December 16, 2024

He Knows My Name

October 28, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He counts the stars one and all
He knows how much sand is on the shore
He sees every sparrow that falls
He made the mountain and the seas
He’s in control of everything
Of all creatures great and small

He knows my name
Every step that I take
Every move that I make
Every tear that I cry
And He knows my name 
When I’m overwhelmed by the pain
And can’t see the light of day
I know I’ll be just fine ‘cause He knows my name

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring
I can’t tell you what’s in store
I don’t know a lot of things
I don’t have all the answers to the questions of life
But I know in Whom I have believed

He knew who I was when He carried the cross
He knew that I would fail Him but He took the loss

 The McRaes
Written by Annie and Kelly McRae

*  ~  ♥  ~   ✞   ~  ♥  ~  *

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation
will be able to separate us {me!} from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 and 39

This passage seems to have been my almost constant confession this past week or so….  Oh, and how I endeavor to cling to these promises!  I want to say, as Paul did, that ‘I am persuaded…’ though, I must admit, that I do falter in my persuasion.  And times do come when my little heart is not quite so brave.  But here’s what I do know….

…Nevertheless I am not ashamed:
for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I have committed
unto Him against that day.
2 Timothy 1:12

And I remember, and am greatly encouraged, as I read through the Scriptures and see the strong evidence of God’s provision in the lives of His people…for example, His man Job.  Job went through much but he knew his life was in the Almighty’s sovereign and powerful hand.  And so, he could say this–

But He is unchangeable, and who can turn Him?
And what He wants to do, that He does.
For He performs [that which He has] planned for me,
and of many such matters He is mindful.
Job 23:13 and 14

I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:2

See, me, myself, on my own?…well, I get weary; and I am not strong at times.  But not my God!  Oh, He is able!  He is unchangeable!  He is faithful!  He can do all things!  He keeps His promises!  And so I trust His Word(s).  Therefore when I remember He has said, “I formed you and made you,” “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” “My grace is sufficient for you…” I am encouraged and strengthened!

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 139—it is such a beautiful prayer of praise to Almighty God!  Throughout this psalm, David acknowledges God’s providence, His sovereignty, His foreknowledge, His provision, His protection, His wisdom, and truly, His love.

Below are excerpts from Psalm 139…may I suggest you read these verses aloud, allowing Your eyes and ears and mind to take them in. Consider them, my friend; dwell on them.

And may your heart be reminded and strongly encouraged as you remember that God Almighty, your heavenly Father, truly KNOWS your name.  He knows you—every step, every move, every tear, every pain, all your heartache, all your ways.  He knows all about you, inside and out, before and behind, sitting down and rising up. He knows your inward parts, your frame, your thoughts, your words, all your ways, all your days.

He knows y.o.u., my friend…He knows your name!

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

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Flawless

October 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There’s got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there’s worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the Cross was enough

MercyMe
Songwriters:  Solomon Olds, Ben Glover, Nathan Cochran, Mike Scheuchzer,
Barry Graul, Robby Shaffer, Bart Millard, David Arthur Garcia

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 

Flawless—

  • Having no defects or faults (dictionary.com)
  • Without any blemishes or imperfections; perfect (Google)

You shall be blameless (complete, perfect) before the Lord your God
Deuteronomy 18:13 AMP

God appointed His Son with an oath,
and His Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
Hebrews 7:28b NLT

As I was reading Psalm 18:30, the word “flawless” jumped out at me:

As for God, His way is perfect:
The Lord’s Word is flawless;
He shields all who take refuge in Him.

And, of course, I immediately started singing this song.  We know God is flawless.  Scripture repeatedly reveals His perfection:

The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
Psalm 19:7 AMP

He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV

God—His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is pure.
2 Samuel 22:31 HCSB

God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness],
and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].
1 John 1:5 AMP

I don’t know about y’all, but I have a really hard time thinking of myself as ‘flawless, unblemished, blameless’  (much less, perfect!).  I know my faults, my imperfections.  So does God.  But…

“Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did“

That is exactly what God did!  He sent His Son in our place.  The Lord is our High Priest who intercedes for us.  God views us through the righteousness of Christ.  We are blameless, complete, perfect before Him.  God’s perfection is THE source of our perfection.  We are His workmanship and His work is perfect and flawless. So, instead of beating ourselves up for our flaws and imperfections, let’s just

“Take a breath, smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the Cross was (and still is) enough“

The Cross has indeed made us flawless.

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

Even So Come

October 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

All of creation
All of the earth
Make straight a highway
A path for the Lord
Jesus is coming soon

Call back the sinner
Wake up the saint
Let every nation shout of Your fame
Jesus is coming soon

Like a bride waiting for her groom
We’ll be a Church ready for You
Every heart longing for our King
We sing 

Even so come, Lord Jesus, come

There will be justice
All will be new
Your name forever
Faithful and true
Jesus is coming soon

Even so come, Lord Jesus, come
So we wait, we wait for You
God, we wait
You’re coming soon  

Kristian Stanfill / Passion
written by Chris Tomlin, Jess Cates, Jason Ingram

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

When I recently heard this new song I became excited.  It talked about something I’m looking forward to—Jesus is coming soon!  The Church (the fellowship of believers) is waiting like a bride for The Groom, Jesus, to come get her.  In Jesus’ day, the bride would be waiting in her parents’ home for the groom to come and take her with him to the home that he had prepared for her. [Click here to learn more about marriage in Jesus’ day.)  How excited she must have been, waiting in anticipation.  Did she keep looking out the window, or crack the door open to check to see if he was coming up the street?  How many times did she straighten her dress, and check her hair to make sure everything was perfect for her coming groom?

With that same anticipation, preparedness, and excitement, we as believers should be looking for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We hear stories occasionally of a bride being left at the altar, jilted by her groom.  That is very, very sad.  But we have the assurance that Jesus is faithful and true, and He loves us so much that we never need to worry about being jilted by Him.  Jesus will come again to take us to His home in Heaven.  He has prepared a place for each of us to spend eternity with Him.

Here are a few encouraging and reassuring Scriptures to get you excited about our soon-coming King:

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
Isaiah 40:3

Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say.
Forget your people and your family far away.
For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor Him, for He is your Lord…
The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown.
In her beautiful robes, she is led to the King, accompanied by her bridesmaids.
What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the King’s palace!
Psalms 45:10-15

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

…there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and laughter.
The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again,
along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord.
They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
for the Lord is good.  His faithful love endures forever!’
Jeremiah 33:11

“Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to Him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
Revelation 19:6-9

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches.
I am both the source of David and the Heir to his throne.
I am the Bright Morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.”
Let anyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
Revelation 22:16-17

He Who is the Faithful Witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.
Revelations 22:20-21

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.
There is more than enough room in My Father’s home.
If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.
John 14:1-3

So with joy and anticipation, as this song says, “Wake up the saint, let every nation shout Jesus’ fame,” because it is a sure thing—Jesus is coming.  Maranatha!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Dear God, we are so thankful to be called the bride of Christ!  What joy, what privilege, and also what responsibility.  Help us by Your Holy Spirit to be alert and waiting with great anticipation for our soon-coming King.  While in that waiting, may our joy draw others to seek You, too.  Come, Lord Jesus!  In Your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

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Were It Not For Grace

October 22, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Time measured out my days, life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God but knew I’d never be so strong
I looked hard at this world to learn how heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began where human effort is all in vain

Were it not for grace…I can tell you where I’d be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
And I know how that would go—the battles I would face
Forever running but losing the race…were it not for grace

So here is all my praise expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place and ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full just how much His Love would cost
He still went the final mile between me and heaven so I would not be lost

Sandi Patty
written by David Hamilton, Phil McHugh
*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

“Were it not for grace!” (Were you belting out this chorus along with Miss Sandi Patty?)  I believe you (me, too!) are thoroughly and thankfully cognizant of the awesome goodness of Almighty God to mankind in the incredible provision of His grace.  And it is SO good to be aware of where we would be…but perhaps even more important to recognize that, because of grace, we are where God would have us to be.  We—all of mankind!—are constant recipients of God’s amazing grace!  Throughout the Bible, we find many believers well aware of and thankful for God’s grace!  Whether it was James offering motivation to the Hebrews living in dispersion throughout Europe or David’s exclamation of praise, these are just two examples of men who were assured of the truth regarding grace.

But He gives more grace.
Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11

Equally we, too, should be assured of all that Jesus’ sacrifice and death has given to us by God’s grace.

[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God,
freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy),
through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
Romans 3:24

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1 and 2

And so we can also praise our God declaring how good and kind He has been to us! We are redeemed, saved, freed from slavery to sin and now live, in that freedom, under grace.

For sin shall no longer be your master,
because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14

Paul shared the following with Titus as he urged him to encourage and reprove the people in Crete.  May we have the same heart—keeping in mind the grace we have received and do constantly receive!

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
waiting for our blessed hope,
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
and to purify for Himself a people
for His own possession who are zealous for good.
Titus 2:11-14

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God Of Compassion

October 21, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There is an everlasting kindness  
You lavished on us 
When the Radiance of heaven Came to rescue the lost
You called the sheep without a shepherd 
To leave their distress
 For your streams of forgiveness 
And the shade of Your rest
And with compassion for the hurting 
You reached out Your hand 
As the lame ran to meet You 
And the dead breathed again
You saw behind the eyes of sorrow 
And shared in our tears
Heard the sigh of the weary
Let the children draw near    
What boundless love
What fathomless grace 
You have shown us, O God of compassion 
Each day we live 
An offering of praise 
As we show to the world Your compassion   
We stood beneath the cross of Calvary 
And gazed on Your face 
At the thorns of oppression 
And the wounds of disgrace
 For surely You have borne our suffering 
And carried our grief 
As You pardoned the scoffer 
And showed grace to the thief    
How beautiful the feet that carry 
This gospel of peace 
To the fields of injustice 
And the valleys of need
To be a voice of hope and healing 
To answer the cries 
Of the hungry and helpless 
With the mercy of Christ

Keith and Kristyn Getty/Getty Music
*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
Psalm 103:8

There is one word in this passage that really sticks out to me—compassion (or merciful, as rendered in other translations).  Twice in Psalm 103, we read that the Lord ‘is compassionate / merciful’ (verse 8) and in verse 13, it says that He “has compassion” (or mercy or pity).  I often find it so very helpful, when studying the Scriptures, to read a particular verse or passage in a number of different Bible versions.  It always brings about a more complete understanding… at least to me.  (Do you find that true, too?)  I would like to let you experience this in reference to this verse.  My go-to version for studying is always the Amplified Bible version; so I’ll start there…

  • AMP
    The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.
  • NIV
    The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
  • NLT
    The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry, filled with unfailing love.
  • ESV
    The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
  • NASB
    The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness.
  • KJV
    The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
  • HCSB
    The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.
  • ISV
    The LORD is compassionate and gracious, patient, abundantly rich in gracious love.
  • ASV
    Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
  • DBT
    Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness.
  • Webster’s
    The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.
  • YLT
    Merciful and gracious is Jehovah, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Each of these versions (and, of course, there are more!) communicate basically the same thing…but some add just a further bit of information or inflection.  After reading through these, I was left praising God Who is ‘compassionate and merciful and gracious’ and abundantly rich in steadfast, unfailing, in loving-kindness’!  How great is our God!!!

The Strong’s concordance uses the following words to biblically define ‘compassion/merciful’ as used in verse 8: “to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion”.  And listen to this tidbit of insight:  this particular word ‘compassionate’ (rachuwm, pronounced ‘rakh-oom’) is used only 13 times throughout the OT.  It is also one of the names by which Almighty God describes Himself; such as here in Deuteronomy 4:31:

For the Lord your God is a {rachuwm} merciful and compassionate God;
He will not fail you, nor destroy you,
nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

And here is the very first occurrence of this word {rachuwm) in the Bible.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and merciful God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”
Exodus 34:6

Almighty God declared Himself ‘…the compassionate and merciful God…’ during His encounter with Moses on Mount Sinai.  No doubt God had already proven Himself VERY compassionate, merciful, and gracious towards the children of Israel!  Remember this is the account where He allows Moses to redo the two tablets on which had been the commandments which God had written and given to Moses.  (Here’s a link to go read this passage.)  While Moses and Joshua were up on the mountain receiving God’s commands, the people had chosen to turn back to their idolatrous ways and had made a golden calf and were worshipping this idol.   Upon his return, Moses became so disgusted and angry with them that he threw the tablets on the ground and broke them to smithereens!  (NOT good!)  Moses pleaded with the Lord and interceded on behalf of the Israelites.  And ‘the compassionate and merciful God’ relented and gave them yet another chance to repent and obey.  This shows the magnitude of the Lord’s mercy, compassion, and grace!

So what does this mean to us…some 3,000+ years later?  It means everything…because God  does not, cannot, will not  change.  He is the same “…compassionate and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” as He was then.

For I, the LORD, do not change;
therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed…
Malachi 3:6

I pray that each of us would hold fast and cling to this truth, and give much praise to our great God Who is the God of compassion!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Here is a link  if you would like to study this verse and the usage of ‘compassionate/merciful’ in describing the Lord God Who IS oh-so-very merciful and compassionate.

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10,000 Reasons

October 19, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name

The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name
Jesus, I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name

Matt Redman
written with Jonas Myrin

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name.
Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
Psalms 103:1-2a AMP

Recently I have seen several FaceBook posts about blessing the Lord.  This song immediately came to mind.  And, as I thought about blessing the Lord, two questions were at the forefront:

1) Why are we to bless the Lord?    2) How do we bless the Lord?

First, WHY  are we to bless the Lord?  The song title says there are 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord.  And in the second verse, it gives us several specific reasons taken from Scripture:

  • The Lord is rich in love

But God, being [so very] rich in mercy,
because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us…
Ephesians 2:4 AMP

Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God,
…rich in faithful love and truth,
Exodus 34:6 HCSB

  • The Lord is slow to anger

Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Joel 2:13 NKJV

The Lord is slow to anger…forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion
Numbers 14:18 HCSB

  • His name is great

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
You are great, and Your name is great in might
Jeremiah 10:6 NKJV

I will vindicate the holiness of My great name
which has been profaned among the nations
Ezekiel 36:23 NASB

  • His heart is kind

For His merciful kindness is great toward us
Psalm 117:2 NKJV

“But with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:8 AMP

The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds
Psalm 145:17 NASB

But, the best reason is because He loves us.  John 3:16 tells us He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place, so that we could have everlasting life.

Augustine explained it like this
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

His plan would have been put into effect even if you or I were the only person on earth. This leaves me speechless!

And, second, HOW  do we bless the Lord?  What could I possibly do that would bless Him?  Thankfully, in the words of David, we have the answer:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:1-3NKJV

We are to praise the Lord continually—boast about Him, magnify Him, and exalt His Holy name.  That’s how we bless the Lord.  (That’s not asking too much, is it?)

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Be One

October 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

We don’t feel ready, we don’t feel steady
Question what we really have to give

Stay where it’s safer, claim faith but waiver
Is this how we’re really meant to live

We pray but never move
We say but never do

It’s time to get our hands dirty
oh oh, oh oh
Be love – there’s a whole lot of hurting
oh oh, oh oh
Calling all hearts, calling all hands
Calling all feet to take a stand
Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come
When we can be one, when we can be one, when we can be one

A little somethin’ might feel like nothin’
But in His hands it’s all we’ll ever need

To speak life to the broken
Watch the blind eyes open
It’s who He’s calling you and me to be

We can be the change – be the hope
We can be the arms that don’t let go
We can be a light in the dark
We are, we are, where it starts

Natalie Grant

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

A lukewarm Christian is not something that I want to be. Oh…I definitely have been. But I much prefer to be in the game; and when you’re in the game, you get dirty.  Jesus did.  He didn’t play it safe and protect himself and just associate with His disciples and followers.  No, He ate with the hated and He got close to the sick to heal them and He walked with prostitutes.  His main objective was to make sure that everyone knew His Father and that they would go to Heaven when they died.

This is exactly how we should be.  I am sure that around your area, there are homeless people who have needs to be met before they can even think about making a decision to know Him.  Hungry families live on streets near you.  There are women in your circle who may be fighting an addiction of some kind and need to know Jesus still loves them. There are marriages on the brink of divorce.  You are someones hope today!

So as you listen to this song, pray to God that He will reveal to you where to go and who needs to hear hope from you.  Ask Him to lead you to them and He will guide you and speak through you.  How awesome is it to actually be His hands and feet?!!!  There are so many changes that this world needs and it can start here with us….

Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
Psalms 96:3 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear God, thank You so much for sending Jesus to earth as a man, to walk among sinners.  He showed us what we should be like.  He was a Friend of sinners and loved  the ones who are hardest to love.  Lord, You created everyone and You love us all. Please plant in us that same love for our neighbor and give us the desire to walk through their hard with them.  Reveal to us who we are to share with and direct our steps and send us where we are to go.  You have blessed each one of us by living in us and granting us grace for each moment.  I pray that no one has to go one more day without knowing how much You love them.  Help us to get in the game and not be afraid to get our hands dirty.  We love You. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

 

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

Speak Life

October 16, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Some days, life feels perfect
Other days it just ain’t workin
The good, the bad, the right, the wrong
And everything in between
Though it’s crazy, amazing
We can turn a heart with the words we say
Mountains crumble with every syllable
Hope can live or die

So speak Life, speak Life
To the deadest darkest night
Speak life, speak Life
When the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,
You speak love, you speak
You speak Life, (oh oh oh oh oh oh)
You speak Life. (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

Some days the tongue gets twisted
Other days my thoughts just fall apart
I do, I don’t, I will, I won’t
It’s like I’m drowning in the deep
Well it’s crazy to imagine
Words from our lips as the arms of compassion
Mountains crumble with every syllable
Hope can live or die

Lift your head a little higher
Spread the love like fire
Hope will fall like rain
When you speak life with the words you say
Raise your thoughts a little higher
Use your words to inspire
Joy will fall like rain
When you speak life with the things you say

…Some days life feels perfect

 

Toby Mac
written along with Jamie Moore, Ryan Stevenson

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 18:21

It still amazes me when I think of the reality of this verse…and the power we hold in our words.  We are given a choice each day to speak life, or speak death.  We can uplift, or we can tear down.  I try to teach my kids often the importance of this lesson.  Whether in school or at home, I want them to know that their words carry a significant amount of weight.  We, as adults, need to remember this as well.

In the heat of the moment, we can choose to use our words as weapons or as blessings.  By remembering that our words will make an impact even after they are long since spoken may help us to remember to consider them more carefully.  As the words of this song remind us, despite our situation, despite how we may feel, we need to remember to choose to speak life with our words—life for ourselves and life for others.

What do your words mean to you?  What do they mean to others?

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father, teach us to consider our words more carefully than we have been.  Remind us to speak life when we are tempted to do otherwise.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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

I Choose Jesus

October 15, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I have searched to find the meaning of this life
Something that would fill my empty soul
Some believe a lie, choose darkness over light
But I will stand and let the whole world know

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me

I stand unashamed trusting in one Name
‘Cause I have seen the Cross and I believe
This choice comes at cost, all other things are lost
No other love could mean so much to me

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

He chose to love me when I felt unlovable
He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable
He carried me out of my fear and doubt
How I want the world to know—I choose Jesus

Moriah Peters
along with songwriters: Tony Wood, Chuck Butler, Ed Cash

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  * 

Have you searched to find meaning and SOMEthing that would fill the emptiness of your soul?  I have….  Oh, how I have yearned to KNOW I was l-o-v-e-d!  Probably for most of the first quarter century of my  life, I attempted to fill that void. But nothing…not accomplishments, not approval, not people, not food, not inappropriate relationships…nothing was able to fill that hole in my heart.  And, assuredly, there is nothing which COULD fill that hole in my heart…only Jesus.  Perhaps you have heard this quote,

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,
and it can never be filled by any created thing.
It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

–  Blaise Pascal

I think that describes it so well—a ‘God-shaped vacuum in the heart.’  I believe God created man (and woman) with that need.  And I know He perfectly provided for the filling of that vacuum when He made Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to have perfect fellowship with Him every moment of every day.  And I trust He would have always supplied their need…but they were deceived.   They chose to think that something else—being equal and alike to God Almighty—was the true answer to their needs.

But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die,
for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing the difference
between good and evil and blessing and calamity.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food
and that it was delightful to look at,
and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6

And, because they chose the deception of the enemy of their souls and disobeyed the One Who truly DID love them, they lost that fellowship and perfect connection and the fulfillment that a relationship with their God gave them.

And mankind has suffered under the sin of Adam since.  But God would not allow His plan, His desire to fail.  And He provided so that all of humanity could have that ‘God-shaped vacuum’ filled in the way He had originally planned.

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9 and 10

Jesus IS the perfect and complete filling of that vacuum!  We do not need to search or attempt to fill the void inside…we need to accept God’s perfect provision making Jesus our Lord and Master and live our lives in obedience to Him.

In this beautiful song, Moriah Peters sings, “He chose to love me when I felt unlovable…He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable…He carried me out of my fear and doubt.”  No longer do I (nor you, either!) have to search for something to fulfill the emptiness, the void.  We need to choose Jesus!  He has chosen me (you, too)!

Would you sing along with me…

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

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

I Can Just Be Me

October 14, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I’ve been doing all that I can
To hold it all together, piece by piece
I’ve been feeling like a failure
Trying to be braver
Than I could ever be
…It’s just not me

So be my Healer, be my Comfort
Be my Peace
‘Cause I can be broken
I can be needy, Lord, I need You now
To be, be my God
…So I can just be me

I’ve been living like an orphan
Trying to belong here
But it’s just not my home
I’ve been holding on so tightly
To all the things that I think
That satisfy my soul
…But I’m letting go

So be my Father, my mighty Warrior
Be my King
‘Cause I can be scattered, frail and shattered
Lord, I need You now
To be, be my God
…So I can just be me

‘Cause I was lost
In this dark world
‘Til I was finally found in You
So now I’m needy, desperately pleading
Oh Lord, be all to me

So be my Savior, be my Lifeline
Won’t You be my everything?
‘Cause I’m so tired
Of trying to be someone
I was never meant to be

Be my God, please be my God
Be my God so I can just be me
So I can just be me
…I can just be me

Laura Story
written with Jason Ingram

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Can’t you just imagine leafing through your Bible and coming upon words like these…they are so similar to some of David’s songs, don’t you think?  This choruses of this song sings just like one (no, like MANY) of the psalms.  Perhaps these words are very similar to a song in your own heart?  I’ll tell you…they are close to my own, at times.

Oh, ’cause at times I can whine…and complain!  Despite the great measure of grace and blessing that my God has poured into my life, at times I seem to forget.  I can become overwhelmed with situations and circumstances.  And then I attempt to wrestle with these ugly things rather than seeking God and relying on Him.

Silly me!  I try to take things into my own <incapable> hands instead of seeking the only One Who IS capable—my Lord, Jesus the Christ, the One to Whom  “all authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given…” (Matthew 28:18).

I (and you also, my friends!)…we are not alone in struggling with matters such as this!  We’ve already recognized that David called out to God in his struggles. But we also have the examples and godly encouragement of other men throughout the pages of the Bible.  The Apostle Paul and his disciple, Timothy, are two who I thought of immediately!  Paul wrote in his letters to encourage the believers in the first century Church <and us, too!!!> to rely on all that Christ had made available.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 ESV

In Paul’s letters to Timothy, as he taught him regarding leadership, Paul faithfully reminded Timothy that God is the One Who is to be trusted and relied upon.  For example, He said:

That is why I am suffering as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know Whom I have believed,
and am convinced that He is able to guard
what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:12 NIV

All throughout the Scriptures, God’s people are instructed over and over and over again of the simplicity of the commands He has for us.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
but to do justly,
and to love kindness and mercy,
and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

We need to remember.  And to trust and obey.  It is SO much simpler to do things God’s way!  And then ‘I can just be me!’   Amen?

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Oh, how we praise You, dear Lord!  What joy we have in our hearts knowing that You ARE our Healer, Comfort, Peace… our Father, Mighty Warrior, King… our Savior, Lifeline… truly our EVERYthing!  How gracious, kind, and compassionate You are towards our human nature which, at times, is weak and needy and tired!  Thank You for how patient and longsuffering You are with us…never leaving us nor forsaking us even when we whine and complain.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy, Your lovingkindness, Your forgiveness, Your love!  Thank You for always being there when we turn our little hearts around and acknowledge that You have not changed…and You never will.  Thank You for forming and making us—to ‘just be me!’  We love and adore You, Faithful Father!  And pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

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