His continuous visual reminder that He was a constant help in time of trouble and yet, even that didn’t stop them from saying, “Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” (Exodus 14:12).

We can be so quick to fear, grow weary and forget that God is always there, even if He is staring us in the face. Don’t be so overcome by troubles that you forget about God—your ever-present help during time of trouble.

Lord, let me never be blind to Your ever present help. Praying in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Lean In Closer

January 2, 2014 by

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Psalms 46:1-3

God is there. Lean in closer. We, as believers, know that He is always with us—always within the reach of our heart’s cry.

Uncertainties and difficulties are always on the horizon. I’m facing some now. Christians face difficulties like other people do. The difference is that when the storms hit, we know God is there with us. We go to Him—our Refuge and Strength. (When things are going wonderfully, let’s lean toward Him then also. The world may have a hard time distinguishing what is going on in our lives. That’s okay, if that happens. If they have an encounter with us at any time, I hope the main thing they take away is that we love God.)
God is my Refuge and Strength. He helps me enormously! It’s in the tough times that my faith, trust, and relationship with Him grow even stronger. Without Him, I wouldn’t have endured or persevered in really tough times.

When I’m tired, hurt, or face the unknown, God is my Refuge and Strength. Can you say that? Hopefully, you can! (If not, please pause now, and pray to God to allow that statement to become true for you.)

I know of several close friends who have heavy burdens right now. None of us have a completely smooth ride between birth and death. There will be many wonderful times of love, laughter, celebrations, and being with special people. There also will be many times of illness, grief, struggles, loss, loneliness, and hurts. Life is made up of a combination of all of these for every one of us. Each person’s journey will look different than someone else’s. The only way to live in a God-glorifying way is to reach toward God in all things. Don’t let the emphasis be on our circumstances. And if others do see the circumstances, may they see that in them, we loved Jesus. Each new day that we begin, let our emphasis be on His Presence in our lives and our love for Him!

I often think of Joni Eareckson Tada, who’s a quadriplegic. At the mention of her name, I also think of her great love for God. Her incredible love for Him shines even brighter because she places her love for Him way above dwelling on the circumstances she has to live in! So, her beautiful testimony of loving God within her difficult circumstances shines even brighter to bring Him even more glory! Wow! I love that!

How do we lean in closer to God? Hannah, in the Bible, prayed. When she couldn’t have the child she so desperately longed for, she prayed. The child, Samuel, came after her prayer of request and then, she prayed a prayer glorifying God. In her prayer of thankfulness, Hannah said, “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). She drew close to her God for help and to praise Him! (See 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 for more.)

We can lean closer to God through prayer, reading His Word, singing songs of praise and worship, and trusting and having faith in Him regardless of circumstances.

What are you going through in this season of your life? Lean in closer toward God. He is there. He is waiting with love and open arms. He will be your Refuge and Strength.

Dear Jesus,  let us always be mindful of Your Presence. Thank You for caring about us and loving us to the point of death on a cross. If You can rise from death and reign as King of kings as You have, You can certainly deal with the problems that come our way. Let us lay them at Your feet. Let us trust You completely with our difficult situations and circumstances—knowing You are to be trusted and loved in, and through, all things! In Your precious Name I pray, amen.

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A Refuge of Strength and Love

January 1, 2014 by

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

It seems as if in the past weeks that a lot of us have had something happen that just saps us. Yes, many of us are enjoying the holidays. The New Year is on the horizon, but it seems as if the holidays, as joyful as they are, can also become a wearying time. Loved ones die every day;but if they die during this time of year, for some reason, it seems harder to enjoy this time of year. Someone you know maybe affected by some trauma that has been inflicted on a family member or friend. Financial troubles can cause major headaches. Our military families are hoping for the return of their loved ones.

We all know somebody who fits one of the descriptions above. Some of them have happened this month as we creep closer to holiday breaks. We know people who are not on their feet. We know military families that will not see their loved one(s) this holiday season because of deployment. We all know someone who is sick or injured. We all know somebody that has died. It is called life, and it happens just as God plans it. It happens every day.

I am weary right now because of certain situations that are going on, but I have a Refuge. I have Someone I can talk to, ask for healing from, and ask and receive strength from. God is hope, love, strength, joy, etc. He is always there. He aids us when we are in trouble. It is a comfort to know that I have Someone that I can turn to when I am down and ask to intercede for those who are injured and sick. We should rely on God everyday of our lives not just during Christmas and Easter. We should use anything that brings us to down to make us stronger in the Lord. He never leaves us, and we should never leave Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for letting us take refuge in Your heart. Thank You for never leaving us when we are in trouble. Please heal those who are sick or injured. Please be with the ones who have lost someone. Please be with the military families as they make their sacrifice. In Jesus name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional

Our Refuge and Strength

December 31, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
Psalms 46:1-3

Refuge.
Strength.
Ever-present.

The earth is giving way, mountains are falling, waters are roaring and foaming, other mountains are quaking and surging; these are the Biblical terms for what we now-a-days call “all the stuff that happens in our life.”

These days, week, months and even years are the times when we search for a safe place to hide. We search for something and someone to give us the ‘oomph’ we need to conquer what we’re facing. Unfortunately we look everywhere else instead of where we should be looking. This past Sunday in church the pastor talked about how the Bible is our ‘instruction manual for life’— it tells us everything we need to know when we need to know it.

So when we need that safe place and when we need that source of strength we simply need to turn to God. He tells us clearly that He is our Refuge, He is our Safe Place, and He is our Strength, the Power we need to get through what we’re going through.
I know that this is at times much easier said than done. I know that when our seas are surging and when our mountains are falling that we want to fix life ourselves, and we may find our refuge in worry and fear, we may find our strength in what we feel we can do to sort out whatever may be going on.

The New Year is upon us and I want to challenge myself, and others, to live this passage in 2014. For myself I plan to write it in my planner. One day reminding myself that He is my Refuge, the other day reminding myself that He is my Strength. Do what works for you; remind yourself that when the stuff in life happens that we have a Refuge, and that that safe place will be our Strength to move forward.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, You have given us all we need to live our lives. People ask if life comes with an instruction manual…some say no, but the true answer is ‘yes.’ This manual tells us that you are our Strength and Refuge. Lord, please give spiritual sensitivity to us so that we remember this in times of trouble. Let us run to You rather than to fear and worry. Thank You for a safe place—a Refuge, and thank You for the strength to live this life. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

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God is Always There

December 30, 2013 by

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A refuge is a shelter where you feel safe and protected. David, if anyone, knew firsthand what it was to trust God in all situations. David began trusting God as a young shepherd boy tending the family flock of sheep. God watched David grow in faith and strength, knowledge and love. As a child I always knew God existed around me. I would sing, I would pray, I would always marvel at His magnificent workmanship. He was there even before I knew who He was—watching over me and protecting me—creating a refuge to which I could go in faith and love.

Abraham had a faith from the moment God called him to follow Him. It must have amazed and been awe-inspiring for Abraham when God spoke to him.  Abraham chose to obey, leave his home with his wife and go to a land that God had chosen for him and blindly follow where God would lead. And Sarah must have trusted her husband to follow where Abraham led not knowing who God was. God always provided a refuge for Abraham and Sarah. God showed Abraham that no matter where they were…God was there to protect them. Even when Abraham did not seek God’s wisdom in different situations, God was still always there.

When my son, Brandon was young, I was able to recognize that I needed to cover him in prayer. Being divorced and both my ex and I remarried there were things that could happen of which I had no control over. I prayed against my fears and prayed for wisdom to know when to speak and when silence was best. I would speak to those at church who were familiar with our situation and who loved Brandon as much as I did. I learned from my neighbor what it was to cover him with prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to protect him when he was not home. I strove, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to create a refuge for Brandon when he came back from his dad’s. Praise God, Brandon still follows Him and is active in the church. I also thank God for putting those people in my life to help me become even stronger in my faith and trust.

* * * * *

Father, thank You for always being there when I need You. Help me focus on Your Word and Your Will for my life. Give me wisdom and discernment to walk in Your ways. Forgive me when I fail. Never give up on me and my willingness to serve You. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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Joyful Mood

December 28, 2013 by

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For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Hey sisters, you know what joys a baby brings to a family! How about a miracle Baby like Jesus, who came into being through so many prophecies, miraculously, for that matter. Think of Mary how much joy did she have in her heart when the angel visited her despite being worried of what people, and what they would say about her.

I tell you a child brings GREAT joy to a family. Think of Hanna…she was grieved to a point of great distress that Eli thought she was drunk. Really, she needed a child. She cried to the Lord for a child and God granted the desire of her heart. She had great joy!

Now a child is given to us, JESUS—He should be received with all the joy a child brings! Especially now that this Child we have been given will have the power to heal all our diseases, remove all our iniquities, at His name every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess His Lordship. A Child who will have the power to speak to the devil and the devil tremble. And this Child is given to us; don’t we think we are privileged to be given this type of a child? I feel like singing aloud for you to hear what am feeling inside. (Thank God for this revelation!) Oh, HALLELUJAH! Praise the Lord!!!

In this world, when we have a child, he/she goes to school and later starts a job and we enjoy the fruit of paying the school fees and the like.

NOW this Child, Jesus, is given to us. He grew up, He worked, and He died on the Cross. He later paid the bill for us…for our redemption. What else do we need apart from appreciating this Child we are given freely by our loving Father in heaven? The way we dance with joy and hug our child when he /she has done something good—that’s the very same joy we should feel about God’s Son, Jesus. We write messages telling our friends/relatives what our child has done.

Here Jesus is not a mere son, but THE Son! He has come to serve; let’s praise the Lord again and again. Let’s tell our friends and relatives of what this Son, Whom we were given, has done and is doing and shall continue to do. Let us embrace Him with our hearts full of joy.
Let this Christmas season be full of joy. Share the joy with others the same way we share when we receive a worldly child.

* * * * *

Father, we thank You for giving Your Son, Jesus, to this world. We appreciate Your goodness and Your loving kindness. May we realize what Jesus came to this world for and let us not take it for granted. Help us, Lord, to realize what He has in store for us! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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God-Given Joy

December 27, 2013 by

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Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

I’m sitting here thinking about joy  and what it truly means. I have read books, watched videos, and talked to people about the concept of joy and what it really means to be joyful, or to have joy, or to even fully understand the word joy.

The words joy and happiness are oftentimes used interchangeably, but I think it’s so much more than simple happiness. We’re happy opening presents, we’re happy when our family and friends are over to celebrate. This is great! But happiness is a temporary emotion, a feeling that can leave us once something goes differently than we planned. But joy is something different….

After all the looking and researching I learned that joy isn’t simply something that I can find. It isn’t the contents inside of a gift…it isn’t something I can find in a job well done. Even though I can’t touch joy, I can embrace it. I can embrace it because it is something that is given to us—something that we, as children of God, have been given a right to.

To me joy is a feeling in my heart and mind that no matter what happens in my life, that everything will be okay. I have joy in knowing that I am loved with the most unconditional love by the Creator of everything. Growing up I always heard that our joy is something that no man can ever take, that Satan can never take; this is because joy is God-given, and what God gives us can never, ever  be touched. Joy is ours.
What is joy to you?

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials….
James 1:2

* * * * *

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, so many things are temporary in this world.  They come and they go, but the joy that we are given by You can never be taken away. Lord, please open our hearts and minds to what joy truly is. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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Great Joy and Rejoicing

December 26, 2013 by

luke SeekingHimLogo

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

“But the angel reassured them, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said.
‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”
Luke 2:10

“Don’t be afraid”…”great joy!” God has sent His only Son as a gift of love, peace, joy, and hope to all mankind.  His Son, who would die for us so we could have everlasting life, is good news to all those that hear and believe (with faith) that Jesus was born, lived as a man on earth, and died, then rose from the dead. Good news is hard to find these days as news of odd and bad things now seem to fill the air waves and other news-reporting media. It is reassuring to know that Jesus is on our side.

Just knowing that Jesus was born was great joy for the people of Israel on the night He was born. They had long been waiting for their Savior to be born. His birth brought joy to the people. His life brought peace and hope to those who believed, skepticism from those who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, His death and resurrection brought joy and hope in anticipation of eternal life.

It is hard to find joy in death even though we know that, if our loved one was a Christian, that they are in a better place. Yet it is easy to find and show joy in the fact that one day, if you believe in Jesus and the Resurrection, that you too will find the same peace and joy when you see Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

Always have joy in the Lord. Rejoice every day. As we immerse ourselves in this busy and joyous season, I always remember the words of Kevin’s mother in the movie, Home Alone, “This is the season of perpetual hope! This is Christmas!” Just remembering those words bring joy to my heart. Those are two of my favorite quoted lines during the Christmas season. I rejoice just in knowing and feeling that knowing Jesus brings thoughts of love, peace, joy, and hope.

The shepherds found joy in the news that their Savior had been born. Prophecy had been fulfilled. They were so overcome with happiness and joy that many of them left their own flocks of sheep to meet the Baby who would grow into the man who would save us all. We should all have the same joy as we go through this holiday season and every day as we go into the New Year.

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, we find great joy in the gift that you sent over 2,000 years ago. This gift brings hope, love, peace, and joy to us all. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

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Joy Came

December 25, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

In a garden, a dark-colored flower next to a white flower presents a contrast that is more striking when the two come together than if either is presented by itself.
Now, journey from a garden to the Bible…. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old when Gabriel told Zechariah his wife would have a son and they were to name him John. But Zechariah was struck with silence for a while because of his lack of faith that this could happen with certainty.  (See Luke 1:11-23.)  Elizabeth became pregnant and her response was, “The Lord has done this for me…” (verse 25).  She gave God the glory.

Months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…” (verses 31, 32). Mary asked how this was to happen since she was a virgin. (But she was not questioning whether or not it would happen.)

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child a child in her old age,
and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be as you have said.”
Verses 35-38

Zechariah’s lack of complete faith is contrasted against Mary’s complete surrender and faith.  Catch the heart lessons as we move toward the reason of ultimate joy.

Mary quickly went to Elizabeth. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (verse 41). Elizabeth proclaimed, “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (verses 44, 45).  Joy happens when the beauty of Scripture takes place as it has been foretold (Jesus is coming!) and when one witnesses the great faith in God of another. Both of these things happen in the wonderful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. It‘s a joyous time as the spotlight is turned toward Jesus’ coming.
What the prophets/Scripture had been foretelling for many years was finally about to happen: Jesus was coming soon!  Mary breaks into praising God right after her encounter with Elizabeth.  And Zechariah praises God out loud when his silence is broken soon after John the Baptist’s birth.

Two different journeys led to paths of praise (joy) when faith in God was the focus. Difficulties, hard times, miracles, and waiting can all produce joy when people have faith in God.  Let’s all be reminded of Gabriel’s words: “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Then, the day finally arrived! Mary was there when some of the most joyous verses in all of Scripture happened and when silence was broken with a baby’s cry:

While they were there, the time came for the baby to the born,
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6, 7

Jesus brought boundless, complete joy to a world that would never be the same again! The Light of the Word came to a dark world!

…the people living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16

* * * * * 

Dear Lord, let us have boundless joy over Your coming to earth to be the Savior of the world!  We give You great praise and glory through our faith!  Let us love and adore You this Christmas season and for all times!  In Jesus’ precious Name we pray, Amen.

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