November 6, 2024

The Positive

November 21, 2013 by

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Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about His glorious acts.
Psalms 107: 21-22

My mom has been talking to me about what I focus on.  Basically, I need to stop focusing on the negative.

I’d call the season I’m in now one of discovery. I’m learning more about God and myself. And yet, when the road gets rocky and circumstances aren’t favorable, I’m prone to focus all my energy on the problem until it is solved.  Focusing on the negative is like having blinders on that stop you from seeing all the good in your life.

So, when I was told what our next devotional was going to be on, it’s no surprise the word “sacrifice” is what had my attention. (Nothing negative about that, right?) Forget that verse 21 says, “Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.” I was going to write about how obedience is much better than sacrifice, but something just didn’t feel right.

So, I waited. (Yay!)

For four days I pondered. Every time I went to write, I felt like I was being told to wait. Three of those four days I was drawn to Micah 6:8, “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

On the fourth day, I got curious! I went back to the beginning of Micah chapter 6. This chapter is about God bringing his case against the Israelites and Him asking them to bring their case against Him (verses 1-8).

God went first asking, “O my people, what have I done to you?  What have I done to make you tired of me?  Answer me!” (verse 3).  He then reminds them of good things He’s done for them.

The Israelites replied asking what sacrifice they could bring Him (verses 6 and 7). And then, verse 8 is God’s response.

I reread Psalms 107:21-22 and noticed that I’d completely missed the positive in the verses. And finally, it dawned on me, I am inclined to focus on the negative, even in God’s life-giving, hope-filled Word.

I’ve decided to focus on the positive and to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18); to fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). I know this is possible because God is working in me, giving me the desire and power to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13).

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord, for opening my eyes and softening my heart. Thank You for Your faithfulness and for constantly loving me.  Amen.

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He is Worthy

November 11, 2013 by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

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

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A Sense-filled Guide

November 5, 2013 by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

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

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Trusting God’s Word

October 31, 2013 by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * *

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

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His Word Guides

October 24, 2013 by

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I have a little boy in my class who loves to do puzzles and solve problems. Whenever he gets to problem solving—whether it be taking a lid off a jar or putting on his shoes—I like to watch him.

On this particular day, he was attempting to put together one of the harder puzzles.  From the start, I knew he was going to have a problem.  He dumped the four puzzle pieces on the floor, laid the puzzle base down upside down and then turned all the puzzle pieces right side up.

I watched as he tried to lay the pieces in the puzzle.  At first he was fine, but about the third try at  placing the same piece in the spot it should have gone, his face started to turn red.

“If you turn the puzzle the right way, your pieces will fit,” I advised him.  He stared at me. “Look, the puzzle on the floor is upside down. Turn it.”  He replied, “No!” And continued to try and fit the pieces into the puzzle. Not long after his red face had turned into a crying red face. (I had since moved on to other things.)  I spoke to him and said, “When you would like my help, let me know.”  He replied with some angry jibberish and slammed pieces down…whining and fighting even more with the puzzle.

About 10 minutes later he approached me. “Ahmee!” (He looked pitiful.) He held the puzzle in his hands. So, I asked if he wanted help; and he said, “Yes.”

In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free.
Psalm 118:5

Sometimes we trap ourselves in the problems that come our way. Pay attention to this verse…it says, “In my anguish I cried to the Lord….”  Notice, it doesn’t say, “I whined to my friends, or I complained endlessly.”

The Lord is our Helper and, when we call to Him, He helps us.  Thing is: you have to call!  Just as my little boy had to come to me for help after he turned down my assistance, I believe that God tries to help us with His Word, but if we don’t read it, how will we know?

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Psalm 118:8

There is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel. In fact, your wise counsel should point you to the Word of God!  Just remember, “You can make many plans but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21).

So, try to figure it out alone if you want. Be stubborn, but ultimately you are going to end where you should have started—The Word of God.

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord, that Your guidance is always readily available to us.  Your timing is perfect and Your Word is precious.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

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If You Are Silent…

October 14, 2013 by

 

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My children at school know I don’t tolerate tantrums or crying as a form of communication, so most of them don’t do either.  However, I have one little boy whom, depending on his mood, will throw the biggest tantrum and it’s always in regards to little stuff.

If I ask him to sit at the table and he doesn’t want to, he cries and jumps up and down, and then throws himself on the floor and kicks the air.

During his tantrum, I give him a blank stare and allow him to throw said tantrum for about two minutes. And then I go into action. I laugh, and then, I sit in his chair.  He does not like that. He’ll stand up and say, “No,no. My chair.” And I tell him, “Well, if you aren’t going to sit in it, I will.  Are you ready to sit down?”  And he always says, “Yes.”

I pray to You, O Lord, my rock.
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if You are silent, I might as well give up and die.
Psalm 28:1

When I first read this verse, I laughed. To me, it seemed like the psalmist was throwing a tantrum and that “giving up and dieing” was a bit extreme.  I could imagine myself sprawled out on my bed, talking to God about some “very pressing matter” and feeling like my world was going to end if I didn’t get an answer…NOW!

Life can get tough. I’ve definitely had my fair share of moments that have caused me to stop and contemplate giving up.  Sometimes we need those moments because they help us refocus.

Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to You for help,
as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28:2

We know God is good.  We know our circumstances are not always good.  We also know that our less than favorable circumstances, even the ones that make us feel like giving up and dieing, do not impose on our God’s character.  Instead our God is willing to use these moments to reflect His goodness.

The Lord is powerful; He gives victory to His chosen one.
Psalm 28:8 (NCV)

* * * * *

Thank you, Lord, that in our circumstances Your goodness shines through.  You are awesome! Forgive me for those moments when I decide to throw a tantrum instead of resting in Your word.

Amen.

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In His Good Hands

October 8, 2013 by

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I have a child in my class who is very confident with herself.  One day we were standing on the playground. It was a nice calm day (referring to the children and the weather) and there was a nice breeze.  I was admiring the loveliness of the day when I heard, “Ahmee, what is this?”  My sweet girl was pointing upward towards nothing, but what baffled me was the hint of distress in her voice.

I explained to her that I saw nothing, but she insisted, “LOOK!”  The direction she was pointing in was nothing but leaves and trees; I saw nothing else.  She questioned, “It’s moving?”  And then I saw it.  The wind was blowing the leaves.  So, I explained, “The leaves are moving because the wind is blowing.”  “Wind?” she asked.

“Yes,” I explained, “wind.  It’s air that moves.  You can’t see it, but you can feel it.  And you can hear it coming.”  I smiled thrilled at the opportunity to teach her.

Then the weirdest thing happened. She quickly shook her head, cried and ran to me, clinging to my leg for dear life.  I knelt and showed her how we could blow leaves, too.  She mimicked me.  I advised her that wind couldn’t hurt us and asked her if she wanted to go play.  She replied with a firm “No,” and sat down, holding onto my leg.  And that’s where she stayed.

Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.

Psalm 115:3

How often do we let fear of the unknown paralyze us and stop us from enjoying our freedom? The Lord does whatever pleases Him; and this can be scary.  What if what pleases Him is the opposite of what I want?  Waiting has the potential to grow you or strangle your desires.

But we don’t have to fear with God at the wheel.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

* * * * *

Thank You, Lord that I don’t have to fear the unknown and that I am in good hands with You. Amen.

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Quenching Your Thirst

October 2, 2013 by

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I am single. Some days, I feel like being single is a blessing.  Some days, I am content.  Other days (oh! those other days!), I feel like being single is a curse, a punishment, and the absolute worse thing a person could have to endure.

Being single—despite thinking it is sometimes—is not a curse and it is not something I can “fix.”   Being single is not a problem that needs to be resolved…it is a season to be embraced.  During this time I have learned to embrace being alone. (And when I say alone, I mean the absence of another person.) I’ve learned much about myself and being alone (although, I fought at first) has pushed me closer to God.  I have learned to rely on Him in ways I don’t think I would learned without this season of singleness.

This burning desire to be married and have my own family can consume me at times, if left unchecked.  After all, it is not wrong to want a family.  However, the Lord has taught me much about maintaining the proper priority when it comes to desires.  This unsatisfied desire has allowed me to thirst for the Lord more.

 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for You;
my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1

I am learning to search for the Lord when my despair over my singleness is overwhelming.

  • Not people.
  • Not my single friends who agree with the unfairness of singleness.
  • Not my well-meaning married friends who, lovingly, speak out one or all of the many given lines available about how waiting is “sooooo” worth it.

My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:8

The Lord is the only one who can wrap me in His loving arms and make everything better.  Some nights I cry to Him—literally cry—and He always reassures me that He has a plan…an awesome plan.

Regardless of whether you are in a season (a LONG season) of singleness, or infertility, or financial struggle, or health issues…let Him quench your thirst, your desire, whatever it may be.

He can.

* * * * *

Thank you, Lord, that I am given the opportunity each day to know that You are God—the God…the God that has the plan…the God that is holding my hand…the God that is leading me along the path of life that is before me….the good God who does not cause adverse circumstances and who does punish or bring us trials…the good God who says I can walk you through anything life brings your way, if you’ll only trust me…the good God who provides us with all we need to be more than conquers…the good God who shows us there IS a “happily-ever-after.”  Ultimately, regardless of our current situations, we win.  (And how can we lose, when we’ve already won.)  Thank You, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

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Blessed Blessing

September 25, 2013 by

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May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us,
that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.
Psalms 67:1-2

Everyone loves to be blessed.  People don’t typically wander around praying curses for themselves.  We, as Christians, have a Father who loves to bless. (Take a look at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12.)  Yes, our God is all about blessing His children!

Why?  He loves us.

Why else?  So we can bless others.

Ephesians 4:33 tells us that God forgave us, so we can forgive others.

And in John 13:34 we read that God loves us, so we can love others.

Romans 12: 6-8 speaks about the gift(s) we were given and how they should be used, “…if, it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach…” We don’t use our gift(s) for ourselves, but for others!

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,
that our ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
Psalms 67:1-2

When God blesses us, others see and can come to know Him; just like He promised Judah and Israel,

As you have been an object of cursing among the nations,
O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing.
Do not be afraid, but let your hand be strong,
Zechariah 8:13

And, of course, our Jesus leads by example.

…For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich,
2 Corinthians 8:9

So… what’s the “catch?” Deuteronomy 28:1-14 explains how obeying the Lord leads to blessings. In order to be obedient you must know His Word.  And to know His Word and apply it as intended you need to have a RELATIONSHIP with him.

So, what’s the “catch?” You are. God gets to have you in relationship with Him and that is what He has always wanted.

* * * * *

Abba, thank You for blessing me.  Thank You for providing rewards for my obedience and discipline for my disobedience.  You have shown very clearly in Your Word the consequences of both.  Help me to be forever obedient that I may constantly reap the benefits of obedience and help me to keep my hands open to others, as I share what you have given me.  Help me to remember that my obedience doesn’t affect myself alone but those around me, as well.   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Remembrance

September 16, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogoSome days I am disappointed with the present state of my life.  Left unchecked this emotion runs rampant through my mind and affects my interactions with others.  Negative is the word I would use to describe the veil that clouds my mind when I am disappointed.

When I am disappointed I always have two choices: to continue on the downward spiral or get refocused.  It’s important that I don’t dismiss this emotion, thinking it’ll just go away, because disappointment leads to discouragement and discouragement stops me dead in my tracks.

Let all that I am praise the Lord,
may I never forget the good things He does for me.
Psalm 103:2

What better way to refocus than with remembrance?!

The Lord has brought me through so many ill circumstances, working them in my favor and came to my defense more times than I can count.  The Lord has given me plenty to remember.  Plenty to hold on to.  I simply have to choose to remember…to praise His goodness.  Once I do this, I can easily remember that God has a plan for me!  He’s always had a plan.  What I see may be a mess, but given to God he can turn it into something magnificent.  And I pray I never forget this.

* * * * *

Father, thank You for reminding me that any disappointment I face in this life—whether it be a specific event, an area of my life, or just life as a whole—that Your grace and goodness can drown out this emotion.  Thank You that if I will allow You, You can make sense of and redeem my circumstances.  You are the mighty Redeemer.  Help me to remember all of Your goodness when I am tempted to grab hold of disappointment and self-pity.  In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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