March 15, 2026

He is Worthy

November 11, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoToday, my assistant director came into my room and told me, “Ahmee, I need to talk to you. You got a parent complaint today.” I replayed the last few days in my mind to see if I could figure out what I might have done wrong. When I concluded that I had done nothing wrong, I immediately got ready to defend myself.

“What was it?” I said with much contempt and a tense body. She smiled at me and laughed. “I’m just joking! You actually got a compliment!” I didn’t replay the last few days in my mind to see if I could figure out what I did right. In fact, I was ready to end the conversation and was filled with much skepticism.

Isn’t it awful how I was so very ready to defend myself against the negative, but ready to dodge the positive like a dodgeball being thrown?

I’ve always felt uncomfortable with accepting praise—and I don’t mean in a healthy way. When someone compliments me I’ve trained myself to force out an awkward “thank you,” which is much better than the talking down about myself I used to do (and sometimes still do when I forget).

O come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.
Psalms 95:1-3

Our God is the Mighty God (Psalm 50:1) and it is natural that as His children we would want to praise Him (Psalm 33:1), but for me praising the Lord doesn’t come so naturally. Not because He doesn’t deserve it (1 Timothy 1:17), and definitely not because I don’t want to, but because praise is something that I am not comfortable with.

I constantly have to stop myself when I am tempted to skip over verses that mention praise, glory, or honor. God deserves these things from me and I’ve decided that instead of rushing through these verses, I will put them into action…not tomorrow or next week…but the moment I read them!

I’d love nothing more than my undivided focus to be on the Lord—praising, thanking, and honoring Him for all His awesomeness!

After all, “…the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.” I’d say that’s pretty worthy of honor, glory, and praise!

* * * * *

Lord, give me a heart that praises and thanks You constantly. Help me to replace my wandering thoughts with praise to You and instead of my complaints to give You double thanksgiving. Let me never forget Your awesomeness or Your lovingkindness or Your  mercy. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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You Are My Hiding Place

November 8, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Psalm 32:7

Sometimes we find ourselves in the place where we want to hide…to be in a secret spot…away from trouble and strife. At those times, it is best not to run and isolate; and try to be alone. It is best to seek our God.

Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12 and 13

To know God’s promises brings such peace and comfort to our minds, does it not? Here we read of His particular promise to hear when we call and His promise to be found when we seek Him. His promise to us (to me and you!) is so simple! Listen…

my part: call upon Him…seek Him with my whole heart
His part: He will hear and heed…He will be found

The psalmist surely understood these promises! David was chased, hunted down by Saul and his army. He had to hide in caves and amongst the rocks on the cliffs. He was all alone during most of this time…alone—except for the abiding Presence of his God! David knew that his God would hide him.

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
in the secret place of His tent will He hide me;
He will set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5

For David this was literally true. For us, however, most of our ‘hiding’ is not out in the wilderness. Our hiding is in plain sight—we hide our hearts, our feelings, our thoughts. But we can turn to the One Who loves us so and seek Him.  And when we do, He will be found.  And He will hide us in His shelter.

Think back…maybe you don’t need to go too far into your memories…to a time when you called out to your heavenly Father and sought Him with all your heart. When, perhaps, you were going through a situation and you needed His protection over your heart. When He heard you…and was found by you…and He hid you (your feelings, your thoughts, your heart). How did you feel then? Did you have that “…peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, <which> will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus?” (Philippians 4:7) I trust you did!

And so I encourage you, my friends, cling to His promises and purposefully take a stand on them!  He will hide you!  Trust Him knowing that,

I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalms 27:13 and 14

* * * * *

Lord, thank You for Your promises!  thank You for Your love!  thank You for the joy of knowing You will hide us!  thank You for the peace we have that is beyond our ablity to understand…but we do trust You and we do believe!!!  thank You in Jesus’ name.  amen.

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Broken Mirrors or Broken Hearts

November 7, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoLooking at a mirror, one would see a hard image.  You can tap on it, and it does not give. You see your reflection and possibly vibrant colors all around as you gaze into the mirror.  What you see at surface level, the mirror reflects those images back to you.  But if the mirror breaks, you throw it away.  It is no longer of any use, or value, to you.  And since a mirror is simply an object, it can easily be thrown away if there is a crack in it or if it’s shattered into many broken pieces with sharp, razor-like edges.

I’m so glad that God doesn’t throw us away when we sin, and actually wants us to come to Him broken.  For you see, we all sin. “…For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).  He wants us to come to Him and to ask for forgiveness.  He can heal our hearts and forgive us the sins of our past, present, and future.  We can ask for forgiveness for our words, actions, lack of words, and lack of actions.  We can even ask God to forgive us if we’re not sure if we handled a situation correctly or not.  No matter what, I want to be coming to Him—sharing and being close to Him in this life.  Don’t we all want that?

Many of the Psalms are written by David, a sinner, yet God describes him in this way, “…the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people…” (1 Samuel 13:14).  How is that so, when he was so obvious a sinner, as recorded in Scripture?  Because David loved and trusted God!  He knew that being close to God was where real life and joy was found!  Even though he was a sinner, David rejoiced in knowing that when he came to God and was broken over his sins, he was forgiven!  He could only claim any righteousness because of his faith and belief in God.  David knew he was surrounded by God’s unfailing love because he trusted in Him. In his brokenness, he was restored by God.  And it was worth singing about!!!

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.  Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;  sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalms 32:10-11

We are so much more than mirrors!  But let our lives reflect that we know and love a Savior!  And let us be broken over our sin—coming to the Lord for forgiveness.  Just as a broom sweeps shattered glass into the dust pan, let us bring our broken hearts and sins before God so that He can sweep them away for all eternity.  He alone can truly mend our hearts with healing and forgiveness.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, let us focus on Your unfailing love and Your continuing mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  Let us always be thankful that in this life You are near to forgive and love us; to help those of us who love and trust You.  In Jesus’ precious Name I pray.
Amen.

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Forgiveness

November 6, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity
and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
Psalms 32:1-2

The only true and happy people are those who have received forgiveness of their sins from God, so that the guilt of their transgressions does not weigh upon their hearts and minds and their consciences are no longer troubled.  Such blessedness is open to all sinners who come to the Lord.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29 “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  As long as we come to Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He will forgive our sins/transgressions and we will be at rest; for then we will have learned of Him.

The psalmist describes God’s forgiveness in three ways here in verses 1 and 2:

  • He forgives the sin (that is, to pardon it); we also know that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…” (1 John 1:9).
  • He covers the sin (that is putting it out of sight); we are told that “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1).
  • The sin is not counted against him (that is God does not impute the iniquity, or, the guilt is concealed from the record). We know from the Scriptures that “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4:6-8)

Forgiveness comes when we ourselves come to a point of acknowledging that we have come up short of the glory of God and we confess sin with an honest, sincere, and repentant heart.  This will always result in God’s gracious pardon, the removal of guilt, and the gift of His abiding Presence.

God treats sincerely repentant sinners as righteous not because righteousness is something they earn through works but rather they receive as a gift when they confess their sins and believe in the Lord.

In my previous blogs I shared how we gain righteousness. And I wrote, “When Jesus Christ died He saved us when He rose from the dead; He made us righteous through Him. So righteousness is not a thing that we attain by working tirelessly to earn it.”  It was imputed (freely given) to us by God through the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

* * * * *

Father, we come to You with our sincere and honest hearts seeking Your forgiveness in all our transgressions and sins.  May we walk in Your truth for righteousness’ sake.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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A Sense-filled Guide

November 5, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoPotty training two-year-olds is—for lack of a better word—fun. Cleaning up puddles of pee and soiled underwear…yeah, fun. I’ve found that what works best for my babies at school  is setting expectations and following through.

One of the expectations I’ve set is that if you soil your clothes, then you change your own clothes. And when I say change your own clothes, I mean change your own clothes. The only assistance they get from me is retrieving their clothes from their cubby.

None of the children in my class like changing their own clothes, but one in particular absolutely despises changing his own clothes.  He also likes to be stubborn and refuses to use the potty.  His dislike of changing his clothes and his desire to be stubborn—they don’t mix well.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.
Psalm 32:9

When I read this I thought of my rebellious potty training child and then, I thought about myself.

God has provided me with a guide on how to live life. The whole Bible is relevant, but when I think of specific wisdom tips, the Book of Proverbs is what comes to mind. I love the Book of Proverbs because the “if—then” aspect is so clear to see. For example….

If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;
but if you listen to correction you grow in understanding.
Proverbs 15:32

I often weigh my consequences before making decisions. And, like this child at school, I sometimes make the same decision knowing that I’m going to dislike the outcome. Senseless is what I call this. The very moment I make a decision that is not in my favor (and I mean best for me, which is God’s way), I’d call that senseless.

Sometimes, I wish the Lord would apply a bit and bridle to me, so I could stay out of trouble and stop making senseless choices. However, freewill is what I was given instead, which means self-control must be exercised. And the sense I’ve been provided is found on each page of the Bible.

* * * * *

Lord, my prayer is that I am not like a senseless horse or mule and that I be sensitive to Your ways. Give me the strength to exercise self-control and steer clear of senselessness. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Forgiving and Rejoicing

November 4, 2013 by

 

SeekingHimLogoBlessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Psalms 32:1-2

When we accept the gift of salvation from Jesus, our sin is covered. We become part of the blessed family of God. We are clean in the sight of the Lord. There are other expectations, but the main thing is that our sin is covered. We are given eternal life for accepting Jesus.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:
but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
Verse 10

When we accept the gift of salvation, we are given mercy by God.  If we trust in the Lord then we should not be worrying about anything.  Trusting in the Lord means turning everything over to Him.  For those who do not know, sorrow will befall them.  Sorrow, in this sense or interpretation, means that the wicked will face the wrath of God.  Because we are part of the family of God, He will bestow mercy on us.  We will get to live with Him in eternity.

Our God is a loving God.  He shows mercy to those who ask for it.  He is the Shield for the defenseless.  He is the Solace for those who do not have much.  He loves us no matter what we do.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous;
and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Verse 11

Rejoice!  God rejoices when we accept His gift of eternal life.  We are like the prodigal son. We wander astray from the life that God has set before us.  But, like the prodigal son, we return to God when we accept Jesus into our heart.  We should rejoice when we accept Jesus.  We should rejoice when another person accepts Jesus.  The children of God are returning home when they accept this wonderful gift.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, Thank You for Your wonderful gift and many blessings. Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for Your forgiveness. In Jesus name.
Amen.

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God is (He IS!) our Rock

November 1, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Throughout this week, I have been drawn to a similar theme written about by my fellow devotional writers—God is my Rock.  Actually, He is (or, as Cheris reminded us on Wednesday) HE IS!  These ladies have been writing from the perspective of Psalm 62.

Ann wrote about our Lord Jesus—our solid Rock—and how we have been given salvation and how we are covered through His sacrifice for us.  Laura shared about how our God is in control; and, as The Rock, He is our Shield, our Provider, our Defender.  Cheris reminded us that we don’t have to worry and think ‘what if?’ because we know that HE IS!  He is faithful and always will be.  Ahmee told us a story about a little one in her life who needed to trust.  Just like herself (and us, too!), she needs to trust in, have faith in, and believe God’s Word.

Listen to a few selected verses from Psalm 62.

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.  Selah.
Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this:
That power belongs to God, and that to You, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

The psalmist pours out his heart uttering these words of praise!  He uses definitive words that communicate the concepts of strength, steadiness, reliability and permanence. He writes that his Rock is his refuge, his fortress, and his salvation, his glory, his hope. And that, because He is (HE IS!) then the psalmist trusts in Him, rests on Him, waits for Him, and is not shaken.  When you read these terms, what thoughts come up in Your mind and heart?  I think of comfort, of love, of peace, of hope, of strength.  I think of my God…Who is (He IS!) strong, steady, reliable, faithful!  Who is my Rock, my Refuge, my Fortress, my Hope, my Glory, my salvation.  He IS…He really, really, really IS!

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.  Selah.
Psalm 62:8

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord!  Thank You for being my Rock!  Thank You for being able to place my total trust, my hope, my faith…my entire self…in Your arms.  Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your peace, Your love!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Trusting God’s Word

October 31, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoOne afternoon my mom, nephew Tae, and I went swimming.  My mother spent most of the time carrying Tae.  I dunked him, and needless to say…he didn’t want me holding him.

My mom wasn’t able to enjoy swimming or floating while carrying around Tae, so she finally gave him to me—with much protest from him.  I couldn’t take it anymore!  He would sit on the steps holding the metal bar.  He did venture to stick his foot down and touch the ground, which wasn’t as far as he thought, but the water was distorting the actual distance between his feet and the ground of the pool and he kept getting scared he’d fall.

I do the same thing Tae did, but with the Word of God.  I hold on to God’s Word…the metal bar that is unmoveable…and then I get adventurous and build up the courage to actually put the Word into action, like with tithing.

Sad thing is I often can’t see the floor and, when I don’t see results fast enough, I pull back, clinging to the word of God, but afraid to put it to action because “I tried and it didn’t work.”

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8

Ah…trust. Trust can be hard when what our eyes see and our minds reason poinst to the impossible.  When the gap between our feet and the floor appears to be too far and we worry if we can actually reach.  This is known as doubt.  Our tangible factual conclusion can poke holes in our faith; after all, we are tangible beings.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

We live by faith not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

We as Christians are called to live by the Word of God, not with our eyes or own understandings.  We are to operate with THE TRUTH—”… the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4).

And I am always honest with God about my doubts. He alone can provide the assurance I need to truly replace my doubts.

As for Tae…I took him to the other side of the pool, grabbed hold of his foot and pushed it down, with resistance and a little screaming, all the way to the floor of the pool. Once he realized his foot was on the ground he let go of me and started walking around in the shallow end.

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord, for Your Living Word.  Thank You for those people who You place in my life to encourage me.  Thank You for those timely words that push me forward!  And help me to trust You more than the tangible world around me.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

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He Is

October 30, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

If there is the possibility that something could shatter my world, I refuse to dwell on “What if?” when I know God wants me to focus on “He is!” instead.  I always need to find rest and peace in Him because He IS my lasting Hope.  He IS fully able to meet my every need.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalms 62:5-6

Can you join me in coming to these verses when things in your world seem uncertain?

Perhaps there’s  someone you love and you’ve kissed him good-bye.  He walks toward the plane wearing camouflage, and you don’t know when you will see him again.  He will serve in a battle zone half away across the world.  You are home, and he is not.  In a weak moment your mind wants to wonder, “What will I do? What if…?”  You know his boots pound the dusty ground to carry out the mission before him every single day, and you never know how each day will end. You have a choice.  Do not be consumed with “What if?” each day, but cling to “He IS!”

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my Hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

Maybe you have been very sick lately; you are exhausted.  Pain overwhelms you at times, and the doctor has ordered tests.  It’s the day when you’re to get the results.  The day seems longer than usual.  Waiting…waiting…then, finally the phone rings…

You have a choice. It’s not about “What if?” rather cling to, “He IS!”

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock, and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

Are you wondering if you or your spouse will be let go at work?  Your boss calls you into his office. As you sit down, your boss looks at you to speak.  Where will your heart and mind carry you? You have a choice.  It’s not about “What if?” but “He IS!”   Have faith in God because “He IS!” able to help you through each day.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock, and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:5-6

The temporary outcomes have no contest against the ultimate outcome that is to come! God is faithful!  It’s not about the “What if?” that wants to strike fear in us, but it is all about the One Who is there to sustain us because He is the ultimate answer to all of our problems…to carry us…to give us an everlasting Hope! He is God at all times for He has always been, HE IS, and He will always be! In Him, there is a final victory! Let us cast our eyes on Him alone for HE IS our wonderful and great God always! And oh, how wonderful that glorious day will be when He comes again!!!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God,
who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:8

* * * * *

Thank You, dear Lord, for being our Hope, our Rock, our Salvation, our Fortress! Because of You, we will not be shaken! We trust You, praise You, and thank You for sustaining us in ALL times-but especially in uncertain and difficult times!  You love us, and  we love You.  You are our Alpha and our Omega.  Our everything rests in You…that is enough.  We will not be shaken! Everything is in Your hands.  Let us come to You often, pouring out our hearts in prayers and leaving everything at Your Feet!  In Jesus’ precious Name, we pray.

Amen.

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God Is Our Rock

October 29, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoTruly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:1-2

We are going through a trying time right now.  It is so trying that I have made myself physically incapacitated to the point where there are some days (the days I worry too much) that I can barely function.  I know that I need to leave this trying time in God’s hands, but being human, that is hard to do.  I have always tried to control anything that I do…including flying on an airplane.  My dear husband got me on a plane in April.  I loved the thrill of flying, but I was still scared that something could happen.  I often feel as if I can prevent something from happening if I am the one in the driver’s seat.

Yet, I know in my heart and in my brain that God is in control.  He is my Rock. He is my Shield. There have been times that I have not prayed about the situation, and then it seems like it gets worse. I pray about it, and it seems like the situation is getting better. I need to constantly put this problem in God’s hands, but being human that is hard.

When we accept God’s salvation, we put on the Shield of God. God becomes our Defender, our Provider, and our Rock.  He moves with us.  He is in the passenger seat when you are driving down the highway at 85 mph or when you are enjoying a nice sunset on the beach.  God is with you no matter where you are.

As we move on in our trying time, I need to silently listen for God’s word.  I know that eventually He will answer my prayer about getting to the end of this.  (It may take a few years to do it, but the end will come.)  I am going to have to be patient and let God lead.  God’s leadership and love is what should get us through anything—no matter how big or small.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your salvation and being our Rock. Without You, we would not be able to stand strong in any trying time. Without You, we would fall and not be able to get back up. Thank You for being our Rock and Salvation. Thank You for defending us against evil.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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