March 15, 2026

All

September 2, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

All.

This word is so small, yet its meaning is so vast.  I cannot remember ever being told the meaning of or looking up the definition of all, but I know what it means.  In fact, if you were to ask me what the meaning of all is, I would answer with a hand gesture.  (And I bet you can picture that gesture in your head , right now!)

All.

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
Psalm 34:1

When I read the word “all” in this verse it seems out of place.  The psalmist aspires to praise the Lord at “all” times. The words “sometimes” or “often” seem more plausible to me. After all we are talking about all.

This verse, with its use of the word “all“, is quite overwhelming and, when I first read it, I thought, “I can’t ALLways praise the Lord, I have a lot to do.  I can’t write about this verse.”

Six other verses in this psalm contain the word “all“— verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and, 9—and five of these six verses refer to God doing something.

Then it hit me.

My God is an ALL God.  He’s not a “this and that” type of God.  God wants an all relationship with me.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is, “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Being the great example He is, God shows us what all means in a relationship.

For God so loved the word that he gave his one and only [all] son…
John 3:16a

With a sacrifice like this, I understand how Jesus can say, “In the same way any of you who does not give up everything [all] he has cannot follow me” (Luke 14:33).

And apparently, obeying this command is possible…the first disciples did it!  In Luke 5:11 and 28, the verses read, “…left everything [all] and followed him.”

All.  He wants it all.

The story about the rich young ruler can be found in Luke 18:18-30.  This is a fairly well-known story.  Jesus tells the man to sell everything [all] and follow Him, but the young man does not.  At the end of the story Jesus says,

I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children [insert: all] for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.
Luke 18:29 and 30

We will be rewarded.  All.

God has given us His all; in turn, He wants our all.  Does He have your all?

* * * * *

Thank you, Father, that the vastness of “all” is not too much for the Holy Spirit to handle. Help us to not be overwhelmed and instead trust You in all we do and aspire to do.  Amen.

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Promises

August 30, 2013 by

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Psalms 91:14-16
Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.

Promises for you and for me!  “Him” and “he” refer to you and me!  Promises to cling to…to hold firmly in our minds and our hearts…to stand boldly upon.  Why?  Because Almighty God—the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Great I AM, the Faithful One—He has declared these promises!

Throughout this psalm, promise after promise after promise is written!  If I have counted correctly there are thirty promises given to us just in this one short psalm.  God’s promises are given so that we learn to trust and rely on Him.  He is faithful!

God is not human, that He should lie,
not a human being, that He should change his mind.
Does He speak and then not act?
Does He promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19

This week, Cheris, Ann, Ahmee, and Laura have encouraged us by calling our attention to God’s heart expressed through the words of Psalm 91.  In their writings they have reminded us that He has promised that:

  • He is our Refuge and our Fortress
  • we can trust Him completely
  • we can rest in Him
  • we are safe and need have no fear
  • we can have rest—quietness of heart and peace
  • we have His angels to guard us and protect us

May I encourage you to pick up your Bible, turn to the page where Psalm 91 is printed, and read ALOUD all the promises included in just this one short psalm.  Try this: (this is how I read this psalm) every place there is a pronoun relating to us (he, him, you, your) replace it with your own name.  For example,

Because {coleen} has loved Me, therefore I will deliver {coleen};
I will set {coleen} securely on high, because {coleen} has known My name.
{coleen} will call upon Me, and I will answer {coleen};
I will be with {coleen} in trouble; I will rescue {coleen} and honor {coleen}.
With a long life I will satisfy {coleen} and let {coleen} see My salvation.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, how awesome are Your promises!  How thankful we are to understand even but a few of them!  How blessed we are by Your promises to provide for, and guide, and protect, and rescue, and deliver, and hear, and answer us.  May we hold Your word(s) in our heart so that we do not sin against You.  We love You so very much, Lord!  We pray and ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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God’s Angels

August 29, 2013 by

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For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:11

This verse has been sticking me for the past 24 hours.  God commands His angels to guard us no matter what we do.  Now, it does not necessarily mean that this angel is the angel we all see in pictures.  God’s angels come in all forms.  It may be somebody we know or may be in something that happens.

We have had many accidental deaths in our area over the past few weeks.  I am reminded of one accident where a girl was pulling out of her driveway and was hit by a drunk driver.  She was 18 or 19 years old.  She died.  When the paramedics and firemen pulled her body away from her steering wheel, there were hardly any marks or outward injuries present.  They said it was like one of God’s angels had wrapped their arms around her as she died.  It was like she was hugged and comforted as she entered eternity.  I am glad to know that when I die, or just in anything I am doing, that God will have Jesus or an angel there with me.

God is a refuge and a fortress.  When we are down or in trouble, we should take refuge in our God.  My son is having adjustment issues to kindergarten.  His first day went terribly.  I blamed myself.  See, he has been in daycare since he was 6 weeks old.  I have to work.  It was a family decision.  I blamed myself because I know he is acting out to get attention.  I felt like I had deprived him over the last 5 years.  Thanks to God’s angels (my husband, my mother, and friends whose own kids started kindergarten and had similar days), I was relieved to know that I was not the only one whose kid was having trouble adjusting.  I felt better.  God sent his angels to comfort me and bring me back up from my despair.

* * * * *

God, I pray that You send Your angels to protect us in no matter what we do.  We know that You are our Refuge.  We can come to You no matter the time, place, or situation.  I pray that You send Your angels—spiritual and physical—to us everyday as a sign of Your love and protection.   Amen.

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Enter To Rest

August 28, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoThe children in my class are laid down to rest for two hours each day.  Everyone does well laying quietly, except one.  This boy loves to talk, shout, and walk around during naptime. I constantly tell him to be quiet, lay down, and don’t talk so loud!  And he constantly does what he wants, while glancing at me to see if I’m watching.

I’m like this with God.  He gives me days of work and He gives me days of rest. Rest, to me, has always referred to sleeping or doing absolutely nothing.

However when I read Psalm 91:1, it gives me the impression that neither sleep or not doing anything is not what is being referred to in this verse.

Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

No, the type of rest that is being referred to is the type of rest that has always baffled me. It is the  kind of rest spoken of in Matthew 11:28-30.

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

When I take a day off to rest, I don’t clean, won’t go anywhere, and I used to “take the day off” from spending time with God.

…For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his,”
Hebrews 4:10

Resting, God’s rest, requires my heart to be quiet, and that’s no small feat.  And it definitely is not possible without God’s word.  To me, resting is the equivalent of  “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  Know that You are God? Check!  Be still? Excuse me, what does that mean?  My body may not be in motion, but you better believe my heart is still doing laps around the concepts of “rest” and “be still.”

The best way to combat a restless heart is to dwell in the shelter of the Most High—

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

In Hebrews 4:11 it says, “Make every effort to enter [God’s] rest.”  Every effort.  This rest doesn’t come naturally to our hearts, though our hearts were made for this rest, we have to be intentional!  When was the last time you wrote “rest” into your daily planner?  Schedule a heart rest…we all need it.

* * * * *

Thank You, Abba, for being so gracious to us that You saw our need for rest and created a way for us to enter into it.  Thank You for peace.  May we intentionally latch onto Your rest.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Safety in the Lord

August 27, 2013 by

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Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Psalms 91:1 and 5

God has placed within man the instinct of self-preservation.  There is then a kind of fear that is a natural reaction to threatening circumstances and situations of impending danger. At such times the body pumps adrenalin into the bloodstream, releasing a sudden super-burst of mental and physical energy to face and combat danger.

However, God made man to be fear free.  It was not His intention that we should be afflicted by rebellion, disease, loneliness, fear, or death.  Nor can we blame God for the afflictions in which we find ourselves.  Adam, the first man, chose to disobey the clear-cut directive of His Maker and, with that act of rebellion, man became separated from God.  The light within ceased and darkness came.  The joy of God’s Presence was replaced by sorrow and with the absence of peace came fear.   So fear is a natural consequence of our separation from God.  It afflicts us all until we turn back to God and know a restoration of relationship with Him through Christ the Son of God.  This is why the psalmist stated in verse 1 of Psalm 91 that, “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall rest, or abide, under the shadow of the Almighty.”

What does it mean to “dwell in the secret place?”  It is being in Christ, for He is the only Way, Truth and Life.  And once we are in Christ we shall not be afraid for the ‘terror of night; nor the arrow that flies by day’ (Psalm 91:5).  The Bible assures us that when we are in Christ and Christ in us we are complete.  Matters of fear can not slip up. Psalm 91:5 is explicitly saying “You shall not be afraid ….”  And specifically it is talking of night and day that we shouldn’t be afraid.  The psalmist had a revelation that without dwelling in Christ anything can happen during the day and at night.  This psalm offers security for God’s children who abide in Christ and His word that nothing can happen to a faithful servant except by God’s permission. This truth does not mean there will never be unpleasant or difficult times but that as long as we make God our Lord and our Refuge, in everything that happens to us God will work for our good.  As Christians we face struggles but the word of God makes us aware of the armor of God available to us for protection.  For our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against ‘the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Let us dwell there…for there we will be safe.

* * * * *

Our Father, who art in Heaven, we come before You with thanksgiving in our hearts knowing You are our Shield at all times.  May Your Name be glorified now and forever more…in Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen!!

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In God Whom I Trust

August 26, 2013 by

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD,
‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ 
Psalms 91:1-2

Jesus is perfect!  He’s our example! He has complete dependence on God!  He trusts God!  He came to earth to do the will of the Father.

In Matthew 26, Jesus prayed for God’s will, knowing that He, Jesus, would die very soon on the Cross for the sins of the people of this world.  Three times in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed a prayer like this, requesting God’s will to be done:

 ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.
Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
Matthew 26:39

Thank You, Jesus, for being our perfect example of following God’s will, even to the point of sacrifice and death.

My heart turns to shine a lesser light on a hero of faith—Corrie ten Boom.  After being a prisoner in a Nazi camp, she one day came to a place of forgiveness when she saw one of the Ravenbruck Camp guards that had been so cruel to her in another time and place. In her book, Tramp for the Lord she tells the story…

She was slow to forgive, but she prayed. And with this prayer as an act of surrender, she was able to forgive this man who asked for forgiveness.  “I forgive you, brother!” I cried,  “with all my heart!” For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.

[Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord (CLC Publications, 1974) p. 57]

Although I never have had to endure the horrific things that Corrie ten Boom had to endure, I can truly say that, when I have forgiven someone who has hurt me deeply, it is in that moment that I truly understand with a greater depth the immensely great love and forgiveness that Jesus has given to me! And that just makes me want to praise, worship, and adore Him even more!

Jesus Christ’s words on the Cross toward those who had mistreated Him, as He was hanging there in my place and yours, were these:

“…Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing…”
Luke 23:34

Christ loved God; He prayed; He surrendered to God’s will to bring God glory; and forgave others…and so did Corrie ten Boom…and I hope I do as well with each day I am given.

Can I add your name to this list?  Is it your heart’s desire to do the will of the Father?  Do you trust Him completely—even when you don’t understand some things that seem so hard to endure?

* * * * *

Oh, dear Lord, let us have hearts like Yours and submit to Your will.  You are our Fortress and our God!  Even when we do not understand, let us trust You for Your ultimate plan in each of our lives to be revealed!  In Jesus’ precious Name.  Amen!

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His Commands are not Burdensome

August 23, 2013 by

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The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?  Forgive my hidden faults.
Psalms 19:7-12

We read in this beautiful psalm that God’s commands (His law, His statutes, His precepts, His decrees) are:

  • perfect…they refresh our souls
  • right…they give joy to our hearts
  • radiant…they give light to our eyes
  • pure…they endure forever
  • firm…they all are righteous

How encouraging is that?!?  What a merciful, gracious, kind, compassionate God we serve! Throughout time, He has communicated with His people and given them His commands. In the beginning, God told His man, Adam, ONE simple command—not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden (Genesis 2).  To the children of Israel as they journeyed for forty years to the Promised Land, He gave them His rules to follow (e.g, Deuteronomy 6).  When Jesus was instructing His disciples, He pulled it all together, giving them TWO direct commandments—to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, all their strength and to love their fellow man as they loved themselves (Mark 12:29-31).  Our hearts’ response to our loving God should be loving obedience…plain and simple.  I pray that the following verses will be a reminder and encouragement for us all to trust and obey the Great I AM.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

I obey your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You.
Psalm 119:168

Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart—
Psalm 119:2

* * * * *

Thank You, dear Lord, for how gracious You are to us.  You are not a harsh, exacting God Who demands perfection…rather You are a loving Father Who sets righteous, life-giving commands before us!  You guide us and help us to seek You and obey You from our hearts.  You are SO good!!!  We love You, Father…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Our Words and Meditations

August 22, 2013 by

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A redeemer is someone who frees or delivers another from difficulty, danger or bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price. A rock is a foundation, support or refuge. With these definitions alone I can understand why David wrote,

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sights, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

A desire to please God comes naturally when you begin to seek His face.  When we begin to seek God, we grow.  I think our words and the meditations of our hearts are good indicators of areas that need God’s life-giving truth.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  The heart is one’s innermost character, feelings, or inclinations.  Our hearts are the core of who we are.  Our hearts are what God is concerned with changing.  The junk inside our core did not appear overnight.  No, the junk that is at our core grew over time.   How?

For as a man thinks, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7a

We let the junk in one thought at a time.  This is why we are called to renew our minds!  We need to pay attention to the thoughts that bounce around in our minds.

In Mark 4:24, Jesus said, “Be careful what you are hearing.  The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you- and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”

At one point in my life, I had tons of thoughts racing through my mind…every waking second of every day.  You could ask me what I was thinking and I could not always tell you because, if I focused on my thoughts too hard, I’d often get nosebleeds.  I can remember sleepless nights due to the fact that my mind just wouldn’t be quiet.  That was a miserable time for me.

The Lord has shown me the power of my thoughts and given me new thoughts to think.  He has shown me that I can choose what I will think and He has shown me what is pleasing to Him.  This is a joyful time for me.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Phillippans 4:8

Don’t let negative thoughts consume you; you choose!  So, what are you thinking?

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord, for giving us Your word to overcome the negativity of this world.  May the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You.  Amen.

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Place the Bible in my Hands

August 21, 2013 by

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God’s Word is a precious gift.  If ever our Bibles become dusty due to lack of use, let’s cry out to God to forgive us.  Within its pages are God’s great messages and truths..stories of His love, hope, forgiveness, and His Presence as Lord and Savior unfold there.  From God’s Word you gain wisdom, knowledge, and insight into how God wants you to live.

With my Bible in my hands, I sat on my comfy couch and read all of Psalm 19 to soak up all God wanted me to gain from David’s words in this chapter.  David writes,

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Psalms 19:7-10

Let it be written and let it be proclaimed: God’s Word trumps ANYTHING that any mere man could ever say.  Why?  It is inspired by God, and it is this:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Never let dust gather there.  Open God’s Word!  Read it, absorb it, and live it!!!  It continues to be a precious gift, as it—through the power of the Holy Spirit—teaches, encourages, convicts, and reveals the plan of salvation through Jesus.  It will remain as truth for all times! 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

Contemplate:

Imagine you have to be on a deserted island by yourself for one year.  You are told you will have bread, water, and shelter.  But you have to make an important choice.
First option:  Each day you can have a cup of the best-tasting honey ever and gaze into a huge cave filled with bars of pure gold, which you can have at the end of the year. —OR–  Second option: You can have a Bible with you to read daily.

What do you choose?    Place the Bible in my hands!!!

*****

Dear Lord,  let us treasure Your Word!  Allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate its truths deep into our hearts so that our desire is to live it and, only by Your grace, bring You great glory in our lives.  Daily, we desperately need You!  Please may we all desire to read Your Word every day!!!  In Jesus’ Precious Name,  Amen.

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Perfect God

August 20, 2013 by

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The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19: 7

The Law is a general term for God’s revealed will that directs a person in a right relation with Him.  This term (and many others) are God’s true word that testifies to His character and His will, the study of which makes us wise.

It is written that God’s will for us is to have a perfect life…an abundant life. And that can only be possible if we understand His purpose and move with that purpose. We need to fully turn our hearts and minds over to Him by:

  • Studying His word
  • Talking about His word
  • Meditating on His word
  • Obeying His word

The more fully we do that, the more completely we live by His good and perfect will for our lives. Those who know and obey God’s true word—His Law—will be prosperous and successful in that they will possess the wisdom to live righteously and to achieve God’s goal for their lives.

We will be prosperous and successful as we follow Jesus’ example to be strong, courageous, and diligent (Jesus’ character gives us His example of responding to the devil without fear.  Fear intimidates, but faith jumps forward.)  And to make God’s word your authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions (Jesus quoted Scripture verses as much as possible so that the devil left Him.) We must study and meditate daily on God’s word (Jesus was the Word made flesh; hence living by the word).  And determine to seek diligently God’s presence throughout your life (Jesus was recorded many times to have gone to His Father in prayer).

God has perfect plans for us.  He makes plans for our lives perfect not because we are perfect—we are fallible and make so many mistakes.  But His plan is perfect because God is perfect and whatever He does is perfect and complete.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul told us that God saved us and started a good work in us. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God’s handiwork.   Just prior to this, two verses tell us that we are saved by God’s grace.  We have nothing to do with the act of salvation.  We haven’t earned it or deserved it.  We are born into the kingdom of God as a gift.  Nothing we can ever do would be good enough to satisfy God’s perfection.  Only Jesus, the Perfect One, is good enough.  Nothing, but our faith in Him, makes us acceptable to God.

* * * * *

Our dear Heavenly Father, we love You for You are a great and perfect God who loves us unconditionally.  In the midst of our imperfections and weaknesses You sent Your only Son to die for us so that we could be made perfect.  Create in us a steadfast spirit to do Your perfect will, Lord.  May Your name be glorified now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.

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