November 5, 2024

Who I Am

December 28, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

This is one thing I really struggle with.  Let’s just say self-confidence and self-esteem are not among my strong suits. (Not to be confused with pride, which I often have WAY too much of).  As I was looking back through my old blogs, I noticed a recurring theme: blogs about who, and Whose, I am.  I confess, it is an ongoing struggle, especially now as I have joined the 50+ club.  But the words in the blog below still hold true. When doubts creep in and self worth crumbles, it is because I have forgotten who and Whose I am.  In the song “I Am New” by Jason Gray, it says…

“Forgiven, beloved, hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous and holy, reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy…”

This is my new name. This is who I am—I belong to Him. Sometimes I just need to be reminded once again of who I am. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 HCSB states:

…beloved by the Lord, because God
from the beginning chose you for salvation
through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth…

I am beloved by the Lord…chosen from the beginning…filled by the Spirit…and am continually being transformed.  This is who the Bible says I am.  So, what do I need to do?  As Blanca sings, I need to believe who I am and Whose I am.

Turning down
Tuning out
Every single word
That caused me pain
Unashamed
And unafraid
‘Cause I believe You mean it when You say

Here are just a few of the things that the Scriptures tell us…

  • Colossians 3:12 AMP says I am “well-beloved [by God Himself,”
  • 1 John 3:12 NASB tells us “now we are children of God,”
  • Zephaniah 3:17 NIV states “The Lord your God is with you…He will take great delight in you; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
  • Isaiah 49:16a AMP reminds us “Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands.”

As I wrote above, the words in the blog that follows still hold true. When doubts creep in and self-worth crumbles, it is because I have forgotten who I am and Whose I am.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Another voice, another choice
To listen to words somebody said
Another day, I replay
One too many doubts inside my head

Am I strong…beautiful
Am I good enough
Do I belong
After all that I’ve said and done
Is it real when I feel
I don’t measure up
Am I loved

I’m running to the One who knows me
Who made every part of me in His hands
I’m holding to the One who holds me
‘Cause I know whose I am, I know who I am
I am sure I am Yours

Turning down, tuning out
Every single word
That caused me pain
Unashamed, and unafraid
‘Cause I believe You mean it when You say

I am strong…beautiful
I am good enough
I belong
After all
‘Cause of what You’ve done
This is real what I feel
No one made it up
I am loved

I am sure I am Yours
I know who I am
I am sure I am Yours

Fearfully, wonderfully, perfectly
You have made me

I’m running to the One who knows me
I’m holding to the One who holds me

  Blanca
Written by Blanca Callahan / Seth Mosley / Mia Fieldes

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.
Psalms 139:13-14 HCSB

“Another voice, another choice
To listen to words somebody said
Another day, I replay
One too many doubts inside my head

Am I strong…beautiful
Am I good enough
Do I belong
After all that I’ve said and done
Is it real
When I feel I don’t measure up
Am I loved?”

Surely I am not the only one that can relate to these words!  Thoughts and questions just like these have played over and over in my head at least a thousand times (sometimes in just one day) but as I was listening to this song on the radio, the light bulb went on!  I have to know WHOSE I am before I will really understand WHO I am. Duh!  {Mental head slap here.}

As I looked through the many lists of Scriptures about ‘who I am’, I began to see ‘Whose I am’:

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 NLT

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, His own special people…
1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

…For our citizenship is in heaven…
Philippians 3:20a HCSB

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved…
Colossians 3:12a NASB

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him]
1 John 4:4a AMP

I am a child of God!
I am His!
He chose me.
He created me.
And He holds me close.

…No one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
John 10:28b-29

Since I belong to Christ, that means:

For you are all children of the light and of the day;
we don’t belong to darkness and night.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 NLT

Do you not know that your body is the temple
(the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you,
Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God?
1 Corinthians 6:19 AMP/1 Corinthians 3:16

Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27 HCSB

…But I have called you friends…
John 15:15

For we are God’s masterpiece.
Ephesians 2:10a NLT

(Did you get that?  We are God’s masterpiece!)

A masterpiece is beautiful.  It is lovely.  It is treasured.  It is of immeasurable worth!  So that means God sees us as beautiful, lovely, treasured, and of immeasurable worth!

Knowing Whose I am gives me a sense of identity, of self confidence.

We are strong, we are good enough, we are loved!
{And I really need to remember that!}

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

Joy To The World

December 21, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014
Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Pentatonix
Written by Isaac Watts ~ Music composed by Handel

*   ♥   ~   ✝   ~   ★   *

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Luke 19:40 ESV

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.
Psalms 96:11-13 NJKV

Joy

Defined by Merriam-Webster as:
1a) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight
b) the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
2- a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
3- a source or cause of delight

Based on these definitions, joy is something to be achieved, and is fleeting or short-lived.  But is that how the Bible defines joy?

Let’s start with where our joy come from. Psalm 16:11 NASB says

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

Jesus is our joy!  His birth makes it possible to have constant permanent joy in our lives though the Holy Spirit.  Look at these Scriptures:

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him
Romans 15:13 HCSB

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is…joy
Galatians 5:22 AMP

…the joy supplied by the Holy Spirit;
1 Thessalonians 1:6 AMP

And the disciples were continually filled with joy
Acts 13:52 NASB

When we believed in Jesus…when our ‘hearts prepared room’ for Him…the Holy Spirit entered our hearts and joy is one of the many fruits He provided.

 Joy is within us – continual joy.

Jesus’ birth is the beginning of constant, permanent joy in our lives. Our joy is not tied to our emotions or our circumstances. Our joy is tied directly to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our relationship with Him.  Joy lives within us.

God brought joy to the world in the form of an infant named Jesus. That joy is still with us today. As Luke 19:40 says, even if we remain silent, the stones will cry out.  Psalm 96:11 reminds us that even heaven and earth sing.

Shouldn’t we, too, then ‘repeat the sounding joy’
as we celebrate ‘the wonders of His love’?

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The Light of Men

December 14, 2015 by

adventwk3seekHimlighthascome

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ),
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God Himself.
He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God
All things were made and came into existence through Him;
and without Him not one thing was made that has come into being.
In Him was life [and the power to bestow life],
and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines on in the darkness,
and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it
or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].
John 1:1-5 AMP

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★   *

Darkness is defined as the absence of light.  The only thing that can make darkness disappear is light.  Think about it…at night a small light can be seen from very far away.  We see stars that are millions of miles away.  Makes sense, right?  As I was studying this Scripture, I had a “lightbulb” moment < pun intended 😉 >

Before I accepted Jesus, my soul was dark.  There was no light to dispel the darkness.  Life and light aren’t just in Jesus.  Jesus IS Life and Light.  Look at John 8:12 NASB:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying,
“I am the Light of the world;
he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness,
but will have the Light of life.”

Jesus IS the Light of men.  John 12:46 ESV reiterates this:

I have come into the world as Light,
so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

We do not have to stay in darkness!  I love John 1:5.  Darkness does not understand, comprehend, or grasp the Light but must acknowledge it.  Darkness cannot overtake, overcome, overpower, extinguish, or absorb the Light but must reflect it.  Isn’t that amazing? What is the best way to deal with the darkness of this world?  Add more light.  Darkness cannot hide the Light!  2 Corinthians 4:6 NASB promises: “Light shall shine out of darkness.”  Jesus’ Light shines through us.  Jesus gives us life and light.  Out of the darkness of our soul, the Light of Jesus shines.  John MacArthur puts it like this:

“The light in us is His light, the indwelling Christ, the Holy Spirit within us.”

“…And the life was The Light of men” (John 1:4).  Heaven merged with humanity and was born in a manger to bring us the gift of Life and Light.  What a Gift we have been given!

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

Little Drummer Boy

December 14, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum

 

Mandisa
written by Katherine Kennicott Davis

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★   *

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
each of us is to exercise them accordingly…
Romans 12:6 NASB

…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31b ESV

As each has received a gift, use it…
as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
1 Peter 4:10 ESV

This is one of my most favorite Christmas carols. I enjoy it so much that I couldn’t decide which version to include, so I have included two and even posted a third on my FaceBook page.  But as I was listening to this song, God spoke to my heart reminding me once again it is not the gift that matters but what is in our hearts when we give.  I thought instantly of the widow’s mite. Luke 21:1-4 HCSB tells her story…

He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “This poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

She was giving what she had.  That’s what Jesus wants from us – to give what we have.  He doesn’t want us to give out of show, out of fear, out of pride, or with reluctance in our heart.  Our gifts don’t have to be monetary in nature.  The little drummer boy had a gift for playing the drum.  He used his gift to honor God and made Him smile.  Leo Buscaglia puts it this way:

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”

I don’t sing, or preach, or write books. I’m not a celebrity, rich and famous, or an icon. But I do have God-given gifts I can use to glorify and honor God.  And you do, too.  Romans 12:6 NASB provides an answer when we feel we have nothing worthy to give:

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
each of us is to exercise them accordingly…

1 Corinthians 10:31b reminds us that “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  God has given each of us different talents, different gifts.  We need to use them accordingly.  Give your best to Him—willingly and from the heart.  That is the gift He wants.  That is what makes God smile.

 

Pentatonix

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

Born Is The King

December 7, 2015 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014
Born unto us this day the Savior
Gifted from Heaven to a manger
Hope of the world tonight for all mankind
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmastime

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

Goodwill to all the earth
And peace divine
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmastime
It’s Christmastime

It’s Christmastime

Phillips, Craig and Dean
Writers: Scott Ligertwood and Matt Crocker

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★   *

Don’t be afraid!” he said.
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”
Luke 2:10 NLT

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:10 NASB

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 NJK

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:14 NKJV

I think I may have found a new favorite Christmas song.  Heard this song for the first time and I could not wait to hear it again.  To me, this song reflects exactly what Matthew 2:10 NASB is talking about: “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

We have so much to rejoice about yet we get so caught up in the worldly ideas of Christmas; we forget to stop and celebrate the great
Gift we have been given. There is a line in an Alabama Christmas song that says:

“The gift is just what’s in your heart and not what’s in your hand”

I need to remind myself of that quite frequently.  Christmas joy should come from what is in our hearts.  Our voices should be lifted in praise for what this one birth means to the entire world.  As Romans 15:10 states:

Again it says,
“Rejoice and celebrate, O Gentiles, along with His people.”
And again,“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him!”

This song is that happy celebration of the glorious Christmas event. There is such joy in this song!  You can’t help but sing along in a loud, unrestrained voice. “Born is the King” is a great reminder to celebrate the birth of Jesus with unrestrained joy.

After all, isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

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

His Light

December 1, 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 1:78-79

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

There it was—the true Light
[the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which,
coming into the world, enlightens everyone
John 1:9 AMP

We all know the Christmas story…Heaven comes to earth in the form of an infant to die on the Cross in order to provide eternal life to us. That’s sounds so cold and clinical.  And trite.  But, sometimes, that’s how we think about it – “Yeah, yeah I’ve heard all this before.  I got it.” It’s not that it isn’t important to us, but we have just lost some of our passion, our awe, our sense of wonder and amazement.  Today, let’s look a little closer, dig a little deeper and see what we find….

So, why did Christ come? The answer is found in Acts 26:18.

“…to open their [spiritual] eyes
so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins
and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified
(set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.”

He came to open our eyes!
He came to illuminate the dark!

Isaiah 9:2 AMP talks about this same Light…

The people who walk in [spiritual] darkness will see a great Light;
Those who live in the dark land, the Light will shine on them.

Without God’s tender mercy and compassion for us, without the Christmas story, we would STILL be walking in darkness.  We would be unaware we were under the influence and power of Satan.

Selah – stop and think about that for a moment.  Imagine what your life might be like without His Light shining on you!?!  The most obvious answer is we would have no inheritance, no eternal life. But consider your day-to-day life.  There would be…

  • no source of comfort or healing…
  • no refuge from the storms and struggles of life…
  • no guidance when we are lost…
  • no peace when we are anxious and fearful…
  • no Light to illuminate our path…
  • no release from the bondage of sin…
  • no One to love us unconditionally, or to provide us with strength when have none, or be our joy when life is at its bleakest.

Peek into that manger once again. Do you see what John was talking about? Ahhh, there it is—

the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light]
which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone
John 1:9 AMP

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Father God, please never let me lose the sense of wonder, the awe, and amazement of what You did for me in that tiny manger in Bethlehem. I cannot image life without His Light shining on me. This Christmas let me be filled with such joy as I remember all You have done for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen – so be it!

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

Breathe

November 30, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Wanna make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear You say just

Is to take it in fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
Let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe

Jonny Diaz
written along with Jonathan Smith and Tony Wood

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

For David said, “The Lord God of Israel, has given peace and rest to His people,”
1 Chronicles 23:25 AMP

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened
[by religious rituals that provide no peace],
and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].
Matthew 11:28 AMP

On my way home from taking Scott to work one morning, I heard this song.  I was making lists in my head—groceries needed for this week, chores to get done before our kids arrive, Christmas shopping lists, etc.—when I heard it.  All I caught was the chorus.  But that was all I needed to hear…it was as if God was speaking directly to my heart.

1 Chronicles 23:25 AMP reminds us that we have already been given peace and rest.  We need to take advantage of what has been so freely provided to us.  We get so caught up in doing we forget to just be.  We forget to rest at His feet.  Life gets crazy, even when it isn’t the holiday season. Pay attention to the tempo of this song – it is more frantic during the verses and slows down with the reminder to just breathe.  We can slow down the hectic pace of daily life by taking time to just breathe.  I love the line “Lay down what is good and find what’s best”.  Such a great reminder to check our focus, our motive, our purpose.  Sometimes, even when we are doing good things for others, good isn’t necessarily God.  In fact, doing good can often distract us from God.

It’s three days before Thanksgiving.  The hustle and bustle of the holidays has already begun and it is only going to get crazier unless we remind ourselves to stop and just breathe.  Slow down so we don’t miss the joy and the peace this season brings.  I can get so caught up in rituals and traditions, I forget what the holidays are really about.  I wear myself out trying to get everything done.  I want it to be perfect.  When I read Matthew 11:28 in the Amplified Version, I realized I make myself weary, I burden myself.  The rituals and traditions aren’t what give me peace—Jesus provides that peace…that rest…that refreshment for my soul.  So, let’s slow down the craziness of life and fill our souls with His grace. And just breathe.

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

A Little Hope

November 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Well it’s safe to say we’ve probably never met
Even still if a betting man was I I’d bet
Every single one of us have found ourselves
Standing in the storms of life soaking wet

But do not fret, chin up my friend
A little bit of rain is not how this thing ends
But sometimes we forget so if you understand
Let me see those hands, ’cause

Everybody needs a little hope
You know the kind that turns your grey skies blue
A little something that’ll pull you through
Well good news that something’s living right inside of you

Yeah Hope
It makes you smile when world says don’t
It keeps you dancing even when life won’t
And when the music’s gone keep singing
‘Cause what you’ve got is hope

Now maybe you’re thinking ‘yeah, nice try’
But you do not know me you don’t know the things I hide
Well I’ve walked that road and I’ve felt that pain
We are all the same

Come and you’ll find rest
This hope is bigger than your regrets
Bring your worst
Bring your best
And all God’s people said 

MercyMe
Written by Bart Millard, Christopher Stevens, & Bryan Fowler

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Now may the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace
as you believe in Him
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 HCSB

My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
Psalm 62:5 NASB

Christ Jesus, our Hope
1 Timothy 1:1a NASB

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls….
Hebrews 6:19 NLT

“Everybody needs a little hope.”

Now, isn’t that the truth?  I don’t know about y’all, but I need hope even when things are going well.  Hope keeps me moving forward.  Hope lifts my spirits. But, I have to check the source of my hope.  We can put our hope in a job, a relationship, a new home, new clothes, etc.  These things can give us hope, but it is only fleeting.  There is only one true source of —Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:1). God alone is the Author of our hope.   The only way we are continually filled with His hope is through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Because of the Holy Spirit, Hope is living right inside of us!

I love how Hebrews 6:19 describes hope— ‘a strong and trustworthy anchor’.  I picture a small boat being rocked by huge waves, tossed to & fro by strong winds, held firmly in place by an anchor.   When we are tossed about by life’s struggles, when circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, our Almighty Anchor of Hope holds our souls firmly in place.  That Anchor of Hope will pull us through the trials and tragedies of this life.  That is enough to make me:

smile when the world says “don’t”
keep dancing even when life won’t
keep singing when the music is gone

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

Steadfast

November 17, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;
Psalms 136:1-3 ESV

*   ~   ♥   ~    ✞    ~   ♥   ~   *

“One thing remains Your love never fails
It never gives up, it never runs out on me
Because on and on and on it goes…”
One Thing Remains – Jesus Culture

Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
His love never quits.
Psalm 136:1 MSG

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines steadfast like this:

  • firmly fixed in place : immovable
  • not subject to change

Google’s definition states:

  • resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing in my life, outside of God’s love, that is immovable…not subject to change…resolutely firm and unwavering.  Life seems to be constant change. How wonderful it is to know God’s love remains firm. It is enduring. How thankful I am that it is NOT based on what I do or don’t do. Look at what Deuteronomy 7:9 AMP promises:

Therefore know [without any doubt] and understand
that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God,
who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness
to a thousand generations with those who love Him
and keep His commandments;

Isn’t it reassuring to know without a doubt that our God is faithful and His steadfast love and covenant extends to a thousand generations? God’s love never fails. He never gives up on us. The Lord will never turn His back on us no matter how many times we turn away from Him. We are always able to run back into His loving arms.

So I will thank God. He deserves it for His love never quits. It is unchanging, immovable, and eternal.

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Lord, thank You for loving me. Your faithful, steadfast love is the rock, the firm foundation on which I stand. Your loving arms are my Refuge and my Strength. That is more than enough reason to give thanks to You each and every day.  Amen- it is so!

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

Glow In The Dark

November 16, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes the world feels like a mess
Full of drama, full of stress
And life puts a fist right in your ribs
You can hide if you choose to
And no one would even blame you
Or you can let ’em see how you deal with it

That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate

Doesn’t matter how deep, how dark the night is
Keep hoping, keep on shining
And they’ll see His light burning in your heart
And if the road gets rough, just keep your head up
Let the world see what you’re made of
That His love’s alive in your deepest parts
Like a flame, like a burning star
You can shine right where you are
He made you to glow in the dark

Don’t be ashamed of your past
If you’re shattered like a piece of glass
The more broke you are the more the light gets through
Show your wounds and your flaws
Show them why you still need the Cross
Let them see the work He’s doing in you

That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate

Jason Gray, singer/songwriter

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And you, beloved, are the light of the world.  You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illuminate creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

Matthew: 5:14-16 The Voice

For a long time I thought, as a Christian, I needed to hide my struggles, my flaws. Then I realized broken is still beautiful to God.

“If you’re shattered like a piece of glass
The more broke you are the more the light gets through
Show your wounds and your flaws
Show them why you still need the Cross
Let them see the work He’s doing in you “

This is my favorite part of the song and, I think, the soul of this song. Others need to see our brokenness and how we respond in times of desperation and despair.  Christians are not perfect.  We are imperfect people loved by a perfect God.  We need to let our imperfections, our cracks, and scars show…because His light shines through them. Our imperfections reveal God’s grace to the world. Our weaknesses reveal His strength. It is more about being who we are than what we do. In John 12:46 NLT Jesus says:

I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world,
so that all who put their trust in Me
will no longer remain in the dark.

Jesus’ Light shines through us. As this song says

“That even in the darkest place
His love can make you radiate”

It is the brightest in our darkest situations.  In Matthew 5:16 we are called to let our light shine.  Not only in the good times but in our dark times also.  Then we can illuminate others in the darkness as well. This is such a joy-filled song. We can experience joy in our darkest nights because of His love. It doesn’t matter how deep or how dark our night is—we can still “glow in the dark,” radiating joy and the love of Jesus.

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Thank You, Lord, that Your love makes us radiate even in our darkest place.  I am so thankful You find beauty in my brokenness and can use my imperfections and cracks to shine Your Light through.  In Your Holy Name – Amen, it is so!

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