November 17, 2024

You Lead

February 16, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve got waves that are tossin’ me
Crashin’ all over my beliefs
And in all sincerity, Lord,
I wanna be Yours

So pull me out of this mess I’m in
‘Cause I know I’m wanderin’
Lead my soul back home again
I’ve always been Yours
And this world may push, may pull
But Your love it never fails

You lead, I’ll follow; Your hands hold my tomorrow
Your grip, Your grace, You know the way
You guide me tenderly
When you lead, I’ll follow
Just light the way and I’ll go
‘Cause I know what You got for me is more than I can see
So lead me on, on, on and on
Just lead me on, on, on and on

As a child I heard Your voice
But as a girl I made my choice
There is no other way for me
I’m devoted to You
You’re my Peace on the heavy days
You’re the warmth of an autumn blaze
Your love carries me away
And it’s never too soon, no…

Sometimes when I wake up, I don’t wanna rise up
Out of my bed, too many thoughts in my head
Don’t wanna be who I used to be
Gonna take the back seat and let You lead
And I…need to stop, need to stop
‘Cause I’m going too fast
And I…know my God is still God
And you got my back

 Singer / Songwriter: Jamie Grace along with
T. McKeehan, G. Patillo, D. Wyatt, T. Rosenau

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

For this new year, God gave me a phrase (instead of just one word).  A phrase made up of three simple words—Let God Lead.  Seems so easy, but in reality it’s a struggle.  I am a fixer.  I can be a control freak.  I think I should be able to handle things on my own.  I feel the need to have a plan mapped out. Life just doesn’t cooperate.

I am always humbled, though, when I finally come to my senses and realize there is no need for me to blaze my own trail.  I have a perfect Guide who is never wrong, never falters, never fails, never makes a wrong turn.  As this songs reminds me “Your hands hold my tomorrow, Your grip, Your grace, You know the way….” It would be so much simpler if this dawned on me BEFORE I take matters into my own hands.

Psalm 139:10 (AMP) reminds me “Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Even there.  I can never reach a place where the Lord refuses to guide me.  Even in the smallest of details, Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) tells us “I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” He is there to lead me through whatever is going on.  Or (as Jamie Grace puts it) “and I know my God is still God…and You got my back…I know Ya got me, I know Ya got me, I know Ya got me…”.

In Proverbs 4:11(NIV) God promises that He will “instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.”  I truly desire to let God lead.  But when life throws me a curve (as it has recently) I am tempted to focus on what needs to be done and how best to do it.  I need to be reminded (as the song goes) “‘Cause I know what You got for me is more than I can see...”.

I need to remember God is in control and already has the perfect plan worked out.  Sometimes He just isn’t willing to show me the whole plan all at once and I get impatient.  I feel like I need to be doing something…anything.  I think I need to take action when the only thing I really need to be doing is praying and taking the time to listen for a response.  Jeremiah 33:3a (NASB) tells us “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  He promises to answer us.  Psalm 32:8(AMP) promises “I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” So what I need to do is “…take the back seat and let you lead, and I…need to stop, need to stop, ‘cause I’m going too fast...”.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, I really want to let You lead.  I just get in the way sometimes. I get impatient.  Remind me that You have my back, that You are in control.  Stop me when I race ahead of Your plan.  Keep me on the right path.  In Your name I ask this – Amen, It Is So!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

He Knows

February 15, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvall the bitter weary ways
endless striving day by day
you barely have the strength to pray
in the valley low

how hard your fight has been
how deep the pain within
wounds that no one else has seen
hurts too much to show

all the doubt you’re standing in between
And all the weight that brings you to your knees

He knows, He knows
every hurt and every sting
He has walked the suffering
He knows, He knows
let your burdens come undone
lift your eyes up to the One
Who knows…He knows

we may faint and we may sink
feel the pain and near the brink
but the dark begins to shrink
when you find the one who knows

the chains of doubt that held you in between
one by one are starting to break free

every time that you feel forsaken
every time that you feel alone
He is near to the brokenhearted
every tear  He knows

Singer / Songwriter: Jeremy Camp (with Seth Mosely)

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

He does know…He knows the last of our days and the beginning, and the number of hairs on our heads.  He knows how much pain you can actually bear and He knows when it will end.  You struggle with hard choices and exhausting circumstances…He knows and He wants to carry the struggles for you and He wants to help you make the right decisions. He knows….

He knows when you are walking in darkness and you desperately need His Light. All you have to do is ask. He knows what your deepest sin and secrets are.  He will never tell, but He wants to hear them from you. He will only give you grace, forgiveness, mercy, and all the love you will ever need. He knows when you feel alone and when you feel the world is unfair.  He is just and He fills every void you will ever feel.

He is pulling for you to win every battle. He is cheering you on as you reach the finish line of this life; and He has a place for you, with Him, forever, in eternity. He is singing over you daily and rejoicing over each victory in your life. He also sheds tears with you when you feel defeated.

He knows your heart (even when you don’t) and He loves you even when you don’t feel it.  He is never far away and He will never, ever leave you! He is always for you! So that hard thing that you are dealing with?  You know… the one you feel like you could never tell anyone? My friend, He knows and He is ready to step in and deliver you…just ask!

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Matthew 10:30

Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father;
and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10:15

The secret things belong to the LORD our God,
but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever,
that we may observe all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29

It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.
Daniel 2:22

Let us pray:
Dear God, oh how amazing You are. You created each one of us in Your image and You know the intimate details of our lives. How comforting to know that we are never alone. Your hand is always there to hold, and You are willing to walk with us every day, never stopping. Thank You for loving us, for cheering for us, and for guiding us through this sometimes hard world. Because of You, we are always loved and we have a full abundant life. And when we don’t know, You do. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

You Are The Anchor

February 14, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In the trial and confusion
I will not fear
You hold it all
You are the Anchor

I will hold on to the promise
You are Sovereign
Your Word is strong
You are the Anchor

I am not alone in the raging storm
I have a Savior
Even while the wind and the chaos blow
You are the Anchor

You are constant, never failing
Through the ages
You will remain
You are the Anchor

Deeper than the cry of a broken heart
Stronger than the sorrow
Even while the wind and the chaos blow
You are the Anchor

On the Cross You raised a final shout
And the Anchor drove into the ground

Songwriters: Greg Sykes, Leeland Mooring, Matt Armstrong, Dan Macaulay

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

When I think of an anchor, I think of my childhood. When I was seven we moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. My family loved to fish. We weren’t well-to-do, so my dad built and remodeled several boats over the years so we could enjoy this sport. One method of fishing is to find a good spot where the fish are gathering to feed, and set the boat anchor (drive it into the ground) to stay in that one place. If we didn’t set anchor the boat would float uncontrolled away from the area (no fish!). The boat might even come dangerously close to a sandbar, rocks, or shore with the possibility of wrecking, especially if it started to get stormy and the waters got rough. (As an example, read the account of Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27.) It was important to have the anchor with us and to use it as necessary.

Another definition for the word ‘anchor’ is a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation. I believe that Scripture shows us that Jesus is our Anchor. Here are a few passages that refer to Jesus as our Hope, and an Anchor for our souls.

For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham.
Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying:
“I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”
Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves
to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise
could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind.
So God has given both His promise and His oath.
These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.
Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence
as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Jesus has already gone in there for us.
He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:13-20 NLT

Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by appointment and command of God
our Savior and of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), our Hope,
1 Timothy 1:1 AMP

Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)!
By His boundless mercy we have been born again
to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3 AMP

Because our hope is in Jesus:

  • We can hold onto His promises
  • We believe He has saved us
  • We believe that He is with us always (even in the storms)
  • We believe He is coming again
  • We believe we will spend eternity with Him

We do not need to fear, because our confidence is in our Anchor, Jesus. These assurances give us hope in our stormy life and in the stormy world around us. Jesus is our Hope. Jesus is our Anchor.

I trusted my dad, his boat, and his anchor to keep us safe on the water. I felt (and was) secure. Even more so, I recognize Jesus as my Anchor of Hope, and feel secure. In fact, because I have read God’s Word and have also seen the evidence time after time in my own life, I know that I know I’m secure. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

Do you recognize Jesus as your Anchor of Hope?  If not, please make that decision today.  Talk to Jesus.  He wants to be your Savior.  He wants to be your Anchor in the storms of your life.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord Jesus, we come to You with grateful and humble hearts.  You have provided for our salvation.  You are our Hope. ‘I (we) will hold on to the promise. You are sovereign. Your Word is strong. You are the Anchor.’  Thank You that we “have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  Lord, when our boat is rocking in the storms, please remind us that we are secure because You are our Anchor of Hope.  In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs

I Keep Falling In Love

February 13, 2015 by
I am found in Your embrace
Covered by Your love
You’re my deepest dream I know
Your love so strong, Spirit come
 
You lift me up to heaven’s door
You restore my soul
I come here without Your touch
I need You so much, I need You more
You’re my Rock and my Redeemer
The Rock on which I stand
 
I keep falling in love with You, Lord
Every beat of my heart, breath that I take
Through the seasons that change, Your love remains
My hiding place, my home…falling in love


Songwriter: Scott Haslem / Performed by Hillsong 
*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *
God is the husband to those who are not married.  He is the husband of those who are widowed.  God is the ultimate mate for us.
He knows what we want and need before we ever speak it.  Remember our words are what will happen.  If we speak positive over our lives, it will be be positive. If we speak negative, only negative will occur.  And, oh, how we struggle with our tongue.
Most of our lives we are not admonished on what we say. It is hard to break habits and begin to always speak positive words to ourselves and to those around us.  We often speak of where are are in our life.
When we allow God to be our Rock and our Redeemer, our words will change.  Even if we have been a believer we can sink back into our old ways.  We are so blessed to have a Father, Husband, Friend who loves us more than any human ever could.
*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *
Father, help us to keep our focus on You. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You—as Peter did when walking on the water with Your son Jesus.  Help us keep on track to seeking You.  Help us to forget the wrongs we imagine or even those things that are real.  Unforgiveness keeps only us captive, not the one who wronged us.  Help us become free to truly love as You made us to.  Help us to love You more deeply while developing our trust.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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With All My Heart

February 12, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In this quiet place with You
I bow before Your throne
I bare the deepest part of me
To You and You alone
I keep no secrets
For there is no thought
You have not known
I bring my best and all the rest
To You and lay them down

With all my heart
I want to love You, Lord
And live my life
Each day to know You more
All that is in me
Is Yours completely
I’ll serve You only
With all my heart

You faithfully supply my needs
According to Your plans
So help me, Lord, to seek Your face
Before I seek Your hand
And trust You know what ‘s best for me
When I don’t understand
Then follow in obedience
In every circumstance

 Singer / Songwriter ~~ Babbie Mason

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

The Great I AM deserves our all—all our love, all our obedience, all our worship, all our devotion, all our service, all our focus, all our praise, all our whole heart—our everything.  Actually, He requires our all. Listen to these three examples from the Scriptures where God’s people (you and me, too!) are given the command to love God with all their heart…

When Moses gave the Law to the Israelites, he said:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe…so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:1-4 (excerpts)

The prophet Jeremiah was given this compelling message to send to the exiled Israelites who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzer and his army.  Think about how comforted they must have been hearing God’s words!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil,
to give you hope in your final outcome.
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.
I will be found by you, says the Lord….

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Our Lord spoke this convicting message to His followers.

And one of the scribes…asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is,
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-32

We know from the Scriptures that God desires us to

  • trust Him with all of our heart (Proverbs 3:5 and 6)
  • work heartily as if for Him with all of our heart (Colossians 3:23)
  • seek Him with all our heart (Deuteronomy 4:29 and 30)
  • serve Him with our whole heart (1 Chronicles 28:9)
  • love Him with all our heart (Matthew 22:37)

Here are a few questions that I have asked myself… perhaps you have asked yourself the same things, too:

What would it take for you, {coleen},  to…

Give your all?
Be sold out for God?
Be His completely?
Serve Him only?
Love Him with all your heart?

Have you answered those questions yet?  If so, would you share your answer with us (in the comments below).

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Friends, whether the anointed words of this song—this prayer—cause you to throw your hands in the air raised in praise, or fall on your face in humble submission, may you voice your commitment to your Father with all your heart! <3

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Free To Be (Holding Nothing Back)

February 11, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I am chosen
I am free
I am living for eternity
Free now forever

You picked me up, turned me around
You set my feet on solid ground
Yours now forever

And nothing’s gonna hold me back
No, nothing’s gonna hold me back
Nothing’s gonna hold me back

My chains fell off, my heart was free
I’m alive to live for You
I’m alive to live for You
Amazing love, how can it be
You give everything for me,
You give everything for me

You washed my sin and shame away
The slate is clean—a brand new day; free now forever
Now boldly I approach Your throne
To claim this crown through Christ my own
Yours now forever

I’m free to live…free to give…free to be…I’m free to love You

Songwriters: Tim Hughes and Martin Smith;
Performed by Jesus Culture

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Are you dancing around your living room, hands raised, singing ‘Nothing’s gonna hold me back…You give everything for me-e-e-e!’ ???  You (me, too!) have much to be dancing about…so much to be praising our Lord and thanking Him for!  We are chosen…free…and living for eternity!  We are alive because of His amazing Love!  Our sin and shame has been washed away…and the slate was made clean! AND, we ARE now His FOREVER!

Only through mercy and the accomplishments of the Messiah have we been given access to God’s throne.  Amazing, isn’t it?  And to think, this had been Almighty God’s intention all along!  His loving plan for us!

This is according to the purpose of the ages,
which He made in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness, access, and confidence through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:11 and 12

We are free—totally, completely, not of our own works, absolutely…by grace. We have been set free from the sin of Adam that besets all mankind; free from a life of slavery to sin; free from condemnation; free from the Law; free from judgment; free to be all that God intends us to be! We should live like it!

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1 and 2

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:31 and 32, 36

For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

So throw your hands up in praise and adoration of the One Who loves you so!  Sing your little heart out…hold nothing back!

I’m free to live
I’m free to give
I’m free to be
I’m free to love You

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Day One

February 9, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Well, I wish I had a short-term memory
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can’t stop looking back
Yeah, I wish I was a perfect picture of
Somebody who’s never not good enough
I try to measure up but I mess it up
And I wish I wasn’t like that

I wish I wasn’t wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody’s keeping score
I’m tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin’

It’s day one of the rest of my life
It’s day one of the best of my life
I’m marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one

Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don’t have to stay there
See my hourglass is upside down
My someday soon is here and now
The clock is tickin’
And I’m so sick and tired of missing out

It’s day one
And here comes the sun
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy’s new
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, I will fix my eyes on You
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy’s new
Every morning, every morning
Sun’s coming up, the beginning has begun

Starting over, I’m starting over
Starting over, I’m starting over, starting now
I’m starting over
Starting over, I’m starting over
Starting over
Starting over, starting now
I’m starting over

Singer / Songwriter: Matthew West along with Pete Kipley

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish,
for His mercies never end.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22-23

Every day we can start over!  Isn’t that awesome?  I don’t know about you, but I can certainly use a do-over every now & then.  (Ok, let’s be real—every day I need at least {1} do-over!)

Does this describe you? “But I can’t stop looking back….”  I know it does me.  Too often I get focused on the past.  Satan loves to bring up our mistakes, our failures, and our bad choices to keep us from moving forward.  Isaiah 43:18 (NIV) tells us to “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”  Philippians 3:13b (NLT) reminds us to “…Focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,”

Or, as this song says:
“Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don’t have to stay there”

We do not have to remain locked in the past.

1 Peter 1:3 states that in “His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope….” Each day His mercies are new. Each day we have that living hope. Ephesians 4:23 (NIV) affirms that we are “…made new in the attitude of your minds….”

I love this verse from Isaiah 60 (AMP):

Arise [from the depression and prostration
in which circumstances have kept you —rise to a new life]!
Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord),
for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

We can arise from our past, our circumstances.  Each morning the glory of the Lord rises upon us!  Isn’t that amazing?  I am astounded that He loves us that much.  Each morning we arise to a new life. Hallelujah!!!

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, I am so thankful that each day is the first day of the rest of our life. I am so thankful You view us through the blood of Christ and that His mercies are new each morning. Remind me to leave the past behind where it belongs and to look forward to the wonderful future You have for me. In Your Holy Name I ask this, Amen – It Is So!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , ,

Whatever You’re Doing

February 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

It’s time for healing time to move on
It’s time to fix what’s been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It’s time to find my way to where I belong
There’s a wave that’s crashing over me
All I can do is surrender

Whatever you’re doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there’s peace
It’s hard to surrender to what I can’t see
but I’m giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Revaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I’ve wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears

Singer/Songwriters ~~ Sanctus Real
(D. Gartley, M. Hammitt, M. Graalman, C.Rohman, P. Prevost)

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

How many times do I have to remind myself to just breathe.  The world can be a really hard place and sometimes things are thrown at us when we are not ready.  How would I react if I actually expected it?  What if you knew that a person was about to shove you while you were standing in line? If you didn’t see it coming, you would stumble. If you saw it coming and  were prepared, you would stand firm where you were, feet planted.

God tells us that we will have trouble and hardships and chaos in our lives. And He has given us a way to prepare ourselves—His Word.  The Bible gives us direction and guidance in every situation.  We can read how David lived and defeated a giant with a stone and slingshot.  We can see how Jonah ran from God and yet God sought him and went to all the trouble to have him swallowed by a fish.  He really needed Jonah to spread the Good News to a specific city.  And then there’s Gideon who doubted that he could do anything, even with God proving over and over to him that he was really equipped to defeat his enemies.  And the list goes on and on….  Each one of these men went on to do great things. Because they didn’t let it defeat them.

The chaos going on in your life is also creating something beautiful and heavenly.  God wastes nothing…no hardship, no affliction. He makes something good out of the hard things that we just knew would be the end of us.  It is time for healing, dear friend.  And the only way that can happen is to totally surrender to Him and His will for you…whatever that may be. Are you ready?

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Seek the Lord while He can be found: call upon Him while He is near.
Isaiah 55:6

And God is able to bless you abundantly,
so that in all things at all times, having all you need,
you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

When times are good, be joyful; when times are bad, consider this:
God made the one as well as the other,
so people won’t seek anything outside of His best.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 ISV

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, You are mighty and awesome.  Your name is to be exalted above all!  Your love knows no end and we are so blessed to be Your children.  Oh, Lord, it is time to surrender, clean house, and let You take control of our lives.  What may seem like chaos may just be the beginning of a change that was so needed and You are to be praised for it all.  Lord God, thank You for Your precious Word!  A Light in this dark world and a Guide to make it through it all.  May we turn to You and be patient and just breathe.  Knowing that all will be well…because in Him, all IS well!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

In The Hands Of God

February 7, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

We have raised our hopes and our cities high
We have followed fragile dreams
But only One could take the measure of our goals
And we’ve stumbled over the trials of life
And we’ve wrestled the unseen
But only One can calm the storm inside our souls

In the hands of God we will fall
Rest for the restless, and the weary
Hope for the sinner
In the hands of God we stand tall
Hands that are mighty to deliver
Giving us freedom

When our strength gave way to the weight of guilt
‘Til we strained for every breath
Only One could lift our shame and make us well
And when all is finished and we face
The fearsome power of death
Only One has overcome the gates of hell

You’re amazing
You’re amazing, You are
And we praise You, Lord
For what Your hands have done

 Steve Taylor, Jeff Frankenstein, Peter Furler  ~~ Newsboys

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, high Your right hand.
Psalm 89:13

The hands of God are huge and His reach is long.  He created the universe, the Earth, and all that live and breathe.  His hands are the only ones strong enough to defeat evil and bring victory to us all.  Yet these hands are gentle and comforting.

There is a movie that my kids and I got for Christmas; we watch it a couple of times each week.  “Wreck-It Ralph” is that movie.  In the movie, Ralph (the main character) is the villain of an arcade video game.  He is huge—600 pounds, tall, and his hands are huge.  He uses those hands to destroy things in the arcade game.  Yet, in the movie, he and his huge hands become a hero by helping to rescue another a game.  For once, Ralph is not the bad guy but the good guy.

When I watch that movie, I imagine God’s hands as infinitely bigger than Ralph’s.  They can build or destroy anything.  That is how strong God is.  He can be fierce enough to destroy but loving enough to create or fix.  He is the only One that can lift us up and save us.  He is bigger than Ralph. Because of God, we have a solid base and an endless love.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for taking us into Your loving arms. Your reach is infinite and huge. This reach is what brings us back from the depths of despair. It brings us joy and eternal life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Doer Of Your Word

February 5, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I looked in the mirror of Your Word knowing I’d see
A clear reflection of what You saw in me
You gently showed me the state my heart was in
And how the world had deceived me again

Went away determined to take the narrow path
But in a moment my foolish ways were back
It’s elementary there must be something wrong
And I’m starting to realize this can’t go on

(Wanna be a) doer of Your Word
Never, ever forget the truth that I have learned
(Be a) doer of Your Word
I wanna be a doer of Your Word
Keep on obeying everything I’ve heard
(Be a) doer of Your Word

It’s not the first time its happened won’t be the last
I think I’m finally mature but just a little too fast
I close my Bible convinced I’m really changed
But I’m not any different ’til I obey

What does it mean to call You Lord of my life
If I ignore the things You say
Help me remember that my greatest delight
Is following Your commands
And give me strength to stand and be a doer of Your Word

Songwriter: Bob Kauflin ~~ Performed by Glad

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

“If you know…you must do.  Because to NOT do,
when you KNOW, then there is a problem.”
– Mrs. Lisa Bevere

And here’s why she said that…

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do
and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:17

Ouch. So. True!   This struck my heart and caused me to remember the admonition and encouragement from the Book of James on this very topic.

But prove yourselves doers of the Word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
for once he has looked at himself and gone away,
he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
the Law of liberty, and abides by it,
not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22-25 NASB

I just ♥ the Book of James, don’t you?!?  Here in chapter one, we are being

  • built up to handle the temptations that invariably come our way (verses 2-4)
  • encouraged to ASK God for His wisdom knowing that He gives it generously (verse 5)
  • reminded that rewards await us eternally when we persevere in these trials (verse 12)
  • thankful because our Father only gives what is good and perfect to us (verse 17)
  • warned to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger (verse 19)

And then James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word…” (verse 22).  Yes, oh, yes; yes, I will!  Does your heart respond like that? (I do think that it does!)  Throughout the Scriptures, ‘…men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit’ (2 Peter 1:21), and that is how we received the Scriptures.   As we read and consider and contemplate the words in God’s Word we are moved and compelled and motivated and spurred on (and convicted and reproved also!).  They motivate us to be DO-ers and not hearers only.

But if we want to be DO-ers of the Word then we must be HEAR-ers also. Now I don’t think this simply and exclusively means that we are to ONLY be audibly listening to the Scriptures. I think that it means really hearing it…in your mind and in your heart! And trusting and having faith in what is ‘heard.’

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

A good friend once said, “Don’t just listen to it…don’t just study it; you have to DO what it says. Otherwise, you fool yourselves. It is wasted…and the Word will NOT be wasted!”  She went on to share a question that she regularly asks herself,

{ Am I doing the things that I am studying and learning and absorbing? }

(Wanna be a) doer of Your Word
Never, ever forget the truth that I have learned
(Be a) doer of Your Word
I wanna be a doer of Your Word
Keep on obeying everything I’ve heard
(Be a) doer of Your Word

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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