November 26, 2024

Broken Hearts

September 5, 2013 by

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The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18

When your heart is broken, you have a debate before you…. Should you leave the pieces of your heart there and start over or should you pick up the pieces and mend them together again.   Actually, God is the only Potter mentioned in the Word.  He is the only one that can take our spiritual lives, break them, and put them all back together again.  But what about natural things, like our feelings being hurt, or close relationships going sour?  Should we try to mend those things and put them back together?  Well, this is where we as believers sometimes miss the mark.

We want to put things back together all the time and make things work, even when it may not be God’s will for us to do so.  That is why He told us to “cast our cares upon Him” (1 Peter 5:7) and “seek ye first the Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).  His Word is telling us that, when we are broken by natural things and hurt in the flesh, we should cast these things to the feet of Jesus so that we can find out His will for it.  No matter how much it hurts, you must give it to God.  Of course, hurting is no fun and being hurt by people that are close to you is even more painful; but God sees all and knows all and, if you take the time to give it to Him, He can ease the pain.

God never told us to mend/heal our hurt hearts (like many popular preachers are saying today—”claim it”).  Perhaps we go to these spiritual rallies feeling like we can fix it all because the speaker said some general stuff that happens everywhere, and then you are charged a financial fee before it will happen!  We must remember that our cares, our concerns, our hurts, should be given to God so that HE can sort it out and properly “direct our path” (Proverbs 3:6).  Don’t listen to a generalized, motivational message about your personal turmoil or trial.  Only God knows the purpose, the plan, and the outcome of it.  Seek HIM first and you will find the answers and the direction to proceed.  Endure the pain…trust in Him…and know that it will stop hurting.  Remember:

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
Psalm 34:18

The thing we run from is the thing that draws God…troubles are inevitable in life…the joy is that God wants to deliver us from them all!

Consider these Scriptures: Psalms 51:17, Proverbs 3:5 and 6, Hebrews 4:15.

* * * * *

Lord, we thank You for Your goodness and mercy on us.  We give You all the glory and honor for You are the great I AM.  You are Omnipresent—present everywhere; Omniscient—all knowing; and Omnipotent—all powerful!   Be close to us, Lord, and direct our path to the glory of Your name.  Amen.

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Safety in the Lord

August 27, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Psalms 91:1 and 5

God has placed within man the instinct of self-preservation.  There is then a kind of fear that is a natural reaction to threatening circumstances and situations of impending danger. At such times the body pumps adrenalin into the bloodstream, releasing a sudden super-burst of mental and physical energy to face and combat danger.

However, God made man to be fear free.  It was not His intention that we should be afflicted by rebellion, disease, loneliness, fear, or death.  Nor can we blame God for the afflictions in which we find ourselves.  Adam, the first man, chose to disobey the clear-cut directive of His Maker and, with that act of rebellion, man became separated from God.  The light within ceased and darkness came.  The joy of God’s Presence was replaced by sorrow and with the absence of peace came fear.   So fear is a natural consequence of our separation from God.  It afflicts us all until we turn back to God and know a restoration of relationship with Him through Christ the Son of God.  This is why the psalmist stated in verse 1 of Psalm 91 that, “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall rest, or abide, under the shadow of the Almighty.”

What does it mean to “dwell in the secret place?”  It is being in Christ, for He is the only Way, Truth and Life.  And once we are in Christ we shall not be afraid for the ‘terror of night; nor the arrow that flies by day’ (Psalm 91:5).  The Bible assures us that when we are in Christ and Christ in us we are complete.  Matters of fear can not slip up. Psalm 91:5 is explicitly saying “You shall not be afraid ….”  And specifically it is talking of night and day that we shouldn’t be afraid.  The psalmist had a revelation that without dwelling in Christ anything can happen during the day and at night.  This psalm offers security for God’s children who abide in Christ and His word that nothing can happen to a faithful servant except by God’s permission. This truth does not mean there will never be unpleasant or difficult times but that as long as we make God our Lord and our Refuge, in everything that happens to us God will work for our good.  As Christians we face struggles but the word of God makes us aware of the armor of God available to us for protection.  For our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against ‘the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Let us dwell there…for there we will be safe.

* * * * *

Our Father, who art in Heaven, we come before You with thanksgiving in our hearts knowing You are our Shield at all times.  May Your Name be glorified now and forever more…in Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen!!

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Perfect God

August 20, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19: 7

The Law is a general term for God’s revealed will that directs a person in a right relation with Him.  This term (and many others) are God’s true word that testifies to His character and His will, the study of which makes us wise.

It is written that God’s will for us is to have a perfect life…an abundant life. And that can only be possible if we understand His purpose and move with that purpose. We need to fully turn our hearts and minds over to Him by:

  • Studying His word
  • Talking about His word
  • Meditating on His word
  • Obeying His word

The more fully we do that, the more completely we live by His good and perfect will for our lives. Those who know and obey God’s true word—His Law—will be prosperous and successful in that they will possess the wisdom to live righteously and to achieve God’s goal for their lives.

We will be prosperous and successful as we follow Jesus’ example to be strong, courageous, and diligent (Jesus’ character gives us His example of responding to the devil without fear.  Fear intimidates, but faith jumps forward.)  And to make God’s word your authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions (Jesus quoted Scripture verses as much as possible so that the devil left Him.) We must study and meditate daily on God’s word (Jesus was the Word made flesh; hence living by the word).  And determine to seek diligently God’s presence throughout your life (Jesus was recorded many times to have gone to His Father in prayer).

God has perfect plans for us.  He makes plans for our lives perfect not because we are perfect—we are fallible and make so many mistakes.  But His plan is perfect because God is perfect and whatever He does is perfect and complete.  In Philippians 1:6, Paul told us that God saved us and started a good work in us. Paul also wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God’s handiwork.   Just prior to this, two verses tell us that we are saved by God’s grace.  We have nothing to do with the act of salvation.  We haven’t earned it or deserved it.  We are born into the kingdom of God as a gift.  Nothing we can ever do would be good enough to satisfy God’s perfection.  Only Jesus, the Perfect One, is good enough.  Nothing, but our faith in Him, makes us acceptable to God.

* * * * *

Our dear Heavenly Father, we love You for You are a great and perfect God who loves us unconditionally.  In the midst of our imperfections and weaknesses You sent Your only Son to die for us so that we could be made perfect.  Create in us a steadfast spirit to do Your perfect will, Lord.  May Your name be glorified now and forever more!  In Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.

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Experiencing God

August 8, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
Psalm 100:4

Psalm 100 holds the key to intimacy with God. Using that key we can unlock a powerful encounter with Him, just as David was able to thousands of years ago.

The first thing to remember is that there are gates between heaven and earth. The Book of Revelation explains that each gate is made from a single pearl—the pearly gates.

The good news is that when we are saved by Jesus, God forgives our sins and adopts us as sons and daughters; He becomes our heavenly Father.  Do royal children have the right to enter the Kingdom?  Absolutely!

Remember the older brother in the story of the prodigal son? The one who stayed home and obeyed his father?  He complains that the father never even gave him a young goat but threw a great party for the wayward son.  ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’  All he had to do was ask.

Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: We cause the gates of heaven to open by thanking God for all He has done. Thank Him for lots of different things, or for one thing over and over.  If nothing particular comes to mind, just say “thank You, Lord,” over and over.  Musical people can sing songs of thanksgiving.  After an hour or two (or maybe simply a couple of minutes) we stop thinking about ourselves and our problems, and find ourselves focused on eternity. The  atmosphere changes. It’s time to move onto praise.

Step 2: It is time to come into His courts and enter the very presence of God. We do this by praising Him. Again, we can praise Him for many different things—Who He is, what He has done, what He is going to do, for example.  Or we can focus on one thing and praise Him for that over and over. If nothing comes to mind, simply declare “I praise You, Lord!”  Musical people can sing songs of praise.

Step 3: At some point we will sense a powerful intimacy with God. In this place it is easy to discern what is important to Him, and just how to pray. Often we experience insights and receive strategies about Kingdom plans. Sometimes He gives us things, and not just in the spirit.

Don’t be like the older son who served his father diligently but never knew how to receive anything back. We have a generous Father who loves to give gifts to His children.

Go and spend some time with Him in His courts now.

* * * * *

Dear Father,

We love to come before Your throne of grace…to thank You for how wonderful and awesome and incredible You are!  And to sing our praises from our grateful hearts!  May we never hesitate to seek You and ask our heavenly Father for the things that You have promised!  You are such a good, gracious, loving God!  In Jesus’ name, we pray and ask.
Amen.

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