December 23, 2024

When Suddenly A Baby Cries

December 10, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014
How suddenly a baby cries and all forever change
As shepherds leave the angel song to find this holy place
Where in her young and trembling arms a virgin holds her Son
And in this Child of breath divine our Light has finally come

She ponders how the Magi kneel before Emmanuel
With gold and frankincense and myrrh Christ’s sacrifice they tell
A dream would help them flee a king whose pride would cruelly destroy
As mothers weep God’s mercy meets the hunger for His joy

What wonder still that Anna filled with praise should bless the Lord
Her aging eyes now looking on the Savior of the world
For night and day her prayers had filled the temple of our God
Her heart could tell His saving hand within this gift of love

Hear Simeon who had waited long draw near to hold the child
To speak of Him who would reveal the many thoughts we hide
That hearts would rise to know His grace but many fall away
A sword would pierce His mother’s soul upon redemption day

How suddenly a baby cried and all forever changed
Through history soul by soul have come to find His healing grace
He filled my troubled heart with peace, with hope of endless worth
My voice will join the song of praise that tells Messiah’s birth

 Kristyn Getty
Written and sung along with Keith Getty and Fionán de Barra

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

A baby’s first cry gets the attention of everyone around, yes?  At the very moment of birth, all in attendance pause to hear a baby’s first cry—expectant parents, other relatives and loved ones, the nurses, doctors, and other caregivers—and then sigh with joy, with relief, and with thankfulness at that wonderful sound!  When the baby Jesus was born, His cry, too, brought great joy to his parents, Joseph and Mary. Think of the setting:

And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,
And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn;
and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room or place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6 and 7

Joseph and Mary had traveled many, many miles to come to Bethlehem to register in the census.  Upon their arrival, there was nowhere for them to stay but in a stable…and this is where Mary birthed her firstborn, Jesus, God’s Son.  Not the best surroundings!  So I would think baby Jesus’ first cry meant oh-so-very much to them!

But…both Joseph and Mary were fully aware of just Who this tiny baby was!  Both had been told of the significance of this baby’s life by angels. (Read the records here: Luke 1:26-38;   and  Matthew 1:18-25 .)  Don’t you think they each had contemplated for the entire duration of Mary’s pregnancy the magnitude and awesome, eternal implications of just Who their Son would be!  Think for a moment…place yourself in their sandals: when the baby was birthed and took His first breath and released a cry, can you only imagine the praises that must have welled up out of their hearts?  Can you imagine the look they must have exchanged as they realized that the promises that the angel had made to each of them came forth into fruition?  That initial cry of baby Jesus truly changed the world!  Perhaps Mary remembered the words she spoke when she was visiting her cousin Elizabeth:

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
…because the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.
His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.”
Luke 1: 46-47 and 49-50

And so we, too, do also exclaim and praise!  Even now, don’t we love to sing these beautiful carols and anthems and songs that tell of Jesus’ coming and His birth.  We are reminded of all that first little cry meant as it sounded out that the Savior was born!  He had come…just as promised throughout the ages!  As the words of this beautiful song say,

“How suddenly a baby cried and all forever changed
Through history soul by soul have come to find His healing grace
He filled my troubled heart with peace, with hope of endless worth
My voice will join the song of praise that tells Messiah’s birth”

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

May our voices rise up in praise and thankfulness to our heavenly Father!  Because of His great love for us (you and me!), He sent His Son to redeem and save us; to rescue us and make available to us a relationship with Him for all eternity.

Never—don’t EVER—doubt His love!

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38 and 39

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

Christmas Hope

December 9, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Her wish this Christmas
Was that Christmas would just pass her by
Nothing could reach her
Or answer her questions why
She feels so alone
And she wonders if all hope is gone

Hope is a candle
A light in the window
Showing the way for
A heart to come home
Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
Sent down from Heaven
To rescue our hearts
Our Christmas hope

She never imagined
That for her there was hope to find
But isn’t it amazing
How God brings a heart back to life
She’s smiling now she’s finding out
What Christmas hope is all about

Hope is a present
A gift freely given
To all who receive
And open their hearts
Hope is a promise
For a better tomorrow
In a world filled with sorrow
We always have hope

NewSong
Songwriters: Eddie Carswell and Matthew West

 *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Hope is a Savior
Who was born in the manger
sent down from Heaven
to rescue our hearts

Yes!  This is part of our Christmas hope!  This is our daily hope!  This is the foundation of our eternal hope!  And accompanying our hope—trust and faith that He is coming back again!

This song was written as part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Christmas Hope’ a faith-based movie about the lives of hurt, sad people and how they intertwine through times of tragedy and hope and restoration. (If you haven’t already seen this movie, it is a wonderful one to add to your holiday playlist!)

Just like the fictional folk who are part of the story of ‘Christmas Hope’ we, too, desperately need hope…sometimes it seems…at every turn of our lives.  And (just like Patty, Mark, Nathan, and little Emily), we HAVE been given the greatest Hope there could possibly be—a Savior, a Redeemer—Jesus Christ the Messiah!

God’s people waited hundreds of years for the fulfillment of the promise of a child to be born of the line of David in Bethlehem.  They believed and trusted and waited with HOPE for the promise to be fulfilled.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

(See also Micah 5:2; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7…among many other verses which contain these promises.)

God also made promises to a young Hebrew girl.  She had been taught by her parents about the promised Redeemer and had this hope within her heart.  God sent His messenger Gabriel to give her another promise.  This surely must have increased her hope!

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

(excerpts from Luke 1:28-35)

Promises made in olden times have already come to pass—Jesus, the Son of God, was born and ultimately gave His life fulfilling many more promises.  And hope has been realized!  We cling to promises made that are still unfulfilled…promises that fuel our hope because we know the One Who has promised IS faithful!!!  May these be a vital part of our Christmas Hope!

And said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11

…so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, realization of our] blessed hope,
even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…
Titus 2:13

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

Apricot Lamb Roast

December 8, 2015 by

Oh!  If only there were a way to share with you the aroma that filled the house when this was cooking away in the CrockPot…delectable! (But there is not…so…if you want to smell it you will just have to make this meal yourself!)  My husband loves lamb!  It is a bit of an indulgence, but he deserves it!  This is a super-easy meal to put together, too!  I served it with this Sweet Potato – Spinach Mash.  This meal fit well into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV also.  Full of protein, low-carb…and delish!  And if apricots are not your thing, this is equally delicious made with dried figs…soooo good!  Enjoy!

CrockPot Apricot Lamb Roast

2015-04-06 20.16.16

ingredients:
3-4# boneless lamb roast
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (or more) dried apricots (or dried figs)
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2-4 teaspoons cornstarch (or your favorite gravy thickener)
1/2 – 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional)

directions:

  • use a small CrockPot (I used my 2-quart insert); turn it on and put the lid on to begin warming it up
  • add the onions, olives, and apricots to the bottom of the insert
  • in a small bowl, combine mustard, honey, garlic, the spices, lemon zest, and lemon juice; stir with a spoon to form a paste
  • rub this on all sides of the lamb roast; place into the CrockPot liner on top of the fruit and veggies
  • cover and cook on low for 8 hours (you can check it with a meat thermometer, if you’d like, but I usually cook ‘til it’s very tender and falling apart)
  • remove the meat; slice, and keep warm
  • skim off (and discard) as much fat as you can (just use a small ladle)
  • using an immersion blender right in the CrockPot liner, puree the fruit and veggies into a smooth sauce
  • you can add the cornstarch to thicken as you puree, and/or a bit of sour cream

NOTE: the juices can be served as a simple au jus spooned over the meat, or you could even make a quick gravy!

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Light Has Come

December 6, 2015 by

adventweek2lighthascomegraphic…The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil.  Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God’s approval.

John 3:19-21

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★   *

 

Charlie Hall
written along with Matt Maher

Good tidings to the world around
To the weak and the broken down
In a small, poor, and dirty town
Light has come

A baby splits history,
Emmanuel, Savior, King
Come, sinner, let your eyes see
Light has come

In His name our chains will shatter,
for unto us is born
A Son, our God is with us, this Christmas morn

Angelic hymns singing now,
Heaven’s bright star is shining down
To us and for His renown,
Light has come

In His name our chains will shatter,
for unto us is born
A Son, our God is with us, this Christmas morn
Now the chains are torn asunder,
all oppression is undone
To the glory of our Father, this Christmas morn

Let this story be told to a world broken down
That God sent His Son, cradle cross to the crown
He stepped down from his throne to the world that He loves
Light has come, God with us

Oh Merry Christmas, Oh Merry Christmas, Oh Merry Christmas
Light has come, God with us

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Go, Tell It On The Mountain

December 3, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Saviour’s birth!

Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lonely manger the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.

 

Pentatonix
lyrics: John Work, Jr., music: Af­ri­can-Amer­i­can spir­it­u­al

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Go tell!  How will you voice your ‘halleluJAH!’ during this season?  Such an opportunity we have…such open doors to speak of our praise of our great God and tell of His provision of love for all mankind!

The Angel Gabriel was the first to go tell! when he was sent to the young Mary:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

Luke 1:26-31

An angel accompanied by a host of angels were also sent to go tell! the good news to the shepherds:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-13

When the shepherds were returning from Bethlehem where they had seen the proof of the angels’ good news, they also had the compulsion to go tell!

When they had seen Him <the Babe>, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Verses 17-20

Just as the Lord was leaving  and returning to Heaven, the disciples were commanded to go tell!:

Jesus came up…to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

And we, too, have a message to go tell!

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Romans 10:13-15 NLT

Oh, halleluJAH!  We HAVE heard, we DO know, and we DO believe!  We must go tell!  So whether you go tell! on a mountain, or on a city street, or at the beach…in your workplace, or at your child’s school…in the grocery store, or on that long checkout line at the ‘big box’ store…at the supper table, or as you talk with your kiddos and grandbabies—just go tell! 

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, we love You so much!  And we are so very thankful for Your perfect Gift of Love to us!  May our full hearts and lips just spill over with praises as we go tell!  (And, Father, if we should feel hesitant or anxious to do so…please encourage us through Your Holy Spirit.  Remind us that we are Your ambassadors!  And we have an awesome message to go tell!  Thank You!)  Praying and praising and asking these things in Jesus’ precious Name.  Amen.

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

Emmanuel, God With Us

December 2, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

You’ve come to bring peace, to be Love
To be nearer to us
You’ve come to bring life, to be Light
To shine brighter in us

Oh, Emmanuel
God with us

Our Deliverer, You are Savior
In Your presence we find our strength
Over ev’rything, our Redemption
God with us
You are God with us

Oh, You’ve come to be hope to this world
For Your honor and name
And You’ve come to take sin, to bear shame
And to conquer the grave

You are here
You are holy
We are standing in Your glory

All Sons and Daughters
Singer/Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Joy
Love
Hope
Light
Peace
Savior
Strength
Deliverer
Redemption
Emmanuel—God with us!

In this beautiful song, these names are sung in praise of Jesus.  They are just a few of the names/titles by which Jesus is referred to throughout the Scriptures…some proclaimed by God, some through His prophets, and some given by man.  One of the most significant is Immanuel.

The name Emmanuel or Immanuel  of the Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל ” God [is] with us” consists of two Hebrew words: אֵל (EL, meaning ‘God’) and עִמָּנוּ (ʻImmānū, meaning ‘with us’). **  And this very special name, as Matthew tells us, means “God with us.” Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us.” This name was first given by the prophet Isaiah more than 700 years before Jesus’ birth.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

God’s people trusted and waited for the fulfillment of this promise for a long time.  Mary and Joseph, having been raised by parents who believed this promise and taught them about the coming Messiah, also had it in their own hearts.  Can you only imagine what stirred in Joseph’s heart as the angel told him,

…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:20-23

{read the whole passage here}

When God sent His Son to ‘dwell among us’ it was just as if God was with us.

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God; and all things were made through Him
and apart from Him nothing was made which was made…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth
John 1:1-3, 14

This verse speaks of ‘God with us’  so clearly to me!  What an incredible plan Almighty God had from the beginning to rescue and redeem us—to save us by sending His Son to live among us.

Jesus always gave honor and glory to His Father…never placing it upon Himself (even when others tried to).  I am sure His example constantly showed His disciples that He always did His Father’s will…and that they should do so also.

Even towards the end He faithfully and lovingly prepared and comforted their hearts. During the Last Supper, when He was alone with just those closest to Him, Jesus told them many times and in many ways that He no longer would be with them BUT they would not be alone…He would send the Paraclete—the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  And reminded them again and again how He had been Emmanuel—God with {them}.

Jesus said to him, “I am The Way, and The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it.”

John 14:6-14

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

What a loving Lord and Savior!  He came to be Immanuel ~ God with us.  In this one name, everything mankind has ever needed—and still needs!—was brought to earth.   God’s promise of salvation was fulfilled in His Gift of Jesus.  How blessed we are that it was His plan for Jesus to become Immanuel—God with us. May we be thankful for that provision as we wait for the fullness of Immanuel when Jesus returns to gather the Church and we live for eternity in His Presence…truly God <will be> with us!

The songwriter of the carol, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley, wrote his understanding of the awesome glory of Jesus being Emmanuel with the words below; may we echo the same!

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

** click here for more info from the Strong’s Concordance of the Bible

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

Thanksgiving Leftovers – Stuffing with Baked Eggs

December 1, 2015 by

Sometimes eating Thanksgiving leftovers can be just as enjoyable as the original meal…AND without all the work!  Do you agree?  Dana shared some great ideas with us for the leftover turkey (click here to see her post).  And, with leftovers, you can get a little more creative and imaginative than with the original, traditional meal sometimes.

This Stuffing with Baked Eggs is a VERY simple way to use some of the leftover stuffing.  Here is a link to a recipe for Cornbread Stuffing  that I shared a couple of weeks ago.

And who doesn’t like a nice runny egg? (Ok, maybe someone…but you know!)  The eggs just add a richness to the stuffing.  So tasty and comforting!  I simply baked this in an ovenproof skillet…but it would be so cute baked in individual ramekins, don’t you think?  Oh…I would love to hear of y.o.u.r. favorite way to serve the Thanksgiving leftovers!  Enjoy!

2015-11-23 20.22.29

Leftover Stuffing with Baked Eggs

ingredients:
4-5 cups (or more!) leftover stuffing
2 tablespoons butter
chicken stock
4-6 eggs (2 per customer!)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

directions:

  • preheat oven to 400
  • over medium-high heat melt butter in a large OVENPROOF saute pan/skillet
  • when pan is hot, crumble the stuffing into the pan and gently press down into a thick patty (if the stuffing is dry, add some of the chicken stock around the edges to help steam it)
  • cook for 5 minutes or so to crisp up the underside of the stuffing and warm it through
  • turn heat off and gently break the eggs right onto the top of the stuffing patty (be sure to keep them separated)
  • season the eggs generously with s&p
  • place ovenproof skillet into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or so…but JUST ’til the egg whites have firmed up keeping the yolks slightly runny
  • remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese over top
  • allow to sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥ 

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Emmanuel, God with Us

November 29, 2015 by

luke1.78-79adventlight…Because of the tender mercy of our God,
His Light from on high has visited us,
to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78 and 79

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

A sign shall be given a virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing undiminished deity
The glory of the nations a light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace His warm reality

Immanuel, our God is with us
And if God is with us who could stand against us
Our God is with us, Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

So what will be Your answer? Will You hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His Son but gave Him for us all
On earth there is no power there is no depth or height
That could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

You Have Been So Good

November 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You have been so good
You have been so good to me
In my faithless hour
You’ve been my strength
You are my tower
From the enemy
You have been so good
So good to me

Your hand is always faithful
Your mercy never ends
And when I feel unable
Your grace is there again

You chose me with my weakness
And all my sins forgave
I’ve nothing to repay You
So all that I can say

Lenny Leblanc, singer/songwriter

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Today is a day when many folks recognize the importance of being thankful.  As Christians, we are to have a life full of expressing our gratitude and thanks to our heavenly Father.  I think that the words of this beautiful song sing out our praise and gratitude for God’s overwhelming goodness.

You have been so good
You’ve been my strength
You are my tower
You chose me with my weakness
Your hand is always faithful
Your mercy never ends
Your grace is there again

We are so very thankful for God’s constant goodness to us, His children.  Truly, can you think of anything else that can so change your heart’s attitude more than being thankful?  Websters 1828 Dictionary (one of my favorite references) defines thankful as ‘grateful; impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.’  Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar…similar to a praise the Psalmist wrote:

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2

I think  Mr. Webster’s definition clearly shows that thankfulness is both thought and action—you ‘sense’ being blessed AND you ‘acknowledge’ it.  Here’s a great example:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]!
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!
Be thankful and say so to Him,
bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100

The Psalmist was confessing—remembering—just a few things he was grateful for, AND voicing his gratitude  ‘for the Lord is good‘.   To remember is ‘…to bear in mind; to keep, consider, meditate.’ We can—we should—do the same!  We have oh-so-very-much to be thankful for, amen?  We have so very many memories of God’s abundant goodness to us, true?  We can sing…

I will thank Yahweh with all my heart;
I will declare all Your wonderful works.
Psalm 9:1

Listen to the some of the things that David remembers the Lord did for him and the beautiful way he voices his thankfulness here in Psalm 30:

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me.
O Lord, You have brought my life up from Sheol (the place of the dead)
Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His,
and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
By Your favor, O Lord, You have established me as a strong mountain;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.
Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me;
To the end that my tongue and my heart
and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

We have oh-so-very-much to thank our great God for…so many ways in which He has been so good to us!  Today, of course, as you gather with friends and loved ones…but each day, every day tell Your Father how very grateful you are for His goodness, for His protection, for His healing, for His deliverance, for His provision, for His admonition, for His guidance, for His love, grace and mercy!  And give Him much thanks!

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…
Psalms 107:1 and 2

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Thankful Heart

November 25, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

My open hands receive blessings You pour out on me
Your tender care restores my soul
Your faithfulness endures, as mercy covers all my sin
Your perfect love has made me whole
Beyond the words I’m searching for
I long to give You something more

Here’s my thankful heart, thankful heart
Offered up in gratitude for all You’ve done for me
Here’s my thankful heart, thankful heart
Offered up in praise to You

I’m unworthy of the gift of Your unfailing love
But You embrace me as I am
You provide my needs, and raise a harvest from the seeds I sow in vain
I bless Your Name
Beyond the words I’m searching for
I long to give You so much more

From the raising of the sun
‘Til it’s going down
The name of the Lord be praised

Written by Gary Forsythe

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

We can offer up our thankful hearts to our ABBA Father at any time; while

  • taking a walk along a path outside
  • singing praises with our church family
  • raking leaves (or shoveling snow!)
  • shopping for our family’s groceries
  • sharing our Thanksgiving meal with those who don’t have close family
  • getting our tasks at work accomplished
  • driving home…and being held up by traffic
  • sitting in His presence during our ‘quiet time’

The vital point is THAT we DO give praise to Him out of the abundance of our thankful hearts!!!

Listening to this sweet song, this is my oh-so-very-favorite part:

Beyond the words I’m searching for I long to give You so much more….

How about you…do you ever find yourself exclaiming similar thoughts to God?  Oh, I do!  So often I am simply without adequate words to tell God all that is in my heart! (As if He does not already know!!!)  But I am encouraged that He wants us (you and me!) to come to Him with all that is in our little hearts…what a kind, compassionate, loving Father!

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to You!
Psalm 102:1

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out Your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.  Selah
Psalm 62:8

…Unto You will I sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my inner being, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long….
Psalms 71:22-24

A big key to heartfelt praise and thanksgiving is to recognize where we were before God saved us through His grace and love.  Truly we were in a desperate situation. You could not save yourself from God’s righteous judgment.  But God sent His Son, to save you—to save all mankind!—by His grace.  Because now you have experienced His great love and grace, you delight in Him and His great salvation and you can’t help but sing for joy!  May I encourage you, friends, to never hesitate…never hold back…never deny yourself the joy of singing praises to our Almighty God!

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Psalms 33:1-5

While studying through Psalm 33, I read Matthew Henry’s Commentary.  Here is a portion of what he wrote, “What a pity it is that this earth, which is so full of God’s goodness <verse 5>, should be so empty of His praises, and that of the multitudes that live upon His bounty there are so few that live to His glory!”

I hope that will not be said of us. As God’s “righteous ones,” let’s be all about offering up our thankful hearts through our praise and songs of joy.  Our lives are the proof that He delivers our souls from death. Our response should be to praise Him with thankful hearts.

Remember that line of this song that I shared I just love so much—Beyond the words I’m searching for I long to give You so much more—perhaps the words of the psalmist in Psalm 138 can help to express them.  These are my prayer; maybe yours, too.

I give You thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the gods.
I bow before Your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness;
For Your promises are backed
by all the honor of Your name.
As soon as I pray, You answer me;
You encourage me by giving me strength.
Every king in all the earth will thank You, Lord,
for all of them will hear Your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble,
but He keeps His distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles,
You will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out Your hand,
and the power of Your right hand saves me.
The Lord will work out His plans for my life—
for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for You made me.
Psalm 138 NLT

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