December 25, 2024

Forever

November 9, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Give thanks to the Lord
Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise

With a mighty hand
and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever
Forever

From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
By the grace of God
We will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise

His love endures forever
His love endures forever
His love endures forever
Forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
Yeah
Forever you are faithful
Forever you are strong
Forever you are with us
Forever
And ever
Yeah

Chris Tomlin
Written by Lamont Herbert Dozier, Brian Holland and Freddie Gorman

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Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.”
Psalms 118:1-2 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 118:29 HCSB

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 106:1 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love is eternal.
Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34 HCSB

Repetition emphasizes that which is important.  It makes a point obvious. My first thought was to write on the three obvious points that both this song and these scriptures make…

1) God is good. That’s who He is, it is a part of His character, His nature
2) His faithful loves endures forever
3) we are to give thanks to the Lord for the previous two reasons

But I kept getting hung up on forever.  Dictionary.com defines forever as: without ever ending, eternally; continually, always; an endless period of time.  ‘Limitless’ is another definition that comes to mind.  There is nothing on earth that can be described or defined this way. Yet multiple times forever is used in regards to God:

His throne is forever – Psalm 45:6
His love and mercy endures forever – Psalm 136:26
His reign is forever – Psalm 146:10
All God does lasts forever – Ecclesiastes 3:14
He destroys death forever – Isaiah 25:8
He is steadfast forever and His dominion is forever – Daniel 6:26

And these are just a few I found in the Old Testament. Very few things in this world are constant.  And there isn’t much we can depend or rely on. People and things will always let us down.  But God’s love is limitless. His mercy is bottomless, His dominion is boundless and His reign is endless. God is steadfast, faithful and enduring. When the world crashes down around us, He remains with us. Forever. Forever God is faithful.  So let’s sing praise:

Give thanks to the Lord
Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever

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

Reasons to Give Thanks

November 4, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Every day throughout November, we’ll bring you a  devotional focused on giving thanks, gratitude, or giving of ourselves. We welcome you to check in each day and give thanks along with us!

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.
Psalms 118:1-2 HCSB

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Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 106:1 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 118:29 HCSB

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.
His love is eternal.
Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34 HCSB

Repetition, in the Bible, emphasizes the importance of the statement. Psalm 118:1 must be really important since it is repeated almost verbatim at least 6 times.  I love how this verse creates a question and supplies the answer.

Give thanks to the Lord.
Why ?
For He is good.
Why ?
His faithful love endures forever.

I am sitting in a room in a skilled nursing facility as I am writing this, and thinking about the frailty of life and the finality of death.  Yet, looking at these verses, I am reminded that death is not final. God’s love endures forever.  His loves for us is eternal.  So much so that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV

As I was researching Psalm 118:1, I came across this quote from Matthew Henry:

“The more our hearts are impressed with a sense of God’s goodness, the more they will be enlarged in all manner of obedience.”

Praising God and thanking God reminds us of His goodness thus making us more willing to be obedient to Him.  I really want to be more obedient to God.  But sometimes I find it hard to gives thanks.  I get caught up in life.  What I need to remember is that circumstances do not determine my reasons for giving thanks.  My reasons for giving thanks is summed up in John 3:16 (God so loved that He gave) and  Psalm 118:1 (He is good).  Goodness is part of God’s character, it is what He is.  His love is faithful, enduring, and eternal. And those are the only reasons I need.

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So I will give thanks to You, Lord, for You ARE good and Your love does endure forever.
AMEN – it is so!

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

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

November 2, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In my closet
A spot is worn from hours and hours upon my knees
I step inside
The quiet’s like a doorway to a world of peace

One thing I don’t worry ’bout
I can’t wear my welcome out

I keep knock, knock
Knockin’ on heaven’s door
I keep talk, talk
Talkin’ cause your answer, Lord

Won’t be stop, stop
Stoppin’ so be listening for me
I’m knock, knock
Knockin’ on heaven’s door

I’m not a poet
No, it’s not like me to speak in flowery words
Not a prophet
Not at least in these parts
That would be unheard of

But my heart speaks loud and clear
And since my prayers are answered here

Whisper what you’re feeling
Shout it at the ceiling
Nothing’s gonna fall on deaf ears
Ask Him for His mercy
Pray away your worries
What do you want heaven to hear
Bless the world around you
Pray His peace surrounds you
Thank Him for His favor
Simply praise the Savior

Avalon
Written by Grant Cunningham & Matt Huesmann

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Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 NLT

This verse is one of my life verses.  It was one of my grandmother’s favorites. It saw our youngest daughter through times of trouble in high school and she often included it in her email signature.  It is multiple life lessons wrapped up in one concise verse—applicable anytime, anywhere.  Prayer is a power tool in our toolbox of life.

I hold conversations with God throughout the day.  But, after seeing the movie “War Room”, I wondered if my prayers could be more—if I could be a prayer warrior like Miss Clara.  This song reminds us of three things we can do to make our prayers more fervent and earnest.  As I started searching for Scriptures on prayer I found the same 3 lessons.

Prayer requires Persistence, Participation, Privacy

Persistence
In Luke 11:9 (AMP) Jesus calls us to be persistent.

“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you;
seek and keep on seeking and you shall find;
knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.”

Sometimes prayer isn’t a “one and done” kind of thing.  If we don’t get an answer, Jesus reminds us to keep asking until we do.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 AMP reiterates this – “be unceasing and persistent in prayer”.  Effective prayers require persistence.  So “keep knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door…“.

Active Participation
Matthew 26:41 AMP tells us,

Keep actively watching and praying
that you may not come into temptation;
the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

We need to be aware when we pray, blocking out distractions. Have you ever been talking to someone and realized they were not giving you their full attention? Annoying, isn’t it? Imagine how God feels when we pray like that. 1 Timothy 2:8 AMP gives us instructions on how to be actively involved in our prayers.

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing
or quarreling or doubt [in their mind].

(As I read that verse an image of hands lifted in surrender, palms outstretched to God came to mind).  Exodus 9:29 NLT gives us an example of Moses doing this: ““As soon as I leave the city, I will lift(stretch out, spread out) my hands and pray to the Lord.”  Prayer requires active participation, mentally as well as physically.  So “keep knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door...”

Privacy
Matthew 6:6 HCSB is a well known verse instructing us to pray in private:

But when you pray, go into your private room,
shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Continuing in verses 5 and 7 are additional reasons why we are to pray privately.

Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites,
because they love to pray standing in the synagogues
and on the street corners to be seen by people.
I assure you: They’ve got their reward!
When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,
since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

Prayer isn’t for show or about maintaining a reputation.  Prayer is about communicating with God.  Job 16:17 NLT reminds us our prayers are to be pure. Exodus 8:29 and 9:29 say that Moses “went out” from the Pharaoh before praying. Numerous times Jesus prayed in private: “…He went off to the mountain to pray,” (Luke 6:12 NASB) and “… as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him,” (Luke 9:18 NKJV).

Praying privately keeps us focused on Who we are talking to and what we are praying about.  I want to have “…in my closet a spot is worn from hours and hours upon my knees“.  I want to be that kind of prayer warrior, don’t you?

Praying in private also gives us the opportunity to “hear” God’s reply.  And I don’t want to miss that.  So “keep talk, talk, talkin’ cause Your answer, Lord…”

Our prayers can bring us peace, intercede on the behalf of others, provide comfort, make our requests known and give us the chance to express our gratefulness to God.  I want my earnest, fervent prayers to “availeth much” (James 5:16 KJV).  To paraphrase Philippians 4:6…

Ask Him for His mercy
Pray away your worries
Bless the world around you
Pray His peace surrounds you
Thank Him for His favor
Simply praise the Savior

Because that is what prayer is really all about, isn’t it?

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

Flawless

October 26, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

There’s got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there’s worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The Cross has made
The Cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the Cross was enough

MercyMe
Songwriters:  Solomon Olds, Ben Glover, Nathan Cochran, Mike Scheuchzer,
Barry Graul, Robby Shaffer, Bart Millard, David Arthur Garcia

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 

Flawless—

  • Having no defects or faults (dictionary.com)
  • Without any blemishes or imperfections; perfect (Google)

You shall be blameless (complete, perfect) before the Lord your God
Deuteronomy 18:13 AMP

God appointed His Son with an oath,
and His Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
Hebrews 7:28b NLT

As I was reading Psalm 18:30, the word “flawless” jumped out at me:

As for God, His way is perfect:
The Lord’s Word is flawless;
He shields all who take refuge in Him.

And, of course, I immediately started singing this song.  We know God is flawless.  Scripture repeatedly reveals His perfection:

The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
Psalm 19:7 AMP

He is the Rock, His work is perfect;
Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV

God—His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is pure.
2 Samuel 22:31 HCSB

God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness],
and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].
1 John 1:5 AMP

I don’t know about y’all, but I have a really hard time thinking of myself as ‘flawless, unblemished, blameless’  (much less, perfect!).  I know my faults, my imperfections.  So does God.  But…

“Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did“

That is exactly what God did!  He sent His Son in our place.  The Lord is our High Priest who intercedes for us.  God views us through the righteousness of Christ.  We are blameless, complete, perfect before Him.  God’s perfection is THE source of our perfection.  We are His workmanship and His work is perfect and flawless. So, instead of beating ourselves up for our flaws and imperfections, let’s just

“Take a breath, smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the Cross was (and still is) enough“

The Cross has indeed made us flawless.

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

His Word – Our Light, Our Lamp

October 21, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 NLT

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The simplicity of this verse astounds me.  So easy to say!  Yet often, it is very difficult to do.  According to Bible.org, the “Word” /(imrah) denotes anything God has spoken, commanded or promised—His thoughts, His commands, His promises give guidance and instruction for our lives.  The Word of God can make our steps clear.

The Bible should be used to help us walk the way God wants us to walk and live the way He wants us to live.  When we choose not to use His Word, our path becomes unclear.  We aren’t sure if our next step will be on a firm foundation or down a dangerous alley.

For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,
and corrective discipline is the way to life.
Proverbs 6:23 HSCB

His Word shows us not only where to step but where NOT to step.  It doesn’t always light the whole path but it does provides direction for the next step or two.

I was pondering this verse during my morning walk.  As I started to pay attention to the path, I noticed it wasn’t always clear. Sometimes it was cluttered with leaves, making it hard to determine where the edges were. Other parts were shaded by tall trees blocking the sun.  And sometimes the path wasn’t clear because I had forgotten to remove my sunglasses.

My spiritual path is like that as well.  Sometimes it is cluttered with the junk I allow in my life.  Other times it is shaded by worldly views or my opinion. Often I cannot see it clearly simply because I have forgotten to spend enough time in His Word.   Then I begin to wonder things like:

  • Why do I neglect to consult His Word throughout the day?
  • Why do I only seek His guidance sometimes?
  • Am I too busy?
  • Do I trust my judgment more than His?

I don’t know; it could be all of the above.  But I do know that, when I neglect His Word, my steps falter.  The more time I spend in His Word, the more I study His Word, the more it will become an ingrained part of me.  Job 29:3 tells us “He lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness.”  My path will be smoother because He will be directing my steps. And surely there won’t be nearly as many wrong turns, dark alleys, or so much time spent going in circles.  I know I need His Light but sometimes I forget to turn it on.  How about you?  Is your path well-lit?

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Let’s use Psalm 43:3 HCSB as our prayer:

Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me.
Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling place.
– Amen, it is so!

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

10,000 Reasons

October 19, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name

The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more

Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name
Jesus, I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name
I worship Your holy name

Matt Redman
written with Jonas Myrin

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Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name.
Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
Psalms 103:1-2a AMP

Recently I have seen several FaceBook posts about blessing the Lord.  This song immediately came to mind.  And, as I thought about blessing the Lord, two questions were at the forefront:

1) Why are we to bless the Lord?    2) How do we bless the Lord?

First, WHY  are we to bless the Lord?  The song title says there are 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord.  And in the second verse, it gives us several specific reasons taken from Scripture:

  • The Lord is rich in love

But God, being [so very] rich in mercy,
because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us…
Ephesians 2:4 AMP

Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God,
…rich in faithful love and truth,
Exodus 34:6 HCSB

  • The Lord is slow to anger

Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Joel 2:13 NKJV

The Lord is slow to anger…forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion
Numbers 14:18 HCSB

  • His name is great

Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord
You are great, and Your name is great in might
Jeremiah 10:6 NKJV

I will vindicate the holiness of My great name
which has been profaned among the nations
Ezekiel 36:23 NASB

  • His heart is kind

For His merciful kindness is great toward us
Psalm 117:2 NKJV

“But with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
Isaiah 54:8 AMP

The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds
Psalm 145:17 NASB

But, the best reason is because He loves us.  John 3:16 tells us He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place, so that we could have everlasting life.

Augustine explained it like this
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

His plan would have been put into effect even if you or I were the only person on earth. This leaves me speechless!

And, second, HOW  do we bless the Lord?  What could I possibly do that would bless Him?  Thankfully, in the words of David, we have the answer:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:1-3NKJV

We are to praise the Lord continually—boast about Him, magnify Him, and exalt His Holy name.  That’s how we bless the Lord.  (That’s not asking too much, is it?)

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

How Sweet The Sound

October 12, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Yea though I walk through the valley
I know that You are always right beside me
And I will fear no evil
You’re my Rock, and my Strength
You comfort me

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
I hear You singing over me
I once was lost but now I’m found
And it’s beautiful
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
It covers every part of me
My soul is silent, I am found
And it’s a beautiful sound

You carry me through the waters
Where Your peace clears away all my sorrow
And nothing can separate us from Your love
Oh, Your love it will always be

You were healing in the pain
You were shelter in the storm
Hallelujah, You restore my soul

Citizens Way
Writers: Josh Calhoun / Ben Calhoun

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Yahweh your God is among you,
a Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will bring you quietness with His love.
(in His love He will be silent and make no mention of past sins, or even recall them)
He will delight in you with shouts of joy.
(He will exult over you with singing)
Zephaniah 3:17 HCSB / AMP

I have had the first part of this chorus stuck in my head for days now. I could not figure out why but I knew there had to be a reason. So I decided to look up the lyrics and suddenly I understood.

“…It covers EVERY part of me…”

Y’all, life is just plain hard sometimes.  Aging is hard.  Marriage is hard.  Exercise is hard.  Eating healthy is hard.  The big stuff, and the little stuff, is just downright hard.  I am pretty good about remembering to take the big stuff to God.  But the little stuff—the daily struggles, things that seem unimportant in the grand scheme of things—those I often try to handle on my own.  Right now, the hardest thing for me is eating healthy.  There is so much information available it is hard to know which opinion is right.  At every turn there is an ad or commercial encouraging me to reward myself with food.  This is a daily battle which I seem to have no motivation nor strength to fight.  Then boom!  Those 6 little words “It covers every part of me…” hit me like a 2×4.  God’s grace covers EVERY part of me.  (Including my struggle to eat healthy.)

In my Bible study we have been talking about battles and how to fight them.  I have been learning so much.

  • I don’t have to be strong or do it own my own. God’s grace is all I need.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT it says,
“My gracious favor is ALL you need. My power works BEST in your weakness…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

  • I need to use the right weapons. God’s grace provides the weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us,
“We use GOD’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument…with these weapons we conquer every rebellious thought.”  (Note to self: right thinking leads to right eating – not arguments, or rebellious thoughts excuses,)

  • I must be sure I am covering myself in the armor God’s grace provides.

Remember the armor listed in Ephesians 6,
– Belt of truth
– Breastplate of righteousness
– Shoes of peace
– Shield of faith
– Sword of the Spirit – the Bible
– Helmet of Salvation
– To pray at all times
(Look y’all, God’s armor covers every part of us – from the top of our heads to the tip of our toes!)

Your battle may not be the same as mine.  My battle is subject to change in the blink of an eye.  But these battles are real.  And they aren’t just fought here on earth.  They are fought in the heavenly realm as well.  (Remember Gabriel’s battle in Daniel 10?)

Look at this Facebook post from 9/9/15 by Ben Carson:
“An eagle does not fight a snake on the ground.  It picks it up and changes grounds, then releases it back to the ground.  A snake has no stamina, no power, no balance in the air.  It is useless, weak and vulnerable unlike on the ground where it is deadly, wise and powerful.  Take your fight to the spirit realm (pray) and when you are in the spiritual realm God takes charge.  Don’t fight in the physical realm, change grounds like an eagle.”

There is so much to unpack in that brief post!  I love the visual imagery.  But the main thing to remember is that our very first strategy should always be prayer.  Our prayers take the battle to a Higher Authority.

God covers every part of us—every battle, every sorrow, every pain—with His grace.  His grace provides us the strength and the weapons to fight our battles, whether big or small.  He cares about each of our battles, even the ones we think are insignificant or mundane.  We do not have to fight them alone.  He does not expect us to handle them on our own.  He is always right beside us, our Shelter in the storm.  His grace covers every part.

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

Reassurance

October 8, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Forever, O Lord,
Your Word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
Psalms 119:89-90 NASB

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Nothing is more permanent than the Word of God.  The Word of God is constant and unchanging.  1 Peter 1:25a HCSB tells us “But the Word of the Lord endures forever.” God’s Word is firmly settled in Heaven forever! It is not an opinion. 2 Timothy 3:16a ESV says “All Scripture is breathed out by God”—our God who reigns from Heaven above.

Psalm 89:2b makes the faithfulness of God’s Word very clear.

You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens (HCSB)
Your faithfulness is as enduring as the Heavens (NLT)

God’s Word is settled in Heaven and His faithfulness is as enduring as the Heavens.  That constant stability reassures me.

God’s Word doesn’t vary by culture.  It is applied the same way to all societies.  The settled Word of God was, and still is today, a demonstration of His faithfulness that extends across ALL generations.  Not some, not a few, not most – ALL generations. puts it like this: ”

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.
Deuteronomy 7:9 AMP

The truth of God is absolute.  Isn’t that the most reassuring thing you have heard?  It is unchanging in nature, applies equally to all, and cannot be challenged.  I love this quote from Chuck Smith:

“If you find yourself arguing with the Word, you’re wrong.”
(click here to read the entire article)

Look at the world today…everything is being challenged.  Nothing is constant.  We live in an unstable world.  But these two verses point our minds heavenward so that we use Heaven as our Anchor to hold us steady.  Matthew Henry paraphrased Isaiah 40:6 like this: “All flesh is grass but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  Forever—that is our Anchor.  And that, my friends, is what I call reassurance.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Father, thank You so much for the reassurance Your faithfulness and unchanging nature give us.  Thank You for the hope we find in knowing Your Word is settled in Heaven and continues through all generations. Thank You for providing us with a steady anchor in the midst of the storms of this world. In Your Holy name we pray -Amen, it is so!

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

How Majestic Is Your Name

October 5, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

O Lord, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth
O Lord, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth

O Lord, we praise Your name
O Lord, we magnify Your name
Prince of peace, mighty God
O Lord, God Almighty

O Lord, we praise Your name
O Lord, we magnify Your name
O Lord, we praise Your name
O Lord, we magnify Your name

Prince of peace, mighty God
O Lord, God Almighty
Prince of peace, mighty God
O Lord, God Almighty
We magnify Your name

Sandi Patty along with the Nashville String Machine Orchestra
written by Michael W. Smith

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

O Lord, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent
is Your name in all the earth!
You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens.
Psalm 8:1 AMP

O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:9 NASB

As many of you know, we moved from Colorado to Missouri this summer. Adjusting has been a struggle for me. I miss the beauty of the mountains, the hiking trails, and spending time in nature.  However, I have found a couple of nearby walking trails.  Last week as I was admiring the majestic towering trees, this song popped into my head and stuck.  So y’all know me 😉 I was off to do some research….

Majestic refers to being “impressive or beautiful in a dignified or inspiring way” (thefreedictionary.com). Other definitions include: “of lofty dignity or imposing aspect; stately; grand; beautiful”.

In order to put it into a Biblical perspective, I searched for verses describing God as majestic.  Job 25:5 NLT tells us that God is more glorious, more majestic than the moon.  Psalm 76:4 NLT says “You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.”  (This verse really caught my attention.)  Psalm 93:4 HCSB states “Greater than the roar of many waters— the mighty breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is majestic.”  And Exodus 15:11 NASB asks “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?”

Stop for a minute and think about this:

nothing and no one can compare to the majesty of our God

Nothing!  Not even my beloved mountains.  No where in Heaven or on earth will you find anyone or anything as majestic as Him. Wow!  Then I came across Psalm 145:5 NLT

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.

We are called to meditate on His majestic splendor.  I realized that God’s glorious majesty surrounds me—no matter where I am.  And, as I admire the beauty of my surroundings, it gives me pause to meditate on His majesty and proclaim

“O, Lord, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth”
and praise His Holy Name!

Lord, How majestic is Your name—impressive, beautiful, and inspiring us to praise You and magnify Your name.   We cannot even begin to know just how majestic You are.  The things we believe to be beautiful  do not even begin to compare to You.   But I thank You for sharing brief glimpses of Your majesty to me through my surroundings and for reminding me that Your majesty always surrounds me, if I choose to see it.  In Your name, I pray – Amen, it is so!

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

All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name

September 28, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

All hail the power of Jesus’ name
Let angels prostrate fall
Bring forth the Royal Diadem
And crown Him Lord of all
Bring forth the Royal Diadem
And crown Him Lord of all

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race
Ye ransomed from the fall
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all

You are Lord of all
You are Lord of all

Let every kindred, every tribe
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all
And crown Him Lord of all
And crown Him Lord of all

The Newsboys
written by Edward Perronet

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

O God,
Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation,
Your mighty miracles to all who come
Psalm 71:18b NLT

Let me confess a couple of things before I get started:
-My blogs are about things God is showing and teaching me that I hope will touch you too.
-I went about writing this blog backwards—I started with an idea and God showed me the Scripture.

I was watching a video this morning and God thumped me upside the head and asked, “Are you paying attention?” I have included a link to the video (see below) but here is a brief outline:

Samuel Rodriguez is asked to pray at a secular event in Washington, D.C.  When he arrives, he finds out a Universalist, an Imam, and a Rabbi have been asked to pray as well.  He is given a choice where in the order he would like to pray…and chooses to go last.  After he prays there is clapping for 4-6 minutes.  When asked why the people kept clapping he states, “There is STILL power in the Name of Jesus!”

Let me ask you something—
Do you proclaim Jesus’ power?  Do you pray like you believe in His power?

 

This is where God was drawing my attention.  I have not been praying like I believe in the mighty power of His Name.  Then when I saw Psalm 71:18 I knew this was something I needed to research and write about.

Jesus Christ

  • His is the Name above ALL names
  • Angels fall prostrate at His Name
  • Every knee shall bow at the Name of Jesus
  • His Name causes the dead to rise
  • His Name makes demons tremble and flee
  • His Name gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk and heals the sick

Best of all, Jesus’ is the only Name that can wash us white as snow and make us acceptable to God – “…by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name” (John 20:31 NLT).

In Matthew 28:18 AMP, Jesus tells us, “All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”  John 13:3 NIV says “…the Father had put all things under His power…”  That is the ultimate power!  We have been given access to that power. We are to use it when we pray and proclaim it loudly for all to hear so the next generation knows there is still power in the name of Jesus.

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord Jesus, we are so thankful for the power of Your Holy Name.  Remind us of that power continually so that we may use it to bring You glory and honor. May we lift our voices to proclaim how the power of Your Name is alive and at work in our own lives.  In Your precious and Holy Name, I ask this.  Amen – it is so!

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