November 20, 2024

As Long as I’m Alive I’ll Glorify His holy Name

January 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place…as long as I’m alive I’ll glorify His holy Name

Praise His holy Name!  As long as I’m alive I’ll glorify His holy Name

Ain’t no bird gonna flap it’s feathers…as long as I’m alive I’ll glorify His holy Name

Ain’t no tree gonna wave its branches…as long as I’m alive I’ll glorify His holy Name

Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place…as long as I’m alive, I’ll glorify His holy Name

~  performed by Hillsong Kids; written by LaMarquis Jefferson~

Is this your declaration too?  Do you make sure that you are the one praising God and thanking Him for the grace and mercy He showers upon your life?

Jesus made it clear and simple. Luke chapter 19 contains this record of Jesus’ ascent and entry into Jerusalem. This occurs during the week prior to His betrayal, arrest, trial, torture, crucifixion, and ultimately, His death. During this time, His disciples were openly recognizing Him as King and praising God for the miracles which Jesus had done.

As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,
the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices
for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:36-40

As Jesus traveled along, making His way into Jerusalem, this continued…praising and shouting out…to the point that the Jewish leaders told Him to hush His disciples. But Jesus, knowing that no matter what, God was going to be praised, responded that even if His disciples were to be quiet, “…the stones will cry out!” God will be praised!

Throughout the Book of Psalms, the writers of the psalms spoke the same truth. They knew that praise was intrinsically built in to all nature.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.
There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.
Yet their voice goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world.
Psalms 19:1-4

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above.
Praise Him, all his angels, praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars.
Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever; He gave a decree that will never pass away.”
Psalms 148:1-6

Job knew, too. He spoke these words.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:7-10

He clearly let it be known that the animals, the birds, the fish along with the plants and trees know about their Creator…AND…declare it, too! So, we have no excuse! Let your praise be loud…and let it be long! Don’t hide it…don’t avoid the many, many, many opportunities that you have to teach and tell about all God has done! And, for God’s glory, don’t let the rocks and the birds, and the trees speak for you!  As long as you are alive…glorify His holy Name!

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Move In Me

January 4, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The man I buried had a heart of stone
Left him there in the bright light, out on a dirty road
The day You saved me from shadow and shame
Old things gone, got a new song, got a new name
Burnin’ like the wildfire, kickin’ up flames
A brand new band in the wasteland singing about Grace
Gonna jump the fences ’til the world is free
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me

I’m knocking on doors, You’re keeping the keys
Maybe they’ll open, maybe they’re not for me
I’m setting the sails, You ready the seas
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me

Gonna sing a little louder, gonna rattle these chains
Locked up tight ’round midnight, won’t stay that way
Gonna bless this dirt floor, gonna kiss these walls
Singing Your praise ’til the earth shakes and watching them fall

I’m knocking on doors, You’re keeping the keys
Maybe they’ll open, maybe they’re not for me
I’m setting my sails, You ready the seas
But I won’t make a move ’til You move in me
No, I won’t make a move ’til You move in me…move in me
~ performed by: Jeremy Camp;  written by: Nichole Nordeman/Bernie Herms ~

 

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   

“Old thing’s gone, got a new song, got a new name. The day you saved me from shadow and shame….” It’s my story. Is it your story too? I love this song…it speaks to me in many ways.

But this morning the Lord has given me a new perspective. “I don’t want to make a move until you move in me….”  How many times I have been impatient with things and have taken control of my circumstances and tried to work them out myself. Instead of waiting for God’s leading and direction in making a move. How many times have I taken control only to exhaust myself and end up in the same place that I started. When I have made a choice to do this and ended up at the foot of the Cross weary, worn, and completely depleted.

God gave me a visual of Jesus standing there, waiting, as I run myself ragged trying to fix things instead of resting and trusting in Him. Then as I fall to His feet, exhausted and defeated, He gently extends his hand and helps me up and says, “Are you ready to trust Me and let Me handle things???”

We want a quick fix, don’t we? We want answers now. But it is all in God’s timing and not ours! Steadfastness, consistency, keeping on in the faith walk, not wavering to the left or to the right, keeping right on the love line.

Listen to this: “We are to consider it wholly joyful when we encounter trials (temptations to get off faith), because the trial OF OUR FAITH (it’s our faith being tried not us) produces patience, constant consistency, resolute steadfastness.  As we let patience have its work (we yield to constant consistency, not looking to the left or to the right), so that we may be perfect (complete) lacking nothing.” Isn’t that a wonderful viewpoint on James 1:2-4.  Love that!

* * * * * 

Oh, Father, forgive me for when I have made the choice to move instead of trusting You to move in me. May I make the choice today to not make a move until I know that I know You are moving in me. Father, won’t You move in me…. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

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I Am New (I Am NOT Who I Was)

January 3, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

Now I won’t deny the worst you could say about me
But I’m not defined by mistakes that I’ve made because God says of me

I am not who I was, I’m being remade…I am new
I am chosen and holy and I’m dearly loved…I am new

Who I thought I was and who I thought I had to be
I had to give them both up ‘cause neither were willing to ever believe

I am not who I was, I’m being remade…I am new
I am chosen and holy and I’m dearly loved…I am new, I am new

Too long have I lived in the shadows of shame believing that there was no way I could change
But the One who is making everything new doesn’t see me the way that I do
He doesn’t see me the way that I do

I am not who I was, I’m being remade…I am new
I am chosen and holy and I’m dearly loved…I am new, I am new

I am not who I was, I’m being remade…I am new
Dead to the old man, I’m coming alive…I am new, I am new, I am new

Forgiven, beloved, hidden in Christ, made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous and holy, reborn and remade, accepted and worthy,
This is our new name…this is who we are now

~ Jason Gray, Joel Hanson ~

 

I dedicate this song to you, my sister…yes, y.o.u.! (You know who you are!)  You who doubt that you have value and worth to anyone.  You who worry that anyone will ever REALLY love you for you.  You who doubt that you can ever truly, finally change.  You.  ‘Cause here’s the truth—YOU ARE NEW! And all by God’s grace, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and just simply because you are loved!

[O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you;
1 Thessalonians 1:4

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 5:2

You are NOT the girl who was shame-filled, doubt-filled, worry-filled, fear-filled. No, ma’am! You, YOU ARE NEW!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself….
2 Corinthians 5:17 and 18

So please don’t sit there splashing tears on your keyboard…get up…waltz around the room…lift your hands in surrender and in praise to the One Who chose you and says you are beloved.

Sing this song with me; will you? And let it settle deep down into that beautiful, changed heart of yours. And remember—this IS who YOU ARE! (Y’know how I know? God said so.)

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REjoice In The Lord

January 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

So, I’ll just say it now…rejoicing is all about being joyful in the midst of trying circumstances and troubles. It’s about bringing it back to joy. It’s about not losing our joy. It’s about joy—no matter what.  (Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called rejoicing!)

Joy is a beautiful, righteous, God-given thing! Little children sing, “I have the joy…joy…joy…joy down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!”  And that is the TRUTH!  Joy needs to remain down in our heart!  However, we live in a broken, confused, evil-influenced world.  And much determines to take our joy away.

In the Book of James, we read in chapter 1 verse 2:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Other versions interpret the word ‘endurance’ as steadfastness, patience, or perseverance.  And this—the patience, the persevering, the remaining steadfast, the enduring—this is what we can do to  keep our joy when trials come along.

When times are hard and tough…when we seem to be continually struggling….when the light at the end of the tunnel seems SO far away—that is when we are to ‘consider it all joy!’ Please know (be assured!) that you are not the only one to say, “What?!? Not possible!”

If someone suggested it as a ‘positive confession’ or if I read it in a self-help book…then I would be able to totally disregard it.  Agreed?  BUT, this is not just a mantra to help me train my mind. Nor is it a positive little ditty to sing to myself.  N.O….this is TRUTH from the Bible.  And so—no matter what—I need to find a way no matter what to rejoice.

And did you notice that little word attached to joy in verse 2 (‘all’)? It  means great joy, full joy, pure joy, wholly joyful. Again, if I read this anywhere else, I would wholeheartedly refute the possibility!  However, I read it in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. So it must be possible! It must be available with the help of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to hold onto joy.

I do believe that one very important way to ‘consider it all (pure, full, great) joy’ is through the encouragement of singing!  Remember the Scripture which has inspired this blog?

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16

Listen to this incredible song, would you? This song is part of the bedrock of my soul…it encourages me so greatly! I learned this song from a group of Mennonite teenagers over 18 years ago…. And I have never forgotten it!  It was written by a man, Ron Hamilton, who had struggled with cancer…in fact, he lost his eye to this disease…for a number of years. But he and his wife placed their trust in the faithfulness of God Almighty. And they considered these trials and struggles to be ‘all joy!’  I pray that the words of this song will truly teach and admonish your heart…encouraging you to always find your way back to joy—no matter what!  If I can pray with you, please contact me; I would consider it my  joy and privilege!

 

Oh, Rejoice in the Lord

God never moves without purpose or plan, When trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song. 

I could not see through the shadows ahead; So I looked at the Cross of my Savior instead. I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above; God strengthens His children and purges in love. My Father knows best, and I trust in His care; Through purging more fruit I will bear.

O Rejoice in the LORD, He makes no mistake, He knoweth the end of each path that I take, For when I am tried And purified, I shall come forth as gold.

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God’s Promises

January 1, 2014 by

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
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.
Psalm 91

What a beautiful communication of Almighty God’s love for us! Full of promises telling us of just how God desires to care for us, and declarations of all He will do for us! If I have counted correctly, God makes thirty promises to us just in this one psalm.

God is faithful to each and every promise He has made…we stake all of our beliefs and our trust in Him on this absolute fact, true? But we must remember that sometimes He has attached a condition to be met (by you and me) to receive the fulfillment of a promise. Such as here, in verse 1…the writer of this psalm declares God to be El Shaddai which is interpreted as God Almighty or All-sufficient. If you and I ‘dwell in the shelter of the Most High’ then these promises are covering us. His shelter and His shadow provide refuge for those who dwell and abide.

This week in the Seeking Him daily devotional blog, our sisters are writing on Psalm 46. There, too, the psalmist confesses the Truth of just Who God Almighty is—our Refuge and our Strength.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way….
Verses 1 and 2

As we go forward from today, the first day of 2014, may we yearn to know God’s promises, do our part (where necessary), and be oh-so-very-thankful for all that we receive from our Faithful Father God!

Can I encourage you to try a little exercise?  Pick up your Bible, turn to the page where Psalm 91 is printed, and read ALOUD all the promises (30 of them remember!) included in just this one short psalm.  Every place there is a pronoun relating to us (he, him, you, your) replace it with your own name.  For example, speak your name where the   ♥   is.

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

* * * * *

Almighty God, we praise You and thank You for Your awesome promises! How blessed we are by all Your promises! You have promised 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 surely need Your help to faithfully do so! We love You so very much, Lord! We pray and ask these things in Jesus’ name.    ♥  Amen.

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When Love Sees You

December 30, 2013 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Blessed are you as you weep on your knees with perfume and tears washing over My feet
And blessed are you, beggar, hopeless and blind calling for mercy when I’m passing by
Blessed are you, shaking your head at two tiny fish and some bread
Blessed are you as you tremble and wait for the first stone thrown at your sinful disgrace
   Tell Me your story, show Me your wounds
   And I’ll show you what Love sees when Love looks at you
   Hand Me the pieces, broken and bruised
   And I’ll show you what Love sees when Love sees you
Blessed are you, walking on waves, to find yourself sinking when you look away
Blessed are you, leper, standing alone the fear on their faces is all that you’ve known
Blessed are you, lonely widow, who gave your last shiny coin to Yahweh
Blessed are you, with your silver and lies, kissing the One who’s saving your life
I see what I made in your mother’s womb and I see the day I fell in love with you
I see your tomorrow’s, nothing left to chance, I see My Father’s fingerprints
   I see your story, I see My name written on every beautiful page
   You see the struggle, you see the shame; I see the reason I came
   I came for your story, I came for your wounds
   To show you what Love sees when I see you

~ performed by Mac Powell / written by Nichole Nordeman and Bernie Herms ~

*   *   *   *   *

As we get ready to ring in the New Year,
may you be reminded what love sees when love sees you…

This song is very near and dear to my heart. I was once a very lost woman full of shame. I handed Him the broken pieces of my life and He restored and redeemed it.  Maybe you need to hear that and to know that today—Jesus came for me AND He came for you, too!  May you know and believe who you are in Him. Your identity is not in who you used to be. You are who God says you are—Blessed, Anointed, Redeemed, a daughter of the King!
Praise God that your past does not determine your future…He has great plans for you, sweet sister. You may see the struggle but He sees the reason He came.

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Take My Life and Let It Be

December 27, 2013 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
  ~Frances Havergal-lyrics; Henri Malan-music; Kari Jobe-arrangement, vocals~

  • My life
  • My moments
  • My days
  • My hands
  • My feet
  • My voice
  • My lips
  • My silver and gold
  • My intellect
  • My will
  • My heart
  • My love
  • Myself

Quite the list, hmmm?  May I challenge you (oh, don’t worry—me, too!): don’t wait for the new year, 2014, to begin. Today, right now even, make a conscious choice to dedicate all that you are to Him. We have just come through the season of Advent along with the celebration of the birth of the Messiah.  During this season where we have considered God’s great love for mankind, we have been reminded of the vastness and enormity of God’s love for us!   God deserves our all, every bit of what makes you…you; and what makes me…me. Anything that is in us that is good and righteous and pure and holy He has given to us…none of it is of our own making.

Which verse is the one that resonates within your heart? Would you leave a comment below and share that with us…and why? I love ‘em all…but I think my favorite is “Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne, it shall be Thy royal throne.”

If I surrender my will to God’s will (and so no longer my own!) then all the rest—my life, my moments, my days, my hands, my feet, my voice, my lips, my silver and gold, my intellect, my love—will also be offered to Him for His will to be dominant.

Consider these passages from the Scriptures in light of the gist of this song. Perhaps one or more of them might be just the impetus you need to make the decision to ‘take your life and let it be….”

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg you in view of [all] the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

* * * * * 

Dear Lord, we do SO want to dedicate ourselves—every part of us—to You, our Maker!  Please help us to recognize areas in our hearts that get in the way of this…and please help us change our hearts, Lord!  May we choose to offer ourselves, all we are and all we have, to You!  You deserve the best, the most.  You deserve our ALL! We ask these things in Jesus Name.  Amen.

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