November 24, 2024

Gone Astray?

November 4, 2014 by

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The Lord is good and does what is right;
He shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way.
Psalms 25:8-9

Are you confused?  Lost?  You don’t know what to do next?  Or have you knowingly wandered off the path you know was set before you?  Remember, God knows everything—all you need to do is ask Him for help and He will guide you.

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
That is why He broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains.
For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron.
Psalms 107:10-14, 16

One thing I love about God is that He is accessible.  Even though He lives where we cannot physically see Him (like we would our friends or family), He is still ever so close to us.  He also has a limitless wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and He is willing to share with us!

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5

God can be mysterious, but the more and more we grow in relationship with Him, the more and more we can understand Him.  So, go to God and let Him set you straight.

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Just A Reminder

October 28, 2014 by

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Answer me when I call to you,
O God, Who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 4:1

I almost get the feeling that the psalmist is trying to rush God in Psalm 4:1.  In my mind, I picture God just shaking His head thinking, “Rest, my child. I see your troubles and I have handled them.”  Then again, the psalmist could just be making a sincere plea to God for Him to answer the prayer.  Regardless of how I decide to perceive this verse, I feel the Lord’s verbal response would be the same—Rest!

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

This verse says that if you come to the Lord, He will give you rest. So, take your request to Him and then rest. {Do not forget about the resting part!}

And don’t forget this:

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

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me take my requests to You and then to rest.  Thank You for the ability to rest in the midst of troubles, knowing that I am adequately taken care of.  Amen.

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Seventy Times Seven

October 19, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For He knows how weak we are;
He remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 NLT

Forgiveness is a big deal in the Christian faith.  We are saved because God loves us so much that He forgives us of our sins.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Romans 3:23-24

Nothing more, nothing less.  We can easily forget that we are freely forgiven our sins— especially, in comparison to forgiving others.  Forgiveness gives you more healing than it does the offender, and it hurts you more than the offender when you don’t forgive.  However, the point I want to focus on is that God freely forgives us, so we should freely forgive others.

I’d like to point out that God didn’t forgive a few sins, or some sins, but all our sins.

You were dead because of your sins because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins.
He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the Cross.
Colossians 2:13-14

We all have had something done to us that could warrant unforgiveness.  But if God Almighty, the Creator betrayed by His creations, can forgive all of mankind…then we can forgive our fellow man as well.

Jesus explains to us how we should forgive in the parable of the unforgiving debtor.  To summarize this parable found in Matthew 18:21-35:

Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to forgive someone who sins against him and Jesus told him ‘seventy times seven’.  And then proceeds to tell him about a king who decided to collect on some debt from his servants: one debtor owed him millions of dollars and couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that him and all he owned be taken away to settle the debt.  The debtor begged the king for forgiveness and was granted mercy. However, when the man left he went to collect a debt from someone who owed him thousands of dollars and when this debtor asked him for forgiveness the forgiven man did not extend forgiveness like he had been given.  The king was informed of this and the man he had previously forgiven was thrown into prison.

I’ve heard it said that you can give away what you yourself have received because you should understand the situation a little more personally.  Jesus didn’t say that certain things weren’t to be forgiven.  He said, “Seventy times seven.”  So… just forgive.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, help me to be as forgiving as You are.  Sometimes it is extremely hard to want to forgive others; but with Your help, guidance, and strength—anything is possible.  Lord, show me who or what You would like me to forgive today so that I may move forward and be freed from unforgiveness.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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A Small Reminder for God

October 12, 2014 by

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Remember Your Word to Your servant for You have given me hope.
Psalm 119:49

When I read verses like this, I always wonder why the writer felt the need to tell God to remember.  If God said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” then it’s safe to say that you should come to Him…and He will give you rest.  No reminder needed.

There is a certain level of uncertainty when it comes to God.  For example, two people can pray for healing; and yet one will live and one will die.  Why?  Only God knows. Surely, there is some type of order to the happenings of life.  After all, 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”  Even with this being the case we don’t get to see the Big Picture all the time.

Perspective plays a huge role in our relationship with God.  He sees things we simply do not see and can not see.  We often have to ask Him to open our eyes to see what He sees.  And sometimes He sheds light on a situation.  But sometimes, we are told to wait.

Have you ever felt betrayed by God?  You went to Him for guidance, followed His directions to the best of your ability, and still got what seemed to be an unfavorable outcome?  I have.  And when I find myself in these situations I often take to reminding God of His promises.

Reminding God of His promises is beneficial to us, not to Him. Reminding God about His promises, reminds us of God’s Word and can bring up some very important issues:

  • Do I really believe this promise?
  • Do I trust God to fulfill this promise?
  • Is there something in my life that I need to address or hand over to God?
  • Is something hindering God’s progress in this situation?

I feel this is a very vital role in growing with God.  I have friends who can read the Bible and take God at His Word easily.  When they read that God will provide for them…they believe that God will provide for them.  When I read that God will provide for me…I ask questions . I need to know how and when.  If I can’t come up with a solution in my mind, then it must be impossible.  I need details.  I have gotten better at simply taking God at His Word, but I often have to fight the urge to remind Him of the way things are “supposed” to be.

The Message translation says,

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

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Lord, I pray that I never forget Your promises and that I never stop coming to You when I have questions or concerns. Thank You for being faithful and answering my prayers.  Thank You for giving me knowledge and understanding.  Help me to doubt less, trust more, and follow relentlessly.  Give me the courage to stand for You, and humility to obey You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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Your Way—The Only Way

October 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes.
GOD’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree.
Psalms 19:7-9 MSG

Many objects, people and organizations claim to have the ultimate solution for life. These things slip in and take hold of our lives attempting to show us a better way. Thing is—your paycheck, your boss, and your job do not hold the key to life. These things didn’t make you and they couldn’t possibly tell you what path to follow and what choices to make. One Being, and one alone, knows all that the world could hold. And that very same Being created both you and me. As Job said, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). Isaiah advised, “Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?” (Isaiah 2:22).

When I first researched Psalms19:7-9 in the Message Translation, I was taken aback. The way this version explains these verses is amazing. “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” Wow…if you sit and think on it…how simple, but profound, is this statement. Not just knowing about or being aware of, but the revelation of God basically makes everything right and complete. “The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” Truthfully, I don’t find this to be so simple, but then again, in my human ways, I have been known to… (putting it nicely) complicate things. “The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.”

Notice these verses say nothing about any other thing in this world—but God. God has the answer to everything.  He IS the answer to everything. Nothing is impossible for the Lord. What other way could there possibly be, if God is the answer to everything?  There is no other way. All other ways are false and a waste of time. THE Way is the way. Jesus said it best in John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I know I’ve said this before, but it is so important and imperative for us to remember, that the only One who knows our path is the Lord. Yes, I do believe that He can, and will, place people in our lives to help us, listen to us, and guide us.  But these people cannot replace the Maker. If we constantly are leaning on our physical helpers…and not taking the time to spend time with God and hear His voice…then we aren’t hurting anyone but ourselves. No person can have a relationship with God for us. This means our parents, our friends, our pastor, our spouses, our children—none of these can have a relationship with Christ for us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for being the Way. Thank You for making the choice simple. Although, it may be hard sometimes to walk Your path, I know that Your way is the only way for me. Amen.

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Until The End

October 2, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Since my youth, God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Psalms 71:17-18

Learning is one of those things that we are going to be doing continually. It never ends! Although, there are some things that you learn that you don’t have to keep learning—like walking—many of the areas in our lives are going to be slightly repetitive.

At one of my jobs I feel like I’ve mastered my job duties and everything is beginning to seem repetitive. To me this is the worst thing that could happen, because I need newness in all areas of my life. When I feel I’ve mastered something, I become disinterested. Oddly enough, in my walk with God, I don’t have this problem. I sometimes long for the day when God will say that I’ve mastered it all…that I’ve mastered life! Funny notion, don’t you think?

Since my youth, God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Psalms 71:17-18

Since the beginning of my relationship with the Lord, I have been aware of all the lessons God has taught me and the blessings He has bestowed upon me. Learning to, and then continuing to, share all the Lord has done for me is a constant struggle. Some days I will pray that the Lord will give me the opportunity to share Him and then that He would give me the courage to follow through. Other days, I am not so brave and want to just curl up in a ball and be left alone.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.
Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see,
so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Matthew 5:14-16

God wants us to share Him until the very end. Learning about God and sharing God are two things in our spiritual walks that just do not end…rather…should not end.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me to remember that as long as I am alive on this here earth my goal is to shine for You. May I keep the flame burning for You and continue to move forward each day. Amen.

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No Other Way

October 1, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes.
GOD’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree.
Psalms 19:7-9 MSG

Many objects, people and organizations claim to have the ultimate solution for life. These things slip in and take hold of our lives attempting to show us a better way. Thing is—your paycheck, your boss, and your job do not hold the key to life. These things didn’t make you and they couldn’t possibly tell you what path to follow and what choices to make. One Being, and one alone, knows all that the world could hold. And that very same Being created both you and me. As Job said, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). Isaiah advised, “Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?” (Isaiah 2:22).

When I first researched Psalms19:7-9 in the Message Translation, I was taken aback. The way this version explains these verses is amazing. “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.” Wow…if you sit and think on it…how simple, but profound, is this statement. Not just knowing about or being aware of, but the revelation of God basically makes everything right and complete. “The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.” Truthfully, I don’t find this to be so simple, but then again, in my human ways, I have been known to… (putting it nicely) complicate things. “The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.”

Notice these verses say nothing about any other thing in this world—but God. God has the answer to everything. He IS the answer to everything. Nothing is impossible for the Lord. What other way could there possibly be, if God is the answer to everything?  There is no other way. All other ways are false and a waste of time. THE Way is the way. Jesus said it best in John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I know I’ve said this before, but it is so important and imperative for us to remember, that the only One who knows our path is the Lord. Yes, I do believe that He can and will place people in our lives to help us, listen to us, and guide us, but these helpers cannot replace the Maker. If we constantly are leaning on our physical helpers and not taking the time to spend time with God and hear His voice, then we aren’t hurting anyone but ourselves. No person can have a relationship with God for us. This means our parents, our friends, our pastor, our spouses, our children—none of these can have a relationship with Christ for us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for being the Way. Thank You for making the choice simple. Although, it may be hard sometimes to walk Your path, I know that Your way is the only way for me. Amen.

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Who Am I Representing?

September 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

I will exalt You, my God and King,
and praise Your name forever and ever.
I will praise You every day;
yes, I will praise You forever.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure His greatness.
Psalms 145:1-3

As I read these verses for our devotional this week, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Do I exalt the Lord?  Do I praise Him daily?” Sadly, I didn’t have to ponder long to conclude that the answer is ‘no.’  The busyness of life has most definitely taken center stage.  And everything and everyone else has been pushed to the side.  School, work, trying to relax, doing homework, sleeping…because you have to sleep…making life choices.  Life can often get in the way of the most important thing—spending time with God and remembering that my life is meant to be lived for Him with Him.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24

This also can apply to other areas of your life, such as work, relationship, ministry, or children.   You cannot ‘serve two masters,’ the verse says.  First and foremost, God is to be the center of everything, and when He is we will be fulfilled, and everything else falls into place.

I was quickly reminded of Martha.  Poor Martha was so concerned with what she was doing for Christ rather than being with Christ and putting Him first.

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted
by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair
to You that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!
There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it,
and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:39-42

I want to please God. I want to live a life for Him. I just pray that I don’t get so concerned with what I am doing and forget about living life with Him.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, help me to balance living for You, and keeping You in center place in my life.  Amen.

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Welcoming People

September 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise You.
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Psalms 51:15-17

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin
and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 AMP

I have yet to meet a person that Christ has rejected.  There is no such thing as too sinful, too perfect, too young, or too old.  Not one person who comes to Christ broken and humble is turned away.  He never said, “Oh…that’s too much for me to handle.”  He has never turned His back saying, “Not today…I’m too busy.  Try again tomorrow.”  He is never off limits.  He has never said, “Ha! You puny human. I am God. You are too beneath Me to help.”  And He is always emotionally available.  He has never said, “I’m too bored or tired or angry.”

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7

Jesus is always available to the willing heart.  He was even available to those who didn’t know they needed Him.  So, why aren’t we the same way?  The easy response to this question is: ‘He was God and I am only human.’   Even though this is very true, I think there are other reasons why we aren’t as accepting or available as Christ, and it all comes down to motives.

We can never truly know a person’s heart.  We can see their actions and listen to what they say, but even so, there is no way for us to know what is going through their minds or the motives they have or what they do behind closed doors.  How could we possibly know the internal struggles another goes through?  For example, you encounter a rude person and it’s easy to assume that person is just rude; but is that really true?  What’s happening on the surface is not always an adequate overall summary of the situation.  This is what the Holy Spirit is for!  (As well as it helps to remember to view situations in a “this is not about me” manner.)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 

Lord, help me to welcome those around me the way You welcomed those to Yourself, so that I may be a light for others.  Please, help me to remember the big picture, and stay focused on You, so I can love people like You did.  Amen.

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Our Good God

September 9, 2014 by

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He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
Psalm 103:5

God is and will always be good. One of the most common phrases I hear well-meaning Christians say to one another is “Everything happens for a reason.” and “God always has a plan.”

First and foremost, we must always remember the character of God—God is good. So, if your friend gets into a car accident it wasn’t because God had a plan, it was because somebody forgot to hit their brakes (perhaps because they were too busy talking on the phone).  That wasn’t God’s plan. However, God can use moments like these to reach and teach others.

I definitely believe that God can take horrible situations and stupid mistakes and turn them into something good.  Does He always?  Nope.  But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us.  There is a certain thing in this world known as ’cause- and-effect’.  Because you did not pay your electric bill, your lights got turned off. Because you did not buy groceries, you don’t have any food at home.  Because you decided to stay out all night, you slept through your 5 a.m. alarm.

God is in control…no doubt about it.  But just because you are in control of something doesn’t mean that you caused something to happen.  For instance, a manager of the store is in control of the store, but if an associate steals that does not mean he caused that to happen.  Same goes for God.  We have this thing called…yep...free-will.  I have mine and you have yours; everybody else has theirs.  Think about it!  That’s a lot of free-will that’s floating around.

Does God intercede and stop bad things from happening…of course.  Why He does or does not is His business. My job is to remember what Jesus said…

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
John 10:10

   *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Thank You for being good to me, God. Amidst all that is happening in the world, help me to see things through Your eyes and remember that You are good and You always will be. Amen.

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