December 26, 2024

From The Inside Out

July 13, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
A thousand times I’ve failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I’m caught in Your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing You praise

My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord
Let justice and praise, become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

From the inside out, O my soul cries out
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out, O my soul cries out
From the inside out, O my soul cries out
From the inside out, O my soul cries out

Singer-Songwriter: Joel Houston ~ along with Hillsong United

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

My Bible study lesson today was titled “Inside Out” by Beth Moore from her study, Children of the Day.  At first I didn’t relate the title to this song.  The lesson is based on 1 Thessalonians 4:9 AMP:

But concerning brotherly love [for all other Christians],
you have no need to have anyone write you,
for you yourselves have been [personally] taught by God to love one another.

Did you catch that last phrase, “…personally taught by God…”?  The Thessalonians didn’t need anyone to instruct them on how to love other Christians for they had been PERSONALLY TAUGHT BY GOD!  This thought blew my mind.  It totally captivated my attention.  The Thessalonians had learned to love FROM THE INSIDE OUT!  They learned it straight from God.

And you know what?  We can, too!  When we made our decision to surrender to Jesus and follow Him, we literally received the Holy Spirit into our beings.  Look at John 14:26 HCSB:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit
—the Father will send Him in My name—
will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

The Spirit of God resides in us and will teach us all things!  Our learning does not have to be from the outside in.  Beth Moore puts it this way:

“God’s Spirit bypasses all formal routes of the learning curve and the lesson comes straight from Him.”

(Wow…if that doesn’t excite you, I’m not sure anything will!)

Then this song came to mind and I looked at it in a whole new light.  What if we truly gave God control—complete control?  What if we allowed Him to teach us, to “consume me from the inside out” instead of being stuck in our preconceived ideas?  What if we truly learned to love as the Thessalonians did…”from the inside out?”

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father God, Thank You so very much for placing Your Spirit within us.  Open us to His teachings.  Teach us, O God, for we cannot learn as much on our own.  My soul cries out to You in praise.  Teach me, O God, from the inside out.  In Your Holy name, we pray, Amen – so be it!

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

Say Amen

July 6, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

This life is a journey we walk by faith
And there will always be the mountains in our way
But right here in this moment, may our strength be renewed
As we recall what God has done and how we’ve seen Him move

If there’s anybody here who’s found Him faithful
Anybody here who knows He’s able
Say Amen
And if there’s anybody here who’s seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Just Say AMEN!

Sometimes through the darkness, it’s hard to see
So just be brave and follow where He leads
‘Cause greater is the One who’s in us, than he who’s in the world
So, child of God remember, the battle is the Lord’s

And if there’s anybody here who’s found Him faithful
Anybody here who knows He’s able
Say Amen
And if there’s anybody here who’s seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow
And seen it time and time again
Then just Say AMEN!

Even in the valley of the shadow
When you feel alone in the unknown
Just say Amen, Just say Amen
Even when the storms are raging,
Stand and know you’re not forsaken
Just say Amen, Just say Amen
Is there anybody here,
Tell me is there anybody here
Come on and Say Amen
And if there’s anybody here who’s seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Come on and Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow
And seen it time and time again
Just say Amen, Just say Amen!

Finding Favour
David Neesmith, Michael Farren, Kenna West, Jason Cox

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Blessed (affectionately and gratefully praised) be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Psalm 106:48 AMP

This song makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.  It takes me from the mountaintop to the valley and back up again.  It fills me with such a rush of emotions—despair and joy, desperation and hope, distress and peace.  But most of all it reminds me to be thankful for all He has done.

Reading through the lyrics brought many of my favorite Scriptures to mind:

For we walk by faith, not by sight,
2 Corinthians 5:7 HCSB

You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north….
Deuteronomy 2:3

He renews my strength….
Psalm 23:3 NLT

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched,
nor will the flame kindle upon you.
Isaiah 43:2 AMP

For I will turn their mourning into joy
And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow
Jeremiah 31:13 NASB

He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 AMP

…For the battle is the Lord’s.
1 Samuel 17:47

These Scriptures serve as reminders not only of God’s promises but of all I have seen Him do in my life.  Looking back over my past gives me hope for the future.  I know He is able and I am so grateful. So let me ask you, have you…

  • walked through the valley of the shadow and made it through to the other side?
  • taken refuge under His wings until the storm passed?
  • found Him faithful, seen His power?
  • been brought through the fire?
  • found joy in the middle of sorrow?
  • and peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow?

Then testify it is true in your life.
Take time to gratefully praise Him.
‘Say Amen’ and rejoice that it is so.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father God, I will never, ever be able to thank You enough for the times You have been faithful in my life.  For the times I have seen Your power…the times You brought me through the fire…the times You have given me peace in the storm.  Thank You that I can look back and see Your hand upon my life.  It gives me hope for tomorrow.  In Your name I pray – Amen, it is so!

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

Broken Hallelujahs

June 29, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I can barely stand right now
Everything is crashing down
And I wonder where You are

I try to find the words to pray
I don’t always know what to say
But You’re the one that can hear my heart

Even though I don’t know what Your plan is
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes

I’ve seen joy and I’ve seen pain
On my knees, I call Your name
Here’s my broken hallelujah
With nothing left to hold onto
I raise these empty hands to You
Here’s my broken hallelujah

You know the things that have brought me here
You know the story of every tear
‘Cause You’ve been here from the very start

Even though I don’t know what your plan is
I know You’re making beauty from these ashes

When all is taken away, don’t let my heart be changed
Let me always sing Hallelujah
When I feel afraid, don’t let my hope be erased
Let me always sing Hallelujah
Let me always sing Hallelujah

I will always sing
I will always sing
Here’s my broken hallelujah

The Afters
Writer(s): Josh Havens/Matt Fuqua/Jordan Mohilowski/Dan Ostebo

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

The first time I heard this song, I cried.  Wept uncontrollably.  This was my journey.  I had walked this path.  I have seen joy and I have seen pain.  I still get a lump in my throat every time I hear it.  Often I will find myself singing it in my head.

We have all been there…

  • Replaced in the life of someone you thought was a friend
  • Rejected by someone who mattered
  • Betrayed by one closest to you
  • Made a mistake so grievous you believed it could never be atoned
  • Mired in the pit of despair
  • Broken into so many pieces you feel beyond repair
  • Unable to stand, barely able to think
  • In intense pain

So what do we do?  Here’s what one great man of God did:

Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.
Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.
Job 1:20 NLT

Six years ago I found myself in just such a place. I felt I had lost everything that mattered. What I did surprises me as I look back. I turned to my only Source of comfort—the only One I could truly trust—Jesus.  I would have never thought my faith was that strong.  As I cried out to Him, I didn’t realize I was offering Him the one thing He desired…a broken hallelujah.

brokenpiecescynda
God knows what the plan is.  Only He can make beauty from the broken pieces of our lives.  In fact, He sees beauty in the broken.  Being broken can lift us up if we lift up our broken hallelujahs to Him.

To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty
instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—
that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent,
distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God],
the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3 AMP

I have been on my knees…empty hands lifted…calling out His name.  I don’t always have words to pray but God hears my heart.  He has captured EVERY one of the tears I’ve cried in a special bottle (maybe more like a barrel).  I am so very thankful He was with me from the start and He has never left my side.

When these times come (as I know they will) my one desire is that my heart won’t change and my hope won’t be erased.  And that I will always sing Hallelujah.

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

The Big Picture

June 18, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

“For I know the plans I have for you” 
— this is the Lord’s declaration —
“plans for your welfare, not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB

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H. O. P. E. =  Holding On Praying Expectantly

So many times we’re in captivity or we’re having great problems; we think, “Oh, God has forgotten me.  He is not thinking of me anymore.”  Oh, that’s not so. God is thinking of you.

“But God is always looking down at the end of the road.  Our common mistake is that we are always looking for immediate advantage, immediate fulfillment.”

– Chuck Smith (click here to read entire commentary)

I cannot begin to count the number of times I have jumped into something considering only the immediate results instead of thinking about the long-term consequences.  I wanted the problem fixed NOW and knew just what to do.  How many blessings have I circumvented?  How many additional problems have I caused simply because I didn’t see the big picture? How much different might things have turned out if I had just held on to hope and continued to pray expectantly?

And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and take your rest in security.
Job 11:18 ESV

Hope gives us security.  There is no need to rush ahead, to solve the problem, or to  resolve the issue, without waiting for God’s instructions.  Because we have hope we can rest, secure in the knowledge that God has the perfect plan for us.  He sees the big picture and knows exactly what needs to happen and when.  His time frame, not ours.

When the Lord is our hope,

  • He becomes our Help and our Shield (Psalm 33:20)
  • He shows us mercy and love us steadfastly (Psalm 33:18)
  • He faithfully answers our prayers (Psalm 65:5) [just not always in the ways we think they should be answered]
  • He is our trust and confidence (Psalm 71:5)
  • We are blessed (Jeremiah 17:7)

The Lord is our hope.  We can have confidence that our future is secure in His hands.  God is always thinking of us.  He has great blessings in store for us when we wait patiently and follow His lead.  He sees the big picture and has our future all mapped out accordingly, as long as we don’t rush ahead.  So my prayer today is:

Let all that I am wait quietly upon only God.
May I silently submit to Him,
for He is my hope.
Psalm 62:5

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

Shoulders

June 15, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When confusion’s my companion
And despair holds me for ransom
I will feel no fear
I know that You are near
When I’m caught deep in the valley
With chaos for my company
I’ll find my comfort here
‘Cause I know that You are near

My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness all on Your shoulders
Your shoulders
My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don’t have to see to believe that You’re lifting me up on Your shoulders
Your shoulders

You mend what once was shattered
And You turn my tears to laughter
Your forgiveness is my fortress
Oh, Your mercy is relentless

My help is from You
Don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from You
Don’t have to see it, ‘cause I know, ‘cause I know it’s true

for KING and COUNTRY
Writers: Luke Smallbone / Joel Smallbone / Ben Glover / Tedd Tjornhom

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

My help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2 HCSB

Right now my life feels very chaotic.  Like a roller coaster ride.  It is full of uncertainty and most of it is out of my control.  But, strangely enough, I’m not in a panic (which is unusual for me).  I heard this song and the last part just kept repeating over and over in my head.

My help is from You, don’t have to see it to believe it
My help is from you, don’t have to see it,
‘cause I know, ‘cause I know it’s true

It surprises me that I am not trying to take control of my circumstance and that I am not stressing out at this point.  Romans 8:6 NLT states that “…letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”  Psalm 27:13 is one of my life verses.

I would have despaired unless I had believed
that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

These are the only things that could possibly explain why I am not in full-fledged panic mode.  I know where my help comes from:

We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!
2 Chronicles 32:8

You are my Help and my Deliverer….O my God
Psalm 40:17, Psalm 70:5 AMP

Because I know Who is my Help I can “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall praise Him, my Help and my God” (Psalm 42:5).  2 Corinthians 5:7 says we are to “…live by faith, not by sight.”  I don’t have to see God at work to know He is there.  I simply have faith He is working behind the scenes.  Hebrews 11:1 NASB, one of my favorite verses, explains it like this:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Jesus said “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29 NASB).

I am standing firmly on these verses, and I
Don’t have to see it, ‘cause I know, ‘cause I know it’s true

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

Living Hope

June 10, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)!  By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,  who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 AMP

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As I read this passage, three phrases got my attention:

  • ever-living hope
  • inheritance which is…imperishable, and
  • being guarded

As I studied each one I realized, while each is uniquely different, they are all tied together.  According to John Piper:

“…hope, as we typically think about it, is a desire for some future thing which we are uncertain of attaining…. Christian hope is a strong confidence in God which has power to produce changes in how we live.”

– read more here; Desiring God.com

Our hope is provided by the death of Christ.  Because of His Resurrection, our hope possesses life and vitality—a living hope.  We can hold tight to the confident hope we have in Christ because He has paved the way for us.  Look at Hebrews 6:19:

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus….

Amazing, isn’t it?  Christ went before us to give us hope and provide us with an inheritance.  Ephesians 1:11 states “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance.”  As I read through different translations of 1 Peter 1:3-5, these are a few of the words used to describe our eternal inheritance:

incorruptible, imperishable, undefiled, priceless, unsullied, and unfading

Can we say that about any earthly inheritance we might receive?  Plus, this eternal inheritance is already ours.  We do not have to do anything to earn it and it can never be taken away from us.  Which brings us to our last phrase.

The term guarded often means ‘shielded or protected by’.  God is not only standing guard over our inheritance but we are shielded by His power as well.  Job 33:11 HCSB states “He stands watch over all my paths.”  John 10:28 HCSB reminds us “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.”  We are guarded by His power. God’s power is our security.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who provided us with an eternal inheritance through His Resurrection.  This inheritance is (as we ourselves are) being shielded and protected by the power of God Himself.

That is living hope.

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

Drops In The Ocean

June 8, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I want you as you are, not as you ought to be
Won’t you lay down your guard and come to Me
The shame that grips you now is crippling
It breaks My heart to see you suffering

‘Cause I am for you
I’m not against you

If you want to know
How far My love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you want to see
How much you mean to Me
Look at My hands, look at My side
If you could count the times I’d say you are forgiven
It’s more than the drops in the ocean

Don’t think you need to settle for a substitute
When I’m the only Love that changes you

Open your heart
It’s time that we start again
Open your heart
It’s time that we start again

Hawk Nelson
writer(s): Jon Steingard; Jason Ingram; Matt Bronlee

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798,251,012,325,216,135,654,464,101,128,..
3.425 x 10^25

Are you able to read either of those numbers?  I’m not.  I have no concept of how many that is.  So, what do those numbers represent? They are the two most common answers to my Google search…”How many drops are in the ocean?”  And those are just best guesses based on scientific formulas.  Here is how the Bible answers that question:

The God of glory thunders— the Lord, above vast waters….
Psalm 29:3b HCSB

He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
Psalm 33:7 NLT

Here is the ocean, vast and wide….
Psalm 104:25a NLT

Others went to sea in ships, conducting trade on the vast waters.
Psalm 107:23 HCSB

Vast, undefined, unfathomable—the drops in the ocean are beyond measure.  That is how much Jesus loves us.  Better yet, that is how many times He forgives us!  The Scriptures say:

..for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.
Isaiah 38:17b NLT

…for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.
Jeremiah 31:34b NASB

Truly and solemnly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men…
Mark 3:28a AMP

ALL our sins are forgiven.  Not some…not several…not just certain ones…but ALL!  They are remembered no more.  The HCSB version of Isaiah 38:17 says “You have thrown all my sins behind Your back.”  Out of sight and out of mind.

Think about it this way…

Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day
and each time turns again and asks forgiveness,
you must forgive.
Luke 17:4 NLT

Let’s pretend that is the standard Jesus uses toward us…. So 7 times a day for 365 days equals 2,555 times we are forgiven in 1 year.  I am 55; so now let’s multiply 2555 times 55.  That would equal 140,525 times I have been forgiven so far in my lifetime.  (And I know that estimate is WAY TOO LOW!)  I cannot imagine forgiving any one that many times.  Yet I am loved and forgiven so much more than that.

Ephesians 5:2 AMP tells us “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.”  Romans 8:31 NLT reminds us “God is for us, who can ever be against us?”  1 Thessalonians 5:9 declares “For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us.”

God is for us, not against us! He is:

– with us (Isaiah 8:10)
– bearing our burdens and carrying us each day (Psalm 68:19)
– with us; He is our leader (2 Chronicles 13:12)
– will fight for us (Nehemiah 4:20)

That’s how far His love can go for us.
That is how much we mean to Him.
That’s how deep, how wide His love is for us.
More than the drops in the ocean

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

Circle of Hope

June 1, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction,
so that through perseverance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 NASB

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Have you ever noticed when we have God our hope is extended?  Our hope expands as we study Scripture.  The verse above breaks it down like this:

Scripture
Purpose = Instruction
Result = Hope

The purpose of Scripture is our instruction.  The Scriptures encourage us to persevere, to endure.  They offer us comfort and give us hope. Psalm 119 reiterates how closely hope is tied to the instruction of Scripture. Look at the following verses:

Do not snatch Your Word of truth from me,
for Your regulations are my only hope.
verse 43 NLT

You are my Refuge and my Shield;
Your Word is my source of hope.
verse 114 NLT

This is the circle of hope—the more we seek God through His word…the stronger our hope becomes; the stronger our hope…the more we seek God.  This serves us well in times of trouble.  Instead of being filled with despair, we can remember the nature of God and be filled with hope.  Psalm 94:19 NLT puts it this way: “When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  And Lamentations 3:21 NASB says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope….”  When we recall the comfort and encouragement of the Scriptures, our hope abounds.

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Lord, thank You so much for the hope we find in Your Word.  Thank You for providing Scripture for my instruction.  Help me to recall Your Word when troubles abound and my hope begins to fade.  In Your holy name – Amen, it is so!

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

Thrive

June 1, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died
Like a tree planted by the water
We never will run dry

So living water flowing through
God, we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls with one desire

Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on high
Shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives
Its time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Into Your word, we’re digging deep
To know our Father’s heart
Into the world, we’re reaching out
To show them who You are

Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable
Love unstoppable, anything is possible

Casting Crowns
Mark Hall, Matthew West

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1:1-3 HCSB

With God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27 NKJ

This sounds funny but, a lot of times, God speaks to me in sound bites (think Bumblebee from Transformers).  There is some uncertainty in my life right now and “we were made to thrive” (not just the words but the actual lyric) has been popping into my mind repeatedly.  I started to wonder what it really means to thrive.

Often, ‘to thrive‘ is associated with prospering, or to prosper.  If you took a poll, most people would probably say that to ‘thrive‘ or to ‘prosper‘ means having all you need and more…being able to live comfortably and have all the extras too…blessed beyond measure.  As I read this commentary by David Guzik, I thought “what if ‘to thrive‘ isn’t just about material things but is also about digging in and maturing spiritually?”

“It isn’t that the righteous man has a “Midas Touch,” and everything he does makes him rich and comfortable. But in the life of the righteous man, God brings forth something good and wonderful out of everything. Even tough circumstances bring forth something that shall prosper.”

Mark Hall says this song  “…is an effort to draw a picture of what a believer, a follower of Jesus, would look like if they dug into their roots and understood God and themselves more.”  As I looked for Scriptures about thriving, I found most of the Old Testament Scriptures use ‘thrive‘ in the context of plants:

  • the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling.
    Job 14:9 HCSB
  • …may the people thrive like grass in a field.
    Psalm 72:16 NLT
  • The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree
    Psalm 92:12 HCSB
  • Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive…
    Psalm 92:13 HCSB
  • They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.
    Isaiah 44:4 NLT
  • I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured and became very beautiful.
    Ezekiel 16:7 NKJ

In these verses, ‘thrive’ seems to be related to growth.  They speak to me of being firmly planted and deeply rooted, growing even in the hardest of times.  Enduring and beautiful.  Could it be that ‘thrive’ means to grow spiritually?  In his commentary on Psalm 1, Matthew Henry calls it “soul-prosperity.”

Is it possible that the rewards—the benefits—of thriving is “joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable, love unstoppable…?” Anything is possible.

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

Living Sanctuary

May 27, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Do you not know that you are the temple of God
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16 HCSB

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Ouch!  This verse steps all over my toes.  Especially right now.  We just made a rush trip to Texas this weekend to visit an old friend who is in the end stages of liver failure.  It was emotional and stressful.  We also spent time with other friends that we haven’t seen in ages.  Not to mention all the yummy foods available in Texas that we can’t get here in Colorado.  (Can you say Tex-Mex heaven?)  I overindulged repeatedly…justifying my actions because it would be a loooong time before I could have such goodies again. The NLT version asks, “Do you not realize…”? The AMP version questions, “Do you not discern and understand…”?  Did I even think about being a living sanctuary—God’s temple?  Not really.

For we are the sanctuary of the living God…
2 Corinthians 6:16

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple.
What’s more, you are His holy priests.
1 Peter 2:5 NLT

As I read this verse, I thought about what a temple or sanctuary actually is….

Wikipedia defines a temple as “a temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur.”
Dictionary.com defines a temple as “any place or object in which God dwells.”
Dictionary.com and Wikipedia both state a sanctuary is “a sacred or holy place.”

So, I am a ‘sacred precinct’, a ‘holy place’ where God dwells.  Am I taking care of it properly?

Rick Warren puts it like this: “When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.”  That is a very scary thought because I sure haven’t been treating my body as I would something sacred and holy!

And I “know” all this.  Why do I find it so hard to put this knowledge into action?  God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in me!  But there are times you would never know it by my behavior.  James 4:4 HCSB asks

“Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?
So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.”

Yet I still can’t seem to do what I know is right!

Romans 7:21 NLT describes this perfectly: “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.”  The struggle is constant and real.  It is a battle I cannot win alone.  It would be very easy to feel hopeless and give up.  Thankfully, Psalm 73:26 NASB whispers to me: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

These verses remind me I do not have to do it alone:

The Lord hears His people <me> when they <I> call to Him for help.
He rescues them <me> from all their <my> troubles.
Psalm 34:17 NLT

God is our <my> Refuge and Strength; always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NLT

For You have rescued me from my troubles
and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Psalm 54:7 NLT

God will give me victory over my fleshly desires if I call out to Him. He is always there…waiting to help…if I am willing to give control to Him.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, gently remind me that Your Spirit dwells permanently in me.  Let my actions reflect that I am a sacred and holy place.  Taking care of Your temple, Your sanctuary is in itself an act of worship and gratitude.  Thank You for being there…a proven help when I struggle.  I am so thankful Your mercies are new each day and that I do not have to do this on my own.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen – It is so!

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